Communication

Communication: Definition

Communication– act of “imparting information” for the purpose of “evoking understanding”

Why Communication…

• to express our emotions• achieve joint understanding• to get things done• pass on and obtain information• reach decisions• develop relationships

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Communication is the process of sending and receiving information among people

• A minimum of two people is required to make a connection: a sender and a receiver

ReceiverSender

SenderReceiver

Communication : The Flow

Sender ReceiverMessage

Feedback

Channel

Perception

DeliveryFormulating

Response

Understanding

Communication

Sender Receiver

Distortion

Feedback

All messages do not reach the receiver due to “ distortion”

Personal Barriers

• Your style and character (rude, polite, shy, outspoken)

• Preparation & presentation

• Lack of clarity (pronunciation, pitch, etc.)

• Lack of credibility

• Timing

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION CAUSES FOR DISTORTION

BARRIERSTO COMMUNICATION

Organisational Barriers

• Culture

• Environment

• Size & structure

• Pace of activity

Process Barriers

• Channel/Medium

• Irrelevant Information loading

• Lack of Response or Feedback

• Inappropriate Questions

BARRIERSTO COMMUNICATION

OVERCOMING COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

•Constrain Emotions

•Watch Verbal Cues

•Use feedback

•Simplify language

•Listen actively

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

AUDIAL--listening VISUAL

BODY LANGUAGEVERBAL

COMMUNICATION

NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION

AUDIO– LISTENING

• This is to make an effort to hear something; attentively hear a person speaking;

• Take notice of• Respond to advice or request of the person

expressing it.

A study revealed that 7 out of 10 minutes awake are spent in some form of communication activity

Listening – why is it important?

Listening

Speaking

Reading

Writing

Ord

er in

wh

ich

we lea

rnO

rde

r in

wh

ich

we

are

ta

ug

ht

9%

45%

30%

16%

Objective of Listening is…

–to receive information –to understand effectively–to enhance clarity–to empathize

GUIDELINES FOR EFFCETIVE LISTENING

•Be prepared to listen

•Be interested

•Keep an open mind

•Listen for the main

ideas

•Listen critically

•Resist Distraction

•Take notes

•Help the speaker

THE DONT’S OF LISTENING

•Don’t listen without looking•Don’t interrupt the speaker•Don’t allow distractions•Don’t appear judgmental•Don’t look bored•Don’t yawn during a meeting or conversation

• The Listener keeps looking at the speaker

• The Listener’s body is in ‘open’ position

• The listener is smiling with a pleasant & encouraging expression

• Listener looks relaxed but alert, neither tense nor slouching

• Listener utters humming sounds

WHAT LISTENING LOOKS LIKE...

OBSERVATION

• It means “ to perceive, to note, to take notice; become conscious of; watch carefully’.

• It is closely related to listening and they are inseparable in their communication functions

• You can’t be an active listener without being a good observer of people and your environment.

• 7% of communication systems are verbal and 93% are non verbal

Q & A

Question and Answer Session

BODY LANGUAGE

Facial ExpressionsGesturesPosture

Body Language…

Frustration

Clearing throat, "whew" sound,

Whistling, smoking, pinching flesh

covering mouth, jiggling money or keys, tugging ears, wringing hands.

Short breaths, "tsk" sound,

tightly clenched hands,

wringing hands, Fist like gestures

pointing index finger

rubbing hand through hair

rubbing back of neck.

Nervousness

Body Language…

Defensiveness

Open hands, unbuttoned coat

Arms crossed, sideways glance, touching-rubbing nose, rubbing eyes, buttoned coat, drawing away

Openness

InsecurityPinching flesh, chewing pen,

thumb over thumb, biting fingernail

Body Language…

Confidence

Cooperation

Upper body in sprinter's position, open hands, sitting on edge of chair, hand to face gestures, unbuttoning coat.

Steepled hands, hands behind back, back stiffened, hands in coat pockets with

thumb out, hands on tapels of coat

SPEAKING SKILLS

VERBAL SKILLS

SPEAKING…

“A wise man reflects before He speaks;

a fool speaks, and then reflects on what he has uttered.”

•- French Proverb.

WHILE SPEAKING

•Speak with confidence.•Remain calm and courteous.

•Speak with a logical sequence.

•Learn to be comfortable in front of others.

•Rephrase to ensure clarity.

SPEAK EFFECTIVELY

Be generous with praise. Be friendly and cordial. Call people by name. Paraphrase questions you are asked to

make meanings clear. Vary your tone, pace, and volume to keep

others interested.

TO SPEAK EFFECTIVELY---

Don’t

Threaten.

Become angry.

Swear.

Lose your poise.

Take things personally.

FEEDBACK

Art of giving efficient and useful response to an information given or actions taken.

It can be through written or oral communication or both

One must always know why you want to give feedback or receive it as communication is always Result Oriented

EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK

• Must be constructive, reinforcing and redirectional.

• Must be believable. • Must be multidirectional

• Must be supportive

• Must be continual

• Should never be delayed

A Planning Form for Constructive Feedback

Answer these questions:

What is your purpose in giving the feedback What specific actions do you want to reinforce or

correct? What are the consequences of the action? What do you want to accomplish in this

discussion What specific information do you need to learn;

What questions do you need answered What issues of timing, location, advance

preparation, or other logistics do you need to consider to get the most out of the discussion

Effective Communication

Focus the discussion on the information needed

Use closed ended questions to prompt for specifics…..

KEY TECHNIQUES

Use open-ended questions to expand the discussion

Effective Communication

KEY TECHNIQUES

Encourage dialogue through eye contact and expression

State your understanding of what you are hearing

Summarize the key points

EXERCISE---

KNOW YOUR COMMUNICATION STYLE

Thank you .