1. Communication Skills
Communication is at the heart of all soft skills. It is the basis for creating relationships and getting things done.
Making oneself heard and understood is not an easy task; nor is hearing/capturing messages from other people an easy task. This holds particularly true in a multi-cultural environment
Effective communication starts with the awareness that each communication situation is different and thus requires different communication behavior. In other words: we cannot develop a single style that works equally well with everyone. Rather we have to adapt our communication behavior to the receiver(s) of the message.
This includes factors such as “rank”, “age”, “culture”, “sex” and “education level”. Our communication behavior must also take the overall context into account. In sum: adaptation and flexibility are key!
Example for context related contingency: if in a meeting of the Cluster Group the cluster coordinator starts shouting instructions at the other members, the group may perceive the autocratic communication behavior as arrogant and/or aggressive. The communication message may thus not be accepted/retained by the receivers.
Conversely, in an emergency situation the group may be more inclined to accept a directive communication style, since the entire group has to act quickly.
Example for receiver related contingency: the cluster coordinator is likely to adopt a different communication behavior vis à vis the Humanitarian Coordinator compared to a UN colleague from another agency who is assisting a regular protection cluster group meeting. This may be a result of differences in rank, power and age.

2. Communication The Chain of Communication
Sending and receiving information
Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication
Active Listening
Human communication is the process of transferring verbally or non-verbally information from one person to another. Effective communication is key to other interpersonal (soft) skills such as coordination, facilitation, negotiation and conflict-resolution. Likewise, behavioral processes such as leadership and decision-making depend substantially on communication skills.
In the context of the Cluster Approach, all members of a cluster group, particularly the cluster coordinator, need to be results oriented communicators in order to create a harmonious group climate, set up effective group structures and accomplish tasks.
This module will provide an introduction to verbal and non-verbal communication in group situations. Its overall aim is to explain that effective communication is a two-way process process that requires skills and proactive attitudes from both the sender and the receiver of messages. The module will provide specific verbal and non-verbal tools to overcome barriers to communication and improve interpersonal and intrapersonal communication skills. This includes “presentation” and “active listening” skills as well as “the management of emotions” in a multi-cultural context.
By the end of this session participants should be able to:
Describe the two way communication process between sender and receiver via a channel/medium
Map the interpersonal and intrapersonal skills that are essential to communicate effectively
Manage verbal and non-verbal communication in a results-based manner by applying different active listening techniques to different situations
Understand cultural differences related to communication and manage them effectively
Deal with emotions in a multicultural environment in a way that strengthens the group climate and contributes to the accomplishment of tasks

3. How messages are passed on
Debrief on activity

4. Exercise
Communicate the message right!

5. Message
A total number of 2,450 persons fled their villages to Kutum. Among them, 50% are women and children. The rest of the IDPs are men; some of whom are wounded. The situation is not likely to improve and the office expects 1,000 families in the coming days.

6. Sending & receiving information
Communication has been traditionally explained with the sender/receiver model developed by Shannon and Weaver in their work on information theory. This model characterizes communication as a systemic process, whose main components include “information source” (sender), message, transmitter, channel, noise, receiver and information destination. While the model may not any longer explain all communication aspects of today’s interactive multimedia environment, it is still useful for explaining face-to-face communication situations.
Ask the participants to apply the above model of communication to the “chain of communication exercise”. Who was the information source, what was the message, who was the transmitter, what was the channel, who was the receiver, who was the information destination and what was the noise (and its source) interfering in the channel?
Possible answers may include: information source = facilitator (who was reading the message from a PowerPoint slide); transmitter = facilitator and the different volunteers; channel = spoken language; noise = complexity of message, nervousness etc.; receiver = the different volunteers; information destination = volunteer no.5
Ask participants how this model applies to a meeting of the Protection Cluster Working Group. Who is/are the information source(s), transmitter(s) and receiver(s)? What are the typical “messages” transmitted in a Protection Cluster meeting? What could be possible noise? What is the communication channel?
Possible answers may include:
information source = all members of the Protection Cluster (that’s why it’s important to consider meetings of the Protection Cluster as “mutual learning events”!)
channel = spoken language (face-to-face when members of the Protection Cluster are physically together, “virtual” when Protection Cluster members are assisting a meeting through a tele-conference), written language (when the meeting agenda is sent out by prior to the meeting; when a report is circulated during the meeting) and non-verbal communication (facial expressions, body language, tone of the voice)
noise = linguistic barriers (if the language used is English, some Protection Cluster members may not be native speakers), institutional jargon (some terms and abbreviations may not be properly understood by all Protection Cluster members), lack of clarity of overall objectives of the meeting, set-up of meeting room (some Protection Cluster may not listen well) etc.
messages: verbal messages may refer to the goals, tasks and results of the Protection Cluster. Non-verbal messages may reflect/express individual mind-sets and attitudes (e.g. motivation versus demotivation, energy versus fatigue, ownership versus lack of commitment etc.)
Active listening techniques

