Effective

Communications Skills
Ulfat Hussain

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

communication basics
Ulfat Hussain

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

what is communication?
Communication is the process of sending
and receiving information among people
Feedback

SENDER

8/7/15

Medium

CORPORATECOACH

RECEIVER

process of communication
of using words,
symbols
or of
Interpreting
message
in terms
Ideas Info IntentionsNecessity
and
forms
a precise
background
experience
and on the
Itsinfinal
shapemanner
and
form depends
Purpose
expectation
channel
selected and the speed

SENDER

ENCODING

MESSAGE

DECODING

RECEIVER

FEEDBACK
Understood and acted in the
light of it

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

why do we
communicate?
What do you think?

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

communication goals
To get and give
Information
To
change
behavio
r

To persuade

To ensure
understanding
8/7/15

To get action

CORPORATECOACH

why do we
communicate?
We communicate to:
Share our ideas and opinions
Provide feedback to others
Get information from others
Gain power and influence
Develop social relationships
Maintain self-expression and our
culture
and other ideas you may have
thought of
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

why is communication
important?
Inspires confidence
Builds respect in business and social
life
Helps make friends
Develops a distinct personality
Reveals your ability to others

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

how do we
communicate?
Think of the many ways in which
you communicate

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

channels of
communication
Vocal

Verbal

Non-vocal

Spoken Words Written Words

Non-verbal Sigh

Facial
Expression
Posture Gesture

Grunt
Inflection

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

Spatial
Relationship
10

how we communicate
We communicate and build
interpersonal relationships
through:

Speech
Writing
Listening
Non-verbal language
Music, art, and crafts

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

11

essentials of good
communication
Knowledge:

Spontaneity in conversation,
Level of conversation

Organising your thoughts

Participating in discussions
Body Language: Show v Tell
Being a good listener: Listening v hearing

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

12

areas of human communication

Intrapersonal to think, reason, analyze, reflect.

Interpersonal to discover, relate, influence,

play, help.

Small Group share information, generate ideas,

solve problems, help.

Organizational increase productivity, raise

morale, inform, persuade.

Public inform, persuade, entertain

Mass entertain, persuade and inform

barriers to
communication
Ulfat Hussain

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

14

barriers to
communication
What are barriers to
communication that exist in any
work setting?

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

15

barriers to
communication
Initiation of Message
Different personalities of sender and receiver
Different perceptions of sender and receiver
Receiver evaluates credibility of sender
Words have different meaning
Receiver hears what he wants to hear
Code not understood
Noise
Distorted message

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

16

barriers to
communication
Some common barriers to
interpersonal communication
include:
Unclear process: The receiver and
sender may not share the same
language, slang, jargon, vocabulary
and symbols
Chain of command: There may be
too many layers that a message
passes through between sender and
receiver
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

17

barriers to
communication
Large size of an organization,
geographic distance: Large numbers
of receivers require good message
sending methods
Personal limitations: Physical and
mental disabilities, and differences
in intelligence and education may
interfere with mutual understanding

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

18

barriers to
communication
Additional common barriers to
interpersonal communication
include:
Human nature: Peoples egos,
prejudices, and traditions can get in
the way

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

19

barriers to
communication
Conflicting feelings, goals,
opinions: If people feel on opposite
sides of an issue they may not
share
Power: The idea that knowledge is
power can lead to information
hoarding

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

20

empathetic listening
Ulfat Hussain

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

21

the power of listening

The philosopher Epictetus stressed
the power of listening in this
quote:
Nature gave us one tongue and
two ears so we could hear twice as
much as we speak.
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

22

the human truths

We need to be understood
We want to belong
We long to feel special
We crave more control over our lives
We dream of reaching our potential

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

23

four factors of
understanding

8/7/15

Needs
Wants
Expectations
Emotions

CORPORATECOACH

24

power of understanding
Seek to understand first, then to be
understood - Steven R. Covey

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

25

empathy
What the difference between

Sympathy & Empathy?

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

26

empathy
Always put yourself in the other
persons shoes
This simply means that you need to
look at every aspect of your
conversation from the other persons
point of view.

