Effective communication Handout.

Definition: .......................................................................................................1 Communication model:......................................................................................1 Process or content focused ?..............................................................................2 Assertivness:...................................................................................................2 Instructing.......................................................................................................3 Types of Communication Barriers:......................................................................3 Overcoming communication barriers...................................................................4 Feedback......................................................................................................4 Receiving Feedback........................................................................................4 Active listening:.............................................................................................5 Further development:........................................................................................5

Definition:
The sharing of information between two or more individuals or groups We communicate always and are not able not to communicate

Communication model:

Sender

Message
Transmission

Encoding

Decoding Noise Medium

Feedback

Medium

Decoding

Encoding

Message

Receiver/Sender

Crucial point here to realize is that everybody becomes sender and also receiver, everybody decodes and encodes and everywhere we have threat of noise that can disrupt our message .

Process or content focused ?

Communication can be:

Process Friendship talk and chatting Pub talksneither process nor content Our goal high process and content Content Myth of perfect manager just content

Assertivness:
Assertive rights

It does not mean that:

You can do what do you want, regardless what you do to the others You never apologize or explain why you did particular thing.

I have right to judge my own behavior, thoughts, and feelings and take responsibility for them. I have right not to apologize or explain my behavior

I have right to consider if I am so That you will stop to help people. responsible for other peoples problems I have right to change my opinion. That you will change your mind according as you decide anytime, anyway. I have right to make mistakes and take That you will always prevaricate to right responsibility for them. to make mistakes anytime you ignore your duties. I have right to say: I do not know It will be your next excuse when you are lazy to think. I have right to be independent on other You will stop appreciate and manifest peoples will. love to people that help you and love you. I have right to make illogical decisions. That you can be mad and you do not take responsibility. I have right to say: I do not You stop trying to understand the others. Understand you. I have right to say: it is all the same to me. There You should become ignorant every time you do not want to listen to somebody.

are even more rights as follows: Express rights different from the others To be listened well and took serious Tell NO! if she/he really wants. Do not agree if he/she does not want to agree Right to other people treat him with respectfully Express anger when she/he is withheld with some right. Decide her/himself what is for her/him more important and what less.

To privacy if she/he wants to be alone Everybody has right to be or not to be assertive.

Instructing
Do you remember game with such a girl on a picture? This game was about how is it when we communicate using only one way. Then we transformed knowledge we gained during this game into guidelines for effective instructing: 1. Give a big picture when instructing. 2. Use as many channels as possible or optimum number 3. Work or message has to be meaningful. 4. Two way communication is necessary. 5. add your own

Types of Communication Barriers:

Filtering A senders manipulation of information so that it will be seen more favourably received by the receiver. The manipulation may be either conscious or sub-conscious and can drastically affect the message. Using feedback will determine to what extent the message has been filtered. ie: Tell someone something they want to hear. Selective Perception Receivers of communication selectively process a message based on their needs and attitudes. Once again, it may be onscious or sub-conscious. ie: Someone hears what they want to hear Language Language can be an imposing barrier to communicationimagine being an English-only speaker in Korea! Even assuming both parties are using the same language (eg. English), there are several levels of sophistication of language. Then you have the difficulty of dealing with specialist terms and jargon that may not be understood by the receiver. Giver Often there are personal characteristics of the communication giver that mean they will not be able to transfer the message as freely as possible. These can include: Afraid of being taken advantage of Makes us feel vulnerable Rejection by others Receiver By the same token, the receiver may have some personal characteristics that influence the way they accept communication.

They may be: Afraid No time Considered unimportant Resistant to change Lack of Communication skills

Overcoming communication barriers

Feedback
"Did you understand what I said?" Many inaccuracies occur because the feedback loop is not used. Asking questions is the most effective way to ensure effective communication. Feedback is a very simple concept to understand, and so the questions remains: why dont we do it more often? Below are some simple steps for giving feedback: Giving: 1. Make comments specific Feedback should relate to one incident that illustrates the point of your comment. This will make the person memorable to see where they acted in a way that was not acceptable. 2. At an appropriate time. If you approach someone while they are either busy or "not in the mood" they will not be in the mood of acceptance of your feedback, no matter how well you phrase it. 3. Behaviour must be in control of person. Only give feedback to someone if they have the ability to change the situation. If there is no control then you are not giving feedbackyou are whingeing! 4. Goal oriented Always explain in terms of the improvement that could occur and the benefits that would accrue to the individual if he/she were to take on the feedback and change their behaviour. Here are more tips:

Be sincere Talk on behalf of yourself Be descriptive not evaluative Be specific not general

Receiving Feedback
1. Ask open ended questions. "What do you mean by" 2. Listen actively with genuine interest.

Listening demands total concentration. The average person speaks at about 150 words per minute, whereas the capacity to listen is over 1,000 words per minute. This creates idle time for the brain to wander. Active listening helps the receiver to develop empathy with the sender, (putting yourself in the other persons position). Empathy helps you to understand the different attitudes of the sender, and to actually understand content of the message. 3. Establish rapport eye contact relaxed and receptive no interruptions 4. Respond and paraphrase "Do I understand you correctly?" - Simplify Language A sender should construct messages in manner that is easy to understand and process. Remember effective communication is achieved when a massage is received and understood. -Constrained Emotions It would be ludicrous to suggest that we always communicate in a clearly rational manner. Emotions can severely distort the transference of meaning. Ways to counter this include changing your message format, altering the time and location of your communication, or even filtering it in a positive way so that it is received better

Active listening:
The only thing that I advise You here is to listen for understanding. That is active listening all about. If your intent to understand is not genuine even showing your listening (do you remember training session?) like non-verbals etc. will unmasked.

Further development:
I recommend attending you also these training sessions: o Assertiveness o Effective email o Effective meetings o Presentation skills