Why is communication important?

What makes it essential to one’s profession?

- Communication skills are important for all academic, professional, and social experiences and,
consequently, play a major role in an individual’s academic success (Simons et al., 2012).
- Good communication skills are also role in an individual’s success in their career. Sadly, this is
something that many professionals overlook and fail to develop.
- The need for communication is everywhere, be it your personal life or professional life.
- It gives you the ability to discuss problems, request information, interact with others and
strengthen your human relation skills.

Why is listening an essential skill?

What makes speaking vitally important?

- The most effective way to communicate is through speech. Thus, speaking skills are a vitally
important method of communication.
- According to Gillis (2013) “Speaking skills are important for career success, but certainly not
limited to one’s professional aspirations. Speaking skills can enhance one’s personal life and
thereby bring about the well-rounded growth that we should all seek”
- Every good communicator stress on the importance of listening.
- Listening develops the ability to communicate more clearly and to better understand individuals
and groups from different cultural groups.
- “You can’t go wrong by showing interest in what other people say and making them feel
important. In other words, the better you listen, the more you’ll be listened to.” (Jarvis, T. 2009)

Language and Communication

- The Collins Dictionary defines language as a communication system made up of a group of

written and sound symbols that people or country use for writing or talking.
- On the other hand, sending as well as receiving messages, either by verbal or non-verbal
methods, equates to communication.
- The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English (2004) defines communication as
the activity or process of expressing ideas and feelings or of giving people information.
- Language is a means of communication between members of the community in the form of a
symbol of sound produces by the speech organ. (Keraf, 1997)
- We all use language to communicate, express ourselves, get our ideas across and connect with
the person to whom we are speaking. When a relationship is working, the act of communication
seems to flow relatively effortlessly. When a relationship is deteriorating, the act of
communicating can be as frustrating as climbing a hill of sand (Chip Rose)
Get to know the basics:

- Nobody is born with great skills

o You can start from scratch. Enhance and raise your skill through training and experience.
- Constant practice makes perfect
o Whatever you intend to do, practice it often to become proficient or good at it.
- Coordinate body and words
o Your body says whatever you are saying. Body language including gestures and overall
posture must be reflecting what you are trying to communicate.
- Maintain eye contact
o Eyes reflect your sincerity, honesty and comfort when communicating with another
person. You tent to believe more when you maintain eye contact with others.

The Value of Strong Workplace Ethics

- The term Ethics is derived from the Greek word “Ethos” which can mean custom, habit,
character or disposition.
- It is often described as a moral compass used to guide one’s lives. (Goodall et al. 2010)
- Ethics broadly defined, is the moral guidelines that a company follows to comply with laws, and
standards of behavior that stakeholders, partners, customers, and the community in general
would find acceptable.
- At its simplest, ethics is a system of moral principles or philosophy that is concerned with that is
good for individuals and society.
- A professional code of ethics is designed to ensure employees are behaving in a manner that is
socially acceptable and respectful of one another. It established the rules for behavior and sends
as message to every employee that universal compliance is expected.

Workplace Ethics

A statement of a company’s values and commitments.

- Attendance and punctuality

o Regular attendance and punctuality are vital attributes for all employees. It is important
for employees to attend work regularly and to arrive work on time.

- Absence without notice

o Employees who are unable to work due to illness or an accident should notify their
supervisor. This allows the company to arrange for coverage of their duties and helps
others to continue to work in their absence. An employee who fails to call in and report
to work as scheduled workdays will be viewed as having abandoned their position and
employment will be terminated.
Universal Compliance

- Cellphones at work
o Personal cell phone usage during work hours is discouraged, except in extreme cases
such as an emergency.

- Internet use at work

o Employees may use the internet only when appropriate. To access information that will
help them conduct a company business. This must not disrupt or injure the company
computer network and must not interfere with their productivity.

- Dress code
o Employees must maintain professional appearance when they work with customers or
potential customers. They should be well groomed and dressed appropriately for the
business and for their position.

- Using all caps

o Using all caps indicates yelling or an aggressive tone and lack of digital skills. It is more
acceptable to use all caps when you want to express “CONGRATULATIONS!” to someone
who receives honors, awards, or an achievement.

- Gossiping doesn’t promote good team building

o Gossiping is not a good way to relate with co-workers. It is better that you talk about
common interests, likes and dislikes, sports, and upcoming events.

