Presented By Deepika Dabke For Developing Better Relationships

For Developing Better Relationships Presented By Deepika Dabke

Food for thought

When I have talked in anger, And my cheeks were flaming red, I have always uttered something, Which I wish I had not said.

Welcome • Participate • Listen • Evaluate • Appreciate • Share • Express

What we aim to learn • To understand and appreciate the process of communication as an important constituent of the professional effectiveness • To understand oneself and improve interpersonal skills • Exposure to communication concepts • Diagnose and circumvent barriers to communication • To gain confidence and honing presentation skills

Three ways to think about communication • Communication as ACTION: the transmission of information from one person to another through the use of symbols and their accompanying meaning. • Communication as INTERACTION: the exchange of information between two (or more) individuals through the symbols and their accompanying meaning. • Communication as MEANING CONSTRUCTION: the process by which two or more individuals arrive at ostensibly shared (or common) meanings or understandings for symbolic actions.

Importance Of Communication • Organizational / Functional: greater information access and awareness • Improves coordination: reduces logical gaps • Encourages cooperation: helps bring everyone in the mainstream • Gives a direction: to tasks and activities • Morale and empowerment

….. Importance Of Communication • Decision making aid • Speeds up the organizational processes • Better focus on customer requirements • Generates a greater sense of organizational commitment and involvement • A problem solving tool: by clarity, preciseness and feedback

What is Communication • Communication is an exchange of information from the sender to the receiver with the message being understood as intended by the sender Idea

Encode

Sender

Speaks Writes Acts Draws

Symbols Decode The receiver Listens Reads Observes

Words Actions Pictures Numbers

Idea

The Elements The message The receiver The source

The medium The feedback

The Source      

Know target audience Assess literacy & perception Speak a common language Know culture & customs Match emotions & message Plan time of communications

The Message      

Clear Complete Concise Concrete Correct Courteous

The need for good communications Man they say is the only animal who can talk himself into trouble

The Medium       

Verbal, face to face Verbal non-face to face Visual Written Silence Gestures & Body language Symbolic

The Receiver Lis

ten

feedback

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k c A

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e l w

e v ei

c r e P

Un

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Four Questions 1 Who said it ? 2 What did he say ? 3 What did he mean ? 4 How does he say it ?

Who Said It? Specify the name.  A vague answer like is not advisable. 'A company official' 'someone close to .' 'they said' or 'everybody'. 



This will ensure credibility of the communication source.

. .

What Did He Say?



Focus on the content

Flow of communication At the workplace

* Upward From employee to superior

* Downward From superiors to the employee

* Lateral From one employee to another

Communication types Verbal • Oral - the spoken language Non verbal • Written • Body language • Expressions - facial, gestures, signs

Medium of Communication

• Memos • E-mails • Notices • Company circulars • In-house magazines • Oral instructions

Barriers to Communication • A barrier reduces or changes the quality of the message being transmitted • Types : 1. Physical Psychological Poor health Concentration Sound / noise Unsuitable temperature discipline Distractions

2. Lack of Attitude and bias Lack of self Low emotional state

How to overcome the barriers For the sender

For the receiver

• Be clear about the message to be sent • Be precise and to the point • Do not be verbose • Use a language understandable to the receiver • Write the message if required • Request a feedback to ensure receipt of message

• Be attentive • Concentrate on the message • Ask for clarifications wherever required • Listen objectively • ‘Listen’ for body language • Make notes if required

Gateways to Communication • A barrier removed is a gateway created. • We need to eradicate the ‘neps’ from the ‘fabric’ of our communication by practicing certain things. 1. Creating within one self the need and willingness to understand 2. Making the message appropriate to the receivers frame of reference ( speak the “language” of the listener)

….. Gateways to Communication 3. Ability to describe others behavior without evaluating or interpreting. 4. Ask for feedback from the receiver 5. Reinforce communication by using more than one channel to convey the message (Verbal, written, nonverbal)

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 1. Plan your communication • maintain clarity of purpose “why”, • maintain clarity of idea, “what”.

