communication skills complete niam

8/9/2019 Communication Skills COMPLETE NIAM

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DEVELOPING EFFECTIVECOMMUNICATION SKILLS


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WHERE DO WE NEEDWHERE DO WE NEED

COMMUNICATIONCOMMUNICATION

[ ] Interviewing [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

[ ] Running meetings [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

[ ] Report writing [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

[ ] Letter writing [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

[ ] Telephone techniques (internal calls)[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

[ ] Receiving incoming calls from [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

outside the company

[ ] Making outgoing calls [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

[ ] Making group presentations [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

[ ] Dealing with the media [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

[ ] Listening [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

[ ] Non verbal communication/ body language [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]


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COMMUNICATIONSCOMMUNICATIONS

1. Introduction Communication is the basis of all human interaction. It is the means

through which people interact and relate to one another.

2. What is Communication ?

It is the process of transferring information and understanding from

one person to another person.

The degree to which communication is effective then depends upon

the degree to which the intended understanding develops.

No communication is ever perfect but managers (and all people) can

increase their effectiveness by improving their communication skill. It is

a difficult process at which we must work hard.

3. Purpose of communication

The purpose of communication is to influence other people in some

way. It could be to persuade others, inform others or to obtain approval

or agreement.

The influence is attempted by sending some information to the other

person.


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HOW COMMUNICATION FLOWHOW COMMUNICATION FLOW 4.1 Source

The communication process always starts with people who have reasons forcommunicating and some information to communicate.

4.2 Encoding

This is the formulation of ideas to others; they must use some code or symbolsto represent their ideas or information and then transmit these codes andsymbols to others.

The important codes and symbols used to communicate and the manner inwhich these are transmitted to the other person reflected below :-SYMBOL ORCODE MODE

(a) Language & Words Writing/ Pictures More factual and

conscious

(b) Voice & Speech Verbal

(c) Facial Expressions Moreemotional

& more accurately

Gestures Non-Verbalrepresents true

feelings-but may be unconscious.


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4.34.3 ChannelChannel

Channels are the mediums or carriers of messages. Human beings have five

distinct senses: Sight, Sound, Taste, Touch and Smell - thus, they have a totalof five possible channels for sending messages. These are:-

We perceive through - Seeing 70-80%

- Hearing 10-20%

- Feeling

- Smelling 5-10%

- Tasting

Most important channels are SIGHT and SOUND

Recall Rate - Seen & Heard 50-80%

- Seen Only25-50%

- Heard Only

7-20% We speak at 120-150 WPM

We think at 4 to 5 times faster than we speak.

Seeing is more powerful than only hearing. However more learning comesthrough involving more sense. Appeal to as many senses as possible.


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4.44.4 MessageMessage

The set of codes or symbols, when placed in some channel, becomes amessage.

The message might consist of

Symbols (Words and / or pictures) written on a piece of paper - VISUALCHANNEL

Symbols (facial expressions/ gestures) - VISUAL CHANNEL.

Symbols (Voice/ Speech) - SOUND CHANNEL

Channels and messages are highly inter-related.

4.5 Receiver The person or persons who receive the message.


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4.6 Decoding

The reversal of the encoding process. The receiver attaches meaning to themessage.

4.7 Meaning

This meaning or understanding may or may not be what the source intended,and the message therefore may or may not have the intended effect.

4.8 Response

The response that the receiver-decoder makes as a result of the

communication. It is present always, although it may or may not always berecognized easily.

The response element can be thought of as a reversal of the communication

process in which receivers now become the sources. The important point is thatresponse represents reactions to messages, and it always occurs. It is through

response that people find out how effective their communication has been,

therefore response provides potential for changes in future communicationefforts to make them more effective.


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4.9 Noise

The final element, which always is present when communication takes place, isnoise. Noise is anything that interferes with effectiveness of communication.Literally, it can be noise in the sound channel but it also can be present in theother four channels and in any of the processes, thus, noise can be poorlyencoded or decoded message. Noise of some type always exists, therefore, nohuman communication is ever perfect. Whenever we communicate, all elementsof the model are involved.

