Page 21 - Learner Guide - BSBCMM201 - Communicate in the workplace.doc

Communicate in the workplace

3 Communicating at work

Good communication at workplace can develop positive relationships, breakdown
the obstacles and get people together to reach a set goal.

3.1 Interacting with others

Interacting with people at work means to interact with people we like and with
people we don’t. At the workplace, we don’t have luxury to choose the workmates
and we can’t treat them badly if we’re having a tough time. The essential skill that is
highly needed at workplace is to get along and interact positively with people
around us such as colleagues, supervisors, clients etc.

3.2 Collecting information

Collection of information can be done by the use of many forms of communication
(face to face, over a phone, sending a letter or email, consulting a manual or code,
looking up online etc.) and with a range of people. The information collected must
be shared with those who need to know and perhaps record it for future reference.
The two essential skills required to collect the information are:

 Active listening

Active listening means giving full attention to the speaker which enables you to:

• grasp whatever they’re saying
• understand their opinion
• let them know that you’ve understood

 Asking questions

Questions are used to clarify or confirm what someone is saying to you, can keep a
conversation going and can get more information especially from a reluctant
communicator. Good questioning skills will probably help to interact more easily and
effectively with other people at workplace.

The questions posed for customers are of three types – open questions, closed
questions and reflective questions.

Open questions - Open questions are used in initial stages of communication. They
are posed to the customers to provide information and also encourage the
customer to be open about their needs, thoughts and feelings.

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