- Integrity
o A person with integrity demonstrates sound moral and ethical principles and does the
right thing, no matter who's watching (Heathfield, 2021)

- Passion for Excellence

o Strive to achieve the best in everything we do. Do not hire a man who does your work
for money, but him who does it for love of it" (Henry David Thoreau)

- Teamwork
o Is absolutely fundamental for teams to work effectively. Only when the skills and
strengths of individual team members are joined with shared goals and a focus on
collective performance, will you start to see the benefits of a team that works.

- Inspire People
o "The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in
whatever they want to do" (Kobe Bryant)
Laws/Ethics
- The normal hours of work of any employee shall not exceed eight (8) hours a day.
- Subject to such regulations as the Secretary of Labor may prescribe, it shall be the duty of every
employer to give his employees not less than sixty (60) minutes time-off for their regular meals.
- The Secretary of Labor and Employment shall, by appropriate orders, set and enforce mandatory
- occupational safety and health standards to eliminate or reduce occupational safety and health
hazards in all workplaces and institute new, and update existing, programs to ensure safe and
healthful working conditions in all places of employment.
- Section 14, Article 2 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that the State recognizes the
role of women in nation-building and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of
women and men.

Gender issues in communication

Women
- Women are focused on relationships. Generally, they prefer to first develop a relationship and
then to use that relationships to work collaboratively with others.
- Women are process-oriented and prefer to gather information, when an issue arises in the
workplace, they are likely to seek the advice of other colleagues. Similarly, they prefer to discuss
issues verbally
- Women use body language to affirm the person who is communicating with them. They believe
that non-verbal communication demonstrates investment in the conversation. This non-verbal
signal may be a smile, a head nod or direct eye contact.

Men
- Men are focused on task. Generally, they use tasks as a means to connect with others
- Men rely on a product-driven communication style. This may be viewed as a weakness because
they may believe that a leader should be able to make the decision on his own, without
consultation. Men tend to process internally.
- When men are listening to others, they tend to remain still.
- Men provide information; they rarely seek information

Unequal pay: a pressing example of sexism in the workplace.

Unfavorable recruitment strategy includes questions about whether a female candidate intends to have
children or suggesting in your job spec that the role is more for men.
Different opportunities: If your business has career progression opportunities that favor men over
women.
Bias: Showing preferential treatment towards male colleagues over female ones, such as in promotions
or day-to-day conversation.
Sexual harassment: An act of gross misconduct, this behavior towards men or women can have serious
consequences
Difference between language and communication
Language
- Language is a system that consists of the development, acquisition, maintenance, and use of
complex systems of communication
- Language is literary in character.
- Language can be used by just one person.
- The basics of communication does not change.
- Language focuses on the signs, symbols, and words.
- The dictionary of the language, so it changes every day.

Communication
- Communication is the act of conveying meanings from one entity or group to another through
the use of mutually understood signs, symbols.
- On the other hand, communication is verbal or written in character.
- Communication involves interaction between two or more people.
- A living language does not stay static, it changes every day.
- Communication lays emphasis on the message.
- The basics of communication does not change at all.

Engineering communication & ethics

Engineering communication includes:
- emails and other written communication
- digital communication
- advertising and promotional material
- other documents
- oral communication

How does engineering communication impact the lives of people?

- It is imperative that an engineer or architect or any other professional tp be able to
communicate or convey his/her message clearly whether in a form of instruction, a warning or a
recommendation.
- The impact of erroneous communication can be enormous as it can put the lives of people at
risk

Characteristics of engineering communication

- Necessity for specific audience
- Integration of visual elements
- Ease of selective access
- Timeliness
 - Structure
How is ethics relevant to engineering communication?
- Ethics is highly considered in the conduct of business and development of technology.
- Many professional associations published their own code of ethical conduct.
- ASC’s fundamental principles requires that engineers uphold and advance the integrity, honor,
and dignity of the engineering profession by being honest, impartial, and servicing with fidelity
the public their employers and client.
- The institute of electrical and electronic engineers (IEEE) approved a code of ethics that includes
the Monday to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment and
to be honest and realistic and stating claims or estimates based on available data

What is ethics?
- an area of study that deals with ideas about what is good and bad behavior.
- a branch of philosophy dealing with what is morally right or wrong.
- a belief that something is very important.

How is ethics applied in engineering communication?

- Honesty
- Accuracy
- Emphasis
- Creating impressions

Overall,
- Engineering Communication is expansive as it practically covers almost all disciplines.
- It involves not just the communication with clarity, but also making significant dent on the
society where the communicator lives by adhering to the ethical practice of profession.