LESSON 3- COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE 3. Submit answers on time.

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INTRODUCTION Read and understand the texts in this lesson:
Communication is an avenue for
dissemination of information in order to be
Communication in the workplace transpires when there is
understood. Gou and Sanchez explain that
transmission of information between one person and group of
communication is the creation or exchange of
persons in an organization. Examples of this kind of communication
thoughts, ideas, emotions, between senders
are minutes, memo, requests, business, technical/incident reports.
and receivers. It is essential in building and maintaining
letters, emails, text messages, voicemails, notes, etc.
relationships in the workplace, and vital for the company to achieve
its goals. Effective communication is important Different people absorb information in different ways. To make sure
to increase productivity and efficiency. For businesses to function as that the information conveys is understood by all, the method used
desired, the top-level management and the lower-level employees must be simple, clear, and precise. The use of jargon or technical
must be able to interact clearly and effectively through verbal and terms is not considered good for effective workplace communication.
non-verbal communication to achieve specific business goals. The content must be according to the grasping capacity and
understanding of the receiver.
Engage
Watch and learn workplace communication by opening this link: Effective communication in the workplace is an
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-RuWoE_Mmw integral part of company success
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE (Video
Presentation)
Quality communication in the workplace can eliminate unnecessary
Objectives: problems and promote better performance. The ability to
communicate effectively in the workplace can increase overall
1. Differentiate an internal and external communication. productivity, and create a strong team. If employees consult with
2. Identify and analyze different communication materials in the each other and consider the views of others, they will be interested in
cooperating more and finding the best solution together.
workplace.
3. Create communication materials in the workplace.
Directions: By creating good communication, managers can better understand
the talents and skills of their employees, then give clear instructions
1. Read and understand your lesson carefully. to the people who are best suited to the task, thus increasing the
2. Answer given questions completely and accurately. overall effectiveness of each particular project.

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When teams fail to communicate effectively, the results are vague words or sentence structures that are too long, people
detrimental to the company. Research by the US company Gartner may not understand the main idea you want to say, and you
shows that 70% of the company’s mistakes are due to poor may have to spend your time explaining again.
communication. These statistics show how important communication
is and why more attention needs to be paid to clear instructions and  Listen to what the other has to say. The ability to listen to
negotiations to avoid mistakes in the workplace. each other’s words is one of the biggest problems in
communication. Listen to what the other person wants to say
to you, do not stop while he is talking, and if you do not
Here are some techniques to ensure effective understand, ask. Before answering, make sure that you have
communication: really heard and understood everything correctly.
 Start talking first. Take responsibility and start
communicating first, don’t expect someone else to do it. To  Avoid unnecessary repetition. If you want your colleagues
make communication more successful, it is better to meet in to perceive your ideas, don’t get carried away with verbiage.
person and discuss the most important topics so that there are Tell your colleagues briefly and specifically what you want
no unnecessary misunderstandings. them to understand, and ask if everything is clear to them.

 Prepare what to say. Think before you speak. A Two Main Forms of Business Communication
conversation is more effective if you have prepared in
advance, clearly thought out, and formulated what you want ➢ INTERNAL COMMUNICATION- All communication
to say and get from the conversation. which occurs within the workplace is classified as internal
communication. This is the communication between and
 Be prepared for different answers. When formulating a
speech strategy, put yourself in the role of the person who among the company employees, including the managers,
will listen to you. This way you will be ready for various directors and business owners. These include the on-going
answers and possible disagreements, and it will be easier to discussions that senior management undertakes to determine
defend your opinion. the goals and processes of the business, the orders,
instructions, reports, and the messages that employees write
 Arranging a meeting. This is still one of the best and speak in carrying out their tasks.
approaches to communicate effectively with a team. During
the meeting, there is an opportunity for the whole team to All communication that has to do with internal matters and
meet and discuss current issues, where each team member interaction between staff and employees in varied forms is called
has the opportunity to express their opinion and discuss what “Internal Communication.” And it serves as an excellent medium to
has been done. address all concerns of employees, thereby enhancing goodwill, job
satisfaction, productivity and safety aspects. It also serves to increase
 Use simple words. To be effective in communicating with turnover and profits.
colleagues, use words that are easy to understand. If you use