7. Verbal and non-verbal communication
Most listeners base their understanding of a
message on the following elements:
Actual verbal content:
Tone of voice:
Nonverbal communication:
A study conducted by University of California Los Angeles Professor Albert Mehrabian found that only 7% of what we mean to say is in the words or the vocabulary we choose to use. Interestingly, 55% comes from body language and facial expressions, and the remaining 38% comes from voice inflection or variation.
For example, if we say the words ‘I am happy’ to a colleague but we have a frown on our face, we are slumped over in our chair, and we speak slowly with a low tone of voice, we say more about how we are truly feeling (i.e. communicating
the true meaning of what we are saying) through our body language, facial expressions, and our voice inflection.
It is important for you to practice your body language, facial expressions, and voice inflection because these areas are the areas through which you have the greatest impact on your audience. Tone of voice, facial expression and gestures should be consistent with the verbal message and enhance it.
The most interesting message delivered in a flat monotone is likely to be lost as the audience starts losing concentration. An excessively static posture is boring – but fidgeting, or too much movement can be distracting and irritating. Eye contact with the audience, culturally appropriate eye contact of course, helps establish and maintain rapport. 7

8. Verbal and non-verbal communication
Most listeners base their understanding of a
message on the following elements:
Actual verbal content: 7%
Tone of voice: 38%
Nonverbal communication: 55%
A study conducted by University of California Los Angeles Professor Albert Mehrabian found that only 7% of what we mean to say is in the words or the vocabulary we choose to use. Interestingly, 55% comes from body language and facial expressions, and the remaining 38% comes from voice inflection or variation.
For example, if we say the words ‘I am happy’ to a colleague but we have a frown on our face, we are slumped over in our chair, and we speak slowly with a low tone of voice, we say more about how we are truly feeling (i.e. communicating
the true meaning of what we are saying) through our body language, facial expressions, and our voice inflection.
It is important for you to practice your body language, facial expressions, and voice inflection because these areas are the areas through which you have the greatest impact on your audience. Tone of voice, facial expression and gestures should be consistent with the verbal message and enhance it.
The most interesting message delivered in a flat monotone is likely to be lost as the audience starts losing concentration. An excessively static posture is boring – but fidgeting, or too much movement can be distracting and irritating. Eye contact with the audience, culturally appropriate eye contact of course, helps establish and maintain rapport.
Professor Albert Mehrabian 8

9. Reading messages Stop there… What is he telling her?
Show participants slide Reading non-verbal messages I, with the photo of the man who’s face is covered.
Ask them what they feel the gesture of the speaker means. Each participant should note his/her thoughts on a piece of paper.
Facilitate a short discussion where participants compare their views.
Reveal the mans face – this is animated.
Ask participants what they now think, does this change anything seeing his facial expression.
(Note to facilitator, use other examples you may have experienced e.g. use of certain hand gestures, or movements with fingers that are culturally sensitive)

10. Reading messages Stop there… What is he telling her?
Show participants slide Reading non-verbal messages I, with the photo of the man who’s face is covered.
Ask them what they feel the gesture of the speaker means. Each participant should note his/her thoughts on a piece of paper.
Facilitate a short discussion where participants compare their views.
Reveal the mans face – this is animated.
Ask participants what they now think, does this change anything seeing his facial expression.
(Note to facilitator, use other examples you may have experienced e.g. use of certain hand gestures, or movements with fingers that are culturally sensitive)

