communication - mroad.nsinfo.humroad.nsinfo.hu/ckfinder/userfiles/files/mroad_lo5_en.pdf ·...

Mobile Learning for enhancing key competences of autonomous workers and owners of SME from the

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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any

use which may be made of the information contained therein. 1

Communication

Introduction

"Effective communication 20% what you know and 80% what you feel about what you know”

Jim Rohn

Communication is one of the most important issues of the business process. You communicate

either with colleagues, with employees, with costumers or with suppliers. So, good

communication skills are mandatory for an effective management.

Communication is more than just talking. Good communications skills include talking and

listening skills, effective and active communication competences as well as to know more

about the communication process.

Summary & Learning objectives

Regardless of the size of your organization – either it is a large corporation, a small company,

or even a home-based business – you need good communication skills if you want to succeed.

The ability to communicate effectively is important in relationships, education and work.

This learning objective provides information about communication, including tips and advises

to improve your communication skills and your active listening.

After completing this learning objective, you will know:

What communication is and the different types of communication;

The basic tips to improve communication skills in everyday life

The basic tips to improve communication skills at the workplace

That communication is not only expressing yourself but also listen actively


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Definition

According, to FMLink (http://www.fmlink.com/a/31179), “Communication is the sharing of

information between two or more individuals or groups to reach a common understanding.

The most important part of this definition is that the information or ideas conveyed must be

understood. To see what this definition means in practice, consider giving or receiving

incomplete information. With only a partial understanding, problems will occur.”

It is noteworthy that communication is not only verbal but can also be non-verbal, written or

visual.

Types of communication

Communication is a process in which two or more persons and/or human communities share

experiences, information, knowledge and feelings.

One can summarize the different steps of communication as follows:

1. The sender has to proceed his/her thoughts for clarity

http://www.fmlink.com/a/31179


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2. The processed thought in the form of information is ready for communicating

3. The thought is conveyed to the receiver using any mode of communication (see below)

4. The recipient decodes the information and provide feedback to the sender (reaction or

answer

Basically you may use 3 types of communication: nonverbal communication, verbal

communication (made of written and oral communications) and visual communication.

Nonverbal Communication

To make it simple, nonverbal communication entails communicating by sending and receiving

wordless messages. You may communicate with gestures, actions, facial expressions, body

language and other aspects of your physical appearance, that, when seen, communicate

something.

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication entails the use of words in delivering the intended message. The two

major forms of verbal communication include written and oral communication. You would use

oral communication for a variety of things, such as meetings, interviews, reviews,

presentations, trainings, soliciting and providing feedback to subordinates or when

communicating progress to upper management. However you may also spend a good deal of

time writing memos, letters, e-mails and reports. Written communication refers to messages

that are transmitted to receivers in writing. It has certain advantages, including, immediacy,

efficiency, accuracy and flexibility.

Visual communication

Visual communication is communication through visual aid such as graphs, charts, pictures.

This kind of communication may be very powerful remember that “a picture is worth a

thousand words”


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How to improve day-to-day communication skills

Think before talking: Having a clear idea of the information you are transmitting will help you

in presenting a well-structured and trustworthy message. It will also prevent you from saying

something you are not supposed to say, or not in that way you have actually said, or from

transmitting a confusing message to the receiver.

Be honest: Honesty is the most important factor when communicating with others. It helps

you create a bond with the other person and at the same time will help you in gaining the

respect and admiration of the receiver. Be honest all the time and you will never have to

regret anything you have said. However be careful, not to confuse honesty with rudeness.

Practice active listening: Effective communication is not only the way we communicate with

others – it also includes the way we listen to them. See further section.

Ask questions: To have a better understanding about the topic of discussion, it is important to

ask questions. Make sure you ask questions that move the discussion forward and not

questions that only provoke a “yes or no” answer .

Watch your body language: Body language is as important (or even more) as any other form of

communication. Watch carefully what your body is saying because people may misinterpret

what you are saying if the body language you are using says something else.

Don’t judge: Pretty simple – don’t do unto others what you don’t like done unto you. Judging

other people could create you unnecessary problems and will prevent you from exercising

effective communication with others. With this comes the other idea: let your communication

partner respond, and wait with your reaction, till they finish. Don’t rush the conversation with

making presumptions.


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Provide constructive criticism: If you feel like you need to criticize other people, make sure

you use constructive criticism. Avoid getting personal or rude. Criticism can be positive if you

pack it nicely.

Be yourself: To successfully communicate with others you have to show them who you really

are. People can identify a phony from a mile away. Be “you” and people will listen to you.

More practically, the following tips, very easy to implement, may also help you in your daily

life. You may follow the written advice below or watch the video

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-talk-to-people-better-communication-skills

Use open-ended questions

For conversation to flow well, it's important to ask open questions, these often start with

‘how', ‘when', ‘why' etc.

An open question is something like: "What sort of things do you do in your spare time?"

This really gets the conversation flowing. Try to avoid asking closed questions. These are

questions that can be answered with yes or no answer, such as: "Do you like films?"

