Effective Communication in Nursing (2nd Year Students) PDF

Effective Communication in Nursing (Second year students) Prepared by Faculty staff members Nursing administration department Faculty of nursing-Assiut Univer...

Effective Communication in Nursing (Second year students) Prepared by Faculty staff members Nursing administration department Faculty of nursing-Assiut University 0002/0002 Assiut University- Faculty Of Nursing ‫جامعة أسيوط – كلية التمريض‬ Tel: 088/2423500 - 088/2366204 - 088/2423505 Fax: 088/2366204 E_mail: [email protected] & nurse_dean@ aun.edu.eg Website: www.aun.edu.eg/Faculty-nursing 1  Effective Communication in Nursing Table of content No. Contents Page 1 Basics of communication 3-9 2 Verbal Communication 10-16 3 Nonverbal Communication 17-24 4 Listening 25-34 4 Factors affecting communication 35-43 5 Cultivating conversational skills 44-57 6 Barriers of communication 58-67 7 Organizational communication 68-79 8 Assertiveness 80-89 9 Negotiation 90-100 10 Communication Technology 101-109 11 Nurses-Patient Communication 110-116 12 Nurse-Physician Communication 117-127 2 Outlines: Introduction. Definitions of communication. The communication model (Process). The importance of communication. Purposes of communication. The purposes of communication for nursing. Channels of communication. References 3  Introduction Although some functions of management such as planning, organizing, and controlling can be reasonably isolated, communication impacts all management activities and cuts across all phases of the management process. It is also the core of the nurse-patient, nurse-nurse, and nurse-physician relationship. Because most managerial communication time is spent speaking and listening, it is clear that in a leadership role, one must have excellent interpersonal communication skills. The nurse- leader communicates with clients, colleagues, superiors, subordinates. In addition, because nursing practice tends to be group oriented, interpersonal communication among group members is necessary for continuity and productivity Organizational communication is even more complex than interpersonal or group communication, as there are more communication channels, more individuals to communicate with, and more information to transmit. Thus, organizational communication is high-level management function. It must be systematic, having continuity, and be appropriately integrated into the organizational structure, encouraging an exchange of views and ideas. Organizational communication is complex, however, and communication failure occurs frequently as a result of the interruptions associated with noisy, and distracting clinical care environments and it results in a failure to meet organizational goals. 4  Definition of communication - It is the process of conveying meaning from one person to another. - It is the process of passing or transmitting and receiving information from one person to another. - It is the transfer of information from the sender to the receiver with the information being understood by the receiver. The communication model (Process) & Elements of Communication: An effective communication model consists of seven elements: 1. The sender: The sender chooses a fact, concept, ideas to communicate. This is the content of communication. It is the basis of a message. Whenever the sender feels that there is a need to communicate some information to the other person (receiver), he/she starts the process of communication. The sender must be aware of the purpose of communication and the receiver‘s ability to understand the message in terms of language, interest etc. 2. Message: Is what communication actually produces for transmission. It is created by the sender to convey information, facts or opinion to the receiver; the message is designed to meet the needs of the receiver. For example, if the message is between two friends, the message will take a different form than if a person is communicating with a superior. The message should be clear and simple so that the receiver can understand it in the same way as the sender desires. While drafting it, the sender should take care of the words, the language and the meaning if the message is to be communicated in verbal / written form. He / she should take care of body language and facial expression if the message is to be communicated in non-verbal form. 5 2. Encoding: The encoding means how the message is transmitted to another person. The message is converted into a suitable form for transmission. The medium of transmission will determine the form of the communication. For example, the form of the message in spoken communication is different from that in written communication. 3. Channels of communication: Channels of communication can be written, spoken, mass media like radio, television, newspapers, books, mobile phone, e-mail, voice mail, internet, blogs etc. The channel is the medium through which the message is communicated to the receiver. The channel plays a vital role in the process of communication. The channel must be able to transmit the message from person to another without changing the content of the message. 4. Receiver: Receiver is the person who receives the message. The receiver may be a single person or a group of persons. The receiver understands the meaning of the message and sends the feedback to the sender. The receiver should have the same language ability, cultural background and level of comprehension as the sender. Otherwise, it may lead to a wrong interpretation of the message by the receiver. 5. Decoding: The receiver perceives and interprets or decodes the sender‘s message into information that has meaning. 6. Action: The action is the behavior acted by the receiver, as a result of the message sent, received, and perceived. 6 7. Feedback: Feedback is the final step in the process of communication and is also the most crucial element of communication. The receiver drafts a suitable reply and sends it to the sender. The feedback is important for the sender in order to confirm whether the receiver has received the message and interpreted its meaning in the desired way. The feedback is a continuous two way process. The communication process is not complete until feedback occurs. The importance of communication 1) The means by which people are linked together in an organization to achieve common purpose. 2) Basis of decision making functions. 3) Basis of decentralization and delegation. 4) Important for planning and coordination. 5) Basis for democratic management. 6) Basis to good internal and external communication. 7) Basis for moral building. 8) Basis for higher productivity. Purposes of communication 1) To keep employees informed of organization progress, 2) To provide employees with orders and instructions in connection with their duties, 3) To solicit information for employees which may aid management, 4) To make each employee interested in his respective job at work in the organization as a whole. 5) To express management‘s interest in its personnel, 6) To reduce or prevent labor turnover, 7 7) To select, develop and appraise members of the organization, 8) Lead, direct, motivate, and create a climate in which people want to contribute, and 9) Control performance The purposes of communication for nursing 1) To exchange information between nursing personnel: i.e. nursing unit reports at the end of each shift to personal coming on duty. 2) To initiate action: i.e. to initiate nursing care, be the issuing of doctor‘s orders. 3) To interpret or explain: i.e. interpret or explain techniques and procedures through the use of nursing procedure manuals. 4) To solve problems by discussion among personnel. Channels of communication Definition: Are the path ways through which information, ideas and feelings are passed from one person to another. They are established and maintained as a means of developing and continuing good working relationship. There are two basis kinds of channels I. The official or formal channel of communication: This kind is established by management and formally pictured in the chart of the organization. It is a line of communication for the transmission of official message and information within or outside the organization. In a formal communication channel, directive information flows from higher to lower levels, and information about performance from lower to higher level. 8 II. Informal channel of communication “GRAPEVINE”: Informal communication often does not flow in the formal channel established by management. This type of communication channel (grapevine) built around the social relationship of the members of the organization i.e. this type arises on account of the mature, desire of people to communicate with each others. Grapevine does not flow formally delegated line of authority and responsibility, but it is a powerful and purposeful effective tool of good administrative practice, that is considered as a barometer of public opinion in the organization and as a safety valve and even a barometer of Grapevine does not flow formally delegated line of authority and responsibility, but it is a powerful and purposeful effective tool of good administrative practice, that is considered as a barometer of public opinion in the organization and as a safety valve and even a barometer of moral. An intelligent manager can use of grapevine for spreading information informally and preventing false rumors by providing correct facts, this will be possible when the manager maintains an attitude of friendliness and cooperation with the members of informal organization. Health organization must realize both a grapevine and official or formal channels of communication because when both channels are working effectively, they are somewhat of a complement to each other. So that together the two systems (formal and informal channels) built effective communication in an organization. 9  Verbal Communication Outlines: 1. Define verbal communication 2. The Qualities of a Good Communicator 3. Characteristics of effective verbal communication. 4.7 C’s of Communication of effective verbal communication 5. Characteristics of successful communication 11 Intended learning outcomes: at the end of this lecture students will be able to. 1. Define verbal communication 2. Discuss qualities of a good communicator 3. Communicate with others effectively. 5. Mention characteristics of successful communication 11  Verbal communication Verbal communication is associated with spoken words and is vitally important in the healthcare context. Members of the multi-disciplinary healthcare team communicate verbally with one another and with patients as well as family members. Verbal communication: Verbal communication use language to convey meaning it includes attitude, thought, feeling that communicated: * Through spoken or written words. * The words used very among individual according to culture, socioeconomic background, age and education. 2. The Qualities of a Good Communicator:  Respect and empathy for the client.  Unbiased attitudes. 