Question

1. Choose two forms from your own workplace that require written responses to open questions or prompts. The forms may be used to record injuries, incidents, customer complaints, OHS hazards, phone messages, maintenance requests or any other issues that require descriptive responses.

Fill in the forms with your own details. You may report on actual situations that have occurred at your workplace, or make up scenarios that could possibly happen sometime.

2.  What are the three basic types of communication? Give two examples from your own workplace for each type of communication.

3. What is active listening? Give two examples of ways you can demonstrate active listening when your supervisor is talking to you.

Answer 1

Question 1 cannot be answered here as it requires you to fill forms, hence I am answering question 2 & 3.

2. The three basic types of communication are:

Verbal communication- It involves talking to a person in using words and forming sentences. It can be done face to face or remotely. Example, phone or email to intimate the new rule about paid leaves, manager holding a meeting with staff to explain the project execution.

Non-verbal communication- It is done along with the verbal communication to add more meaning to it. It can be done through hand gestures, facial expressions and behaviour and appearance. Example, a person's behaviour of taking too many leaves from work will communicate his lack of interest in work, A person attending the meeting and not listening attentively will make gestures and expressions showing his inattentiveness.

Visual communication- It includes any visual aid provided for explaining the point like a sign, map, drawing, chart. This communication aids the verbal communication as with it the listener understands the communication better. Slide shares and powerpoint presentations are examples of visual communication.

3. Active listening is attentively listening to what is being said and understanding and remembering it for further use. It is important in any communication especially the formal ones that involve training, counselling or resolving disputes. The ways in which we can demonstrate active listening when our supervisor is talking to us are by questioning them on points that they communicate and we have doubts about. This will make them sure that you were listening to them attentively as cross-questioning is only possible then. Another way is taking down notes and points of what is being said as this will also show him that what he is communicating is important to you and you want to record it. Maybe sending a summary of the discussion to him via email, later on, will make an even better demonstration of active listening.