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Under Internal Communication, you have kind of communication helps solve problems by
a. Upward Communication enhanced teamwork, boosting efficiency, completing
This represents the information flow from lower tasks and building goodwill.
down in the hierarchy to those in higher positions,
thus preventing the organization to experience a
vacuum in terms of not only the proper receipt of ➢ EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION- pertains to messages
information, but also solutions to other problems that the company delivers to people and groups outside the
the company may face.. Undoubtedly, organization. These are addressed to suppliers, service
communication is a two-sided sword, but for it to companies, clients, government agencies, the general public
work efficiently, information must originate at the
and others. Some examples are sales letters, emails,
bottom, and move upwards. The benefits of upward
communication to the staff include the exchange of brochures, and leaflets, press releases, advertisements, blogs,
ideas and information, heightened staff enthusiasm, among others.
job satisfaction and the provision of feedback.
External communication refers to communication by
b. Downward Communication company supervisors with agencies outside the company, for
The flow of information and instructions from the example, with customers and vendors. This kind of
top levels of the organization to its lowest levels,
communication and useful interaction can lead to operational
detailing the mission and the policies, is normally
referred to as downward communication. These may efficiency, market credibility, goodwill, corporate image,
be in the form of specific instructions or guidelines customer satisfaction, organizational goals, leading to
to complete a full project. However, you must start performance, increased sales volumes, followed by a strong
establishing the procedure only after the upward profit showing. Most of this external work is done by
communication has been successfully instituted. marketing departments who target markets in pursuit of a
This information flow can be used to pass on larger share of business and the purchase executives who are
important matters and instructions, announce always sourcing better quality inputs at lower prices.
decisions and promote mutual discussions,
cooperation, and morale, enhance efficiency and
obtain feedback.
COMMON COMMUNICATION MATERIALS IN THE
c. Horizontal/Lateral Communication WORKPLACE
When people with the same rank in the organization
communicate with each other and collaborate in the These communication materials are very essential because
search of a common goal, it is called horizontal these are the sources of information within the organization.
communication. Assigned work is best completed
So, let’s get familiar with them and be able to prepare one.
when employees at the same level, cooperate. This

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 A. Minutes of Meeting - Minutes are written or recorded
DATE: Date of the meeting
documentation that is used to inform attendees and non-
attendees about what was discussed and what happened
PRESENT: First and last names of all those present at the meeting
during a meeting. The meeting minutes are generally taken
or recorded by a note taker/minute taker during the meeting.
Meetings- a meeting is a group communication in action ABSENT: First and last names of members who are unable to attend
around a defined agenda, at a set time, for an established the meeting.
duration. Meetings can be effective, ineffective, or a
complete waste of time. If time is money and effectiveness 1. CALL TO ORDER/OPENING REMARKS
and efficiency are your goals, then if you arrange a meeting,
lead a meeting, or participate in one, you want it to be worth  The time that the meeting was called to order and by whom.
your time (Mosvick,R.K. 1996)  Any opening remarks summarized here.

Usually, meetings occur face to face, but nowadays, we are 2. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM (DATE)
turning to teleconferencing and videoconferencing options as
technology improves the cost of travel including time is  You need a motion to approve the previous meeting's
considered. Regardless how you come together as a team, minutes.
group, or committee, you need to define your purpose in  Motion: To approve the minutes of (DATE) as circulated (or
advance with an agenda (Deal,Tand Kennedy, A,1982) AMENDED) Motion By: Name of person (FIRST & LAST)
who made the motion
➢ The minutes should be concise and should include only a
 Seconded By: Name of the person (FIRST & LAST)) who
summary of the decisions. A verbatim report is not seconded the motion Carried or Defeated
necessary, unless the organization requires it.
➢ The format of the minutes varies depending on the standard
3. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA
established by the organization but the ideal can contain the
following: names of attendees, agenda, decisions made by
 If there are additions to the agenda or requests for the next
attendees, follow-up actions committed by attendees, meeting's agenda, these would be bulleted here.
deadlines for the completion of commitments, other events
or discussions for future review.
4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

 Motion: to approve the agenda as circulated (or AMENDED)

Minutes of the Meeting Template
 Motion By: name of person (FIRST & LAST) who made the
motion

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  Seconded By: name of person (FIRST & LAST) who made  The next meeting date should be decided at the end of the
the motion Carried or Defeated meeting before everyone leaves. It's a handy reminder to
include it at the bottom of the minutes template so it isn't
missed.
5. BUSINESS FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING

 Any items from the previous meeting that need to be

discussed further
Prepared by: ______________________ Approved by:
____________________
6. PRESENT BUSINESS /AGENDA : ITEM # 1 TO BE Secretary
President
DISCUSSED

 Put a summary of the discussion around the topic

 If any motions were made, put the information here
(Source:
 If further information is needed, put follow-ups, names, and
a target date here https:/courses,lumenlearning.com/businesscommunication)

B. Incident Reports
7. ITEM # 2 TO BE DISCUSSED
An incident report is a formal recording of details of an
unusual happening or event that occurs within the
 Any other items
workplace, such as an injury or an accident. The report must
be filled out as soon as possible following the incident (but
8. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA/OTHER MATTERS only after the situation has stabilized.) This way, the details
written in the report are as accurate as possible. The purpose
 Any added agenda Item, including a summary of the of the incident report is to document the exact details of the
discussions around this item
occurrence while they are fresh in the minds of those who
 If any motions were made, put information here
 If further information is needed, put follow-ups, names, and witnessed the event. This information may be useful in the
a target date here future when dealing with the liability issues stemming from
the incident.
9. ADJOURNMENT
Steps in Writing a Good Incident Report
 Record the time the meeting was adjourned 1. Find the facts. To write an incident report, the following
details should be remembered.
10. NEXT MEETING (DATE) a. Date, time, and specific location of incident.

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b. Names, job titles, and department of employees involved c. Evaluation of job procedures
and immediate supervisor. d. Conducting job hazard analysis
c. Names and accounts of witnesses. e. Engineering or administrative changes that make the task
d. Events leading up to incident. safer.
e. Exactly what employee was doing at the moment of the
accident. C. Memorandums
f. Environmental conditions. A memo (or memorandum, meaning “reminder”) is normally used
g. Circumstances for communicating policies, procedures, or related official business
h. Specific injuries within an organization. It is often written from a one-to-all
i. Type of treatment for injuries perspective (like mass communication), broadcasting a message to
an audience, rather than a one-on-one, interpersonal communication.
j. Damage to equipment, materials, etc. It may also be used to update a team on activities for a given project,
2. Determine the sequence or to inform a specific group within a company of an event, action,
a. Describe the events leading to the incident. or observance.
b. Events involved in the incident like: Was he hit by an Purpose of a memorandum
object? Did she fall? A memo’s purpose is often to inform, but it occasionally includes an
c. Events immediately following the incident, Did he element of persuasion or a call to action. All organizations have
bleed? Complain about back pain? Did someone call for informal and formal communication networks. The unofficial,
informal communication network within an organization is often
an ambulance?
called the grapevine, and it is often characterized by rumor, gossip,
and innuendo. On the grapevine, one person may hear that someone
3. Analyze. The report should include an in-depth analysis else is going to be laid off and start passing the news around. Rumors
of the causes of the accident. change and transform as they are passed from person to person, and
a. Primary cause e.g. spill on the floor that cause slip or before you know it, the word is that they are shutting down your
fall. entire department.
b. Secondary fall e.g. person did not wear appropriate shoes One effective way to address informal, unofficial speculation is to
spell out clearly for all employees what is going on with a particular
c. Other contributing factor, e.g. burned out light in the area
issue. If budget cuts are a concern, then it may be wise to send a
memo explaining the changes that are imminent. If a company wants
4. Recommend employees to take action, they may also issue a memorandum. For
a. Recommendation for corrective action might include example, on February 13, 2009, upper management at the Panasonic
immediate corrective action as well as long term Corporation issued a declaration that all employees should buy at
corrective action such as: a. Training on safe work least $1,600 worth of Panasonic products. The company president
practices noted that if everyone supported the company with purchases, it
would benefit all (Lewis, 2009).
b. Preventive maintenance activities

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While memos do not normally include a call to action that requires B
personal spending, they often represent the business or
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organization’s interests. They may also include statements that align
business and employee interest and underscore common ground and s
benefit. i
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A memo has a header that clearly indicates who sent it and who the
intended recipients are. Pay particular attention to the title of the a
individual(s) in this section. Date and subject lines are also present, t
followed by a message that contains a declaration, a discussion, and e
a summary.
MEMORANDUM
In a standard writing format, we might expect to see an introduction,
a body, and a conclusion. All these are present in a memo, and each TO:
part has a clear purpose. The declaration in the opening uses a FROM:
declarative sentence to announce the main topic. The discussion
elaborates or lists major points associated with the topic, and the DATE:
conclusion serves as a summary. SUBJECT:

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I'm writing to inform you that [reason for writing memo]. we've decided it makes more sense to separate our video production
As our company continues to grow … [evidence or reason to support team from our content team. This way, those teams can focus more
your opening paragraph]. on their individual goals."
Please let me know if you have any questions. In the meantime, I Paragraph Three:
appreciate your cooperation as [official business information] takes In the third paragraph, you'll want to include your specific request of
place. each employee -- if you're planning a team outing, this is the space
Header: you'd include, "Please RSVP with dietary restrictions," or "Please
In your header, you'll want to clearly label your content email me with questions."
"Memorandum" so your readers know exactly they're receiving.
What Is an RSVP?
Then, you'll want to include "TO", "FROM", "DATE", and
"SUBJECT". This information is relevant for providing content, like The term "RSVP" comes from the French expression répondez s'il
vous plaît, meaning "please respond or reply." If RSVP is written on
who you're addressing, and why. an invitation, it means the host has requested that the guest respond
Paragraph One: to say if they plan to attend the party.
In the first paragraph, you'll want to quickly and clearly state the
On the contrary, if you're informing staff of upcoming construction
purpose of your memo. You might begin your sentence with the to the building, you might say, "I'd appreciate your cooperation
during this time." Even if there isn't any specific action you expect
phrase, "I'm writing to inform you … " or "I'm writing to request ...
from employees, it's helpful to include how you hope they'll handle
". A memo is meant to be short, clear, and to-the-point. You'll want the news and whether you expect them to do something in response
to the memo.
to deliver your most critical information upfront, and then use
subsequent paragraphs as opportunities to dive into more detail.
Paragraph Two:
Explain and Elaborate
In the second paragraph, you'll want to provide context or supporting
evidence. For instance, let's say your memo is informing the Activity 21. Answer the given question in your own words
company of an internal re-organization. If this is the case, paragraph and understanding:
What is the difference between internal and external
two should say something like, "As our company continues to grow,
communication?

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 Give examples for each. of communication mainly in the context of delivering messages to
employees about business issues, policies and procedures, but two-
way communication plays an essential role in a comprehensive
Evaluate
communication strategy. Listening to employee issues and concerns
Activity 22. Locate and provide at least one sample for builds loyalty and drives improved productivity.
each of the minutes of meetings, memorandum, and incident report
in any agency or institution and analyze it based on the given lesson
as to its content, organization, format, time element if observed, REFERENCES:
specific persons involved properly, etc.
Books:
GOODLUCK! 1. Uychoco,Marikit Tara A.,Santos, Maria Lorena (2017),
COMMUNICATION FOR SOCIETY :PURPOSIVE
COMMUNICATION First Edition, Rex Publication
SUMMARY 2. Dainton, M. &Zelley, E. (2015) Applying Communication
Theory for Professional Life: A Practical Introduction, 3rd
Communication in the workplace is one of the signs of a ed., Sage Publications
high-performance culture. Exchanging information and ideas within 3. Magan, Rhodora G. & Nano, Maria Crisitina B. (2018)
an organization is called workplace communication. However, PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION IN THE 21ST
effective communication occurs when a message is sent and received CENTURY, Manila, Mindshapers Co. Inc.
accurately. In every aspect of life (both professional and personal), 4. Wakat, Geraldine S., et.al., (2018), PURPOSIVE
effective communication is important to success and happiness. COMMUNICATION, Manila, Lorimar Publishing Co.
Communication serves as the foundation of every facet of a 5. Guffey, M. (2008). Essentials of Business Communication
business. Effective communication is communication between two (7th ed.). Mason, OH: Thomson/Wadsworth.
or more persons with the purpose of delivering, receiving, and 6. Lewis, L. (2009, February 13).
understanding the message successfully. It is the process of Online Sources:
information sharing between team members in a way that keeps in Retrievedfrom http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/
mind what you want to say, what you actually say, and what your markets/japan/article5723942.e
audience interprets. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/
There are common communication materials which are memo-format
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/technicalwriting/chapter/
being used in the workplace to be able to effectively carry out the
memos_-purpose-and-format-2/
goals of the organization. These include minutes of the meeting,
incident reports and memorandums. Professionals may initially think