COMMUNICATION

An organization is a human group

constituted for certain specified objectives. The
achievement of these objectives largely depends
upon the fact that human efforts are properly
coordinated and integrated. Thus, individuals in
the organization performing different activities are
functionally interrelated. The working and maintaining of these relationships is
possible through communication, which provides for exchange of
information, sharing of ideas. Communication, then, becomes a necessary
element in human relationships by providing the foundation for human
interaction. Further, it also performs the energizing function in the organization
by transmitting information, facts, feelings and ideas thereby making coordinate
efforts possible. It allows reviews and feed back of the situation as and when
required. Communication can, as such, be regarded as basic to the functioning of
the organization. In its absence, organization would cease to exist.

Communication Defined

 Communication can be defined as: Exchange of Ideas, Information and

Feelings

 Communication involves a Sender and Receiver

 Communication can be between more than two people

 Communication constitutes of Verbal and Non Verbal Communication

 Communication is both Written and Oral

 Communication involves both Speaking and Listening

The Purpose of Communication

1. Develop plans for their achievement,

2. Organize human and other resources in the most effective and efficient
way,

3. Select, Develop, and Appraise members of the organization,

 4. Lead, Direct, Motivate, and Create the climate in which people want to
contribute, and

5. Control Performance.

Clarity about Communication

Before discussing how the communication
process works, let’s examine seven myths about
communication

(i) We communicate only when we want to

communicate. This is not true. We communicate
all day, everyday, often without realizing it.
(ii) Words mean the same to both the
speaker and the listener. Words hold different meanings for different
people, based on their various experiences, perceptions, and biases.
(iii) We communicate chiefly with words. In reality, most
communication is nonverbal.
(iv) Nonverbal communication is silent communication. Some
people believe that all nonverbal communication can be seen but not
heard. This is not true, because we can hear laughter, weeping, or the tone
of voice in which something is said. If you hear co-workers whistling as
they go about their jobs, you naturally assume that they are having good
days.
(v) Communication is a one-way street between an active speaker
and a passive listener. This myth assumes that all speakers talk to
listeners rather than with them. In reality, communication is better when
both parties participate actively.
(vi) The message we communicate is the message that the listener
receives. People often assume that others receive their messages exactly
as they intended them.
(vii) There is no such thing as too much information. Both too
little and too much information can be bad. Few employees need to know
every little detail about an assignment, and a manager can easily overload
an employee with needless information.
The Communication Flow in the Organization
In an effective organization, communication flows in various directions:
downward, upward, and crosswise.

Downward communication :
Downward communication flows from people at higher levels to those at
lower levels in the organizational hierarchy.

This kind of communication exists especially in organizations with an

authoritarian atmosphere. The kinds of media used for
downward oral communication include instructions,
speeches, meetings, the telephone, loudspeakers, and
even the grapevine. Examples of written downward
communication are memoranda, letters, handbooks,
pamphlets, policy statements, procedures, and
electronic news displays.

Upward communication:
Upward communication travels from subordinates to superiors and
continues up the organizational hierarchy.

Some tips to help you communicate better with your boss include the
following:

 Be sure your message is important; your boss’s time is limited.

 Be sure the information is accurate and complete
 Be brief.
 Communicate both good and bad news
 Communicate regularly
 When you present a problem, suggest potential
solution.
 Make an agenda; some bosses appreciate receiving a list of
topics you will discuss in advance so that they, too, can be prepared
 Be sure your timing is right; trying to present information to your boss at
wrong time can derail the communication process.
 Establish clear objective; know in advance what you want to accomplish
during your talk with your boss.
  Don’t go over your boss’s head unless it is absolutely necessary.

Crosswise communication:
Crosswise communication includes the horizontal flow of information,
among people on the same or similar organizational levels, and the diagonal flow,
among persons at different levels who have no direct reporting relationships.

Tips that can help you develop better lateral communication skills include
the following:

 Get to know as many people in the organization as you can.

 View peer communication as a chance to establish relationships that work
for both parties.
 Share information; nobody wants to talk to someone who
doesn’t share in return.
 Constantly look for overlapping areas of responsibility
or interests that might help improve your interaction
with other managers.
 Give sincere and positive feedback when asked.
 When appropriate, offer your help.

Written and Oral Communication

Written and oral communication media have favorable and unfavorable
characteristics; consequently, they are often used together so that the favorable
qualities of each can complement the other. In addition, visual aids may be used
to supplement both oral and written communications. For example, the lecture in
the management training session may be made more effective when written
handouts, transparencies, videotapes, and films are used. Evidence has shown
that when a message is repeated through several media, the people receiving it
will more accurately comprehend and recall it.

In selecting the media, one must consider the communicator, the audience,
and the situation. As executive who feels – uncomfortable in from of a large
audience may choose written communication rather than a speech. On the other
hand, certain audiences who may not read a memo may be reached and become
motivated by direct oral communication. Situations may also demand a specific
medium.
Written communication:
Salient features of written communication are:

 Written communication has the

advantage of providing records,
references, and legal defenses.

 The message can be carefully

prepared and then directed to a large audience
through mass mailings.

 Written communication can also promote uniformity in policy and

procedure and can reduce costs, in some cases.

 The disadvantages are that written messages may create mountains

of paper, may be poorly expressed by ineffective writers, and may
provide no immediate feedback.

 Consequently, it may take a long time to know whether a message

has been received and properly understood.

Oral communication
A great deal of information is communicated orally.

 Oral communication can occur in a face-to-face meeting of two

people or in manger’s presentation to a large audience;

 It can be formal or informal, and it can be planned or accidental.

 It makes possible speedy interchange with immediate feedback.

 People can ask questions and clarify points. In a face-to-face

interaction the effect can be noted.

 It may not always save time, as any manager knows who has
attended meetings in which no results or agreements were
achieved. These meetings can be costly in terms of time and
money.

Telephone communication
It is important to choose the correct medium for the communication
process. Telephone is a excellent means to save time. But
 Call only if it is inevitable. Think if it is better to talk personally

 Identify yourself as the first thing. This will save a lot of time and
trouble.
  Speak softly. You are talking into
somebodies ears and not from a
drama stage.

 Avoid mannerism. That other person

can not see you.

 Do not express disregard even in a

wrong call. Nobody would like to talk to
you unnecessarily. It could be a
mistake after all.

 Identify the caller by voice if you can. You can not ask the boss who
he is!

 Be precise. You will save the time and trouble for two people.

Barriers to Effective Communication

Communication is a complex interactive process, involving shared

assumptions and unspoken agreements between individuals. Understandably,
there are frequent errors and misunderstandings in communication. Several
types of barriers prevent us form transmitting our ideas meaningfully. It is hard to
identify these barriers. The reason is obvious; it is difficult to realize fully whether
the message we get is complete and correct or truncated and distorted. The
feedback gives only a partial clue for determining whether the communication has
succeeded or failed. Another problem is the identification of the criteria on the
basis of which one should evaluate the effectiveness of communication. It is
argued by some that the sole criterion should be whether the ultimate objective is
achieved.

However, despite these problems, one must identify the barriers that hinder
the process of effective communication in order to be able to keep in check their
negative effect. Studies have revealed certain common barriers and suggested
ways to remove them.

Evaluation of sender:
People commonly make evaluations of those who send the messages, and
these evaluations influence how they interpret the messages. For example, it is
not uncommon for receivers to decide a message is right or wrong based solely
on their evaluation of the sender.
 Suppose an employee tells his manager that he made a minor error while
running the cash register earlier in the evening.
 A manager who sees the employee with a halo ( Positive stance)
will probably dismiss the mistake as no big deal.
 If the manager sees the employee with devil’s horns, ( Negative
stance) he might view this confession as proof that the employee
constantly makes mistakes.

