Communication Skills Dr Vasuprada Kartic for PGDCPM, NAC

Elements of Communication The communication process is made up of various elements. These elements are communicators (senders), messages, receivers, channels (written words, sound, sight, radio, and television), feedback, noise, and setting.

Total Communication Process

Seven communication skills There are many ways to communicate. Your ability to read, listen, think, study, write, remember, and speak are the seven communication skills that will help you to express your feelings, knowledge, and ideas. Communication is innate within everybody;

Overview Functions of Communication The Communication Process Communication Fundamentals Key Communication Skills

Functions of Communication Control Motivation Emotional Expression Information

The Communication Process Source Encoding Channel Decoding Receiver Feedback

Communication Fundamentals Direction: Downward Upward Crosswise Networks: Formal vs. Informal

Communication Networks Wheel All Channels Chain

Barriers to Effective Communication Filtering Selective Perception Emotions Language

Some Barriers Unwillingness to change the way of speech Unwillingness to listen without interrupting Unwillingness to believe that the others may have something important to say Believing that listening is below one’s dignity, that others may believe they are superior.

Key Communication Skills Listening Skills Feedback Skills Presentation skills

Basic Communication Skills Profile ________________________________________________ Communication Order Learned Extent Used Extent Taught ____________________________________________ Listening First First Fourth Speaking Second Second Third Reading Third Third Second Writing Fourth Fourth First

Meaning Listening Is With The Mind Hearing With The Senses Listening Is Conscious. An Active Process Of Eliciting Information Ideas, Attitudes And Emotions Interpersonal, Oral Exchange

Fallacies about Listening Listening is not my problem! Listening and hearing are the same Good readers are good listeners Smarter people are better listeners Listening improves with age Learning not to listen Thinking about what we are going to say rather than listening to a speaker Talking when we should be listening Hearing what we expect to hear rather than what is actually said Not paying attention ( preoccupation, prejudice, self-centeredness, stero-type) Listening skills are difficult to learn

Stages of the Listening Process Hearing Focusing on the message Comprehending and interpreting Analyzing and Evaluating Responding Remembering

Rules for good listening Asking questions will help the person clarify what he/she is telling you. You can show you understand by paraphrasing - repeating in your own words what the person has said. Looking beyond the actual words to acknowledge the feelings lets the person speaking know that you are trying to see things from his or her perspective. Even though you may not agree, you will have shown that you care and that will help you to work out differences.

Barriers to Active Listening Environmental barriers Physiological barriers Psychological barriers Selective Listening Negative Listening Attitudes Personal Reactions Poor Motivation

How to Be an Effective Listener What You Think about Listening ? Understand the complexities of listening Prepare to listen Adjust to the situation Focus on ideas or key points Capitalize on the speed differential Organize material for learning

How to Be an Effective Listener (cont.) What You Feel about Listening ? Want to listen Delay judgment Admit your biases Don’t tune out “dry” subjects Accept responsibility for understanding Encourage others to talk

How to Be an Effective Listener (cont.) What You Do about Listening ? Establish eye contact with the speaker Take notes effectively Be a physically involved listener Avoid negative mannerisms Exercise your listening muscles Follow the Golden Rule

Feedback Skills Positive vs. Negative Feedback Positive feedback is more readily and accurately perceived than negative feedback Positive feedback fits what most people wish to hear and already believe about themselves Negative feedback is most likely to be accepted when it comes from a credible source if it is objective in form Subjective impressions carry weight only when they come from a person with high status and credibility

Developing Effective Feedback Skills Focus on specific behaviours Keep feedback impersonal Keep feedback goal oriented Make feedback well timed Ensure understanding Direct feedback toward behaviour that is controllable by the recipient

The communicator is the originator of the message The communicator is the originator of the message. The speaker, writer, artist, and architect are all communicators. The message is made up of ideas, data, and feelings the communicator wants to share. The medium may be a speech, essay, painting, or building. ·

The channel is the route traveled by the message as it goes between the communicator and the receivers. Airways may provide the channel for communicating the speaker’s message; light waves are the channels for the writer, artist, and architect. .

