Communications & Social Styles Seminar Summary Administrative Professional Series 1

Developing Communication Skills

Factors influencing Communication  Context – the situation in which the communication takes place. This has a great impact on how we interpret verbal and non-verbal messages  Interpretation – the receiver determines the intent of the message through the message content. This is often where miscommunication occurs.  Feedback – the roles of sender/receiver reverse many times during any conversation. Feedback is interpreted as a follow-on message which, in turn, creates more feedback.  Barriers – obstructions to effectively getting our message correctly interpreted.  Semantics – the meaning (or an interpretation of the meaning) of words.  Jargon – the vocabulary peculiar to a particular trade, profession, or group.  Acronym – a word formed from the initial letters or groups of letters of words in a phase.

Understanding different Social Styles between others

Social Styles Instruments is designed to:  Help people understand themselves  Understand others  Communicate more effectively  Develop positive relationships with co-workers

Driving Style  Know what they want  Focus on immediate timeframe  Be swift, efficient and to the point  Impatient with delays  Less concerns of feelings  Harsh, Severe or Critical

Expressive Style  Faster paced  Make efforts to get involved  Warm and approachable  Generate enthusiasm  Stimulating, exciting and fun ways

Amiable Style  Slower paced  Make efforts to relate  Show less concern for effecting change  Work in the present timeframe  Show supportive action  Tend to avoid conflict

Analytical Style  Slower paced  Make efforts to organize  Show less concern for relationships  Work in a historical timeframe  Take action cautiously  Tend to avoid personal involvement

Improve Your Effectiveness with Others  Know yourself  Control yourself  Know others  Do something for others