Chapter 10: Communication

10

CommunicationCommunication

C H A P T E R

Session Outline

• The importance of communication

• The communication process

• Sending messages effectively

• Receiving messages effectively

• Breakdowns in communication

• Confrontation

• Constructive criticism

The Importance of Communication

• You can communicate without motivating but it is impossible to motivate without communicating. –John Thompson, former Georgetown University men’s basketball coach.

• It is not what you tell them—it’s what they hear. –Red Auerbach, former Boston Celtics championship coach.

(continued)

The Importance of Communication (continued)

• Good communication skills are a critical ingredient contributing to performance enhancement.

• Not only do good communication skills contribute to performance enhancement but they also play a key role in achieving the personal growth of sport and exercise participants.

Communication Keys

• Communication is used for many purposes: Persuasion, evaluation, information, motivation, and problem solving.

• All communication contains content (what is said) as well as relational (how we felt about the person’s message) information.

Types of Communication

• Interpersonal communication (at least two people in a meaningful exchange)

• Nonverbal communication

• Intrapersonal communication (self-talk, the communication we have with ourselves)

Figure 10.1

Strategies for Improving Communication

• Convey rationales.• Express empathy, not sympathy.• Use a communication style that is

comfortable for you.• Learn how to become more empathetic by

placing yourself in the shoes of your athletes or students.

(continued)

Strategies for Improving Communication (continued)

• Use the positive approach when communicating.

• Always acknowledge the greetings of others.  

• Have an open-door policy for your students and athletes.

• Be consistent in administering discipline.

Sending Messages Effectively

• Make verbal messages clear and concise.

• Pick the right time and place to deliver verbal messages.

• Enhance trust with the person receiving the message to ensure verbal messages are appropriately interpreted.

(continued)

Sending Messages Effectively (continued)

• Physical appearance, posture, and gestures are important components of nonverbal messages.

• Do not underestimate the importance of nonverbal communication– 50 to 70% of all communication is nonverbal.

– Nonverbal messages are harder to hide.

– Nonverbal messages are powerful.(continued)

Sending Messages Effectively (continued)

• Considerations for nonverbal components of messages: Body position, touching, facial expression, and voice characteristics.

• Be direct.

• Own your message.

• Be complete and specific.

• Be clear and consistent.(continued)

Sending Messages Effectively (continued)

• State your needs and feelings clearly.

• Separate fact from fiction.

• Focus on one thing at a time.

• Deliver messages immediately.

• Avoid hidden agendas.

• Be supportive.(continued)

Sending Messages Effectively (continued)

• Be consistent with your nonverbal messages.

• Reinforce with repetition.

• Make messages appropriate to the receiver’s frame of reference.

• Look for feedback that your message was accurately interpreted.

Components of Teacher–Coach–Leader

Communication• Confirming behaviors: Signal endorsement,

recognition, and acknowledgment to receiver.

• Clarity behaviors: How clearly the receiver perceives the teacher, leader, or coach.

Receiving Messages Effectively

• Active listening: Ask questions, paraphrase, attend to main and supporting ideas, acknowledge and respond, give appropriate feedback, and pay attention to the speaker’s total communication (verbal and nonverbal).

• Keys to active listening: Mentally prepare to listen, don’t mistake hearing for listening, paraphrase what the speaker said.

(continued)

Receiving Messages Effectively (continued)

• Supportive listening: Communicate that you are with the speaker and value his or her messages.

• Keys to supportive listening:– Use supportive behaviors as you listen.

– Use confirming behaviors as you listen.

– Use both verbal and nonverbal listening behaviors.

(continued)

Receiving Messages Effectively (continued)

• Aware listening: Realize that people react individually or differently to the way you communicate.

• Tips for aware listening:– Be flexible.

– Be alert for barriers and breakdowns in communication.

