Dr. Derek Keenan

1
Communication Skills for Administrators and
Board Members

• Dr. Derek Keenan
• Vice President for Academic Affairs
• Derek_keenan_at_acsi.org

2
Communication is 1. Dynamic2. Complex

• Bandler/ Grinders Neurolinguistic Programming
  (NLP)
• Three primary types of perception when it is
  linked to
• communication

Auditory - Sounds (pitch, tone, pace) orient
communications - Words and voices are focus - Use
words as sound or sounds like or hear
Feeling/ Motive - Feelings and vibes oriented -
Tactile, contact oriented - Use words such as
feel, get a handle, or touch
Visualizer - Thinks in pictures - Sensitive to
visual environment - Use words such as see and
look
3
Maltz / Borker Study of Gender and Communication
3. Personal

• Women seem to regard questions as a way to
  maintain a conversation.
• Women tend to connect bridges between what
  their conversational partner has just said and
  what
• they have to say.
• Women are more likely to share feelings and
  secrets.Women may interpret a mans conversation
  about abstract topics as talking down to them.
• Women tend to share their problems with one
  another.

• Men view question as requests for information.
• Men do not follow this rule. They often appear to
  ignore the proceeding comment by the women in a
  conversation.
• Men like to discuss less intimate topics, such as
  sports or politics.
• Men may be threatened by the sharing of feelings
• Men tend to interpret such conversation as a
  request for solutions.

4
Communication Codes
4.Methodological

• Written and spoken words
• (Language)
• The way that we use words(Para-language)
• Behavior and symbols(Non-verbal messages)

5
The relational context of communication is the
critical component to its effectiveness!
6
The BIG Two

1. Trust
2. Respect

7
Relationships are either

1. Building
2. Eroding

8
Roles are

• 1. Accepted
• 2. Rejected
• 3. Agreed upon

9
Perceptions have a defining role in context.
Estimations are the way people judge the role.
Perceptions are not negotiable!
10
Landmarks

• are the indelible,relatively permanentevents
  that mark arelationship.1. Traditions2.
  Celebrations3. Images

11
How to Invest

• Make a depositfor the future
• Contextfor investing
• Commitment to invest

12
What to Invest

• Self
• 2. Time/effort
• 3. Affectives

13
Investing Goal

• Deeper relationships
• Clarifiedperceptions
• Trust-respect

14
ASSESSING ORGANIZATIONALCOMMUNICATIONS

• ETHICS
• To what degree does the school practice its
  biblical, legal, professional, ethical and moral
  standards in its communications?
• CLIMATE
• What is the perception within and without the
  school about the organizations willingness to be
  open, receptive, timely and responsive in
  communications?

15
ASSESSING ORGANIZATIONALCOMMUNICATIONS

• CHANNELS
• Does the school have a plan for communicating
  with its internal and external staff and
  constituencies? (With emphasis on sensitive,
  crises, or critical information.)
• METHODS
• To what degree does the school match its methods
  with message of the communications?

16
ASSESSING ORGANIZATIONALCOMMUNICATIONS

• CONTENT
• The school communications system includes
  relevant, appropriate and focused messages.
• TIMING
• Does the frequency, circumstances and spacing of
  messages appear to be appropriately timed?

17
ASSESSING ORGANIZATIONALCOMMUNICATIONS

• FEEDBACK
• The schools communication system and methods
  allow for a response from the recipients.
• RELATIONSHIPS
• Each of the structural relationships within the
  school is characterized by an effective
  communications system.

18
Listening skills

• Consider the followingthoughts about listening
  as you evaluate yourlistening skills
• True communication occurs when the listener
  hears what the sender intended

19
Listening skills

• Active listening is hard work it takes a great
  deal of energy to listen intently.Adrenaline
  causes theheartbeat to accelerate,the breathing
  rate to increases, the body temperature to
  rise, the muscles to contract, etc.

20
Listening skills

• The message sender seeks indicationsfrom the
  listener that the message is beingreceived. This
  feedback process consists of both
  verbal and nonverbal behaviors.
  When the receiver asks questions, this
  usually indicates interest in the
  senders message

21
Listening skills

• Full listening is a psychologicalcompliment to
  the messagesender. You are telling him or her
  that the message isimportantenough to
  receiveyour completeattention.

22
Communication Medium

• The vehicle that is chosen to carry the message.
• General Rule The channel that allows the most
  codes to be used is more likely to increase the
  Impact (communicate effectiveness) of the message
  sent.

23
Communication Medium

• Practical Rule The selection of a issues
• How important is the message
• How complex is the information
• How much time is available to get the message out
• How large is the population to be addressed
• Example of Codes/Medium
• Memo Language Code
• Telephone Call Language and Para-Language
• Conference Language/Para-Language - Non-Verbal
  Message

24
Asking the Right Questions

• A good question shouldinclude the following
• It should have a focus.
• It should be direct andto the point.
• It should emphasize onlyone point at a time.
• It should seek a definiteresponse.
• It should minimize guessing.
• It should lead to another question.