5. Time spent on communication

As a matter of interest, the time we spend on communication is quite high-ranging from 75% to 90% of our working hours. This is distributed as follows:-

Writing 9%

Reading 16%

Talking 30%

Listening 45%


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MessageMessage

6. Communication Success

Communication success is determined by observable change in the

receiver's behaviour. Possible outcomes of a communication effect are

:-

a) Desired behavioural change : Successful communication

b) Undesired behavioural change : Miscommunication

c) No behavioural change : No communication

7. Conclusion

We all communicate all of the time. But 100% complete communication

is virtually impossible.


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COMMUNICATION SKILLS INCOMMUNICATION SKILLS IN

CUSTOMER CARECUSTOMER CARE

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Communication - the act of exchanging information - is afundamental aspect of customer care. Effective communication

requires expertise in:

- INFORMATION SEEKING and fact finding by skilledquestioning and listening

- INFORMATION GIVING in a clear, concise andmotivational fashion

- LISTENING - demonstrating that you are interested in whatthe customer is saying

- BUILDING RAPPORT on a personal and emotional levelby displaying empathy and interest both verbally and non-verbally

-


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CUSTOMER CARECUSTOMER CARE INFORMATION SEEKING

Different types of questions elicit different types of response, and are therefore used fordifferent purposes:

Closed questions: eg"Do you ...?"

"Will you ...?"

"H

ave you ...?" "Can you ...?"

These produce a definite "yes" or "no" (or sometimes "perhaps"!) and can help to controlthe extrovert customer. They are also useful for checking and clarifying facts.

- Open questions: eg"What is your opinion about ...?"

"How can I help you ...?

Open questions obtain information; give you an insight into a customer's feelings and

motivations; encourage the introvert to relax and be more forthcoming.Probing questions:eg"Why? Please could you tell me a bit more about ...?

They are used to obtain more detail or where a previous question has not yieldedsufficient information.

- Probing techniques: egPlanned pauses, periods of silence, an unfinishedsentence

These are more subtle ways of probing which can be used instead of, or inconjunction with, questions.

-


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CUSTOMER CARECUSTOMER CARE

Limited choice questions:

eg "Would you like to call back or shall I phone you?"

The objective here is to direct the other person's attention to a range ofoptions, but to leave them with the final choice of answer.

- Leading questions:

eg "Would you agree that ...?"

"Don't you feel that ...?"

Leading are useful in people to give positive responses, but they must beused sparingly. Used too often they appear pushy and irritating.

- Link questions:

eg "You say you would like the better model but you have a pricelimit. Have you thought about credit terms?"

Link questions are excellent for steering the discussion from one topic toanother while allowing the other person to do most of the talking.


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LISTENING

We probably all feel quite competent at listening to other

people. However, most `listening' is not really the reception of

ideas but just the bouncing of sound waves off the eardrums.All too often, the `noise' made does not penetrate properly in a

way that results in accurate meaning and intention. Listening is

much more intricate and complex than the physical process of

hearing. When we hear, we merely observe someone else's

thinking; when we listen, we think along with the speaker.

Hearing is passive; listening is active.


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LEVELS OF LISTENINGLEVELS OF LISTENING

NOT all listening occurs at the same level or requires the sameskill. We can listen at four different levels:

1. The first level involves making sense out of sound and

distinguishing words. It is more an "awareness", eg driving withthe radio on.

2. At the second level, understanding begins. The listenerconcentrates on what is being said, and differences in wordsand their meanings become significant.

3. The third level involves distinguishing fact from fancy and

so requires some analysis on the part of the listener. 4. The highest level, which requires the greatest amount of

skill and concentration, involves the added dimension ofempathy, enabling the listener to understand what is being saidfrom the SPEAKER's point of view.


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HOW TO LISTENHOW TO LISTEN Being a good listener is not easy. It requires patience, determination

and concentration but its value as a customer-care skill should not beunder-rated. It is not sufficient just to listen, you must demonstrate byevery means possible that you are involved and interested in the

discussion. Correct use of eyes, body, head and voice confirm to yourcustomer that, for the moment, he or she is a very important person.

Good listening requires practice but there are four simple rules we canfollow that will help us to master the difficult act of ACTIVE LISTENING.

- Avoid distractions: visual, oral or mental

- Look: maintain eye contact - Summarise: this demonstrates understanding

- Open mind: do not pre-judge

You will note that the initial letters spell ALSO. This reminds us thatgood communication is not just talking, it is ALSO LISTENING.


