8000-274 Methods of Communicating in the Workplace

8000-274 Methods of Communicating in the Workplace is a unit within the ILM Level 2 Module that covers the process of communication among teams. Communication has become a critical aspect in facilitating the accomplishment of goals and objectives set out within the workplace. This involves being able to effectively communicate with leaders within the organisation as well as facilitating peer communication within the operational levels of the organisation.

Communication is important in ensuring that there is both collaboration and coordination. Collaboration is aimed at addressing the interaction between team members’ assigned different tasks while coordination is aligned to the organisational leadership structure. This unit, therefore, is important in improving the ability of leaders, especially supervisors and team leaders, to develop the desired skills and strategies to achieve the level of workplace communication that helps them to fulfil their goals and objectives and professional responsibilities.

8000-274 Methods of Communicating in the Workplace provides the pathway to effective leadership within the organisation through guiding the leaders in developing the most effective communication method and strategies for their areas of responsibility. The main aim of this unit is to develop an understanding of the importance of communication within the workplace and ensure that the leaders understand different methods of communicating within the workplace, which is basic information for practising and potential team leaders. The unit is completed in 3 hours of guided learning and is equivalent to 1 credit value hence making it critical in contributing to the completion of ILM Level 2 Module.

Suitability of the Course

Communication is a critical practice at different levels of the organisation. As such, 8000-274 Methods of Communicating in the Workplace which is a unit that focuses on improving the ability of individuals to appreciate the communication and embrace different methods of communication within the workplace, is a suitable unit for all stakeholders within the organisation. The unit is designed with the needs of team leaders and supervisors in mind but is not limited to serving their needs.

It can be used by other leaders within the organisation to develop an understanding of the basic principles that are critical when setting up a communication system and structure within the organisation. Leaders are responsible for creating both a workplace culture that embraces communication as well as put up structures to support this culture.

This unit is effective in contributing to this aspect by providing theoretical frameworks and guidance on suitable methods of communication in different contexts, making it suitable to such stakeholders within the organisation. Team members can also embrace the unit as a means to improve their professional practice by building communication abilities and skills, a swell a sign of preparation for future leadership responsibilities, which they may need when put in positions of leadership within the teams or in the organisation in general.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the unit, the learners should babel to:

• Understand the significance of effective communication within the workplace and in the performance of teams

• Identify the potential dangers associated with poor communication within the workplace and how this could affect the ability of teams in the organisation to achieve their goals and objectives

• Understand different methods that are used to communicate within the workplace

• Associate the different methods to advantages and disadvantages that could be experienced in the workplace and their best use hence facilitating contextual use of various methods of communication

• Show knowledge of potential barriers to effective communication and the different approaches that can be used to overcome them from the team level to the general organisational context.

Key Learning Areas

8000-274 Methods of Communicating in the Workplace is a unit that helps to create awareness of the significance of communication and different strategies that can be implemented by leaders to create a culture of effective communication. As such, it covers critical areas involving communication and methods that can be used in the organisational context. Some of the main learning areas in the unit conclude:

Principles of Effective Communication

This area of learning lays out the basic principles of communication. The learners go through the stages of the communication process, which are effective in ensuring that the process is complete and effective. They are also taught about the different components that are required in the process of communication and the role of each component in communication.

Through information provided in this area, the learners are able to put up structures that facilitate effective communication based on the different stages of communication. The learners are also guided to appreciate the role that communication plays within the team in improving its performance and contribution to the organisation.

Methods of Communication

In this area, the learner is introduced to critical factors within the workplace that may influence the nature of communication within the workplace. First, they learn about the different methods that can be used to communicate both vertically and horizontally within the organisation. This involves understanding both formal and informal communication, which is critical in ensuring that they develop the desired approaches of communication and their application in different contexts.

Learners then learn to identify various barriers to the process of communication and measures that they can put in place to overcome this barriers hence ensuring that the organisation is built on effective communication. Lastly, communication requires feedback to ensure that the process is complete. The learners are introduced to different techniques of feedback, which they can use both to give and receive feedback from different parties in the organisation. This area builds the understanding of different methods that can be used within different contexts in the team or organisation.

Evaluation

This is a critical process in learning as it ensures that the process of learning contributes to the accomplishment of the learning objectives and attainment of the desired learning outcomes. In this unit, assessment is conducted through a written assessment where the learners respond to questions on the unit as well as a supervised practice where the assessor is able to evaluate the ability of the learner to implement key concepts learned in 8000-274 Methods of Communicating in the Workplace within the workplace in professional practice.