Environment:
Noisy, hot, cold, or otherwise distracting environments make it difficult to
communicate to .
 Communication should take place in the right atmosphere.
 It should also take place in the right mood.
 Disturbance can cause bad results.
Telephone calls, noise from outside, and comments from others who stick
their heads in the door during you conversation all create an environment that is
not conducive to good communication.

Guidelines for Improving Communication

Effective communication is the responsibility of all persons in the
organization, managers as well as non-managers, who work towards a common
aim. Whether communication is effective can be evaluated by the intended
results. The following guidelines can help overcome the barriers to
communication:

(i) Senders of messages must clarify in their minds what they want to
communicate. This means that one of the first steps in communicating
is clarifying the purpose of the message and making a plan to achieve
the intended end.

(ii) Effective communication requires that encoding and decoding be done

with symbols that are familiar to the sender and the receiver of the
message. Thus the manager should avoid unnecessary technical
jargon, which is intelligible only to experts in their particular field.

(iii) The planning of the communication should not be done in a vacuum

instead, other people should be consulted and encouraged to
participate: to collect the facts, analyze the message, and select the
appropriate media.
 (iv) It is important to consider the needs of the receivers of the information.
Whenever appropriate, one should communicate something that is of
value to them, in the short run as well as in the more distant future. At
times, unpopular actions that affect employees in the short run may be
more easily accepted if they are beneficial to them in the long run. For
instance, shortening the workweek may be more acceptable if it is made
clear that this, action will strengthen the competitive position of the
company in the long run and avoid layoffs.

(v) There is a saying that the tone makes the music. Similarly, in
communication the tone of voice, the choice of language, and the
congruency between what is said and how it is said influence the
reactions of the receiver of the message. An autocratic manager
ordering subordinate supervisors to practice participative management
will create a credibility gap that will be difficult to overcome.

(vi) Too often information is transmitted without communicating, since

communication is complete only when the receiver understands the
message. And one never knows whether communication is understood
unless the sender gets the feedback, this is accomplished by asking
questions. Requesting a reply to a letter, and encouraging receivers to
give their reactions to the message.

(vii) The function of communication is more than transmitting information.

It also deals with emotions that are very important in interpersonal
relationships between superiors, subordinates, and colleagues in an
organization. Furthermore, communication is vital for creating an
environment in which people are motivated to work toward the goals of
the enterprise while they achieve their personal aims.

(viii) Effective communication is the responsibility not only of the sender but
also of the receiver of the information. Thus, listening is an aspect that
needs additional comment

CREATIVE AND EFFECTIVE LISTENING

Listening Skills
Fortunately, listening skills can be learned. People are usually poor
listeners simply because they have not been taught to listen. People learn other
communication skills in elementary schools, secondary schools, and college
through reading, writing, and speaking classes. However, people rarely take
listening classes. Despite this lack of formal training, a manager can become a
betterlistener simply by learning and mastering listening techniques.

Some Benefits of good listening

Even though organizational communication
theory talks about upward, downward and lateral
communication, the best – devised systems will
not work unless people on the receiving end of oral
messages actually listen. Wouldn’t the world be a
better place if listening were effective? When you
stop to think about the communication process,
senders of oral messages must assume their receivers can and will listen just as
senders of written massages must assume their receivers can and will read. Here
is a random list of some of the outcomes of good listening is business.

(i) Downward messages will be received and understood.

