Effective communication skills

Effective Communication Skills

Sayed Eltaweel
01/28/13 By: Sayed Eltaweel 1

Introduce your colleague

- Name :
- Occupation:
- Family
- Two common things:


Learning Principles
•Learners Tend to Remember:

So:
Any Training without a successful implementation plan is useless.
Any implementation plan without a successful follow- up is useless

Do not say “ I know this ” Rather say “ Do I do this ? ”


Course Outlines:
Understanding Communication
•Communication Model
•Communication Channels
•Communication Facts
•Communication Goals
Communication Barriers
Active Listening Skills
Effective Questioning Skills
Types Of Communication
•Face-to-face communication
•Meetings and Presentations communication
•Written And (Email) communication
•Telephone communication
Summary
Action Plan

Course Objectives:
By the end of the Course , participants should be able to :
• List the five elements for the basic communication model
• Identify communications channels
• List three of communication facts and three of
communication goals
• Identify Communication barriers
• Identify how to practise Active listening with others
• List the two types of questions and when to use any of
them
• List the do’s and don’ts for the different types of
communication and when to use any of them

Module 1:
Understanding Communication


Communication Model
Feedback

Message sender
receiver

Channel
SENDER RECEIVER

Distortion

“Named Effective when the ideas from your mind are
transferred to another’s and arrive correct, complete,
and fully understood”


Communication Channels

(1)Verbal Communication channel: 7%
(What we say) - the words

(2)Non Verbal Communication channel:

93%
( how we say it)
- Visual: 55%
( clothes – body language - Eyes –
smile - emotions – CAPS –ink - paper ..)
- Vocal: 38%
( tone – speed – music – silence ,…..)

Body Language:

I Demand One


Communication Facts
Studies tell 70 % of mistakes in the workplace are a direct
result of poor communication…..
The average employee receives about 190 communications a day by
(paper, voicemail, email, phone, etc.)

We spend 85% of day time in communication, are you
successful in 85% of your day time

Communication skills are a part from the human behavior can
be acquired and improved by learning and training through
our life .


Communication Goals
why we communicate
To change behavior
and motivate people

To get and give
To get action
Information

To ensure
To persuade
understanding
-Negotiation
- selling
- marketing


Module 2:
Communication Barriers


Communication Barriers
1. Physical barriers Physical barriers in the workplace
include:
• closed office doors, separate areas for people of different
status
• large working areas or working in one unit that is physically
separate from others.
• an uncomfortable meeting place, and noise .

2. Perceptual barriers
• The problem with communicating with others is that we all
see the world differently. If we didn't, we would have no need
to communicate:
( learning, religion, education and so on)


3. Emotional barriers
• One of the chief barriers to open and free communications
is the emotional barrier. It is comprised mainly of fear,
mistrust, Shyness ,Mood and suspicion.

4. Cultural barriers
• People from different cultures has different beliefs

5. Language barriers
• Language that describes what we want to say in our terms may


FUZZY MEANINGS ( Exercise )

Please give a percentage % for the meaning of the following
words , or expressions :
%
Often
Always
Sometimes
Never
Usually
Seldom ‫نادرا‬
A lot
Most of the time
Occasionally
Frequently ‫كثيرا‬

6. Gender barriers
• There are distinct differences between the speech patterns in a man
and those in a woman. A woman speaks between 22,000 and 25,000
words a day whereas a man speaks between 7,000 and 10,000. In
childhood, girls speak earlier than boys and at the age of three, have a
vocabulary twice that of boys.

• The reason for this lies in the wiring of a man's and woman's brains.
When a man talks, his speech is located in the left side of the brain but
in no specific area. When a woman talks, the speech is located in both
hemispheres and in two specific locations.

• This means that a man talks in a linear, logical and compartmentalized
way, features of left-brain thinking; whereas a woman talks more freely
mixing logic and emotion, features of both sides of the brain. It also
explains why women talk for much longer than men each day.


7. Interpersonal barriers

A. COMMUNICATOR’S WEAKNESSES:
Inappropriate tone
Lack of sufficient knowledge
Poor listening
Lack of preparation
Prejudice /Judging
Wrong channel

B. RECEIVER’S WEAKNESSES
Not paying attention
Unfamiliarity with subject
Prejudice
Don’t concentrate on “receiving” .
Absorb some information and assume the rest.


Module 3:
Active Listening Skills


The importance of Listening:
• Listening is one of the most important Communication skills
you can have.

