nvq level 2 course- assessment 679

1- Understand the purpose of planning communication.
1.1- Explain reasons for knowing the purpose of communications
By knowing the purpose of communication you know how to respond, to whether it is designed to start a debate, send a message to people or just a general information briefing and know how to interpret the information. It is important for me to know the purpose of communication when I contact another company as I need to find out information and normally very specific information, so the purpose of my communication is information retrieval. Whenever anyone communicated they are transferring information, an opinion or a message so this needs to be clearly laid out so the purpose remains clear.

1.2- Explain reasons for knowing the audience to whom the communication is being presented.
By knowing who your audience is it is easier to adapt your communication to make it audience acceptable. If a business man with many years of experience will be able to understand more complex business jargon where as a new employee to a business would need things explaining in a jargon-less way, unless you also clearly explain what the technical term means but this can be time consuming. In my work I deal with clients on a regular basis and as I am still new at work I don’t use any form of jargon, this is useful because customers may become confused when presented with terms they don’t understand.
1.3- Describe different methods of communication.
There are several methods of business communication.
 Web based communication- for better and improved communication, anytime and anywhere.
 Video conferencing- allows for people in different locations to hold interactive meetings and also people in jail so solicitors don’t
 Emails- which provide an instantaneous medium of written communication worldwide.
 Reports- important in documenting the activities of any department.
 Presentations- very popular method of communication in all types of organisation, usually involves audiovisual material, copies of reports or materials prepared in Microsoft PowerPoint or Adobe Flash.
 Telephone meetings (phone conferencing) - allows people to speak long distance.
 Forum boards- allow people to instantly post information in a centralised location.
 Face-to-face meetings- are personal and should be succeeded by a written follow up.
 Suggestion box- it is mainly for upward communication as some people may be hesitant to communicate to the management directly.

1.4- Describe when to use different methods of communication.

