Communication in the Workplace

We all know that communication is essential in the workplace, but do students realize how important it is? Thanks to Sasha Roble, a PA Cooperative Education Coordinator – Capstone for Cumberland Perry Area Career and Technical Center, for sharing this fun, engaging lesson. Communication in the Workplace will help students understand, not only the importance of communication, but the process, the causes of ineffective communication as well as forms of non-verbal communication.

Note

  • This lesson was designed using the following resource: The Capstone Activity Packets (CAPS): 21. Demonstrate basic skills for both verbal and nonverbal communication. These CAPS documents are made available through the Professional Personnel Development Center website (Penn State College of Education) for online review and hardcopy download.

Set

  • Define communication. Communication is the process by which we share information, ideas and feelings through the use of spoken or written words, symbols, or gestures. There are four basic elements to communication: sender, receive, message and response. 
  • Turn and talk. Ask students what are the causes of miscommunication? Answers will vary. Touch on the following: poor choice of words, lack of trust, nonverbal communication, listening.  

Materials

  • Projector & Screen
  • Paper Plates 
  • Copies of Communication Self Check Activity 
  • iPad or Laptop
  • Paper/Pencil

Activities

  • Play Boom. Clap. Snap. Snatch 
    • Students should be divided into groups of two. The students should stand opposite of each other with a table or desk in between them. Place a paper plate between the students. The teacher will say a word and the students will complete the action.
    • Before you give the cue for students to snatch, practice a few times with a varying combination of boom, clap and snap. 
    • Engage students in a few rounds of Boom, Clap, Snap, Snatch. As the teacher gives cues, he/she could do a different cue (snap instead of clap). He/she can talk loud then soft. 
    • Play an elimination game. If a student does not snatch a plate from their partner, they sit down. You should end up with two people to play one challenge round at the end. 
  • Engage students in discussion: During the game, Boom, Clap, Snap, Snatch, can you identify the four basic elements of communication? Who was the sender? (The teacher.)  Who was the receiver? (The students) What was the message? (Simple words: boom, clap, snap or snatch) What was the response? (Students completing the action)Was there any miscommunication? As you complete this activity, you will see students confusing snap & snatch. Students will try and anticipate what you say (not listening). The room will fill with chatter making it difficult to hear. As a teacher, you can demonstrate non verbal cues and demonstrate one action while saying another action. 
  • Four Corners Communication Recap
    • Designate a corner for each of the four categories in the room. 
      • Sender
      • Receiver
      • Message
      • Response
    • The teacher will read a question aloud (see attachment), providing multiple-choice answers related to the communication process.
    • After the question is read, students will move to the corner that represents their answer.
    • After each question, facilitate a brief discussion on the correct answer and why it fits into that category.
    • Students will return to the center of the room for the next question.
  • Reflection & Real World Application. Good communication skills are essential to success in many adult roles. Give each student a copy of the Communication Self Check. Once students complete the self check activity, they should choose one of the prompts below and provide a well-crafted written response (on paper or through an online LMS like Google Classroom or Canva). 
    • Imagine you are in a situation where a colleague misunderstands your instructions for a task. How would you approach this situation to clarify the misunderstanding and prevent it from happening again?
    • Reflect on a time when you communicated poorly. What were the consequences, and what steps did you take to improve your communication skills afterward?
  • Provide an opportunity for in-class discussion. 

Attachments

Photo by Yan Krukau

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.