Communication Strategies PDF

COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES Chapter 1 Communication Basics Learning Objective: The learner will be able to identify the different types of communication and how to apply the strategies involved in each one of them for an enhanced communication process. In this unit, we will discuss about the bas...

COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES Chapter 1 Communication Basics Learning Objective: The learner will be able to identify the different types of communication and how to apply the strategies involved in each one of them for an enhanced communication process. In this unit, we will discuss about the basics of communication which relate to conveying messages and information by exchange of speech, thoughts, visuals, writing, signals and behaviour. The word "communicate" is derived from the word "common" – to share, exchange, send along, transmit, talk, gesture, write, put in use, relate. A thorough comprehension of the communication process and the skills is fundamental to its understanding and application. Great and viable communication skills are critical for any individual today to prevail in any sort of work. We will be going through a range of the communication types and ways. Communication styles vary from individual to individual and in the process, changes happen. During the process of communication, an individual may conjure up a few channels or modes or strategies to convey a message. But, the process of communication, doesn’t only depend on the source producing or relaying information. The Broad Categories of Communication - Communication can be broadly classified into 4 types. A. Verbal B. Non-Verbal C. Visual D. Written Verbal Communication This includes the utilization of language and words to pass on the intended message. In everyday terms, Verbal Communication implies communication as spoken or expressed words. This type of communication utilizes the use of spoken words either in direct or indirect manner. The oral communication is dependent on only one form, i.e. sound. You could converse either face to face, or over the telephone, or via voice notes or talk rooms, etc. It all comes under the oral communication. This form of communication is a viable and potent communication type. Verbal communication or oral communication can either happen face to face or over phone or video conferencing. Therefore, if your job responsibilities include conducting business meetings, meeting clients, giving presentations and generally involve a lot of speaking, then it is natural that your employer would expect you to have smooth and fluent verbal communication skills. Strategies to improve on verbal communication:  Think before you speak – Sort out your considerations ahead of time, can wipe out a large number of the uncomfortable pauses that happen when talking. It will likewise help you transfer your messages all the more briefly. Take a minute to organize your thoughts before you speak.  Be concise and clear – The best method to make yourself understood is to speak in a clear and concise manner. Try not to use unpredictable, tangled sentences, and attempt to express your contention in simple and direct language.  Speak confidently – Speaking with confidence builds up the trust of the audience. Tone of your voice, command of the subject matter, body language and your ability to look at your audience in the eyes are factors that contribute to your confidence level.  Pay attention to voice intonation – Speaking in a monotonous voice is definitely a sure shot recipe for disaster. Voice should be modulated keeping in mind what you want to focus or highlight. Similarly, it is important to be mindful about the pitch of your voice and vary it just right to express the required emotion. This is definitely an important way to keep your audience glued to your words.  Practice active listening – Being a good audience is as much significant as being a good speaker, and it will improve the nature of your verbal communications. Remember the five phases of active listening: 1. Receiving 2. Understanding 3. Remembering 4. Evaluating  5. Responding This will give the audience a feeling that you genuinely care and understand their needs and requirements.  Think from the audiences’ perspective – There is no reason to assume that the person you are communicating with will immediately understand what you have in mind and trying to convey. You have to make it very simple and basic so that people can understand what you are saying and you can pace out your language and speak slowly to make sure they understand. Non-Verbal Communication For this type of communication, words are not necessary. The messages here are wordless messages. This type of communication primarily complements verbal communication. It is expressed through signals, non-verbal communication, body language, facial expressions, images, and articulations. Moods, opinions or even reactions can be expressed very well through non-verbal communication. It often sets the context for a dialogue to begin. Non-verbal communication guides the verbal communication. This is the sum total of the physically observable. For instance, hand gestures, body language, facial expressions, the tone of one’s voice, posture, stance, touch, gaze, and others. It is said that 55% of our daily communication is done through non-verbal communication. These are subtle signals that are picked up as part of our biological wiring. For example, if you rest your head on your palms, it means that you are very disappointed or angry. Similarly, other subtle hints will convey your reaction to the presenter or your audience’s reaction to you. We convey a lot through our non-verbal communication. For example, if we congratulate a person verbally, i.e. through spoken words, yet our tone or facial gestures do not convey a positive look, then what we are saying does not match our expressions. Therefore, we end up sounding fake or not genuine in our wishes. Non-verbal communication speaks the loudest – it plays a big role in how our words and intentions are being interpreted. Good non-verbal skills can help show your support by expressing that you genuinely care and are listening what someone has to say. In any communication process, its essential not only to be aware of their non-verbal cues but also the ones we are exhibiting. Strategies to improve Non-verbal Communication 1. Pay close attention to what the person says. Really listening to what the person is telling you is crucial to being a helpful listener. When you reply, it can be helpful to repeat some of what they told you, using the same language. This attention to detail demonstrates that you care. 2. Maintain comfortable eye contact. Don’t avoid eye contact, but do avoid staring. It’s important to meet someone’s gaze. It shows you are interested and that your focus is on them – quite literally! 3. Maintain an open body position. Avoid crossing your arms over your body – it may appear defensive. When your body position is open, it conveys that you are open to listening. 4. Sit down, even if the person is standing. Being on the same level as someone appears less threatening and can make them feel more  comfortable, while avoiding feelings of tension or nervousness when having personal conversations. 5. Sit alongside and angled toward the person rather than directly opposite them. This allows the conversation to feel friendly and nonconfrontational. No one wants to feel like they’re being interviewed. 6. Avoid fidgeting. During a sensitive conversation, it may be tempting to fidget, but it can be distracting to the person who is talking. It could also make it appear that you are uncomfortable, nervous or bored. When used together, these non-verbal behaviours can improve your communication skills. Sometimes it’s not about what you say, but what you do. By being an effective listener, you are showing your support, which in turn will help a friend, family member or someone in your community who may be living with a mental health or substance abuse challenge. Visual Communication Usage of graphs, pictures, maps, charts, symbols etc are common for visual communication. It is not really used as a stand alone communication channel. It is used in combination with verbal or written communication. This helps in simplifying the information as we all know “picture speaks a thousand words”. In fact, using the visual channel of communication helps strengthen the verbal and written communication and adds value. It also helps to simplify complex information. Strategies for improving visual communication:  Before including the visual along with your verbal or written communication, it is a good idea to get another perspective into it to give feedback to you if it is effective or not.  Keep your audience in mind. Include only those visuals that your audience can understand and if required you can simplify the visuals for them. Written Communication This kind of communication involves any kind of exchange of information in the written form. For example, e-mails, texts, letters, reports, SMS, posts on social media platforms, documents, handbooks, posters, flyers, etc. Written communication has a wider reach and has chances of fewer distortions and can be used effectively to convey a message to a large audience. For e.g. if you are sharing a new business strategy, you can do so by a mail so that every department gets it at the same time. Strategies to improve written communication The following tips will enhance the effectiveness of your written communication:  Keep it short and simple. This practice is a treasure if you want to avoid confusion of any sort arising from your writing. Use simple language and be very clear what you want to say. Be sure that your language and tone do not create any misunderstanding. Include details that are relevant for the recipient to know.   