WEBVTT 00:00:17.260 --> 00:00:20.000 If it were you, food for thought by Neogentrics. 00:00:20.539 --> 00:00:23.519 Now, I remember last time I talked about your 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:26.440 personal appearance. And I did say that we were 00:00:26.440 --> 00:00:27.960 going to start a whole new segment here, and 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:30.140 it's going to be basically on communication and 00:00:30.140 --> 00:00:34.179 how to have basically good communication, not 00:00:34.179 --> 00:00:36.020 only with your peers, but with people around 00:00:36.020 --> 00:00:39.700 you, you and your community, and or your coworkers, 00:00:40.079 --> 00:00:43.840 okay? But before I go more in -depth into this, 00:00:43.880 --> 00:00:45.759 even though I've already covered how your personal 00:00:45.759 --> 00:00:48.219 appearance can affect your communication, let's 00:00:48.219 --> 00:00:50.299 stop and think about, what is communication? 00:00:52.579 --> 00:00:57.240 A very simple question, yet with a not -so -very 00:00:57.240 --> 00:01:00.920 -simple explanation. The definition, however, 00:01:01.119 --> 00:01:03.770 is fairly simple, okay? First off, let's start 00:01:03.770 --> 00:01:06.430 with this. Communication is simply the act of 00:01:06.430 --> 00:01:09.430 transferring information from one place to another. 00:01:09.609 --> 00:01:11.989 Doesn't matter if it's people, if it's a thing, 00:01:12.129 --> 00:01:15.510 if it's school, if it's a paper. It's still communication. 00:01:16.310 --> 00:01:20.269 Okay? And although this, like I said, is a simple 00:01:20.269 --> 00:01:22.829 definition, you know, when we think about how 00:01:22.829 --> 00:01:25.659 we communicate the subject... becomes a lot more 00:01:25.659 --> 00:01:28.879 complex. There are various categories of communication, 00:01:29.219 --> 00:01:33.700 and more than one may occur at any time or simultaneously. 00:01:35.079 --> 00:01:38.840 The different categories of communication include, 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:43.540 but are not limited to, spoken or verbal communication. 00:01:43.579 --> 00:01:47.060 This is basically being face -to -face via the 00:01:47.060 --> 00:01:50.840 telephone, radio, television, or basically any 00:01:50.840 --> 00:01:54.200 other kind of media. The second one is nonverbal 00:01:54.200 --> 00:01:58.859 communication. This is typically noted by your 00:01:58.859 --> 00:02:02.540 body language, gestures, how we dress or act. 00:02:02.579 --> 00:02:05.280 Remember, I covered part of that. And even our 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:08.199 scent. Yes, the way you smell is also a form 00:02:08.199 --> 00:02:12.639 of communication. As weird as that sounds. Next 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:17.639 would be the verbal communication. Sorry, the 00:02:17.639 --> 00:02:19.580 written communication. Sorry, I already covered 00:02:19.580 --> 00:02:23.539 verbal. that would basically be letters, emails, 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:26.479 books, magazines, the internet, other media, 00:02:26.599 --> 00:02:30.740 this podcast. This, in a way, is still considered 00:02:30.740 --> 00:02:34.800 written communication and even spoken or verbal 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:36.500 communication. This is one of those that counts 00:02:36.500 --> 00:02:40.400 as both. Finally, the last one is visualizations. 00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:44.080 That's basically graphs and charts, maps, logos, 00:02:44.500 --> 00:02:48.620 and any other visualizations. that can be used 00:02:48.620 --> 00:02:51.379 to communicate a message. This also includes 00:02:51.379 --> 00:02:53.879 sign language for those who know how to use it. 00:02:53.900 --> 00:02:56.539 I'm still trying to learn it, but at the moment 00:02:56.539 --> 00:03:01.539 I'm not doing all too great. Okay. With that 00:03:01.539 --> 00:03:04.900 being said, the desired outcome or goal of any 00:03:04.900 --> 00:03:07.740 communication process is basically just understanding 00:03:07.740 --> 00:03:13.590 what is being presented. Okay. The process of 00:03:13.590 --> 00:03:16.710 interpersonal communication cannot be regarded 00:03:16.710 --> 00:03:21.270 as a phenomena which simply happens, but should 00:03:21.270 --> 00:03:24.069 be seen as a process which involves participants 00:03:24.069 --> 00:03:27.189 basically negotiating their roles in this process, 00:03:27.289 --> 00:03:32.699 whether consciously or even unconsciously. Senders 00:03:32.699 --> 00:03:35.759 and receivers are, of course, vital in communication. 