communication skills

5STEPS…COMMUNICATIONCommunicationSkills5STEPS…COMMUNICATION“Wecannotsolveourproblemswiththesamethinkingweusedwhenwecreatedthem”-AlbertEinstein5STEPS…COMMUNICATIONCommunicationisnotdependantonlyon‘words’……itcanalsobethroughyour‘bodylanguage’and‘tonality’5STEPS…COMMUNICATIONOnesentencecan‘Makeabigdifference’…..5STEPS…COMMUNICATIONFirstImpression?Ittakesjustaquickglance,maybethreeseconds,forsomeonetoevaluateyouwhenyoumeetforthefirsttime.5STEPS…COMMUNICATION•BeonTime•BeYourself,BeatEase•Smile!•BeOpen•SmallTalk…•BePositive•BeCourteousAndAttentive5STEPS…COMMUNICATIONHowgoodisyourcommunication?5STEPS…COMMUNICATION•56-75Excellent!Youunderstandyourroleasacommunicator,bothwhenyousendmessages,andwhenyoureceivethem.Youanticipateproblems,andyouchoosetherightwaysofcommunicating.Peoplerespectyouforyourabilitytocommunicateclearly,andtheyappreciateyourlisteningskills.•36-55You'reacapablecommunicator,butyousometimesexperiencecommunicationproblems.Takethetimetothinkaboutyourapproachtocommunication,andfocusonreceivingmessageseffectively,asmuchassendingthem.Thiswillhelpyouimprove•15-35Youneedtokeepworkingonyourcommunicationskills.Youarenotexpressingyourselfclearly,andyoumaynotbereceivingmessagescorrectlyeither.Thegoodnewsisthat,bypayingattentiontocommunication,youcanbemuchmoreeffectiveatwork,andenjoymuchbetterworkingrelationships!Therestofthisarticlewilldirectyoutosomegreattoolsforimprovingyourcommunicationskills.5STEPS…COMMUNICATIONFivesteps…….ActiveListeningQuestioningTechniqueFormCocoonEngageyourselfDon’t‘Assume’5STEPS…COMMUNICATIONPayattention.Givethespeakeryourundividedattentionandacknowledgethemessage.Recognizethatwhatisnotsaidalsospeaksloudly.•Lookatthespeakerdirectly.•Putasidedistractingthoughts.Don’tmentallypreparearebuttal!•Avoidbeingdistractedbyenvironmentalfactors.•“Listen”tothespeaker’sbodylanguage.Showthatyouarelistening.Useyourownbodylanguageandgesturestoconveyyourattention.•Nodoccasionally.•Smileanduseotherfacialexpressions.•Noteyourpostureandmakesureitisopenandinviting.•Encouragethespeakertocontinuewithsmallverbalcommentslikeyes,anduhhuh.ActiveListening5STEPS…COMMUNICATIONProvidefeedback.Reflectwhathasbeensaidbyparaphrasing.“WhatI’mhearingis…”and“Soundslikeyouaresaying…”aregreatwaystoreflectback.–Askquestionstoclarifycertainpoints.“Whatdoyoumeanwhenyousay…”“Isthiswhatyoumean?”–Summarizethespeaker’scommentsperiodically.Deferjudgment.Interruptingisawasteoftime.Itfrustratesthespeakerandlimitsfullunderstandingofthemessage.•Allowthespeakertofinish.•Don’tinterruptwithcounter-arguments.RespondAppropriately.Activelisteningisamodelforrespectandunderstanding.Youaregaininginformationandperspective.Youaddnothingbyattackingthespeakerorotherwiseputtinghimorherdown.•Becandid,open,andhonestinyourresponse.•Assertyouropinionsrespectfully.•Treattheotherpersonasheorshe•wouldwanttobetreated.5STEPS…COMMUNICATIONInbrief5STEPS…COMMUNICATIONOpenVsClosedQuestions?QuestioningTechnique5STEPS…COMMUNICATION•Tellmehowyouwentabout…?’(open)•‘Howdidyouprepare?’(open–secondary)•‘Whatwasyourstartingpoint?’(probe)•‘So,whathappenednext?’(probe)•‘Whoelsewasinvolved?’(probe)•‘Andhowdidtheyrespond?’(probe)•‘Whatwereyourthoughtsatthatstage?’(probe)•‘Whatwerethemainoutcomes?’(probe)•‘So,thattookatotalofsixweeks?’(closed–clarifying)•‘Wasityourideaorsomeoneelse’s?’(closed–clarifying)•‘Andthepatientmadeafullrecovery?’(closed–clarifying)•‘So,letmeseeifI’vefollowedyou…’(checking–summary)5STEPS…COMMUNICATION•Howmanypeoplewereinvolvedinthefight?Aboutten.Weretheykidsoradults?Mostlykids.Whatsortofageswerethey?Aboutfourteenorfifteen.Wereanyofthemwearinganythingdistinctive?Yes,severalofthemhadredbaseballcapson.Canyourememberiftherewasalogoonanyofthecaps?Nowyoucometomentionit,yes,IrememberseeingabigletterN.Somemoreexamples….5STEPS…COMMUNICATIONFormCocoonAvoidanykindofsidedisturbancesordisruptionsbycreatingacocoonaroundyouwhichcanhelpyouconcentratemoreonthemessageofthespeaker…‘Thiscanhelpyoudeliverbetterandbuildatrustforyourself’5STEPS…COMMUNICATIONUnconsciousmindinformsboththepeople..heisinterestedinwhateverIamsaying…5STEPS…COMMUNICATIONEngageyourselfShowyourinterestandwillingnesstoheretheclient….donotprojectatanystagethattheclientissecondary,thatmayleadtobuilddistrust….5STEPS…COMMUNICATION“Assumptioniscommunication’sgreatestenemy”Don’t‘Assume’5STEPS…COMMUNICATION5STEPS…COMMUNICATION