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

27

percentage of
communication
Mode of
Communicati
on
Writing

Formal Years Percentage of

Time Used
of Training
12 years

9%

Reading

6-8 years

16 %

Speaking

1-2 years

30%

Listening

0-few hours

45%

listening and speaking are

used a lot
45%

30%

16%
9%

Writing

8/7/15

Reading

Speaking

CORPORATECOACH

Listening

29

 but not taught enough

50%

45%

45%

Am
ou
n

40%
35%
30%

tt
au

25%
20%

16%

15%
10%

gh

30%

9%

5%
0%

8/7/15

Writing

Reading

Speaking

CORPORATECOACH

Listening
30

listen actively
Prepare to listen by focusing on
the speaker
Control and eliminate
distractions so that you can
focus on the message. Dont do
anything else (writing, reading,
email) but listen
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

31

listen actively
Establish appropriate eye contact to
show interest
See listening as an opportunity to get
information, share anothers views,
and broaden your own knowledge

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

32

listen actively
Create a need to listen by thinking
about what you can learn from the
speaker
Set aside the time to listen so that
you wont feel rushed or become
distracted by other responsibilities

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

33

listen actively
Dont prejudge the message based
on who is delivering it. Focus instead
on the content of the message.
Monitor the way you listen by asking
yourself questions such as Did I
really pay attention or was I thinking
about what I was going to say next?
Was there information I missed
because I allowed myself to become
distracted?
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

34

listen actively

LISTEN
=
SILENT
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

35

giving & receiving

feedback
Jishu Tarafder

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

36

giving & receiving feedback

Why is it necessary to give
constructive feedback to others?

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

37

give feedback when

Someone asks for your opinion

Work errors occur frequently
A coworkers habits disturb you
A coworkers behavior has negative
consequences
There are unresolved problems

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

38

what is constructive
feedback?
Constructive feedback focuses on:
Facts NOT people
Solving problems instead of placing
blame
Strengthening relationships instead
of being right

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

39

obstacles to giving constructive

feedback 1/3
What makes it hard to give
constructive feedback?

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

40

obstacles to giving constructive

feedback 2/3
Separating the person from the
problem
Others becoming defensive or angry
Fear of negative consequences
(especially if the other person is a
supervisor)
Dealing with potential conflict
(especially if the other person is
aggressive)
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

41

obstacles to giving constructive

feedback 3/3
Avoiding hurt feelings
Preserving relationships
Not having all the facts and jumping
to conclusions
Choosing the right time so that the
other person is most receptive

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

42

STATE feedback a model

State the constructive purpose of
your feedback
Tell specifically what you have
observed
Address and describe your reactions
Tender specific suggestions for
improvement
Express your support and respect for
the person
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

43

STATE feedback an example 1/5

State the constructive purpose
of your feedback:
Id like to give you some feedback
about your training style so that your
evaluations will be more positive and
you will enjoy it more.

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

44

STATE feedback an example 2/5

Tell specifically what you have
observed:
I notice that you rely heavily on your
notes.

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

45

STATE feedback an example 3/5

Address and describe your
reactions:
I feel as though you are unsure of
yourself when you read.

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

46

STATE feedback an example 4/5

Tender specific suggestions for
improvement:
I can help you develop a PowerPoint
presentation so that you can use the
screens as a cue instead of being tied
to your notes.

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

47

STATE feedback an example 5/5

Express your support for the
person:
You know a lot about the subject. With
practice you can become a good
trainer.

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

48

nonverbal
communication
Jishu Tarafder

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

49

nonverbal
communication
Nonverbal communication, known as
body language sends strong
positive and negative signals. This is
how much it influences any message:

7%
Words
38%
Tone of voice
Non-verbal cues 55%
100
Message
100%

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

50

body language
includes

Face
Figure
Focus
Territory
Tone
Time

Each of these is described in the following slides

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

51

body language - face

Face includes:
Your expressions
Your smile or lack thereof
Tilt of the head; e.g., if your head is tilted
to one side, it usually indicates you are
interested in what someone is saying
What message are you sending if someone is presenting a
new idea and you are frowning?
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

52

body language - figure

Figure includes:
Your posture
Your demeanor and gestures
Your clothes and accessories such as
jewelry
What message are you sending if you are dressed
casually at an important meeting?
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

53

body language - focus

Focus is your eye contact with others
The perception of eye contact differs
by culture. For most people
Staring makes other people
uncomfortable
Lack of eye contact can make you
appear weak or not trustworthy
Glasses may interfere or enhance
eye contact
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

