DQM Basic Units
Communication Skills glossary
Every term this guide defines, A to Z, each with the chapter that teaches it. Open it when a word in a question is unfamiliar, and test yourself on it in the last week: cover the definition and say it in one sentence.
23 terms from the free first chapter
A
- Audience
Who the message is for, and what they already know.
Taught in Foundations of communication
C
- Channel
The medium best suited to the message and audience (see Medium of communication).
Taught in Foundations of communication
- Clarifying questions
Check that what was heard is what was meant, before acting on it.
Taught in Foundations of communication
- Closed questions
Confirm a specific fact quickly, useful for checking understanding.
Taught in Foundations of communication
- Cultural barriers
Differing norms of directness, formality or gesture between parties.
Taught in Foundations of communication
D
- Diagonal
Across levels and departments at once, common where a quality function cuts across the whole organisation.
Taught in Foundations of communication
- Downward
From supervisor to subordinate: instructions, standards, feedback.
Taught in Foundations of communication
E
- External sources
Customers, suppliers, regulators, professional bodies and published standards.
Taught in Foundations of communication
F
- Feedback mechanism
How the sender will know the message was received and understood.
Taught in Foundations of communication
H
- Horizontal
Between peers or departments at the same level, coordinating shared work.
Taught in Foundations of communication
I
- Internal sources
Colleagues, supervisors, records, minutes and the organisation's own procedures and standards.
Taught in Foundations of communication
M
- Message
The core content to be conveyed.
Taught in Foundations of communication
N
- Non-verbal communication
Body language, tone of voice, facial expression and space, which often carries as much weight as the words themselves.
Taught in Foundations of communication
O
- Objective
What the communication is meant to achieve.
Taught in Foundations of communication
- Open questions
Invite a full answer rather than yes or no, useful for exploring an issue.
Taught in Foundations of communication
- Organisational barriers
Too many reporting layers, unclear channels, or information arriving too late to act on.
Taught in Foundations of communication
P
- Physical barriers
Distance, poor connectivity, noise in the environment.
Taught in Foundations of communication
- Probing questions
Follow up an answer to get beneath a surface response, common when investigating a non-conformance.
Taught in Foundations of communication
- Psychological barriers
Stress, prejudice, or a closed attitude toward the message.
Taught in Foundations of communication
S
- Semantic (language) barriers
Technical jargon or ambiguous wording understood differently by sender and receiver.
Taught in Foundations of communication
T
- Timing
When the message should reach its audience to still be useful.
Taught in Foundations of communication
U
- Upward
From subordinate to supervisor: progress reports, non-conformances, concerns.
Taught in Foundations of communication
V
- Verbal communication
Spoken or written words, the most direct carrier of meaning.
Taught in Foundations of communication
The full glossary adds every term from the other 7 chapters, A to Z, each with the chapter that teaches it.