Both in verbal and nonverbal communication, you have other factors like voice tone, body language and facial expression to help support your message and which help the recipient understand what you are trying to convey. However, in written communication, your recipient can neither hear you nor see you so they may interpret your written message in a different way than what you intended. E.g. if you meant something in humour, that may totally escape him and he may think what you are saying as serious. Therefore, to avoid confusion, you can avoid humour or you can include emojis along with the written statement to make it easily understood.  It is very important to proofread your writing before sending it, whether emails, letters or any other kind of written communication. Be aware of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. You can also ask someone to go over your writing once before you send it. This will reduce or eliminate the possibility of mistakes.  You can also collect samples of good writing so that you can refer to those when required later on. Save any kind of engaging writing, be it an email, blogs, documents, etc. Also, the more you improve your reading habit and make a conscious effort, your writing would improve. Let’s look at this self-assessment on communication. This is a great way to help us understand our communication skills and the gaps therein. Place a plus (+) by well-developed skills and a minus (-) by any skills that need improvement. Please make additional comments as necessary. + = Well developed - = Needs Improvement Self -Reflection Area Comments Oral Communication ________ Overall verbal expression ________ Appropriate Volume ________ Articulation ________ Appropriate grammar Non - Verbal Communication ________ Eye contact ________ Approachability ________ Positioning in room ________ Posture ________ Interaction patterns ________ Facial expressions Written Communication ________ Appropriate usage ________ Correct Spelling ________ Legible handwriting ________ Correct punctuation and capitalization Affective Qualities ________Accepting and tolerant ________Encouraging and supportive ________Friendly and warm Identify the right non-verbal expression with the image: Chapter 2 Communication barriers Learning Objective – The learner will be able to identify the barriers that interfere with effective communication and list down strategies for overcoming or eliminating those. Obstructions or barriers to communication heavily impact a person’s ability to explore the numerous features of life; from doing their own shopping, to making an appointment with a doctor. There can be various causes for communication to be impacted and we list down few common barriers in the communication process. Some communication barriers can be –  Conflicts in the Workplace  Cultural Differences & Language  Dissatisfaction or disinterest with one's job  Use of jargon  Inability to listen to others  Difference in perception  Information overload Some ways to remove communication barriers –  Building rapport and keeping the individual integral to decisions.  Actively listening to the person by involving all the senses and giving the individual your complete attention. Showing you’re listening put away distractions. Watching TV, using your phone, or doing other things while listening sends the message that the speaker’s words are not important. Putting away distractions allows you to focus on the conversation and help the speaker feel heard. Use verbal and nonverbal communication. Body language and short verbal cues that aligns with the speaker’s body language (e.g. responding excitedly if the speaker is excited) indicate interest and empathy. Verbal: “mm-hmm” / “uh-huh” “that’s interesting” “that makes sense” “I understand” Nonverbal: nodding in agreement reacting to emotional content (e.g. smiling) eye contact  Be completely present. It takes concentration and practice to focus on what the other person is saying. Having an open and  receptive mind helps. Do not be in a haste to judge the situation and withhold from giving your views instantly. Listen mindfully and give your feedback at a later time. This helps to put your thoughts together and think properly before you communicate. Be present means paying full attention to the body language, tone, and verbal content of the speaker. Focus your attention on listening, instead of other mental distractions, such as what you want to say next. When possible, save sensitive conversations for a quiet time with few distractions. Listen with an open mind. Your job is to understand the speaker’s point of view, even if you don’t agree. Avoid forming opinions and making judgments until you fully understand their perspective.  Be specific in your information. Share relevant information in a concise manner to make data straightforward and easy to recollect. Be compact and offer others the chance to ask questions to make the entire communication exchange dynamic and relevant.  Not being in a rush allows both the speaker and the listener allows each to focus better on the communication process – choice of words and body language are both a dead give-away here.  Noise and different interruptions can prove to be detrimental to smooth communication. In case you have to convey a significant message. In the event that you need to convey a significant message to someone, it is a good idea to identify the best place and time to talk. It very well may be useful to pick when you are less occupied, not overtly occupied and in a good frame of mind.   Avoid the use of jargon while speaking to a new hire as that would confuse him immensely. When you are sure that the person you are speaking will understand the jargon as used in common parlance in the project you are working, then the usage is fine.  At a point when somebody's primary language is different from your own, you may experience difficulty understanding each other. Informal expressions or articulations, where the real meaning varies from what it in an actual sense says, don't decipher well among languages and cause misconceptions. Having a multicultural and multilingual work culture is amazingly valuable, however, it is important to be aware of communication barriers.  Culture governs our outlook to society and determines a lot of our conduct and quirks. Since the core values may differ from one culture to another, that can create social obstructions and can hinder individuals from understanding each other. In certain societies it is considered disrespectful to touch the hand of an outsider, while in others, it is standard practice and amiable to shake hands when meeting. One culture may consider eye contact an indication of hostility and disregard, while another perspective sees consistent eye contact as an indication of interest and commitment in a discussion. The various implications of these practices can lead to clashes among colleagues if not perceived. Have a look at the situations below and try to identify the blank squares under “Description” and “Methods to Overcome”. Now match your responses to the table below: Chapter 3 Being Mindful Learning Objective – The learner will be able to practice mindful communication and apply the tools in their lives so as to be an effective communicator. An article published in Science News entitled, “Mindfulness in the workplace improves employee focus, attention, behaviour, new management-based research concludes,” suggests that mindfulness “is often viewed as either a touchy-feely fad or valuable management tool that can lift an entire workplace.” The highly demanding professional life, pressure to meet deadlines, at times working under stifling conditions, inability to voice concerns without fear and striving to maintain a work-life balance can put the mind in a danger zone and peaceful communication with self or others is just a distant dream. Melina Fouts, Ph.D. and contributor to Forbes Councils talks about how to incorporate mindfulness in communication for effective results. In an article appearing in Forbes titled, “How to Become More Mindful of Your Communication,” she says of those who (feel they) lack interpersonal skills, “the key is to become more mindful.” Fouts believes that mindfulness is a skill that needs daily practice so that we can acquire it. “[It’s] about mental awareness and being present in the moment. When it comes to mindful communication, we are aware of the choices we are making and of our thinking and reasoning.” While there are multiple ways for us to improve our communications at work and at home, one of the best steps toward success is to put these two techniques into practice – 1) setting intention 2) deep listening Relationships contributor Lili Powell says in a piece for Mindful entitled, “3 Important Lessons on Mindful Communication” that “to perform at our best in crucial conversations, marrying mindful intentions with mindful actions helps to ensure that you can make good on your good intentions.” Honest communication is a noble goal to aim for; it’s a skill that can also be harnessed through the process of opening to active listening. Matt Valentine, author and blogger contributed a piece to Goalcast entitled, “How to Bring Mindfulness to the Workplace.” There, he states of deep listening: “Deep, or mindful, listening is all about truly listening to the person who is speaking.” Valentine claims that usually we typically wait for our chance to speak instead of deeply listening to the speaker. The focus is when we can speak and in the process the mind is not at all attentive to what is being said. To overcome this tendency, he suggests we focus on “making the effort to care about what the other person is expressing nonjudgmentally and letting it soak in, which you can then use to respond more skilfully with mindful speech.” Emo tional Intelligence and Interpersonal Co mmunication A survey report by Harvard Business School noted that 58% of workers were unable to trust their boss and preferred trusting a stranger. This study revealed