The BforB Communication Challenge

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Have You Ever Made a Mistake When Communicating?

Peter McGowan


The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.

Joseph Priestley

The problem with communication ... is the illusion that it has been accomplished.

George Bernard Shaw

An estimated 85% of errors across industries result from communication failures.

The Johns Hopkins University

Communication Issues


The Financial Cost$37 billion (over £24 billion) : the total estimated cost of employee misunderstanding in 100,000-employee companies in the US and the UK (average cost per company is $62.4 million (£41 million) a year.

$26,041 (£17,013) : cumulative cost per worker per year due to productivity losses from communications barriers.

Figures quoted in July 2011 by David Grossman, CEO of an award winning communications consultancy in Chicago


1. Because we ‘communicate’ all the time, we all think we are better than we are.

2. Everyone views the world through a lens of self-interests and personal agendas.

3. People actually see the same situations differently and live individualised realities. Perception is more real than reality

4. What another individual perceives will not necessarily be an accurate reflection of what you did or of the intentions behind your act.

5. Advice is not listened to if it is perceived to be self-interested.

Why Communication is Difficult


Nature abhors a vacuum but no more so than when there is a communication vacuum. This vacuum will always be filled by rumour, which will almost certainly put a negative spin on the situation.

We all put people into categories and this always creates a ‘them and us’ division; the less contact people have the wider the ‘them and us’ divison becomes and the less objective we become about ‘them’.

Why Communication in Organisations is Really Difficult


The most effective communication is one-to-one

and face-to-face; anything else is a compromise

which increases the risk of mis- or non-

communication.

So when people are physically separated, have

different demands and objectives and have a

‘them and us’ mindset, effective communication

becomes almost impossible.

Why Communication in Organisations is Really Really Difficult


And…..

The McKinsey Global Institute

estimates that the typical

American hears or reads

more than 100,000 words

every day.


But…..

The greatest barrier to communication is

our tendency to evaluate what another

person is about to say.

Therefore we fail to listen or we listen

with filters already in place.


So What?

According to the Harvard Business Review,

ineffective listening is one of the most frequent

causes of lost customers, misunderstandings,

missed sales, low employee productivity and

morale - and billions of dollars in lost profits

and increased costs.


Person A sends a message to Person B.

Person B understands the message.

But successful communication requires morethan this.

Effective Communication?


Person Aconsiders the reason for

the message

determines the desired outcome(s) of the

message

considers the recipient’s position – knowledge and interest in the subject of

the message

considers the full context

considers the form, style and timing of the

message

determines the most appropriate way of

articulating the message, taking into account all of

the above • Person B not only understands the message but reacts to it in the way that Person A wants

Effective Communication


BodyLanguage56%

Tone ofVoice37%

Conte

nt

7%

Spoken Communication

12

Music

Words

Dance


Communication Summary

13

1. Identify what you want to achieve before

communicating.

2. Learn as much about the other person as you

can and communicate in the way that best

suits him/her.

3. Become an effective listener.

4. Important messages need to be repeated if

you are to communicate effectively – once is

not enough.

The BforB Communication Challenge

Technology

Transcript of The BforB Communication Challenge