00:03:36.039 --> 00:03:38.479 In face -to -face communication, the roles of 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:41.180 the sender and receiver are not distinct as both 00:03:41.180 --> 00:03:44.039 parties communicate with each other. So even 00:03:44.039 --> 00:03:47.639 if in very subtle ways, such as through eye contact 00:03:47.639 --> 00:03:51.360 or lack thereof, and general body language, this 00:03:51.360 --> 00:03:55.500 is usually the keen way as to how this... communication 00:03:55.500 --> 00:03:59.099 works there are many other subtle ways that we 00:03:59.099 --> 00:04:03.819 communicate perhaps even intentionally with others 00:04:03.819 --> 00:04:08.060 for example the tone of our voice can give clues 00:04:08.060 --> 00:04:11.240 to our mood or even our emotional state you know 00:04:11.240 --> 00:04:14.879 whilst hand signs or gestures can add to a spoken 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:16.759 language like i mentioned before with the sign 00:04:16.759 --> 00:04:21.620 language a spoken message i'm sorry in Written 00:04:21.620 --> 00:04:23.779 communication, the sender and receiver are more 00:04:23.779 --> 00:04:27.660 distinct, and until recent times, relatively 00:04:27.660 --> 00:04:31.899 few writers and publishers were very powerful 00:04:31.899 --> 00:04:34.600 when it came to communicating the written word. 00:04:34.779 --> 00:04:39.220 So, with that being said, today, we can all write 00:04:39.220 --> 00:04:42.120 and publish our own ideas online, which has led 00:04:42.120 --> 00:04:43.959 to the explosion of information and communication 00:04:43.959 --> 00:04:46.779 possibilities. There are endless possibilities. 00:04:47.459 --> 00:05:15.379 Yeah, okay? So, with that being said, let's go 00:05:15.379 --> 00:05:17.000 ahead and talk about the communication process. 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:21.920 Okay? A message or communication is basically 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:24.720 sent by the sender through a communication channel 00:05:24.720 --> 00:05:28.220 to a receiver or to multiple receivers. Okay? 00:05:28.300 --> 00:05:30.980 The sender must encode the message, the information 00:05:30.980 --> 00:05:34.170 being conveyed. into a form that is appropriate 00:05:34.170 --> 00:05:36.370 to the communication channel that he selected, 00:05:36.670 --> 00:05:39.730 and the receivers then decode the messages to 00:05:39.730 --> 00:05:42.230 understand its meaning and significance. The 00:05:42.230 --> 00:05:45.370 telegraph being one of the first means of, I 00:05:45.370 --> 00:05:47.870 guess you say, electrical communication back 00:05:47.870 --> 00:05:50.569 when Samuel Morris created it, is one of those 00:05:50.569 --> 00:05:54.939 examples of this. Misunderstandings can occur 00:05:54.939 --> 00:05:57.420 at any stage of the communication process. Keep 00:05:57.420 --> 00:06:00.899 this in mind. While the telegraph was very, very 00:06:00.899 --> 00:06:07.959 useful, it wasn't exactly foolproof. Effective 00:06:07.959 --> 00:06:11.360 communication involves minimizing potential misunderstandings 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:13.420 and overcoming any barriers to communication 00:06:13.420 --> 00:06:18.699 at each stage in the communication process. One 00:06:18.699 --> 00:06:20.180 of the things I'm going to talk about a little 00:06:20.180 --> 00:06:22.079 bit later is going to be the barriers to effective 00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:25.079 communication. But we'll get to that when we 00:06:25.079 --> 00:06:29.680 reach there. Okay. An effective communicator 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:32.500 understands their audience, first off. And they 00:06:32.500 --> 00:06:34.939 choose appropriate communication channels, hones 00:06:34.939 --> 00:06:37.560 their message to these