Week 1 - Introduction to communication concepts in a professional context

WHAT IS TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION?

Technical Communication is any kind of communication that relays information and focuses on the audiences needs. The focus is getting the information to the user in the best possible format. Technical communication also considers what the user needs to know and how to get the information to the user in the clearest for and why does the user need this information.

Technical Communication involves:-

• editing
• writing grants
• designing documents
• creating presentations
• writing proposals
• designing and managing web content

Technical Communicator's Job

• is to keep the language simple and understand the audience
• are great at audience analysis
• use their knowledge in the content to benefit the user
• are the audiences advocate
• ensure the content meets the needs of the audience
• reduce company cost to make user content more friendly 
• have value in industry 

Reference::  

YouTube, (2015). What is Technical Communication?. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shCcP2auxkk [Accessed 18 Jul. 2015].

Reference::
December.com, (2015) Technical Communication. [online] Available at:

http://www.december.com/john/teach/techcomm/images/summary.gif [Accessed 18 Jul. 2015].

Reference::
Blog.tnsemployeeinsights.com, (2015). Communication Process. [online] Available at:http://blog.tnsemployeeinsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/CommunicationProcess3.png [Accessed 18 Jul. 2015].


Reflection Exercise 1.1 

Briefly discuss the importance of communicating effectively. Reflect on your own communication skills. Write down what you think your strengths and weaknesses are, communication-wise. 

What is the importance of communicating effectively?

To be an expert communicator a person needs to be effective in all areas of the communication process - from the 'sender' through to 'receiver and with the different channels of communication needs to be comfortable whether it be face to face, voice to voice,written or some other communication mode. Poor communicators will at a point of time struggle to develop their careers.

Reflection of my Communication Skills

On reflection of my own communication skills I have found that I can be very critical of my ability to communicate. This has lead to being misunderstood and things being taken out of context. By participating in this course I would hope that by the end I will have improved my skills so as this does not happen as much.

Strengths

• careful, methodical, thinking things through, sensitive, practical, loyal, predictable, discipline, logical
• prefers to expend the effort to achieve high quality results

Weaknesses

• getting bogged down in detail, especially when decisions need to be made
• tendency to avoid conflict using silence as a way of dealing with the issue
• prefers to work on own than in groups
• prone to question optimistic views of situations
• sensitive to criticism

Reference::-

Mindtools.com, (2015). How Good are Your Communication Skills?: Speaking, Listening, Writing, and Reading Effectively. [online] Available at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_99.htm [Accessed 18 Jul. 2015].