Communication Skills

PURPOSES OF ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION

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 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 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

WAYS TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS Speech Gestures Facial expressions Silence Written words Pictures, diagrams, graphs Way of dressing Manner, posture, behaviour

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

VERTICAL COMMUNICATION FORMAL & INFORMAL COMMUNICATION VERTICAL COMMUNICATION DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION UPWARD COMMUNICATION HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION GRAPEWINE

HOW TO OVERCOME BARRIERS: LISTENING SKILLS READING SKILLS USE EMPATHY USE FEEDBACK CONSTRAIN EMOTIONS OBSERVATION

verbal communication WORDS - spoken OR written must have the following three critical elements Language (familiarity - terminology/jargon) Precise Simple

BODY LANGUAGE Facial expressions Gestures Body movements Posture Visual orientation Physical contacts Appearance

Factors Affecting Communication Age Gender Language Culture Status/Position Perception Trustful Relationship

EFFECTIVE USE OF MEDIA AND CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION 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

* Passive * Assertive There are three basic communication styles: * Aggressive * Passive * Assertive

LISTENING SKILLS Maintain eye contact with the instructor Focus on content, not delivery Avoid emotional involvement Avoid distractions Treat listening as a challenging mental task Stay active by asking mental questions Use the gap between the rate of speech and your rate of thought