Effective Communication

Tamara Thomas, Assistant DirectorStanislaus County

Department of Child Support Services

October 2010

Overview■Introduction of Topic■Basic Communication Model■Understand the Impact of Nonverbal

Communication■Learn How to Listen Effectively■Communication Tools■Communication Network■Identify Various Learning Styles■Identify Various Communication Styles■Workplace Communication

Good Communicator

■Think of someone you know who is a good communicator.

■What makes them a good communicator?

■What traits do they display?

Different Meanings■Communication can be both a thing

✷ Letter✷ Email✷ Fax

■Communication can be a process✷ Something you send✷ Something you get

Ways we rely on communication...■Making phone

calls■Returning

phone calls■Sending emails■Responding to

emails■Writing Memos■Writing Reports

■Writing Agenda Items

■Attending meetings

■Talking with co-workers and customers

■Making presentations

How Much Time…

■How much of your work day do most employees spend in some form of communication?

VolunteerActivity

Miscommunication

■Attempts at communicating can create:

✷ Confusion✷ Misunderstanding

■Problems can occur with one-way communication

One-Way Communication

What is communication?

■The process by which information is transmitted and understood between two or more people, usually with the intent to motivate or influence behavior

Communication Model

Sender – Message encoded

Receiver - Message decoded

Feedback decoded

Feedback encoded

Channel - message

Channel - feedback

Noise

Communication Model

Huh?

Message

Blah, blah, blah, blah…

Communication Barriers■ Perceptions—Determines what messages we

select or screen out

■ Filtering—Some messages are filtered or stopped altogether on their way up or down the organizational hierarchy

■ Jargon—Technical language, acronyms, and words with specialized meaning in certain departments

■ Ambiguity—Using words that convey fuzzy meanings such as a lot, often, sometimes can result in communication failure

Communication Out—Sending

■What you say—Clear and concise

■How you say it✷ Tone✷ Body language

■What they hear—Confirm understanding

Communication Influences

■Verbal—7% influence on message

■Nonverbal—93% influence on message!

✷ 38% vocal tone✷ 55% facial expressions

Non-Verbal Cues■Even in face-to-face meetings, most

information is communicated non-verbally

■Non-verbal cues are typically unconscious

■We receive more formal training on how to understand spoken words as opposed to understanding non-verbal signals

■Non-verbal cues are more ambiguous and more susceptible to misinterpretation

Communication In—Receiving■Developing active listening skills is

important for you to be successful

■Active listening improves relationships between co-workers and customers

■It also increases efficiency and productivity through teamwork

■Listening also helps the organization by learning the needs of our customers

Listening and Understanding■Building rapport is achieved by:

✷ Listening to the message✷ Understanding the message

■Listening is as important as talking

■Listening also requires more effort than most of us realize

■Ways to acknowledge understanding

Effective Listening1. Respect for the speaker—be open minded

2. Attention to the speaker—requires focus on the content and eliminating distractions

3. Appropriate body language—maintain eye contact, lean forward, nod

4. Interaction with the speaker—repeat what you hear to verify your understanding

Listening TechniquesLISTENING BEHAVIOR EXAMPLES

Neutral Response I see…That is interesting…

Restatement As I understand it, your plan is…

Questioning Could you explain more about…Do you mean that…

Summarizing These are the key ideas you have expressed…

Reflection So, you are saying that you feel…

Ineffective Listening Behavior• Interrupting the speaker• Completing the speakers sentences• Creating distraction• Daydreaming• Reacting emotionally• Making assumptions about the speaker • Being close-minded• Faking attention• Thinking of one's own response• Jumping to conclusions

Goal of communication?

■U N D E R S T A N D I N G

✷ I want to hear what you have to say

✷ I want to know what you think✷ I want to understand the issues

through your eyes

Quote■“It is a luxury to be understood.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

■“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.”

Ernest Hemmingway

■“The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.”

Peter F. Drucker

Communication Tools

Communication Tools■ Fax■ E-mail■ Phone■ Voice mail■ Face-to-face■ Computer conference■ Bulletin boards■ Group/staff meetings■ Text/instant

messaging

■ Formal presentations■ Web page■ Hotlines (PD, Help

Desk)■ Audio and videotapes■ Videoconference■ Teleconference■ Pager■ PowerPoint■ Facebook■ Twitter

Effective Messages1. Determine the message—what do you want

them to know?