channels, and then encodes 00:06:37.560 --> 00:06:39.600 the message to reduce misunderstanding by the 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:43.300 receivers. They will also seek out feedback from 00:06:43.300 --> 00:06:45.439 the receivers as to how the message is understood 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:48.139 and then attempt to correct any misunderstandings 00:06:48.139 --> 00:06:52.480 or confusions as soon as possible. Receivers 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:54.959 can use techniques such as clarification and 00:06:54.959 --> 00:06:58.000 reflection as effective ways to ensure that the 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:01.399 message was sent and has been understood correctly. 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:05.379 Basically, the communication process works as 00:07:05.379 --> 00:07:07.839 the following. The sender sends the message. 00:07:08.350 --> 00:07:11.170 Encoding it through a channel to be decoded by 00:07:11.170 --> 00:07:13.490 the recipient the recipient then sends feedback 00:07:13.490 --> 00:07:16.170 through the same channel encoding it and then 00:07:16.170 --> 00:07:20.370 it's Decoded by this original sender to be able 00:07:20.370 --> 00:07:22.910 to determine what they said. That's basically 00:07:22.910 --> 00:07:26.290 how it works Okay next would be communication 00:07:26.290 --> 00:07:30.250 channels communication theory states that communication 00:07:30.250 --> 00:07:33.730 involves a sender and a receiver or receivers 00:07:33.730 --> 00:07:37.779 depending on how it's being conveyed, or to whom. 00:07:37.819 --> 00:07:41.160 Like for me, to you guys. I'm not sending this 00:07:41.160 --> 00:07:43.480 to one person, I'm sending this to everyone who 00:07:43.480 --> 00:07:47.699 chooses to listen. And in doing this, it's conveying 00:07:47.699 --> 00:07:49.600 information through a communication channel. 00:07:49.860 --> 00:07:53.579 And in my case, it would be Anchor. Communication 00:07:53.579 --> 00:07:58.600 channels, in the term, given to the way in which 00:07:58.600 --> 00:08:03.579 we communicate, it's basically, how do I put 00:08:03.579 --> 00:08:07.480 this? Let me back up a second here. First off, 00:08:07.519 --> 00:08:09.680 there are multiple communication channels available 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:11.800 to us today, okay? And this is understood from 00:08:11.800 --> 00:08:14.519 what I said previously. For example, like I said, 00:08:14.519 --> 00:08:16.699 the face -to -face telephone calls, text messages, 00:08:16.839 --> 00:08:19.439 email, internet, especially social media such 00:08:19.439 --> 00:08:22.100 as Facebook, Twitter, the radio, TV, and even 00:08:22.100 --> 00:08:24.120 written letters, though not as common, which 00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:27.560 are still used. Others would be brochures or 00:08:27.560 --> 00:08:31.139 reports, just to name a few. Now, choosing an 00:08:31.139 --> 00:08:33.139 appropriate communication channel is vital for 00:08:33.139 --> 00:08:35.299 effective communication, like I mentioned before, 00:08:35.399 --> 00:08:37.440 as each communication channel has different strengths 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:41.100 and weaknesses. Let me give an example. Broadcasting 00:08:41.100 --> 00:08:43.500 news of an upcoming event via a written letter 00:08:43.500 --> 00:08:45.440 might convey the message clearly to one or two 00:08:45.440 --> 00:08:49.659 individuals, but it will not be a time or cost 00:08:49.659 --> 00:08:51.460 -effective way to broadcast the message to a 00:08:51.460 --> 00:08:54.480 large number of people. But on the other hand... 00:08:55.110 --> 00:08:57.389 Complain complex technical information is better 00:08:57.389 --> 00:08:59.809 done via a printed document rather than via a 00:08:59.809 --> 00:09:02.870 spoken message, since the receiver is able to 00:09:02.870 --> 00:09:05.370 assimilate the information at their own pace 00:09:05.370 --> 00:09:08.149 and then revisit the items that they do not fully 00:09:08.149 --> 00:09:10.389 understand because it's all right there in front 00:09:10.389 --> 00:09:13.029 of them. Okay, so keep this in mind. Written 00:09:13.029 --> 00:09:15.629 communication is also useful as a way of recording 00:09:15.629 --> 00:09:18.730 what has been said. For example, taking minutes 00:09:18.730 --> 00:09:23.299 in a meeting is one of the main functions. One 00:09:23.299 --> 00:09:25.340 of the things I'm going to definitely cover is 00:09:25.340 --> 00:09:29.480 how note -taking is effective in communication, 00:09:29.840 --> 00:09:32.820 as well as how to conduct a meeting as well. 