12 3. Characteristics of effective verbal communication: Brevity or brief: achieved by using short sentences and words that express an idea simply and directly e.g. where is your pain? Is much better than ―I would like you to describe for me the location of your discomfort. Pacing: red is improved by thinking before speaking and talking rapidly increase anxiety, In the receiver and the use of too much or too little silence convey message other than what intend. Timing & Relevance: ssage is clear poor timing can prevent it from being effective. e.g. the nurse should not be in routine teaching when patient is in severe pain or emotional distress but when he is interesting it considers good time. When a message is relevant for situation but when patient is facing emergency surgery discussing the risk of 13  smoking is less relevant than explaining pre-operative procedure. Intonation: be aware of tone of voice to avoid sending unintended message e.g. Voice quality is not (harsh, weak). 7 C’s of Communication of effective verbal communication Definition: The 7 C’s of Communication is a checklist that helps to improve the professional communication skills and increases the chance that the message will be understood in exactly the same way as it was intended. 1. Clear: The message should be clear and easily understandable to the recipient. The purpose of the communication should be clear to sender then only the receiver will be sure about it. The 14  message should emphasize on a single goal at a time and shall not cover several ideas in a single sentence. 2. Correct: The message should be correct, i.e. a correct language should be used, and the sender must ensure that there is no grammatical and spelling mistakes. Also, the message should be exact and well-timed. The correct messages have a greater impact on the receiver and at the same time, the morale of the sender increases with the accurate message. 3. Complete: The message should be complete, i.e. it must include all the relevant information as required by the intended audience. The complete information gives answers to all the questions of the receivers and helps in better decision-making by the recipient. 4. Concrete: The communication should be concrete, which means the message should be clear and particularly such that no room for misinterpretation is left. All the facts and figures should be clearly mentioned in a message so as to substantiate to whatever the sender is saying. 5. Concise: The message should be precise and to the point. The sender should avoid the lengthy sentences and try to convey the subject matter in the least possible words. The short and brief message is more comprehensive and helps in retaining the receiver‘s attention. 15 6. Consideration: The sender must take into consideration the receiver‘s opinions, knowledge, mindset, background, etc. in order to have an effective communication. In order to communicate, the sender must relate to the target recipient and be involved. 7. Courteous: It implies that the sender must take into consideration both the feelings and viewpoints of the receiver such that the message is positive and focused at the audience. The message should not be biased and must include the terms that show respect for the recipient. 4. Characteristics of successful communication : A- Flexibility: Through absence of under control when the participants do and say as they want or over control occurs when there is checking communication exchanged. B-Efficiency: The language used by the communication is understood and there is enough time between verbal response for listener to perceive and evaluate them. C-Appropriateness: The reply is fitting and relevant to the communication received. D- Feedback: The return response it is the response of the listener, which indicates the effect, made by the communication received. 16  Nonverbal Communication Outlines:  Definition of nonverbal communication.  Importance of nonverbal communication.  Nonverbal communication skills examples.  How to improve nonverbal communication.  Principles of nonverbal communication. 17  Nonverbal Communication Intended learning outcomes: at the end of this lecture student will be able to.  Define nonverbal communication.  List importance of nonverbal communication.  Discuss to improve nonverbal communication.  Differentiate between principles of nonverbal communication. 18  Nonverbal communication - Message or information conveyed through the behavior or body languages or by utilization of five senses. It communicates interest, respect, genuineness; checks through feedback. - Nonverbal communication (NVC) is the transmission of messages or signals through a nonverbal platform such as eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, posture, and the distance between two individuals. Importance of nonverbal Communication: -Nonverbal conversation supports the verbal conversation, and vice versa. -Nonverbal communication can convey more meaning than verbal communication. -Most people trust forms of nonverbal communication over verbal communication. -Nonverbal communication accounts for 62–22 percent of human communication. - Nonverbal communication skills make a positive impression on everyone in the workplace. - Displaying nonverbal behaviors that are a match for your messages can help you to convince that you are genuinely interested in the job and suited for the work. 19 Types of nonverbal communication: 1. Personal appearance: Clothing is one of the most common forms of non-verbal communication. The types of clothing that an individual wears convey nonverbal cues about his or her personality, background and financial status, and how others will respond to them. An individual's clothing style can demonstrate their culture, mood, level of confidence, interests, age, authority, and values/beliefs. Eg. Good grooming and a tidy appearance is always preferable, whether casually or more formally dressed. It presents a much more professional appearance. 2. Facial expressions. The human face is extremely expressive, able to convey countless emotions without saying a word. And unlike some forms of nonverbal communication, facial expressions are universal. The facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and disgust are the same across cultures. 21 3. Body movement and posture. Consider how your perceptions of people are affected b y the way they sit, walk, stand, or hold their head. The way you move and carry you communicates a wealth of information to the world. This type of nonverbal communication includes your posture, bearing, stance, and the subtle movements you make. 4. Gestures. Gestures are woven into the fabric of our daily lives. You may wave, point, beckon, or use your hands when arguing or speaking animatedly, often expressing yourself with gestures without thinking. However, the meaning of some gestures can be very different across cultures. While the OK sign made with the hand, for example, conveys a positive message in English-speaking countries, it‗s considered offensive in countries such as Germany, Russia, and Brazil. So, it‗s important to be careful of how you use gestures to avoid misinterpretation 5. Eye contact. Since the visual sense is dominant for most people, eye contact is an especially important type of nonverbal communication. The way you look at someone can communicate many things, including interest, affection, 21 hostility, or attraction. Eye contact is also important in maintaining the flow of conversation and for gauging the other person‗s interest and response. 6. Touch. We communicate a great deal through touch. Think about the very different messages given by a weak handshake, a warm bear hug, a patronizing pat on the head, or a controlling grip on the arm, for example. 7. Space/ Proxemics. Have you ever felt uncomfortable during a conversation because the other person was standing too close and invading your space? We all have a need for physical space, although that need differs depending on the culture, the situation, and the closeness of the relationship. You can use physical space to communicate many different nonverbal messages, including signals of intimacy and affection, aggression or dominance. 8. Voice and Vocal Cues. = Are also known as Paralinguistic cues. They include all the noises and extra speech sounds. EXAMPLE = Tone of voice, pitch, Nervous coughing. 22 How to improve nonverbal communication: Nonverbal communication is a rapidly flowing back-and-forth process that requires your full focus on the moment-to-moment experience. Learn to manage stress in the moment. Stress compromises your ability to communicate. When you‗re stressed out, you‗re more likely to misread other people, send confusing or off-putting nonverbal signals, and lapse into unhealthy knee-jerk patterns of behavior. - Remember: emotions are contagious. If you are upset, it is very likely to make others upset, thus making a bad situation worse. - If you‗re feeling overwhelmed by stress, take a time out. Take a moment to calm down before you jump back into the conversation. Once you‗ve regained your emotional equilibrium, you‗ll feel better equipped to deal with the situation in a positive way. -Listening to a certain piece of music, or squeezing a stress ball, for example, you can quickly relax and re-focus. Since everyone responds differently, you may need to experiment to find the sensory experience that works best for you. 23 Develop your emotional awareness. In order to send accurate nonverbal cues, you need to be aware of your emotions and how they influence you. You also need to be able to recognize the emotions of others and the true feelings behind the cues they are sending. Being emotionally aware enables you to: Accurately read other people, including the emotions they‗re feeling and the unspoken messages they‗re sending. Create trust in relationships by sending nonverbal signals that match up with your words. Respond in ways that show others that you understand and care. Principles of Nonverbal Communication 1. Nonverbal communication can supplement or replace verbal communication. 2. Nonverbal communication can regulate interaction. 3. Nonverbal communication can establish relational level meanings including responsiveness, liking, and power or control. 4. Nonverbal communication reflects cultural values. 24  Listening Outline 1. What is Listening? 2. Process of Listening 3. Importance of Listening. 4. Basic Types of Listening 5. Barriers to effective listening 6. How to Listen Effectively? 7. Benefits of Effective Listening 25  Listening Definition of Listening 1- Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process. 2- Listening is key to all effective communication, without the ability to listen effectively messages are easily misunderstood. 3- Listening is one of the most important skills you can have. 4- An active process of getting information, ideas. 5- ―Listening is the process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken. What is listening?  Listening is not just about being Quiet while someone else is speaking.  Listening is with the Mind.  Hearing with the senses.  Listening is conscious.  To improve our interpersonal & oral exchange. 26   Just Listening to words is not enough; a good Listener has to pay attention to the non-verbal communication of the speaker. Process of Listening 1-Receiving Is the intentional focus on hearing a speaker‘s message. This stage is represented by the ear because it is the primary tool involved with this stage of the listening process. 2- Understanding In the understanding stage, we attempt to learn the meaning of the message, which is not always easy. Deciding what the message means to you 27 3- Remembering Remembering begins with listening; if you can‘t remember something that was said, you might not have been listening effectively. However, even when you are listening attentively, some messages are more difficult than others to understand and remember. Highly complex messages that are filled with detail call for highly developed listening skills. 