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NONNON--VERBAL COMMUNICATIONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

Only a small percentage of the information which we pass toother people is contained in the actual words we use. Scientistsclaim that the words we use ("verbal" behaviour) constitute only30% of the message, while the other 70% comes from how we

say it and what we do while we are saying it ("visual" behaviour).

Body language is a popular, current topic and most people areaware that the visual message we impart plays a major role incommunication. To this can be added our tone of voice or themanner in which we address people.

It follows from this that, when dealing with customers, we mustbe genuinely relaxed and caring. If we are not, then the visualsignals which we transmit could well overwhelm any soothingwords being used. It is no good assuring a customer that we aremainly concerned with attending to his needs when, at the same

time, we appear tense and are continually looking at our watch.


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BUILDING RAPPORTBUILDING RAPPORT

Good communication is the key to rapport. To achieve this we

must:

1. Listen actively: this generates empathy

2. Relax and smile: this demonstrates warmth and

concern

3. Remove barriers: breakdowns in communication can

still occur if any of these three types of barriers exist:

- Physical eg noise,distance,interruptions,

distractions

- Psychological eg nerves,prejudice, anger, tiredness,stress

- Semantic eg use of jargon or technical terms


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TECHNICAL BARRIERS TOTECHNICAL BARRIERS TO

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONSEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

1. Message sent Incorrectly

.

2. Message Received Incorrectly

3. Wrong Method of Transmission

4. Distractions

5. Too Many Links

6. Level of comprehension of the Receiver

"The palest ink is clearer than the best memory".

-Chinese Proverb


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PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS TOPSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS TO

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

1. MistakenAssumptions 2. Differences in Perception of the Sender and Receiver

of the Message

Common Perception Problems

(a) Stereotyping

Judging someone on the basis of the perception of the group to which

that person belongs is stereotyping. (b) Projection

Projection is the perceptual process by which we attribute our ownthoughts and feelings on to others.

(c) Halo And Horn Effect

It is a perceptual distortion based on assumption that if a person is

good at one thing he will be good at something else (H

alo effect) and ifa person is not good at one thing he probably will not be good atsomething else (Horn effect). It amounts to drawing a generalimpression about a person based on a single attribute.


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PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS TOPSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS TO

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

3. The Tendency to take communication for Granted 4 The tendency to evaluate before understanding

5. Defensiveness

6 Mind Wandering

7 Preoccupation

8. Lack of Trust

9. Semantic Barriers

Some words have very clear meaning and some words have much broader meaning whichleave a lot more room for different interpretations. The meaning is in people and not in

words. That is why we find ourselves either clarifying or apologizing by saying, "This is not

what I actually meant", or asserting that "You have not understand what I meant".

Never make a declarative statement as a fact and never accept it as a fact without

verifying.

10. Closed Mind Syndrome

11. Snap Judgments

Snap judgments are an uncontrolled immediate responses. Without weighing what was

said, we react immediately without thinking. It is a serious inter-personal communication

problem.

One must learn to control this instead of letting his emotions control him. One needs to slow

down and think before reacting.


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LISTENINGLISTENING Listening is an important component of effective communication. We probably all

feel quite competent at listening to other people. However, most `listening' isnot really the reception of ideas but just the bouncing of sound waves off theeardrums. All too often, the `noise' made does not penetrate properly in a waythat results in accurate meaning and intention.

Listening is a much more intricate and complex than the physical process ofhearing. When we hear, we merely observe someone else's thinking; when welisten, we think along with the speaker. Hearing is passive; listening is active.

Barriers to listening There are several barriers to active and effective listening.

Distraction - Loud music, an unexpected noise, physical discomfort and otherkinds of distractions can restrict your ability to attend to the signals being sent byyou.

Emotions - Emotions such as fear, anger, anxiety etc. are especially harmful to

the listening process because they prevent the objective evaluation of themessage and lead to distortion of the meaning.

Indifference - If you decide in advance that you will not be interested in whatwill be said, it will interfere with both the attending stage and the rememberingstep.


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BARRIERS TO LISTENINGBARRIERS TO LISTENING Wandering attention - Letting your thoughts wander will interfere not only with

the attending stage of listening but also with interpreting the meaning of theselected message.