the true divide that employees face with their seniors. When the basic element of trust is lacking amidst colleagues or between employees and employers, how can work ever move ahead in a constructive manner? The answer involves developing emotional intelligence and enhancing our interpersonal skills or soft skills. Through developing our emotional awareness and emotional self-control, we can learn to identify and manage our emotions and the emotions of others. One of the best ways to become a better communicator is to become a better listener. When you are mindful about how your colleague encodes his messages, gives you an insight into how you have to decode your message. For example, if you have someone in your team who is weak in English, it would be a good idea to simplify the language for him and also slow down your rate of speech. You have to adapt your communication to suit his limited vocabulary. Being mindful of how others communicate will help you ensure how to put your communication across in the most appropriate manner and fosters a stronger workplace culture. Additionally, interpersonal skills from proper communication help in:  Building trust  Promoting self-awareness  Enhancing timeliness  Improving accountability   Increasing employee engagement and collaboration  Being open to accepting constructive criticism Your emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills can help you to become more mindful in your communication at your workplace. Here is how to get the most out of your meetings:  Silence your phone and other mobile devices if you want to focus 100% and not be distracted.  Keep your body position in a way that you are able to focus on the person speaking, or those you’re speaking to.  Make eye contact (if your eyes are focused, your mind will follow).  Adjust your posture to boost alertness.  Take notes (try taking them on good old-fashioned paper) It’s a real challenge to work with people who do not listen. According to a research from Bonhill Group and Sideways 6, nearly one-third of employees feel as though their organization listens to their ideas. When people feel like they’re not being heard, they lose confidence and become demotivated. To engage your team, listen with your mind and body. More specifically:  Respond in specific, actionable terms. Don’t assume the speaker understands your moods and stances.  Don’t be in a rush to reply - let people finish their thoughts before you respond.  Take a few seconds to consider your response.   Keep your arms at your side or in an open position – postures matter.  React with your eyes.  Nod when appropriate.  Check for understanding. Watch your pronouns Using pronouns like ‘I’ and ‘mine’ are detrimental to a collaborative work culture. You have to be mindful of using your words judiciously and making sure that ‘we’ and ‘our’ feature in your sentences as those reinforce a stronger respect to team work and promotes a healthier work environment. 4 Horsemen and their Antidotes.pdf Chapter 4 Asking the Right Questions Learning Objective – The learner will be able to confidently apply the various questioning techniques in different situations at the workplace and life in general, with an awareness of what kind of information can be derived from each type. At the very heart of the communication process and exchange of information, lies the fine art of asking questions. Asking questions is an absolutely essential part of any kind of work environment. Whether it is plain work related, or trying to resolve a conflict at work place or trying to counsel and motivate the employees, asking the right questions is at the root of it all. In fact, building stronger and better relationships also has questioning technique at the root of it. The answers we get depend greatly on the questions we ask. So, if we get an answer we are not satisfied with, probably we have not asked the right question. We will be exploring few questioning techniques that are widely used. Closed Questions (‘Polar’ question) Closed, or ‘polar’ questions as they are called generally invite a one- word answer, such as ‘yes’ or ‘no’. For example, ‘do you swim?’ or, ‘did you take my book?’ They could also include answers to factual or multiple choice questions, such as ‘what’s your name’, or ‘would you like tea, coffee, or water?’ Closed questions are easy to answer and are popular as icebreaker questions in group situations. Of course, most questions can be opened up for further discussion, including closed questions — but that requires probing which we will deal separately in the next module. Useful for: warming up group discussions, getting a quick answer  Closed questions are good for testing your own understanding or used as a reflection question. It is good also when you want to check the understanding of others. E.g. – “So, if I get this qualification, I can get a raise?”  We can also use it to conclude a discussion or take a decision. E.g. – “Now that we all know the facts, we are in sync with the Management decision of the transfer?”  Frame setting – “Are you satisfied with the service from your bank?” However, a closed question which is misplaced and not timed right can get to be awkward. Try to avoid these questions when conversations are in full flow. Open questions On the other hand, open questions encourage wider discussion and elaboration and can be used when you want more information that just a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response. E.g. – “What do you think of my new car?” Or “When are you going for the vacation you planned?” Useful for: critical or creative discussion, finding out more information about a person or subject Open questions are good for:  Finding out further details on a subject: “What else is required to get this project rolling?”  Trying to build up on an open conversation: “What did you do last weekend?”  Trying to find out about the other person’s opinion: “How do you feel about the newly implemented changes in the Quality Control Process?” Probing questions These questions are useful when you need further clarification or information on a subject. You can also term it as “digging out information” through these questions. They provide a clear picture and clarity to a situation. E.g. – “When do you want me to submit the report and is it okay if I speak to you once before submitting it?” Useful for: Seeing the bigger picture, encouraging a reluctant speaker to tell you more information, and avoiding misunderstandings. It is also used to find out more details. Probing questions are good for: To get a thorough understanding of a situation and gain absolute clarity on it. Digging out information from a person who is avoiding to provide clarity on a subject. Leading questions As the name suggests these questions are designed to lead the respondent towards a certain path. At work, you may come across leading questions, like: “Do you agree to the new attendance policy?” or, “Did you enjoy working on our prestigious project?” These types of questions very subtly prompt the respondent towards a specific reply which you are directing. The former hints that you are expecting a negative response and the latter is definitely a positive response. Leading questions are actually not leaving much option with the respondent but give the response the speaker is seeking. For example, ‘this project is going well, isn’t it?’ encourages the respondent to say ‘yes’. This works particularly well because psychologically, we prefer saying yes over no. So, when we are put on the spot, we’ll usually opt for the former. Useful for: Closing a sale, steering a conversation towards an outcome that serves your interest, building positive discussions. A word of warning: These questions can seem an unfair way of getting the response the speaker is seeking and so should be used carefully. Leading questions are good for:  To get the answer you want. But be careful as it may leave the other person thinking he has no other choice, as mentioned before.  Closing a sales call – “If that answers all your questions, shall we agree on a price?” Funnel questions As the name suggests, these questions begin from a specific point and then move to a broader realm. The reverse also can happen in funnel questions – beginning broad and narrowing down to specifics. This is an excellent way to build up a conversation – to start with specific question like “What’s your name?” or “What do you do?” before we broaden up to more open-ended questions, such as “why did you choose to be an airhostess?” – this happens once the comfort zone sets in talking to each other. The reverse situation – broad to narrow can happen when questioning witnesses so as to gain the maximum information about a person or situation. For example, ‘What do you do for a living? Do you work nights? Did you see a break-in? Was there more than one person?’ And so on. Funnel questions can help to diffuse anger as the speaker does not get to the bottom of the situation immediately but builds up to it, thus leading to the respondent feeling some possible solution may work out Useful for: Discovering very specific information, diffusing arguments, building relationships. Funnel questions are good for:  Finding out more details about a specific point. E.g. – Since the final question is not asked at the first instance, rather questions are built up to lead to it, the responder also feel a solution is around the corner. Helps in gaining confidence of the respondent. Recall and process questions This is a lot like open questions except that the intent is to make the respondent recall a fact. E.g. “Where did you keep the phone?” or “What’s your login password?” You can use these questions also to test the respondent’s depth of knowledge on a particular topic. These can also be asked during an interview or appraisal meet. E.g. – “Why do you think we should hire you?” or “Why do you think you are the right person to head this project?” Useful for: Encouraging critical thought and in-depth evaluation of a subject in tests, interviews or discussions. Rhetorical questions In these questions, the answer is in the question itself and does not always require a response. These are simply statements phrased as questions to take the conversation forward and ensures the listener agrees with the speaker. Rhetorical questions are often used by public speakers and coaches for effect to get the audience thinking and agreeing. In this way, they are a not-too-distant cousin of the leading question. For example, ‘Isn’t it nice working with such a friendly team?’ is more engaging that ‘this team is friendly’, which doesn’t require any mental participation from the respondent. Useful for: persuading people, building engagement Loaded questions This kind of questions are deemed as manipulative and meant to trap the respondent. They seem straightforward and closed but comes with a twist as they contain an assumption about the respondent. You need to be careful with its usage and unless you are very sure of the situation, you should not venture with it. These are mainly used by journalists and lawyers to trick the listener in admitting to a fundamental truth which in other situation they may be unwilling to disclose. E.g. - The question: ‘Have you started submitting the monthly reports on time?” assumes the respondent has not submitted the report on time. Whether the respondent answers yes or no, she/he will admit to the fact that she used to not submit reports on time. Of course, the preferred response would be: ‘I have always submitted the reports on time’ but it’s not always easy to spot the trap. These questions are quite rightly seen as manipulative. Useful for: Discovering facts about someone who would otherwise be reluctant to offer up any information. Here is an interesting way you can use the Bloom’s Taxonomy in framing your questions. This gives clarity as to what type of questions can be asked at each level of Blooms to get the answer you want.  Remember – The ‘WH” questions are best suited for this if you want to know the facts. Comprehension – To give further insight into the facts you can use questions, like – Can you explain the meaning of what you said just now? Apply – To lead up to understand how the facts would affect the person. Analysis – To find out the relation between the facts. Evaluate - This is very critical as here the person questioning wants to find if the person agrees or disagrees with the facts. This can eventually lead up to getting his stand on the whole matter. Create – How would we improve on the fact? Exercise: Create Study Questions Using Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy. Pick a subject area in which you are working for each level of Bloom’s Taxonomy on this page:  Develop a question and answer it to show that you can think about the material at that level.  Reflect how your questions would allow you to assess how much you know and what level you are working at.  Create study questions using Bloom’s Taxonomy Level Question Remembering and recalling information Remembering My question(s): Understanding and explaining ideas or concepts Understanding My question(s): Applying information in a familiar situation Applying My question(s): Analyzing by breaking information into parts to explore relationships Analyzing My question(s): Justifying a decision or course of action Evaluating My question(s): Generating new ideas, products, or ways of viewing things Creating My question(s): The 5W and 1H strategy of questioning The 1H and 5Ws is a good questioning strategy. If you have an understanding on these, then you will be able to get the important information. If you are unfamiliar with the 1H and 5Ws, then it’s time to add it to your repertoire:   Who  What  When  Where  Why  How  Who – Who was involved? Who does it impact? Who is this addressed to?  What – What is involved? What happened? What needs to be done?  When – When did it happen? When can I do something about it?  Where – Where has it occurred? Where will it take place?  Why – Why is it happening? Is there a reason?  How – How should it be dealt with? Chapter 5 Probing Skills Learning Objective: The learner will be able to focus on how and when to use probing skills to gather further information about a situation or individual when the current outcome is not satisfactory. We did touch upon Probing Skills in the previous module. Definitely it is a type of questioning technique. We will discuss more on this as in our workplace communication, we would get to do some probing to come to an understanding of how to resolve a situation or problem. Probing is the skill of going deeper into the response of the speaker through step-by-step questioning process with a view to elicit the right response from him. Though closely related, clarifying questions and probing questions are fundamentally different in both intent and nature. Unlike probing questions, the answers to clarifying questions are based on facts. Clarifying questions are typically brief and are designed to clarify the subject being discussed. These types of questions often provide valuable information that allows others to ask more effective probing questions. On the other hand, for probing questions, a lot of open ended questions need to be asked to get to the actual fact. When should you use probing questions? Probing questions can be put to use in a variety of different situations, including:  After a presentation to ponder over it and check what they have felt or understood about it.  To promote critical thinking in your team in a training or meeting setting.  To ensure that you have an understanding of the entire situation.  When learning a new concept of skill.  If you feel that someone is avoiding divulging something.  To gain a deeper insight into a person's thought process.  When assessing the requirements of a new client.  To facilitate solutions through brainstorming sessions. Situations where you can probe: a. Getting wrong answer when you are aware that the speaker is deliberately avoiding the right answer. b. Getting continuous negative response (the speaker answers ‘No’) when you want to proceed further. c. Getting incomplete or inadequate answer. d. Getting partial correct answer. When you are continuously getting negative response / incorrect answer / wrong answer, this is what you can do –  Urge and motivate the speaker for the correct response.  Ask as many questions as possible related to the main question so that you can filter and check the responses and look for discrepancies if any.  Taking the help of various supportive questions.  Generating interest and enquiry in the speaker so that he comes up with the answer you want.  Develop the reasoning, creativity and analytical ability. Some examples of probing questions Here are some examples of probing questions: 1. Why do you think that is? 2. What sort of impact do you think this will have? 3. What do you think you need to change in the procedure of this project in order to accomplish this? 4. Do you feel that this is right and why do you feel so? 5. When have you done something like this before? 6. What are you reminded of? 7. How did you come to this conclusion? 8. What do you predict in this case? 9. What was your intention behind this act? 10. What should you ask yourself to further your understanding? 11. What is your biggest fear concerning this? 12. What do you think is the best possible solution to this case? 13. What do you think is at the root cause of the problem? 14. What would we do if the opposite of what you are saying was found to be true? 15. How do you know this to be true? 16. What are the pros and cons of this situation? 17. What is the connection between these two things?  18. Is this problem unique to this organization? 19. What do you think would be the long term effects of this? 20. What are the intangible effects? Probing questions are used when investigating a case by the police and the lawyers. Probing skills usually express your views and perspectives. When you probe, you are responding from your frame of reference, and is usually done when seeking information or wanting to influence the direction of a session. Probes state your perception of what is important to deal with. When using probes, the control over the content of the conversation is shifted away from the client to you. You become relatively more directive than when you are reflecting, paraphrasing or summarising, which is fine as long as you use probes sensitively and thoughtfully. However, if you use probing too much, it may lead to client passivity and appear like an interrogation rather than a conversation. Without probing skills, however, sessions can become vague and lack direction. Probing skills can:  Help clients to focus properly and be specific.  Assist information-gathering.  Open up the possibilities of the solutions that can be explored regarding a concern or issue with the client. Overuse of probing can:  Increase your control – you follow your own agenda. This can lead to the client being passive and expecting you to provide a solution or answer to everything.  Be careful not to skew the explorations or else the session may end up becoming a question-and-answer session in which little shared understanding is developed. You may become too  preoccupied in your head with what to ask rather than attending and listening to the client. What kind of questions to avoid whilst probing for further information or details:  Avoid asking closed questions as that will not lead you anywhere.  Leading questions need to be avoided as you want the person not to be influenced by your perspectives  Ambiguous questions should be avoided. You can use probing skills extensively whilst you are training your team or even during a meeting situation to improve the critical thinking skills in them. Sometimes people may just not be willing to think on their own – in such times instead of just giving away the answers to them, which you must avoid doing at all times, you can opt for probing question – this makes the people think on their own and come up with a better version of the response and sometimes even the correct response.  