The process of presenting a message to an audience

empowerment Having resources, information, and attitudes that lead to action to achieve a desired goal

The Process 5

in any line of work. The skills you learn in a public-speaking course, such as how to ethically adapt information to listeners, organize your ideas, persuade others, and hold listeners’ attention, are among the skills most sought after by any employer. In a nationwide survey, prospective employers of college graduates said they seek candidates with “public-speaking and presentation ability.”10 Other surveys of personnel managers, both in the United States and internationally, have confirmed that they consider communication skills the top fac- tor in helping graduating college students obtain employment (see Table 1.1).11

The Process Even the earliest communication theorists recognized that communication is a process. The models they formulated were linear, suggesting a simple transfer of meaning from a sender to a receiver, as shown in Figure 1.1. More recently, theorists have created models that better demonstrate the complexity of the communication process. Let’s explore what some of those models can teach us about what happens when we communicate.

as Action Although they were simplistic, the earliest linear models of communication as action identified most of the elements of the communication process. We will explain each element as it relates to public speaking.

R E

C A

PWhy Study Public Speaking • Empowerment and confidence

• Career and leadership opportunities

TABLE 1.1 Top Skills Valued by Employers

Results of Survey Results of Survey Results of Survey Survey Results of Personnel of a College Career of Prospective from Several

Rank Directors6 Services Department7 Employers8 Research Studies9

1 Spoken communication and skills skills skills interpersonal skills

2 Written communication skills Intelligence Honesty and integrity Analytical/research skills

3 Listening ability Enthusiasm Teamwork Technical skills

4 Enthusiasm Flexibility Interpersonal skills Flexibility/adaptability

5 Technical competence Leadership Motivation/initiative Interpersonal skills

FIGURE 1.1 The earliest models viewed communication as the action of transferring meaning from source to receiver.

Source Channel Receiver

Noise

Message Message