Transcript Communication Skills

BLR’s Human Resources
Training Presentations
Effective Communication Skills
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Goals
 Understand why communication breaks down
 Appreciate the benefits of effective
communication
 Develop the skills for good, interactive
communication
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Why Communication
Breaks Down
 Too many links in the chain
 Too many messages
 Lack of clarity
 Undefined expectations
 Inadequate listening
 Failure to consider audience
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Benefits of Effective
Communication
 Initiative
 Teamwork
 Accountability
 Quality
 Productivity
 Consistency
 Safety
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Analysis of a Message
 Think about what you want to say
 Consider your expectations
 Keep it simple
 Be precise
 Be concise
 Repeat your message
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Delivery and Timing
 Communicate
 Use memos or
directly to people
whenever possible
 Watch your tone
of voice
meetings for group
communications
 Consider your timing
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Target Your Audience
 Whom are you addressing?
 What’s important to them?
 What are their concerns
and responsibilities?
 What’s their stake in this
communication?
 Are there any special issues?
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Establish Credibility
 Speak from experience
 Back up your statements with
compelling evidence
 Speak with people, not to them
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Active Listening
 Focus on the speaker
 Keep an open mind
 Tolerate silence
 Ask questions
 Repeat the speaker’s
thoughts
 Listen for facts and
key words
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Nonverbal Communication
 Body language is a powerful communicator
 Be aware of your own body language
 Interpret other people’s body language
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Feedback
POSITIVE
VS.
“You know, Jack, you’re
a natural leader, and the
quality of your work is
really exceptional—
when you’re here, that is.
If it weren’t for your
erratic attendance, I
would give you a lot
more responsibility.”
NEGATIVE
“Jack, you’ve been out
three days this month, and
this morning you’re late
for the fifth time. Are you
planning to set a new
record? Frankly, your
attendance stinks. If
things don’t change,
you’re in big trouble.”
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Feedback (cont.)
Objective:
“That customer was really testing you, but
your voice remained calm and you didn’t
interrupt her. You handled that difficult
situation very well.”
Subjective:
“I like the way you handled that customer.”
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
The Art of Effective Criticism
 Do it in private
 Begin with a positive statement
 Criticize the work, not the worker
 Explain what needs to change, and how
 Be clear about your expectations
 End on a positive note
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Communicating Bad News
 Be straightforward
 Act promptly
 Take a personal approach
 Give a reason
 Put the news in perspective
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Overcoming Resistance
 Anticipate resistance
 Respect different views
 Incorporate opposing
arguments
 Point out problems
 Restate your position
 Agree to differ
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Productive Meetings
 Distribute a memo
 Create an agenda
 Encourage participation
 Summarize results
 Define future action
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
More Effective Presentations
 Engage the audience
 Maintain interest
 Summarize
 Anticipate questions  Encourage action
 Capture attention
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Goals
 Understand why communication breaks down
 Appreciate the benefits of effective
communication
 Develop the skills for good interactive
communication
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Summary
 Effective communication is
 Good communication
the foundation of positive
is interactive—it flows
working relationships
both ways
 Understanding why
 Positive, objective
communication breaks down
feedback promotes
can help you avoid problems
quality performance
 Successful communication
 Improving communication
requires you to think about
skills will make you a
your message, delivery,
more effective leader
timing, and audience
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Quiz
1. Six main reasons communication breaks down are:
2. List at least three benefits of effective communication.
3. The most effective kind of feedback is positive and
objective.
True or False
4. Five key elements of productive meetings are:
5. Effective communication is universal. The same
approach will work with anybody.
True or False
6. Name three things you can do to overcome resistance to
your message.
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Quiz (cont.)
7. To make effective use of nonverbal communication,
you must consider not only your own body language
but the other person’s as well.
True or False
8. State the five main tactics for delivering bad news.
9. In addition to thinking about the content of your message
and your audience, you should also consider which two
other elements?
10. Active listening focuses solely on acquiring
and analyzing information.
True or False
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Quiz Answers
1. Communication breaks down primarily because (1) there are
too many links in the chain, (2) there are too many messages,
(3) the message lacks clarity, (4) expectations are undefined,
(5) one of the parties is not listening, and (6) the audience for
the message has not been appropriately targeted.
2. Benefits of effective communication include initiative,
teamwork, accountability, quality, productivity, consistency,
and safety.
3. True. Effective feedback encourages quality performance
and corrects unacceptable performance. It clearly states
expectations. It is specific, factual, timely, and unemotional.
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Quiz Answers (cont.)
4. The five key elements are (1) distribute a memo, (2) create an
agenda, (3) encourage participation, (4) summarize results,
and (5) define future action.
5. False. Effective communication considers the audience for a
message and specifically targets that person or persons.
6. Strategies for overcoming resistance to your communications
include anticipating resistance, respecting different views,
incorporating opposing arguments when possible, pointing
out problems with opposing arguments, restating your
position, and agreeing to differ when all else fails.
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Quiz Answers (cont.)
7. True. Making effective use of nonverbal communication
requires you to pick up cues from other people’s body
language as well as to be aware of any nonverbal signals
you are sending.
8. The five main tactics for delivering bad news are (1) be
straightforward, (2) act promptly, (3) take a personal
approach, (4) explain the reason for the situation, and (5)
put the news in perspective.
9. In addition to content and audience, you need to consider
your delivery and the timing of your message.
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Quiz Answers (cont.)
10.False. Active listening also involves an attempt to
understand the feelings, attitudes, and emotions of the
speaker. The active listener reads between the lines
and gets the entire message.
4/00/31511251 © 2000 Business & Legal Reports, Inc.