RS and GIS Integration Course (GRS-60312)

Communication Skills part 1

Communication skills I

For all teamwork: IDV and ACT

In RS & GIS Integration Course

Objective: develop and train your professional skills

Ranging between team skills (self) reflection skills

Communication skills I

What could you expect of your future working situation?

Working in a project team: what does that mean?

● Formal: meeting skills, team functions, commissioner, …

● Group process: (give and receive) feedback, Rose of Leary,

negotiation

What and how can I learn from working in a project team?

● Reflection on group process and your role in this

● Formulate learning goals + looking back if and you achieved

them: expectation and reflection paper + individual meetings

What could you expect in your future working

situation?

Phd Junior consultant

source: www.magicmud.com

Three layers of communication

process

In a team:

Objectives

Results/deliverables

Facts & figures

Project

Structuring

Planning/deadlines

Work plan

Action points

Power

Interests

Beliefs

Secrets

Conflicts

content

procedure

Communication: content and relation

That’s indeed a very good point that you put forward!

On content level comment about quality of argument.

On relational level the sentence could have different meanings:

This could break the discussion open!

Good point, bad timing!

Good point, why didn’t I think of it.

Again one of those points, let’s move on.

…

How people communicate

Emotional message Business messages

Words 7 20

Voice language 38 35

Body language 55 45

Working in a project team: what does that mean?

Formal (content & procedure):

● meeting skills: purpose, planning, agenda, procedures, making decisions, brain storming

● team functions: chairing, writing minutes

● Commissioner: contact, getting information, keeping informed, negotiation

Process:

● (give and receive) feedback

● Roles: Rose of Leary and Belbin

● Negotiation

Leary’s Rose: a theory about human interaction

leading

aggressive

compe-

titive

helping

co-operative

dependent withdrawn

defiant

opposed

below

together

above

Teamwork in Agile era

Model: Tuckman's stages of group development

Feedback rules

Self-assess first (“How do you think that it went?”)

Distinguish your observation (what you see and hear) and your interpretation (what it means for you)

Be specific (do not generalize) in your feedback

Be positive (what was good and what can be improved?)

Feedback is a means to help you to improve your communication skills!

Feedback

NOT: You were very nervous

Instead:

(facts): I found your speed of speaking very high

(interpretation): That made me think that you were nervous and also that what you were saying must not be so important.

(effect): The effect on me was that I had difficulty understanding what you were saying and staying interested.

Example written feedback (review documents)

Condities>Feedbackfragment

A:Evaluativejudgment

B:Suggestionforimprovement

C:Explanation

D:Theory

Nicework.YoustartwiththeDemingCircletosupporttheprocesses.YoucouldalsousetheeightstepsofKotter.http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_82.htmGoodluckfinishingup!p.s.Kotterhelpsyoutoimplementchangessuccessfully.

X X X X

REFLECTION

What and how can I learn from working in a project team? What can I learn from working in a project team?

What can I learn from working in a project team?

Reflection on group process and your role in this

Formulate learning goals + looking back if and you achieved them

Expectation and reflection paper + individual meetings with your coach

Reflection

Like looking in the mirror: how do I function in …

Helps to become more aware of how you act and maybe how to discover what your ideal way of learning is

You are your own mirror!

Personal reflection

1st person: world from own perspective: others are object without own point of view

2nd person: others have their own perspective, more interpretations of certain situation

3rd person: you can look from a distance to your own interactions with other people

Schematic view of different aspects of a person

Reflective learning cycle

Formulate learning

goals

Reflective learning in RGIC

Coach: group meetings + personal interviews

Self assessment dossier:

Application letter: motivation project choice + CV

Expectation paper: self-assessment + learning goals

Reflection paper: reflection on outcomes and progress

Once in a lifetime experience!

Try to find a balance

Formulate personal learning goals

Think about experiences so far: both strong and weak points

Formulate what you want to learn

Formulate your goals positively

Goals can be formulated at different levels: knowledge, skills, attitude

Indicate the way you want to achieve your goals: formulate specific activities

Indicate at which level you are now and what level you want to achieve

Formulate personal learning goals: example

Who has already thought about it?

Formulate personal learning goals: examples

“I want to know more about accepted negotiating strategies in a professional context”.

“I want to learn and practice to be a chairperson in a decision making meeting”.

“I want to feel more confident during a meeting”:

● having sufficient knowledge about the topic of the meeting

● putting my potential input on paper on beforehand

● active interventions during a meeting

● trying to realize why I feel so nervous and by doing this, try to overcome the nerves

● communicating to the meeting that I have this problem of nervousness and asking them to assist me in one way or the other

Formulate personal learning goals: inspiration

“I” domain mainly: Keeping of appointments; Listening;

Pro-active approach to process coaching and reflective

learning; Self reflection; Accepting and using feedback; Pro-

active execution of assigned team function (controller,

member, manager, secretary); Pro-active execution of team

tasks;

“I-We” domain mainly: Quality of oral feedback on group

process; Collaboration; Persuasion; Application of Belbin

team role model to a project team; Commitment to the

group; Stimulation; Communication within the group;

“I-It” domain mainly: Pro-active approach to content

coaching; Output orientation; Flexibility in approach to the

project; Contribution during discussions on the basis of own

disciplinary background;

Formulate personal learning goals: inspiration

“I-We-IT” domain mainly: Approach to procedural side of team work; Quality of oral feedback on products; Quality of written feedback on products

“It” domain mainly: Academic attitude in contribution to report; Written contribution on the basis of own disciplinary background; Commitment to the product; Commitment to the commissioner; Ability to separate means and goals while executing a project proposal; Ability to compile and select relevant information; Ability to integrate contribution with total project perspective; Contribution to written presentation of product(s) (lay-out)

“We” domain mainly: Team roles, Team thinking

“We-It” domain mainly: Academic attitude/contribution in discussions; Quality of written feedback on group process; Communication with external people; Cross disciplinary contribution to report; Cross disciplinary contribution in discussions

Formulate personal learning goals: level

Concept: rubrics

Prepare expectation paper

Deadline: Friday May 19 end of the day

Send your paper to coach of your project team

Appointment in week 2

Instructions: see course website

Assignment Learning goals (20 minutes)

Groups of 2

Everybody is preparing 2 learning goals for him/herself for 2 different levels

Discuss the learning goals together: why, do they agree with stated rules, are they realistic

Summary

ACT: next to content also process is a learning outcome

Try to build in ‘reflection moments’:

● Make short notes after meetings

● During team meetings

Read background material CS

Communication skills II

Team roles

Core qualities

Mutual assessment

This afternoon:

meet your coach