1. Effective Communication Skills

2. Content  What is communication  Effective Communication  Effective listening  Communication Styles

3. WHAT IS COMMUNICATION “We cannot not communicate!  A two–way process which enables two (or more) people to share and understand something in common.  It is abstract and invisible. It is like electricity – known by its effects at both ends of the wire and used for purposes

4. Communication Model Behavior Thinking Feeling  B=Behaviour  Behaviour is everything you say or do i.e. it is visible, felt or heard and includes facial expressions, gestures, speech patterns etc.  T=Thinking  How you use your senses internally  F= Emotions and Physiological  “Communication is about emotion not words”

5. Non Verbal Communication  Albert Mehrabian (Three elements of communication - and the "7%-38%-55% Rule“)  found that the total impact of a message is only about 7% verbal,  38% vocal (including tone of voice paralanguage) and,  55% body language  So non-verbal cues account for about 93% of the meaning in messages transmitted between people engaged in face-to-face discussion.

6. Exercise “We have a meeting on Tuesday”

7. Non Verbal-NVC  Communication without the use of spoken language.  Nonverbal communication includes gestures, facial expressions, and body positions (known collectively as “body language”), as well as unspoken understandings and presuppositions, and cultural and environmental conditions that may affect any encounter between people

8. BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION “The People of the world are islands shouting at each other across a sea of misunderstanding” George Elliot They receive They sent You receive You want to send a message You send NOISENOISE Decoding Receptors Channel (messages) Transmitters Channel (messages) Transmitters Encoding

9. How communication works  There are three stages in sending a successful message: 1.Preparation 2.Delivery 3.Confirmation of understanding

10. Communication Medium oFace-to-face conversation oTelephone oVoice mail oElectronic mail oPhoto graphs oLetters oMemos oBulletin and fliers oFormal numerical report

11. Exercise-10 min  Please draw on a sheet of paper the following:  A tree  Rope going down the tree  Another rope on the tree  Wooden sheet  Rope on the wooden sheet

12. COMMUNICATION CAN BE DECEPTIVE!  People in our culture are more skilled in transmitting messages than receiving them…we are better talkers than listeners.  We place far greater value on sending than receiving, and praise people for their ability to ‘think on their feet.’  A ‘good communicator’ is usually though of as someone who is an impressive speaker or writer. Seldom is anyone admired because he or she is a good listener.

13. Effective listening  Two styles of listening you can use in conversations:  Passive listening  This is what Thomas Gordon calls “door openers” – occasional short verbal messages to let your partner know that you’re paying attention. It is not pretending to listen! On the contrary, you give someone else space to share.  Active Listening  This is a response which reflects back thoughts and feelings, without adding any judgments or advice. It consists of simply summarizing the speaker’s comments in ones own words.

14. Listening  "We were given two ears but only one mouth, because listening is twice as hard as talking."  There is a real distinction between merely hearing the words and really listening for the message. When we listen effectively we understand what the person is thinking and/or feeling from the other person’s own perspective.

15. Communication Styles PASSIVEASSERTIVE AGGRESSIVE  Inhibited Direct / Honest Dominant  Submissive Open & Fair Expression Abusive  Puts down self Feels good about self & others Puts down others  Lets group decide Chooses for self Decides for group  Takes other’s needs Takes other’s and own Takes own needs into into account, but not own needs into account account, but not others

16. Thank you