1. Soft Skills for a Digital Workplace: Verbal Communication Unit A: Understanding the Basics of Verbal Communication

2. Objectives Organize your messages Use vocal elements effectively
Understand nonverbal language
Develop credibility
Give and receive feedback

3. Objectives Overcome barriers to communication Communicate ethically
Understand cross-cultural issues

4. Organizing Your Messages
In verbal communication, one person sends a message to another person or group using speech.
Communication is successful when the speaker and listener understand each other.
After receiving a message, the listener must decode its meaning.

5. Organizing Your Messages
To organize your messages and clarify their meaning:
Start with what your listener needs to know
Limit the amount of information
Eliminate unnecessary words
Make your messages relevant to your listener
Take a direct approach
Pause occasionally

6. Organizing Your Messages
Spoken communication process

7. Using Vocal Elements Effectively
In conversation, your voice is the channel you use to communicate.
People listen to the vocal elements of your speech.
Vocal elements include:
Voice inflections
Rate of speech
Volume
Tone

8. Using Vocal Elements Effectively
To use vocal techniques effectively:
Change the speed of your voice
Shift the pitch of your voice
Control the volume of your voice
Punctuate with pauses
Articulate clearly

9. Using Vocal Elements Effectively
Effective vocal elements

10. Understanding Nonverbal Language
Body language and nonverbal signals add meaning to your message.
Nonverbal language includes:
Hand and arm gestures
Eye contact and movement
Facial expressions
The position of your body
Your overall appearance
Your audience uses nonverbal language to help interpret your message

11. Understanding Nonverbal Language
Guidelines for nonverbal language:
Maintain eye contact
Present pleasant facial expressions
Gesture appropriately
Maintain good posture
Keep your distance

12. Understanding Nonverbal Language
Nonverbal language in the workplace

13. Developing Credibility
Credibility is a perception that others have of your believability.
Credibility is closely associated with trust, a crucial element in personal and professional relationships.
A lack of trust can undermine what you say.

14. Developing Credibility
To develop credibility:
Speak objectively and accurately
Strive for clarity
Be consistent
Demonstrate empathy and concern
Remember Aristotle’s triangle

15. Developing Credibility
Credibility and empathy in speaking

16. Giving and Receiving Feedback
Giving and receiving feedback lets speakers know that listeners received and understood the message.
As a speaker, you receive feedback about how others perceive you and your message.
As a listener, you can improve communication by providing feedback such as nodding if you understand the message, paraphrasing to make sure you’re interpreting the message correctly, and asking questions.

17. Giving and Receiving Feedback
Guidelines for giving and receiving feedback:
Emphasize the positive
Be tactful
Depersonalize negative messages
Provide solutions
Choose your location and timing
Give others permission to disagree with you

18. Giving and Receiving Feedback
Examples of positive and negative feedback

19. Overcoming Barriers to Communication
Obstacles can prevent or disrupt the effective communication of meaning.
To overcome barriers of communication:
Use appropriate language
Make your messages clear
Send consistent signals
Use the appropriate medium
Reduce physical distractions

20. Overcoming Barriers to Communication
Language that creates and avoids misunderstandings

21. Communicating Ethically
Ethics deals with principles for acceptable conduct, and usually refers to honest, fair behavior and decisions.
Ethical and legal behaviors often overlap, but are not the same.

22. Communicating Ethically
Guidelines for communicating ethically:
Be truthful
Present a balanced viewpoint
Differentiate fact from opinion
Disclose information clearly
Be consistent

23. Understanding Cross-Cultural Issues
Your cultural influences can affect your communication.
Guidelines for cross-cultural communication:
Keep your messages simple
Speak slowly and clearly
Watch for signs of understanding
Listen carefully and uncritically
Avoid cliches and idioms

24. Technology@Work: Web Conferencing
Web conferencing tools are software and services that let you use an Internet-connected computer to meet with others and communicate orally.
Web conferences are popular for training and demonstrations.

25. Technology@Work: Web Conferencing
Guidelines for web conferencing:
Find a conference host
Reserve a time
Invite meeting participants
Plan the visuals
Record the conference

26. Summary
Effective communicators organize their messages so they are clear, logical, and easy for the listener to understand.
Use vocal elements effectively.
Use nonverbal language appropriately.
Develop credibility.
Give and receive feedback appropriately.

27. Summary Overcome barriers to communication. Communicate ethically.
Keep cross-cultural issues in mind.