54

What message are you sending if you are looking at

body language - territory

Territory focuses on how you use
space. It is also called proxemics.
The perception of territory differs by
culture. Most people are comfortable
with an individual space that is about
an arms length in diameter
What message are you sending if you keep moving
closer to a person who is backing away from you?
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

55

body language - tone

Tone is a factor of your voice.
Pitch is the highness or lowness of
voice
Volume is how loud your voice is
Emphasis is your inflection
What message are you sending if during a
disagreement you start speaking very loudly?
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

56

body language - time

Time focuses on how you use time. It
is also called chronemics.
Pace is how quickly you speak
Response is how quickly you move
Punctuality is your timeliness
What message are you sending if you are
consistently late for meetings?
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

57

conversation
guidelines
Jishu Tarafder

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

58

5 Cs of conversation

Courteous
Clear
Concise
Complete
Concrete

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

59

conversation guidelines
1/7
Before going into the
conversation, ask yourself some
questions:
What is your purpose for having the
conversation?
What do you hope to accomplish?
What would be an ideal outcome?
Watch for hidden purposes.
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

60

conversation guidelines
2/7
Take the pressure off yourself. Keep
in mind that you dont need to
impress or even to entertain during a
conversation.
You just need to show your genuine
interest in others.
Make the other person feel
important.
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

61

conversation guidelines
3/7
Smile! Sometimes, we make
conversation harder than it needs to
be. All you need to do to get started,
is offer a sincere smile and a
willingness to listen.
Instead of waiting for someone to
say hello and invite you into a
conversation, say hello first.
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

62

conversation guidelines
4/7
Offer a sincere compliment to
someone.
Comment on something they are
wearing and then ask a related
question. Or say simply, what do you
like to do? just for fun? People love to
talk about their hobbies.
Example: My passion is
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

63

conversation guidelines
5/7

Actively listen
Be prepared for awkward pauses
Its okay to admit youre feeling shy
The biggest key is to relax. When you
feel comfortable, so will those with
whom you are speaking

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

64

conversation guidelines
6/7
Questions are the key.
Questions are excellent for making the
conversation continue.
Some excellent questions for keeping the
conversation afloat are: Who? What? Where?
Why? When? How? Really? Is it? Do you
like?
Remember 6 Wives and 1 Husband

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

65

conversation guidelines
7/7

Talk about the other person

Be interested but dont be nosy
Dont pretend
Dont criticize
Be lively
Enjoy the conversation

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

66

telephone courtesy
Jishu Tarafder

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

67

quotes
"There are four ways, and only four ways,
in which we have contact with the world.
We are evaluated and classified by these
four contacts: what we do, how we look,
what we say, and how we say it. - Dale
Carnegie (1888-1955) American Educator
Your voice is your personality over the
telephone Jishu Tarafder,
CORPORATECOACH
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

68

evaluate your telephone

voice
Your voice makes an immediate
impression that can portray you
as:
Friendly or Distant
Confident or Timid
Spontaneous or Mechanical
Relaxed or Nervous

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

69

telephone courtesy
Always smile:
when you speak to someone on the
phone - unless it is inappropriate.
This might sound odd - but practice
and listen to the difference in the
tone of your voice if you are smiling.

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

70

telephone courtesy
Pitch your voice lower:
Phones are like tape recorders they
make your voice sound higher
pitched
Speak slightly slower than normal
and pronounce your words clearly.

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

71

telephone courtesy
Be well prepared:
Practice by phoning someone you
know who will give you honest
feedback.
If necessary have a pre-arranged
script.

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

72

telephone courtesy
Listen:
Carefully to what the other person is
saying
Without interrupting

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

73

telephone courtesy
Take Notes:
To ask questions after the other
person has finished speaking

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

74

telephone courtesy
Location:
Make sure you are somewhere quiet
and where you will not be
interrupted.

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

75

telephone courtesy
Dont eat. Dont smoke:
you can hear it on the phone.
If you need a drink then let the other
person know that otherwise they
will be surprised by suddenly hearing
gulping noises!

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

76

email etiquette
Jishu Tarafder

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

77

the subject
Be sure to have a short SUBJECT: that
indicates clearly what the topic of the
e-mail is.
Never be misleading in this regard!
Typos, all caps or all small case can
lend to the impression you may be a
spammer.