 Web based communication- usually over a webpage, this method is ideal for mass update of knowledge without you having to contact millions of people.
 Video conferencing- this method is used a lot in business as it allows for two (or more) people speak on what may be the closest face-to-face communication they can achieve. Used a lot with international business communication.
 Emails- are constantly used as a method of communication, ideal for when you require a lot of information i.e. file transfer or when a reply is not needed with a great amount of urgency.
 Phone conferencing- is ideal for a management meeting or for when multiple members are involved and transporting everyone to the same location is not practical.
 Face to face meetings- this method is ideal for building business relations, for building a good repor with customers/clients and for business meetings or presentations.
2- Understand how to communicate in writing
2.1- Identify different sources of information that may be used when preparing written communication.
 The internet- the internet contains an unimaginable amount of information on every topic imaginable so this is an ideal source for the research of information. There are also websites that allow other sources like books and newspapers are viewable on the internet.
 Books- an old fashioned but still very useful source of information. Books can now be found available on the internet but a much wider range is available in public libraries and is great for information research.
 Videos- non written informational source such as videos can also be used to prepare written communication. ‘how to’ guide. Notes from the video can then be made into a written piece of work.
 Archived documents- this source of information is used a lot in business where retrieval of older information specific to a particular topic (e.g. financial reports covering the businesses lifetime) are required for the written communication.
 People- asking people can be a great source of information, they can give you an opinion, personal account and if they are more experienced/educated within the topic you are researching can give you a great amount of details or simplify a piece of information so you can understand it easier.
2.2- Describe the communicational principles for using electronic forms of written communication in a business environment.
Electronic forms of business communications are communications through emails, faxes. Anything that is stored or transmitted electronically are electronic forms of data or communication. You have to make use of all the different tools available in the organisation, and learn to use them accurately and effectively in order to perform the job efficiently and save time. In an office environment, you should be able to interpret information from sources whether manual or electronic, and be able to use good paragraphing skills. You should be skilful enough to exchange or transmit information over telecommunications technology and know how to use the software because emails, scanning, faxes ECT are all forms of electronic communications. When choosing electronic communications for exchange of information, you should think logically to decide which the best and most efficient method of communication is.
2.3- Describe reasons for using language that suits the purpose of written communication.
Colloquial, casual and formal writing are different styles of writing that have their own expectations and outcomes. The style of writing also depends on the purpose of what is intended to say, how it is intended to be said, what the document will be used for and the audience.
Casual language is something that we use to communicate with family and close friends. It uses informal words that we use normally on a daily basis.
Colloquial language is an informal conversational style of writing.
Formal language is used in business communications. It is based on a professional intention. It also depends on the words you use, the way you use and relates to your role. You need to be personally well presented and the language has formal words with proper syntax, good vocabulary and excellent grammar which are more important.
2.4- Describe ways of organising, structuring and presenting written information so it meets the needs of an audience.
When organising, structuring and presenting written information we have to bear in mind the following:
 Prepare all the documents for presentation depending on what has to be delivered.
 Keep documents in the correct order, so that the communication goes in a proper flow without any confusions and errors.
 While presenting be clear in what you talk about, stating the objectives. Give an introduction on what you are going to present, why you are there doing it, why the attendees are there and why is it important.
 Present it step by step clearly using proper resources where needed
 In the end, close it down making clear that all objectives were covered and the attendees were clear of all of them.
Inform the team what will happen next and what actions have to be implemented and any other outcomes from the presentation.
2.5- Describe ways of checking for accuracy of written information.
Any written content or communication has to be free of spelling and grammatical errors. It also has to be in the right and professional format. So the following have to be checked or considered before the document is finalised to be sent out.
1- Check the points written down:
Whatever we write has to be accurate, otherwise it will have disastrous effects and can even ruin the reputation of the organisation, and the organisation can itself get into trouble. So all details have to be double checked, for example dates, names, statistics, events, discussions, actions and other facts. If you are unsure of anything, make sure you check with a knowledgeable or experienced people and update the written document.
2- Spell check and grammar check:
Spell check is an option available to easily correct typo errors. Sometimes it will not be 100% accurate, because if you typed a word instead of another, then spell check will not be able to trace it. So it is always best to read through the document twice before finalising. Also, some new words will not be added on to the spell checkers database and so relying solely on the spell checker is not good.
3- Use a template:
Usually every organisation has a different style for documents they produce. They will be all be available, you should research through to find the correct style for the document that you produce depending on needs, department and organisations follow the style guide to produce the document. As an organisation documents have to be produced in a standard and professional format.
4- Take help from another reader:
Another way to ensure accuracy is to have your document read by another reader. Sometimes when we read through our own work, minor and sometimes major errors can be hard to detect. Sometimes you would have written things repeatedly, which will be easily picked up by a different person. Also grammatical, punctuation and style errors can be picked up if the reader is an experienced person.
