The Importance
of Communicat
ion Skills
Humans are social animals.
Whenever we are in the company of others, we are communicating...
Why are communication skills important?
They improve relationshipsDevelops respectDevelops empathy for othersAllows us to function more effectively in social situationsHelps us to succeed in life (school, work, etc)
How do humans communicate? a) Verbal: Language &noise and soundsb) Non-verbal:
• Written word•Body Language:
•Eye contact•Haptics (touch)•Proxemics (proximity to each other)•Kinesics (all human behaviour except touch)•Symbols•Gestures & posture
Continued...
• Tone/pitch/tempo
• Posture: Eg. Tapping foot, slumped, upright
• Expression: crying, excited, fear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRZqRjxkHpk
Paul Ekman’s Experiment
• Humans everywhere use similar expressions to demonstrate 6 basic emotions
• Fear• Anger• Disgust • Sadness• Surprise• Happiness
Overcoming Barriers to
Communication
What are some of the barriers?
• Noise pollution• People do not always share the
same vocabulary/dialect/language• Jargon, Slang, Acronyms, “Legal-
eze”• No feedback (one-way versus two-
way)• Interpretation of non-verbal
communication• Perception• Fear: an inability to speak, or fear
of repercussions
• Humans do use symbols in much of their communications. Experts say that humans differ from animals because they learn based on a series of learned symbols/responses and not from instinct.
• However, 90% of human communication is non-verbal. Humans have their own series of learned signals which represent meaning to communicate to others.
Feedback is essential to effective communication!!
“The Power of the Face”(Learn 360 clip, 5 mins)