1. THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS
“Leadership is the knack of getting somebody
to do something you want done
because he wants to do it.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower

2. Communication Sending a message to a receiver
70% of our daily activities, therefore one of the most serious flaws of any potential leader
The message must be completely understood in order to be effective
Requires:
Knowledge of the effectiveness of different types of communication
Development of good listening skills
Use of paraphrasing and feedback

3. The Communication Model
Communication can travel in two directions:
One-way communication is linear and limited because it occurs in a straight line from sender to receiver and serves to inform, persuade, or command.
SENDER  MESSAGE  RECEIVER
Two-way communication always includes feedback from the receiver to the sender and lets the sender know the message has been received accurately.

4. Barriers to Effective Communication
Filtering
Selective attention
Defensiveness
Information overload
Differing gender styles
Poor listening skills
Physical or environmental barriers
Body language

5. Filtering
When the sender of a message purposely communicates information that she thinks will be viewed favourably by the receiver
Telling someone what you think he wants to hear
For example, telling your teacher that the class was really interesting and informative, even if you don’t really believe that, in the hope that the teacher will raise your mark

6. Selective Attention
Individuals receiving message see and hear things based on their own needs, experiences, and motivations
We tend to hear and see selectively to reinforce our personal perspectives, and we base our interpretations on our personal value systems
For example, a man who believes that women are poor drivers will look for situations to support his viewpoint rather than assess all situations equally
“Reality is only an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” Einstein

7. Defensiveness
When individuals are feeling threatened, they tend to react in a manner that hinders their ability to understand any form of communication, often in aggressive manner
This hinders effective communication and does not solve the problem
For example, if your coach tells you that you are not putting out enough effort, you may find it tempting to respond that “the drill was stupid in the first place”

8. Information Overload An overwhelming array of data is available today
As a result, people invariably resort to weeding out, ignoring, tuning out, forgetting, or passing over information that they normally would have read or thoughtfully considered
Either way, the result is lost information and less effective communication

9. Differing Gender Styles
Current research indicates that men and women use oral communication for very different reasons
This means that gender has the potential to become a serious barrier to effective communication between the sexes
Men talk to emphasize status, whereas women talk in an attempt to make a connection

10. Poor Listening Skills Many individuals are poor listeners
This is likely because active listening is hard work – it is much more tiring than talking
Listening involves an active search for meaning, whereas hearing is passive

11. Physical or Environmental Barriers
EXAMPLES:
Receiver has a hearing impairment –
Use sign language, pictures, or other forms of visual communication
Outside in the bright sunlight –
Set the group you are communicating with so they have the sun to their backs
Windy or noisy situations –
Make sure your group is close to you for instructions
Equipment –
Not to have any sports equipment available
Attention span of listeners –
Minimize complex instructions

12. Body Language
A verbal message that is contradictory to your body language may also distract or confuse communication
For example, if you tell someone, “I am happy to see you,” but your arms are crossed and there’s an angry expression on your face, your message is going to create confusion