Closed questions tend to kill the conversation.

Active listening

People speak at 100 to 175 words per minute (WPM), but they can listen intelligently at up to

300 words per minute. The cure for this is active listening involves listening with a purpose.

Create a 'cocoon'

If you're finding it particularly difficult to concentrate on what someone is saying, try to

imagine a “cocoon” around you and the person you're listening to. Imagine that the cocoon is

blocking out all outside distractions, so you can really focus on what they're saying. Try

repeating their words mentally as they say it - this will reinforce their message and help you

control mind drift.



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Engage with the other person

When someone is trying to get your attention, or engage you in conversation don't turn your

back on them, or answer over your shoulder. Instead, turn and face them, engage with them.

Good communication is when you really engage. When you are talking to people observe your

body language and your tone of voice. Remember to use open strong gestures, look people in

the eye and smile when you talk unless you are complaining about something.

Assumptions

Don't assume you know the other person's thoughts and feelings. Learn to identify when you

do this. It normally occurs when the facts aren't present to support your belief, so always

check with the other person what they mean when they say something.

Antagonistic sentences

If you need to talk to someone about a difficult topic then avoid using sentences like “You

should know me better”, “Why are you trying to upset me?”, “You've never understood me”,

“I thought we were going to enjoy ourselves”. These are antagonistic sentences, and are not

productive in any way and will just ensure there is a conflict.

Active listening

Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the

communication process. You listen to obtain information, you listen to understand,

you listen for enjoyment and/or you listen to learn. Active listening is a way of

listening and responding to another person that improves mutual understanding.

Active listening is crucial for an effective communication, without it, messages are

easily misunderstood, communication breaks down and the sender of the message can

easily become frustrated or irritated. At the workplace, good listening skills can lead

to:

Better customer satisfaction


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Greater productivity with fewer mistakes

Increased sharing of information that in turn can lead to more creative and

innovative work

According to the skillsyouneed website, “Many successful leaders and entrepreneurs

credit their success to effective listening skills. Richard Branson frequently quotes

listening as one of the main factors behind the success of Virgin. Effective listening is a

skill that underpins all positive human relationships, spend some time thinking about

and developing your listening skills – they are the building blocks of success”.

It is commonly said that we remember only from 25 to 50 % of what we hear. That

means that for example when you talk to colleagues, employees or even customers

they will listen to you at maximum half of the total speech!!!

On the other hand, when an important customer talks to you, if you lose half of the

content how can you be sure that you actively listen only to the important issues?

By practicing active listening, you thus make a conscious effort to hear not only the

words that another person is saying but, more importantly, try to understand the

complete message being sent, and giving constant feedback, so the message sender is

also comfortable in the situation, trusting you.


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Tips to active listening:

Tips to effective communication at the workplace

Here you can find some tips for effective communication in organisations:

Don’t forget the great art of conversation

For many years now we have become dependent on e-mail as primary connection with outside

clients and colleagues. Technology is wonderful for improving speed, but it can have a

detrimental effect on personal relationships. Pick up the phone once in a while and make a

call. Better yet, take a little walk across the office and talk to your employees face-to-face.

Nothing compares to the effectiveness of a personal communication.

Use open and closed questions

Clarify

Summarise

Show interest

Listen for feelings

Signal encouragement

Observe non-verbal behavious

Avoid interruption and

distraction

Probe

Avoid prejudice


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Respect cultural differences

The world is shrinking. Companies not only hire foreign employees, but they also work with

more colleagues abroad. As a result, management needs to be culturally sensitive and aware

of the subtle differences in the way people of different nationalities interpret words and

gestures.

Give good feedback

Your workers need to know that you recognize and appreciate their efforts -- or expect them

to work harder. When you do give feedback, make sure it's as clear and detailed as possible.

Try to offer solutions if there is a problem. Don't forget to give positive feedback, too. Praise

and recognition make employees feel important, which motivates them further.

Trust Your People

Provide your workers with the tools they need to get their job done, and then give them the

freedom to do it. To keep updated on their progress without meddling or micromanaging, hold

weekly status meetings or ask for regular e-mail progress reports. Then back off.

Take Your Emotions Out of the Equation

When you do respond, don't make it personal. No one should be affected by your mood. Also,

make sure the person on the receiving end isn't taking your comments the wrong way.

Everyone views the world within his or her own emotional framework. No matter how

innocent your intentions, they can be misconstrued.

Don't Just Hear - Listen

Being an effective communicator means listening as well as talking. Sounds easy, but listening

actually takes some practice. Try to keep a mental checklist of all the important points the

other person makes. When the conversation is over, force yourself to recall at least three

important things the person said.


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The most important thing is that precise communication at the right place and at the right

time is the key for success.

Not convinced? Thus have a look at this great video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixSUBl1WNxk

Here you will find a good example showing communication problems at the workplace

transferrable to any business: http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/interpersonal-

skills-in-the-workplace-examples-and-importance.html#lesson

Finally do not forget the active Listening

Listening is a key topic not just for communication, but to ensure the effective communication.

