Reduce the impact of barriers

Assignment 2 Task 3 (M1)

Introduction:

From the research which I have gathered for P3, I am now going to use the barriers which I have identified to explain mechanisms which can be used to reduce the impact of these barriers to communication.

General Communication Barriers

Language used (terminology)

From P3 you can see the barriers to effective communication for the language which you use and they include words from which people use which might be offensive to people from other countries. An example of a mechanism which can be used to reduce the impact of this barrier to communication is by using words that less technical people can understand because people who do not work inside an IT business will not know some of these words. Another mechanism which can be used to reduce the impact of this barrier is by using a translator when you do not understand what people are saying to you of a different language. Finally this would work because by using a translator you will not be offending people who speak a different language.

Age

Also from P3 you can see the barriers to effective communication for people who are different ages and they include younger people knowing more about texting and shortened messaging. One example of a mechanism which can be used to reduce the impact of this barrier to communication is by communicating your message to a different generation in a different way which will help them communicate in a different way. This will work because different generations will know different technical words and phrases. Finally you can also overcome age barriers by hanging out with people who are around the same age as you because you will have more in common.

Cultural Differences
Finally the last general communication barrier to effective communication is people who have different cultures and they include different cultures using different words or signs which are not acceptable in other cultures. One example of a mechanism which can be used to reduce the impact of this barrier to communication is by respecting other people's beliefs and social habits. This will work because by respecting other cultures, it will show that you are not discriminating.

Interpersonal Skills Barriers

Body Language (Talking and Listening)

From P3 you can also see that I have talked about the barriers to effective communication for interpersonal skills and an example of this is your body language. One example of a body language barrier which I have talked about is the tone of voice which you use and this will show the other person what kind of mood you are in. One example of a mechanism which can be used to reduce the impact of this barrier is by talking in a good tone of voice which will show the other person that you are being friendly. Finally you can also overcome by focusing when listening and this will show that you are not being rude.

Background Noise

Background noise is another example of a barrier to effective communication which is an interpersonal skill snd someone who is hovering will distarct you when you are trying to talk to someone else. One example of a mechanism which can be used to reduce the impact of this barrier to communication is by going to a room which is quiet so you can hear what the other person is saying to you. Finally this would work because by going to a quiet room you will be able to fully understand what the other person is saying to you so there will be no conflict.

Negative Emotions
Finally the last interpersonal skill barrier to effective communication is negative emotions and they could be triggered by previous experiences. One example of a mechanism which can be used to reduce the impact of this barrier to communication is by thinking positive about something which you enjoy doing. This would work because you will not have bad memories going about in your head and you will have a positive attitude.

Written Communication Barriers

Using an Inappropriate Structure (Format) 
In this last section for written communication, you can see that I have also talked about their barriers to effective communication which you can see in P3. One example of an inappropriate structure which I have talked about is when you do not use short sentences or paragraphs which will make your work boring. An example of a mechanism which can be used to reduce the impact of this barrier to communication is by using short sentences which are easy to read and to use bold writing for your title.

Identifying Relevance
Identifying relevance is another example of a barrier to effective communication and relevant information is a barrier when important information is not standing out and when you are using the same font size. One example of a mechanism which can be used to reduce the impact of this barrier to communication is by using larger font sizes for relevant information and to highlight relevant information. Finally this will work because people will be able to know relevant information with it standing out.

Spelling and Grammar
Finally the last written communication barrier to effective communicationis spelling and grammar and you should spell check and proof read all of your work before you present it. One example of a mechanism which can be used to reduce the impact of this barrier to communication is by not rushing when you are doing your work and you should use the spell checker. Finally this would work because you will have fewer errors in your work.

Barriers To Communication

Assignment 2 Task 3 (P3) Barriers to effective communication

Introduction

In this first part of my last task for assignment 2 I am going to describe to the volunteers about the different barriers to effective communication and I will have 3 examples of barriers in general communication skills, interpersonal skills and written communication.

Definition of barriers to communication

A barrier is an obstacle that gets in the way when you are trying to talk to someone at work or outside of work which will prevent the exchange of ideas. This can be many things such as gender differences, cultural differences, language barriers and physical barriers.

General Communication Skills

I am now going to pick 3 barriers to effective communication which are general communication skills:

Language used (terminology)

The Language that someone uses is an obvious barrier to effective communication because some people from different countries will not be able to understand what someone else is saying and some words might be offensive which people say. People will also use sign language which is used by deaf people who use hand gestures which other people will not understand. Another barrier when language is being used is the terminology which is being used because people outside for an IT business will not be able to understand technical language.

Age

Age is also another barrier of general communication because different generations will know different things. Younger people will know than older people about texting and shortened messaging like lol which means laugh out loud. Older people might also know more words and phrases than younger people and this may affect communication between these two generations in work. 

Cultural Differences

Cultural differences are the last general communication barrier which I am going to write about and different cultures can interpret things in different ways. There are many things that make up to what people refer to as culture but cultural difference is about attitudes and beliefs that come of our life and experience. Cultural differences can also be religious beliefs with their being many different ones which have barriers including Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Some other cultural barriers include age, body language, cultural background and gender. 

