Effective Communication Skills

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Effective Communication Skills

• Jacqueline N. Hood, Ph.D.
• Anderson School of Management
• University of New Mexico

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Objectives

• Understand the importance of effective
  communication skills
• Discuss appropriate channels of communication
• Learn about the formal and informal channels
• Understand your preferred communication style
• Discuss the importance of nonverbal communication
• Develop effective listening skills

3
All people have at least two kinds of needs

• Practical need to reach a goal
• Personal need to feel understood and involved
• Addressing BOTH needs helps ensure a successful
  interaction takes place

4
Keeping a Winning Team on Track

• The team is focused on the big picture
• Does each person clearly know how his/her
  particular input is valuable to the organization?
• Stay connected to your teammates
• Is everyone on the same page, while still pulling
  in their own unique way?
• Communicate and involvement of all team members
• People cannot support what they do not understand.

5
Information Channels

• Using examples from your current workload, list
  an appropriate topic for each channel.
• Type of message Information channel Appropriate
  topic
•   
• Nonroutine/
• Ambiguous Face-to-face conversation ______________
  __
• Telephone conversation ________________
•  
• Electronic mail ________________
•  
• Memo, letter ________________
•  
• Flier, bulletin, report ________________
• Routine/Clear
•  

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Three Basic Communication Styles
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Effectiveness of Communication

• 55 of Impact Facial expression
• 35 of Impact Tone of voice and inflection
• 10 of Impact Message itself

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Nonverbal Communication

• Gestures
• Paralanguage
• Idiosyncratic acts
• Postures
• Spatial behavior
• Clothing
• Physical signs

9
Three Emotional Sets or Attitudes Conveyed
Nonverbally

• Extent of Liking or Disliking
• Extent of Submissiveness or Dominance
• Responsiveness

10
Status and Power Cues

• Personal Space
• Body Size
• Backing Off
• Touching
• Smiling
• Eye Contact

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Types of Listening

• Hearing
• Analyzing
• Empathizing

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Barriers to Effective Listening

• Prejudging the communicator or the communication
• Rehearsing a response

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Guide to Active Listening

• Stop
• Look
• Listen
• Ask questions
• Paraphrase the content
• Paraphrase the feelings

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What did I say?

• Judgmental words
• How could you do such a dumb thing?
• Authoritarian words
• Here is what you are going to do to get this
  done right.

• Descriptive words
• Can you explain what caused the incident?
• Supportive words
• What suggestions do you have to get this done on
  time in the future?

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More ways to say the same thing

• Superiority
• I was doing it this way before you were born.
• Dogmatic
• This is the best solution, period.

• Equality
• We have done it this way for years, but I would
  like to hear your ideas on how we can do it
  better.
• Accepting
• This is the best solution I could come up with.
  What other possibilities do you see?

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Exercise Listen Without an Agenda

• With a partner, practice listening without your
  own agenda. Notice when your agenda comes up
  through
• 1. Associating That happened to me.When you
  hear a story, you automatically start thinking
  about a similar person, place or event. Example
  The speaker is describing her micromanaging boss,
  and you begin to think about your own boss, or a
  friend who is in a similar situation.  
•  
• 2. Comparing Im not as good as you, Im
  better than you, or Im equal to you.When you
  compare an aspect of your own life to what the
  speaker is talking about. Example Hearing about
  the speakers new promotion triggers you to judge
  your own career accomplishments.
• 3. Projecting Heres whats really going on
  for you
• When you place your own interpretation on the
  speakers situation. Example An employee
  complains about not getting as much work done as
  he used to, and you interpret that hes lazyor
  that hes overworkedor that hes inefficientor
  that hes aging
• As human beings, we tend to think its always
  about US.
• But, its never about US. Its about the
  speaker.

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Ask Exploratory Questions

• Ask open ended questions
• Ask WWWWH questions
• Ask questions that expand possibilities for
  extraordinary results
• Pause and listen after a question

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Interactive Leadership

• Encourage participation
• Share power and information
• Enhance other peoples self-worth
• Get others excited about their work