2.6- Explain the purpose of accurate use of grammar, punctuation and spelling.
The main purpose in the correct use of grammar, punctuation and spelling is ensuring the receiver of the information reads it accurately. Additionally to this when given a task to do your employer expects you to do it perfectly. When a document has inaccuracies, readers tend to distrust everything, including the statistics, opinions and facts. This would be relayed back to my employer who would themselves lose confidence in my ability. For progression in my company I need to ensure I carry out all tasks to a certain standard.
2.7- Explain what is meant by plain English, and why it is used.
Plain English is plain language used for communication that emphasises clarity and avoids technical language. This is very important particularly in relation to official government communication, including laws.
Plain English is used so that what you try to communicate is easily understood by everyone and is appropriate to their reading skills and knowledge. It is clear and direct, with nothing hidden, free of unnecessary remarks and unnecessary language or slangs.
Plain English is simple, straight forward, it is easily understood English. They do not have difficult or technical terms, instead have common words used and understood by everyone.
2.8- Explain the need to proof read and check written work.
Any work that is written has to be checked and proofread because the content that we write is important. The way a paper or any information looks affects the way others judge it. We all put in so much effort to develop a document and put in all the ideas and skills we have to create a document. So it has to be done with no errors, else it will create a bad impression to the reader which affects the name of the organisation. So it is always best to create the right document and make a good impression. Any piece of written work should be proofread, from emails to minutes. Just proofreading will have a great effect on the quality of the document you produce and it will help you get more appreciation from your organisation and help you get noticed.
2.9- Explain how to identify work that is important and work that is urgent.
Importance and urgency are two totally different things. When something is urgent I rush to do it, when something is important I prioritise it. In our day to day work schedule we have a mix of tasks, some important, some urgent and some of low priority. But all tasks have to be completed before the deadlines, as it is very important for the progress and running of the organisation. Urgent tasks are not necessarily complicated so I try and finish all urgent tasks quickly and then move on to the important ones.
 I prioritise workload in a way that it doesn’t affect the organisation or cause any financial cuts.
 I always make sure that we have at least 25 magistartes
2.10- Describe organisational procedures for saving and filing written communications.
Every organisation has its own policies and procedures for saving and filling documents. I always follow the policies and procedures of my organisation when I file documents. Documents with similar information are filed together for ease of accessibility when necessary. Documents that need to be shared with other departments and other staff are always stored on shared drives. Most companies are very particular about the storage of confidential information. Irrelevant of where they are stored, they usually are password protected and stored safely in personal and protected folders, encrypted if necessary. Records may be kept as paper files, or electronically in shared drives, databases or document management systems.
3- Understand how to communicate verbally.
3.1- Describe ways of verbally presenting information and ideas clearly.
I have to use simple language and short sentences when I am presenting information that way it makes the information easier to understand for everyone. I have to make sure I am flexible, consciously slow my talking as I do talk very fast, be able to give people the information in different ways. Some understand by hearing, some by seeing and some by repetition. Before presenting the information I:
 Plan what I want to say
 cut out all unnecessary details
 Present the important ideas in a logical order, use active and personal language ‘you’ and ‘we’
3.3- Describe methods of active listening.
Listening is one of the most important skills in life, in order to perform my job well I mist be a good listener. The extent to which I listen will reflect on my job and performance, it will also portray the quality of my relationship with my fellow colleagues.
 I listen to obtain information from others
 I listen to understand what others say
 I listen to learn new things
 I listen because I respect others feelings as I wish others to respect mine
 I listen because I care for others
 I listen because it is important to listen and act accordingly
Becoming a better listener will help me improve my productivity at work. It will also help others achieve the ability to be influential, persuasive and to negotiate.
Methods of active listening include:
 Listening calmly without interrupting, so that I let the other person speak and show that that I care and respect them
 Asking others to repeat if I do not understand anything, in order to avoid mistakes
 Taking note of important points, so that I do not forget or miss out on any important points.
 Confirming what I have understood, so that there is no misunderstanding of information.
3.4- Explain the purpose of summarising verbal communications
The purpose of summarising verbal communications is to:
 Identify major points- behaviours, thoughts and feelings that have been discussed
 Put it all together
 It helps to have a clear precise outline.

4- Understand the purpose of feedback in developing communicational skills
4.1- Describe ways of getting feedback on communications
Feedback helps us decide if the communication was effective and useful and made sense. It helps you decide what can be done better next time, thereby giving you new ideas. I get feedback from my team, manager and any other staff involved. This helps me improve my performance and correct errors, for this I:
 Collect data
 Take action
 Communicate the feedback
 Refine the changes
4.2- Explain the purpose of using feedback to develop communicational skills
Feedback is a very important aspect in any working environment, I use it to develop my skills and myself, and to continually improve my work. Using feedback can improve the quality of service and reputation of an organisation. Acknowledging and incorporating feedback creates a bond between company and its customers. By enthusiastically accepting and using feedback I can show my willingness to learn.