• How well you listen has a major impact on your job
effectiveness, and on the quality of your relationships with
others.

• bad listening causes most of the distortion for communication
and it is responsibility for both SENDER and RECEIVER
Some people think that “Communication” is “One Way”
i.e. Sending Only
NO “Communication” is “Two Ways”
i.e. Sending & Receiving - Talking & Listening


Bad Listening habits:

 Criticize
 Diagnose what was said
 Jump to conclusions
 Give solutions quickly
 Change the subject

Remember that you have two ears and one mouth
“The wiser the person the less they speak and the more they listen.”


Active Listening Habits
There are five key elements of active listening.
1. Pay attention.
2. Show that you are listening.
3. Provide feedback.
 Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing.
 Ask questions to clarify
 Summarize the speaker’s comments periodically.

4. Defer judgment.
Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full
understanding of the message.
 Allow the speaker to finish.
 Don’t interrupt with counter-arguments.


5- Respond Appropriately.
Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are
gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking
the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down.
 Be candid, open, and honest in your response.
 Assert your opinions respectfully.
 Treat the other person as he or she would want to be treated.

Remember:
Listen to understand not to respond
Wait for your turn to talk
Do not think about your reply before the other person has finished
talking


Module 4:
Developing Effective
Questioning Skills


Two basic types of
questions
1. Closed-ended questions:
– Get a one-word response and inhibit thought.
– Questions begin with who, when and which

2. Open-ended questions:
– Invite unique thought, reflection or an
explanation.
– Questions begin with how, what and how come .


Asking Tips
• Talk less but ask more.
• Analyze your questions.
• Reduce the number of questions that can be
answered by only "yes" or "no."
• Ask more questions to discover others.
• Do not stop the discussion with the right
answer.
• Avoid asking multiple questions at the same
time.


• When you ask a relevant question it shows that you are actively listening and
concentrating on the conversation.

• You start any relation by asking

• Appropriate questioning helps you to establish a conversation, move it
forward.

• Questions is one of the keys for learning

‫أحد العلماء ) ما سألني أحد إل وعلمت أفقيه هو أم‬ •
(‫غير فقيه‬
‫• حسن السؤال نصف العلم‬

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION


Module 5:
Face to Face


The Benefits (face-to-face)
• Opens two-way communication
• Allows for immediate response to questions,
misinterpretations, feedback, etc.
• Takes advantage of voice and body language


The Do’s and Don’ts (face-to-face)

• DO -- give people your undivided attention
-- listen, really listen, give full attention

• DO -- give people honest, direct and
comprehensive information

• DO -- treat people’s ideas and concerns as
critical and serious - EMPOWER THEM


Face-to-Face cont…..
• DON’T -- tell people “what”, tell them “why, how, and the larger
picture”

• DON’T -- make the conversation one-way. Invite responses --
discuss and debate

• DON’T -- answer the phone or take a call when someone is in
your office

• DON’T -- wait too long to ask for (or to give) feedback, gather
information immediately

• DON’T -- hold back bad news. Treat people as intelligent adults,
they want to hear the truth


Module 6:
MEETINGS & PRESENTATIONS


Why Meet?
The primary reason for meetings are to share or
brainstorm information or to develop action
steps toward accomplishing a goal


Making Meetings Work
1. Make an agenda and stick to it. Send it out before the
meeting, if possible

2. Be clear about the reasons for and goals of the meeting

3. Have a facilitator -- either a professional or ask someone at
the meeting to step into this role

4. Watch the time -- do not overrun – keep the agenda flowing

5. Add humor, allow for laughter, have fun -- it makes for a
much more productive meeting


Making Meetings Work cont….
6. Allow for conflict but deal with it immediately

7. Maintain control of the meeting at all times. Don’t get
off track

8. Eliminate attendees’ behaviors that are disruptive

9. Allow for questions, be prepared to answer them

10. Wrap the meeting up with what was accomplished
and action items


Meeting “Killers” -- why they fail
• Poor Preparation
• Ignored agenda
• Poor time management
• Lack of participation
• Strong personalities
• Lack of leadership
• Lack of humor and fun
• No/poor closing


Presentation Outline
• Title
• 1. Outlines
• 2. Objective
• 3. Introduction
• 4. Structure
a. Key Points (in order of presentation)
b. Reinforcement (supporting data evidence,
details etc.)
• 5. Conclusion (Summary)
• 6. Questions


Which is the odd one out?


