DQM Basic Units

Communication Skills flashcards

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What are the steps of the communication process?

The sender forms an idea and encodes it into words, symbols or gestures. The message travels through a chosen channel. The receiver decodes it and responds with feedback, confirming (or not) that the meaning landed. Noise can distort the message at any point in the sequence.

What six qualities make communication effective?

Clarity: easily understood, with no room for a second meaning. Completeness: every fact the receiver needs to act on it. Conciseness: what is needed, without unnecessary length. Correctness: accurate in fact, grammar and figures. Courtesy: respectful of the receiver. Concreteness: specific rather than vague.

What are the five stages of group development, in order?

Forming: members meet and orient themselves to the task. Storming: differences of opinion and approach surface, often the most conflict-prone stage. Norming: the group settles on shared norms and ways of working. Performing: the group works productively toward its goal. Adjourning: the group disbands once its task is complete.

How do formal and informal communication channels differ?

Formal channels are the organisation's official routes: memos, reports, scheduled meetings, board and management communication. Informal channels are unofficial routes such as casual conversation and the grapevine: fast, but unverified and hard to control.

Which factors decide the right channel for a message?

Urgency, complexity, sensitivity, the need for a record, and the audience's access. Urgent and simple: a call or short message. Complex: a written document to study. Sensitive: a private conversation before anything goes in writing. May need proving later: a written record.

What are the six elements of a communication strategy?

Objective: what the communication is meant to achieve. Audience: who the message is for, and what they already know. Message: the core content. Channel: the medium best suited to the message and audience. Timing: when it must arrive to still be useful. Feedback mechanism: how the sender will know it was received and understood.

Name the five types of interview and the purpose of each.

Selection: assesses a candidate's suitability for a role. Appraisal: reviews an employee's performance over a period. Disciplinary: addresses a specific conduct or performance concern. Exit: gathers feedback from an employee who is leaving. Investigative: gathers facts on a specific incident, such as a non-conformance or customer complaint.

What must an action plan agreed at the end of an interview specify?

What will be done, one named owner, a date, and how completion will be checked (the evidence), recorded in writing. Vague commitments such as being more careful cannot be followed up and are rarely kept.

How can a facilitator encourage participation in a group discussion?

Go round the group, or invite quieter members by name, rather than waiting for volunteers. Ask open questions that need more than a yes or no. Use silent brainstorming, with ideas written before they are discussed. Acknowledge contributions before moving on, and manage dominant speakers so they do not crowd out others.

What are the five steps in developing a presentation?

Define the objective: what it must achieve and for whom. Research the content. Structure it into an introduction, body and conclusion. Prepare aids that support rather than duplicate the talk. Rehearse delivery and timing.

What is the difference between verbal and non-verbal communication?