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

78

level of formality
Never assume a position of
informality in your business e-mail.
Only time and relationship building
efforts can guide when you can
informalize your business
relationships and therefore your email tone.

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

79

addressing
How do you address your new contacts?
I would suggest initially that you assume
the highest level of courtesy: Hello, Mr.
Chowdhury, Dear Ms. Khan, Dr. Quazi,
etc. Until your new contact states,
Mahmud" or "you can call me Shamima".
Keep it formal until it is clear the
relationship dictates otherwise.
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

80

formatting
Refrain from using unnecessary formatting
in your business communications.
The more formatting or embedded images
that you include, the higher the chance that
your e-mail could be blocked as spam.
Keep in mind the recipient may not have
their e-mail program configured in such a
way as to display your formatting the way it
appears on your system - if at all.

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

81

attachments
Never assume your recipient have
the software you do to open any file
you may arbitrarily send.
If you need to send a file over size,
business courtesy dictates you to
take permission from the receiver.
Use older version of software for
greater number of audience.
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

82

attachments
Confirm whether they have the same
software and version that you have.
Make sure the best time of day to sent
it to them to ensure they are available
to download the file.
Never send large attachments without
warning
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

83

forwarding emails
Dont forward inappropriate email
from work and always consider that
others may not have the same sense
of humor you do.
make sure the people in your email
address book want to receive this
information.
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

84

Using Previous e-mail for New

Correspondence
Only use to reply
Always start a new e-mail and add your
contacts to your address book so you can
add them to a new e-mail with one click.
Down edit your replies
Don't just hit reply and start typing
Remove parts of the previous e-mail that
no longer apply to your response including
e-mail headers and signature files.
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

85

email tips
Thoroughly read emails requesting
information and send all of the
information the first time.
Always use spell check.
First email your response to your own
email address so that you take the
time to re-read it before sending to
the intended recipient.
Make sure you use proper
punctuation and formatting.
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

86

steps of writing
process
Jishu Tarafder

8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

87

steps to the writing process

Prewriting
Drafting
Editing
Post-writing

8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

88

prewriting 1/8
Prewriting, the first step in the
writing process, is a decisionmaking step that helps you:
Decide if your document is
appropriate to write.
Determine what to include.
Avoid common initial writing errors.
Avoid writer's block.
8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

89

prewriting 2/8
prewriting questions
The prewriting process includes
answering these and related
questions:

8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

90

prewriting 3/8
What do I want to accomplish?
What are my primary objectives?
What do I want my readers to do or
not do, and by when?
How important is my reader's action
or inaction?
How much effort and cost are
justifiedin reading or in writing?
8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

91

prewriting 4/8
Who is going to read the
document?
Who are my intended readers?
Who are other potential readers
now and in the future?

8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

92

prewriting 5/8
What content, ideas, or data are
needed in the document?
What do my readers already know?
What do my readers want to know?
What specific content, ideas, and/or
data do I include or exclude?
What format (memo, letter, report &
phone) do I use to distribute the
information?
8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

93

prewriting 6/8
How can I best organize my points into a
coherent argument?
What organizational plan (e.g., problemsolution) will link my ideas/data?
Should I use several organizational plans
(e.g., time sequences, geographic locations,
problem/solutions) to organize ideas within
and across sections?
Can I improve my transitions and improve
the strength of my argument?
8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

94

prewriting 7/8
Do my layout and design make this
document clear?
Are my design elements (heads, subheads,
bullets, margins, bolding, fonts, graphics, etc.)
making my logic and structure both logically and
visually clear?
Am I using design elements consistently, thus
reducing the need for revisionsespecially for
group projects?
Am I using figures, tables, charts, and/or graphics
to advance my arguments and reduce text?
8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

95

prewriting 8/8
Prewriting is a decision-making step.
Prewriting leads to success because it
makes you think before you start writing.
Thinking before writing and knowing your
goal eliminates rewriting and wasted
effort.
Prewriting helps you determine the type
of document you need to create
(persuasive or informative,
8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

96

drafting 1/4
Drafting is a straightforward step if
you have completed the prewriting
process.
What points should you consider
when you start to draft a document?
First, review the four basic questions
associated with the prewriting step:
8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

97

drafting 2/4
What do you want the document to
accomplish?
Who is going to read the document?
How can you effectively organize or
link your points into a coherent
argument?
What layout and design standards
will make it a successful
(professional) document?
8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

98

drafting 3/4
After you've answered these questions, your
drafting process steps are as follows:
Complete any needed research or data
gathering.
Expand your notes and identify your key
points.
Double-check your notes for other key points.
Choose an organizational plan or plans to link
your ideas, such as moving from problem to
solution or writing chronologically.
8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

99

drafting 4/4
Improve the impact of your writing:
Use your readers' viewpoints and
address their concerns.
State your key point, action, or
requirement in your first paragraph.

