Effective Communication By Bhag Chand Jat

n o i t a c i n u m m o C e v i t c e Eff s l l i k S

By. Bh ag

Chand Jat

Why… Some

people appear to be smarter than others? Some people seem to be more effective than others? Some people seem to be more popular than others?

BECAUSE THEY ARE BETTER INFORMED!!! One

who is more informed is….

A few steps ahead of the others Better prepared More in command Better at Communication

What is communication? To

‘communicare’ – Latin word – to participate, share or make common Sharing of ideas, feelings and thoughts …AND INFORMATION! Process by which meanings are exchanged between people through the use of a common set of symbols.

How do we communicate? THOUGHT/ INFORMATION

THOUGHT/ INFORMATION

CODING

DECODING

LANGUAGE

RECIEVING

Types of communication

Why communication is important? Exchange

of ideas/information To understand each other Social role of communication In professional life, invariably, a person who is a better communicator is more successful!

Do we have adequate communication skills? Do

I know how to write a formal letter / an application /a complaint letter? Do I know how to face an interview? Can I express my views/ideas briefly but clearly? Do I have a satisfactory vocabulary? Am I aware of my body language? Am I a good listener?

A good communicator….. Good

expression ability – good vocabulary Command over language – correct grammar Clear, understandable pronunciation Correct, compatible body language Good listening skills

What will happen if the communication skills are poor? The

police station was right by the bank. What bank? River bank / commercial bank? The chicken is too hot to eat Who is eating? You / chicken? Visiting relatives can be a nuisance What is a nuisance? Relatives? Or visiting them?

Communication skills Clarity

of purpose The importance of planning – without losing the spontaneity Communication – essentially a group activity Keeping it simple – avoiding complications Focusing on the needs of the reader / listener

Communication skills – contd. Active

listening Controlling emotions Being polite – humble is not weak Eliminating noise and clarifying assumptions – don’t assume; if you do, let it be known Avoiding connotations (indicative forms of speech) Conciseness – keeping it short

The importance of feedback Using

feedback – Example : the boy who wanted a lawn mower’s job

n o i t a n c e i t n it u r W mm co

Principles of good written communication What

is good? – One that LOOKS good Mental association of good looks with quality and superiority Classy appearance commands respect – e.g. good handwriting – poor looks may put off the reader Professionalism – handwritten letter vs. typed one, good stationary, good print quality

Contents of business communication Should

make interesting reading

Legible Carefully

planned – logical presentation of ideas Easily understandable – no cryptic clues, no beating about the bush One sentence / paragraph – one subject

Contents of business communication – contd. Emphasis

on important topics – avoiding negatives, using active voice, proper arrangement of words Using BOLD letters, underlining important words, using italics 4 ‘c’s of communication – content, context, clarity, coherence

Contents of business communication – contd Attitude

of the reader Correct use of language – grammar and punctuation – grammar check and spell-check Importance of practicing and editing

Letter writing LETTERHEAD Date / Ref.No. Inside address Attn: Mr./Miss/Mrs.... Salutation (Dear Sir/Madam/ Name) Avoid impersonal ‘To whomsoever it may concern’ Subject Body of the letter Complementary close

Contents of business communication – contd Complimentary

close : Sincerely yours, Yours faithfully, Yours truly etc. Only the first letter to be capitalized, followed by a comma Signature : Sign in between the complimentary close and your typed name. put Miss / Mrs. If you want to make your marital state clear – does not matter

Contents of business communication – contd End

notations: cc, a/a etc. Initials of the writer in capitals followed by a colon and initials of the typist in a lower case BSNL:rf Covering letter and following pages – use of letterhead only for covering letter and continuation sheets for following pages

Things to avoid Too

crowded letter – not enough white space Improper page layout Lack of general neatness and professional look Lack of proper business format Lack of a proper connection between job requirements and qualifications

Things to avoid Overconfident

tone Lack of balance between brevity and details Too general – lack of specifics Grammatical and spelling mistakes

Importance of oral communication Only

human beings are capable of using words – importance of speech – its use and misuse Formal and informal communication – the need for ‘small talk’ – formal presentations – meetings and group discussions

Oral communication Dyadic

communication – one to

one Presentation Group discussion Meeting Telephonic communication

Body Language –what is it? We communicate the least with Words Not convinced? Close your eyes while talking to someone!