4- Evaluating The fourth stage in the listening process is evaluating. Evaluations of the same message can vary widely from one listener to another. The stages two, three, and four are represented by the brain because it is the primary tool involved with these stages of the listening process. 5-Responding Responding—sometimes referred to as feedback—is the fifth and final stage of the listening process. Your reaction to the message. It can be emotional and intellectual 28  For example, you are giving positive feedback to your instructor if at the end of class you stay behind to finish a sentence in your notes or approach the instructor to ask for clarification. The opposite kind of feedback is given by students who gather their belongings and rush out the door as soon as class is over. This stage is represented by the lips because we often give feedback in the form of verbal feedback; however, you can just as easily respond nonverbally. Importance of Listening We show that we are serious We display respect to other‘s viewpoint Helps us to learn Helps us to adapt and understand Empathize To avoid communication errors. Helps to learn something new. It is the key to success. Basic Types of Listening Active listening Selective listening Emphatic listening Ignoring listening 29 1- Active Listening Understanding all things Proper interaction. Proper feedback 2- Selective Listening We remember only Selective portion. Topic is not to our liking 3- Empathetic listening When we listen empathetically, we go beyond sympathy to seek a truer understand how others are feeling. This requires excellent discrimination and close attention to the nuances of emotional signals. When we are being truly empathetic, we actually feel what they are feeling. 4- Ignoring Listening Not listening at all Is pretty insulting to others. It can lead to strained relations Can you hear me talking? Does that mean that you are a good listener? A person with normal hearing is not necessarily a good listener. Many different things can prevent a speaker‘s message from being received… 31 Barriers to effective listening Some common barriers in the process of listening are listed below. 1. Pre-judgments about the speaker. 2. Assuming that the speaker is going to give some unimportant information. 3. Arriving late for a speech, presentation or lecture. 4. Judging the speaker by his/her mannerisms, voice, appearance, accent,. 5. Lack of concentration/interest. 6. Avoiding listening to difficult, boring or complex information and selectively listening only to what is considered interesting. 7. Speaker or listener being distracted by disturbances. How to Listen Effectively? 1. Stop Talking 2. Be Silent 2. Show Interest 3. Empathize 4. Ask Questions 5. Maintain Eye Contact 6. Take notes 7. Listen Creatively 8. Put Your Entirety 9. Send feedback 31 10. Avoid or eliminate distraction 11. Try to gather information about the topic to develop interest and familiarity. Benefits of Effective Listening Enhances productivity Improves relations Avoids conflicts Improves understanding Improves negotiation skills Adds to your Image & Personality. Active Listening Techniques To boost your active listening skills and put these active listening techniques into practice, try these helpful tips: 1. Limit interruptions. Silence any technology and move away from distractions so that you can pay full attention to the other person. Take note of the person‘s tone of voice and body language as well. 2. Pay attention to what‘s being said, not what you want to say. Set a goal of being able to repeat the last sentence the other person says. This keeps your attention on each statement. 3. Be okay with silence. You don‘t have to always reply or have a comment. A break in dialogue can give you a chance to collect your thoughts. 4. Encourage the other person to offer ideas and solutions before you give yours. 32 Aim to do 80% of the listening and 20% of the talking. 5. Restate the key points you heard and ask whether they‘re accurate. “Let me see whether I heard you correctly…” is an easy way to clarify any confusion. 6. Consider revisiting the topic. You can listen without comment and not agree with complaints. If it‘s something you want to pursue, ask the person to write it down along with a possible solution, then schedule another time to discuss. If you work to develop better active listening techniques, you‘ll not only become known as a good listener, you‘ll become a better leader as well. Some Tips for Leaders To boost your active listening skills and put these active listening techniques into practice, try these helpful tips: 1. Limit interruptions. Silence any technology and move away from distractions so that you can pay full attention to the other person. Take note of the person‘s tone of voice and body language as well. 2. Pay attention to what‘s being said, not what you want to say. Set a goal of being able to repeat the last sentence the other person says. This keeps your attention on each statement. 3. Be okay with silence. You don‘t have to always reply or have a comment. A break in dialogue can give you a chance to collect your thoughts. 33 4. Encourage the other person to offer ideas and solutions before you give yours. Aim to do 80% of the listening and 20% of the talking. 5. Restate the key points you heard and ask whether they‘re accurate. “Let me see whether I heard you correctly…” is an easy way to clarify any confusion. 6. Consider revisiting the topic. You can listen without comment and not agree with complaints. If it‘s something you want to pursue, ask the person to write it down along with a possible solution, then schedule another time to discuss. If you work to develop better active listening techniques, you‘ll not only become known as a good listener, you‘ll become a better leader as well. 34  Factors affecting communication Outlines  Introduction  Importance of Effective Communication  Factors influencing communication in nursing  How to Communicate Effectively  How can you communicate more clearly? 35  Factors affecting communication Introduction: Effective communication is essential to the success of any organization. In order to practice good communication skills, you need to be able to understand what makes up good communication, and then make that part of your corporate culture through policies and practice. Effective communication helps us better understand a person or situation and enables us to resolve differences and build trust and respect. Importance of Effective Communication? 1) The ability to effectively communicate with others is one of the most important tools for professional and personal success. 2) Effective communication can help you influence others. 3) Your capacity to communicate is often seen as an indicator of your ability and intelligence. Factors influencing communication in nursing: 1. Perception 2. Culture 3. Space and distance 4. Time 5. Past experiences 6. Position 7. Group relations 8. Geographical Difference 9. Working environments 36 1. Perception: Perception is a person‘s sensing and understanding of the world around him. Perception of a situation is exclusive therein it varies from person to person. ―Perceptions are influenced by our culture, socialization, education, and experience‖. They assist an individual determine the meaning of the words and therefore the content of the messages being communicated. It‘s important for the listener to verify what she thinks she has heard because the interpretation of the message depends upon the hearer‘s perception of the message. 2. Culture According to difference in culture, style of communication is become different. 3. Space and distance Proxemics is that the study of the space between people and objects. everyone has an invisible buffer zone or personal space. Culturally defined, this boundary alerts an individual on how close another can comfortably approach. Invasion of private space produces discomfort, anxiety, and therefore the fight-or-flight response. The nurse respects the client‘s personal space in several ways, like not touching or moving the client‘s possessions unless necessary. 4. Time The study of the effects of time on the communication process is referred to as chronemics. The amount of time spent communicating depends on the client‘s needs. Some clients will require more of the nurse‘s time than others. The client who is seriously ill or non-trusting may respond better 37 to brief, frequent contact than to prolonged, infrequent contact. If the nurse is hurried during the interaction with the client, a non-verbal message of impatience may be transmitted. Keeping clients waiting conveys a message that they are unimportant. On the other hand, the nurse who is prompt and who allows time for the client to talk communicates nonverbally, ―You are important to me,‖ and ―I value you as a person.‖ The whole communication process is influenced by time. For example, the same message received at 3:00 AM will be perceived and responded to differently at 3:00 PM. 5. Past experiences: Past experience also one of the factors influencing communication. Previous experience with the sender impacts psychologically on the receiver. It impacts the whole communication process. For example, A patient told a psychiatric nurse about his disturbance in life. After some days patient got to know that everyone in the unit knows about his disturbance. The nurse loses trust with that patient and the patient will not further share his experiences with that nurse. That‘s how past experience affects communication. 6. Position: The position of an individual plays a major role in communication. When a senior experienced person tells something to subordinates it becomes more effective because he has all the experience, knowledge and position. 38 7. Group relations: Same group employees have better coordination. For example, Nurses in same shift help each other in finishing their work and providing care to the patient. 8. Geographical Difference: If the sender and receiver reside in several geographical areas, then the characteristics of respective geography interims of language, norms, values, et al. will obviously affect the communication. For example, an individual from an Arabian country or an individual from America or an individual from Europe, or an individual from Africa will obviously have a special attitude and such differences will influence communication to an excellent extent. 9. Working environments: It affects the efficiency and productivity of workers and employees because the environment shapes the behavior of an individual. So, an individual working in a better environment will obviously have good communication skills, while an individual working in a poor environment will obviously have limitations in communication. The above-mentioned factors directly or indirectly influence communication. So, respective factors should be considered by the person while communicating with others to satisfy the specified objective. 39 How to Communicate Effectively: These 9 tips will help you communicate better in a relationship, at work, and with your family. 