Responsibilities of a Listener

In a communication situation, the sender and listener are equally responsible foreffective communication. Just as the sender must ensure that he has encoded

the message correctly and sent it over the right communication channels to thelistener, the listener also has some responsibilities.

y Think less about yourself, more about conversation & the other person.

y Respond actively e.g. by nodding etc.

y Be alert to what lies behind the other persons words. Use your eyes aswell as your ears.

y Maintain eye contact. y Use appropriate facial expressions.

y Adopt a relaxed stillness i.e. do not fidget unnecessarily.

y Adapt your listening style to the speaking style of the person you are inconversation with.


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The non-verbal behaviour of individuals is an important indicator of the

unconscious or unspoken feelings and thoughts of the persons involved

in the communication process.

Only a small percentage of the information, which we pass to other

people, is contained in the actual words we use.

The importance of non verbal communication is evident from the fact

that there is greater consensus among different nationals as to which

actions reflect what kind of feelings than the correspondence of the

words that are used to describe those actions.

Only a small percentage of the information, which we pass to other

people, is contained in the actual words we use. Scientists claim that

the words we use ("verbal" behaviour) constitute only 30% of the

message, while the other 70% come from how we say it and what wedo while we are saying it ("visual" behaviour).


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Facial expressions - Of all the non-verbal behaviours body movements,posture, gaze, proxemics, voice the face is perhaps the most commandingand complicated. In part the face is commanding because it is always visible,always providing some information. Our facial expressions say much more thanour words. We cannot expect others to listen to us if our words and expressionsdont match. Just by looking at someones expression we can know a lot abouthow a person is feeling. Sadness, joy, concern, caring, boredom, anger,frustration, irritation all show quite clearly on our face.

Apart from stereotypes there have also been claims for accurate informationabout personality traits, psychopathology and intelligence from facialexpressions.

It has been observed that people look at each other on an average 30 to 60 percent of the time. When two individuals look at each other, more than 60 percent of the time while talking and they are probably more interested in eachother than in what they are actually saying.

A shy person may avoid eye contact or at least minimise it whenever possible.However it may lead to un-intentional communication of doubt and falsehood inthe message.

The shape of the mouth and angle of the eyebrows are significant expression ofmoods and feelings. The face is the most expressive part of a person.


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GESTURESGESTURES With very few exceptions, people non-verbally communicate their inner feeling

openly. All of us have some gestures regularly like touching our face, biting outnails, using our hands in variety of ways etc. Some of these gestures add to theeffectiveness of our conversation. Each gesture is like a word in a language.They express several emotions.

Arms crossed across the chest, for instance, express defensiveness. It acts asa protective guard against an anticipated attack or a fixed position from whichthe individual would rather move on. Often when a listener holds this position heis communicating that he has withdrawn from the communication.

Crossing legs is a highly competitive posture. A hand to cheek gesture denotesinterest and attentiveness. Tilting of the head slightly towards something orsomeone indicates an interest in that thing or person. Rejection is expressed infolded arms, moving the body away, crossed legs, tilting the head backward,nose touching etc.

A person who is anxious to leave may turn his body towards the door, pointinghis feet in the direction. When in doubt a person may rub the side of his nose orear with the index finger. Clearing the throat, stuttering or stammering is a sign

of nervousness. In a stress situation people tend to fidget in their chair, bitetheir nails etc.

Boredom is indicated by tapping of the feet, fidgeting with the pen, droopingeyes etc.

These gestures should be brought to awareness and controlled as far aspossible.


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BODY LANGUAGEBODY LANGUAGE Physical appearance - We send and receive messages through

physical appearance. We come to conclusions about people based onfactors such as clothing, hairstyle, physical attractiveness etc.,

Touch - When communicating either as a sender or a receiver you

must remember that most people have been exposed to a variety of

communication patterns, both verbal and non-verbal therefore they may

not communicate as you do. Someone who has been exposed to

touch as a means of showing care and feeling will act differently from aperson who has not been exposed to this kind of physical expression.

Eye contact - Our communication has much more impact if we look

into the eyes of our listeners. In our society normally people look at

each other for approximately three to ten seconds.

