Transcript Document
Second Objective: Workplace Communication Gaining Better Communication Skills Communication Skills Overview Communication skills are the tools that we use to remove the barriers to effective communication. . Communication Skills Overview (Cont’d) Effective communication skills are a critical element in your career and personal lives. We all must use a variety of communication techniques to both understand and be understood Most common ways to communicate Communicate Communication Goals To change behavior To get and give Information To persuade To get action To ensure understanding Source: CGAP Direct Critical success factor for life The majority of your perceived ability comes from how you communicate 30% What you know 70% How you communicate it Source: CGAP Direct Communication Communication is the process of sending and receiving information among people… Feedback receiver SENDER sender RECEIVER Messages not delivered due to “distortion” Feedback Receiver Sender Distortion What causes distortion? From the Speaker side Language Wordiness Semantics Emotions Inflections What causes distortion? (Cont’d) From the Listener side Perceptions Preconceived notions/expectations Physical hearing problem Speed of thought Personal interests Emotions Attention span No active listening! Clues that you are not listening Are you simply waiting for your turn to talk? Are you thinking about your reply before the other person has finished talking? Listening and speaking require energy Listening takes. . . concentration and energy curiosity and open-mindedness analysis and understanding Speaking requires. . . sharp focus logical thinking clear phrasing crisp delivery How to be an active listener Set the stage Choose an appropriate physical environment Remove distractions Be open and accessible Maintain relaxed, open posture that shows concentration Ensure mutual understanding Reflect feelings Offer acknowledgements (say “uh-huh”) Paraphrase main ideas Interrupt to clarify Confirm next steps How to be an active listener Understand body language Observe position and posturing Make eye contact Consider expression and gestures Suspend judgment Concentrate Keep an open mind Hear the person out Do not react to emotive words Active Listening (not!) Behaviors that hinder effective listening: Act distracted (look at your watch!) Tell your own story without acknowledging theirs Give no response Invalidate response, be negative Interrupt Criticize Diagnose what was said Give advice/solutions quickly Change the subject Reassure without acknowledgment Communication Style Passive Aggressive Assertive Passive People Often adopt defensive postures, to make it appear that they are taking up less space. Keep eye contact to a minimum Are often soft-spoken, hesitant, and cautious Often resort to sabotage in retaliation for not getting what they want Fear conflict or confrontation Go out of their way to be liked Think that they are building good relationships with co-workers Have unstable work relationships because colleagues tire of "second guessing" what passive people really want Aggressive People Demand what they want Think they are OK, and everyone else is not Are concerned only about their own rights and feelings Adopt a threatening stance, taking up as much space as possible Act aggressively Have short term gains are short term Often induce an atmosphere of resentment, and co-workers may even retaliate with sabotage or insubordination. Assertive People Stand straight, and maintain eye contact with the other person Are not afraid to say No Ask for what they need, and say what they think Use "I" statements Guide others to their desired outcome by enabling them to see the connection between action taken and the response. Have stable and effective relationships, both inside and outside of the workplace May not necessarily be liked all of the time The 7 Cs of Communication A Checklist for Clear Communication 1. Clear. Be clear about your goal or message. What is your purpose in communicating with this person? 2. Concise. Stick to the point and keep it brief 3. Concrete. Vivid facts, Your message is solid = Clear Picture The 7 Cs of Communication 4. Correct. Adopt error-free communication. 5. Coherent. Logical, all points are connected and relevant to the main topic, and the tone and flow of the text is consistent. 6. Complete. The audience has everything they need to know. 7. Courteous. Friendly, open, and honest. There are no hidden insults or passive-aggressive tones 2 key points to apply when trying to convey a message • Credible – Does your message improve or highlight your credibility? • Creative – Does your message communicate creatively? Creative communication helps keep your audience engaged. Email Communication Etiquette Why is Email Etiquette Important? We interact more and more with the written word all the time Without immediate feedback from the reader, it’s easy to be misunderstood Email is still a formal correspondence Session Two: The Three Cs Writing Clearly Use: • Familiar Words • Concrete Nouns Avoid: • Jargon • Slang The Basics Think twice about whether or not the content of your email is appropriate for virtual correspondence - once you hit Send, anyone might be able to read it Respond to emails within the same time span you would a phone call Use a professional font, not decorative Be cautious about sending personal information Subject Should be meaningful Should give your reader an idea of the content of the email Should be appropriate, because anyone can look at the subject, even if the recipient chooses not to open the message For example: Confidential: Sale numbers for October When changing the subject, start a new message Responding Respond in the same time frame you would respond with a phone call Be conscious of responding to the sender or Reply to all Do not overuse Reply to all Be conscious of your recipient Don’t expect an immediate response Tone Write in a positive tone When I complete the assignment versus If I complete the assignment Avoid using negative words Words that begin with “un, non, or ex” or end with “less” Use smiles , winks ;-) and other graphical symbols only when appropriate Use contractions to add a friendly tone Use please and thank you Content Check your grammar and spelling Use proper structure and layout Be efficient Emails that get to the point are much more effective Address all the questions or concerns to avoid delays Read the email before you send it Plz Don’t Abbrvt. Try to keep the email brief (one screen length) Content Don’ts Use sarcasm or rude jokes Respond if you are upset. Take some time to cool off and consider appropriate response. Attach unnecessary files Use CAPITALS Leave out the message thread Use long sentences Leave irrelevant information Attachments When you are sending attachments, include in the email the filename, and what it contains Attached: “Project3Proposal.doc” with my proposal. Consider sending files in rich text format (rtf) or portable document format (pdf) to ensure compatibility Attachments often carry viruses Signature Identify yourself Keep it short Ensure a quote or tagline is appropriate for everyone to see Top Tips for Communicating • • • • • • Speak to people Smile at people Call people by name Be friendly and helpful Be genuinely interested in people Be generous with praise, cautious with criticism • Be considerate with the feelings of others • Be alert to give service • Add to this a good sense of humor, a big dose of patience, and a dash of humility The Do’s and Don’ts (face-to-face) DO -- give people your undivided attention - listen, really listen, give full attention DO -- give people honest, direct and comprehensive information DO -- treat people’s ideas and concerns as critical and serious - EMPOWER THEM The Do’s and Don’ts (face-to-face) DON’T -- tell people “what”, tell them “why, how, and the larger picture” DON’T -- make the conversation one-way. Invite responses -- discuss and debate DON’T -- answer the phone or take a call when someone is in your office The Do’s and Don’ts (face-to-face) DON’T -- wait too long to ask for (or to give) feedback, gather information immediately DON’T -- hold back bad news. Treat people as intelligent adults, they want to hear the truth Thank you …