CHAPTER 1:

COMMUNICATION
PROCESSES, PRINCIPLES AND
ETHICS
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS
CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK
CHAPTER 1: COMMUNICATION PROCESSES,
PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS
Learning Outcomes:
Determine culturally appropriate terms, expressions and images (with sensitivity to gender, race, class, etc)
1. Adopt cultural and intercultural awareness and sensitivity in communicating ideas
2. Evaluate multimodal texts critically to enhance receptive skills
3. Convey ideas through oral, audio-visual and/or web-based presentations for different target audiences in local and global
settings using appropriate registers
4. Adopt awareness of audience and context in presenting ideas
5. Describe nature, elements, and functions of verbal and non-verbal communication in various and multicultural contexts.
6. Explain how cultural and global issues affect communication.
7. Appreciate the impact of communication on society and the world.
CHAPTER 1: COMMUNICATION PROCESSES,
PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS
“The art of communication is the language of leadership.” (James Humes)
• Communication is a complex process.
…but the real question is whether the ideas one has expressed are truly understood
by another.
…without changing both the CONTENT and the CONTEXT of the message.
CONTENT
the material that is written/contained about a given topic

CONTEXT
the circumstances that help us to understand the text
CHAPTER 1: COMMUNICATION PROCESSES,
PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS
“One cannot simply strive to express oneself and leave understanding to fate.”

how to organize one’s thoughts

control one’s emotions
use appropriate words to articulate concepts and arguments
express the best way possible
CHAPTER 1: COMMUNICATION PROCESSES,
PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS
• Communication is the art of creating and sharing ideas for a specific purpose. Tejada et
al, (2018)
• Verbal (language, sounds, tone of voice)
• Aural (hearing and listening)
• Non-verbal (body language, deportment, facial expression)
• Written (journal, email, blog, text message)
• Visual (signs, symbols, pictures, graphics, emojis)
CHAPTER 1: COMMUNICATION PROCESSES,
PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS
• Effective communication is dependent on how rich those ideas are, and how much of those
ideas are retained in the cyclical process.
• Situation
• Content
• Actual information
• Intended recipient
 LESSON 1: COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Attitudinal:
attitudes, beliefs,
and values

Knowing the Understanding

How they need
to receive the
“Audience
audience their level
information Analysis”
Demographic:
age, gender, culture, Environmental:
ethnicity, race, seating arrangement, the
religion, and educatio number of people likely to
nal level attend, and the room
lighting
LESSON 1: COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Difference in
Cultural
Varying levels of
expectations and
perspectives and “Communication
difference communication
experiences
styles
Barriers”
LESSON 2: THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Source
Feedback Message

Receiver Encoding

CONTEXT

Message Message

Decoding Channel

Message
LESSON 2: THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Source The source of the message is the sender.

Message The message is simply the information a person wants to communicate.
Encoding This is the process of transferring the message into a format or platform
that is expected to be understood or decoded by the recipient of the
information.
(1) know the audience’s context and understand what they need to know
(2) identify the possible means of sending the message and choose the
best option
(3) use a language the audience will understand
LESSON 2: THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Channel This is the method(s) one uses to convey the message.

Receiver The target of the recipient of the message.
Decoding This happens when the intended recipient of the information receives the
message. Receptive skills: reading and comprehending, viewing, active listening,
or asking questions.
Feedback This is the mechanism that gauges how successful the communication
process is – oral response, body language, facial expression, written remark,
any form of reaction to the information received.
Context This refers to the specific situation of both the communication setup and the
communicators
PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
(COMMUNICATION ETHICS)
Effective communication requires a certain level of connection between and among the
people, allowing a series of exchanges of thoughts and emotions that eventually leads to
mutual understanding.
Clarity This pertains to both the message and the purpose why the message has
to be sent.
Conciseness The message should be as brief as may be required depending on one’s
purpose
Completeness Despite conciseness, the message should still be complete and accurate.
PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Organization Effective communication is usually planned in order to ensure the

systematic flow of ideas and transition from one point to another.
Empathy The sender of the message should be sensitive to the needs and interests
of the receiver.
Flexibility Effective communicators know how to adapt to the varying needs and
expectations of their audience.
CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK

10 Examples of Effective and Ineffective Employee Feedback

1. Be vulnerable.
Receiving feedback often puts an employee in a vulnerable position. Using a bit of humility
creates a relationship where the receiver can “hear” feedback better, as they’re not the only
ones being vulnerable in the exchange.
• Good: “I remember having a conversation with my manager just like this a few years ago and it
really helped me become a better writer.”
• Bad: “Your writing is far from where it should be at this point. What are you doing to
improve?”
CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK

2. Lead with intent.

Use phrases such as, “The reason I am telling you this is ….” or, “I am hoping the result of
this conversation will be …” Preface your employee feedback with phrases like these to
show where you’re coming from and explain why you’re giving feedback in the first place.
• Good: “The reason your performance rating was lower than normal is because I know
you’re capable of producing much more than you have been lately.”
• Bad: “Your productivity is lacking.”
CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK

3. Focus on the behavior.

Discuss how an employee’s behavior impacts you and/or the organization.This will keep the
conversation from derailing to a place of hurt and blame.
• Good: “Constantly submitting late work makes me think you don’t understand our team’s
goals.”
• Bad: “You’re the only one who’s ever behind on projects.”
CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK

4. Have a conversation.
Make sure the conversation goes both ways as opposed to a one-way dump.

Good: “When you don’t respond to my emails for a few days, it makes me feel like you’re
not committed to our projects. Can you tell me a little bit about your views on timely
responses?”
• Bad: “Your slow response time to my emails is frustrating.”
CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK

5. Focus on the future.

While it's important to look back at what's already happened, the purpose of feedback is
making adjustments that influence future performance. Keep your conversation centered on
the actions that need to be taken in the coming weeks/months.
• Good: “Let's create some goals for you to start tracking over the next few months.
• Bad: “We really need to look at what went wrong last quarter."
CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK

6. Check your language.

Avoid using matter-of-fact phrases such as, “You’re too sensitive,” or, “You’re not good at
taking constructive feedback.” Instead, use “I” language to share your opinions (but keep in
mind that saying things like, “I feel like you’re too sensitive” is cheating).
• Good: “I find it difficult to give you feedback because I worry you’re taking it negatively.”
• Bad: “You make it difficult to give you constructive feedback.”
CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK

7. Accept feedback.
Feedback isn't a one-way street. These meetings should be a conversation, not a list of
demands. Accepting and acting on employee feedback will improve your relationship with
your employee and make them feel heard.
• Good: "Is there anything I can do to help you? How can I communicate better?"
• Bad: “Let's sit down and talk about all the ways you need to improve."
CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK

8. Ask what you can do to help.

• Don't simply offer areas of improvement to an employee. Offer tangible areas they can
work on, and offer your aid to help them reach their goals.
• Good: “I think taking this online course would really help you increase your output. If you
have any other questions, feel free to ask."
• Bad: “Your numbers are down. That needs to change."
CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK

9. Stick to facts.
There's no arguing with cold, hard data. Employees can disagree with your evaluation of
their performance, but it's much more difficult to refute statements backed up by statistics.
• Good: “Your sales are down 30 percent this month. What, in your opinion, has influenced
that drop, and what can we do to improve it?"
• Bad: “Your performance has been lackluster recently."
CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK

10. End on a positive note.

Receiving feedback, even when it's helpful, can be difficult and uncomfortable. Employees
can leave a meeting worried about their job security or workload. End your conversation
with a compliment or affirmation that you believe in them.
• Good: “I'm excited to see how you take on these new challenges. We all know you'll do
great."
• Bad: “If changes aren't made soon, we might need to evaluate your fit with the
organization. Get after it."
LESSON 4: COMMUNICATION
STYLES IN VARIOUS
MULTICULTURAL CONTEXT
LESSON 4: COMMUNICATION STYLES IN VARIOUS
MULTICULTURAL CONTEXTS
Communication style refers to the choices people make and the strategies or tools they use in
the process of communication.

Golden rule in communication:

“do unto others as they would have done unto them”

It may depend on the demands of the communicative situation, on the needs and requirements
of the intended audience of the information.
LESSON 4: COMMUNICATION STYLES IN VARIOUS
MULTICULTURAL CONTEXTS
High Assertiveness

Tells
Communication Styles Matrix Model
By Dr. Eileen M. Russo’s

High Expressiveness
Low Expressiveness
Direct Spirited
High Emotions Displays Emotions

Systematic Considerate

Asks
Low Assertiveness
LESSON 5: THE COMMUNICATION STYLES MATRIX

Assertive level: People tend to

tell or instruct others what to do
and sometimes even how to do it

Less assertive level: People tend

to be on the receiving end, often
asking for guidance, instructions or
directions
LESSON 5: THE COMMUNICATION STYLES MATRIX

Expressive level: People usually

show their real feelings and
emotions through facial
expressions, tone of voice, or
language use.

