UNIT 2: Working in the Indu stry

LESSON 1: Communication in the Workplace

Introduction

Just like in any other industry, it is vital for the electrical industry that workers are able to
communicate well to create a healthy, productive, and efficient workplace. Considered as a
“soft skill” or interpersonal skill, communication is the process of disseminating information
from one person or group to another. Things that can be communicated include ideas,
facts, opinions, thoughts, messages, and emotions.

There are three elements involved in the process of communication:

  Sender - starts the communication process by generating the message to be
disseminated to the receiver.
 Message - contains the information that is being transferred.
 Receiver - gets the message transferred by the sender for decoding.

In this lesson, we are going to tackle the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to gather,
interpret, and convey information in response to workplace requirements, as discussed in
the TOP course "Participating in Workplace Communication."

TOPIC 1: Obtaining and Conveying Workplace Information

Verbal

 Verbal communication transfers information by

speaking or signing a language.
 It includes face to face, telephone, radio or television,
or other media.

Face-to-face

Face-to-face discussions happen when information is

exchanged in the presence of both parties involved.

Telephone

Information can also be passed on through calls made

on the telephone, mobile phones, or other means.

Radio and Television

Radios and televisions spread information through the

use of language.
 Non-verbal Communication

Communication is done through discernable

behaviors like body language, gestures,
facial expressions, and obscure
behaviors such as posture, clothing, and
spatial distances.

Taking note of these behaviors is helpful in

understanding other people’s thoughts and
feelings.

Written Communication

 Written communication uses writing, typing,

or printing symbols like letters and numbers
to spread information. It is helpful when you
need a record of communication for
reference, and when you need to produce
promotional materials for business
development.
 Books, pamphlets, blogs, letters, memos use
written communication. In the workplace,
emails and chats are frequently used.

Visual Communication

 Information is conveyed through photographs,

art, drawings, sketches, charts, and graphs.
 Visual communication helps written and verbal
communication in explaining the information
further.
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Like any other process, there is a possibility of disruption in the process of sending
information to the receiver. Once this happens, the message sent might be misinterpreted
upon receipt. Here are some barriers that hinder effective communication:
COMMUNICATION SOURCES

Since communication is important in the workplace, the employees must know whom to
communicate with and how to do it properly. Here are the types of sources of
communication in the workplace:

Internal Sources refer to the people who are already inside or are already part of your
company that you communicate with. This includes:

 Team Members
 Supervisor/Department Head

External Sources refer to the people outside your company you communicate with.
This includes:

 Suppliers
 Trade Personnel
 Local Government
Appropriate Medium of Communication in the Workplace

1. Memorandum
 2. Circular

A circular is a formal and official letter addressed to a group of people in the workplace, a
department, or a whole organization.

3. Notice
 o Different types of a Notice:
 Notice of an event
 Lost and Found notice
 Notice about future tours, camps, or fairs

Other appropriate means of communication include:

 Information Discussion
 Follow-up or Verbal Instructions
 Face to Face Communication

Communication Workflow

Communication in the workplace involves different types of employees and different

functional parts of an organization. There are different types of flows that happen in the
workplace:

 Downward or top-down communication - leaders/managers pass down the

information to the lower-level employees.
 Upward communication - lower-level employees share the information with the
higher ones, like the managers or supervisors. The managers will cascade the
information to the next level until it reaches the uppermost level.
 Horizontal or lateral communication - the flow of messages happens between
employees on the same level. Team communication is an example.
 Diagonal communication - the cascading of information skips levels. The lower-level
employees can directly report to the upper-level employees who are higher than the
supervisor.

Organizational Structure

Construction companies that also encompass electrical and architectural work usually follow
a project-orientation organization since they work on a project basis.
Organizational Policies and Procedures

Policies and procedures are used by companies to establish rules of conduct that serve as
a guide for their employees. They are put in place to outline the responsibilities of
employees and employers, and to protect workers’ rights and the business’s interests. They
foster a better environment for both workers and employers. The rules established by the
policies and procedures depend on the needs of the organization.
 TOPIC 2: Interpersonal/Customer-relation Skills

Simply knowing what to do is not sufficient in effective communication. You must also know

how to do it properly. Practicing etiquette is important because it shows your respect and

consideration towards the person you are communicating with.

In the previous topic, we have identified the common communication sources in the

workplace. In this topic, we will give some tips on how to communicate effectively with

them.