(continued)

Receiving Messages Effectively (continued)

• Empathy is a person’s ability to perceive, recognize, and understand the feelings, behaviors, intentions, and attitudes of others; empathy is an important prerequisite to effective communication.

• Concerted efforts to get to know athletes, view them in social situations, and seek feedback from them about what they are thinking and feeling are important.

(continued)

Receiving Messages Effectively (continued)

• The importance of care: The more an athlete, exerciser, or student feels that the individuals who teach and mentor them care, the better the communication will be.

• Create a caring climate is a situation that is perceived as interpersonally inviting, safe, supportive, and capable of providing the experience of being valued and respected.

Breakdowns in Communication

• Sender failures: Poorly transmitted messages (ambiguity, inconsistency)

• Receiver failures: Failure to listen carefully (misinterpretation)

Barriers to Effective Communication

• Receiver not paying attention to the sender

• Lack of trust between the individuals attempting to communicate

• Differences in socialization and heredity, causing misinterpretations between the sender and receiver

• Differences in the mental set or perception between people

(continued)

Barriers to Effective Communication (continued)

• Embarrassment (creates interference)

• Tendency to tell people what they want to hear

• Difficulties in expression or reluctance to communicate

• Belief that silence is safer

• Inconsistency between actions and words

Benefits of Communication Training

• Improved team morale

• Better cohesion

• Enhanced performance

Athletes’ Guidelines for Improving Communication

• Don’t interrupt.

• Confront issues right away.

• Don’t make assumptions about what others are thinking.

• Ask for help from teammates.

• Voice opinions to those who intimidate you.

• Make eye contact when communicating.

Confrontation

• Confrontation– Although confrontation (a face-to-face discussion

among people in conflict) is often seen as negative, when properly used it is a part of effective communication.

– Communication training can increase one’s effectiveness in confrontation.

When to Use (or Avoid) Confrontation

• Don’t confront someone when you are angry.

• Do confront someone when you are in control, can express your feelings constructively, and have a well-thought-out reason for doing so.

Key Points in Knowing How to Confront

• All parties’ needs are legitimate and must be attended to.

• There are enough resources to meet all needs.

• Within every individual lies untapped power and capacity, and people in conflict know what they need.

(continued)

Key Points in Knowing How to Confront (continued)

• Process is as important as content because it provides direction and focus.

• Everyone is right from his or her own perspective.

• Solutions and resolutions are temporary states of balance and are not absolute or timeless.

Dos and Don’ts of Confronting

• Do convey that you value your relationship with the person.

• Do go slowly and think about what you want to communicate.

• Do try to understand the other person’s position.

• Do listen carefully to what the other person is trying to communicate.

(continued)

Dos and Don’ts of Confronting (continued)

• Don’t communicate the solution. Rather, focus on the problem.

• Don’t stop communicating.

• Don’t use put-downs.

• Don’t rely on nonverbal hints to communicate your thoughts.

Key Factors Involved in the Coach–Athlete Relationship

• Closeness is the emotional tone that coaches and athletes experience. Terms such as liking, trust, and respect indicate the level of closeness.

• Co-orientation is a common frame of reference, namely shared goals, values, and expectation. Open communication facilitates the development of co-orientation.

(continued)

Key Factors Involved in the Coach–Athlete Relationship

(continued)• Complementarity: Interactions in which the

coach and athlete are engaged. This reflects coaches’ and athletes’ acts of cooperation.

The Sandwich Approach to Constructive Criticism

• A positive statement

• A future-oriented instruction

• A compliment

Examples of the Sandwich Approach

• Positive statement: “Sally, you are really working hard out there.”

• Future-oriented statement: “Next time try to slow down and not get ahead of the music.”

• Compliment: “You’re getting there; keep up the good work.”

Steps of Constructive Criticism

• Describe your feelings and take responsibility for your emotions.

• Describe your thoughts about the action or event that concerned you.

• Describe the tangible reason why the behavior affects you.

• Describe what you want done.