Less expressive level: People

tend to hide their feelings or exert
some effort for these feelings not
to show
LESSON 5: THE COMMUNICATION STYLES MATRIX

STYLE LEVEL OF LEVEL OF

EXPRESSIVENESS ASSERTIVENESS
Spirited High Expressiveness High Assertiveness
Considerate High Expressiveness Low Assertiveness
Direct Low Expressiveness High Assertiveness
Systematic Low Expressiveness Low Assertiveness
 SPIRITED COMMUNICATION STYLE
Strengths:
• People whose dominant communication style is Spirited tend to
be enthusiastic and intuitive.
• They are friendly “people” persons who make themselves available
for others, build strong relationships, and have an extensive network.
• They’re adept at persuading, motivating, and inspiring others.
• They readily express emotions. They like to talk and enjoy the
spotlight: “Enough about me – tell me what you think about me.”
• They are intuitive, focus on the big picture, and pride themselves on
coming up with great ideas.
 SPIRITED COMMUNICATION STYLE
Disadvantages:
• They are not interested in the details, so they may gloss over them, or ignore them
altogether.
• They usually do not manage time well, have a short attention span, and may miss
deadlines.
• Once the initial excitement of a new project has worn off, they may become bored with the
minutiae of implementation, so may drop the ball or lack follow-through.
• They tend to be somewhat disorganized.
• They can be overdramatic and may be sensitive to criticism.
• They may overestimate the abilities of others or themselves.
 SPIRITED COMMUNICATION STYLE
You can spot a Spirited communicator by

their animated and fast-paced speech, often punctuated by large

gestures.
They tell stories and anecdotes with gusto, and may go off on
tangents.
They are warm, laugh out loud, and use lots of facial expressions.
They make small talk – asking about your weekend, your family, your
hobbies.
Their handshake is enthusiastic and their workspace tends to be
cluttered.
Tips for Better Communication With a SPIRITED Communicator
! To communicate more effectively with people who prefer the Spirited style:
! Skip the formality – be relaxed and keep the conversation light.
! Express emotions, tell them how you feel.
! Use humor.
! Allow enough time for discussion – they like to talk.
! Don’t rely too much on email – talk to them in person or by phone.
! Don’t give them a lot of details – supply only the critical ones, and put these in writing so that
they may refer to them later.
! Let them share their ideas; engage in brainstorming.
! Acknowledge them for their great ideas (this doesn’t mean you agree with their ideas or that
you will implement them). They like to be complimented.
 DIRECT COMMUNICATION STYLE
Strengths:
• People who prefer a direct communication style are take-charge types who like to be in
control – natural leaders.
• They are direct communicators, telling it like it is without mincing words.
• They are highly conscious of time, mission-oriented, and want to achieve results quickly.
• They embrace change as a challenge. They are decisive and willing to confront issues head-
on.
Disadvantages:
o They may come across as intimidating, insensitive, or even rude.
o They may be impatient, argumentative, and unconcerned with others’ feelings.
o They are typically not good listeners and may have workaholic tendencies.
 DIRECT COMMUNICATION STYLE
You can spot a Direct communicator by observing the following:

When they talk, they get straight to the point without spending
time on chit-chat.
They tend to tell as opposed to ask, and talk more than they
listen.
They speak at a rapid pace and have a firm handshake.
Tips for Better Communication With a DIRECT
Communicator

! Keep your communication brief and get to the point quickly.

