Communication SkillsCommunication Skills

PURPOSES OF ORGANISATIONAL PURPOSES OF ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATIONCOMMUNICATION

Why we communicate Why we communicate

We communicate to:• Share our ideas and opinions• Provide feedback to others• Get information from others• Gain power and influence• Develop social relationships• Maintain self-expression and our culture

PEOPLE DO NOT GET ALONG

BECAUSE THEY FEAR EACH OTHER.

THEY FEAR EACH OTHER

BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW EACH OTHER.

THEY DO NOT KNOW EACH OTHER

BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT

COMMUNICATED WITH EACH OTHER.

--- DR MARTIN LUTHER KING

Your effectiveness depends on your ability to reach others through the spoken or written word.

-- Peter Drucker

exercise

One-Way CommunicationOne-Way Communication

Original Message

(100%)

Shannon’s Law

Every additional node in a communication chain reduces the meaning by half and doubles the noise.

Barriers to communicationBarriers to communication

What are barriers to communication that exist in any work setting?

Barriers to communication

Some common barriers to interpersonal communication include:– Unclear process: The receiver and sender may not share

the same language, slang, jargon, vocabulary, symbols

– Chain of command: There may be too many layers that a message passes through between sender and receiver

– Large size of an organization, geographic distance: Large numbers of receivers require good message sending methods

– Personal limitations: Physical and mental disabilities, and differences in intelligence and education may interfere with mutual understanding

Barriers to communication

Additional common barriers to interpersonal communication include:– Human nature: Peoples’ egos, prejudices, and

traditions can get in the way

– Conflicting feelings, goals, opinions: If people feel on opposite sides of an issue they may not share

– Power: The idea that knowledge is power can lead to information hoarding

Speech Gestures Facial expressions Silence Written words Pictures, diagrams, graphs Way of dressing Manner, posture, behaviour

WAYS TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERSWAYS TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS

Telephone Letters Fax Memos Minutes Meetings Briefings Appraisals Interviews Electronic data interchange Computer printouts

MEANS OF COMMUNICATIONMEANS OF COMMUNICATION

DOWNWARD COMMUNICATIONDOWNWARD COMMUNICATION

UPWARD COMMUNICATIONUPWARD COMMUNICATION

VERTICAL COMMUNICATIONVERTICAL COMMUNICATION

HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATIONHORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION

FORMAL & INFORMAL COMMUNICATIONFORMAL & INFORMAL COMMUNICATION

GRAPEWINEGRAPEWINE

HOW TO OVERCOME BARRIERS:

1. LISTENING SKILLS2. READING SKILLS3. USE EMPATHY4. USE FEEDBACK5. CONSTRAIN EMOTIONS6. OBSERVATION

verbal communicationverbal communication

WORDS - spoken OR written must have the following three critical elements

Language (familiarity - terminology/jargon) Precise Simple

Facial expressions Gestures Body movements Posture Visual orientation Physical contacts Appearance

BODY LANGUAGEBODY LANGUAGE

Factors Affecting Communication

• Age• Gender• Language• Culture• Status/Position • Perception• Trustful Relationship•

EFFECTIVE USE OF MEDIA AND CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

MEDIA

CHARACTERISTICS Best for Communications that

are:Feedback Cues and

CHANNELS

Face-to-face

Telephone

Immediate

Rapid

Audio and visual

Audio

Ambiguous, emotional, divergent in background

Clear, rational, similar in background

Addressed documents

Unaddressed documents

Slow

Slowest

Limited Visual

Limited visual

There are three basic communication styles:There are three basic communication styles:

* Aggressive

* Passive

* Assertive

LISTENING SKILLSLISTENING SKILLSMaintain eye contact with the instructorFocus on content, not deliveryAvoid emotional involvementAvoid distractionsTreat listening as a challenging mental taskStay active by asking mental questionsUse the gap between the rate of speech and your

rate of thought