Interpersonal Skills

In this next section I am going to pick 3 barriers to effective communication which are interpersonal skills:

Body Language (Talking and Listening)

Body language is an example of a barrier to effective communication which is an interpersonal skill for talking and listening. The tone of voice that you use will show the other person what your mood is and it will show if you like them or not. Also your body language will show another person if you are listening to them or not with no eye contact and no attention shows that you are not listening. We also get impressions about people we interact with which can lead us to handle situations differently with communication not only being verbal but it is the most common. One last thing which you can do is to see how people communicate with movement or positioning of their body. 

Background Noise

Background noise is another barrier to effective communication which is an interpersonal skill. This is often a major barrier of effective communication, for example verbal communication with large background noises can result in individuals having to shout in order to be heard. It is also harder to hear or understand what is being said, which result in misunderstanding between two individuals and this could cause conflict. If a speaker or listener is not good at the language being used, it may also cause confusion between people. 

Negative Emotions

Negative emotions are the last interpersonal skill barrier which I am going to write about and they could be triggered by previous experiences which continue to hurt us. Emotionally excited communicators are unable to organize their message properly; their excited or nervous state of mind does not allow them to think clearly. Negative emotions at work can be formed by work overload, lack of rewards and social relations which appear to be the most stressful work related factors. 

 

Written Communication

In this last section I am going to pick 3 barriers to effective communication which is examples of written communication:

Using an Inappropriate Structure (Format)

Using an inappropriate structure (format) is an example of a barrier of written communication. Using an inappropriate structure is a barrier because it does not go well with the format that is being displayed. Some of the ways that your work can have an inappropriate structure is by not using short paragraphs and sentences which will make the work look bad and people will not want to read long paragraphs. You can also have an inappropriate structure by not having headings to stand out which includes the title of your work. 

Identifying Relevance

Identifying relevance is another important barrier of written communication which I am going to write about. Identifying relevance can be used can be used in a presentation or a document such as a report or letter and identifying relevance basically means that you need to produce a document e.g. a letter by explaining the subject to someone. The recipient will try and identify relevant information but if you have hidden relevant information which is with a lot of other details then you may miss the important facts. Finally relevant information can be identified in a number of ways which include a change in font size or highlighting text in a different colour.

Spelling and Grammar

Spelling and Grammar is the last written communication barrier which I am going to write about and you should proof read and spell check all of your work before presenting it. You might also want to get a second opinion on your work before you publish it and all of your key points in your work might not get across if there are spelling and grammar mistakes. 

Principles of Effective Communication

Assignment 2 Task 2 (P2)

Effective Communication

Include an explanation of the principles of effective communication.

A two way information sharing process which involves one party sending a message that is easily understood by the receiving party. Effective communication by business managers facilitates information sharing between company employees and can substantially contribute to its commercial success.

General Communication Skills

Introduction- General Communication is the transmission of information from one person to someone else through the use of various methods such as sending emails and letter writing among others to achieve mutual understanding feedback.

Communication processes need an audience to communicate the message to. The success of the message will be determined by:

• Cultural Difference e.g. Christian vs. Arab
•  Adapting to suit an audience
•  Accuracy
•  Engaging the audience
•  Question and answer

Choose 2 of these general skills and write about them:

     1. Adapting to suit an audience

• People have to adapt to suit different audiences which they are presenting their work which include children and adults.
•  For children you will have to talk in a way that reaches out to them and that they can understand what you are saying.
•  You must also tell the truth to your audience because no one will want to listen to you and you will lose credibility.
• Other things which might be involved when you trying to suit an audience is their gender, culture and their intelligence.

 

2. Cultural differences- There are many different cultural differences which might be between you and your audience. You must be careful with the signs which you do to people who are of a different culture because it might be ok to people of some cultures but offensive to other ones.  

One example of a sign which may be offensive is the use of a finger or hand to indicate to people to come over to you. This is a sign used to beckon dogs in some cultures and this is offensive. Finally before you talk to someone of a different culture you must know the differences, learn their culture before engaging with them and use a translator.

Interpersonal Skills

Introduction- Interpersonal communication is the process by which people exchange information, feelings and meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages with it being face to face communication. It is also not just through what people say but it is sent through your tone of voice, facial expressions and gestures.

Choose 2 interpersonal skills and write about them:

1. Technique and cues

2. Positive language

3. Negative language

4. Active engagement

1. Techniques and Cues

• When you are expressing your emotions in a verbal communication you be using different tones. If you have a raised voice people will see that you are angry at something and you will have a low voice when you are scared of something.
•  If you are having a face to face conversation with someone you might fold your arms to show that you are not happy with the other person or you might put you thumb up at someone to show that you are being friendly.
• While someone who is unsighted will not be able to see what gestures the other person is doing during face to face conversations. But this person can hear pauses in the conversation.

 

2. Positive Language

• It is good for people to show a positive language because other people will see that you are a friendly and polite person and they will want to talk to you. Another way in which you can have a positive language is by saying yes to someone which will that you are agreeing with them.
•  Finally you can also show a positive language without talking by smiling, waving at someone and using emotions like J.  

Written Communication Skills

Written communication is very different from other forms of communication. It requires special skills in the construction of the message- not least, the ability to handwrite or type. It also requires a good knowledge of the vocabulary and grammar of a language (such as English) so that the written word conveys the intended message to the audience. You cannot use visual cues such as hand or gestures.

Choose 2 written communication skills and write about them (P20)

Smiley’s or Emotions

Key messages

Grammar and Spelling

Structure of the piece of writing

Identifying relevance

Alternative viewpoints

Proofreading

Note taking and summarizing

Capitalization

1. Smiley’s or Emotions

• Smiley’s or Emotions can be used when you are chatting to someone on Facebook and this will show the other person what sort of mood you are in.
•  Now a day’s people use Smiley’s or Emotions when they sending a text message to someone or on a social networking site like Facebook.
•  Below you can see some of the different Emotions which you can use social networking sites.

2. Grammar and Spelling

Grammar and Spelling is another important written communication skill which you need to have because other people will be able to read and understand what you are writing. This is also important in written communication because from your grammar and spelling the reader will form an opinion of you. Mistakes in your work will show that you are unprofessional and some of the things which you can use to break up your sentences are commas and full stops.

Adapting to suit your audience

You have to assess your audience before you decide how many and what type of communication methods to use and what your subject is that you are trying to communicate.

The communication Process

The 6 steps of the communication process

The effective communication process is a six step cycle; you can break down the communication which includes you sending a message or you might become confused through the steps.

Occasionally the symbolic message will not be clear in our own brain, and yet we still expect other people to know what we mean!

Then the encoding, sending, and decoding phases will provide opportunities for errors and misunderstandings which people make in the process.

In the fifth step, the receiver has to transfer the message and it will decide what it means based on their own values, beliefs, filters, and memories.

If any of these steps fails, the result will be confusion, conflict, and frustration for people.

Electronic Book page 15-18

Bibliography

Academic Books

Anderson et al “Information Technology Level 3 Book 1 Btec National” Pearson 2010

Websites

http://www.businessballs.com/empathv.htm%23listening Alan Chapman 2001-2011

www.itc.com  (Effective Use of IT for communication D Brown 2010

www.computing.co.uk Communication Image 2010

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/effective-communication.html#ixzz2Ich7kqEx

https://vle.src.ac.uk/file.php/387/Unit1Ebook.pdf

http://www.maximumadvantage.com/



Employee Attributes

Assignment 2 Task 1 (P1)

ICT Support Officer

1. Employee Attributes Definition:

Specific Attributes- This is important for an employee to have if they want to get a job as an ICT Support Officer. Specific attributes are job related and some of the things which will help you get a job as an ICT Support Officer are by having good computer skills which will help you when you have to do different tasks on the computer.

General Attributes- General attribute are soft skills and you gain these over the years by having experience doing different tasks. Employers expect you to have these and these will help carry out tasks in a job.

Two examples of employee attributes that may be required to be an ICT Support Officer- 1 specific to the job and 1 general (soft skill).

Specific Attribute- Qualifications

One specific attribute that may be required to be an ICT Support Officer is to have all the right qualifications which are needed for the job. You will need to get your GCSE C in English and Maths. This will show that you have met the grades needed for the job. You will also need to have a Level 4 or higher Qualification in ICT e.g. HNC. This qualification will be essential to be an ICT Support officer because it will show you will be able to handle all of the tasks which you are given. 

General Attributes- Time Management and a full current driving license

Some general attributes that may be required for an ICT Support Officer is to have good time management skills which shows that you are enjoying your work by turning up on time. Another soft skill which may be required is to have a full current driving license because you will be travelling to other campuses. This will show that you are willing to travel to complete your work and to meet Support Officers from other campuses.

Explain why the attributes are valued- The attributes which I have wrote about above are valued because the specific attributes show what all you have for the job including good computer skills and all of the qualifications needed while the soft skills are valued because they show what skills you have learnt over the years including you being able to work in a team.   

2. Employee Attitudes Definition

Employee attitudes refer to your own personal behavior in a work context. It is important to show a good attitude when you are applying for a job and when you are working because it will show your employer that you are enthusiastic about your job and you will work to the best of your ability.  

Two examples of personal attitudes that might be expected of an ICT Support Officer.

One example of a personal attitude that might be expected of an ICT Support Officer is to have Interpersonal Skills because you have to liaise with staff at all levels, external contacts and suppliers. This will show that you have good confidence. Another attitude you need is to be flexible because you have to adapt and learn new technology. This will show that you are willing to try new things to get better at your job. Finally you will need to be organized to maintain an inventory of equipment. This will show the employer that you are not lazy and you want to keep everything organised.   

Explain why these attitudes are valued by the employer- These attitudes which I have wrote about are valued by the employer because they show that you are willing to learn new technologies, you have good communication skills and are an organised worker.