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:34.820 And while these don't seem like they're all too 00:09:34.820 --> 00:09:39.480 important, they are very, very vital to good 00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:50.159 communication. Okay, so now that I've got that 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:53.019 out of the way. Let's go ahead and talk about 00:09:53.019 --> 00:09:57.360 encoding messages. All messages must be encoded 00:09:57.360 --> 00:09:59.679 into a form that can be conveyed by the communication 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:01.940 channel chosen for the message. This is understood. 00:10:03.139 --> 00:10:06.039 We all do this every day when we're transferring 00:10:06.039 --> 00:10:08.220 abstract thoughts into spoken words or written 00:10:08.220 --> 00:10:11.080 form. However, other communication channels require 00:10:11.080 --> 00:10:16.440 different forms of encoding, i .e. text writing 00:10:16.440 --> 00:10:19.289 for a report will not. work well if broadcasted 00:10:19.289 --> 00:10:22.389 via a radio program, and the short abbreviated 00:10:22.389 --> 00:10:24.649 text used in text messages would be considered 00:10:24.649 --> 00:10:27.230 inappropriate if sent via a letter, obviously. 00:10:28.090 --> 00:10:31.769 And complex data may be best communicated using 00:10:31.769 --> 00:10:34.529 a graph or chart or other visualizations. You 00:10:34.529 --> 00:10:36.690 wouldn't exactly present that data in a written 00:10:36.690 --> 00:10:39.549 text document, and if you did, I honestly doubt 00:10:39.549 --> 00:10:41.769 anyone would read it, unless you're a technical 00:10:41.769 --> 00:10:44.309 analysis person who needs all that data versus 00:10:44.309 --> 00:10:47.799 an actual chart, which gives more detail. Effective 00:10:47.799 --> 00:10:52.080 communicators encode their message with their 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:55.399 intended audience in mind, as well as the communication 00:10:55.399 --> 00:10:58.200 channel. This involves an appropriate use of 00:10:58.200 --> 00:11:00.740 language. Conveying the information simply and 00:11:00.740 --> 00:11:03.659 clearly, anticipating and eliminating likely 00:11:03.659 --> 00:11:06.320 causes of confusion and misunderstanding, and 00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:08.620 knowing the receiver's experience in decoding 00:11:08.620 --> 00:11:11.539 other similar communications. Successful encoding 00:11:11.539 --> 00:11:14.440 of messages is a vital skill in effective communication. 00:11:15.769 --> 00:11:18.809 With that being said, unfortunately, it seems 00:11:18.809 --> 00:11:21.029 that, and I've had a request for this, I'm going 00:11:21.029 --> 00:11:24.509 to have to cover a topic on the importance of 00:11:24.509 --> 00:11:28.450 plain English. And it's not that it's something 00:11:28.450 --> 00:11:31.009 that I assume that everyone should have. It's 00:11:31.009 --> 00:11:34.769 just that the fact that we've gone so far away 00:11:34.769 --> 00:11:37.350 from what we were originally taught and the way 00:11:37.350 --> 00:11:40.049 things are in school now that this main topic 00:11:40.049 --> 00:11:43.700 isn't being carried like it's supposed to. I 00:11:43.700 --> 00:11:45.340 feel like I need to at least cover it for those 00:11:45.340 --> 00:11:47.799 who don't know or haven't been taught, more so 00:11:47.799 --> 00:11:49.659 than the ones who already know who just need 00:11:49.659 --> 00:11:52.940 a refresher. So with that, next I want to talk 00:11:52.940 --> 00:11:55.519 about the decoding of messages. Once received, 00:11:55.960 --> 00:11:58.320 the receivers need to decode the message. Successfully 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:01.019 decoding is also a vital communication skill. 