11. Reading non-verbal messages
2. What do their different facial expressions and body postures tell us?
Most likely, participants will interpreted the different non-verbal expressions differently. This will raise the question as to whether there is a universal body-language or whether non-verbal communication differs from one culture to another. Cross-cultural studies about non-verbal communication have revealed that facial expressions and smiles register the same meanings to people from almost all cultures. Interestingly, in terms of facial expressions, some cultures (e.g. Japanese culture) do not seem to distinguish “fear” from “surprise”. However, there is also body language that differs from one country to another. These differences exist mainly in relation to
territorial space
eye contact
touch frequency and
insult gestures.
For example, Roger Axtell identified in his book “Gestures: do’s and taboos of body language around the world” over different physical signs and customs globally!
Point out that non-verbal communication is not necessarily limited to face-to-face communication. In written communications the speed and/or brevity with which people return s, the time that appears to have been taken preparing a letter etc., all provide non-verbal cues regarding intentions. Electronic communications are taking over from many other forms of written communication. In order to make the language of electronic messages appear less cold or curt, non-verbal practices such as “smiley faces” () have been developed.
The key point about understanding non-verbal communication is that the message that we perceive is not necessarily the message that the sender is transmitting! All the more it is important to apply active listening tools!

12. According to Roger Axtell the number of physical signs are:
70,000

13. Active listening and non-verbal communication
Appropriate eye contact
Facial expressions
Proximity and positioning
Non-threatening and non-defensive body posture
Person-centered focus
Active listening tools related to non-verbal messages include
Bear in mind that the sender may wish to express something completely different with his/her body-language than you perceive. Verbalise therefore your (subjective) understanding of the non-verbal messages (including perceived emotions) that you receive and seek confirmation as to whether this is what the sender is transmitting.
Example: The cluster coordinator has a conversation with a member of the Protection Cluster (who was on rest and recreation and therefore could not participate in the last Protection Cluster meeting). The latter says verbally that he/she is in complete agreement with the decision taken, whereas his/her face, body language and tone of the voice express anger. The cluster coordinator says: “I feel that you are frustrated that you have not been consulted over this decision. Is my perception correct?” If the member of the Protection Cluster verbally confirms that he/she is angry, the cluster coordinator may then acknowledge the anger and ask: “notwithstanding your anger that you have not been consulted, would you agree with the content and scope of the decision? If not what aspects of the decision would you amend?”. In other words: the cluster coordinator decodes/reads the non-verbal message, acknowledges the underlying emotion and leads the conversation back to the task level. This allows him/her to maintain a good group climate, while at the same time moving on with pressing tasks in a results-oriented manner!
Use specific non-verbal communication techniques such as “Pacing” to strengthen the relationship with the sender. Pacing is a technique to establish and enhance rapport. Basically, it means imitating the physiology of the speaker (his/her posture, his/her breathing, his/her tone of the voice) in a manner that is acceptable to the sender. It encompasses the techniques of “matching” and “mirroring”. Pacing also allows the listener to “lead” the speaker into a different communication mode.
Example: in the above example, the angry member of the Protection Cluster speaks very quickly, his/her voice rises, his/her breathing accelerates and the body language is becoming more pronounced and more expressive. The cluster coordinator imitates that physiology by an equally more pronounced/expressive body language that signals that he/she acknowledges the feelings of the speaker. This contributes to strengthening rapport with the speaker. The cluster coordinator may then start changing the pace by taking a deep breath and speaking more calmly/slowly. With this technique the coordinator may help the other one to calm down.
“Matching” means that if A raises his/her left hand, B will raise his/her left hand. B thus matches the movements of A with his/her same hand. Conversely, “mirroring” means that if A moves his/her right hand, B is going to move his/her left hand, just as though A is looking into a mirror. 13

