APPLY BASIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS

1. APPLY BASIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS BSBCMM101

2. Communication Skills • Communication is a vital part of creating and maintaining a safe and efficient workplace environment. How we interact with clients and staff will affect how well the organisation functions and how satisfying you find your job to be. • Communication allows individuals to interact to satisfy their own needs and to develop their personal, social and work relationships. • Communication enables leaders and managers to control work procedures, motivate others and balance the needs and goals of individuals with those of the organisation. For communication to be effective, you must use effective questioning and active listening skills. • Good communicators are usually successful people and organisations as they clearly convey to others what they are doing and what they require. They apply their interpersonal skills to listening, speaking and questioning. They use both verbal and nonverbal communication. • In order to perform competently in the workplace you will rely on information and communication from others. This information will be specific - relate to the task or job role, or general – relate to organisational and system functions.

3. COMMUNICATION SKILLS • The ability to communicate effectively and assertively impacts on the manner with which we are able to build relationships in the workplace with both internal and external customers, share information, delegate, coach/instruct others, respond to other people, and manage our own performance. In other words, it impacts on every aspect of our work. • Effective communication involves understanding and being skilled in: • Verbal and Non-Verbal communication • Active Listening techniques • Vocal techniques • Written communication • Electronic communication. • Good communication is a highly prized ability and will contribute to your value in the workplace. Communication is about messages. A message is sent and received. However, the message must be understood as it was intended. If this does not occur then there has been no effective communication. • We communicate in order to: • Meet our own needs • To understand others and to make ourselves understood • Meet the needs of others • Convey or share information, ideas, concepts and opinions • Create situations (to inspire or influence others) which result in action being taken.

4. LINES OF COMMUNICATION • The information you require to do your job will come from various sources. Your job specification will provide basic information about your role and the lines of communication in your organisation which you are to follow. Further information about communication lines should be conveyed during induction and your initial job training. • In all organisations there is a correct line of communication. The first line of communication is your immediate superior or Supervisor. The workplace organisational chart will show you who your supervisor is and the line of communication to follow. • An example of an Organisational Chart • You would discuss any issues or concerns your may have with your Supervisor first who would then, if necessary, address the issue or concern with the Office Manager/Team Leader. If you went straight to the Office Manager or CEO they would advise you to discuss the matter with your Supervisor first.

5. ROUTINE WORKPLACE PROTOCOLS • All organisations have procedures for the transferring of information. Knowing how to use the different types of communication and following the correct workplace procedures helps to ensure that information goes to the correct person or place. Communication can be internal, external or both. INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION • Interpersonal communication is the way we communicate with others. It may be with another person, to a group of people or to the public. • Communication is made up of a combination of verbal and non-verbal communication. Some of these are: • The way in which you speak: Tone, pitch, volume and rate • Your body language • Your facial expressions • Your physical appearance/presentation • Communication includes: written, verbal and non-verbal communication.

6. VERBAL COMMUNICATION The way we speak to other people can make a difference to the way information is received. • Verbal communication can be improved when: • It is clear and concise • It is friendly and professional • Appropriate feedback is given • Active listening is used • There is an awareness of non-verbal communication styles • There is an understanding of cultural differences • Types of verbal communication include: • Face-To-Face (Internal and external) • Telephone (Internal and external) • Meetings (Internal) • Para-Language – refers to the tone of voice used when communicating. Enthusiasm can be conveyed by speaking rapidly and emphatically. Monotonal speech may signal boredom or depression. Terse, loud tones may indicate fear or anger. Consider the way that para-language can change the meaning of a sentence or of a concept. Just by taking a pause in a sentence of speaking loudly can alter the message that you are conveying to others.

7. ACTIVE LISTENING Being an active listener is important to good communication and it is important because: • It can demonstrate courtesy and respect for the sender • Provides us with the opportunity to learn something new • If you listen, the sender may be more likely to listen to you • Listening can encourage further communication • Listening can enable you to determine the right response to the sender. Some hints for active listening are: • Listen – Concentrate purposefully and intently on what is being said • Don’t interrupt – Ask questions only when they have finished making their point • Ask questions to check your understanding • Make eye contact and watch for non-verbal clues • Think of the other person’s point of view (empathise) • Take notes, if required

8. NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION • Whilst language provides the basis for communication, and much of our communication is verbal (spoken), non-verbal communication (body language) is also important. • Body language and para-language contribute greatly to the effectiveness of communication and can be important ways to communication in difficult circumstances or noisy environments. • Some example of good body language are: • Eye contact – this can indicate interest and listening • Leaning forward – can indicate involvement or enthusiasm in the conversation • Smiling – can indicate warmth and welcome • Nodding your head – can indicate understanding and agreeance • Palms open or facing upward – can indicate openness or honesty • Your body language can also demonstrate negative signs: • Crossing your arms – can indicate a defensive or closed stance to ideas • Looking away or rolling your eyes – can indicate boredom, disinterest • Shifting weight, yawning, drumming your fingers or biting your nails, slouching in a chair – can indicate boredom or nervousness • It is important to remember that our non-verbal communication will be seen differently by different people based on cultural differences. • Further Information

9. QUESTIONING TECHNIQUES Questioning is an important tool used to obtain feedback and clarification of a message to ensure that the receiver understands what the sender is saying. • There are four main questioning techniques: • Open Questions – These encourage the sharing of information and usually require a longer answer. Example: Why are you interested in applying for this job? Why did you do it that way? • Closed Questions – These questions are usually asking for a yes or no answer, and do not encourage any further discussion. Example – Are you interested in apply for this job?, What is your address? • Probing Questions – These questions can be used to follow up, ask for more information for either open or closed questions. Example – What else could we do? Why do you believe that this is correct? • Hypothetical/Reflective Questions – These questions ask people to consider scenarios or contingencies. Example – What would happen if this information is not sent on time?

10. COMMUNICATION STYLES – PASSIVE PASSIVE COMMUNICATION - is a style in which individuals have developed a pattern of avoiding expressing their opinions or feelings, protecting their rights, and identifying and meeting their needs. As a result, passive individuals do not respond overtly to hurtful or anger-inducing situations. Passive communicators will often: • fail to assert for themselves • allow others to deliberately or inadvertently infringe on their rights • fail to express their feelings, needs, or opinions • tend to speak softly or apologetically • exhibit poor eye contact and slumped body posture A passive communicator will say, believe, or behave like: • “I’m unable to stand up for my rights.” • “I don’t know what my rights are.” • “I get stepped on by everyone." • “I’m weak and unable to take care of myself.” • “People never consider my feelings.”

11. COMMUNICATION STYLES – AGGRESSIVE AGGRESSIVE COMMUNICATION - is a style in which individuals express their feelings and opinions and advocate for their needs in a way that violates the rights of others. Thus, aggressive communicators are verbally and/or physically abusive. Aggressive communicators will: • try to dominate others • use humiliation to control others • criticize, blame, or attack others • be very impulsive, • have low frustration tolerance, • speak in a loud, demanding, and overbearing voice • act threateningly and rudely, • not listen well, • interrupt frequently • use “you” statements Aggressive communicators will say, believe or behave like: • “I’ll get my way no matter what.” • “You’re not worth anything.” • “It’s all your fault.”

12. COMMUNICATION STYLES – ASSERTIVE ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION - is a style in which individuals clearly state their opinions and feelings, and firmly advocate for their rights and needs without violating the rights of others. These individuals value themselves, their time, and their emotional, spiritual, and physical needs and are strong advocates for themselves while being very respectful of the rights of others. Assertive communicators will: • state needs and wants clearly, appropriately, and respectfully • express feelings clearly, appropriately, and respectfully • listen well without interrupting • feel in control of self • have good eye contact • speak in a calm and clear tone of voice • have a relaxed body posture • not allow others to abuse or manipulate them • stand up for their rights Assertive communicators will say, believe or behave like: • “I realize I have choices in my life and I consider my options.” • “I speak clearly, honestly, and to the point.” • “I can’t control others but I can control myself.” • “I respect the rights of others.”

13. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION • Written communication is a vital part of communication and should follow the following rules: • Is simple and easy to understand • Is to the point and avoids unnecessary repetition • Avoids too many technical terms • Avoids slang, offensive language and discriminatory, racist or sexist language • Types of written communication include: • Email, letters and faxes (internal and external) • Forms, reports and memos (internal and external) • Messages/Telephone Messages • Minutes and agendas for meetings (internal) • Technical and procedural manuals (internal) • Workplace signs (internal) • Whiteboards and pin-up boards (internal)

14. COMMUNICATION METHODS Face-to-face communication, talking to staff, management and clients is one of the most important ways in which you can give or receive information. But sometimes it make sense to use business technology to communicate with your fellow workers, your customers or with management. Here is a summary of the pros and cons of different communication technologies. Table: Pros (good points) and Cons (bad points) of methods of communication.