(ii) Feedback provided through upward communication will give
management an understanding of the needs and desires of
subordinates – perhaps even to extent that labour – management strife
would be ameliorate.
(iii) Superiors and subordinates might achieve greater job security because
of fewer mistaken or ignored messages.
(iv) The open communication developed as a result of understanding
through listening will help create a spirit of teamwork – simply because
people might develop a greater appreciation of the work of other in the
organization.
(v) People will be able to sort fact from fiction and thus cope more
effectively with those who would use oral persuasion for less than
honorable purposes come more form cues provided from the spoken
thoughts of others than from our own idle introspection.
Listening is the open door through which ideas enter.
(vii) Employee learning will, or for personal gain at the cost of
others.
(vi) Creative ideas be enhanced: Listening is called the
missing “L” in learning.
(viii) People will probably have more genuine job satisfaction if
their ideas are heard and understood. The ideas need
not necessarily lead to change nor to be adopted; the simple fact that
they may be heard makes people feel better about themselves and
about those people with whom they associate.
Detrimental Listening Habits
Really good listeners are rare. Most people have one or more of the
following bad listening habits described by Ralph Nichols and Leonard Stevens in
their classic book on listening:

 Faking attention: We try to appear as if we are listening to give

comfort or assurance to the speaker.

 “Over listening: for all the facts. Particularly in the classroom, some
people listen for every detail, make copious notes, and then perform poorly
on examinations. Such over listening creates a situation where the listener
records mentally or in writing so many details that the major point is often
either overlooked or not understood. Over listeners “can’t see the forest
for the trees.”

 Yielding to distractions: although listening requires much

concentration, most of us have limited attention spans. When we have
reached out limit, we want and hope for someexcuse to stop listening. A
noise in another part of the room is sufficient reason for us to look away
form the speaker and focus on the noise. The next time a person enters
your classroom or other meeting room when someone is speaking, notice
how almost every head in the room turns to look at the newcomer and
away from the topic and the speaker.

 Criticizing delivery or appearance. Because of personal perceptions

and prejudices, people have a tendency to make spontaneous judgments
about others based on how they appear and sound. If someone does not
come up to our standards of appearance – dress and grooming – or speech
delivery, we can turn of our listening apparatus almost as surely as a
person with a hearing problem could disconnect a hearing aid. This habit
leads one to wonder how many people reused to listen to a disheveled little
old man wearing tennis shoes with no stockings, a ragged sweatshirt, and
torn trousers – only later to discover the speaker was Albert Einstein.

 Dismissing subjects as uninteresting. People have a tendency to use

the term uninteresting as rationale for not listening. Unfortunately,
the decision about whether something is interesting or uninteresting
is usually made before the speech or discussion even begins.

 Avoiding difficult listening. Technology has made it easy for us to

avoid listening to things that may seem difficult: all we have to do is
change television stations with our remote control device, never
leaving our comfortable seat. Many people simply lack experience in
 listening to things that require much mental effort. As a result we
are susceptible to the habits of yielding to distraction, judging
subjects as uninteresting and “writing off” speakers because of
their delivery, appearance. And perhaps professional or social
status.

As you can see, these bad listening habits are reflections on the careless
and self-centered attitudes of listeners. Most bad listening habits are also
rationalizations for our own failure to listen. Add these negative habits to the
difference in each person’s ability to absorb in formation and we learn that
listening is truly a vital part of communication. An average speaker can talk at
about 125 to 150 words a minute; a relatively well-educated reader probably read
at about two to three times speed. Thus, the receive is capable of processing two
to three times as much information as most speakers are capable of sending.
Additionally, people think perhaps ten to twenty times faster than they talk.

The burden of communicating orally, then, is the listener’s. Even the most
challenging of speakers can’t speak fast enough to challenge our receptive
abilities. Listening requires not only mental effort but also considerable physical
effort by our nervous system.

Types of Listening
We listen
a. to receive information,
b. to solve problems,
c. to share with others, and
d. To persuade of dissuade.

Each reason may call for a different style or listening or for a combination of
styles. These styles of listening may be classified in the following groups:

Informational listening:
The goal of informational listening is to understand and remember what is
important in a message. How well we understand and remember the message
determines our success as an informational listener. Most informational listening
takes place in formal or semiformal communication environments. Lectures,
meetings, seminars, and conferences are all examples of situations in which you
will practice informational listening.

Tips to help you become a better informational listener include the following:
  Listen for the main idea. You can’t remember everything, so concentrate
on what’s most important.
 Listen for the speaker’s organizational method. Determine whether the
speaker is presenting a problem, a solution, or a case study, or using some
other organizational approach. Identifying the organizational method can
help you remember the information.
 Identify significant details. Pick out the most important details use to
support the speaker’s points and remember them.
 Take notes. If it’s important, write it down.
 Stay tuned even during familiar topics. A poor listener tends to tune out
speakers when they talk about things the listener already knows a lot
about. If you do this, you can miss important information.

Suggestions for Effective Listening

Through his research, Nichols identifies four mental processes that occur
when the listener is successfully receiving and understanding the spoken word.

(i) The listener thinks ahead of the speaker, trying to guess where the
discourse is leading.
(ii) The listener weights the verbal evidence used by the speaker to support
points as they are made.
(iii) Periodically, the listener reviews the portion of the talk completed thus
far.
(iv) Throughout the talk, the listener reads between the lines for meaning
that is not necessarily put into spoken words.

Develop Effective listening Skills

Most responsibility for effective listening rests squarely on the listener’s
shoulders. You have the power to decide how good your listening skill will be.
Keep your mind open to any speaker or message. Decide from the start that you
will listen. Judge a speaker on what he/she says, not on what you want him/her to
way. Using nonverbal language, show that you are actively listening. Use you
considerable powers of concentration.

This section suggests some active listening techniques you can adopt,
such as mirroring, paraphrasing, summarizing and questioning.
Summary
Effective listening is not only a valuable business skill, but it is also a
desirable social trait. People who take time to listen—an effective listening takes
time, that which we formerly would have spent talking when we should have been
listening—are usually well liked. The courtesy extended to others when we listen
attentively is returned in the same way. People have a desire to be heard, to be
appreciated, and to be accepted. Listening to them helps satisfy these needs.
Aren’t most of you good friends also good listeners.
The effectiveness of listening is not subject to the nature of the received material.
Listeners who do not get the message have only themselves to blame, because
most bad listening habits are the listener’s fault, not the speaker’s or the subject’s
fault.
Because we listen for different reasons, we also may listen in different
ways. The way in which we listen can be adapted to our purposes. Intensive
listening helps people learn, persuade, and solve problems. Casual listening
requires less concentration and enables people to enjoy recreation and
entertainment. Listening for feelings is helpful when we are dealing with “people”
problems. People sometimes do not express their true feeling freely or accurately
when emotions are involved. Good listeners develop methods to encourage
accurate self-disclosure.
Listening must make up at least half of the oral communication process. It
is our most frequently used communication skill and is used almost as much as
the other skills of speaking, reading, and writing combined. Listening is a major
learning tool in school and in the job, and it is a vital skill in human relations.
Listening requires entering actively and imaginatively into the speaker’s
situation and trying to understand a frame of reference that may be quite different
from one’s own. True empathy—not to be confused with sympathy—is a quality
that can be developed only through practice. Good listening enables those
involved in interviews and conferences to assimilate ideas, create new ones, and
therefore be productive.

Do’s and Don’ts Of An Effective Introduction

(i) Don’t apologies - never begin
with an apology
Several speakers make that mistake
of beginning their speech with an
apology. You’ve heard this kind of
presentation opening:
 “I’m certainly glad to be here to talk to you people today, but I do want to
say, before I begin, that I am really sorry I don’t have those slides for the course
director told you about last week. It’s been a busy week, not only getting ready
for this presentation, but I also had to…”
“I’ll try today to give you a lot of information about this subject. I just got
back from abroad and didn’t have sufficient time to get this presentation ready for
you. I am thoroughly dissatisfied, but nevertheless.
“I’m sorry about this cough I have today. I hope you’ll be able to here me
clearly and that you’ll bear with me”.

(ii) Don’t antagonize or offend your audience

That’s the general guide. But under some circumstances blunt statements
may work. Not long ago, America’s automakers were in great trouble-low sales,
rising defects. Plants which manufactured parts for cars were closing all over the
country and nearly a million autoworkers lost their jobs. The head of one plant
called his workers together and told them.

A.U.D.I.E.N.C.E. Analysis – it’s Your Key To success

As speakers we all know the importance of properly preparing our
material far enough in advance so we may have
sufficient time to rehearse and “fine-tune” our
speeches. Unfortunately, this is not enough to
assure that your speech or presentation is well
received. Your speech preparation must also
include gathering information about your
audience and their needs. A well prepared
speech given to the correct audience. They both
can fail terribly.

A nalysis – Who are they? How many will be there?

U nderstanding – What is their Knowledge of the subject?
D emographics – What is their age, sex, educational background?
I nterest – Why are they there? Who asked them to be there?
E nvironment – Where will I stand? Can they all see & hear me?
N eeds – What are their needs? What are your needs as the speaker?
C ustomized – What specific needs do you need to address?
 E xpectations – what do they expect to learn or hear form you?

Tips on handling questions

This is a very important factor that can make a communication succesful.
a. People should stand up when they ask a question. This does two things: (i)
it shows you more readily who is asking the question, and (ii) it makes it
easier for the audience to also hear the question.
b. Have small sheets of paper available for people to write down
their questions during your presentation. They may
forget what they were going to ask earlier.
c. Allow people to pass the questions to you if they feel
uncomfortable standing up and asking the question out
loud. This gives the person who truly wants to ask a
question an option.
d. Always repeat the question – this does three things: (i) it
makes sure you understood the question, (ii) it gives you a
chance to value the question and think of an answer, and
(iii) it assures the other people in the audience can hear the
question since you are facing them.
e. Always take time to think “before” you answer all questions.
This allows you time to think, especially for those difficult
questions. Do the same for those questions you readily
know the answer for. responding too quickly to those
questions you are most comfortable with will only
bring attention to those question you do not.
f. Have a pencil and paper available for you to write down question you can’t
answer. You may even elect someone to record the questions on paper.

How to Gesture Effectively

Gestures are reflections of every speaker’s individual personality. What’s
right for one speaker may not be right for another; however, the following six
rules apply to anyone who seeks to become a dynamic effective speaker.

(i) Respond naturally to what you think, feel and see – it’s natural for you to
gesture, and it’s unnatural for you not to. If you inhibit your impulse to
gesture, you will probable become tense.
 (ii) Crate the condition for gesturing, not the gesture – when you speak, you
should be totally involved in communication – not thinking about you
hands. Your gestures should be motivated by the content of your
presentation.

(iii) Suit the action to the word and the occasion – your visual and verbal
messages must function as partners in communication the same
thought or feeling. Every gesture you make should be purposeful and
reflective of your words so that the audience will note only the effect,
not the gesture itself. Don’t overdo the gesturing. You’ll draw the
listener away from your message. Young audiences are usually
attracted to a speaker whose physical actions are overwhelming.

(iv) Make your gestures convincing – your gesture should be lively and
distinct if they are to convey the intended impressions. Effective
gestures are vigorous enough to be convincing yet slow enough and
broad enough to be clearly visible without being overpowering.

(v) Make your gestures smooth and well timed – Every

gesture has three parts:

• The Approach – Your body begins to move in

anticipation.

• The stroke – The gesture itself.

• The Return – This bring your body back to a

balanced posture.

The flow of a gesture – the approach, the stroke, the return-must be smoothly
executed so that only the stroke is evident to the audience. While it is advisable to
practice gesturing, don’t try to memorize your very move. This makes your
gesturing stilted and ineffective. The last rule is perhaps the most important but
also the hardest.