8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

100

editing 1/10
Step 1 Editing the Logic and
Structure
Tell your readers what you're going
to tell them.
Tell it to them.
Tell them what you've told them.

8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

101

editing 2/10
Here's a parallel approach in writing:
Use an introductioneither a
sentence, a full introduction, a table of
contents, or an executive summary.
Make your points concisely, and use
heads, subheads, and graphics to
emphasize them.
Summarize and conclude.
8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

102

editing 3/10
You can also improve the logic,
structure and organization of your
documents by asking yourself the
following key questions:
Can your reader immediately identify
you, your position, and your company?
Is the action you want the reader to take
clear in your first or last paragraph?
8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

103

editing 4/10
Is the action you are going to take
clear in your first or last paragraph?
Are your recommendations clear,
supported, and in your first or last
paragraph?
Are your organizational plan and
content easy to understand?

8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

104

editing 5/10
Would a different organizational plan
make your content easier to understand?
Can readers skim the document (does it
have good heads, subheads, transitions,
etc.)?
Are your assumptions justified and
supported?
Is the content factual, correct, and
persuasive?
8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

105

editing 6/10
Step 2 Editing Layout and Design
How do you choose your layout and
design elements?
Use a style sheet. Style sheets allow
you to establish and use consistent
formats for paragraphs, heads,
subheads, fonts, italic, bold, and so
forth.
8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

106

editing 7/10
Look at your finished document in
terms of layout and design:
If I received this document, would I
read it or toss it aside for later?
Would I be more likely to read the
document if key points and
organization were easier to see
visually?
8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

107

editing 8/10
Can I make the linkages among ideas
visually clearer by changing heads
and subheads or using figures or
tables?
Is the document visually pleasing? Is
it in an appropriate business format?

8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

108

editing 9/10
Did I use clear laser typeface(s) or
font(s)? Does it fit together as whole
(font, margins, heads, etc.)?
Would adding color emphasize my
key points better or be a distraction?
Does my document look like others
my company creates?

8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

109

editing 10/10
Step 3 Editing for Grammar
Check for grammar errors by reading
aloud.
Be cautious when using grammar
checkers.

8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

110

post-writing 1/2
Among the post-writing questions
you should ask yourself are the
following:
Have I met the reader's requirements
or does she need more information?
Am I writing statements that I'll later
regret?
8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

111

post-writing 2/2
Did I proofread my document? Should
a colleague proof it? Is it worth
proofreading twice?
Did I spell check and grammar check?
Have I arranged for reproduction,
distribution, and storage?
Do I need clearance to send or
distribute the document?
8/7/15

Jishu Tarafder

112

the vital few of

communication
Jishu Tarafder

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

113

SHARE
SHARE model for giving good information
are:
State the main point of your message
Highlight other important points
Assure the receivers understanding
React to how the receiver responds
Emphasize/summarize your main ideas

8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

114

FOCUS
FOCUS model for getting good
information are:
Focus the discussion on the specific
information you need
Open-end question to expand the
discussion
Close-end question to get specifics
Use active listening skills to understand
what you are hearing
Summarize and close the discussion
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

115

STATE
STATE model for constructive feedback
are:
State the constructive purpose of your
feedback
Tell specifically what you have observed
Address and describe your reactions
Tender specific suggestions for
improvement
Express your support for the person
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

116

3F & 3T
Six aspects of non-verbal
communication:
Face expressions, smile, tilt of head
Figure posture, demeanor,
gestures, dress
Focus eye contact
Territory use of space
Tone voice pitch, volume, emphasis
Time the use time
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

117

the vital few

Any Questions?

Thank You!
See you
again!
8/7/15

CORPORATECOACH

118