Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 1 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 Introduction to Effective Army Communications

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 2 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 Communication Army Leader Actions  COMMUNICATING  DECISION MAKING  MOTIVATING OPERATINGIMPROVING INFLUENCING

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 3 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 The Communication Process Communication is a system of transmitting messages using multiple components. It is generally used to convey thoughts, feelings and/or ideas.

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 4 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 The Communication Process Communication is affected by the context or setting as well as the communicator’s own personal attributes.

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 5 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 What is happening during the Communication process? RECEIVER Meaning  What I am thinking in my mind – i.e. my intention? Encoding  How I translate the message into words and/or symbols? Transmit  How I send the message (i.e. channel)? SENDER Perceive  How I receive the context? Decode  How I interpret the words and/or symbols? Meaning  How I apply my personal attributes to the words in my mind?

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 6 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 The Communication Process N O I S E

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 7 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 Communication Barriers Internal Barriers:  Lack of listening  Uninteresting  Unimportant  Distraction – because receiver has begun to respond. Semantic Barriers:  Language barriers External Barriers  Environmental distractions Visual distractions Barriers to effective communication:

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 8 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 Effective Communication  Clear  Coherent  Convincing  Complete  Concise  Correct  Credible  Controlled Communication is most effective when it is … AND when the RECEIVER … LISTENS AND UNDERSTANDS

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 9 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 Communication Steps for Effective Communication 1.Focus your Message 2.Magnify the Listener’s Attention 3.Penetrate Barriers 4.LISTEN…ACTIVELY

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 10 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 Step 1: Focus Your Message Focus your Message:  Plan before you speak  Clarify your intent/goal Inform, persuade, direct, decide …  Be specific  Be courteous and objective

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 11 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 Step 1: Focus Your Message Unfocused Message  I need it soon.  Why are you always late?  You need to improve your productivity. Focused Message  I need it by 2 p.m. today.  I noticed you came to work 15 minutes late everyday this week.  I expect you to complete all assigned tasks by the end of the day today.

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 12 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 Step 2: Magnify the Listener’s Attention Magnify the Listener’s Attention:  Create interest  Convey importance  Ask for listeners attention

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 13 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 Step 3: Penetrate Barriers Penetrate Barriers:  Limit distractions Add visualization Use analogies  Ask for feedback  Revise – restate as needed

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 14 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 Step 4: LISTEN…Actively L I S T E N…Actively:  RECEIVE – concentrate on what is being said (verbally and non-verbally)  PERCEIVE – paraphrase your understanding  DECODE – analyze and explore the situation to gain further understanding  RESPOND - Last – not first! Plan before you speak!

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 15 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 Written Communication Step 1: Focus Your Message: BOTTOM LINE UPUP FRONT

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 16 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 Written Communication Step 2: Magnify the Listener’s Attention  Follow solid composition principles  Structure information logically  Temper your tone

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 17 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 Written Communication Step 3: Penetrate Barriers  Follow Composition principles Structure Content Logically Use Active Voice Avoid Long Sentences Use Simple Language Be Specific, Use Concrete Terms Use Conversational Style Use Positive Tone Use Correct Grammar Check Spelling!

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 18 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 Written Communication Step 4: LISTEN…Actively  Have someone review your reports or other written documents and provide feedback.  Proofread your work.  Ask for feedback from your audience.

Intro to Effective Army Communications Slide 19 of 19 Rev. 25 Oct 2005 Summary 1.Focus your message 2.Magnify the listener’s attention 3.Penetrate barriers 4.LISTEN - actively In all your ROTC courses and activities: