Communication Skills

SCOPE
To understand the importance of communication in an organization Awareness of barriers to communication Ways of improving our communication skills

What is Communication ?
Communication is the expression of ideas in the way that they were originally intended Problem our perception of a situation might be different from someone else We assume that our message has been clearly received by the other person Our tone, body language, choice of words may give an impression which is the opposite of the idea we want to convey

Effective Communication
It is the process of expressing your ideas in words After the analysis of the other persons psyche The surrounding environment Combined with the correct tone Able to elicit the desired response from the listener

Importance
Expression Career advancement To belong To learn

More People Have Talked Their Way up the Ladder of Success Than Have Climbed It Any Other Way.

Barriers To Communication
Accent/ grammar/ vocabulary Environment Perception Lack of focus Content

Research

Words are 7% effective Tone of voice is 38% effective Non verbal clues are 55% effective Non verbal clues include: Body language Other connections between sender and receiver

WHAT YOU SAY IS AS IMPORTANT AS HOW YOU SAY IT

Perception
What does the graphic tell you about this speaker?

10 Commandments Of Effective Communication

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Remain calm Remove the audience Focus Keep it simple Watch your body language Use silence effectively Use reflective questioning Be aware of your para-verbals Organize your thoughts before you start talking Understand the psyche of the other person

Remain Calm

Keep your cool In a confrontation, remember if the other person is losing his/her cool, its your duty to keep yours If the other person senses that you are losing your cool the situation will escalate

I am not angry..I am cool

Remove The Audience

People are social animals Peoples reactions are often influenced by the people around them Isolate the person Make sure that your statements are not tainted by other peoples impressions / perceptions

 Got your inner demons plaguing you, meditate Dont be distracted by external factors Focus on what you want to say and how you want to say it As a listener concentrate on what the other person is saying

Keep It Simple
Dont get carried away by your own verbosity Be clear and direct in your communication Avoid jargon

Watch Your Body Language

Be aware of your space, posture and gestures

Use Silence

Silence, ironically is one of the most effective tools of communication Silence allows the message to sink in It gives people time to understand the true meaning and implication of your words In a verbally escalating situation silence allows participants to withdraw and think about what they want to say and how do they want to say it

Be Aware Of Your Para-verbals

Two identical statements can have two opposite meanings depending on the tone and the volume of your voice Make sure that your words are consistent with your voice inflection to avoid a confusing message

Organize Your Thoughts Before You Start Talking

When you have too many ideas prioritize and then build up

Understand The Psyche Of The Other person

Think about how the other person would perceive your message Try to understand what kind of behavior, tone, words would make your message more meaningful and your delivery more effective This done well would make sure that your communication leads to the desired result

Some More Tips

Listening Skills
God gave you one mouth & two ears for a reason Humans still havent evolved enough to read each others minds consequently we need to listen well to have a logical conversation When replying to someone make sure your reply is connected to the statement made by the original speaker

Listening Skills

Listen not only for data but also for emotions Learn to listen for key words

Remember

Make eye contact with person you are talking to In a face to face conversation, lean forward to show your interest Dont interrupt Let other people finish their own sentences Give verbal nods

Chess, And The Art Of Communicating

Chess involves understanding the opponents move, thinking about what move they could make and making your move accordingly

Two Things To Do
Get & use feedback Desensitization: the more you say something the easier it gets to say it

Thank you