Communication Models and Strategies
7
Process Steps
Sender encoding channel decoding receiver feedback noise
2
Media Types
Rich (face-to-face) vs lean (email)
1
First Response
Active listening wins on SJIs
The Communication Process
seven elements, noise can corrupt any of themNoise
Can distort the message at any point in the process
Feedback
The receiver's response that confirms or corrects understanding
Media Richness Theory
The best first response is almost always active listening and seeking to understand before responding
Rich Media
for anything complex, sensitive, or emotional- Face-to-face meetings
- Video calls
- Phone conversations
- Performance reviews
- Termination discussions
Lean Media
for routine, informational, or low-stakes messages- Memos and reports
- Newsletters
- Policy distribution
- Meeting recaps
SBI Feedback Model
The Situation-Behavior-Impact model provides structure for delivering clear, actionable feedback without making it personal. Describe the situation, the observed behavior, and the impact it had.
S
Situation
When and where it happened
B
Behavior
What you observed (facts, not judgments)
I
Impact
The effect the behavior had
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Practice NowExam Traps
Active Listening Is Always the First Step
When an SJI asks what to do first in a communication or conflict scenario, "listen and seek to understand" is almost always correct. SHRM values HR professionals who gather information before responding.
Rich Media for Complex or Sensitive Topics
Termination, performance feedback, conflict resolution, and organizational change all require face-to-face or video communication. Email is for routine, informational, or low-stakes messages. The exam tests channel selection.
The Exam Tests Channel Selection
A scenario will describe a situation and ask which communication method is best. Match the complexity and sensitivity of the message to the richness of the medium. Complex topics need rich media. Simple FYI messages can be lean.
Listen First, Always
Before you respond, advise, or act, listen. On SJIs, the first correct step is understanding the situation.
Rich for Hard, Lean for FYI
Difficult conversations need face-to-face. Policy updates can be email. Match the medium to the message.
Someone has a message in their head. They know what they want to say. This is the starting point of all communication.
The sender converts the message into words, gestures, or writing (encoding) and sends it through a channel (face-to-face, email, phone, Slack). The choice of channel matters enormously.
In the phone game, the message gets distorted as it passes from person to person. In workplace communication, noise can be literal (background sound), psychological (bias, stress), semantic (jargon the receiver does not understand), or technical (bad connection).
The receiver decodes the message and responds. That response is feedback. Without feedback, the sender never knows if the message was received correctly. Active listening is the highest form of feedback.
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