(vi) Make natural, spontaneous gesturing a habit –

The first step in becoming adept at gesturing is to determine what, if
anything, you are doing now. The best way to discover this is to videotape
yourself. The camcorder is completely truthful and unforgiving. If you want to
become a better speaker, you need to make the camcorder your best friend.
Videotape yourself and identify your bad habits, then work on eliminating
them, one at a time. You will need to continue to record yourself and evaluate your
progress if you expect to eliminate all your distracting mannerisms.
 To improve gestures, practice – but never during a speech. Practice
gesturing while speaking informally to friends, family member, and coworkers.

Five Ways to Make Your Body Speak

Dr. Ralph C. Smeadly, the founder or Toastmasters International, wrote, “The
speaker who stands and talks at ease is the one who can be heard without
weariness. If this posture and gestures are so graceful and unobtrusive, that no
one notices them, he may be counted as truly successful. “When your actions are
wedded to your words, the impact of your speech will strengthen. If your platform
behavior included mannerisms unrelated to your spoken message, those actions
will call attention to themselves and away from your speech. Below we have
provided five ways you can rid yourself of your distraction mannerisms.

(i) Rid Yourself of Distracting Mannerisms.

Eliminate vocal and visual impediments.
Some common faults of inexperienced or ineffective speakers are:

• Gripping or leaning on the lectern

• Finger tapping.
• Lip biting or licking
• Toying with coins or jewelry
• Frowning
• Adjusting hair or clothing Putting hands into trouser
pockets
• Head wagging
• These have two things in common:
• They are physical manifestations of simple
nervousness.
• They are performed unconsciously.

When you make a verbal mistake, you can easily correct it, because you
can hear your own words, but you can’t see yourself, so most distraction
mannerisms go uncorrected. You can’t eliminate them unless you know they
exist.

Videotape yourself.

The first step in eliminating any superfluous behavior is to obtain an

accurate perception of your body’s image. This should include:

• Posture
 • Gestures
• Body movement
• Facial expressions
• Eye contact

The next step is to free yourself of physical behaviors that do not add to
your speech.
First review. Review your tape the first time without looking for
mannerisms. Just listen to the presentation as if you were hearing it for the first
time and evaluate the overall impact you experience from watching the tape.
Second review. Review your tape a second time (with the volume turned
down) and look for visual distraction. Take notes on what you observe.
Third review. During the review, have the picture turned off and listen only
to your voice. Many people have never even dare a taping of their own voice
before. Become accustomed to listening to your voice. Get to know it as others
hear it. Note what you like and what you don’t like. Pay attention to the speed,
the volume, and the tone of your voice.
Fourth review. Once you have made lists both of your distracting
mannerisms and your more positive points, you are ready to have one or two
family members watch the tape with you. Get their initial impression. Ask them to
be honest.
Once you have completed these reviews, go over the list of all the
distracting mannerisms you saw and heard. The next time you are having a
conversation with someone you know well, try to notice whether you use any of
these distracting mannerisms even in casual circumstances. Tackle each of your
negative points one at a time.

(iii) Build Self-confidence by Being Yourself

The most important rule for making your body communicate effectively is
to be yourself. The emphasis should be on the sharing of ideas, not on the
performance. Strive to be as genuine and natural as you are when you speak to
family members and friends.

Large vs.small audiences. Many people say, “I’m okay in a small group,
but when I get in front of larger group I freeze.” The only difference between
speaking to a small informal group and to a sizable audience is the number of
listeners. To compensate for this, you need only to amplify your natural behavior.
Be authentically yourself, but amplify your movements and expressions just
enough that the audience can see them.
(iv) Let Your Body Mirror Your Feelings
If you are interested in your subject, truly believe what you are saying, and
want to share your message with others. Your physical movements will come for
within you and will be appropriate towhat you are saying.