! Focus on facts rather than feelings.
! Match their rapid speech by speeding yours up if necessary.
! Ask questions directly.
! Don’t waste their time with long explanations, too many details, or
tangents.
 SYSTEMATIC COMMUNICATION STYLE
Strengths:
• People who prefer a Systematic communication style are typically thorough, precise, and
accurate.
• They are conscientious, orderly, objective, and diplomatic.
• They focus on facts, and do not put much stock in opinions or emotions.
Disadvantages:
o They tend to focus on the details, sometimes at the expense of big picture thinking.
o They may be slow to make decisions or take action because they want to gather and
analyze more data before acting – falling prey to paralysis by analysis.
o Typically, they dislike taking risks. They may be seen as aloof; they can be hard to
read. They may be perfectionists.
 SYSTEMATIC COMMUNICATION STYLE
Clues to a Systematic Communication Style:
 You can recognize people who are most comfortable with this style of communication by the
way they speak – precisely, relatively slowly, and with a soft volume.
 They do not show emotions.
 They listen more than they speak; they ask rather than tell.
 Their handshake is brief. Their workspace is orderly and tidy.
 SYSTEMATIC COMMUNICATION STYLE
Tips for Better Communication
! Focus on facts, rather than opinions or feelings. Back up your arguments with data.
! Don’t lead with the bottom line first; give the background on the situation or
recommendation you plan to discuss.
! Be precise. Don’t speak in vague generalities.
! Be aware of and honor precedents.
! Do your homework – gather background information, and be prepared to share it.
! Be thorough and organized.
! Be tactful and diplomatic.
! Be reserved – tone down your enthusiasm. Speak more slowly and softly.
! Give them ample time to make decisions.
 CONSIDERATE COMMUNICATION STYLE
Strengths:
• They are usually good listeners.
• They are “people” persons, who build strong relationships based on trust.
• They are caring, empathetic, and appreciative of others. They are reliable,
patient, and easy to get along with.
• Strong team players, they enjoy being part of a team.
Disadvantages:
o Have a hard time adapting to change.
o Tell you what they think you want to hear, rather than what they really think or feel.
o Have difficulty prioritizing.
o Pick up the slack for everyone else, which could lead to burnout and/or limit their ability to
take on higher levels of responsibility and complexity in their own work.
o Seem to place too much emphasis on feelings, and may be seen as indecisive or indirect
communicators.
 CONSIDERATE COMMUNICATION STYLE
How can you tell if someone’s preferred communication style is Considerate?

 They listen more than they talk.

 They speak softly and slowly, yet in a warm tone of voice.
 Interested in colleagues’ personal lives, they typically engage in small talk.
 Their workspace is friendly, welcoming, and likely decorated with photos of key people in
their life.
 CONSIDERATE COMMUNICATION STYLE
Tips for Communicating with a Considerate Communicator
! Take a relaxed, agreeable, and cooperative approach.
! Match your pace and volume of speech to theirs.
! Tell them about upcoming changes early on, and let them adapt to change slowly.
! Give them time to process information.
! Solicit specific feedback from them, reassuring them you won’t take offense.
! Make one-on-one time for them.
! Build a trust-based relationship with them, over time.
ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION

Effective communication is ethical communication. Communication is ethical only when it is

genuine
open
cooperative
sensitive to one’s cultural and social beliefs and practices
Even in situations when there is no intent to harm, but the damage to a certain group is
inevitable, it is still considered unethical.
ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION

In communicative situations, ethics is best observed by people who manifest the following:
1. Active and respectful listening (for face-to-face communication)
2. Avoiding prejudice
3. Showing commitment and genuine interest
4. Respecting socio-cultural beliefs and practices of others
ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION

1. Active and respectful listening (for face-to-face

communication)
 allows a person to communicate better
 provides opportunities to be more productive at work
 establish deeper relationships
 increase efficiency in both study and work
Active listening helps avoid misinterpretation and misunderstanding.
ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION

The importance of self-awareness

 Body language
 Eye contact
 Sense of the message
 Turn-taking
Being self-aware helps one become a more active listener, hence becoming
an effective communicator.
ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION

The importance of active listening demands a conscious effort to be attentive to the words and
more importantly, to the sense of the message being relayed.

Five Key Aspects of Active Listening

1. Pay close attention.
2. Show physical manifestation that you are listening.
3. Check for understanding.
4. Don’t interrupt.
5. Respond appropriately.
ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION

2. How past experience and prejudice affect

communications
Past experiences inevitably affect people’s communication
styles in the future.
Prejudice happens when people isolate an experience with
one “type” of person or a group of people, then behave as if all
encounters of that same “type” or atleast with the same
characteristics will lead to the same experience.
ASSESSMENT:
If you don’t have sufficient personal experience to complete a phrase, think of a possible
stereotype you might have heard from someone:

Old teachers in schools are…

Male professors who speak good English are…
Most supervisors in multinational companies are…
Working with homosexuals usually…
Disable people in the workplace should…
ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION

3. Showing commitment and genuine interest

Being committed means giving sufficient time and resources
to any discussion or conversation, and being open to any issue that
may arise.
Commitment also involves volunteering important
information.

THE BELLY BUTTON PSYCHE

ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION

4. Respecting socio-cultural beliefs and practices of others

Globalization also entails changing the way people

communicate to others, especially those with different
norms, cultures, and belief system.