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Communication
Skills
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Program Objectives
The objectives of this session are to:

Provide a basic overview of verbal and non-verbal
interpersonal
communication processes

Identify personal obstacles to effective interpersonal
communication

Define some strategies for improving individual and
group
communications focusing on your listening and public
speaking ability.
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Communication is defined as the interchange of thoughts
or opinions through shared symbols; e.g. language, words,
phrases

What does Communication mean?
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Process of Communication
Studies tell 70 % of mistakes in the workplace are a direct
result of poor communication..
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Missed Communication
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There are four facets in all types of communication:
Sender

Receiver

Information

Behavior
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In any communication:

The Sender is the person who is trying to communicate a
message,

The Receiver is the person at whom the message is
directed,

A message is sent to convey information,

Information is meant to change behavior,

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7cs Of Communication
CLEAR COMPLETE CORRECT
CONCISE COURTEOUS
CONCRETE
CONSIDERATE
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Why we communicate?

We communicate to:

Share our ideas and opinions
Provide feedback to others
Get information from others
Gain power and influence
Develop social relationships
Maintain self-expression and our culture

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We communicate and build interpersonal relationships
through:

Speech
Writing
Listening
Non-verbal language
Music, art, and crafts

How we communicate?
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Depending upon the situation, one method of communication may be
better than another.

In person: one-to-one
In person: meetings, presentations, small-large
groups
Letter
Memo
Note
Email
Voice mail

Choosing your medium
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To determine the best medium for your message determine:

What you as the sender need to achieve
What the receiver needs to know
How detailed, important, and or personal the information in
the message is
Which behavior you want to influence and how

Choosing your medium
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What are the barriers to communication that exist in any
work setting?

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Some Organizational Barriers affecting interpersonal communication:
Unclear Process
Chain of Command
Size of Organization /Geographic distance
Human nature
Personal limitations
Conflicting feelings, opinions
Delegation of Authority/Power
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Some common barriers to interpersonal communication include:

Unclear process: The receiver and sender may not share the same language,
jargon, vocabulary, symbols

Chain of command: There may be too many layers that a message passes
through between sender and receiver

Large size of an organization, geographic distance: Large numbers of
receivers require good message sending methods

Personal limitations: Physical and mental disabilities, and differences in
intelligence and education may interfere with mutual understanding

Barriers to Communication
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Additional common barriers to interpersonal communication include:

Human nature: Peoples egos, prejudices, and traditions can get in the way


Conflicting feelings, goals, opinions: If people feel on opposite sides of an
issue they may not share


Power: The idea that knowledge is power can lead to information hoarding

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Barriers to communication..
Perceptions
Language
Semantics
Personal Interests
Emotions
Inflections
Environment noise
Preconceived notions
/expectations
Wordiness
Attention span
Physical hearing problem
Speed of thought
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What can make sharing ideas difficult?
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Your own shyness
Fear of rejection
Peer pressure
Unorganized thinking
Others possibly becoming defensive
Physical disabilities (impaired sight, hearing, speech)
Having to deal with aggressive people

Obstacles to sharing ideas
Ouch!
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Why is it necessary to get good information from
others?

Getting Good Information
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FEATURE FILMS ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF
SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE CONTINUOUS
EFFORTS AND THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS.


Exercise on Counting the Fs:-
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FEATURE FILMS ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF
SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE
CONTINUOUS EFFORTS AND THE EXPERIENCE OF
YEARS.


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Find out facts and details
Get directions or instructions
Try to understand anothers point of view
Help someone solve a problem
Resolve a team conflict
Solve work problems

Getting good information to..
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Public Speaking An Art..
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The power of listening..
The philosopher stressed the power of listening in this quote:
Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so
we could hear twice as much as we speak.
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5 basic reasons we do not listen..
Listening is hard work
Visual medium is more powerful
Competition
The rush for action
Seeing is easier than listening
Speed differences in the rate of
speaking and understanding.
Lack of training
Action speaks louder than words
We hear but dont listen
look but dont see
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Four Types of Listeners
The Non-Listener HEARING

The Marginal Listener
V/s
The Evaluative Listener

The Active Listener LISTENING
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How to improve your listening skills?
Maintain eye contact
Focus on content than on the way it is being said.
Avoid selective listening
Avoid distractions
Ask questions to stay active and interested.
Face the speaker
Respond appropriately say yes, nod, etc.
Do not be preoccupied with your own thoughts.

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Prepare to listen by focusing on the speaker

Control and eliminate distractions so that you can focus on the message.
Dont do anything else (writing, reading, email) but listen

Establish appropriate eye contact to show interest

See listening as an opportunity to get information, share anothers views,
and broaden your own knowledge

Listen Actively
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Listen Actively

Create a need to listen by thinking about what you can learn from
the speaker

Set aside the time to listen so that you wont feel rushed or become
distracted by other responsibilities

Dont prejudge the message based on who is delivering it.
Focus instead on the content of the message.

