Presenter: Charlene Latimer, Faculty, School of Student Life Skills - Daytona State College Effective communication skills are essential for success. This session will address how we communicate in a fun and interactive format. Participants will examine their styles of communicating, different forms of communication as well as strategies to improve how they interact with others in all aspects of their lives.

1. Charlene Latimer
Daytona State College
Student Life Skills

2. Communication Activity
 Snowflake Activity
 Take a piece of paper
 Please close your eyes
 Listen and follow directions
 You cannot ask any questions while doing this exercise
 Open your eyes
 Open up your paper and share it with the people near
you.
 What did you learn about communication?

3. Purpose of Workshop
Understand how your
communication style is interpreted
by others in order to avoid
miscommunications and
misunderstandings.

4. Communication is
like an iceberg
 7% - Words are the tip of the
iceberg. Most visible and
accounts for least.
 23% - Non-verbal (facial
expressions, tone of voice,
etc.)
 70% - Behavior/Actions

5. Nonverbal Communication
 “The most important thing in communication is to
hear what isn’t being said.” Peter Drucker
 What you’re doing speaks so loudly I can’t hear what
you’re saying.” Anonymous
 Nonverbal communication is powerful in any language
or culture. For example: A smile is universally
understood.

6. Non-Verbal Communication
“Speaking” without words
Giving or exchanging information without words.
Non-verbal cues can reveal more about us than the
words we speak.
Forms of non-verbal communication:
 Voice, Personal Space and Body Language
Take the Body Language Quiz

7. Interpersonal communication
 Most of us spend a large part of our day talking and
hearing other people talk. This doesn’t make us great
communicators.
 Effective communication is a process – an exchange of
thoughts and feelings.
 Elements of communication
 Sender
 Receiver
 Channel
 Message/Context

8. Communication Quiz
What’s your
communication style?
Take the communication
quiz.

9. Three Modes of Communication
 Assertive Communication
 Aggressive Communication
 Passive Communication

10. Assertive Communication
 Stating your opinion
 How you feel
 What you want
 Direct, above-board, and civil manner
 Without violating the rights of
others

11. Assertive Communicators
Speak in calm, clear tone of voice
Make good eye contact
Have a relaxed, good posture

12. Aggressive Communication
In an aggressive communication
situation:
Opinions
Feelings and
Wants are honestly stated at the
expense of someone else’s
feelings.

13. Aggressive communicators
 They use:
 Sarcasm
 Rhetorical questions
 Threats
 Profanity
 Negative labels
 YOU statements
 Finger pointing
 Hands on hips

14. Passive Communication
 In passive communication:
Opinions, Feelings and Wants are
withheld altogether or expressed
only partially or indirectly.

15. Passive Communicators
 A passive communicator tends to:
 Speak softly or weak voice
 Have poor eye contact
 Posture is usually tense
 Difficulty accepting compliments
 Compare themselves unfavorably with
others

16. Passive-Aggressive Communication
 In a passive-aggressive communication situation:
 Opinions, feelings and wants are expressed
indirectly, can be manipulative and irresponsible.
 Unable to state emotions but determined to get
their own way.
 Ex: Agree to a request but do everything
possible to sabotage it.

17. What style of communication ?
 Continually pointing out others
inadequacies.
 Put off any obligations by saying, “I forgot.”
 Put others on the defensive by degrading,
trying to embarrass, and using anger.
 Accusing others of misunderstanding.
 Lack of Effort: uses “I can’t” which really
means, “I won’t.”

18. Group Exercise
Role play one style of
communication: Assertive,
Aggressive or Passive.
What would you do?
 Participant choice of a situation.

19. Effective Communication
 Willingness to understand
 Active Listening
 Monitor your own communication
 Take the high road
 Count to ten
What’s your strategy?

20. Speak with Authority & Clarity
 Be sincere and honest
 Be clear, accurate, and detailed
 Mean what you say and work hard to say what you
mean
 Choose your words carefully
 Use examples to clarify your point
 Ask of feedback during the discussion
 Get to the point as quickly as possible
 Pay attention to other’s feelings and emotions

21. Speak with Authority & Clarity
 Make sure you emphasize your main points
 Respect others’ opinions
 Don’t use language that is threatening or demeaning to
you or others
 Try to put other people at ease
 Remember the power of silence; force yourself to listen
 Cornerstones for Professionalism – Sherfield Moody

22. “The reason we have two ears
and one mouth is so we can
listen more and talk less.”
Zeno, Greek Philosopher

23. Are You Sending the
Right Message?

24. Just for Fun!
“Always
reserve your
first comment
for your own
amusement.”
 “The real art of
conversation is not only
to say the right thing at
the right place but to
leave unsaid the wrong
thing at the tempting
moment.”
 Dorothy Nevill