Chapter 6 Listening Skills Learning Objective: The leaners will be able to improve on their active listening skills through the various examples and techniques shared in this module, for an enhanced communication experience. We will go further with Listening Skills and have already discussed it to some extent in the previous modules. Listening within the work context is the process by which you gain an understanding of the needs, demands, and preferences of your stakeholders through direct interaction. A stakeholder could be anyone from your boss, a client, customer, co-worker, subordinate, upper management, board member, interviewer, or job candidate. Active Listening There are two components to active listening in the workplace: Attention and Reflection. Paying Attention By paying attention, we mean - holding eye contact, having good posture, nodding, smiling if required and mirroring the speaker’s body language to express genuine interest in what they're saying. In addition to these nonverbal cues, you must also let the speaker finish first before you respond. And it is important to listen so that you can think and then respond. These are all cues that you are focused on what the speaker is saying. Reflection and Responding Reflection is repeating and paraphrasing of what the speaker has said to show that you truly understand what they are telling you. 5 Key Benefits of Being an Active Listener Excellent listening skills help you:  Do well in your job  Respond to clients' or customers' needs and resolve their concerns and problems  Build good relationships with your co-workers and supervisor  Be a great team player  Meet the qualifications of particular occupations What Makes a Good Listener Good listeners give a patient hearing to what others want to communicate, especially when clarity is missing in what they are saying. Listening requires you to decode and interpret verbal messages and nonverbal cues, like facial expressions, tone of voice and physical posture. Active listeners also show their curiosity by asking questions – they show genuine interest in what the speaker is saying and makes the necessary responses also through verbal and non-verbal cues. Through body language and other cues, good listeners subtly communicate to the speaker that they are listening. Also, they encourage and welcome the opinions, thoughts, and feelings of others. One way to demonstrate that you are listening actively is to allow the speaker to complete his sentences before responding. Do not interrupt and be sure that your responses genuinely fit in with what the speaker is saying. It is absolutely fine to take a few moments to frame the right response. Doing so shows that you have fully absorbed the speaker's words and are considerate enough to formulate the best answer. What Makes a Bad Listener Interrupting indicates that your listening skills are not yet well developed. Similarly, if you respond in a way that doesn’t quite fit the situation, reflects poorly on your listening skills. You should be very mindful of this especially in a job interview. Always clarify if you are uncertain about a question than to take a chance about what the interviewer is asking. Proper conversations should be well balanced, with every party getting involved and getting equal time to speak. Monopolizing a conversation or talking too much prevents you from actively listening and the other person from expressing fully what they want to say. In the end, this will lead to you making a poor impression. Looking distracted while in a conversation also gives a poor impression of yourself. This could involve anything from avoiding eye contact to checking your phone or watch while someone else is talking. Examples of Effective Listening  An applicant shares her understanding of an unclear question in an interview and asks if she has got it right.  An interviewer notices that a candidate does not look at her in the eye when talking about her key strengths.   A customer care representative employee repeats a client’s complaint or grievance back to her to reassure her that she has been understood.  A counsellor nods and says, "I hear you," to encourage a client to share her traumatic experience.  An interviewer asks a follow-up question to achieve more clarification on the ways in which a candidate has applied a critical skill in an exceedingly difficult job.  A manager summarizes what her team has aforementioned during a employees’ meeting and asks them if she has understood things properly.  At the end of a performance appraisal meet, an employee restates the precise areas which his supervisor has asked him to improve.  In a restaurant, a waiter asks the diner an open-ended question like, "What can I do to serve you better?" and encourages the him to be specific about any issue that he may have.  An attendee pays careful attention to a speaker at a coaching session and asks clarifying questions on the information they are receiving.  A nurse informs a patient that she is aware how worried he is regarding his forthcoming surgery and says she is there for any kind of support and help. Hearing is a physical ability involving one of our five senses and listening is a skill that an individual can acquire and improve upon over the course of their lifetime. Good listening skills will help you excel in most occupations, but excellent listening skills are essential in some. E.g. one needs exceptional listening skills if he is lawyer, judge, psychologist, etc. Hearing and listening do not essentially mean the same – there can be individuals who may be challenged in hearing but can be great listeners, and those who have excellent hearing can be poor listeners. Listening skills require the ability to receive and interpret information regardless of how one receives it. How can Good Listening Skills improve Your Career? Good listening skills are imperative to succeed at work. Good listening skills help you to carry out your duties and responsibilities at work, get along with colleagues and boss and serve your customers and clients satisfactorily. Any type of instruction given by the boss or other seniors at work can be carried out in the best possible manner if you have listened to it carefully and with intent. Excellent communication skills, including listening skills, are at the foundation of all good relationships. Workplace relationships are no exception. Being able to understand what your co-workers allows you to build rapport with them. This is instrumental when working in a team-based environment. Clients and customers will also benefit from your good listening skills. To fulfil their needs, you must be able to understand what they want – and this will come through good listening. 7 Ways to Improve Your Listening Skills Follow these tips to learn how to be a great listener: 1. Maintain Eye Contact: When you look at someone in the eye during a conversation, it implies to the speaker that you are focused on what he is saying. 2. Avoid Interrupting: Do not rush to respond. Save your questions and comments until the speaker finishes talking. If someone is well-versed at verbal communication, he will pause at regular intervals to allow the listener to ask questions. It is okay to do so at those points, but if that doesn't happen, wait. 3. Sit Still: Try not fidgeting as it makes you look bored. 4. Nod Your Head: Nodding your head periodically at what the speaker is saying indicates to him that you are taking in the information he or she is conveying. 5. Be Attentive to Non-Verbal Cues: Paying attention to what the speaker doesn't say. That is as important as being attentive to his words. Look for non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and posture to fully understand everything. 6. Lean Toward the Speaker: This signals to the other person that you are engaged in the conversation. 7. Repeat Instructions and Ask Appropriate Questions: Once the speaker has finished talking, repeat his or her instructions to confirm that you understand them. This is also the time to ask any questions. Techniques to promote Active Listening Active listening is a helpful skill for any individual to develop. It helps you truly understand what people are saying in conversations and meetings (and not just what you want to hear, or think you hear). Active listening is a very useful tool to use during job interviews, since it can help you build a positive rapport with your interviewer. How to use active listening skills in a job interview? Like critical thinking and problem-solving, active listening is a soft skill that employers hold in high regard. When interviewing for jobs, using active listening techniques can impress your interviewer and he understands that you are a keen listener and have the ability to focus. Active listening directs your focus to the needs of your prospective employer or interviewer is saying and you can understand it clearly. This technique can help reduce your stress and nervousness during an interview. When you place your focus, through active listening, solely upon what the interviewer is saying and expecting from you, you prove that you:  Are interested in the organization’s success and challenges  Are ready to find a solution to the problems rather than discuss only the problems at hand  Are a team player as opposed to being a self-absorbed person who is more interested in his own stakes It’s important that you let the interviewer speak and do not interrupt him. Also, never try to answer the question even before you know what he will ask. Listen carefully to the interviewer’s questions, ask for clarification if you feel it is necessary, and wait until the interviewer has finished talking and only then respond. Some Examples of Active Listening Techniques These are some examples of active listening techniques in any kind of communication situation. Active listening techniques include:  Trust building and establishing rapport  Paraphrasing to show understanding  Showing concern  Using non-verbal cues which show understanding such as nodding, eye contact, and leaning forward  Brief verbal affirmations like ‘ok’, ‘I see,’ ‘I know,’ ‘Sure,’ ‘Thank you,’ or ‘I understand’  Seek clarification by asking specific questions  Asking open-ended questions  Waiting before you disclose your opinion  Disclosing similar experiences to show understanding Active Listening Responses Here are some examples of active listening responses which can be associated with active listening:  Trust building and establishing rapport: “I was really very impressed to read on your website how you donate 3% of each sale to charity.” Or “Tell me what I can do to help.”  