Task 1: Communication Fundamentals

ACTIVITY 1: INSTRUCTIONS

BusinessDictionary.com (nd) defines communication as the “two-way process of reaching mutual understanding, in which participants not only exchange (encode-decode) information, news, ideas, and feelings but also create and share meaning.”

1) Visit a large box store (Best Buy, Target, WalMart, etc.) in your area and a small business (a local butcher, bakery, shoe store, or other small business). Spend at least thirty (30) minutes at each location observing how employees communicate with customers and with each other in a business setting. Thereafter, try to speak with a manager regarding what policies the business has in place pertaining to communication with customers.

2) Complete the Week One: Observation Sheet located in the Important Documents Folder. Please upload your completed assignment to Moodle.

Requirements:

• Please be sure to complete the entire assignment to receive maximum credit for this task.
• Use and include information from the weekly course content and outside sources to support the conclusions contained in the paper.
• Be cognizant of spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
• All sources should be cited in proper APA format (in-text citations and a reference list).
• Due on Sunday at 11:59 pm EST.

ACTIVITY 2: INSTRUCTIONS

Technical jargon is defined as the language, especially the vocabulary, peculiar to a particular trade, profession, or group. For example, the technical words used by lawyers is referred to as legal jargon. Often professionals use a type of technical jargon when discussing concepts and ideas in their field. While this works well when communicating with other professionals who speak the same language, it is often confusing for people outside the field. It is important, therefore, for professionals to be able to communicate effectively with all stakeholders.

• Form a group of two (if an online student, please ask a friend or family member to participate with you).
• Each member of the group should use the internet to identify a short description of a technical process that utilizes a large amount of industry jargon.
• Choose one member of the team to read his or her description of a technical process (the reader) to the other team member (the listener). The reader should clearly read the description to the listener. The listener should ask the reader to explain the meaning of all technical jargon included in the description. The reader should not continue reading the description until the listener is satisfied with the explanation.
• The reader should then summarize the process to the listener without using the technical jargon.
• Feel free to use drawings or diagrams as you explain.
• This process should then be repeated with the reader becoming the listener and the listener taking on the role of the reader.

After completing the exercise, write a 500-word reflection essay. The essay should address the following questions:

1) Describe your experience as the reader.

a. What communication challenges did you face during this process? How did you overcome these challenges?

b. What non-verbal body language (from the listener) did you observe during this process? What did the non-verbal body language of your partner indicate to you?

c. If you were to participate in this exercise again, what could you do to avoid any challenges in communication and ensure that the listener clearly understood the information you were relaying?

2) Describe your experience as the listener.

a. What communication challenges did you face during this process? How did you overcome these challenges?

b. What non-verbal body language (from the reader) did you observe during this process? What did the non-verbal body language of your partner indicate to you?

c. If you were to participate in this exercise again, what could you do to avoid any challenges in communication and ensure you clearly understood the information relayed by the reader?

3) Describe any other observations you have pertaining to communication during this process.

Requirements:

• Minimum 500 words (excluding title page and reference list); 12 point Times New Roman Font and double-spaced.
• Please be sure to answer the entire question to receive maximum credit for this task.
• Use and include information from the weekly course content and outside sources to support the conclusions contained in the paper.
• Be cognizant of spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
• All sources should be cited in proper APA format (in-text citations and a reference list).