14. Active Listening Tools
Summarizing
Paraphrasing
Non-Verbal Signals
Repetition
Probing Questions
Taking the example of the “chain of communication” and “decoding/reading non-verbal messages” exercises, ask participants what the “sender” and “receiver” can do to make sure that they understand each other.
Skilled active listeners:
Listen for message content: the starting point for good listening is gathering key facts
Recognise potential barriers to effective communication: either on their own or the sender’s part
Identify the purpose of the communication: is it to describe something, influence, or communicate feelings?
Respond non-verbally in a manner that communicates empathetic listening
Check for consistency of verbal and non-verbal cues, and seek clarity through questioning when there appears to be a contradiction
Encourage the speaker to continue or expand on points they have failed to make clear
Reflect back what they think they have heard
Active listening tools related to verbal messages include
“Total listening”: pay attention to both verbal and non-verbal content as well as the underlying emotions, and try to decode the “real message”
Example: a member of the Protection Cluster says with a very upset face that he/she is very happy about the strategic plan that the Protection Cluster has just adopted. His/her upset face contradicts the verbal part of the message and requires clarification by the cluster coordination or one of the members of the Protection Cluster)
Repeat (verbatim individual contributions to confirm understanding), paraphrase (repeat back in your own words what you understand someone else to be saying) and/or summarize (condense the content of several comments that may have been made over the course of many minutes) verbal messages
Example 1 (“repeating”): a member of the Protection Cluster who is seated next to the cluster coordinator says something with a very low tone of voice which is not understood by people sitting in the back of the room. The cluster coordinator repeats verbatim the sentence that the member of the Protection Cluster just has said so that everybody in the room gets the same message
Example 2 (“paraphrasing”): a member of the Protection Cluster who is new to the country and is not completely familiar with “IDP protection related terminology” speaks about “how to determine whether internal refugees deserve their status”. The cluster coordinator paraphrases his/her intervention as to “how to determine protection needs of internally displaced persons”.
Example 3 (“summarizing”): a talkative member of the Protection Cluster explains in very abstract terms during ten minutes his view of the Protection Cluster protection strategy. The cluster coordinator summarizes his/her intervention with his/her own words adding a couple of concrete examples, so that the other members of the Protection Cluster understand what the member of the cluster has said
Ask probing questions to clarify the meaning of verbal messages
Example: a member of the Protection Cluster is explaining his/her view of an IDP protection problem at the border He/she uses rather vague terms such as “assessments” and “solutions framework”. Another member asks him/her: “could you please explain what you concretely mean with the term assessment?”
Exercise (see also Activity, from point 3 of session overview)
Role-play by facilitators
Two facilitators will conduct a short role-play wherein they demonstrate how to apply active listening tools in a conversation: A, playing the role of cluster coordinator, explains B, who is playing the role of a new member of the Protection Cluster, the protection strategy of the Protection Cluster. B regularly paraphrases and summarizes A’s message, and also asks probing questions to get additional information.
Participants should follow their conversation and note where the two persons are making use of the tools of “repeating”, “paraphrasing”, “summarizing” and “probing questions”.
Exercise for whole group (see Activity from point 4 of session overview)
Split participants into 2 groups
There are 2 sets of large papers with a each Active Listening Tool written clearly.
Each participant takes a turn (in pairs, with others observing) to do this activity
Facilitator is positioned so those observing cannot see the facilitator
Participant A has to explain to Participant B their role within their own organization
The facilitator holds up paper with an active listening tool, the participants then have to act out that tool and the observers have to guess which tool is being acted out.
Repeat, until all participants have taken part in the activity – it is ok to repeat the active listening tools.
Depending on the size of the group, make sure you have a maximum of 10 per group. 14

15. Communication Techniques
Repetition: repeating verbatim individual contributions to confirm understanding
Probing: asking follow on questions to better understand and clarify the meaning of the verbal message
Summarizing: giving a summary of what has been said. Similar to paraphrasing, but it condenses the content of what has been said
Rephrasing: repeating back in your own words what you understand someone else to be saying
Use this slide to facilitate a short debrief of the activity highlighting key communication techniques, and active listening skills and tools