Paraphrasing: “So, you're saying that the uncertainty about who will be your new supervisor is creating anxiety in you.” “So, you think that we need to revamp our marketing campaigns.”  Demonstrating concern: “I'm eager to help; I know you're going through some challenging times.” “I know how challenging corporate restructuring can be. How is the employee morale at this point?”  Brief verbal affirmation: “I understand that you'd like to get frequent feedback about your performance.” “Thank you. I appreciate the fact that you took out time for me.”  Asking specific questions: “How long do you expect your performance evaluation process to take?” “What is your average rate of employee turnover?”  Asking open-ended questions: “I can see that Mark’s criticism was very upsetting to you. Which aspect of his criticism did you find most disturbing?” “It’s clear that the current situation is unacceptable to you. What changes would you like to see?”  Waiting before you disclose your opinion: “Tell me more about your proposal to restructure the department.” “Can you please give me the background regarding your relationship with your former business partner?”  Disclosing similar situations: “I was also concerned about returning to work after the birth of my daughter.” “I had the responsibility of terminating some of my sales personnel, due to downsizing, over the last two years. Even if it’s necessary, it never gets easier.” Chapter 7 Communication Situations Learning Objective: The learner will be able to differentiate between the various types of communication situations and the strategies to effectively use each of them. In any communication situation there are –  The sender - the creator of the message  The receiver – the audience of that message  The medium – the way the message is expressed  The message – the subject and purpose   The context – the place and time of the message Communication situations can be many and different kinds of communication skills are required as per the situation and the function it entails. Communication takes on different characteristics as the situation changes. Let us consider each communication situation one by one. Oral communication The different kinds of oral communication are:  Face-to-face communication  Interview  Telephone  Presentation  Public Speech  Meeting Face-to-face communication – Body language and para language are very effective in this type of communication. A great deal of practice is needed to be able to deal with encounters with different kinds of persons. When we talk to someone face-to-face, only 7% is conveyed by words, about 38% is conveyed by voice tone and remaining 55% is conveyed through body language. Interview – This is characterized and structured by question and answer type of communication. Interview is the kind of meeting where a person or a panel of persons discuss a matter with another person and ask questions to that person, who is the interviewee. The person or persons asking the questions are called interviewer/s. This is mainly done for recruiting a person for a job or a business relation. In this situation each judge and analyse whether it would be worthwhile to enter into a business relation with the other. Telephone – Since in this type of communication, the person cannot be seen, hence the 55% of body language communication has to be made up by voice tone and modulation. Clarity of speech, clear articulation, correct pronunciation and knowledge of telephone etiquette are required. Consider all aspects of paralanguage communication in order to make telephonic call effective. Guidelines for making a telephone call:  Plan all comments and questions with paper and pen in hand  Return greetings with a ‘smile in your voice’  Use simple language  Take notes  Ask questions  Use conversation cues  Listen carefully  Summarize the main points  Do not forget to thank before ending the call Guideline for taking a telephone call:  Answer the call promptly  Identify yourself  Smile when you speak  Listen carefully  Take responsibility to help  Take down message if necessary  Be calm and patient with a difficult caller.  Presentation – It is formal, prepared to talk on a specific topic, delivered to a knowledgeable and interested audience and has a face- to-face setting. Visual aids are used to enhance the presentations. It is made to both internal and external audience. Public Speech – It is again a face-to-face setting but the distance between the speaker and the audience is great. Its purpose may be to entertain, to engage or to inspire. Feedback is very little and much depends on the speaker’s skill in using gestures, oratory skills and using the microphone. Post the speech, it is generally followed by applause from the audience rather than questions from the audience. Questions may follow if the speaker invites them. Meeting – It involves many persons with a chairman or leader heading the meeting, a fixed agenda backed by note taking during the meeting and writing of minutes, for record, after the meeting. It requires venue and environment. In a meeting, each person requires a special skill. Written Communication Many types of documents are required for official work which are constantly prepared and exchanged. The different kinds of written communication are:  Emails  Letters  Reports  Memo  Notice  Minutes Emails – Electronic mail (email or e-mail) is a method of exchanging messages ("mail") between people using electronic devices. Email, is one of the most widely used features of the Internet, along with the web. It allows you to send and receive messages to and from anyone with an email address, anywhere in the world. Email uses multiple protocols within the TCP/IP suite. This is the most commonly used form of communication, today. This can be used both for business and personal communication. Letters – Once most commonly used forms of written communication have lost some of its significance since the advent of the emails. However, one cannot still forget the popularity and significance that letters once carried. It has a complex layout of writing especially for business communication. This too can be used for both business and personal communication. Reports – A report is used for presenting information. Report writing requires careful research, collection and analysis of data, well- organized presentation of the findings, conclusion, recommendations and suggestions. Memo – Memo or memorandum as is the complete word, is a common form of communication within the organization used in many situations, both for one-to-one communications as well as for giving information to a group of persons. Notice - A notice is used when many people have to be conveyed the same information. It is the most common method of mass communication. This type of communication can be issued by the Govt. departments, academic institutions, organizations etc. A notice is generally short, written in simple language and typing should be very legible and well-spaced for easy reading. It must include the following points –  Whom the notice is for  The reason for the notice   The details of the event  Whom to call for further information Minutes – Minutes are the written record of decisions taken at a meeting. Different bodies have their own convention of recording the discussions and decisions in a meeting. Minutes may be hand written and later digitally typed and kept in the ‘Minutes File’. These are legal documents. Communication in context – The different contexts that may arise in different communication situations.  Intrapersonal communication  Interpersonal communication  Group communication  Mass communication  Public communication Intrapersonal communication – Engaging in self-talk is intrapersonal communication. We do it all the time. While listening to lecture, we continue to indulge in self-talk, while reading a book or any kind of content we indulge in self-talk and there are so many instances of it happening all through the day. Interpersonal communication – This type of communication involves two individuals and can range from very personal to formal and impersonal. While both talking to your mother and talking to the security guard about the parking inconvenience at the parking space is are interpersonal communication, the degree of intimacy is definitely different. The first example implies a trusting relationship established over time between two caring individuals. The second example level implies some previous familiarity, and is really more about acknowledging each other than any actual exchange of information Group communication – Group communication is a dynamic process where a small number of people engage in a conversation.” (McLean, 2005). When more than 2 people are involved, we can term it a group communication. Generally, three to eight people are involved in a group talk. If the group gets larger, it is likely that the communication process is going to break down into smaller groups. Mass communication – In the age of modernization and powerful social media impact and reach, mass media plays an important role. Mass