Bcom 275

Week 1 Discussion Questions

1. Briefly explain three specific situations where communication

skills will be important in your future occupation?

Communication skills will be important when working in groups. When working in groups, if one person is not on the same page as you it can lead to a disaster. Communication skills are also going to be important when dealing with clients. The client is always right so if you miscommunicate this could end up costing the company money. Finally, communication skills will be important when dealing with management. If you don’t do this then your chances of growing and moving up in the company are very unlikely.

2. Your text states that the goal of effective communication is to achieve “shared understanding.” Explain what shared understanding means. Provide three suggestions that you think would make this goal more likely to occur between senders and receivers.

Shared understanding is when both the sender and receiver are on the same page and both understand what has been communicated. Three things that would make this goal more likely to occur are to always communicate in person, make sure to confirm that the point is understood, and don’t wait until the last minute to check on anything in case there was a miscommunication.

3. The section “Communication Process Model” mentions that when communicating, you function

as a “transceiver.” Describe two situations where you were a transceiver, both sending and receiving

messages simultaneously.

The first situation where I was a transceiver is when training a client and telling them an exercise to do and at the same time I have to understand the difficulties they are having as they say certain things in response. The next situation is when I am selling a package to a potential client I ask certain questions and when they respond I have to translate it into what they need.

4. Communication occurs within a context. Describe the physical, functional,...