We can define listening as giving attention with the ear; attend closely for the purpose of

hearing. There are actually four different types of listening “proliles”:

Not listener: person who is hearing a conversation, but is not listening the content of this

conversation.

Marginal listener: only listens to the surface of the message and not gets the depth knowledge

of the message content.

Evaluative listener: they start evaluating the thought of the speaker and hence fail to

understand the true meaning of message given by the speaker.

Active listener: they listen to the speaker words with feeling, attachment and emotions. They

always try to understand the depth of the knowledge given by the speaker and try to find out

what is gain for them.

FORTUNATELY active listening is a skill that can be acquired and developed with practice

'Active listening' means, as its name suggests, listening actively, focusing on what the other


http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/interpersonal-skills-in-the-workplace-examples-and-importance.html#lesson



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person has to say, and giving feedback of the listening process. That is, fully concentrating on

what is being said rather than just passively ‘hearing’ the message of the speaker.

These are some useful tips: we propose a generic list of non-verbal signs of active listening. In

other words, here you can find some signs that could confirm the active listening.

Smile: Small smiles can be used to show that the listener is paying attention to what is

being said or as a way of agreeing or being happy about the messages being received.

Eye Contact: It is normal and usually encouraging for the listener to look at the

speaker. Eye contact can however be intimidating, especially for more shy speakers, so

be aware how much eye contact is appropriate for certain situations.

Posture: Posture can tell a lot about the sender and receiver in interpersonal

interactions. Active listener tends to lean slightly forward or sideways whilst sitting.

Other signs of active listening may include a slight slant of the head or resting the head

on one hand.

Distraction: The active listener will not be distracted and therefore will refrain from

fidgeting, looking at a clock or watch, doodling, playing with their hair or picking their

fingernails.

Basically focus on content rather than on the way that it is being said.

References and further resources

ADAIR, J.E. (2009): Effective Communication: The Most Important Management Skill of All. Pan

Macmillan

BACK, K. (2005): Assertiveness at Work: A Practical Guide to Handling Awkward Situations.

McGraw-Hill

MTD (2012): Effective Communication Skills

PRESTON, C. (2006): How to communicate effectively


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SHELTON, N. and Burton, S. (1996): Assertiveness Skills. McGraw-Hill

VV.AA. (2004-2006): Communication Theory. Wikibooks

Types of communication:

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/four-types-of-communication.html

http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/types-of-communication-interpersonal-non-

verbal-written-oral.html#lesson

http://www.slideshare.net/mtjperez/communicating-powerpoint

Communication process:

http://www.slideshare.net/ratishkakkad/communication-concepts

http://www.slideshare.net/Sweetp999/communication-and-its-process

Tips to improve your communication skills:

Watson, Stephanie:

"10 Tips for Effective Workplace Communication" 14 July 2010. HowStuffWorks.com.

<http://money.howstuffworks.com/business/starting-a-job/10-tips-for-effective-workplace-

communication.htm>.

Camacho-Reyes, Mayellis:

“10 tips for better communication skills” 18 April 2012. voxxi.com

http://voxxi.com/2012/04/18/communication-tips/

Team Haiku Deck:

“8 tips for effective communication” http://www.haikudeck.com/8-tips-for-effective-

communication-business-presentation-I4cN8MDgPb

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/four-types-of-communication.html

http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/types-of-communication-interpersonal-non-verbal-written-oral.html#lesson

http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/types-of-communication-interpersonal-non-verbal-written-oral.html#lesson

http://www.slideshare.net/mtjperez/communicating-powerpoint

http://www.slideshare.net/ratishkakkad/communication-concepts

http://www.slideshare.net/Sweetp999/communication-and-its-process

http://voxxi.com/

http://voxxi.com/2012/04/18/communication-tips/

http://www.haikudeck.com/8-tips-for-effective-communication-business-presentation-I4cN8MDgPb

http://www.haikudeck.com/8-tips-for-effective-communication-business-presentation-I4cN8MDgPb


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Syed Balkhi, “Effective Communication Tips: Transforming your remote workforce into

collaborative unit”:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/syed-balkhi/effective-communication-t_1_b_3672210.html

Effective communication with costumers:

http://www.slideshare.net/faxlove/effective-customer-communication-skills

Pracena Varghese. “Communication for success” 2010:

http://www.slideshare.net/tmthein/communication-for-success-15926362


Tips for active listening

http://powertochange.com/students/people/listen/

http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/active-listening.html#ixzz33O69u0Cp

http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/interpersonal-skills-in-the-workplace-examples-

and-importance.html#lesson


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/syed-balkhi/effective-communication-t_1_b_3672210.html

http://www.slideshare.net/faxlove/effective-customer-communication-skills

http://www.slideshare.net/tmthein/communication-for-success-15926362


http://powertochange.com/students/people/listen/

http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/active-listening.html#ixzz33O69u0Cp




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