1. WHAT INFLUENCES COMMUNICATION?
There are many factors that influence communication. This list is not exhaustive, but it gives some
idea of the scope of such factors. These have the potential to either aid or block good communication.
The SELF CONCEPT and SELF ESTEEM of both sender and receiver
The PERSONALITY of both sender and receiver.
The ATTITUDES, BELIEFS, VALUES, AND BIASES of both sender and receiver.
The PERCEPTION each has of the other.
The ASSUMPTIONS each makes about the other.
The EXPECTATIONS each has about the communication.
The BACKGROUND and EXPERIENCE of each (including cultural differences and social
economic differences.)
The POWER and STATUS of each.
The PERSONAL PRESENTATION of each (how they look and how they choose to present
themselves).
The PREOCCUPATIONS each person has at the time.
The NUMBER of people being communicated with.
The DEGREE OF FAMILIARITY between sender and receiver.
The DISTANCE or SPACE existing between sender and receiver.
How IMPORTANT the sender and receiver consider the MESSAGE to be.
The SYMBOL SYSTEM used – code.
The SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
The PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
The SELF AWARENESS of the sender and the receiver and how open each is willing to be
with the other.
The GENDER of the sender and receiver.

2. TO PRACTICE SENDING A CLEAR MESSAGE
When you are doing the talking be sure you:
Know what you want to say
Know when is the best time to say it and where.
Know how you think it is best to say it.
Keep it simple, speak clearly, make eye contact, watch how the other person responds, use
works that the other person can understand.
Summarise occasionally, be specific, ask if the other person has understood and ask them to
repeat what they understood you to way if you feel they haven‟t
Listen to yourself when you are talking to another person. What do you sound like, look like?
Even better – tape yourself talking with your family, then listen to yourself (you may want to
get their permission first and be clear with yourself and with them that it is for you to learn
about yourself, and not to collect evidence for your arguments). How would if affect you if
someone where talking to you like that?
TO PRACTICE HEARING THE MESSAGE SENT
When you are the person doing the listening:
Give the person your full attention.
Listen to the person, not only their words. Listen with the “third ear” to the feeling behind the
words.
Pick up the feeling and meaning of the words, and the match between verbal and non-verbal
communication.
Make sure you are picking up the message accurately. If confused, ask for clarification, use
association (e.g. you mean it is like…).
Look for what are the important points and issues to the person talking. If you don‟t
understand why they are important or they don‟t seem important to you, keep exploring until
you understand why they are important from the other person‟s point of view.
Listen with an open mind, rather than judging the other person or putting them into
categories.

3. TO SUM UP
Say how it is for you honestly, clearly, non-threateningly.
Be descriptive about your feelings.
Own your message. Use words such as ‘I’ and ‘My’.
Be specific, say everything you need to and make sure you say everything you want to.
Say it more than once and in a variety of ways.
Talk to people in ways that they will be likely to understand.
Make your verbal and non-verbal messages match each other i.e. don’t simile when being
serious etc.
Listen with the ‘third ear’. How is it to be them?
Check that the receiver has understood what you have said. Ask for feedback and give it to
others.
Describe others’ behaviour without judging or interpreting it, as yours interpretations may
be wrong. If unsure, ask questions to understand.
Use paraphrasing (e.g.: “What you’re saying is that…”) to check you are understanding what
the other person is trying to say.

4. Social Media: It refers to media for social interaction with web-based and mobile technologies to
turn communication into interactive dialogue.
What can Social Media do?
• Build a social network
• Enhance relationships with customers
• Build our company‟s brand
• Be a customer service tool
What are the popular social media channels?
• Facebook
• Twitter

5. • YouTube
• LinkedIn
• Blogs
Q: Factors of Social Media Influence?
Following are the factors effecting influencer‟s ability to persuade:-
Credibility: The influencer's expertise in a specific domain of knowledge.
Bandwidth: The influencer's ability to transmit his expert knowledge through a social media
channel.
Following are the factors for target‟s tendency to be influenced:-
An influencer should be able to deliver relevant information to the „target‟.
Select a right kind of social media channel to communicate the key message to the „target‟
audience.
Deliver knowledge to the „target‟ at the right time or when the „target‟ needs that information.
The influencer should be able to build confidence in the mind of a „target‟ to influence the
latter.
What are the tools to monitor social media influence?
Klout: - It provides you with a daily summary of your organization‟s or team member‟s social
influence.
Facebook Insights: - This equips you to monitor the social influence of your Facebook page.
Facebook Google Analytics Tracker: - You can track visitor statistics, traffic sources, visitor
countries and key word searches with this tool.
Advanced Twitter Search Function :- It can be used to find tweets about yourself o your
products or services. Similarly, it can help you find out who is tweeting about your content.
Flickr:- Flickr metrics allows you to see statistics such as views for your photos, sets and galleries
separated under categories such as today, yesterday or all time.
Influence your “target audience” successfully with effective use of social media.