2. Choose the medium • language • style • semantics

…. Effective Communication 3. Remove barriers ……. build gateways DO’s DON’Ts - seek first to understand - remove all prejudices and then to be understood - overcome any distractions - empathize with other people - reduce length of - values, beliefs, needs & sentiments communication channel - use a common language - clarify ideas before communicating

….. Effective Communication 4. Active Listening • Listen with an open mind • Make an effort to understand • Empathize ……..reflect understanding • Be aware of what is said and what is not said • Don’t jump to conclusions……draw conclusions 5. Feedback • Check for accurate receipt of message • Check action/outcome in relation with the intent of the message. • Improve/alter message, if required.

• Listen • Integrat

e • Navigat e • Know • Say-do

LINKS

Hearing +IER=Listening • Interpret the message. • Evaluate the message. • Respond to the message.

Listening : A lost art Why do we not listen? • actions speak louder than words • Seeing is easier than listening • Visual medium is powerful We

hear but don’t listen look but don’t see

Listening-Interpretation

• What the receiver receives may be different from what the sender sends. • What receiver receives depends on – – – –

His behavior Past experiences His values, motivation, need or his attitude His world

What it takes to be a good listener

• Ability to concentrate • genuine desire to understand the other persons point of view • Sensitivity to needs, emotions and body language • Humility: “You might have a point of view and I respect you” • A belief that other people are important and worth listening to.

How to be a good listener • • • • • • •

Know your power as a listener Ask questions Reflect feelings Let your body give reassuring messages Know your prejudices Avoid making snap judgements Avoid anger

The Art of Listening Listening : an important human skill • indispensable for superiors • gets you respect, love and fame • shows that you care for and respect others • not listening could be psychologically upsetting for the other person • you can’t fake listening • the higher you go, the more you have to listen • it is a rare skill

The Art of Listening Listening needs an • ability to concentrate • a genuine desire to understand the other persons point of view • sensitivity to needs, emotions and body language • humility - “I am not right alone, you might have a point and I respect you” • a belief that other people are important and worth listening to

The Art of Listening Poor Listeners • The fidget : “Why are you telling me ?” • The aggressive listener : tries too hard and as a result scares people. • The pseudo - intellectual : hears only ideas and not the emotions behind them • The passive listener : :I agree with whatever you say” • The inaccurate listener :”I can’t concentrate”

The Art of Listening How to be a good listener, Know your power as a listener • Ask questions • Reflect feelings • Let your body give reassuring messages. Nodding, arms apart, legs not crossed, erect forward posture. All these give non-verbal messages that you are listening. • Know your prejudices. You must discount from all those matters towards which you are biased or passionate. • Avoid making snap judgments • Avoid anger. It always gets the better of you.

Importance Of Feedback • Feedback is necessary to check the effectiveness of the communication. • Feedback helps reflect upon how well the message has been encoded, transmitted and understood. • Feedback helps make mid-course correction if found required. - in terms of action : changing strategy - in terms of communication : changing message

How to take Feedback -

ask for it you are the sender or offer it if you are the receiver observe evaluate the results achieved as against the objectives set be objective while giving or receiving it focus on the task and performance aspects not the individual’s personality

Official Communication 1. Flow : vertical/horizontal/cross 2. Content : top-down are in the form of orders or directives bottom-up are in the form of feedback or complaints 3. Through a proper channel : Who is the end audience? Who should know first ? What should the network be ? 4. “Information is power”. One who has the authority to communicate is considered powerful.

Written Communication Written communication as compared to oral communication is at a disadvantage because of the absence of non-verbal gestures, voice variation and physical expressions. This as a result increases the importance of clarity and accuracy of the content of our written message. To have effective written communication, certain steps and guidelines may help.