Tips for a better body language - I Eyes

: Maintain an easy, even eye contact Posture : Open, relaxed posture, free hand movements – No Crosses! Distance from others: Social, close and intimate zones Smile: As often as you can!

Tips for a better body language - II Handshake

: Firm but not knuckle grinding – Be aware of the ‘dead fish’ handshake Proper body pointers Warm, confident tone – not overaggressive

Things to avoid Clumsy

entry, drooping shoulders, unsteady eyes Crossed, closed posture Touching parts of your face, rubbing of eyes Tapping of foot Pointing a finger

Facial expressions

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An e ssen tial a rt!

What is listening? Process

of receiving, interpreting and reacting to the messages received from the communication sender Poor listening – major barrier in communication Hearing and listening – selective listening

Effective listening in business communication An

average manager spends 50% of his communication time in listening Importance of listening in understanding and co-ordination Listening and open door policy Constructive suggestions, harmony and cohesion, increased morale and togetherness

Listening I People

retain only one fourth of what they hear after four days Listening is more difficult than speaking The importance of silence – half consent or to avoid saying ‘no’ The importance of silence in working atmosphere – generally quiet but open to talk when needed

Listening II Silence

to suppress anger - cool outside, fuming inside! Too quiet people – alarming – is there a storm brewing? Someone abnormally quiet in a meeting – mind elsewhere A candidate’s silence in an interview or GD - ignorance

Listening III Fine

balance between speaking and listening Often, a person who talks too much is more annoying than one who talks very little Ability to maintain silence – to keep a secret – importance in professional and personal life

How to be a good listener?  Stop

talking, sit up and listen.  Put the talker to ease  Show the talker that you want to listen  Remove distractions  Empathize with the talker  Be patient  Hold your temper  Avoid argument and criticism  Ask questions  STOP TALKING!!!

How do develop the listening skills? -I Listen

to a speech and write down its summery – helps in concentrating Learn to pay attention to the nonverbal signs Learn to be attentive towards a message that may NOT be to your advantage Mental discipline – keeping your mind alert by anticipating the next point

How do develop the listening skills? -II Ability

to focus on the central

ides. Not jumping at conclusions Listening to complaints – no phone calls, tapping on the table or shuffling of papers The importance of being ‘genuine’ and not ‘phony’

Telephone etiquette Very

useful channel for quick communication. Major disadvantage- exclusive dependence on voice – no support of non-verbal language except tone Teleconferencing and videoconferencing – savings on time and money

General preparations Know

your phone (instrument) Pen and pad ready next to the phone Keep distracters out – Closing eyes? Standing up? Gestures? Find out how you sound on the phone – volume – mouthpiece too close? Too far? Need a hands free phone?

General preparations – contd. 

Cultivate a lively telephone voice- resist the tendency to talk fast  Do not eat, drink, smoke or read while talking on the phone  Be extra careful while talking to foreigners – he may not be aware of the common short forms  Be considerate – put an end to your conversation!  Adopt an efficient way of giving names and numbers

How to make a call - I Ask

yourself if it is the right time to call Refrain from calling at home, unless absolutely required Ask yourself why you want to make the call - can it be done via an e-mail? List down the points you want to make Keep at hand all the documents related to the call

How to make a call - II Mentally

draft a brief message for the person you are calling Dial the number yourself, if possible When someone answers your call, offer greetings and identify yourself Apologize if you get through to a wrong number When you get to the right person, check if it is the right time.

How to make a call - III Tell

them what you want as clearly and as briefly as possible Re-dial if the line gets cut off When the call is over, thank the person you have spoken to After the call, complete your notes

How to answer a call Don’t

let the phone ring more than two or three times – indicates gross inefficiency Greet and identify yourself as soon as you pick up the phone – especially if you are talking from someone else’s office / extension Do not allow the phone to interrupt a meeting or something equally important.

