1. Effective Communication Skills

2. Objectives
Define and understand communication and the communication process
List and overcome the filters/barriers in a communication process
Practice active listening
Tips to improve verbal and non verbal communication

3. What are the most common ways we communicate?
Visual Images
Spoken Word
Written Word
Body Language

4. What is Communication?
Communication is the transmission of an idea or feeling so that the sender and receiver share the same understanding.
Communication is not a mysterious process. It takes place when the ideas from your mind are transferred to another’s and arrive intact, complete, and coherent.

5. The Communication Process
Medium
Barrier
SENDER
(encodes)
Barrier
RECEIVER
(decodes)
Feedback/Response

6. Types of Communication (One-way)

7. Types of Communication (Two-way)

8. Types of Communication (One to Many)

9. Components of Communication
Verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication
Vocal communication
Components of Communication

10. Features of Effective Communication
Active Listening
Eye contact
Posture
Simple language
Questioning skills

11. Benefits of effective communication
Quicker problem solving
Better decision making
Steady work flow
Strong business relations
Better professional image

12. Barriers to communication
Noise
Cultural differences
Poor listening skills
Inappropriate medium
Assumptions/Misconceptions
Use of jargon
Emotions
Distractions
Language differences
Barriers to communication

13. You must choose to participate in the process of listening.
Hearing Vs Listening
Hearing – Physical process, natural, passive Listening – Physical as well as mental process, active, learned process, a skill
Listening is hard.
You must choose to participate in the process of listening.

14. Steps in the listening process
You first respond emotionally, then intellectually. Then you decide how to respond.
Your knowledge, attitudes, values, beliefs and self-concept influences your perception.
Responding
Your reaction to the message. It can be emotional and intellectual.
Your own needs, interests, attitudes, and knowledge affects your choice to pay attention.
Understanding
Deciding what the message means to you.
Not everyone hears the same way. Men actually prefer certain frequencies.
Choosing
The act of choosing to focus attention on the message.
Hearing
The reception of sound.
Definition of listening:
It is a physical and psychological process that involves choosing to listen, understanding, and responding to symbolic messages from others.

15. BLOCKS TO LISTENING filtering sparring placating dreaming being right
rehearsing
being right
mind reading
judging
comparing
derailing
identifying
filtering
sparring
placating
dreaming

16. Comparing
constantly comparing yourself to the other person, checking to see if you measure up in terms of intelligence, wit, emotional stability, competence, or even level of suffering or children's achievements.
Mind Reading
what you think someone "really means" (based primarily on your own feelings, assumptions, or hunches) than to what he or she is actually saying.
Rehearsing
planning your response to what someone is saying to you while the other person is still speaking.
Filtering
tuning out certain topics or you may hear only certain things and tune everything else out, any possible hint of unhappiness, no matter what he actually says.

17. Judging
if you decide ahead of time that the other person is not worth hearing (because he or she is "stupid," "crazy,"'"hypocritical," or " immature"), and that you will therefore listen only in order to confirm your opinion.
Dreaming
you pay only a fraction of your attention to the person talking; inside, your thoughts are wandering elsewhere.
identifying
whatever you hear from the other person triggers memories of your own similar experiences, and you can't wait to.jump into your own story.
Advising
Jumping in with advice when the other person has barely stopped talking (or before)

18. Sparring
If you listen only long enough to find something to disagree with, and then assert your position-—regardless of what the other person says.
Being Right
If you want to prove that you're right or to avoid the suggestion that you're wrong— including lying, shouting, twisting the facts, changing the subject, making excuses, and accusing
Derailing
changing the subject or make a joke whenever you become bored or uncomfortable with the conversation.
Placating
being so concerned with being nice, agreeable, or liked that without really listening you agree with everything being said.

19. Active Listening
The process of recognizing, understanding, and accurately interpreting communicated messages and responding to spoken and/or nonverbal messages.

20. Tips to become a better listener
Don’t talk – listen.
Don’t jump to conclusions.
Listen between the lines.
Ask questions/paraphrase.
Don’t get distracted by the environment.
Keep an open mind.
Be willing to listen to someone else’s point of view and ideas.
Provide feedback.
Take advantage of your brain power.

21. Improving Verbal Communication-Tips
Eliminate Noise
Get Feedback – Verbal & Body Signals
Speak Slowly & Rephrase your sentence
Don’t Talk down to the other person
Listen Carefully & Patiently

22. Improving Body Language - Tips
Keep appropriate distance
Touch only when appropriate
Take care of your appearance
Be aware - people may give false cues
Maintain eye contact
Smile genuinely
Improving Body Language - Tips