By involving yourself in your message, you’ll be natural and spontaneous

without having to consciously think about what you are doing or saying. For
many of us, this isn’t as easy as it sounds because it requires us to drop the mask
that shields the “real self” in public. To become an effective speaker, it is
essential that you get rid of your mask and share you true feelings with your
audience. Your audience wants to know how you feel about your subject. If you
want to convince others, you must convey your convictions.

Speak from the heart and to the soul.

Nothing influences a speaker’s mental attitude more than the knowledge that he
or she is thoroughly prepared. This knowledge leads to self-confidence, which is a vital
ingredient of effective public speaking

How many of us have ever experienced a situation in which we had not

prepared well for a presentation? How did we come across? On the other hand,
think of those presentations that did go well. These are the ones that we had
properly prepared for.

(v) Use Your Everyday Speaking Situations

Whenever you speak to people, make an extra effort to notice how you
speak. Observe, to whether the facial expressions of your listeners indicate they
do or do not understand what you are saying.

Since you are telling about yourself, you don’t need to research the topic;
however, you do need to prepare what you are going to say and how you are
going to say it. Plan everything including you gestures and walking patterns.

Facial Expressions
Leave that deadpan expression to poker players. A speaker realizes that
appropriate facial expressions are an important part of effective communication.
In fact, facial expressions are often the key determinant of the meaning behind the
message. People watch a speaker’s face during a presentation. When you speak,
your face shows more clearly than any other part of your body-communicates to
others your attitudes, feelings, and emotions.
 Remove expressions that don’t belong on your face.
Inappropriate expressions include distracting mannerisms or unconscious
expressions not rooted in your feelings, attitudes and emotions.
One type of unconscious facial movement which is less apt to be read
clearly by an audience is involuntary frowning. This type of frowning occurs
when a speaker attempts to deliver a memorized speech.

Eye Contact
Eye contact is the cement that binds together
speakers and their audiences. When you speak, your
eyes involve your listeners in your presentation. There
is no sure way to break a communication bond between
you and the audience than by failing to look at your
listeners. No matter how large your audience may be,
each listener wants to feel that you are talking to him or
her.

The adage, “The eyes are the mirror of the mind,” underlines the need for
you to convince people with your eyes, as well as your words. Only by looking at
your words. Only by looking at your listeners as individuals can you convince
them that you are sincere and are interested in them, and that you care whether
they accept your message. When you speak, your eyes also function as a control
device you can use to assure your listeners’ attentiveness and concentration.

Eye contact can also help you to overcome nervousness by making your
audience a known quantity. Effective eye contact is an important feedback device
that makes the speaking situation a two-way communication process. By looking
at your audience, you can determine how they are reacting. When you develop
the ability to gauge the audience’s reactions and adjust your presentation
accordingly, you will be a much more effective speaker.

How to use your eyes effectively

(i) Know your material. Know it so well that you don’t have to
devote you mental energy to task of remembering the sequence of ideas
and words you should prepare well and rehearse enough so that you don’t
have to depend heavily on notes. Many speakers, no matter how well
prepared, need at least a few notes to deliver their message. If you can
speak effectively without notes, by all means do so. But if you must use
notes, that’s fine. Just don’t let them be a substitute for preparation and
rehearsal.
 (ii) Establish a personal bond with listeners. How do you do this?
Begin selecting one person and talking to him or her personally. Maintain
by eye contact with that person long enough to establish a visual bond
(about 5 to 10 seconds). This is usually the equivalent of a sentence or a
thought. Then shift your gaze to another person. In a small group, this is
relatively easy to do. But, if you’re addressing hundreds or thousands of
people, its, impossible.

(iii) Monitor visual feedback. While you are talking, your listeners
are responding with their own non-verbal messages. Use your eyes to
actively seek out this valuable feedback. If individuals aren’t looking at
you, they may not listening either. Their reasons may include one or more
of these factors.