How to answer a callcontd. If

someone else can handle the call better than you, transfer the call to her If the person the caller wants is not available, offer a return call Take notes as you listen If you are taking a message for someone else, write it down

Handling mobile phones Switch

off mobile phone when - in a meeting - driving - in a hospital etc. Don’t force strangers to listen to your non-emergency calls

While teleconferencing Notify

all the participants in advance Fax or e-mail the agenda, date and time Keep in mind the local time zone while fixing the time Be punctual Speak slowly, be considerate towards the others. Take notes.

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Public presentations Posters Flip

charts OHP Slide projector Computer Collage

Keeping it simple Simple,

clear language Concise, crisp and short Tell them what you want to, tell them, tell them what you have told Preparing, leaving nothing to chance Keeping a back-up

Arranging your presentation Chronological

or reverse chronological order Being factual, no excessive emotions or sentiments Courtesy and compassion Learning without memorizing

The preparation Venue Organizers Occasion Available

time Other speakers Audience Age, status, relationship

Preparing the text Length Style Presentation Focusing

attention Conclusion

Power point presentation Getting

used to it Use of appropriate fonts and colours Not too much data in one slide Appropriate pictures, diagrams, charts etc. Highlighting important points

Power point presentation the risks! Not

to get carried away by ppt It is only an aid and not the presentation itself Power point presentation cannot replace a good speech

Tips for an effective presentation - I Be

well prepared – leave nothing to chance Never read from the script Tell them what you are going to tell, tell them, tell them what you have told them Start by looking at a friend

Tips for an effective presentation - II Take

a deep breath Avoid complicated language Don’t try to impress anyone If you must crack a joke, it must be a harmless one Enjoy yourself!

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E-mails- 1 Incredibly

fast, can be opened from anywhere –attachments can be sent – very little cost- send and receive when you want – getting far more mails than we need Sending multiple copies at no extra cost – password protection – single letter error in the mail id – mail bounces back- tendency to reply mails fast – foolish, angry, immature and offensive reply

How to be mail smart?-1  Double

check the mail id. Have an address book. Let your own id be simple.  Have separate mailboxes for professional and personal mail – your professional mail can be opened by a colleague when you are away  When you change a job, your personal id need not change – have another id exclusively for newsletters and commercial mail

How to be mail smart?-2 E

mail is private but not completely safe. Be careful in providing personal information like your credit card number Managing your mailbox: Reply within 24 hours Check nail twice daily – delete the junk – Don’t be mail crazy Decide mail priority

How to be mail smart?-3 Mails

asking for a receipt – annoying if used too frequently – use it sparingly Auto reply and auto forward functions Mail storage – create subfolders in your inbox

Writing an e-mail - 1 If

your mail is not interesting, it will be deleted without reading Give a smart heading / subject line Brief, clear, coherent – don’t cheat the reader For unrelated subjects, send separate mails Assign priority to your mails

Writing an e-mail - 2 Reading

the computer screen is harder and slower than reading a printout – more stain on the reader – KEEP YOUR MAILS SHORT! Send the attachment carefully – graphics, visuals, ppt take a lot of time for downloading – non-English attachments require specific software for downloading Beware of spam – check the source and have an anti-virus installed

Mail language Check

your language – avoid bad grammar and spelling mistakes You can be slightly unconventional People may judge you by your e-mails Mind your language – hold back angry reactions Mood watch – electronic function that monitors the language and gives a ‘Chili-Pepper Grading’ to your mail

Mail format Correct

sequencing of ideas Commonsense and etiquette Not attaching unnecessary importance to your mail READING UPPER CASE IS DIFFICULT.DON’T USE UPPER CASE FREQUENTLY. Too many upper case letters- the reader feels as if the writer is shouting at him!

Mail manners-1 Don’t

use ‘secret’ short cuts REGD, ASAP, NLT, TMRW ,THKS, PLS… It is unfair to forward a mail without the consent of the original sender Never send mails from other people’s id. If you must, let him know If you accidentally get a mail that is not yours, return it to the

Mail manners-2 Don’t

bombard people with unwanted

mails Carefully use the ‘reply all’ function Build a reputation of a serious mail writer When your mails fail, try smarter, not harder Don’t use e-mail as a cover E-mails are heartless- they can never be a substitute for a personal talk!