The Communication Puzzle
Cheryl BennettProfessor Leiske
Com 200February 28, 2010
The Communication Puzzle
In order for communication to be both effective
and successful, all of its pieces need to fit and
complement each other. All of the verbal pieces
need to balance the nonverbal pieces. Without
this harmony, the image and/or message will be
confusing and therefore unsuccessful and
ineffective within the chosen audience.
Contents Introduction
Personal Awareness
Location Awareness
Audience Awareness
Audience
Gender Awareness
Cultural Awareness
Message Awareness
Message
Arrangement
Presentation
Evaluate
Communication Cycle
References 1 & 2
What are the Pieces?
Personal AwarenessA. Emotional state
B. Body language
a. Facial expression
b. Body position and stance
C. Appearance
a. Clothing
b. Hygiene
D. Voice volume and tone
E. Preconceptions and Prejudices
F. Communication Flexibility
G. Communication style(Hybels and Weaver, 2007, pp. 31-38)
Location Awareness
A. Size of area
B. Setting: formal or informal
C. Encounter: Private or Public
D. Time of day because of attention
spans; Early or Late
E. Weather because of attention
spans; Hot, Cold, Dry, Wet, Windy,
Calm, etc.
F. Area rules
(Hybels & Weaver, 2007, pp.
143-144)
Audience Awareness
A. Cultural differences
B. Gender differences
C. Age
D. Educational, Emotional,
and/or Intelligence level
E. Verbal cues
F. Nonverbal cues
G. Size of; One person or a
group of people.
Audience
A. Who are you trying to reach?
B. Why that particular group?
C. Watch their nonverbal cues to help stay focused.
D. Keep the audience in mind when forming your
message, and choosing your method.
E. Provide feedback to their responses.
Gender Awareness
Male communication
Straight-talking
Factual
Logical
Aggressive
Status/Competition
seeking
(Svecz, 2010)
Female communication
Roundabout
Intuition
Empathetic
Cooperative
Bond/Relationship
seeking
Cultural AwarenessA. Every culture has policies about
proper verbal and nonverbal
behavior.
B. Every culture displays emotions
differently.
C. Every culture has its own world
views.
D. Every culture has its own word
definitions and meanings.(American Advertising Federation, 2010)
Message Awareness
A. Age, education,
culturally appropriate
B. Clear and Focused
C. Easily understood
D. Length; attention span
E. Relevance to topic
and/or audience(Hybels and Weaver, 2007, pp. 122-
126)
MessageA. What do you want and need to say?
B. What is the focus of your message, its importance?
a. To give information, or teach
b. To sway opinions towards your own
c. To exchange ideas, clarify understandings
d. To connect with another individual or group, express empathy
e. To express your feelings, wants, needs, or feedback towards someone else
C. How do you want to say your message; what form should it
have; written, spoken, or both?
D. What do you want your audience to take away from your
message?
(Hybels and Weaver, 2007, pp.
122-126)
Arrangement
A. Choose a form that relates to your audience the best
a. Auditory (speech)
b. Visual (props, presentations, etc.)
c. Kinetic (audience involvement)
d. A mix of the above methods
B. Consider their informational needs and wants.
C. Consider the culture, educational background,
intelligence level, and emotional need of the audience.
PresentationA. How can you make the broadest impact?
B. How can you multiply the effect(s) of your message?
C. How do you wish to deliver your message, verbally,
nonverbally, or a mix of both?
D. Which style best suits your audience and message?
E. Is it flexible to change per audience?
EvaluateA. What worked and why?
B. What didn’t and why?
C. What did you learn?
D. What could or would you change next time?
E. What would improve future communications?
F. Are your communication skills flexible to change in
regards to your audience, your location, and your
message’s arrangement and presentation?
The Communication Cycle
Message
Convey
Receive
Interpret
Respond
Evaluate
(Hybels and Weaver, 2007, p. 83)
References
American Advertising Federation, (2010).
Cultural Barriers. Retrieved from http
://www.aaf.org/default.asp?id=911 on February 27, 2010.
AnimationFactory. (2008.) 3-D Animated Clipart 2. Jupitorimages
Corporation: New York.
Hybels, S., & Weaver II, R., (2007). Communicating Effectively.
New York: McGraw Hill.
Svecz, A., (2010). Gender Communication: The Impact Gender
has on Effective Communication. Retrieved from
http://trainingpd.suite101.com/article.cfm/gender-communi
cation
on February 27, 2010.