1. Improving Communication Skills

2. A Thought A man is seldom better than his conversation
- German Proverb

3. Communication Skills Overview
Effective communication skills are a critical element in your career and personal lives.
We all must use a variety of communication techniques to both understand and be understood.

4. What is Communication?
Communication is the process of sending and receiving information among people…
Feedback
SENDER
receiver
RECEIVER
sender
Medium
Encode
Decode

5. Most common ways to communicate
Visual Images
Speaking
Writing
Body Language

6. Communication Goals

7. Distortions in Communication

8. We need to improve communication... as
70 % of our communication efforts are:
misunderstood
misinterpreted
rejected
distorted or
not heard
6 people talking in a 2 people conversation!!
70%

9. Critical success factor
The majority of your perceived ability comes from how you communicate
38% Visual
55% Tonal
7% Verbal
93% of all Communication is non verbal - SKILL

10. Listening and Speaking are used a lot…

11. … But not taught enough
Amount taught

12. Common Communication Errors:
Finishing others’ sentences
Preparing our response before someone has completed speaking
Multitasking while ‘listening’
Filtering content or meaning based on the speaker
Speaking for others (we…)

13. Communication is a two way process!
A Good Algorithm
Communication is a two way process!
In order to have good communication:
Listen to Understand
Understand before speaking
Speak to be understood
Seek understanding before proceeding
Repeat

14. How can it be improved Recognition Pavlov study Not being judgmental
Stop egocentric communication

15. What today’s workshop can achieve
Provide ‘knowledge’ about communication
Give insight on ‘skills’ needed
Suggest ways of going about it
What you need to do:
Learn the tools
Take up every opportunity
Practice, Practice, Practice!

16. 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

17. 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

18. How to be an active listener
Set the stage
Ensure mutual understanding
Understand body language
Suspend judgment
Behaviors that hinder effective listening
Act distracted (look at your watch!)
Tell your own story without acknowledging theirs
Give no response
Invalidate response, be negative
Interrupt
Criticize

19. Techniques to improve listening skills
SUMMARIZE
Pull together the main points of a speaker
PARAPHRASE
Restate what was said in your own words
QUESTION
Challenge speaker to think further, clarifying both your and their understanding

20. Two basic types of questions
Closed questions:
Get a one-word response and inhibit thought.
Questions begin with who, when and which
Open-ended questions:
Invite unique thought, reflection or an explanation.
Questions begin with how, what and how come (not why!).

21. Practice Questioning
Rephrase the following closed questions to make them open-ended:
Are you feeling tired?
Isn’t it a nice day?
Was the last activity useful?
Is there anything bothering you?
So everything is fine, then?

22. Adding colour to communication

23. Adding colour to communication
Images – Describe, relive
Show, don’t tell
Use audience’s senses
Sight
Sound
Touch
Taste
Smell

24. Improving communication
Don’t use cliches
Brevity
Sincerity
Don’t praise yourself
Avoid argument
Be tactful
Silence
Enunciation
Clear, loud, syllables. Flexibility of tone

25. Practice
For distinct enunciation, every word, every syllable, every sound, must be given it proper form and value.
Think of the mouth chamber as a mold, in which the correct form is given to every sound.
Will you please move your lips more noticeably?
The teeth should never be kept closed in speech.
Through practices, we can learn to speak more rapidly, but still with perfect distinctness

26. Ways to gain effective conversation
Good use of English – avoid errors
Improved vocabulary – overlook v oversee
Avoid old phrases
Use humour
Add interesting story
Improve clarity of voice – practice

27. Public Speaking

28. What does the graphic tell you about this speaker

29. The 5-P‘s
Prior
Preparation
Prevents
Poor
Performance

30. From effective conversation to speech
Overcoming Fear
#1 fear
Idea of speech
Know your subject
Know the audience
Target their interest
Organising the speech
Tell them…

31. Developing Your Presentation
What is your goal?
Research your topic
Develop an outline
Create or locate learning aids

32. AIDA AIDA POWERFUL opener ttention CLEAR connector nterest MAIN BODY
esire
POWERFUL close
ction

33. AIDA AIDA Establish credentials ttention (Me, You, What) Key point
Create +ve expectations
Paint the future benefits
WIFM
nterest
AIDA
The facts
 3
 advantages
 benefits
The facts 
esire
Me, You, What is required
ction

34. Developing Your Presentation Making the Presentation Interesting
Informative
Fun
Variety
Energy
Audience Interaction

35. Practicing Your Presentation
Simulate the presentation setting
Practice aloud
Practice standing up
Time your presentation
Memorize your opening few sentences
Watch yourself in a mirror

36. Presenting Stage fright Talk ‘to’, not ‘at’ Eye contact
Feelings follow action
Talk ‘to’, not ‘at’
Eye contact
Don’t judge your audience
Pause
Volume
Pace

37. Summary
He who fails to prepare, prepares to fail!

38. Thank You