Effective Communication in the Workplace

Understand the importance of effective communication in the workplace

Reasons for effective communication may include:

• the business understands who their customer is and their needs
• promotes confidence between the customer and the business

Ways effective communication promotes high standards may include:

• everyone understands the goals that they are working towards
• reduces the likelihood of mixed messages

Possible impact of poor communication may include:

• loss of customer and no new customers
• legal action
• financial penalties
• loss of business

Learning Outcome 1: Indicative Content 

Ways effective communication promotes a good first impression:

• gives the customer confidence in the business
• reduces misunderstandings
• customer gains good understanding of products/services available
• customer understands benefits of organisations products/services

Ways effective communication promotes high standards:

• everyone understands the goals that they are working towards
• reduces the likelihood of mixed messages
• reduces the potential for errors
• business understands who their customer is and their needs

Possible impact of poor communication may include:

• loss of existing customers and/or failure to gain new customers
• legal action
• financial penalties
• loss of business

Assessment Criteria

• 1.1
  Explain how effective communication creates a positive impression of the organisation on the customer
• 1.2
  Explain how effective communication between colleagues enables work to be completed to a high standard
• 1.3
  Describe the possible impact of poor communication on an organisation

Know how different types of communication are appropriate for different situations

Examples of main types of communication may include:

• oral - team meetings, telephone conversations, one-to-one meetings, conference calls, Skype
• written - email, notes, minutes of meetings, reports, letters, charts, diagrams, illustrations

Reasons for using different types of communication may include:

• cost
• need to respond quickly 
• gather people together who are working in different parts of the country or internationally
• meet specific needs such as visual and auditory impairment, reading difficulties, English is not the first language

Learning Outcome 2: Indicative Content 

Examples of main types of communication may include:

• oral - team meetings, telephone conversations, one-to-one meetings, conference calls, web-based media e.g. Skype, FaceTime
• written - email, social media, e.g. Twitter or Facebook, notes, minutes of meetings, reports, letters, charts, diagrams, illustrations

Reasons for using different types of communication may include:

• the complexity/amount of the information
• different audience/purpose
• cost
• speed – the need to respond quickly to a customer
• the need to meet people e.g. to gather people together who are working in different parts of the country or internationally
• to meet specific needs such as visual and auditory impairment, reading difficulties, English is not the first language

Assessment Criteria

• 2.1
  Describe the main types of communication, oral and written, used in organisations
• 2.2
  Explain why different types of communication are required for different circumstances and when communicating with different people

Use appropriate forms of written communication

To achieve this learning outcome learners must provide appropriate evidence of using different forms of communication. 

Learning Outcome 3: Indicative Content 

To achieve this learning outcome learners must provide appropriate evidence of using different forms of communication.

The learner could be set a selection of scenarios for which they need to select an appropriate format (for Pass) and then produce them (for Merit/Distinction).

Examples of purposes should be varied and may include may include:

• to record a conversation
• to launch a new product
• to respond to a complaint
• to present evidence of a problem to a team

to provide sales figures to a manager

Assessment Criteria

• 3.1
  Select appropriate formats of written communication for different purposes
• 3.2
  Produce documents that are clearly and accurately presented and appropriate for the audience

Use appropriate forms of oral communication

To achieve this outcome learners must provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate their ability to use appropriate forms of oral communication. 

Learning Outcome 4: Indicative Content 

To achieve this outcome learners must provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate their ability to use appropriate forms of oral communication.

Audiences should be varied and may include:

• colleagues
• customers
• senior managers

Situations should be varied and may include:

• 1:1 meetings with manager
• group meetings with colleagues
• presentations
• informal conversation

Assessment Criteria

• 4.1
  Communicate clearly in speech in different workplace situations, adjusting register and tone to match the audience and purpose of the communication