Effective Communication Skills

Communication Skills

• Effective communication is the process of conveying feelings, attitudes, facts, beliefs, and ideas between individuals, either verbally or nonverbally, to ensure the intended message is received.
• Good communication skills are crucial in determining the kinds of relationships we have with others.

Challenges of Communication

• Effective communication requires cooperation and understanding of both parties involved.
• It's a process that involves both sending and receiving messages, and people often expect their listeners to act according to their message intentions.
• The use of technology can disrupt communication by promising instant access and real-time responses.

Communication Process

• The steps of the communication process include: idea or message, encoding, transmission, receiving, decoding, understanding, and feedback.
• There is always a sender of the message, a receiver of the message, and the content of the message.

Nonverbal Communication

• A large percentage of our communication is nonverbal, including:
  • Facial expressions and eye contact
  • Vocal cues
  • Gestures and other body movements
  • Touching
  • Personal space and distance
  • Physical environment and territory
  • Clothing and personal appearance
  • Silence

Improving Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication

• Speak with enthusiasm, enunciate, and use inflection.
• Avoid antagonistic words, use short and simple sentences.
• Adjust the volume of your voice to the situation.
• Adjust your speaking rate to the situation.
• Keep the door open for feedback.

Gender Differences in Communication

• Women are better at interpreting nonverbal cues while listening.
• Men generally do most of the talking in mixed-gender groups.
• Women are more willing to ask for help than men.
• Men are more likely to interrupt and are less verbally expressive.
• Men often talk about sports, money, facts, business, and events, while doing something else, and often without looking at each other.
• Women talk about feelings, relationships, and people, face-to-face, sitting down.

Developing Good Listening Skills

• Listening is an active process that involves more than just hearing and seeing.
• There are four levels of listening: ignoring, pretending, selective listening, and attentive listening.
• Improve listening skills by:
  • Being receptive and attentive
  • Allowing the speaker to speak freely
  • Focusing on the speaker and ignoring distractions
  • Avoiding preoccupation with your own thoughts
  • Using verbal following and minimal encouragers (e.g., "mm-hmm", nods, or repeating one or two of the speaker's words)
  • Avoiding judgments initially
  • Trying to listen for more than just the spoken words
  • Using feedback and reflecting on what the speaker said

Positive and Negative Effects of Technology and Communication

• Constant connection can disrupt our work, interactions, and sleep.
• Digital connectivity offers many benefits, but we need to be careful not to abuse and overuse it.

Constructive Feedback

• Emphasize behavior rather than personalities.
• Refrain from using "you" messages.
• Focus on actual observations rather than judgments.
• Don't offer critical feedback when angry or upset.
• Concentrate on sharing ideas rather than giving advice.

Active Listening

• The receiver tries to see the expressed idea, attitude, or problem from the sender's point of view.
• Listen with the whole body and pay careful attention to the person talking.
• Listening must focus on the whole person, not just on what the sender is saying.
• Develop a posture of involvement and use door openers.

Responding Styles

• Evaluation or judging: shows that the receiver is making a judgment about the motive, personality, or reasoning of the sender.
• Criticizing: often part of the evaluating or judging response, and can be misinterpreted as criticism.