Define communication. Explain the process, methods and barriers of communication in a food service establishment.
How to lay out the answer. Follow the frame, then write it in your own words.
1 · Open in two lines. Communication is the passing of information and understanding from one person to another. In a kitchen it carries orders, menus, diet slips and feedback.
2 · Draw the process. [Cycle: sender → encoding → channel → receiver → decoding → feedback → sender; noise shown at the side]
3 · Methods.
Oral: briefings, meetings, phone.
Written: notices, recipe cards, rosters, reports.
Non-verbal and visual: gestures, posters, colour codes.
4 · Directions. Downward, upward, horizontal; formal and informal (grapevine).
5 · Barriers with remedies. Physical, semantic, psychological, organisational, cultural, overload, each with one remedy.
6 · In a real kitchen. Written diet slips, colour-coded trays and read-back stop wrong meals reaching patients.
7 · Close in one line. Two-way, clear communication with feedback keeps a food service unit safe and efficient.
Scoring tip: The process diagram and a barrier table with a remedy column earn most of the marks.