16. Exercise
FIRST ROUND Participant A: communicates Participant B: actively listens Participant C: identifies technique

17. Exercise
SECOND ROUND Participant A: actively listens Participant B: identifies technique Participant C: communicates

18. Exercise
THIRD ROUND Participant A: identifies technique Participant B: communicates Participant C: actively listens

19. If we DO NOT listen actively we…
misunderstand situations and positions
work on mistaken assumptions
impose our own opinions
miss opportunities to detect and reconcile common interests
reduce participation and hamper ownership
do not create synergies between different ideas
do not coordinate effectively, which can lead to an ineffective protection response 19

20. Results-oriented communicators
Know their communication objective and purpose
Know their audience and resulting communication needs
Build a relationship with the audience
Adopt the communication style that best fits their own personality, topic, audience and culture
Remind the participants that communication is a two ways process. It is not only the receiver who has to make efforts to understand the message of the sender. It is first and foremost the sender who has to communicate in a results oriented manner.
Results oriented communicators:
know their communication objective: what is the key message you want to deliver?
Example: A cluster coordinator who schedules a meeting of the Protection Cluster has to ask him/herself first of all: “do we really have to schedule that meeting, and if yes, what is the objective of the meeting? Is it “information sharing”, is it “making a decision”? By no means should a meeting be scheduled for eercising a “communication ritual” whose sole objective is to assure each other that appropriate attitudes towards joint decision-making exist! The task oriented communication objective of the meeting needs to be shared with the participants prior to the actual meeting!
know their communication purpose: while communicating a skillful sender will have different intentions (make people laugh, challenge current thinking, gain agreement, offer new insight, stimulate involvement, provoke questions)
Example: The Protection Cluster coordinator in Country X realizes that the members of the Protection Cluster are tired of meetings. In order to address that perceived fatigue, he/she decides to apply different methodologies throughout the meeting so to “energize” the members of the Protection Cluster. For example, when creating a consensus over the protection strategy, he/she uses a participative “wall card exercise”. This allows everybody in the room to stand up and move around, see the different ideas on the wall, and create synergies. The cluster-coordinator also prepares a couple of “stories” that make the participants of the meeting laugh.
know their audience (= receivers) and their motivation/needs
Example: the Protection Cluster coordinator speaks to each member of the Protection Cluster prior to the meeting so to learn about the motivation/needs of each member. Based on the different conversations, he/she establishes a communication profile of the group. For example, some people may be good auditory listeners, whereas other members of the group may be better in absorbing visual information.
build a relationship with the audience
Example: the Protection Cluster coordinator opens the meeting with a smile and a short anecdote. When a member of the Protection Cluster takes the floor, he/she paraphrases/summarizes the intervention and asks probing questions, which reflect his/her interest in what was said and transmits value to the speaker.
adopt the communication style that best fits their personality, the topic of the presentation, the culture of the organization and the audience
Example: a member of the Protection Cluster has to give a short presentation on the situation of IDPs at the border. If he/she is more of a “shy” person, it would be counterproductive if he/she pretended to be someone else (e.g. by cracking jokes…that nobody laughs about….), all the more considering the nature of the topic (if IDPs at the border face protection problems, the audience may not perceive it as correct to make jokes about it). Rather, if the speaker uses easy-to-understand language, acknowledges his/her feelings (e.g. “sorry, I feel a little bit nervous talking in public….”) and conveys two or three key messages in an assertive manner, his/her short presentation will show the desired impact.
are congruent: content of the message + appropriate emotional tone + gestures, facial expressions + eye contact express/reinforce the same message
Example: A member of the Protection Cluster suffered a serious car accident during a monitoring mission. The Protection Cluster coordinator expresses verbally that he/she “really feels sorry for what has happened”. However, while saying so, he/she has a little smile on his/her lips and/or has his/her hands in his pockets. It is likely that the Protection Cluster members will perceive that the coordinator is not transmitting a congruent message!

21. BONUS Communication styles
Recognize your own barriers to active listening and think of what you can do to improve it… FREE handouts!!