Effective Communication
Need for Effective Communication
• Identify common misconceptions, barriers, and biases that interfere with effective communication.
• Explain the steps that supervisors can take to speak effectively on the job.
• Identify ways that supervisors can improve their listening skills.
• Identify active listening skills and apply them in supervisory situations.
• Describe nonverbal communication and explain how knowledge of it can help you on the job.
• Explain the importance of good writing, and identify how you can make your business writing more effective.
• Identify techniques for communicating by e-mail.
Types of Communication
Communication Myths
• “We communicate only when we want to communicate.”
• “Words mean the same to me and to you.”
• “We communicate chiefly with words.”
• “Nonverbal communication is silent communication.”
• “The best communication is a one-way message—from me to you.”
• “The message I communicate is the message that you receive.”
• “There is no such thing as too much information.”
Barriers to Effective Communication
• Distractions
• Differences in background
• Poor timing
• Emotions
• Personality differences
• Prejudice
• Differences in knowledge and assumptions
• Stress
Biases Affecting Communication
• First impressions
• Stereotypes
• Just-like-me
• Halo or pitchfork effect
• Contrast effect
• Leniency/severity effect
SPEAKING SKILLS
• Volume
• Pitch
• Tone
• Pace
• Varying your speech
• Speaking on the job
• Formal presentations
LISTENING SKILLS
Obstacles to Listening
• Mind wanders
• Tuning out
• Distractions
• Distractions
• Prejudices
• Too many notes
Four Stages in Active Listening
• Focusing
• Interpreting
• Evaluating
• Responding
Active Listening—Focusing
• Decide to listen.
• Create the proper atmosphere.
• Focus on the speaker.
• Show that you are paying attention.
Active Listening—Interpreting
• Keep from judging.
• Determine the speaker’s meaning.
• Confirm that you understand the meaning.
• Show that you understand.
• Reach a common understanding.
Active Listening—Evaluating
• Gather more information.
• Decide whether the information is genuine.
• Evaluate the information.
• Communicate your evaluation.
Active Listening—Responding
• Learn what the speaker expects.
• Consider your own time and energy.
• Decide what to do.
Active Listening Skills
• Mirroring — repeating exactly some of the speaker’s key words
• Paraphrasing — using your own words to restate the speaker’s feelings or meaning
• Summarizing — condensing and stressing the speaker’s important points
• Self-disclosure — showing how you feel about what the speaker said
• Questioning/Clarifying — asking questions to ensure understanding
Open-Ended Questions
Ask open-ended questions to:
• Begin a discussion —“What do you think about …”
• Understand the speaker’s ideas —“Can you tell me …”
• Examine a touchy subject —“How do you feel about …”
• Avoid influencing an answer —“Tell me more about …”
Specific Questions
Ask specific (or closed-ended) questions to get details:
• Who
• What
• Where
• When
• Why
• Which
• How many
Motivating/Keeping the Speaker Speaking
• “I understand.”
• “Tell me more.”
• “Let’s talk about it.”
• “I see.”
• “This seems very important to you.”
• “I’d like to hear your point of view.”
• “Really.”
Non-Verbal Communication
• Facial expression
• Eyes
• Posture
• Gestures
• Body movement
Business Writing Tips
• Have a specific reader or audience in mind
• Know your objective
• Decide which essential information is included
• Determine how to present the information
Writing Tips
• Plain English
• Short sentences
• Inverted pyramid
• Topic sentence
• Clear, concise, to the point
MANWAL