6. Culture
And
Communication

7. Culture
Is a learned set of shared interpretations
Is about beliefs, values, and norms
Affects the behavior of a relatively large group of people
Communication:-
Is the vehicle by which culture is expressed
Is directly effected by
communication patterns
Culture and Conflict
Intractable conflict is almost always, at least in part, cultural conflict. Thus cultural fluency and self-
knowledge are imperative to resolving conflict.
Cultural Fluency consists of understanding…
• What culture is
• How it works
• The inter-relationship of
- Culture
- Communication
- Conflict
Self-Knowledge - understanding one‟s own cultural lenses
Importance
Communication can be:
• High Context - uses implied meanings which arise from the setting
• Low Context - focuses on literal meanings of words, independent of setting
Everyone engages in both, depending on:
• The relationships involved
• The situation
• The purpose of communication
Context Differences
Low-context communicators dealing with high-context communicators should remember:

8. • Nonverbal messages/gestures are important
• Status and identity may be communicated nonverbally
• Face-saving and tact are important
• Building a good relationship may be essential
• Indirect routes and creative thinking may be important
Context Differences II
High-context communicators dealing with low-context communicators should remember:
• Statements may be taken at face value
• Roles and functions may be decoupled from status
• A sustained focus on tasks may be necessary
• Direct questions are not meant to offend
• Indirect cues may be ineffectual
Community/Autonomy
Cultures differ as to the degree of emphasis placed on community versus individual autonomy
In Communitarian Settings
• People see themselves as part of a circle of relationships
• Identity is as a member of a group
• In conflict, response is chosen jointly
In Individualistic Settings
• People see themselves as independent and autonomous
• Identity is individual
• In conflict, response is individual
Community/Autonomy II
In Communitarian Settings
• Maintaining group harmony and cohesion is important
• Choices are made in consultation
• People are part of a hierarchy
• People are accountable to the group
In Individualistic Settings
• Achievement involves individual goal-setting and action
• Everyone is capable of making their own choices
• People are autonomous
• People are accountable to themselves
Intersections

9. Context/Community intersections:
• High-Context cultures are usually communitarian
• Low-Context cultures are usually individualistic

10. What are some guidelines for multicultural communication?
Cultural questions about who we are and how we identify ourselves are at the heart of multicultural
collaboration. Consider these guidelines as you confront the communication barriers:
Learn from generalizations about other cultures and races, but don't use those generalizations
to stereotype, write off, or oversimplify your ideas about another person. The best use of a
generalization is to add it to your storehouse of knowledge, so that you better understand and
appreciate other interesting, multi-faceted human beings.
Practice, practice, practice. That's the first rule because it's in the doing that we actually get
better at cross-cultural communication.
Don't assume that there is one right way to communicate. Keep questioning your assumptions
about the "right way" to communicate. For example, think about your body language;
postures that indicate receptivity in one culture might indicate aggressiveness in another.
Don't assume that breakdowns in communication occur because other people are on the
wrong track. Search for ways to make the communication work, rather than searching for
whom should receive the blame for the breakdown.
Listen actively and empathetically. Try to put yourself in the other person's shoes, especially
when another person's perceptions or ideas are very different from your own. You might need
to operate at the edge of your own comfort zone.
Respect others' choices about whether or not to engage in communication with you. Honor
their opinions about what is going on.
Stop, suspend judgment, and try to look at the situation as an outsider. For example, when
you notice blocks or difficulties in working with people, revisit your own beliefs or behaviors
that may be holding you back. Also, think about how others view your work relationship and
decide on ways you might change your behavior to make them more comfortable. For
example, you might be speaking or dressing in a very formal manner. Being more informal in
dress and behavior might improve the situation.
Be prepared for a discussion of the past. Use this as an opportunity to develop an
understanding from "the other's" point of view, rather than getting defensive or impatient.
Acknowledge historical events that have taken place. Be open to learning more about them.
Honest acknowledgment of the mistreatment and oppression that have taken place on the
basis of cultural difference is vital for effective communication.
Be aware of current power imbalances. And be open to hearing each other's perceptions of
those imbalances. It's necessary to understand each other and work together.
Remember that cultural norms may not apply to the behavior of any particular individual. We
are all shaped by many factors (ethnic background, family, education, personalities) and are
more complicated than any cultural norm could suggest. Check your interpretations if you are
uncertain what is meant.
To journey with fellow travelers we must prepare ourselves for customs and values that differ
from ours. We must understand that we each have customs that may seem foreign to others.
For example, in the United States, Midwesterners tend to call colleagues by their first name as
a sign of friendliness. Yet in many African-American communities, respect is shown by using

11. last names and titles. People on the East Coast arch their eyebrows at the suggestion of a
seven-thirty breakfast meeting -- nine is the preferred starting time. In the Midwest, however,
early meetings are common. Native Americans often begin their meetings by sharing food
before business gets started. To others, eating before working seems unproductive.