Individual who dont look people in the eye are thought to be insincere,

shy or uncertain. And those who stare at others make them

uncomfortable.

Body movement - Body language is a popular, current topic and most

people are aware that the visual message we impart plays a major role

in communication. The way people walk, sit, gesture and even stand,

send non-verbal communication.


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Implementing Effective CommunicationImplementing Effective Communication

Breakdowns in Communication can be avoided by:

y Choosing the right environment y Using language appropriate to your audience

y Being balanced in your thinking

y Curtailing excessive use of humour

y Avoiding the usage of controversial language, examples, gestures

y Being empathetic

y Being a good listener y Not indulging in Cross Conversation

y Not arguing

y Not letting ego come in the way.


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CHECKLISTCHECKLISTBEHAVIOUR THAT DOES HELP

Lean forward with hands open, arms and legs uncrossed

Look at the other person for approximately 60% of the timeWhen listening, nod and make Im listening noises such as

mm, really?

Smile

Sit beside the other person or if this isnt possible, at a 90

degree angle to them

Use the other persons name early on in the transaction

Ask the other person open questionsSummarise back to the other person what you think they

have said

Say things that refer back to what the other person has said

Show empathy by saving you understand how the other

person feels and can see things from their point of view

When in agreement with the other person, openly say so and

why

Build on the other persons ideas

Be non-judgmental towards the other person

If you have to disagree with the other person, give the reason

first

Give the other person something, even if it is only a name

card

BEHAVIOUR THAT DOESNT HELP

Lean away with hands clenched, cross

Look at the other person for less than 50% of thetime

Listen silently with no continuity noises and/or

interrupt before the other person has had their say

Have a blank expression

Sit opposite the other person

Dont use the other persons name, or use it

artificially so that it jars

Dont ask questions, or ask closed questions

Offer no summaries, and dont check your

understanding

Stick rigidly to saying things that are routine and

standard

Dont acknowledge the other persons expressed

feelings or point of view

Acquiesce or never explicitly agree with the otherperson

Pick holes in the other persons ideas

Criticise the other person

Disagree first, then say why

Dont give the other person anything


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VISUAL BEHAVIOURVISUAL BEHAVIOUR

DO DONT

1. Eyes Maintain good eye contact (about two-thirds of the time).

Stare or look at the other person less than

half the time.

2. Expression Be warm, friendly, relaxed concerned(where necessary).

Look blank, superior or tense.

3. Head Nod to indicate listening. Slight

movement - to indicate interest.

Lower your head or tuck in your chin.

4. Arms & Hands Open your arms.

Use open-palmed gestures.

Fold your arms.

Clench your fists, steeple or tap your

fingers.

5. Stance Be relaxed; try to stand at about arms

length.

Hunch your shoulders or crowd the other

person.

6. Handshake When appropriate, shake hands with

genuine warmth and interest. Hold your

palm vertically.

Be a bone-crasher or a flounder, or offer

hand with palm downwards.

7. Physical Contact When appropriate it is not wrong to offer

a reassuring touch on the shoulder or arm.

Prolong physical contact or invade

someone elses personal space.

8. When sitting Position your chair to the side of the other

person at an open angle.

Sit directly opposite the other person.


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KEEP IT SIMPLEKEEP IT SIMPLE

KISS APPROACH

K-KEEP I-IT

S-SHORT

S-SIMPLE

1 in the not too distant future soon

2 in the event that ... if

3 prior to ... before

4 taking into consideration considering

5 not without considerable trouble with difficulty

6 in view of the fact that ... because, as

7 the ambient humidity conditions the humidity

8 approximately about 9 in such a fashion as to ensure ... so that

10 for reasons of a practical nature for practical reasons

11 adjacent to near, by


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KEEP I

TSIMPLE

KEEP I

TSIMPLE

12 in the work situation at work

13 in the interim period meanwhile, till then

14 remuneration pay

15 the expensive nature of the product the product's cost

16 the position in regard to the availability of ... the availability of

17 inform tell

18 will find it advisable to ... should, ought to

19 the least possible degree of ... minimum, least

20 an increase in pressure became apparentpressure went up

21 not by any means unknown well known

22 adopted measures to ... took steps to 23 in the present situation now, at present

24 manpower resources labour, workforce

25 a significantly higher level of production better production

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