1. Communicating Effectively in Meetings and Conversations
Chapter 15:
Communicating Effectively in Meetings and Conversations
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

2. The Prevalence of Oral Communication
We have already looked at written communication in our workplace.
Work will involve oral communication as well
Much of oral communication is informal, person-to-person communication.
Even though we spend a lot of time planning on the written communication part we actually spend a lot more time communicating orally!!

3. Elements of Professional Talking
Four basic elements
Voice quality
Includes delivery, pitch, speed & volume
Listen to yourself. Are you too fast, too slow, monotone, high-pitched, low-pitched, harsh, or pleasant.
Make a conscious effort to improve what you hear.
Talking style
The unique style that distinguishes you
Notice the facial expression you make or the hand gestures and body movements that dictate your ease or unease

4. Elements of Professional Talking
Word choice and vocabulary
The larger your vocabulary the more word choices you have
Remember the rules on Jargon, Technical Language and Slang
Avoid using them in a large, mixed audience
Adaptation to audience
Fit your message to the intended audience.
Keep in mind who is your audience.
Do not interrupt.
Do not try to dominate others in conversation.

5. Conducting & Participating in Meetings
Formal
Conferences and Committee Meetings
Informal
Discussions with fellow workers
Role
Leader or participant
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

6. How to Conduct a Meeting
Plan the meeting: Prepare an agenda. Prepare list of items to be discussed and list them in logical order. Give copies of agenda to the participants of the meeting.
Follow the plan: follow item by item. Keep the discussion on track.
Move the discussion along: After one item has been done, go to the next. Do what is needed to proceed through the list properly.
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

7. How to Conduct a Meeting
Encourage participation: From those who talk too little.
Control time: decide in advance how much time is needed for each item. You may announce time goals in the beginning. End discussion at appropriate time.
Summarize at appropriate places: do this after key items have been discussed. If a decision is needed, groups’ vote will be conclusion.
Take minutes: to remember and to refer back to discussion and decisions, keep minutes.
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

8. Using the Phone
Some business activities are efficiently done over the phone.
Courtesy
–Initiate call, introduce yourself and ask for the person
–If you’re not certain whom you should talk to, explain your purpose
–If a call is coming directly to you, identify yourself
–If you’re screening calls for others, identify the company and yourself and then offer assistance

9. Cell Phones Turn the ringer off in meetings.
Don’t use it at social gatherings.
Keep it off the table while eating.
If you must talk, go away from others and speak.
If you must talk while other people are around, be conscious of them.
Avoid discussing personal matters when others can hear you.
Dont use it while driving.
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

10. Listening The nature of listening has: 1. Sensing
Ability to sense sounds and how well our ear picks them up
2. Filtering
Affected by personal context
3. Remembering

11. Improving Listening Skills
Be willing to work on your listening skills.
Active listening – focusing on what Is being said.
Back-channeling – repeating what you think you heard.
Thinking from the speaker’s viewpoint.
Making a conscious effort to remember.
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

12. Non-Verbal Communication
Body language
Use of space
Use of time
Paralanguage- component of communication by speech. The hints and signals in the way words are delivered.
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.