1. Listen so you can understand. Listening is just as important as expressing yourself. Learn how to be a better listener so you can understand the needs or concerns of your audience and address them effectively. Without actively listening (which is more than just hearing), you could easily miss important details and other cues, which can lead to misunderstandings and more problems down the line. 2. Ask questions. Asking questions is another helpful habit you should practice for effective communication. You should use questions to better understand the person you‘re engaging with. Ask questions to gain clarity. If you‘re confused or unsure of what the other person meant, don‘t be afraid to ask for clarification. 3. Think before speaking. Along with actively listening to the speaker, you should take a second (or more, if needed) to think before speaking or responding. Words are powerful, and speaking carelessly can have serious consequences. 4. Be straightforward. It can be tempting to beat around the bush, especially when it comes to difficult conversations. However, sugarcoating bad news or speaking in symbols to avoid being direct usually just leads to more confusion and trouble. 41 5. Know your audience. It‘s important to know your audience, whether it‘s one person or thousands of listeners. Try to be aware of their expectations, their backgrounds, and their needs. This is especially important if you‘re going to offer direction or advice, because each audience is different, so you can‘t just assume that you know what‘s best for their situation if you haven‘t taken the time to get to know more about them. 6. Be mindful of your word choice. Words can carry positive, negative, or neutral meanings, or feelings and ideas that are associated with those words, even if they differ from the literal definitions (denotations). The meaning of a word can vary by culture and background. 7. Be aware of nonverbal cues. Word choice is important, but be aware that it‘s just one element of effective communication. While you‘re speaking, so is your body. Your mouth might say one thing, but your facial expressions and body language might say something entirely different. One study found that nonverbal cues accounted for 55% of how a speaker was perceived by their audience, illustrating how important nonverbal cues are. To make a strong (and respectful) impression, maintain eye contact and good posture. Don‘t slouch, and definitely try not to fidget. Doing so while someone else is talking signals that you‘re not listening; fidgeting while you’re talking signals nervousness and a lack of confidence. 8. Take notes of important details. Noting down important information that a speaker mentions (such as dates, numbers, and other key details) shows the other person that you 41  give importance to what they‘re saying, but also helps you to process the information better. 9. Seek feedback. Finally, if you want to improve your communication skills, ask the people around you for feedback! For example, if you want to communicate better with your partner, ask them what they think your communication strengths and weaknesses are. Maybe you‘re a clear, eloquent speaker, but not the best listener. To learn how you can communicate more effectively, it‘s important to first understand the different types of communication. (It‘s more than just words!)  Verbal  Nonverbal  Written  Visual  Listening How can you communicate more clearly? If you really want to make sure your message gets across, keep the following in mind:  Know the purpose of this communication. In order to communicate clearly, you need a clear idea of what you wish to accomplish. Knowing your ―why‖ will help you weed out any irrelevant details and focus on the most important information.  Share feelings in person. If your conversation is going to be charged with emotion, don‘t attempt to get those feelings across in a text message or email. Like we said, there‘s more to communication than just the 42  spoken and written word. Emotions are best expressed in person, because the other person can observe your body language and energy to better understand what you‘re trying to communicate.  Share facts and figures in writing. If rather complex numbers, facts, or figures are important in your message, it‘s best to share these in writing (such as in a letter, email, or text) so your audience can absorb and better comprehend them.  Keep it simple. The key to clarity in communication is making your message as simple as possible. In our attempt to make things clear, we often end up overthinking, and saying too much that‘s not really relevant. Cut out any unimportant and irrelevant information, and always keep your purpose in mind so you can avoid getting tied up by side stories and distractions. Speak (or write) in clear, simple terms whenever possible. 43  Cultivating conversational skills Outlines  Introduction  What's the definition of conversation and conversation skills?  Conversation skills requires  The features of good conversation  To be good conversationalist  The importance of conversation skills at work  The Rules of Conversation  Tips for improving conversational skills  Ways to Improve Your Conversation Skills  Methods for increasing your approachability and improving your ability to talk to others.  Workplace conversation tips 44  Cultivating conversational skills Introduction Conversations are supposed to be fun. They involve personal interactions between two or more people about something of interest. But many people worry about having conversations. They are concerned that they won‘t be able to keep the conversation going, or about what they will say. Keeping a conversation going is something of an art, and one which many of us now seem to lack. This page explains how you can learn this ‗dying art‘, and have constructive and enjoyable conversations with others. Good conversational skills also help you achieve your goals by allowing you to convey your thoughts and desires effectively. But what exactly are interpersonal skills? And what are the most important ones to develop? Conversation is one of the most common and direct methods for communicating. In order to be as effective as possible, it is important to know how to conduct yourself in a conversation. There are several skills that are required to be effective with this type of communication, and some of them will be discussed in this article. What's the definition of conversation and conversation skills? - A conversation is defined as a talk between two or more people, that‘s usually informal. - Conversation skills, then, are skills that we need in order to communicate effectively with others. In contrast to written communication skills, conversation skills focus on our ability to communicate verbally. o These skills consist of being able to listen and understand what the other person in the conversation is saying, as well as the ability to convey information and meaning through speech. Developing conversation skills is an important part of socialization. 45 Conversation skills requires - Effort, focus, and practice Concept Awareness Esteem The features of good conversation should shift back Clear and concise Delivers complete and forth meassge To be good conversationalist - Exchange greetings - Reciprocate - Be courteous and polite - Be concise - Be specific and use vivid language - Use appropriate body language - Do not end abruptly 46 The importance of conversation skills at work Regardless of the industry, the ability to communicate effectively with supervisors, colleagues and support staff is essential. Employees in the digital age must know how to effectively transfer and receive messages in person and via phone, email and social media. Strong conversation skills also allow you to be highly memorable and effective when networking, which can create opportunities for professional growth and career advancement that might have been otherwise unavailable. Some specific ways that conversation skills can impact employee performance in the workplace is by: - Alleviating conflict: Making adjustments in how you communicate with team members can often reduce conflicts - Increasing employee engagement: Conversation skills allow you to better understand the needs of employees and creates a more positive work environment - Creating a more productive workforce: With strong conversation skills, a leader can influence their team and better engage team members to fully understand the talents and skills of their workforce The Rules of Conversation 1. Conversation is a Two-Way Street 2. Be Friendly and Polite 3. Respond to What They are Saying 4. Use Signaling to Help the Other Person 5. Create Emotional Connections 1. Conversation is a Two-Way Street The first and most important rule of conversation is that it is not all about you, but it‘s not all about the other person either. 2. Be Friendly and Polite Smiling, and being nice, will take you a long way in conversational terms. Everyone would rather chat to someone friendly and pleasant. But what are the practical elements of this? - Build rapport. 47  - Be nice. - Try to avoid contentious topics on first acquaintance. 3. Respond to What They are Saying To respond genuinely to what someone has just said means that you have to listen. You can‘t just switch off, and think about what you‘re going to say next. However, if we‘re honest, most of us would admit that we often do just that. It‘s important to focus on the other person, and what they‘re saying. You also need to take into account their body language. 4. Use Signaling to Help the Other Person When a conversation is flowing well, it moves naturally from one person to the other. However, if one or both are finding it more of a struggle to ‗chat‘, you may find it helpful to use ‗signals‘ to show the other person that it is their turn to talk. The most common type of signal is questions. These may be either open or closed. 5. Create Emotional Connections Of course it is perfectly possible to conduct a conversation entirely at the level of small talk, with nothing important being said. But conversation is also a way to explore whether you wish to know someone better and build a relationship with them. It can therefore be useful to understand how to use conversation to create and build emotional connections. Tips for improving conversational skills Conversation skills refer to a collective group of skills needed to communicate effectively with another person. They allow you to understand and be understood by others. More than that, though, conversation skills allow you to connect with people and build strong relationships. People who are strong conversationalists appear smooth and charismatic when they talk and others are often drawn to this behavior. Understanding the importance of developing conversational skills for the workplace, here are some tips for improving your own skills: 48  1. Listen actively to others 2. Look for nonverbal cues 3. Have empathy 4. Pay attention to details 5. Offer interesting insights 6. Talk slowly 7. Use the right words 1. Listen actively to others Listening shows that we're interested in the other person and what they have to say. Listening is as vital as speaking since a conversation should consist of sharing information. Practice active listening by paying attention, asking clarifying questions and repeating the message back to the speaker. 2. Look for nonverbal cues Nonverbal communication is just as important as the words the person chooses. For example, you might nod your head ―yes‖ or shake your head ―no.‖ Leaning forward slightly could indicate you want to hear them better. It‘s important the message you send is consistent—both verbally and nonverbally. 3. Have empathy Empathy is vital. Put yourself in the other person‘s shoes. Try to see their point of view. Statements such as ―I understand where you‘re coming from‖ can help build trust. Respect the other person, even when you disagree. Be polite and professional. People may forget what you say, but they will not forget how you made them feel. Be empathetic. Show them by your words and actions that they matter. 4. Pay attention to details People with strong conversation skills take notice of details that the average person might not notice and bring attention to those details during the conversation. For example, you may notice that the person you‘re speaking with has a slight accent or is wearing an interesting ring. 49 These are small details you could bring into your conversation to show the other party that they have your undivided attention. Offer compliments related to these small details. 5. Offer interesting insights People with good conversation skills can frequently tell you things you didn‘t know and find interesting. Listen to podcasts. Read books and industry magazines. Learn what you can about your industry so that when you are in a situation where you‘re discussing your organization, you will offer in-depth knowledge on the industry and any new trends. 6. Talk slowly People who are good conversationalists often act as though they have an abundance of time and as though there is no place else they would rather be. They take their time when they speak and often reflect on what they will say before they speak. This makes them appear centered and collected. Model this method of speaking to come off the same way. 7. Use the right words The ability to communicate well with others has a lot to do with finding the right words to convey precise feelings or thoughts. Work to constantly develop your vocabulary and practice communicating as accurately as possible. By expanding your vocabulary, you will express yourself more easily. Ways to Improve Your Conversation Skills 1. Look Approachable 2. Speak Slowly 3. Read 4. Know Yourself 5. Ask a Question That Makes the Other Person Have to Think 6. Listen for Details 7. Place Emphasis on What You Have in Common 8. Relax and Be Yourself 9. Reflect 51 1. Look Approachable Be mindful of your body language. If you look closed off or your facial expressions are telling other people that you‘re not open to talking, people won‘t be rushing over to have a conversation with you. To look approachable, keep a slight smile on your face when you‘re going in for a conversation–or really when you‘re in any situation involving a group of people. 2. Speak Slowly When people become stressed, excited, or anxious, they tend to speed up their speech. This prevents listeners from processing the information that is being communicated, as it‘s often difficult to keep up with someone who is speaking too quickly. And the truth is, if a listener can‘t keep up with a speaker, he or she will quickly stop trying. Good conversationalists don‘t rush through whatever they have to say. Keep this in mind when you‘re talking to someone and remember the importance of taking your time as you reflect on your thoughts before expressing them out loud. Doing so will help you present yourself as being calm and collected and show your conversation partner that you‘re not in a rush to wrap up the interaction. 3. Read There are a huge number of benefits to reading, one of which is improving your conversation skills. Reading will help you grow the number of words in your brain‘s arsenal, allowing you to find the most precise word to communicate what you‘re trying to say. When you‘re reading and you come across a word that you don‘t recognize, you‘ll probably look up the meaning to contextualize the sentence. Doing this research will help your brain retain the definition and your vocabulary will start to grow. Finally, reading will help you manage your limiting beliefs, allowing you to be open to what other people have to say. If you‘re unwilling to try to see things from other people‘s perspectives or through different cultural lenses, very few people are going to want to have conversations with you in the first place. 51 4. Know Yourself If you lack self-awareness, how is anyone else going to get to know you or connect with you? You can‘t communicate what you‘re all about to other people if you haven‘t done any self-reflection to uncover your strengths, weaknesses, values, and opinions yourself. Once you‘re confident with who you are, you can listen to other people tell you what‘s important to them without letting your own opinions hinder or complicate the interaction. 5. Ask a Question That Makes the Other Person Have to Think Asking deeper questions than those that require a yes or no answer can help you reign people into your conversation. There are also some great ―would you rather‖ questions to make your conversations more interesting. 6. Listen for Details Have some things waiting in your back pocket in case there is a lull in your conversation. Pick up on details that the other person mentions as they‘re talking or a particular element of their appearance that you can bring up later on. For example, if the person is telling you about a business trip they took to Chicago and you‘ve also done business in Chicago, keep that fact in the back of your mind so you can later bring up that commonality. Or, you may notice and mention an interesting piece of jewelry the other person is wearing, an accent that hints to where they grew up, or any other minor detail that shows you‘re paying attention. 7. Place Emphasis on What You Have in Common Research has shown us time and time again that people tend to like other people to whom they can relate. So to improve your conversation skills, emphasize any similarities you see between your conversation partner and yourself. Not only will this help build a rapport, it will also help the other person feel close to you and develop a sense of trust because they can see a part of themselves reflected in you. 8. Relax and Be Yourself Have confidence in yourself. If you‘re tense or trying to put on some kind of act, the other person will notice and it will make for an uncomfortable 52 situation. Take a deep breath before going into a conversation. If you don't try to relax, you may lose your ability to be articulate or say something that is completely unrelated to the conversation. Always be yourself , this will attract other like-minded people with whom you can develop a deeper relationship. 9. Reflect If you‘re trying to improve your conversation skills, reflect upon interactions that you have with people once they‘re done to identify potential areas of improvement. Did you talk too much? Not enough? Either way, think back to the conversation and look for areas where you could have allowed the other person to talk or where you could have offered some constructive thoughts. If this is the case, try to pause in future conversations after you make a point to either gain the other person‘s agreement or get an alternative point of view. Methods for increasing your approachability and improving your ability to talk to others. 1. Step One – Be Prepared. 2. Step Two – Don't be a Know-It-All. 3. Step Three – Be Yourself. 4. Step Four – Relax. 1. Step One – Be Prepared. If you want to really engage others in conversation, it may require a little preparation on your part. For example, get to know your audience. If you are speaking with someone who really enjoys sports, you might be more effective getting your point across if you use a football analogy. Try to find topics that you and the listener have in common, and focus on those. You may even want to do a little research on various topics to make sure you are well-versed and can hold up your end of an interesting conversation. 2. Step Two – Don't be a Know-It-All. Just because you know everything there is to know about the Internet, or the history of Rome, or the nutritional benefits of some new herbal supplement -- that doesn't mean that the listener wants to hear it all. Being an expert in a topic is great, and it definitely gives you a great 53 conversation starter, but make sure the other person gets the opportunity to speak, and that he or she doesn't become totally overwhelmed or bored with the conversation. 3. Step Three – Be Yourself. Being "fake" or a "phony" is the kiss of death in social or business situations. In order to be an effective communicator, it is necessary for people to realize that you are being genuine. This can translate into something as simple as making eye contact, so the listener sees you have nothing to hide. Speak clearly and loudly enough for your voice to be heard and understood. Your opinions are just as important as everyone else's, and you want to be sure that they are shared. Be prepared to hear other people's opinions, though, and to integrate that information into your own understanding. 4. Step Four – Relax. A little nerves or jitters when going into a social or business situation are to be expected. If they get out of control, however, they can make you a far less effective communicator. Following the previous suggestions will help avoid some of the tension that comes with the desire to be a good conversationalist. In addition, it can help to simply take a deep breath, or use another method to center yourself and gather your thoughts, before walking into a situation that you suspect will be difficult. Workplace conversation tips 1. Show interest in others. 2. Respect your office culture. 3. Keep your opinions about life outside the office to yourself. 4. Stay positive. 5. Don’t gossip. 6. Listen and observe. 7. To be interesting, be interested. Within reason. 8. Make conversation at the appropriate times. 9. Schedule time to discuss work-related topics. 10. Don’t kiss up. 54  11. Have a sense of humor. 12. Bring others into your conversations. 13. Don’t get too personal. 14. Sincere compliments are always welcome. 1. Show interest in others. We naturally like people who are interested in us. Open conversations with a question, and then genuinely pay attention to the answer. A simple ―How‘s your day going?‖ goes a long way. 2. Respect your office culture. Casual banter and humor may not fly in a formal setting. Ditto for an overly serious attitude at a workplace that embraces a more casual tone. The office is one place where you want to fit in. 3. Keep your opinions about life outside the office to yourself. It‘s cool if you let your co-workers know that you love your dog, or that you like to skydive on the weekends, but leave more charged topics like religion and politics alone. 4. Stay positive. Yes, bad things happen at work, but that doesn‘t mean you have to have a negative mindset. Keep your tone positive by focusing on solutions instead of grumbling about problems. 5. Don’t gossip. Office gossip will almost always come back to haunt you. When someone shares private information with you, be sure to keep their confidence. And whatever you do, don‘t badmouth management or your colleagues. 6. Listen and observe. Make it a rule to listen more often than you talk. The more insight you gain into your colleagues and the general vibe of your office environment, the more relevant and meaningful things you‘ll have to say when it‘s your turn to speak. Chatting with Senior Colleagues Conversing with office mates who share the same rung of the corporate ladder is one thing, but the dynamic changes when you‘re talking to 55 someone higher up. All of the tips we just provided are still in play (you weren‘t really going to talk politics with your manager, were you?), but there are a few more you should observe to keep things professional. 7. To be interesting, be interested. Within reason. Dale Carnegie was right—the secret to being liked is to show an interest in others. But mind that you keep the topics professional. ―How was your fishing trip?‖ is a great question. ―Were you as drunk as you looked at the club this weekend?‖…not so much. 8. Make conversation at the appropriate times. Chat with your senior colleagues when you know they‘re not in a hurry, like when you‘re both heading to grab a cup of coffee. Match the topic to the length of time at hand. Asking something like ―How did you get into this field of work?‖ might be an appropriate conversation-starter at an office dinner function, but it‘s not well-suited for a two-minute break at the water cooler. 9. Schedule time to discuss work-related topics. Have an idea for improving the quality of your social media analytics? Don‘t present that during a thirty-second elevator ride. Instead, consider using email or other office channels to schedule a meeting. Otherwise, your ideas may get lost in the shuffle or, worse, you‘ll come across as a pest. 10. Don’t kiss up. No one likes the colleague who‘s doing everything short of jumping up and down, shouting ―Look at me! Look at me!‖ to stay on the boss‘s radar. Communicating with Your Employees Once more, the rules change a bit when you‘re making conversation with someone you directly manage. Now you‘re in a position where you need to command respect, and that applies even in casual settings. Here‘s how. 11. Have a sense of humor. If it comes naturally, use humor to make yourself more approachable. Just keep it office-appropriate. Remember, you‘re setting the tone for everyone else. 56 12. Bring others into your conversations. Even the most casual banter with a senior colleague can feel intimidating when it‘s one-on-one. Consider inviting others into the mix to ease the tension and help everyone feel comfortable. 13. Don’t get too personal. Keep your chatty questions neutral. It‘s fine to ask whether your employee had a nice time on vacation, but when you ask about their relationships with their significant others, you‘re straying into personal territory. Would you feel comfortable answering if your employee asked you the same question? 14. Sincere compliments are always welcome. It‘s helpful to praise individual performance-related wins that you might only mention cumulatively on a performance review. They can provide confidence boosts that increase morale. Whatever your hierarchy in the office jungle, making conversation is a matter of applying a combination of empathy, good observation skills, and a little common sense. 57  Barriers of communication Outlines:  Introduction  Definition  Types of communication barriers  Barriers of communication according to elements of communication  Communication barriers organizations face today  Ways to eliminate communication barriers in the workplace  The role of technology in overcoming communication barriers 58  Barriers of communication Introduction: There are many barriers to communication and these may occur at any stage in the communication process. Barriers may lead to your message becoming distorted and you therefore risk wasting both time and/or money by causing confusion and misunderstanding. Effective communication involves overcoming these barriers and conveying a clear and concise message. Definition: Communication barriers can include anything that prevents or disables communicators to deliver the right message to the right person at the right time, or a receiver to get the right message at the right time.  Physical communication barriers such as social distancing, remote work, deskless nature of work, closed office doors, and others. 59  Emotional communication barriers resulting from emotions such as mistrust and fear.  Language communication barriers that refer to how a person speaks both verbally and nonverbally. Barriers of communication according to elements of communication: a) Factors related to sender level: Cannot communicate the message. b) Factors related to message level: rds. c) Factor related to the receiver level d) Factors related to environment the location of communication is overcrowded. 61 Communication barriers organizations face today: When talking about communication barriers in the workplace, challenges to effective communication are more obvious than ever before. Multigenerational workplaces, the rise of remote work, dispersed workforce, the introduction of new communication technology and different employee expectations are just a few examples of communication barriers that have emerged in the past few years. 1. Communication skills and styles People have different communication skills and styles. Oftentimes, these differences in communication skills can create communication barriers between the communicator and the receiver of the message. 2. Social distance and physical barriers Many companies now depend on digital means of communication due to social distancing and remote ways of working. These physical barriers are even more evident within organizations with blue-collar employees without designated working space. Such barriers can go a long way in causing damage to an organization that doesn‘t know how to leverage technology to eliminate communication challenges. 3. Disengagement Effective communication is about engagement between the parties involved in communication. When there is no engagement from both parties, this ruins the purpose of effective communication. Unfortunately, organizations across the world are fighting the problem of disengaged workplaces. They are struggling to catch their employees‘ 61 attention and drive the culture of open, engaged, and transparent communications. 4. Organizational structure Complex and rigid organizational structure can be the main culprit for inefficient communication, making it one of the most common communication barriers. Such organizations may have inefficient information sharing and communication systems, often resulting in frustrations, lack of engagement, and productivity among employees. If a company is highly hierarchical, information can easily get siloed, lost or distorted as it travels through each layer of the hierarchy. 5. Information overload Too little information is not good, but too much information can cause even more damage. Yet, information overload has always been one of the biggest communication barriers. Moreover, information overload has proved to have a very negative impact on employees‘ well-being, productivity, and success at work. 6. Lack of trust When there is no trust, there is no effective communication. In other words, when employees don‘t trust their employers, leaders, or managers, communication suffers. This is the reason why one of the main goals for organizations across the world has become to build trust in the workplace. Yet, many employers still have a long way to go to become more trustworthy. 62 7. Clarity, consistency, and frequency Communications professionals need to understand the importance of clear, consistent, and frequent communication. When messages across different channels are not consistent, trust gets hurt. When messages don‘t get delivered frequently or in a timely manner, employees miss out on important information or updates. 8. Listening Communication should always be a two-way street. Moreover, listening is often much more important than speaking. Yet, many companies still don‘t understand the importance of encouraging employees‘ share of voice and the value of their feedback. 9. Wrong communications channels There are many different communication channels people use nowadays. The same is true for companies, especially large enterprises. Such complexity in the communication ecosystem makes it hard for employers to make sure that they use the right channels to inform their people and deliver relevant information in a timely manner. 10. Demographic and cultural differences The way people interact with each other can vary depending on the demographic and cultural differences. If communicators are not aware of these differences, communication barriers will arise. 11. Wrong communication technology Communication technology can make or break any organization‘s communication strategy. In the sea of available technology, employers 63 need to be able to find and implement solutions that best fit their organizational needs and goals. 12. Lack of personalization Lack of personalization is one of the biggest reasons why disengagement happens. When receivers get information that is not relevant to their nature of work, or messages that are of no interest to them, they are much more likely to ignore future communications coming their way. 13. Grapevine communication American Management Association estimates that 70% of all organizational communication emanates through the grapevine. Moreover, most people deem it trustworthy as well. This informal type of communication may have a significant impact on your people, your business performance, and your ability to build trust with your employees. Therefore, it is crucial for employers to understand the power of grapevine communication in order to be able to control and manage it effectively. Ways to eliminate communication barriers in the workplace: Communication barriers can never be completely eliminated. However, there are ways to reduce their negative consequences and make communication more streamlined and effective. Digging deeper into the causes of barriers in communication and a better understanding of people‘s communication preferences are the most important prerequisites for effective communication. Let‘s now take a closer look at the 5 ways to tackle communication barriers in the workplace. 64 1. Understand your multigenerational workforce Since the generations have different communication preferences, neglecting to adjust to them forms an inevitable communication barrier. We need to better understand these differences and adapt to them in order to make communication more efficient. 2. Make communication more agile Highly hierarchical organizations can struggle with communication more than those within which information flows freely. In today‘s ever- changing world, it is extremely important to implement more agile means and ways of communication. Information should always flow both ways, upward communication should continuously be encouraged, and employers should be able to quickly reach their target audiences. 3. Create and share engaging and personalized content People want to consume authentic, engaging, and fun content. The days when we would just send mass emails to the entire workplace are dead. In their personal lives, people consume media in increasingly smaller bites. Long-form content is still here, but social media has shown us that organizations need to share messaging in people‘s preferred formats, including video, info graphics, webinars, podcasts, and memes. Additionally, content irrelevancy also creates barriers to communication. Yet, many organizations don‘t have ways to better segment their internal audiences based on various criteria such as age, location, job function, language, interest, and preferences. Hence, irrelevant content can be the biggest cause of disengagement and poor workplace experience. 65  4. Switch to mobile-first communication Since communication is highly digital today, we need to better understand people‘s preferred communication devices in both their personal and professional lives. Therefore, switching to mobile-first communication can go a long way to eliminating some of the most significant communication barriers. 5. Use the power of data and technology We need to better understand how to leverage digital means of communication. Yet, many organizations don‘t have access to the new and modern communication technology that enables them to do so. Since the communication ecosystem has become highly complex, employees expect their organizations‘ communication tech stack to work in the cloud and be highly integrated. Additionally, having access to communication data and insights are a powerful way to find, assess, manage, and reduce many communication barriers. The role of technology in overcoming communication barriers With the use of the right communication technology, organizations can:  Create engaging content.  Segment audiences to deliver personalized information.  Schedule content delivery for optimal timing.  Create personalized news feeds based on the audience‘s preferences.  Measure the impact and success of the engagement. 66  Understand the audience‘s favorite forms of communication and preferred communication channels.  Drive two-way communication and encourage employees‘ share of voice.  Empower leadership to be more approachable.  Reach the hard-to-reach audience with the right message at the right time. 67  Organizational communication Outlines: 1. Introduction: 2. Definition of organizational communication 3. Goals of Effective organizational communication: 4. Importance of organizational communication 5. Essential types of organizational communication! 6. 5 Elements of Effective Organizational Communication 7. Managing Organizational Communication 8. Examples of organizational communication 9. Advantages of effective organizational communication 10. Disadvantages of ineffective Organizational communication 11. Steps for creating a successful organizational communication strategy at your organization. 12. References 68  Organizational communication Introduction: Organizational communication is the inclusion of all types of communications that enable all varieties of organizations like companies, businesses, government agencies, corporations, or nonprofits to use communication channels for connecting and communicating within the organization as well as with external stakeholders. Definition of organizational communication Organizational communication refers to the communication that takes place between people who are working towards common goals within an organization. It consists of the interactions that take place for the purpose of working together towards these goals or conducting business in general. Effective organizational communication methods and strategies can help a business flow and become successful. Goals of Effective organizational communication: Effective organizational communication impacts organizational success in many ways. Some of them include: 1. Creating a positive employee experience increases employee morale, satisfaction and engagement. 2. Helping employees understand the terms and conditions of their employment and driving their commitment and loyalty. 3. Encouraging employees’ share of voice significantly improves employees‘ satisfaction with their employer. 4. Helping to decrease misunderstandings and the spread of misinformation in the workplace. 5. Improving cross-departmental communication and collaboration among employees. 69 6. Helping employees align with the company’s mission, vision and core values. 7. Driving higher employees' engagement by keeping employees informed at all times. 8. Making it easy for employees to find important and relevant information whenever they need it. 9. Streamlining the flow of information within the organization. 10. Improving employee productivity by eliminating waste of time spent on information search and communication on irrelevant topics. 11. Improving processes and procedures and ultimately creating greater efficiencies and cost reductions. 12. Building better relationships between employees and their managers. 13. Improving trust in the workplace. 14. Making communication more fun. 15. Improving communication with non-wired, remote and desk less employees. Importance of organizational communication Organizational Communication is important to any organization due to a number of reasons such as- 1. Employee Engagement A lot of companies prefer to engage employees in a number of decisions that the organization is taking. Taking feedback from the employees on different policies that they are coming up with or seeking new ideas surely encourages engagement with the team members of the organization. 2. Public Relations Organizations surely spread information about the firm to different audiences and customers through various options such as branding promotions, seminars, and others. 71 3. Reduced Confusion When proper channels of communication are followed within the organization, the chances of confusion and misunderstandings reduce automatically. A transparent platform is obtained, where messages delivered and received are clear that boosts up the performance of the teammates too. Essential types of organizational communication! A. Communication according to organizational structure: 1. Formal Communication: Such a communication is that which is associated with the formal organization structure and the official status or the position of the communicator and the receiver. It travels through the formal channels officially recognized positions in the organization chart. The forms of formal communication are as under: (1) Departmental meetings, (2) Conference, (3) Telephone calls, (4) Company news bulletins, (5) Special interviews and special purpose publications and messages. 2. Informal Communication: Informal communication is also known as ‗Grapevine‘. It is free from all sorts of formalities because it is used on informal relationships between the parties, such as friendship, membership in the same club or association. B. Communication according to direction: 1. Downward Communication: Communication which flows from the superiors to subordinates is referred to as downward communication. In an organizational structure, 71 the executives must exercise their powers to achieve the desired objectives which imply that they may be engaged in issuing orders, instructions and policy directives to the persons at the lower levels. This may be called downward communication. Under downward communication, immediate performance of a job is expected. Elements of Downward Communication: 1. Specific task directives; job instructions.: 2. Information designed to produce understanding of the task and its relation to other organizational tasks; job rationale. 3. Information about organizational procedures and practices. 4. Feedback to the subordinate about his performance. 5. Information of an ideological character to inculcate a sense of mission, indoctrination of goals.: 2. Upward Communication: In an upward communication, the persons from the lower level are expected to have communication with those who are above them. It is just the reverse of downward communication. This sort of communication includes reactions and suggestions from workers, their grievances etc. Contents of upward communication are reports, reaction, suggestion statements and proposals prepared for the submission to the boss. Upward Communication can be divided into four categories on the basis of what employee says: (1) About himself, his performance and problems, (2) About others and their problems, (3) About organizational policies and practices, and: (4) About what needs to be done and how it can be done. 72 3. Horizontal Communication: - When the communication takes place between two or more persons who are subordinates of the same person or those who are working on the same level of organization, the communication is known as horizontal (lateral) communication. - The communication between functional managers or among subordinates working under one boss, the communication between managers of various factories is the examples of such communication. Horizontal communication may be oral as well as written. 4. Diagonal communication - This occur with persons at different levels who have no direct reporting relationships, frequently used between staff groups organization and line function as in project type. - This type of communication is used to speed information flow, to improve understanding and to coordinate efforts for the achievement of organizational objectives. C. According to Way of Expression: 1. Oral Communication: Oral communication is a direct communication between two individuals. In oral communication both the parties i.e., sender and receiver exchange their ideas through oral words either in face to face conversation or through any mechanical or electrical device such as telephone, teleconference etc. When it is face to face, the person communicating can ask questions or explanations or sometimes when the communication is not properly understood, he can clarify meaning. 73 2. Written Communication Again, as the name denotes, written communication is all about communication that takes place in written format. While this type of communication may have delayed feedback, such communication makes sure to have a proper record for future references. Some of the examples of written communication that can be talked about are emails, chats, letters, written words, graphs, diagrams, and pictures. D. Other types of communication 1. Internal Communication There are a lot of internal communication options within any organization. The meaning of internal communication can be well understood with the different types of examples available that are emails, live chats, emails, interpersonal communication of the managers with the employees, and social activities within the organization. 2. External Communication External communication is the process through which the organization communicates with the external world established outside the organization. This can be the customers, clients, and others. Some of the examples of external communication for any organization are public relations examples, branding, communicating with stakeholders, marketing materials, job postings, and customer support. 5 Elements of Effective Organizational Communication To make a result-driven organizational communication plan, leaders and managers need to incorporate and channelize the following five elements in their organizations- 74 1. Empathy Incorporating empathy in organizational communication shows that leaders and employees care about each other. It is useful in creating strong human bonds for accomplishing communication goals constructively. 2. Clarity For effective communications in and out of organizations, messages and information need to be shared in a clear and specific manner. Leaders should make an organizational communication plan with clear goals, steps, and transparent methodologies. 3. Positive Communication A positive-communication-based business strategy plays a crucial role in fostering a constructive organizational culture to motivate all organizational members, ensure effective conflict management and optimize productivity. 4. Assertiveness Assertiveness is very important for organizational leaders as well as professionals, as it enables you to express your thoughts and feelings without being aggressive or passive. It lets you clearly and directly express your opinions without judging or disrespecting others. 5. Self-reflection Self-reflection in organizational communication plays important role in calming your mind and body as well as reducing distractions. Workplace communication culture that has a positive, empathetic, assertive, clear, and self-aware atmosphere to communicate will for sure have a better chance of having a result-driven strategy for organizational communication. Managing Organizational Communication There are several ways how organizational communication can be managed efficiently such as- 1. Training 75 When the employees are offered the right training about the communication policies of the organization, managing organizational communication can become much convenient. 2. Employee Handbook Handing over employee handbooks also can be highly helpful in maintaining organizational communication. Having a handbook can ensure the employees that they can check out the ethics of the company whenever they have doubts. 3. Dedicated team for External Media There should be a dedicated team for the external media activities such as press conferences, or even social media activities. It is essential to offer instant response to audiences who are reacting to any of the external communication activities in order to increase engagement. 4. Handling Issues While organizations establish a portal or a platform for the employees to raise complaints, this practice will be no more trusted if there is no response available on the complaints registered by the employees. Hence, it is essential that the organization also have a proper team who are there to handle issues and offer a proper response to them. 5. Measuring Results While surveys are an essential part of any organizational communication, the collection of data through such surveys will be a waste if the data is not used in a proper way. It is essential to have a team that can handle the data well in analyzing them and then coming up with a result that can be measured and used for various activities in present or in the future. Examples of organizational communication Some of the common examples of organizational communications 1. Team meetings 76 2. Remote work training 3. Feedback 4. Social events, etc Advantages of effective organizational communication 1. Reduces misunderstanding and decreases lawsuits and complaints 2. Boost confidence and morale of employees working at the workplace 3. Optimizes procedures and processes taking place in and out of an organization 4. Enables employees to understand the organization‘s policies, rules & regulations 5. Develops a good bond between the employees and management 6. Empowers employees to voice their opinions and ideas Disadvantages of ineffective Organizational communication 1. Ineffective organizational communication may cause misunderstanding that might be a reason behind altercations among employees and management 2. Ineffective interpersonal communication ruins the coordination in the departments 3. Not having good organizational communication might cause arguments, wastage of resources, or increased cost of production 4. The sales department might be unaware of promises of marketing departments 5. Ineffective communication can be the reason behind the higher rate of turnover Steps for creating a successful organizational communication strategy at your organization. 1. Link your organizational communication plan to your business strategy 77 To develop an effective organizational communication strategy, employers should begin by linking communication to their overall strategic plan, including the organization‘s mission, vision and core company values. 2. Understand your audience/s - Identifying your audience is an important step for ensuring the effectiveness of your organizational communication strategy. - One of the main causes of ineffective organizational communication is the fact that employers don’t segment their audiences based on their job roles, departments, locations, interests and preferences. 3. Engage all employees Organizational communication is the process in which all employees should be involved and participate in. Two-way conversations, on the other hand, have a great power to create and support a healthy workplace culture. 4. Create engaging and relevant content Unfortunately, many employees don‘t engage with their company‘s internal content. Moreover, many employees ignore messages being delivered to them through a company‘s intranet or email. Content and audience segmentation, especially in large organizations, is impossible without the right employee communication tools that enable communicators to create and distribute more engaging content to the employees. 5. Distribute your content through the right channels Now even if you have the right content ready and you know who should receive it, there is another important factor to consider: the communication channels you‘re going to use to distribute your content. As the number of different communication channels we use in the workplace is continuously increasing, choosing the right channels becomes a big challenge to communicators. 6. Implement the right communication technology Choosing the right employee communication technology can really bring your organizational communication strategy to the next level. 78 If you know that engagement levels through your current solutions are low, that is probably the sign that something needs to be changed. 7. Measure the outcomes - While most organizations agree that measuring and quantifying results of communication plans is necessary, this goal is difficult to accomplish. Moreover, 60% of practitioners are still not measuring their internal communication efforts. - Tracking and measuring internal communication efforts is extremely important to understand what is working well and what needs to be improved. 8. Use your data to improve your organizational communication strategy - Once you collect and analyze data, it is easier to make improvements and better decisions in the future. 9. Watch your workplace transform This best step of your newly implemented organizational communication strategy! If you can successfully implement all the above steps, your whole workplace culture will transform. Your employees will be much more satisfied with their jobs and the company overall which will result in higher employee engagement and productivity levels. 79  Assertiveness Outlines: - Introduction - Definitions - What is assertiveness and why be Assertive? - Assertive behavior is - -Types of Assertive Behavior - Rights and responsibilities of the assertive person - 7 Steps of Practice Assertive Behavior - -To Being Assertive - Stage of assertiveness - Assertive Versus Unassertive and Aggressive Behavior - Importance of assertiveness - Assertiveness techniques or skills - Strategies to improve assertiveness skill - Human assertive rights - Traits That Reduce Your Assertiveness and Leadership Effectiveness - Tips for practicing being assertive - The Assertive Manager 81  Assertiveness Introduction: Assertiveness as a soft skill, expressing your thoughts, feelings, and opinions and standing up for your rights is important. Whatever your behavior is unassertive (passive) or overassertive (aggressive), it is possible to change. But it is also important to understand the difference between expressing yourself in a self-confident manner (being assertive) and forcing your ideas over others (being aggressive). Definitions: Assertiveness: is the process of expressing feelings, asking for legitimate changes, and giving and receiving honest feedback. An assertive individual is not afraid to request to another person to change an offensive behavior. What is assertiveness and why be Assertive? Assertiveness is standing up for your right to be treated fairly. It is expressing your opinions, needs, and feelings, without ignoring or hurting the opinions, needs, and feelings of others. Assertive behavior is:  Standing up for one's rights not ignoring rights of others  Correcting the situation when one's rights are being violated.  Seeking respect and understanding for one's and others feelings  Interacting in a mature manner.  Sharing feelings, opinions, and experiences with others 81   Refusing others' requests if too demanding  Being firm so that your rights are respected  Expressing positive and negative emotions according to situations  Being able to protect one's rights while protecting and respecting the rights of others.  Expressing risk-taking behavior  Rational thinking  Expressing a healthy style in interpersonal relationships.  Finding a "win-win" conflict Types of Assertive Behavior 1. Basic assertion: a sample expression of standing up for one ‘s beliefs, feelings or opinions. 2. Empathic assertion: expressing feelings or beliefs, while relating sensitively to another person. 3. Escalating assertion: beginning with a basic assertion and progressing your feelings and ideas if the individual is unresponsive to your expressions. 4. Language assertion: The real focus in I-Language assertion is on the "I feel," "I want" part of the statement. When expressing anger, often the tendency is to blame the other person, fly off the handle and get caught up in the emotion. 82 Rights and responsibilities of the assertive person Rights Responsibilities - To speak up - To listen - To take - To give - To have problems - To find solutions - To be comforted - To comfort others - To work - To do your best - To make mistake - To correct your mistakes - To laugh - To make others happy - To have friends - To be a friend - To criticize - To praise - To have your efforts - To reward others‗ efforts rewarded - To be dependable - To be independent - To dry tears - To cry - To love others - To be loved 7 Steps of Practice Assertive Behavior 1. Attention: Capture attention in a way that is of interest to listen to each other. In this way you have wide open space to negotiate and avoid rejection reaction that can occur even when you tell the other that you want to "give a feedback‖. Most people hate to receive unsolicited feedback, but accept it because it is "politically correct". 2. Situation: Describe the situation briefly. Specify when, where and under what conditions the interaction occurs. Be brief and specific. 3. Emotion: Tell yourself what is for the emotional impact of the situation, be also very concise. 4. Reaction: Explain the behavioral response as a result of the emotion you feel. Make reference to the consequences of emotion felt. 5. Test: Test your level of concern of the party by offering them a solution that you think or asking his opinion. Do not start with the idea that your solution is the only right one. 6. Involvement: Get involved with the other in finding a method for monitoring the progress of the new behavior. Ask him what he could do because it requires that the new behavior to be easily reproducible, and to give you feedback to help further. 83 7. Valorization: Thank the interlocutor for listening and that he is willing to accept the new terms. Show him that for your relationship with him is valuable and import