Monitor the way you listen by asking yourself questions such as,
- Did I really pay attention or was I thinking about what I was going
to say next?
- Was there information I missed because I allowed myself to
become distracted?

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PRESENCE: Tips for Non-Verbal
Be aware of who you are, the role you play, and who your
audience is
Be in the moment and in tune with your inner self
Exude strength and awareness through confidence and poise
Sit and stand erect
Let your nonverbal cues reflect the message you want to convey
Signal your self esteem and power
Draw attention to yourself in a positive way
Let your body language agree with your spoken words
Realize that others are getting an impression of you during the first
visual or verbal contact
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Nonverbal communication, known as body language sends
strong positive and negative signals. This is how it
influences any message:

Words 8%
Tone of voice 34%
Non-verbal cues 58%
Message 100%
Body Language
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Face
Figure
Focus
Territory
Tone
Time

Each of these is described in the following slides
Body Language includes
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Face includes:
Your expressions
Your smile or lack thereof
Tilt of the head; e.g., if your head is tilted to one side, it
usually indicates you are interested in what someone is saying


What message are you sending if someone is presenting a new idea and
you are frowning?
Body Language - Face
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Figure includes:
Your posture
Your demeanor and gestures
Your clothes and accessories such as jewelry


What message are you sending if you are dressed casually at an
important meeting?
Body Language - Figure
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Focus is your eye contact with others
The perception of eye contact differs by culture.
For most Americans
Staring makes other people uncomfortable
Lack of eye contact can make you appear weak or not trustworthy
Glasses may interfere or enhance eye contact

What message are you sending if you are looking at other things and
people in a room when someone is speaking to you?
Body Language - Focus
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Territory focuses on how you use space. It is also called
Proxemics.

The perception of territory differs by culture.



What message are you sending if you keep moving closer to a
person who is backing away from you?
Body Language - Territory
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Tone is a factor of your voice
Pitch is the highness or lowness of voice
Volume is how loud your voice is
Emphasis is your inflection


What message are you sending if during a disagreement you
start speaking very loudly?
Body Language - Tone
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Time focuses on how you use time. It is also called Chronemics.

Pace is how quickly you speak,
Response is how quickly you move,
Punctuality is your timeliness,

Body Language - Time
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Impersonal written
communication
Verbal Communication,
Electronically transmitted
Face-to-Face
communication
High Richness
Low Richness
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Essentials Of Communication - Dos
Use precise, memorable and powerful words
Support your words with visual aids
Give examples
Eye contact
Active listening
Paraphrase
KISS Keep it short and simple
Avoid interrupting
Appropriate facial expressions
Exhibit affirmative head nods


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Essentials Of Communication - Don'ts
Do not use technical terms and terminologies not understood by
majority of people
Do not speak too fast or too slow
Do not speak in inaudible surroundings as you wont be heard
Do not assume that everybody understands you
Do not interrupt the speaker.


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Before communicating
Ask yourself
What is the main purpose/aim?
Who will receive it?
What is the likely attitude of the listener?
How much does he need to know?
Is my timing right?
What is the main subject?
Are the major points clear?
Is there any ambiguity?
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If there is a problem, project a tone that is concerned, empathetic and
apologetic.

Avoid the five forbidden phrases:
No - Instead find a way to state the situation positively
I dont know - instead say that is a good question let me find
out for you
I/we cant do that - instead say this is what i/we can do
You will have to - instead say here is how we can help you
Just a second - instead give a more honest estimate of how long
it will take you.
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Questioning
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Types of Questions
CLOSE ENDED
Generally result in short yes/no or other one word answers. They should be used
only when you want precise, quick answers. Otherwise, they inhibit thought.

OPEN ENDED
They invite an actual explanation for a response. Questions that begin with
how, what and why are typical open ended questions.

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Closed Questions V/s Open Questions
When did that happen?

Was your trip successful?

Did you like the
candidate?

Did you have a good
meeting?


What led up to that?

What did you manage to
accomplish on your trip?

In what ways do you
think that candidate
meets our need?

What happened at the
meeting?



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THINK BEFORE YOU TALK
Pause , think and consider what you want to say
Choose appropriate words that clearly express your message
Decide on the tone you want from your interchange
Determine the outcome you want from your interchange
Know your audience and if possible , their viewpoint and level of
understanding about the subject matter.
Shape your message to be easily understood
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BELIVE IN YOUR MESSAGE

Speak with passion and conviction
Allow your feelings, delivery ,body language and
voice to flow naturally
Show your enthusiasm
Avoid faking it or you risk losing your credibility


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Watch your definitions -
they become thoughts
Watch your thoughts -
they become words
Watch your words -
they become actions
Watch your actions -
they become your destiny


Remember to . . .
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THANK YOU