communication involves sending a single message to a group. We can communicate our message to a large number of people but we may be limited in our ability to customize our messages to specific audience and groups. You can also use multimedia as a visual aid or reference common programs, films, or other images that your audience finds familiar yet engaging. Sometimes while sending messages through multimedia, you may be restricted in the number of words which you have to consider and frame your message within that limit. Public communication – In this type of communication, one person speaks to a group of people. The speaker engages the audience in a discussion and may also give references and ask question to the group from time to time. A significant example can be, Sales Head addressing the sales team and the latter listens quietly without interruption. Subsequently, there can be discussions and question-answer sessions and doubt clearing also, if required. Communication on Social Media – Today, communication is incomplete without mentioning the role of social media. Social media communication through Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, LinkedIn, Instagram and other handles has gained immense popularity, to the extent that people have started studying this aspect separately. It has a very wide appeal and reach. The popularity and convenience of communication through social media can be understood when organizations have their important announcements, etc in their closed group in Facebook and Whatsapp instead of sending emails to their employees. Language used is lucid and simple. All one needs is a smart phone to access all the different types of social media handles at one shot. Can be used for both business and personal communication.  Chapter 8 Body Language & Gestures Learning Objective: The learner will get to identify the different non-verbal communications and how to understand and use them effectively in a communication process so as to become an effective communicator. We have already touched upon the importance of non-verbal communication which is made up of body language and gestures. We have also learnt that in any communication situation 55% of it happens through non-verbal communication. Now when more than 50% of our communication is non-verbal, then obviously this needs greater understanding and detailing. From our facial expressions and body language, we convey a lot more than what words convey. In any communication situation we can have a better understanding of the person in front of us if we pay attention to the details below. There are 5 types of body language –  Eye contact  Facial expressions  Gestures  Posture and stance  Space relationship  Eye contact Eyes are also called “windows to the soul”. Eyes convey a lot about a person’s feelings and thinking. Purpose of eye contact:  Speaking information  Showing attention and interest  Inviting and controlling reaction  Domineering, threatening and influencing others  Providing feedback during speech  Revealing attitudes When a person looks directly into your eyes during a conversation, it indicates that he is interested and paying attention. However, prolonged eye contact can feel threatening. On the other hand, constantly breaking eye contact and frequently looking away might indicate that the person is distracted, uncomfortable, or trying to conceal his or her real feelings. Blinking is natural, but you should also pay attention to whether a person is blinking too much or too little. People often blink more rapidly when they are feeling distressed or uncomfortable. Infrequent blinking may indicate that a person is intentionally trying to control his or her eye movements. Too much of eye contact can indicate dominance, respect, threat and wish to insult. On the other hand, too little eye contact can indicate not paying attention, impolite, reluctant and shy. Facial expressions Facial expressions bespeak emotions – happiness, sadness, displeasure, anger, fear, interest, surprise, etc. Not all facial expressions last for a long time. Those that pass quickly are called micro-expressions, and they are almost unreadable to the casual observer. Micro-expressions can come and go in less than half a second but they convey the same as a long lasting facial expression. Micro-expressions are often indicative of the fact that a person is trying to hide something or is being untruthful. Let’s understand what some of the facial expressions indicate:  Raised eye brows can indicate surprise and sometimes even veiled sarcasm.  Drawn eyebrows can mean anger or resentment.  Someone biting his lips in front of you with drawn eyebrows can also indicate anxiety, worry or he is thinking with full concentration.  A dropped jaw indicates surprise (coupled with wide eyes).  Drooping mouth can indicate sadness or melancholy or even hurt.  Pursed lips can mean distaste towards something being discussed.  Open mouth can be indicative of fear or surprise. One should not observe the facial expression as stand-alone features; but must also consider the eye expression. Mostly both will go hand in hand. Gestures “Let your body talk on your behalf”. Gestures are more direct and obviously, body language is easier to read. Pointing, waving, thumbs up, thumbs down, peace sign etc are strong and obvious indicators of what the speaker is trying to communicate. Some common hand gestures - Some common gestures:  Rubbing palms together – positive expectation  Thumbs up – victory, best of luck  Shoulder shrug – don’t know or don’t care  Fingers crossing – protection  Crossing your heart – telling the truth  Hands gripping wrist – frustration  Nose tapping – doubting speaker’s words, mind your own business  Rubbing eye – disbelief  Finger on mouth – asking to be quiet   Chin stroking – making a decision Not all hand gestures are created equal! It differs from culture to culture and you need to be mindful of this. A certain hand gesture can mean something positive in one culture while it can mean exactly the opposite in another culture. So before visiting another country or while having people over from other cultures, it is important to be aware of that. Postures and stance Postures of a person convey a wealth of information about how he is feeling and hints at his personality. Some of the very common postures are-  Sitting  Standing  Lying down When you are trying to read the body language of an individual, try to take note of some of the signals that a person's posture can send.  Open posture involves keeping the trunk of the body open and exposed. This type of posture indicates openness, friendliness, and willingness.  Closed posture involves hiding the trunk of the body often by hunching forward and by crossing the arms and legs. This type of posture can indicate hostility, unfriendliness, and anxiety.  Drooping shoulders can mean defeat or sadness.  Leaning forward is an indicator of interest and positive attitude.   Leaning backward can mean a negative stance or not in agreement. When evaluating body language, you need to pay attention to some of the following signals that the arms and legs may convey:  Crossed arms might indicate that a person is feeling defensive, self-protective, or closed-off.  Standing with hands placed on the hips can be an indication that a person is in control, or it can also possibly be a sign of aggression.  Clasping the hands behind the back might indicate that a person is feeling anxious, bored or upset.  Rapidly tapping fingers or fidgeting can be a sign that a person is bored, impatient, or frustrated.  Crossed legs can indicate that a person is feeling in need of privacy.  Hands in pocket whilst standing can indicate confidence or maybe even aggression. Personal space You may have sensed a feeling of discomfort when a person has come too close to you. It may have felt like an invasion into your privacy. The term proxemics is coined by anthropologist Edward T. Hall and refers to the physical distance between people as they interact. Just as body language and facial expressions can communicate a great deal of nonverbal information, similarly the physical space between individuals can indicate a lot. Some common reactions to invasion of privacy –  Feeling anxious  Get defensive   Getting aggressive  Retaliate Hall described four levels of social distance that occur in different situations. Intimate Distance: 6 to 18 inches This level of physical distance between two individuals suggest a close relationship or greater comfort between them. It usually occurs during intimate contact such as whispering, hugging or touching. Personal Distance: 1.5 to 4 feet Physical distance at this level is usual between people who are either family members or close friends. The closer two people can stand comfortably when interacting can be an indication to the level of intimacy in their relationship. Social Distance: 4 to 12 feet This is the level of physical distance which can be expected between individuals who are acquaintances. You may feel comfortable interacting at a closer distance with someone you know fairly well, such as a co-worker you see several times a week. On the contrary, you may choose to keep a considerable distance of 10 to 12 feet from a person who you do not know very well and may see once a month, e.g. your courier person. Public Distance: 12 to 25 feet A distance of 12-25 feet can be expected in public speaking situations. Giving a presentation at work or talking in front of a class full of students are good examples of such situations. It is also important to note that the level of personal distance that individuals need to feel comfortable can vary from culture to culture. A common example is the difference between people from Latin cultures and those from North America. People from Latin countries tend to feel more comfortable standing closer to one another as they interact while those from North America need more personal distance. Having an understanding of personal space is important as that can help us also be aware before stepping into someone’s personal space unknowingly.  