15. FEEDBACK • How do you know if your communication is effective? By giving and receiving feedback. Constructive feedback is (a) based on fact and (b) provides you with information on how to improve. • Feedback can be both verbal and non-verbal. When you ask a question you expect to receive an answer. This is feedback. If the response received provides an answer to your question, then this demonstrates that the message was understood as it was sent. Feedback is an opportunity to improve your communication skills in the workplace. • If the response does not actually answer the question you need to consider if the language you used was clear, whether you phrased the question correctly and what other barriers there may have been that you will need to overcome to clarify the question. • Face-to-face communication permits immediate feedback. It allows you to clarify any misunderstandings during the conversation and to watch the body language of the receiver to observe if the message has been understood. • When someone else is sending you a message, respond to the communication in ways that ensure the sender knows that you have understood. If you do not understand the message, ask for clarification. Paraphrase (repeat back) what they have said to you to ensure that you both know that you have understood. • When you are sending or receiving a message, actively listen to the receivers responses, observe the body language and the para-language (tone of their voice) they use in responding to you. Wherever necessary, ask them to explain to you what you have just said. This will help to ensure understanding.

16. DRAFT WRITTEN INFORMATION • Written communication for both internal and external applications will be used in a workplace. For instance, you might need to write a quote for a customer, write letters, summaries or reports, request information from suppliers or clients, respond to customer queries or complaints, take a telephone message. • Written communication must be clear, concise and legible. This will save time and frustration. It should be pitched at the correct level and achieve the intended purpose; that is, be understood and acted upon by the person receiving the communication. • All written communication should be free of spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors, it should be formatted correctly with properly constructed sentences and be in compliance with Organisational requirements. Using appropriate language can ensure that the reader understands the message clearly. • In business many forms of written communication are used on a daily basis, common documents include: • Letters • Memos • Messages/Telephone messages • Emails • Forms • Facsimiles (Fax) • There are protocols that apply to all of these communications. You need to understand what they are and you also need to know when to use the various forms of written communication.

17. DRAFT WRITTEN INFORMATION • Formats and Standards – Every organisation will have their own format for written information. It is important that you become familiar with the organisational requirements. This information could be located in the Organisational Policies and Procedures Manual or in the Organisational Style Guide. These guides are used to ensure consistency and professionalism in the workplace and assists with creating corporate branding.. Some of the requirements may include the following: • Font: All text in the body of business correspondence should appear in Calibri Font of a suitable size • Storage and Saving: File names should include the date, author initials and name of document. Documents should be backed up onto a USB as well as saved on the Hard Drive. Confidential documents should have a password assigned to them to ensure security. • Templates: Workplaces will use standard templates to ensure consistency of written documents and to save time. Templates can be in the form of a letter, employment form, feedback forms, fax cover sheets and memo just to name a few. • Drafts and Approvals - When preparing written communication it is important that you first prepare a draft and have your supervisor approve the document before sending it to the intended receiver. • Steps in presenting written communication include: • Collect and organise all relevant information • Plan the document • Draft the document • Proofread and edit the document • Confirm authorisation • Draw up and proofread the final copy

18. DRAFT WRITTEN INFORMATION • When planning and preparing your document consider the following: • Who • What • How • When • Where • Why • Group your ideas. Each sentence should contain one idea and each paragraph should contain a group of related sentences. • Keep it short, simple and to the point. Nobody wants to waste time reading irrelevant information • Avoid acronyms or jargon – not everyone will understand what you mean • Be positive, precise. Write for the reader • All written correspondence should be examined for style and format. Both the soft copy and the hard copy should be proofread and corrections made to spelling, grammar, style and format should be made before the document is dispatched. Do not rely on spell checking alone, set the computer spell check to Australian not American, if in doubt, use a dictionary. • Consider the visual impact of the document. The way the document looks can make a good impression and encourage the reader to respond in a certain way. • Assistance – In order to develop your communication skills it is important you seek advice and feedback. By receiving constructive feedback you will continually improve your communication skills.

19. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – LETTERS • Most organisations produce and receive a large number of letters. This is likely to be the main correspondence you will have to draft. • Letters can be sent through the post, by fax or attached to an email. • A letter may be the first contact that your customer may have with your organisation and so it is important that it is well-written to ensure your message is clear and effective. • Letters may be used for a variety of different purposes in a workplace. Some examples are: • Letter of acknowledgement • Letter to respond to a complaint from a customer • Letter of confirmation • Letter of inquiry • Letter for request • Cover letter which accompanies documents. • Letter of Acknowledgement: These may be sent to confirm that the organisation has received some form of correspondence. This may be a job application. For example: Dear Ms Jones Thank you for your application for the position of Receptionist. Your application is currently being reviewed and we shall inform you of the outcome as soon as possible. Yours Sincerely

20. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – LETTERS • Letter of Acknowledgement: These may be sent to confirm that the organisation has received some form of correspondence. This may be a job application. For example: Dear Ms Jones Thank you for your application for the position of Receptionist. Your application is currently being reviewed and we shall inform you of the outcome as soon as possible. Yours Sincerely • Letter of Response about a complaint: A complaint occurs when a customer is unhappy with the service that they have received or the product they have purchased. When you respond to a complaint, you need to offer a solution to the problem. You would start the letter by thanking the customer for bringing their concern to your attention and then offer a solution. For example: Dear Mr Brown Thank you for your letter dated 2nd August, we appreciate you advising us of your disappointment with your recent purchase. If you are able to return this product along with your receipt to our nearest store we will be happy to either exchange this purchase or offer you a refund. Yours Sincerely • Letter of Confirmation: Letter of confirmation are used to back up something that is agreed upon either by phone or in person. It may be that your supervisor or manager has agreed to meet with a customer, this letter will confirm the date, time and location agreed to for the meeting: For example: Dear Mr Simpson Following our conversation today, I wish to confirm that our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, 16th September at 10.30am at your business, 231 Runaway Street, Miami. Yours Sincerely

21. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – LETTERS • Letter of Inquiry: A letter of inquiry is usually a request for information. It should be brief to the point and courteous. It may be used to obtain information about a product or venue. For example: Dear Mr White Could you please provide me with information regarding your conference facilities at your establishment. I would like to know the size, availability and cost to hold an event for 50 people with a light supper provided on 25th November, 2017. Yours Sincerely • Letter of Request: Letter of request is used when you require a specific service. This may be for a quote for a service, such as printing, building work or to book a meeting room at a venue. For example: Dear Mr Walters Could you please provide me with a quote to print 2000 flyers for our promotion this month. The layout will be the same as last month but we would like to add a few more pictures to lift the document. If it is possible could you please supply this quote within the next 7 days. Yours Sincerely • Cover Letter: A cover letter is a brief description of what is being sent. If you are sending documents for signatures, booklets, catalogues, reports you would include a cover letter. For example: Dear Mrs Jennings Please find enclosed our latest catalogue as requested. If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me. Yours Sincerely

22. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – GUIDELINE FOR WRITING A LETTER Organisations will have specific requirements for letter writing which will be outlined in the Policies and Procedures manual or the Organisations Style Guide. There is however common features that all business letters have: • Letterhead – the organisations letterhead is the area of the letter that includes the organisations address, contact numbers, email address and most times a logo or slogan. Most organisations have pre-printed paper with a letterhead. These details are usually printed at the top of the page, but can also be printed at the bottom or down the side of the page. • Date – In Australia it is common to write the date in day-month-year order; for example, 30.08.2017. Other countries use the US system of month-date-year; for example, 08.30.2017. For this reason it is usually better to write the month in full; for example, 30th August 2017. The date is usually written below the letterhead details at the top of the page. • Receivers Address – This is the address of the person being written to. This address usually sits below the date but always on the left hand side. • Greeting – The greeting consists of “Dear” followed by the correct title and name of the person being written to; for example, Dear Mr Stanley or Dear Sir/Madam. • Subject Heading – A subject heading may be included to draw immediate attention to the content of the letter; for example, “Re: Winter Catalogue”. The subject heading is included below the greeting. • Body of the letter – The body of the letter is the main text. The paragraphs start with an acknowledgement, and then lead into the subject, which is followed by an explanation or argument. Finally a conclusion is written, ending on a positive note.

23. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – GUIDELINE FOR WRITING A LETTER • Close – Depending on who the letter is addressed to and how formal or informal it is will state the closing of your letter. “Yours Sincerely” and “Yours faithfully” are the two most common phrases used to close a business letter. If you start your letter with Dear Sir you would close with Yours Sincerely. If you know the person and start with Dear Mr Jones you would close with Yours faithfully. Only use less formal greetings such as “Regards” or “Kind Regards” if you know the person well. • Signature – The person responsible for the letter should sign their name, with their name and position below their signature. Leave four lines of blank space under the close to allow room for the signature. They insert the name of the person signing and their title. This is called a “Signature Block”. • Enclosures – If other documents are enclosed with the letter the number and details of enclosures can be written a couple of lines below the signature block, after the notation “enc.” of “Encl.” This also alters the receiver that there is extra information enclosed. • Copies – If copies of the letter have been forwarded to other people, their names can be listed below the reference to enclosures, after the notation “cc:” Letter Styles and Formats Styles of letter writing change often, letter layouts such as “Block” and “Semi- Block” are preferred by some organisations. • Block – this is the most common format used when drafting letters. Features of this layout are that all typing is aligned to the left side of the page. It has a neat and simple appearance. Paragraphs are separated by a double line space. • Semi-block -  is similar to block but has a more informal appearance. All elements are left-aligned, except for the beginning of each paragraph, which is indented five spaces. Paragraphs are separated by a double line space. The date and close is situated on the right hand side of the page

24. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – GUIDELINE FOR WRITING A LETTER • Block Example – • Semi-Block Example

25. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – MEETING STANDARDS • As with any other task, it is important to meet the requirements of your workplace. When drafting correspondence with may include observing given deadlines or writing and presenting your correspondence in a timely manner • Whatever you are drafting ensure that you adhere to the given deadlines. Find out what the timelines are and work to this schedule. Businesses depend on receiving and giving information in a timely manner so that routine tasks and activities may be carried out. • Some tasks may be marked are urgent and must be dealt with immediately. Others may not have a timeline and you will have to use your judgement to prioritise them in order of importance. • Along with meeting deadlines, there are other organisational requirements you need to meet. These requirements may be set out by: • Managers – to ensure that organisation policies and procedures are followed • Australian Standards – this is a national framework that provides a level or standard organisations should meet in their operations • Legislation – an example is to ensure that your correspondence or language is free of discrimination

26. SELECTING COMMUNICATION METHOD Sometimes you will be given instructions on what to do, for example you may be told to email the minutes of the last meeting to the attendees. Other times you will have to make up your own mind, for example, should I write a letter to my client or should I send an email? Every situation is different. How you pass on information depends on who it is for, why they want it and where the person is located. To help choose the best method, ask yourself the following questions: • Who am I communicating with • Why am I communicating with them • How important is this communication • Do I require a response immediately • Do I need a record of the communication • Choosing the best equipment depends on what is available in your workplace and how you have decided to communicate. • Workplace procedures will outline the process for taking and forwarding messages. • If in doubt seek advice from your supervisor, mentor, trainer or other relevant persons in the workplace.

27. COMMUNICATION AT WORK- Answering the Telephone • Despite the rapid advance of technology, the telephone is still the most widely used medium for communication at work. If you need a quick answer to a question or need to pass on information quickly, the telephone is the ideal way to communicate. • The telephone is often the first communication that customers will have contact with an organisation. The way in which you answer the telephone will be the first impression people get of your organisation. Make sure that you answer promptly and politely. • You should speak clearly, some people find it difficult to understand what is being said, particularly if they have a hearing problem. Think about the tone of your voice. Tone is like body language and is especially important on the telephone as people cannot see your face. Always be pleasant. Never sound, angry, tired or bored. Try answering the telephone with a smile on your face, it is amazing the difference that it can make to the tone of your voice. • Your organisation will have standards or policies for using the telephone. Make sure you understand them and follow them at all times. If you are not sure how to transfer a telephone call, you should ask your supervisor for assistance. • The following are a few tips using the telephone: • The telephone should be answered within three rings. • Always use an appropriate greeting – Your organisation may have a standard that they require everyone to use. • Example – Good morning/afternoon, Blue Sky Graphics, Amy speaking, how may I help you? • This greeting is a brief but friendly way of getting information across to the caller. It welcomes the caller, announces the name of the organisation, identifies who the caller is speaking to and is an offer of help. • Your caller may request to be placed to a specific extension or person. It is important that you obtain the name of the caller and the nature of their call so that you may inform the recipient prior to transferring the call. This may assist in several ways

28. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – TAKING A TELEPHONE MESSAGE • One of the most common types of written messages is the telephone message. You may have to answer the telephone and record messages because people are not available. For example, they may be in a meeting, out of the office or on another call. You may also have to make a record of a message that has been left on an answering machine or voicemail. Workplace procedures will outline the process for taking and forwarding messages. • Always have a pen and paper handy when answering the telephone. Some organisation provide telephone message pads, although most organisations now record these messages straight to email. • It is important to remember that the Privacy Act states it is illegal to disclose personal information relating to staff to any person. This includes other staff members as well as clients/callers. • When you take a telephone message, write down the following information: • Date & Time of Call • Who the message is for • The callers information – Name - Organisation - Telephone number • Message (what the call is about; whether the caller wishes to be called back) • Whether the call is urgent • Your initials (in case somebody wants to check something about the call). • Keep your messages short. Often the person calling may leave a long or complicated message. When it is not practical to write down the entire message, just record the main points.

29. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – EMAIL (Electronic Mail) • Email – Internet and Intranet communications are used by most organisations today. Email allows the exchange of messages from one computer to another, whether it is within the organisation (Intranet) or to parties based locally, interstate or overseas (Internet). • Electronic mail is useful for sending messages at any time of the day or night. This can be particularly beneficial when sending messages overseas where there is a time difference. • As with other written communication you must abide by the organisational policies and procedures and style guide when using emails. • There are a number of advantages to using email including: • It is quicker and more efficient than ordinary mail • It can be sent to many different receivers at one time • Documents or files are able to be attached to the email • It saves paper • There are also a number of disadvantages to using email including: • You require internet access to send or receive emails • You need to ensure the recipients address is correct • Some organisations have restrictions on the size of files that may be received • Emails should be treated the same way as any other form of correspondence and be professional and courteous. They should be checked for errors prior to sending and consider that your message can be forwarded to other parties.

30. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – EMAIL NETIQUETTE Netiquette or Internet Etiquette should be considered when compiling or replying to emails. These may differ across organisations but there are some rules that nearly all companies follow. These include: • Be concise and to the point - Do not make an e-mail longer than it needs to be - reading an e-mail is harder than reading printed communications and a long e-mail may not be completely read • Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation - This is not only important because improper spelling, grammar and punctuation give a bad impression of your company, it is also important for conveying the message properly. E-mails with no full stops or commas are difficult to read and can sometimes even change the meaning of the text. • Do not attach unnecessary files - By sending large attachments you can annoy customers and even bring down their e-mail system. Wherever possible try to compress attachments and only send attachments when they are productive. • Do not write in CAPITALS - IF YOU WRITE IN CAPITALS IT SEEMS AS IF YOU ARE SHOUTING. This can be highly annoying and might trigger an unwanted response in the form of a flame mail. • Read the email before you send it - A lot of people don't bother to read an email before they send it out, as can be seen from the many spelling and grammar mistakes contained in emails. Reading your email through the eyes of the recipient will help you send a more effective message and avoid misunderstandings and inappropriate comments. • Use a meaningful subject line - Use a subject that is meaningful to the recipient as well as yourself. • Don't send or forward emails containing libellous, defamatory, offensive, racist or obscene remarks - By sending or even just forwarding one libellous, or offensive remark in an email, you and your company can face court cases resulting in multi-million dollar penalties. • Don't forward virus hoaxes - If you receive an email message warning you of a new unstoppable virus that will immediately delete everything from your computer, this is most probably a hoax. By forwarding hoaxes you use valuable bandwidth and sometimes virus hoaxes contain viruses themselves, by attaching a so-called file that will stop the dangerous virus.

31. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – EMAIL (Electronic Mail) • Don’t forward chain letters - Chain letters may promise incredible riches or ask your help for a charitable cause, but even if the content seems to be bona fide, the senders are usually not. Since it is impossible to find out whether a chain letter is real or not, the best place for it is the recycle bin. • Junk Email/Spam - is unsolicited e-mail (i.e. you didn't ask to receive it) that: • Offers free goods • Tries to sell you something • Promises wealth • Responding to SPAM can cause you and your organisation serious problems, through: • Malicious software downloaded to your computer • Bombardment of your inbox with more SPAM • Credit card/personal details may be stolen • You might spend money on items that never arrive • Protect against spam: • Never open suspicious or unsolicited emails – delete them immediately • Never reply to SPAM • Do not click on any links in a spam email • Do not open any attachments in a spam email • Never enter personal or credit card details into reply email

32. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – EMAIL (Electronic Mail) • The layout of an email is the frame for your message. When you write an email it should contain the following parts: • Recipients name/email address • Cc: required if you wish to copy your supervisor or another party on the email (recipient can see this) • Bcc: Used when you wish to include another party in your email and do not wish the recipient or CC to know. • Subject line: The subject line should be a brief summary of the email. • Attachments: This will display any file or document that you have attached to the email for the recipient. • Greeting: Generally your first communication should be formal – Good Morning/Afternoon Mr Smith or Dear Mr Smith • Body: This should state the purpose of the message clearly and briefly so that the reader knows exactly what it is about. It should consist of a few sentences dealing with the topic. This should be set out just as you would a letter. • Closing: Close your message with a specific ending such as Yours Sincerely or Kind Regards followed by your name and your position. • Most organisations will have a signature template which will include your name, title and contact details.

33. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – EMAIL (Electronic Mail) • An example of an email is shown below: • Recipient • Carbon Copy • Subject • Attachment • Greeting • Body • Close

34. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – MEMORANDUM (MEMO) • A memorandum – memo for short – is a more formal way of passing on information within an organisation. Email messages have largely replaced memos in an office environment, however they are sometimes sent when information has to be forwarded to a number of people or to someone in the organisation who cannot be contacted personally. • Memos are also used when a record of the correspondence is required. • A memo may be used for: • A general announcement: such as a change to office policies, a reminder of safety procedures or new working conditions or an upcoming staff meeting • Correspondence between an employee and their supervisor: regarding leave applications, meetings, instructions or performance • Correspondence between teams or departments: Information about new projects, timelines or meetings • A short report: To inform staff or decisions made, new procedures or achievements.

35. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – MEMORANDUM (MEMO) • The tone of your memo should be similar to that used in an email – polite and appropriate to your audience. • Templates for memo’s can be found in the Word Software Application by selecting File/New. A search bar will appear and here you type in Memo • To- Receiver • From – Sender • Cc – Carbon copy • Date – Date memo sent • Re – Brief description of memo • Body - Message

36. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – FACSIMILES (FAX) • The facsimile or fax machine works in a similar way to electronic mail. Fax machines use telephone connections to transmit information. Text, pictures, diagrams, drawings and legal documents can be sent by fax. • Information from a document is fed into the fax machine and is copied by the machine and electronically transmitted to another fax or to a computer which produces a print out of the original document. • Information sent by a fax machine should always have a cover sheet attached to it. The fax cover sheet lists the details of the fax and who is sending it along with the number of pages. The receiver can then check that all the information has been correctly received. Organisational policies and procedures should be followed when sending faxed information and templates used to ensure consistency and save time. • A fax cover sheet should contain the following information: • Details of the senders organisation – usually in the header. Name, address, email/web address, contact details • To – the Recipients name • From – Your name/the person sending the fax • Fax Number – the fax number the document is being sent to • Pages – Number of pages including the cover sheet • Phone - contact number of the recipient • Date – date fax sent • Re – Subject a brief description of the documents being faxed • Cc – Name of any other party that may be receiving the same information • Check boxes – Select the appropriate box – Urgent/For Review/Please Comment/Please Reply/Please Recycle • Comment – A brief message of the content of the fax.

37. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – FACSIMILES (FAX) • All details must be filled out carefully and correctly as faxes can be unreliable due to paper jams, pages getting lost in transmission and some text may be difficult to read. • Some organisations may have a system for recording all faxes that have been sent. This may simply be that the transmission reports from the fax machine or you may have to keep a record of anything that you have faxed. • Alternatively all the fax cover sheets and faxed documents may be kept in a file along with the print out from the fax that states that the transmission has been successful. • A sample of a Fax Cover Sheet is shown here:

38. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – FACSIMILES (FAX)

39. COMMUNICATION AT WORK – OTHER TYPES There are other types of electronic communication methods that may be used in the workplace that are not detailed here such as: • Mobile Phones • Laptops & Tablets • Webinars & Video Conferencing • Data Projectors & Electronic Whiteboards • Complete the Practice Activities to demonstrate your understanding of this unit