Module 7:
WRITTEN AND (EMAIL)


WRITTEN
COMMUNICATION
• MEMOS
• REPORTS
• LETTERS
• NEWSLETTERS
• HANDWRITTEN
• NOTES


The Benefits (written)
• Creates a permanent record

• Allows you to store information for future reference

• Easily distributed

• All recipients receive the same information

• Necessary for legal and binding documentation


DO’s and DON’Ts (written)
• DO -- realize it is not read as soon as it is received

• DO -- make sure that there is enough time to prepare
and send, and for the recipient to receive and digest

• DO -- assess writing skills, if poor -- get help

• DO -- outline key points before producing a draft

• DO -- always draft a written piece and then reduce all
unnecessary language -- be brief

• DO -- proof-read very carefully before any document is
distributed

Do’s and Don’ts (written) cont...
• DON’T -- use this form of communication if writing
is full of errors -- this reflects poorly on the writer

• DON’T -- use if communication is time sensitive. If
immediate feedback is necessary -- use email


Is it clear? Have you hit your
target?

In written communication most
confusion & frustration are
caused by failing to be specific
…..

Make it clear, brief and concise..


EMAIL
Email is now the dominant method of
communicating in business. It is quick,
inexpensive, flexible and convenient

But it could be a time-bomb

USE WITH CARE….


The Benefits (email)
• Can be sent and received any time
• Very time effective, can be sent and received
within seconds
• Cost effective -- no paper, no stamps, no costs --
yet(?)
• Allows for direct access to others
• Messages can be saved and stored


Do’s and Don’ts (email)

• DO -- always begin your email with a salutation and
the person’s name -- a date is a good idea as well
• DO -- always close the email with a closing
sentence and your name
• DO -- in the subject line write a brief and clear
reference to your topic


Do’s and Don’ts (email) cont...
• DO -- consider the order of the recipients -- be sensitive
to organizational hierarchy

• DO -- limit the number of attachments

• DO -- consider the purpose of the email -- why is it being
written in the first place?

• DO -- consider alternatives -- phone, voice mail, note, etc.
can be more appropriate


• DON’T -- Send the entire email when replying.
Only send the part that is essential

• DON’T -- Be too blunt -- email is the coldest form of
communications. Watch the tone. Be friendly but
polite

• DON’T -- Write an email longer than two screens --
it probably won’t be read


• DON’T -- use “CAPS” for emphasis in the body of
the email. It looks and “sounds” angry

• DON’T -- use an automatic signature with every
email. Use only in your initial email, not when
replying to a message

Exercise: writing an email message


Module 8:
TELEPHONE


Benefits (telephone)
• Immediate access to audience

• Communication is direct and timely

• Takes advantage of tone of voice and language

• Allows for immediate response to questions,
feedback, etc.


Tips for telephone
• Before placing a call write down key points you
want to cover

• Give undivided attention when speaking on the
phone

• Try to return calls immediately, if someone is
calling -- it must be important to them

• Avoid calling when angry, be friendly and
helpful Ex: Mirror


Remember:
The most important 6 words “I admit I made a mistake”

The most important 5 words “You did a good job”

The most important 4 words “what is your opinion?”
The most important 3 words “Would you please”

The most important 2 words “Thank you”
The most important 1 words “We”
The least important 1 words “I”


Summary
1. Respect others.
2. Listen.
 Clarifying.
 Repeating.
 Reflecting feelings.
3. Think before responding.
4. Avoid malicious gossip.
5. Develop an appropriate speaking style and body
language.
Radiate energy, enthusiasm, friendliness, Smile, competence
and confidence. Avoid grimaces, rolling your eyes and
fidgeting. Sit erect. Stand tall, shoulders back. Develop a
powerful handshake.


6. Be assertive.
7. Recognize and respect differences.
8. Give praise.
9. Offer constructive feedback.
10. Keep information flowing.


‫‪Where to Get More Information‬‬

‫•‬ ‫‪Internet‬‬
‫•‬ ‫)دع القلق وأبدأ الحياة ) ديل كارنييجي‬
‫•‬ ‫التحديات السبعة للتواصل مع الناس بفاعلية‬
‫•‬ ‫)جدد حياتك ) محمد الغزالى‬

‫31/82/10‬ ‫‪By: Sayed Eltaweel‬‬ ‫36‬

Effective communication skills

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