Transcript Communication Skills

Communication Skills
A Good Investment in Your Future
Communication is . . .
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The act in which one person sends a
message and the other receives and
responds to the message.
Involves senders and receivers
How do we
communicate during the
day?
Writing
Reading
Speaking
Listening
9%
15%
30%
46%
Nonverbal Communication is
Without Words
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With sounds (laughing or crying)
Voice tones
The way we look
The way we sit
The way we stand and move
First impressions are powerful; but often
wrong.
Verbal and nonverbal sometimes do not
match.
Let’s practice!
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Use nonverbal communication to show
me how you feel.
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You just found out you failed all of your
classes!
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You just found out you won the lottery!
Good Listening
Habits
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5.
6.
Maintain eye contact with the speaker.
Listen attentively.
Remember what you are hearing.
Give verbal and nonverbal clues to
show you are listening.
Try to identify the other person’s point
of view.
Give appropriate comments or ask
questions.
Practice with a partner
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Use these good listening habits to have
a conversation with a partner/small
group.
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What has been the best/worst part of
your week?
Reflecting, Repeating,
Echoing
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Restate part of a person’s statement in
the form of a question to explore
underlying feelings.
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Helps the listener focus on the message
and check for understanding.
Example of echoing
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Person #1 “I’m so tired.”
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Person # 2 “You’re tired?
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Person #1 “Yes, I feel depressed and
tired.”
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Person #2 “Why are you feeling this
way?”
Let’s practice!
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Student 1: “I’m hungry!”
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Student 2: “I’m stressed!”
Two main reasons
communication is often
misunderstood:
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Ineffective communication skills
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Poor listening habits
Sometimes we must
respect people enough to
agree to disagree!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDoQIpe
5TxA
Let’s practice!
How To
Deal With Conflict
 Try to understand the other’s feelings.
 Talk honestly about your needs and
feelings.
 Know when to stop talking.
 Stick to the issue at hand.
 Use “I” messages
.
Remember the 5 to 1 principle:
It takes 5 positive comments
to make up for
1 negative comment.
“I” Messages
-Statements that begin with “I” which
state your feelings or points of view.
-They do not accuse or make the other
feel defensive.
-If you rephrase the communication
using “I” instead of you, you are more
likely to have a productive discussion.
How to practice
“I” messages:
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State the feeling or problem
I feel really angry . . .
Describe the behavior
. . . When you don’t clean up your dishes.
Because
I don’t think it is fair to the rest of the family
Explain what you want
I want you to be responsible for taking care
of yourself
Situation
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You just found out your friend is talking
about you to another friend. What is
the best way to start a conversation
with your friend?
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Hint: Use an “I” message!
Eliminate barriers or
distractions
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Turn off the TV/computer, phone, and
eliminate distractions.
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Set up an informal appointment.
Example, “I need to talk to you after
dinner tonight.”
Get on the same wave
length
-Use empathy (understanding how
someone else feels).
-Attempt to understand the experiences
or perceptions of others.
Example, “Because of your past
experiences, I understand that you may
feel (or think)…”
Difficulties in
communication
Stereotyping- “All women…”
 Failure to listen- preoccupied
 Use of automatic responses“Everything will be fine”
 Failure to clarify
 False assumptions- listening to gossip
 Unaware of how we are perceived by
others- tone of voice, mannerisms, etc.
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