00:12:01.740 --> 00:12:04.639 People will decode and understand messages in 00:12:04.639 --> 00:12:06.759 different ways based on any barriers to communication. 00:12:07.450 --> 00:12:11.389 which might be present their experience and understanding 00:12:11.389 --> 00:12:13.990 of the context of the message, their psychological 00:12:13.990 --> 00:12:17.450 state, and the time and place of receipt, as 00:12:17.450 --> 00:12:20.649 well as many other potential factors. Understanding 00:12:20.649 --> 00:12:23.190 how the message will be decoded and anticipating 00:12:23.190 --> 00:12:25.370 as many of the potential sources of misunderstanding 00:12:25.370 --> 00:12:29.850 as possible is the art of a successful communicator. 00:12:30.850 --> 00:12:33.529 Okay? I want to make sure that's at least understood. 00:12:34.549 --> 00:12:37.759 Now, Well, let me talk about feedback for a second. 00:12:38.860 --> 00:12:42.620 Feedback is basically this. Receivers of a message 00:12:42.620 --> 00:12:45.980 are likely to provide feedback on how they basically 00:12:45.980 --> 00:12:48.320 have understood the message through both verbal 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:51.899 and nonverbal reactions. With this being said, 00:12:52.139 --> 00:12:54.759 effective communicators pay close attention to 00:12:54.759 --> 00:12:57.679 this feedback as it is the only way to assess 00:12:57.679 --> 00:13:00.019 whether the message has been understood as intended 00:13:00.019 --> 00:13:03.019 and it allows any confusions to basically be 00:13:03.019 --> 00:13:06.929 corrected. Bear in mind, that the extent and 00:13:06.929 --> 00:13:09.450 form of feedback will vary according to the communication 00:13:09.450 --> 00:13:12.889 channel used. For example, feedback during a 00:13:12.889 --> 00:13:15.889 face -to -face or telephone conversation will 00:13:15.889 --> 00:13:19.169 be immediate and direct, whilst feedback to messages 00:13:19.169 --> 00:13:23.809 conveyed via TV or radio will be indirect and 00:13:23.809 --> 00:13:26.490 may be delayed or even conveyed through other 00:13:26.490 --> 00:13:31.600 media such as the internet. With this, topics 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:33.980 such as reflection, clarification, and giving 00:13:33.980 --> 00:13:36.639 and receiving feedback are stuff I'm going to 00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:40.139 cover in the near future. And I want to go ahead 00:13:40.139 --> 00:13:43.679 and stress how important they are now before 00:13:43.679 --> 00:13:49.100 I actually reach them. Okay? So, in conclusion, 00:13:49.460 --> 00:13:52.120 to everything that I basically covered, what 00:13:52.120 --> 00:13:56.620 is communication? Being able to communicate effectively 00:13:56.620 --> 00:14:00.480 is the most important of all life skills. You 00:14:00.480 --> 00:14:02.860 can learn how to do a dozen different things, 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:04.679 especially a lot of the stuff that I've already 00:14:04.679 --> 00:14:07.399 talked about before, and especially how to be 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:11.419 healthy. But if you can't communicate, it makes 00:14:11.419 --> 00:14:13.860 it harder to go through life. Imagine trying 00:14:13.860 --> 00:14:15.740 to talk to a person who only speaks Spanish, 00:14:15.799 --> 00:14:18.720 but you only know English. There is a huge barrier 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:22.299 between the two. I'm sure there are still some 00:14:22.299 --> 00:14:24.850 words between the two that are understood. As 00:14:24.850 --> 00:14:28.509 I don't properly speak Spanish, but I can understand 00:14:28.509 --> 00:14:30.889 it because I have studied it for a short period. 00:14:31.509 --> 00:14:36.789 There is a slight barrier there. Okay. So with 00:14:36.789 --> 00:14:41.509 that, I thank you for listening. We'll be picking 00:14:41.509 --> 00:14:44.190 it back up with the next topic in my next podcast, 00:14:44.289 --> 00:14:47.029 which may or may not be too far gone after this 00:14:47.029 --> 00:14:49.330 one. We're going to cover interpersonal communication 00:14:49.330 --> 00:14:53.929 skills next. And with that, have a great rest 00:14:53.929 --> 00:14:55.289 of your day, and thank you for listening.