1. Communication Skills

2. Exercise 1a Who have you met in recent years who seemed to have a problem with communications in some way? What was it? Name: Type of problem: Career A+ Company Confidential

3. Exercise 1b Now what about some good communicators you’ve met personally? Who are they? Can you sum up what impressed you? Name: Ability to: Career A+ Company Confidential

4. Exercise 1c Choose five communication events from the last 48 hours. It could have been a discussion with someone, a brief meeting, a phone call, talk and so on. WhoMediumPurpose/sResult & Comment CitibankPhoneMake them reverse the late payment charge Had a heated argument over the reason. Ended up canceling my card. Career A+ Company Confidential

6. Communication 3 areas: ◦Face-to-face- meetings, public speaking ◦Technology – writing, phone, web conf ◦Knowing Yourself Career A+ Company Confidential

7. Face-to-face: basics Your audience Your communication Career A+ Company Confidential

8. Face-to-face basics: Your Audience Audience ◦Who is the audience? ◦What does it want? ◦What does it fear? ◦What does it care about? The “So What” monster? Career A+ Company Confidential

9. Face-to-face basics: Your Communication Keep it clear ◦Opening ◦Introduction ◦Key points and examples ◦Closing remarks The “Mind Lock” Monster Career A+ Company Confidential

10. Face-to-face: Group Meetings The communication spoiler: ◦Know-all ◦Interrupt ◦Ramble ◦Solo-artist ◦Ego The communication maker: ◦Listen! Listen! Listen! ◦Use simple concrete language ◦Use first person ◦Kill fillers ◦Be specific ◦Full stop Career A+ Company Confidential The “King” monster

11. Face-to-face: Group Meetings What is my main message? Why am I saying it? Who is it for? What outcome do I want? Are the facts in place? Is the required action clear? Career A+ Company Confidential

12. Technology: Written Know your message Know your audience Structure your material Be brief Summarize Give conclusion or recommendations Supply facts Make numbers comparative Avoid jargon, remove clichés Use graphics Check Spelling/grammar Career A+ Company Confidential The spectacled monster

13. Exercise 3c Invitation Email Write an email to the HR head of Widget Corporation, inviting them to visit your college for placements (20 min) Career A+ Company Confidential

14. Written: Know your message What do I want to say? Why do I want to say it? Why is it important- to me and to them? Career A+ Company Confidential

15. Written: Know your Audience Does the audience need: ◦Fact, opinion, inspiration, instruction, comfort, censure, support, entertainment Is the audience: ◦Conventional/un, educated/un, old/young, sophisticated/un, hungry for facts Will the audience: ◦Understand your subject, find it interesting, want to know more, need telling what to do Career A+ Company Confidential

16. Written: Structure Arrange different parts of the whole message ◦Introduction ◦Development ◦Conclusion The 100-word mantra Career A+ Company Confidential

17. Written: Brevity Keep sentences and paragraphs short ◦Sentence – not more than 20-25 words ◦Paragraphs- not more than 14-18 sentences Special importance on first paragraph Career A+ Company Confidential

18. Written: Summarize Essential for longer texts such as reports Summary text should meet this criteria: My reader MUST know this Career A+ Company Confidential

19. Written: Give Conclusions or Recommendations What you want to happen Call to action or even inaction Career A+ Company Confidential

20. Written: Supply Facts Give factual evidence to support your analysis, conclusion, recommendation Tips ◦Choose relevant facts ◦Distinguish between facts and assertion ◦State assumptions ◦Support facts with extra material/examples, if necessary Career A+ Company Confidential

21. Written: Make numbers comparative Tips ◦Numbers rounded and simple ◦Few numbers so that pattern is apparent Ex: ◦This version of software has 252 bugs. ◦This version of software has 252 bugs against 512 in the last version and 568 before that. ◦Version 2.1Version 2.2Current 570 510 250 Career A+ Company Confidential

22. Written: Use Graphics Career A+ Company Confidential

23. Written: Avoid Jargon Write 12 most common words in your specialist area and try replacing them with sensible alternatives Career A+ Company Confidential

24. Written: Check Spelling/Grammar Use spell and grammar checker!! Avoid ◦Complex words ◦Jargon ◦Over-used words ◦Passive voice Career A+ Company Confidential

25. Knowing Yourself Communication Style Inventory (CSI) Johari Window Locus of Control Inventory (LCI) Personal Effectiveness Inventory (PEI) Interpersonal Needs Inventory (INI) Transactional Styles Inventory (TSI) Career A+ Company Confidential The doubting monster