The steps Plan (Your communication)

Keep it short and simple (Brevity and precision)

Write it (Commit it on paper)

Edit your writing (Check for corrections)

teps

tep 1. Plan ke nearly any activity, written communication too requires plan and a structure. Certain thins must be clearly ascertained, like, ender : From whom is the communication starting ? eceiver : Who is the end receiver/audience of the written ommunication? urpose : Why are we making the communication ? What is the expected outcome I.e What do expect the receiver to do ?

hese questions when answered and related will help us understand nd design the path, requirements and the construction of the messag

Step 2. Keep it Short & Simple (K.I.S.S.) The Structure of the content of the message must be, • Brief: Brevity and simplicity avoids any confusion in understanding the message. • Specific : Only the issue or matter in question must be addressed. Other unrelated matters must not be included as it might decrease the significance of the main topic. • Sequence:The flow of or written communication must follow a logical and stepwise format.

Step 2. Keep it Short & Simple (K.I.S.S.) The Structure of the content of the message must be, • Short Sentences : They facilitate easy and correct understanding of the message. • Simple usable words : Everyday used words maintain the harmony and expression of our communication. • Facts and Figures ; They help to give our communication objectivity. Relying on unclear, subjective assumptions and expectations blurs the message.

• Meaning of the facts Supporting data and clarification of the facts would help in the clarity of our communication. • Suit it to the audience One message may need different degrees of explanations. This depends on the context, frame of reference and understanding capability of the receiver in question. We must explain and elaborate our message depending on the receiver.

• Call for action Our written communication should look for expected action to be taken based on it. • Request feedback Our written communication must call for acknowledgment of receipt of information.Supporting the acknowledgment must be specific feedback on how the communication has been understood.

Step 3. Write It Once we have done the above, we could proceed to actually writing our communication on paper, bearing a few things in mind. • Double spacing to improve readability,as used on this page. • Use of paragraph to make the communication more logical and understandable. • Neat, uniform handwriting, in case it is not typed or printed.

Step 4. Edit your writing Effective editing is another step towards good writing. The key points to remember during editing are, • Edit your draft as brutally as if it was someone else’s copy. • Edit your draft from the readers point of view • Be specially critical of the first few paragraphs

Step 4. Edit your writing (cont.) • Look out for problems in any section you wrote when you were bored or tired. • Carefully study the content of your draft details, flow, forgotten points, unrelated issues etc. • Edit for brevity and clarity • Read aloud for style and tone • Edit again

Body Language • Interpreting body language is vital in any communication process • Observe the body movements and postures • Match the other person’s language

Two basic groups of body language • OPEN/CLOSED and • FORWARD/BACK

RESPONSIVE

REFLECTIVE

FUGITIVE

COMBATIVE

BORED LET ME SPEAK ENGAGED staring into space finger tapping leaning forward slumped posture foot tapping open body doodling staring open arms foot tapping AGGRESSIVE open hands LET ME GO leaning forwards EAGER feet towards door finger pointing (sprint position) looking around fists clenched open legs buttoning jacket DEFIANT feet under chair REJECTION (standing) on toes EVALUATING sitting/moving back hands on hips leaning forward sucks glasses/ arms folded frown READY TO pencil legs crossed 11 pos LYING AGREE strokes chin (thigh on knee) head touches face hand closes papers looks up and right down frown over mouth pulls pen down legs crossed in DEFENSIVE ear eyes down hands flat on table 4 pos. (standing) glances at you (ankle on knee) feet pointing in shifts in seat ATTENTIVE hands clenched looks down and (standing) to left arms behind back smile open feet

LISTENING head tilted lots of eye contact nodding high blink rate

Summarizing…… • Concepts, importance, barriers and ways to overcome them • Types, medium, gateways to communication • Effective Communication – how to achieve • Listening – importance, effective listening • Feedback – importance, how to receive • Organizational communication, memos • Communication Ethics • Written Communication – steps • Body Language - Types • Presentation Skills – how to deliver effective presentations