view this item 1.02 communication skills

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COMMUNICATION SKILLS

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2009

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A Thought

A man is seldom better than his conversation

- German Proverb

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Communication Skills Overview

Effective communication skills are a critical element in our professional and personal lives.

We all must use a variety of communication techniques to both understand and be understood.

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What is Communication?

SENDER RECEIVER

Feedback

Receiver

Sender

Communication is the process of sending and receiving information among people…

MediumEncode Decode

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Most Common Ways to Communicate

SpeakingVisual Im

ages

Writing Body Language

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Communication GoalsTo change behaviour

To get action

To ensure understandingTo persuade

To get and giveInformation

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Distortions in Communication

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We Need To Improve Communication... as

70 % of our communication efforts are:• misunderstood • misinterpreted • rejected • distorted or • not heard

6 people talking in a 2 people conversation!!

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Critical Success Factor

The majority of your perceived ability comes from how you communicate

38% Visual

55% Tonal

7% Verbal

93% of all Communication is non verbal - SKILL

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Listening and Speaking are used a lot…

9%

16%

30%

45%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Writing Reading Speaking Listening

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… But not taught enough

9%

16%

30%

45%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Writing Reading Speaking Listening

Amount taught

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Common Communication Errors

• Finishing others’ sentences• Preparing our response before someone has

completed speaking• Multitasking while ‘listening’• Filtering content or meaning based on the

speaker• Speaking for others (we…)

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A Good Algorithm

In order to have good communication:• Listen to understand• Understand before speaking• Speak to be understood• Seek understanding before proceeding• Repeat

Communication is a two way process!

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How Can Communication Be Improved

• Recognition of what makes good communication

• Not being judgmental about your audience or who you are listening/ hearing

• Stop egocentric communication

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Communication Skills

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Communication Skills

• Provide ‘knowledge’ about communication• Give insight on ‘skills’ needed• Suggest ways of going about it

What you need to do:• Learn the tools• Take up every opportunity• Practice, Practice, Practice!

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Why Communication is Important

• Inspires confidence• Builds respect in business and social life• Helps make friends• Develops a distinct personality• Reveals your abilities to others

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Essentials of Good Communication

• Knowledge - Spontaneity in conversation

- Level of conversation

• Organising your thoughts• Participating in discussions• Body Language - Show v. Tell

• Be a good listener - Listening v. Hearing

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How to be an Active Listener 1

• Set the stage

• Ensure mutual understanding

• Understand body language

• Suspend judgment

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How to be an Active Listener 2

• Behaviors that hinder effective listening

– Act distracted (look at your watch!)

– Tell your own story without acknowledging theirs

– Give no response

– Invalidate response, be negative

– Interrupt

– Criticize

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Techniques To Improve Listening Skills

PARAPHRASEPARAPHRASE

Restate what was said in your own

words

PARAPHRASEPARAPHRASE

Restate what was said in your own

words

SUMMARIZESUMMARIZE

Pull together the main points

of a speaker

SUMMARIZESUMMARIZE

Pull together the main points

of a speaker

QUESTIONQUESTION

Challenge speaker to think further,

clarifying both your and their

understanding

QUESTIONQUESTION

Challenge speaker to think further,

clarifying both your and their

understanding

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Two Basic Types of Questions

Closed questions: – Get a one-word response and inhibit thought.

– Questions begin with who, when and which

Open-ended questions:– Invite unique thought, reflection or an explanation.– Questions begin with how, what and how come

(not why!).

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Practice Questioning

• Rephrase the following closed questions to make them open-ended:

• Are you feeling tired?• Isn’t it a nice day?• Was the last activity useful?• Is there anything bothering you?• So everything is fine, then?

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Practice Questioning 1

• Are you feeling tired?• How are you feeling today?• Isn’t it a nice day?• What do you think of the weather?• Was the last activity useful?• What did you think of that training?

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Practice Questioning 2

• Is there anything bothering you?• What if anything is bothering you?• So everything is fine, then?• What happened on the training exercise

and how do you think it went?

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Adding Colour to Communication

• Images describe, and relive

• Show, don’t tell• Use audience’s senses

– Sight– Sound– Touch– Taste– Smell

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Improving Communication

• Don’t use cliches • Be Tactful• Brevity• Sincerity• Don’t praise yourself• Avoid argument• Silence• Enunciation Clear, loud, syllables.

Flexibility of tone

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Practice 1

• For distinct enunciation, every word, every syllable, every sound, must be given it proper form and value.

• Think of the mouth chamber as a mold, in which the correct form is given to every sound.

• Will you please move your lips more noticeably?

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Practice 2

• The teeth should never be kept closed in speech.

• Through practices, we can learn to speak more rapidly, but still with perfect distinctness

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Ways To Gain Effective Conversation

• Good use of English – avoid errors• Improved vocabulary – overlook v oversee• Avoid old phrases• Use humour• Add interesting story• Improve clarity of voice – practice

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Public Speaking

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What does the graphic tell you about this speaker?

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The 5-P‘s

• Prior

• Preparation

• Prevents

• Poor

• Performance

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From effective conversation to speech

• Overcoming Fear– Confidence

• Idea of speech– Know your subject

• Know the audience– Target their interest

• Organising the speech– Tell them…

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Developing Your Presentation

• What is your goal?• Research your topic• Develop an outline• Create or locate learning

aids

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A.I.D.A

ttention

nterest

esire

ction

POWERFUL opener

CLEAR connector

MAIN BODYMAIN BODY

POWERFUL close

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AIDA

ttention

nterest

esire

ction

Establish credentials(Me, You, What)Key point

Create +ve expectationsPaint the future benefitsWIFM

The factsMe, You, What is required

The facts 3 advantages benefits

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Making the Presentation Interesting

• Informative• Fun• Variety• Energy• Audience Interaction

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Practicing Your Presentation

• Simulate the presentation setting– Practice aloud– Practice standing up

• Time your presentation• Memorize your opening

few sentences• Watch yourself in a mirror

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Presenting

• Stage fright - feelings follow action

• Talk ‘to’, not ‘at’

• Eye contact

• Don’t judge your audience

• Pause

• Volume

• Pace

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Summary

He who fails to prepare, prepares to fail!

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With thanks toA. Rahim

arahim@infrastructureindia.com