1. Effective Communication and Team Building
Chapter 11
Effective Communication and Team Building

2. What Are the Parts of the Communication Process?
Sender—person sending message
Receiver—person interpreting message
Feedback—how receiver responds to message
Content—actual words used
Verbal communication— spoken words
Nonverbal communication— body language

8. Basic Principles of Effective Communication
Interaction between two people
Make your message clear
Use simple, precise words
Encourage receiver to use feedback
Nonverbal reaction communicates message
Reputation and credibility make difference
Acknowledge feelings of others

11. Basic Principles of Effective Communication (cont’d)
Communicate directly with person
Communicate in the present
Keep your personal values from interfering with your communication
Be respectful of personal nature of your surroundings

12. What Are Facilitative Messages?
These messages create positive outcomes where people communicating with each other feel good about their interactions

13. What Are Obstructive Messages?
Obstructive messages generally make it much more difficult for people to communicate effectively within a positive relationship

14. Communication in the Workplace
What are principles and the health care team?
Sharing information with members of health care team requires different approaches
Delegation
Clarification
Reevaluation
Coordination

15. How Can I Communicate Effectively with My Supervisor?
Keep your supervisor informed
Focus on problem solving
Show your sense of responsibility
Avoid blaming others
Don’t respond with anger
To present new idea, give your supervisor a written proposal
Accept feedback
Never go above or around your supervisor

16. How Can I Communicate Effectively with Other Nursing Personnel?
Professional nurses should view themselves as equals in their interactions with members of other health care disciplines
Your approach to communication should be a lateral one, even with physicians

17. How Can I Communicate Effectively with Patient Care Assistants?
Get their full attention
Give clear, simple, step-by-step instructions
Ask for feedback to verify they heard you correctly
Be sure to follow up
Provide direction without being too harsh

18. What Does My Image Communicate to Others?
Communication enhanced by your credibility
Good personal hygiene
Know your particular kind of nursing thoroughly
Flexibility is necessary for effective communication
Be pleasant to be around

19. How Do Gender Differences Influence Communication Styles?
Women
See big picture
More comfortable asking questions
Use softer, quieter approach
Less competitive
Less aggressive in asking direct questions
Men
More logical and direct
Ask fewer questions
More aggressive and assertive
More team oriented

20. What Should I Know about the “Grapevine”?
How to control it
Provide factual information
Communicate face-to-face
Don’t spread rumors
Hold a meeting to provide information and answer questions
Make what is put in writing is clear
It flourishes in all settings
When in doubt, check facts out!

21. How Can I Deal with Cultural Diversity at Work?
Be aware of stereotypes
Communication goes through many filters
To interact effectively, we need to speak clearly, avoiding use of slang
Use skills of co-workers to translate or interpret
Respect and empathize with others

22. How Can I Communicate Effectively in Writing?
Upward communication needs to be formal
Don’t send without careful proofreading
Take time to make necessary revisions
Organize your thoughts
Keep It Short and Simple (KISS) Principle
How well you write strongly influences how you are evaluated

23. How Can I Learn to Speak Effectively?
Develop positive attitude
PRACTICE makes PERFECT!
Analyze your audience
Do your homework
Plan presentation
Add spice to presentation
Create cheat sheets
Make eye contact!

24. What Listening Skills Do I Need to Develop?
Make sure you can hear what’s being said
Focus your attention on what’s being said
Recognize and control your emotional response
Listen and accept other person’s needs and feelings
Pay attention to nonverbal communication
Fight off distractions

25. What Listening Skills Do I Need to Develop? (cont’d)
Take notes
Let the speaker tell whole story
React to message, not person
Respond positively to feelings being communicated
Allow yourself to hear all sides of issue

26. How Can I Use Nonverbal Communication Effectively?
Make eye contact with person
Stand up straight, shoulders back
Use forceful voice without pauses to suggest confidence
Watch for distracting behaviors

27. What Skills Do I Need to Use the Telephone Effectively?
“Is this is a convenient time to talk?”
Leave message instead of playing telephone tag
Make notes ahead of time, to save time
Follow up with written communication
Do one thing at a time
Don’t chit-chat or gossip

28. How Can I Communicate Effectively by Using Technology?
Don’t misuse or overuse fax machines
When you leave someone a voic message, speak slowly and distinctly
Don’t leave callers on hold if you are using call waiting
Make sure it’s a convenient time to talk
With a teleconference, make sure each party to the call is introduced to the other people

29. How Can I Communicate Effectively by Using Technology? (cont’d)
When you have business cards printed, include address and fax number
Do not send emotional outbursts in
Learn to use basic computer software 
Send handwritten notes

30. What Is Group Process? Forming—common bond
Storming—controlled pandemonium
Norming—mutual goals developed
Performing—able to work together
Adjourning—disengagement from tasks and group members

31. Dysfunctional Group Personalities?
Self-servers
Rules don’t apply to them
Show up late
Contribute very little
Motor mouths
Talk just to hear themselves
Always interrupt
Mouse
Fearful of voicing opinion
Takes no risks, no responsibilities

32. How Can You Improve Communications in Group Meetings?
Come prepared
Listen—be open to other viewpoints
Keep on track—don’t visit or chit-chat
Present your ideas or opinions—ask other members for theirs
State disagreements—be able to back them up
Clarify when needed—don’t assume

33. What Are the Responsibilities of a Group Leader?
Be organized and communicate effectively
Have a clear purpose for every meeting
Send out agenda ahead of time
Every item on the agenda should require some action by group
Have your room and AV equipment ready
Summarize decisions and identify plan of action
Schedule next meeting

34. Team Building Group of individuals working as a team
Right mix of three attributes describe complementary and functional teams
Interpersonal skills
Problem-solving and decision-making skills
Technical or functional expertise
Working together toward some meaningful end

35. Assertive Styles of Communication
Passive or avoidant
Lets others push him around
Assertive
A person stands up for herself in a way that doesn’t violate the basic rights of another person
Aggressive
Person puts his or her own needs, rights, and feelings first and communicates that in an angry, dominating way

36. Why Aren’t Nurses More Assertive?
Some have hard time believing in their own rights, feelings, or needs
Experiences or comments may reinforce those negative messages about self-worth
May be afraid of repercussions of assertive communication
Assertiveness takes self-awareness and practice

37. What Are the Benefits of Assertiveness?
It helps you to feel good about yourself and allows you to treat others with respect
Being assertive helps you to avoid feeling guilty, angry, resentful, confused, or lonely

38. What Are My Basic Rights as a Person and as a Nurse?
As an adult human being, you have some legitimate rights
When nurses consider rights, responsibilities must also be included
Acquiring them and holding them are your responsibility

39. How Can I Begin to Practice Assertive Communication?
Changing one’s behavior requires conscious decision
Practice being assertive by yourself at first
Role-play with friend first
Ask for feedback and evaluate your progress

40. What Are the Components of Assertive Communication?
STRATEGY 2
I feel about because . . .
You must be willing to change and compromise
STRATEGY 1
I think . . .
I feel . . .
I want . . .

41. When to Use Assertive Communication
You need to evaluate how your assertive communication feels to you, and you need to seek feedback from other people
You need to know whether people perceive you as aggressive rather than assertive
Find workable solution
There are some situations in which you must simply follow orders