Communicating with Team Members

In the electrical industry, working with a team happens quite a lot, which is why it is important to

communicate effectively with them. Doing so makes your workplace healthy, productive, and

efficient. Here are some tips to ensure effective communication within your team:

 Take responsibility and be a good example of how you want your members to act.

 Learn to adjust based on the personality of your team members by understanding their personalities

and their verbal and nonverbal cues.

 Discuss communication issues instead of avoiding them. Do not let the conflict get out of hand.

 Discuss rift among members, and try to resolve it by listening sincerely to their grievances.

 Keep a tight agenda by knowing what to talk about and when to talk about it, and by sticking to a

plan.

 Encourage your members to ask questions and clarifications especially if some instructions have

been unclear.
 Communicating with a Supervisor/Department Head
It is inevitable to communicate with bosses, supervisors, and department heads, but it does not

need to feel intimidating. Here are some tips to communicate with them effectively:

 Be direct, and avoid saying unnecessary things. Doing so shows that you respect their time.

 Schedule an appointment with them. This also shows respect for their time since you are

acknowledging that they may not be available all the time.

 Present visual representations and numbers when reporting to support your data.

 Be prepared with an agenda by planning what you want to say and making a list. This is helpful in

avoiding giving incomplete data.

 Be solution-focused. When you raise a problem, think already about how that problem will be

solved.

Communicating with Suppliers

Effective communication with suppliers helps avoid future problems involving the services and

products provided to you. Here are some tips for doing so:

 Be specific with what you want, be it the amount, part, brand, etc.

 Avoid using jargon that only you and those in your industry understand. Give clear instructions and

ask the suppliers if they understood them correctly.

 Maintain a good relationship with your suppliers. Treat them as if they are customers, and talk to

them clearly, concisely, and politely.

 Make your transactions with your suppliers legal by preparing contracts and writing down

agreements.

 Communicate with your suppliers regularly about their operation and availability so you will know

you can get products or services from them at the time you need them.
 Communicating with Trade Personnel

Trade personnel is skillful at specific tasks. It is important to keep communicating with them

because their service is almost always needed. Here are some tips on communicating effectively

with trade personnel:

 Be specific about the service that you want from the trade personnel.

 Ask them how much time is needed to complete their tasks.

 Ask them other things you need to prepare in advance.

 Do not be too demanding. Know their limitations.

Communicating with Local Government

Going through the processes in obtaining permits, requirements, and other legal matters set by the

local government is common in the electrical industry, which is why it is unavoidable to

communicate with them. Here are some ways on how to communicate with the local government:

 Be present in the different events organized by the local government (ex. annual council planning,

council consultations, other proposals) to raise awareness in their internal processes.

 Monitor local government performances.

 Talk directly to officials.

Communicating with Industry Bodies

The availability of industries and organizations is unpredictable, which is why it is sometimes

challenging to communicate with them. Here are some ways to reach industry bodies:

 Reach them through email to make the communication have a more formal appeal. However, keep

in mind that not all industries immediately respond to email.

 Be updated on their newsletter and magazine because that is usually where the industry bodies’

projects are announced. Knowing these things can help build rapport with your industry partner.
 Attend network meetings to have the chance to talk to them personally. This is particularly helpful

when you need face-to-face communications to raise urgent concerns.

Communicating with Customers/Guests/Clients

Effective communication with your customers helps maintain or improve your business’s reputation.

Here are some points to remember to maximize your customer communication skills:

 Establish a genuine relationship

 Listen well

 Use easy words, and not jargon when explaining complex topics

 Address issues or misunderstanding immediately

Here are some tips you can use in keeping connected with your customers:

 Send e-newsletters or emails containing new promos or offers

 Give out survey sheets to see their needs and opinions

 Use social media platforms to keep your audience informed and updated

It is unavoidable to encounter difficult situations in any industry. Remember the 3As should such

occurrence happen:

 Apologize immediately to the involved party.

 Attempt to solve the problem.

 Alert your supervisor.

TOPIC 3: Participating in Workplace Meeting and Discussion

Work Meeting Etiquette

In any workplace, practicing good etiquette when attending meetings is a must to show

professionalism and respect to the people you are working with. Take note of the following

tips in conducting yourself whenever you attend any work meeting.

1. Make a good first impression.

o Doing so influences how people would be treating you in the future. If you

gave off an aloof impression, people would most likely treat you the same in

future interactions. When you treat people politely and professionally, you

will get respect in the workplace. Here are some tips for making good first

impressions:

 Maintain eye contact

 Give a gentle but firm handshake.

 Genuinely smile at people.

 Dress professionally

 Be alert! Avoid falling asleep during meetings.

2. Interact with people respectfully.

o Learn people’s names. Keep their business cards. Forgetting people’s names

will make it seem like you do not care about the person.

o Do not judge people based on their job position. Treat managers,

maintenance staff members, and administrative support staff the same way.

o Be careful when sharing your personal life with co-workers.

 o Respect people’s personal space. Know proxemics. Before getting overly

familiar or comfortable, check whether the other person is comfortable.

3. Keep in constant communication through Email.

o Compose grammatically correct emails. This ensures professionalism in the

workplace.

o Return calls and emails within 24 hours. Do not forget to reply.

o Avoid using CAPS LOCK.

4. Conduct yourself properly during the meeting itself.

o Arrive on time.

o Do not judge people.

o Listen well.

o Takedown notes.

o Express your opinions politely.

o Avoid confrontations. There is a time and place to confront someone, and it

should never be done in a meeting. Doing so will be embarrassing for both of

you and can result in more conflict.

Note-Taking Tips During Meetings

1. Identify and list down the meeting's objectives even before it starts so you will have

a clear idea of how it will go.

2. Focus on the issues, decisions, action items, and questions.

3. Write down all the discussed actionable items, decisions, and recommendations, and

summarize them so you can understand what will happen next.

 4. Organize your notes to remain updated on the progress of the actionable items and

still retain the information from the meeting.

5. Find a retention strategy that works for you.

Every workplace needs proactive employees who have the initiative to address the

problems and identify the solutions during discussions and meetings. Here are some things

to remember during work meetings and discussions:

1. Define the problem.

o Where is it happening? How is it happening? Who is affected by it?

2. Look at potential causes for the problem.

3. Identify alternative approaches to resolve the problem.

4. Select an approach to resolve the problem.

5. Plan the implementation of the best alternative.

6. Monitor the implementation of the plan.

7. Verify if the problem has been resolved or not.

It is important to also gather inputs from your colleagues to get a wider perspective and

understand the problem better.

TOPIC 4: Completing Relevant Work-related Documents

Submitting work-related documents is required in every workplace for they ensure formality

and record-keeping, and also demonstrate an employee’s professionalism. Such work-

related documents may include HR/Personnel forms, telephone message forms, safety

reports, etc.

Since written communication is another mode of communication, each employee must be

able to understand and create written text. Following workplace protocols is important to

ensure that you are complying with your organization’s policies, procedures, and

expectations.

Here are some examples of administrative protocols or protocols that are set in the

workplace:

 designated officers required to approve or sign a document

 time frames set for completion or submission

 restrictions on who can access or use the information

 storage and archiving requirements

 obtaining comparative quotes for goods or services.

Types of Workplace Forms

 Operation

o Purchase Form - is an official order form filled out by the buyer to

communicate the specific services and products the buyer intends to

 purchase from the seller, including descriptions, quantities, and prices. The

seller creates an invoice to bill the buyer for products and services

o Application Form - is for the pre-screening of job applicants. Standard pieces

of information like contact information, employment history, educational

background, and references are included on the form to communicate the

said information to the employer.

 Use

o Internal Form - is a form used to collect information within the workplace

such as requisition forms, report forms, accounting forms, etc.

o External Form - is issued or given mainly to parties outside the business to

guarantee a transaction done with the company, such as official receipts,

sales invoices, purchase orders, and check or cash vouchers.

 Copies

o Single Copy Form - is used to save the only one purpose and kept by any one

of the office employees

o Multiple Copy Form - is prepared in more than two copies but according to

the requirements.

 Accounting Forms

o Examples of accounting forms include common printable accounting and

financial documents for business, balance sheets, journals, cash logs and

expense documents, and formal documents such as invoices, estimates, and

business statements.

 Correspondence Forms
 o Are written or digital communication done by two or more parties. Examples

of this are letters, emails, text messages, voicemails, notes, or postcards.

Correspondence forms serve as a paper trail and evidence of events and

dealings of the parties involved.