2. Prepare the message—target the message to your audience

3. Deliver the message—tell people how they can benefit from listening to your message

4. Confirm the message—confirm your audience received the message you intended

Designing Clear Messages“Effective immediately, all employees must take their breaks, for that matter a morning and afternoon break. There have been numerous complaints coming from managers, supervisors and employees about employees not taking their breaks and where they take their breaks. Breaks are required and this is negatively affecting morale and productivity, and is a violation of the law as well. From here on out, if anyone doesn’t take their break this could result in disciplinary action up through and including the possibility of termination of their employment.”

Communication Networks

Formal Networks■Follows organizational structure

defined by organizational charts

■Formal communication flows within the chain of command as defined by the organization

Informal Networks■A communication channel that exists

outside formally authorized channels without regard for the organization’s hierarchy

■Coexists with formal communications but may skip hierarchical levels

■Can cut across vertical chains of command to connect virtually anyone in the organization

Informal■Importance of the grapevine

■Grapevine participants

■Pitfalls of the grapevine

■How can management control the grapevine?

Learning Styles Inventory

Learning Style One—Imaginative Learners

■These are your people, people

■They will talk your ear off

■Like to express their beliefs, feelings, and opinions

■They like cooperative activities, discussions and meetings

Learning Style Two—Analytic Learners ■ They are really good at thinking things

through

■ Deal in facts and right answers

■ They like complex problems

■ They are organized, sequential, and orderly

■ They wish the 1s in the room would shut up so they can think

Learning Style Three—Common Sense Learners

■They are fascinated by how things work■They have a hands-on approach■Focus on the practical application of new

information■Want ideas to be clear, understandable, and

useful■They get their work done expediently■Many of the conveniences of modern

civilization have been created by 3s who were trying to solve practical everyday problems

Learning Style Four—Dynamic Learners

■They are comfortable with change■They are great innovators■They are not afraid to be in charge of

others ■Act on intuition and hunches■Love to try new things—risk takers ■Trust the world of their own

experiences more than they trust the world of theory

Learning Styles Influence Communication Styles

Communication Styles

2FACTS

3ACTION

4IDEAS

MORE DIRECT

LESS EMOTIONAL

MORE EMOTIONAL

LESS DIRECT

1RELATIONSHIPS

Modify Communication…■One style does not fit all! ■You need to modify your communication style and

approach depending on the preferences of the person you are communicating with

■Some prefer a quick and straightforward approach

■Others prefer a more casual pace and less assertive words

■Some prefer revealing emotion or feelings, others prefer not to let them be known

Communication Styles■Maybe the person you thought was difficult to

communicate with isn’t difficult at all…just a different style than you

■Important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each communication style

■Just as it is important to recognize different ways of learning, it is also important to understand and value each communication style so we can become more efficient communicators

Communication Strategy

■“If there is any great success in life, it lies in the ability to put yourself in the other person’s place and to see things from his point of view—as well as your own.”

Henry Ford

Workplace Communication

Styles of Communication

Respectful Disrespectful

Descriptive CriticalShowing regard Showing disregardConnected Disconnected

Communication Goals

■Solve the communication problem

■Strengthen the work relationship

■Improve your Interpersonal Skills

Why Improved Interpersonal Skills?

■It is the one predominant skill people are least prepared to tackle

■It is the least practiced skill■It is one of the most feared skills of

people■Deficits in this area almost always

lead to other performance concerns that affect efficiency and effectiveness

The Need for Improved Interpersonal Skills

■Assume Positive Intent■Deliver the Message■Stay Focused and Not

Defensive■It’s Not Personal■Choose the Correct

Language

Turn Conflict into Conversation■Affective Conflict

✷ Poorer Decisions✷ Decreased

Commitment✷ Decreased

Cohesiveness✷ Decreased

Empathy✷ Reduced Progress

■Cognitive Conflict✷ Better Decisions✷ Increased

Commitment✷ Increased

Cohesiveness✷ Increased Empathy✷ Increased

Understanding

• Make time to discuss the situation

• Explore differences

• Encourage respect

• Take personal responsibility to help resolve issues

How can we all get along?

Closing■Steven Covey wrote:

✷ “In the last analysis, what we are communicates far more eloquently than anything we say or do.”

Questions?

Evaluation Sheet

Thank you for attending!