The receiver is one or more individuals for whom the message is intended. The communicator must gain the receiver’s attention to have effective communication. Feedback allows communicators to find out whether they are “getting through” to the receivers. You get feedback from your instructors, your parents, and your friends.

Noise It is the interference that keeps a message from being understood. Physical noise keeps a message from being heard. For example, the physical noise of a loud television program may interfere with reading a letter. Psychological noise occurs when the communicators and the receivers are distracted by something. For instance, the psychological noise caused by hunger can prevent concentration. COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY

Barriers in Communication Inappropriate medium: Assumptions Misconceptions Emotions Language difference Poor listening Skills Distractions

Verbal symbols utilize the words in a language to stand for a particular thing or idea. Nonverbal symbols allow us to communicate without using words. Communication is non verbal when it includes the following

❚ Eye contact ❚ Facial expressions ❚ Body language ❚ Tone of voice ❚ Emphasis ❚ Deliberate silence ❚ Timing ❚ Appearance ❚ Touch ❚ Hand movements

Eye contact Never should the eyes be shifting , looking at other things / people other than those we are addressing. Do not stare at people . Blinking is to be balanced.

Facial expressions Face gives us away much before the spoken word. Especially when we are trying to listen to difficult things , mentally, psychologically. Negative and positive emotions are seen on the face.

Body language Whether we are attentive or bored the way the body posture reflects this is very accurate. Slouching indicates disinterest or tiredness. Sitting forward interest Legs stretched out in front of authority figures -arrogance , insolence.

Tone of voice Too low voice: Quivering tone: Raised voice: Hushed tones: Whispers:

Emphasis Where the emphasis is put while saying a sentence conveys the meaning in a different way. Exercise

Deliberate Silence Silence is the most powerful communicator.

Timing How fast or slow something is said.

Distractive fillers Sounds like “ummm” , phrases like “ you see…..” , unnecessary “ I know” “ uh haa” etc …can cause more distraction to the person who either speaking or listening .

Appearance Formal, informal, special occasions all have their own code of dressing. Over dressing Underdressing, too casual too formal etc

Touch Friendly touch Comforting touch Angry slap

Hand movements Too much dependence on hand movements They say “ Tie an Italian’s hands and he cannot speak” ! Dancers hand movements convey many things.

Direction of Communication Communication is Downwards: Upwards: Lateral: Horizontal: What happens in everyday police interactions? How do we want it? Exercise

Listen carefully: we are not really listening but thinking about what we are going to say next. We believe we are listening but we can be lost in the emotions that are generated the moment the first sentence is spoken by the other person.

How to say? Think before you say Using simple language Knowledge about what is to be conveyed Speak clearly audibly Do not mutter in anger or shout. Do not assume that the other person is understanding everything that you are saying.

Empathy in communication Seeing the other’s point of view: how much can we learn when seeing from the other’s perspective ? Exercise

Positive response to criticism: this can be achieved only when we are able to think from the other’s perspective . Try to be in the other’s shoes. Exercise

When wrong Own what’s yours: Being courageous enough to accept if you have made any mistake . Admitting that you have been wrong is not an insult, actually it’s a very positive quality. Allow the other also to start in this same direction. Give them an opportunity to concede gracefully.

Use ‘I’ messages: putting the focus on what you are feeling will ensure that the other person does not get defensive and emotional. They don’t feel attacked. This process is less accusatory and ensures that the others remain open and engaged.

Take time out: when things are getting too heated up , it’s better to stop than to continue as the communication as such stops . The rational thought s and the controlled speech give way to irrational , uncontrolled speech and actions.

Come back with a constructive attitude: Never should an unresolved issue or communication that has gone awry , be left. There has to be a constructive restart to the unfinished communication .

Written Exercises Formal Superiors Sub-ordinates Peers/Colleagues Informal Same as above Family, Friends

Thank You! vasuprada.kartic@gmail.com