 Sales Forms

o Are seller-generated documents that authorize the sale of the specified

item(s), issued after receipt of a customer's purchase order. It usually implies

that there will be no additional labor or material cost incurred for the sale,

except where it is used to initiate a production process

TOPIC 5: Working in a Team Environment

Working in the electrical sector, as in any other industry, entails collaborating with other
people, and thus forming a team. A team is a group of people with different skills and tasks
working together on the same task or objective with coordination of functions and mutual
support.

In order to be effective, a team must have the following characteristics:

1. All members understand the purpose, mission, or main objective of their task.
2. Team members communicate openly, directly, and honestly.
3. There is a clear direction from the leader.
4. The progress of the team is regularly monitored.
5. A clear organizational structure is present.
6. The team has access to the resources needed to accomplish its task. Adequate
resources are available to permit the team to perform its function, including skills,
tools, facilities, and budgets.
7. The team members work harmoniously together.
TEAM ROLES

The roles of the leader and the members should be clearly defined to ensure efficiency.

How to Work Effectively in a Team Environment

1. Get into the right mindset by remembering that you are working with other people.
2. Ensure that everyone is on the same page since you are all working towards the
same goal.
3. Respect other members’ ideas and opinions.
4. Make sure to contribute to the group effort and to perform the tasks assigned to
you.
5. Avoid engaging and fostering a gossip culture within the team.
6. Acknowledge the contribution of the other team members.

LESSON 2: Maintaining Professional Growth and Development

Introduction

To achieve your full potential in your chosen profession, it is also important to develop
certain skills that will help you adapt and thrive in the workplace environment. This lesson
discusses different ways on how to improve your intrapersonal communication skills, how to
develop yourself, set goals, and develop your career and life decisions, as well as how to
contribute to workplace innovation.
TOPIC 1: Intrapersonal Communication

Intrapersonal Communication is the "communication done with oneself.” Things that are
uniquely intrapersonal include self-concept, perception, and expectation.

 Self-concept is at the center of intrapersonal communication. It is how you evaluate

your own beliefs, values, and attitudes, and how you apply them in the world.
 Perception also affects intrapersonal communication. It is your interpretation of what
is happening around you.
 The expectation is your prediction of the outcome you obtained from your
perception.

Examples of Intrapersonal Skills:

1. Visualization
2. Recognize Negativity
3. Compassion
4. Decision Making

It is important to develop intrapersonal skills because they enable you to manage your
emotions and behavior, withstand challenges, and achieve goals in spite of distractions in
the workplace.
TOPIC 2: Developing Oneself and Setting Goals

Organizational skills are important to increase workplace productivity and to ensure that
deadlines are consistently met. Employees with strong organizational skills often submit
quality work punctually, keep track of all work documents, and manage projects
successfully. Those who manifest these qualities may often receive opportunities for
promotion, leadership roles, and higher-level responsibilities.
TOPIC 3: Developing Career and Life Decisions
TOPIC 4: Contributing to Workplace Innovation

Organizations need employees who continuously seek ways to improve themselves and

enjoy contributing to the innovation effort regardless of their roles to be more efficient and

productive. It is helpful for employees to be curious about work practices’ productiveness

and effectiveness, instead of just following them as they are. Innovativeness is a trait that

is essential to the employees of an organization.

Innovation is important because it can lead businesses to new and better products and

services and help them achieve commercial success. With innovation, businesses can

respond faster and better to changing environments, grasp opportunities, and develop

necessary partnerships to generate and act on ideas.

Both clients and employees also benefit from innovation. For the clients, innovation can

provide them improved products and efficiencies and better prices. The benefit of

innovation for the staff is fostering a better and more productive workplace and thus

making them more involved and happier at work.

LESSON 3: Entrepreneurial Skills and Values in the Workplace

Introduction

Entrepreneurial skills and values enable problem-solving, critical thinking, communication,

collaboration, and self-management. These skills encompass technical skills and soft skills,

which are essential to enable your workplace success.

This lesson discusses the important entrepreneurial skills and values that you can apply to

improve yourself, your service, and your product as an electrician.

TOPIC 1: Personal Skills Branding

TOPIC 2: Product Branding

Building Your Product Branding

Your brand is a representation of who you are as a professional. Making it distinct from

other brands is important because it leads to a memorable impression on clients and

customers. As an electrician, you must keep in mind that your product is not just the

completion of work, but also the service that you deliver.

To ensure that you are being true to the message of your branding, you must also deliver

quality services.