Page 16 - Communication in Organizations Basic Skills and Conversation Models

Part I

Basic communication skills

Introduction

In every organization where people work together, communication is essential.
Discussions are held about the tasks that must be performed, about their relation to one
another and about the situations which demand change. There is meeting and organizing
to be done. There are appointments to be made. There are contacts to be made with the
outside world.
Do you learn this within the framework of the organization? For sure, but you are one
step ahead if you have immersed yourself in it in advance and have developed skills that
can become sharpened and refined in the practical running of the organization.
For example, when the employees of Dinner Ltd wish to hold the various types of
discussions with which they are concerned, and to conduct them in an appropriate
manner, a number of building blocks are necessary. We call these building blocks basic
communication skills.
In this first part we will discuss the basic communication skills, which are always of
interest for communication. In communication a general distinction can be made between
the sender, the person who sends out a message, and the receiver, the person who
receives the message (Figure 1.1).

Figure 1.1 Communication between
sender and receiver

The same distinction can be made between sender and receiver (or listener) skills. With
regard to sender skills we can make a distinction between regulating skills and assertive
skills. Regulating skills are those with which one influences the structure and direction of
the conversation; these are necessary to monitor the meaningful progress of the
conversation. Assertive skills are those whose purpose is to reveal as clearly as possible
what one thinks and wants. (For a more extended skill model of interpersonal
communication we refer to Hargie & Dickson, 2004, p. 23.)