Communication

Gender and Organizational Change April 2017

How many fs? In 10 seconds

• How many fs?

Is the top part the same color as the bottom part

Is the top part the same color as the bottom part

National Geographic: Test Your Brain Episode 2 - Perception

What is the font color (not the word)?

orange

What is the font color (not the word)?

blue

What is the font color (not the word)?

green

What is the font color (not the word)?

blue

What is the font color (not the word)?

pink

What is the font color (not the word)?

orange

What is the font color (not the word)?

green

If I were to show this image again in a year you would see the cow immediately

• What do you see

• http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq1p3e_national-geographic-test-your-brain-episode-1-pay-attention_shortfilms

• 2:44 min to 3:26 min

Our brain • is wired to focus on one thing at the time • Take shortcuts to make sense of our world

quickly (i.e. stereotypes) • Resolving ambiguities (showing a color and a

word spelling out another) • We think we know what is coming… • So what does that mean for the

communicator?

Two types of communication

• Planned • Spontaneous

2, 4, all

• Think back: a recent situation, unplanned, in which your views were ask about something important?

• What was the challenge? What were the difficulties?

Spontaneous… grasping the moment, do you see it as… • An opportunity (opportunity to clarify, to

contribute) • or • A threat (adversarial experience, seen as a

challenge so our reaction is to protect yourself)

3 elements

• What to say (message) and • how to say it (structure) • Who is saying it (medium)

Factors

• Anxiety, insecurity, risk aversion • Receiver needs to be in a place where he/she

can receive the message (specially if it is negative)

• Ourselves (we get out of your own way) – (get the brain out of it’s own way… out of

unconscious biases) – Authenticity (do not pretend), Honesty, Integrity

So have a conversation • Reframing (there is not only one way), think of it as a

conversation • Start by asking questions • Conversational language (that brings you closer, that is

inclusive) • Be in the present • Attitude • approach (Yes, and rather the No but) Listeners are

attracted to positive (rather than negativity, complaints, excuses, lies, and dogmatism)

• Slow down and listen, do not pre-empt

• Tell a story: have a structure, THIS MEANS – Issue, Solution, Benefit – Opportunity, Steps, Benefits – What, So What (why), now what (next steps)

• Be aware of the environment/audience – (hostile, friendly supportive) – Cultural setting

• F2F • Remote (skype, webinars, etc) • One to one • One to group

• Focus on the key message • Don’t get lost in details • Keep track of the body language (yours and

the “receiver/s”)

• Neuroplasticity: behavior change our brain