Chapter 9 Communication Styles Learning Objective: The learner will be able to reflect on the different types of communication styles and how to use the DISC model to effectively understand personal communication style. Communication styles refers to the manner in which one communicates. The style or manner in which a person communicates is also dependant on his/her personality. Broadly speaking there are four communication styles:  Passive  Passive-aggressive  Aggressive  Assertive Understanding the different communication styles helps you to improve the quality of your relations. It helps you to navigate the conversations which depends on your ability to connect to the person concerned. Passive Those people who have passive communication style often allow others to run over them as they feel reluctant to voice their opinion for fear of being disliked. What would others think of them play on their mind and hence they are passive in their communication style. Passive communicators are usually unable to express their feelings or needs, allowing others to express themselves. When a conflict arises, this type of communicators is most likely not to get into a confrontation. Passive communicators are easy to get along with as they ‘go with the flow’. A quick way to identify the passive communicators:  Difficulty in making eye contact.  Inability to say ‘no’.  ‘Go with the flow’ type attitude.  Poor body posture. Some examples of the phrases passive communicators will use – “It really doesn’t matter that much”. “It’s okay. I will manage”. “I just want to keep peace”. Aggressive Aggressive communicators focus on sharing their needs and ideas without much attention paid to others. They may appear combative, disrespectful and rude without meaning to be so. They may not allow a positive exchange of ideas. Aggressive communicators can be considered for leadership roles and command respect from those around them. They are commanding, ask questions and fail to listen to others. You would quickly identify an aggressive communicator with the following behaviour:  Talks over other people  Lacks good listening skill and interrupts frequently  Controlling or demanding attitude  Points fingers  Stares and glares intensely  Frowns  Criticizes, intimidates, or threatens others Some examples of the phrases used by the aggressive communicators: “I think I am right and you are wrong”. “It’s your fault”. “I will have my way, no matter what”. Passive - Aggression Passive aggressive communicators do not say exactly how they feel. They say one thing and mean something else. They would rather mutter under their breath than say anything directly. They may appear to be passive on the surface and may feel powerless inside. There is a resentment building up inside them that may lead to subtle, indirect ways of saying. Some common behaviour traits of passive-aggressive communicators:  Frequent sarcasm  Words don’t align with actions  Facial expressions don’t match words  Difficulty acknowledging emotions Some phrases the passive-aggressive communicators use may be: “I am curious to know….” “I am just saying” “No offenses” Passive-aggressive people are most likely to communicate a lot more with their body language than with words. They lack the openness of direct communication and can respond with “silent treatment’ to someone or with spreading rumours behind a person. They may appear cooperative but may be secretly doing just the opposite. One needs to be careful of this type of people. Assertive This is thought to be the most effective form of communication style. They are able to establish open communication links without being overbearing. Assertive communicators can express their thoughts and emotions, needs and ideas while also considering those of others. They tend to have healthy and balanced relationships with people because they are clear about their boundaries and expectation from others. They tell people when they have a problem. You can recognize assertive communication with the following behaviours:  The ability to express desires and needs with confidence.  Encourages balanced conversations in which both people have a chance to speak.  The use of “I” statements (ex: I feel frustrated when people show up late.)  The ability to say ‘no’.  Maintains good eye contact. Some examples of assertive phrases: “We are entitled to express ourselves respectfully to one another”. “I respect the rights of others”. Some valuable tips to becoming an assertive communicator:  Maintain eye contact  Learn to say ’no’  Take ownership (use ‘I’ statements)   Voice your needs and desires confidently Evaluate your communication style and be honest about it. If you find yourself falling into aggressive, passive, or passive-aggressive patterns, it’s time to learn a new communication style to create healthier interactions. Assertive communication fosters an environment that allows both the speaker and listener to express themselves openly and respectfully. It requires being open, honest, and direct — but not aggressive. The DISC Model When determining your communication styles, the first thing to understand is how you make decisions. The DISC profile provides an unbiased personality assessment tool that outlines human behavioural patterns. This is a very common communication style quiz taken by many. All DISC tests, including the Everything DISC assessments, are built upon the foundation of what William Moulton Marston identified as four primary emotions and associated behavioral responses. We identify them today as D (dominance), I (influence), S (steadiness), and C (conscientiousness). Here’s how it works: The DISC model consists of four quadrants, corresponding to the letters D-I-S-C:  Dominance/Driver: Emphasizes results and the bottom line.   Influence/Inspirational: Emphasizes relationships and influencing or persuading others.  Steadiness: Emphasizes cooperation, honesty, and reliability.  Conscientiousness/Contemplative: Emphasizes competence, quality, and expertise. The DISC profile assessment teaches you a great deal about yourself. Your social style indicates strengths, weaknesses, opportunities for greatness. It can also help you identify your biases, blind-spots, and unfulfilled needs, which often show up as bad behaviour.  The Dominant "D" type - An outgoing, task-oriented individual will be focused on getting things done, accomplishing tasks, getting to the bottom line as quickly as possible and  MAKING IT HAPPEN! (The key insight in developing a relationship with this type person is RESPECT and RESULTS.)  The Inspiring "I" type - An outgoing, people-oriented individual loves to interact, socialize and have fun. This person is focused on what others may think of him or her. (The key insight in developing a relationship with this type person is ADMIRATION and RECOGNITION.)  The Supportive "S" type - A reserved, people-oriented individual will enjoy relationships, helping or supporting other people and working together as a team. (The key insight in developing a relationship with this person is FRIENDLINESS and SINCERE APPRECIATION.)  The Cautious "C" type - A reserved, task-oriented individual will seek value, consistency and quality information. This person focuses on being correct and accurate. (The key insight in developing a relationship with this individual is TRUST and INTEGRITY.) Summarizing traits  D stands for the DOMINANT Type which is OUTGOING and TASK-ORIENTED.  I stands for the INSPIRING Type which is OUTGOING and PEOPLE-ORIENTED.  S stands for the SUPPORTIVE Type which is RESERVED and PEOPLE-ORIENTED.  C stands for the CAUTIOUS Type which is RESERVED and TASK-ORIENTED.  Chapter 10 Creating a Positive Self-Image Learning Objective: The learner will be able to realise the value of positive self-image and ways of building up one by focusing on the techniques involved. What is self-image? Why should we bother about it? How important it is to us and to people around us? We are going to discuss about this in this module. A simple answer to the question, “what do people think about you?” can give you the most appropriate definition of self-image. Self- image basically means what you portray yourself as. Not only in terms of your physical appearance but also in terms of the experiences you have had in your life and the lessons that you have learned from them. Even the self-image of an individual can be divided in three different types:   The image created by the individual about himself, how he perceives himself to be.  The image created in the minds of people and how they perceive you  And the third image is created by the individual on the basis of what others think of him. But we cannot overlook the fact that these three kinds of self-image are not exactly accurate. The self-image can also be divided into two different types: one is the positive self-image and one is the negative self-image. Creating the kind of self-image that you want to create yourself lies in the amount of confidence that you feel in yourself. If you are a confident person then you will automatically create a positive image of yourself not only in your mind but also in the mind of your peers but if you are not so confident a person, then you have to do a lot of work to get to the positive side. Self-image Self-image is the “I am” definition that you say of yourself. How you picture yourself determines your personality, behaviour, actions and your relations. Trying to build up a positive self-image can be as taxing as learning a new skill and takes a lot of conscious effort on the part of the developer. The very first step to creating a positive self-image is to create a positive outlook, not only about yourself but about the world around you. But of course, it has to be within the bounds of reality. Benefits of a positive self-image: Why do we need to create a positive self-image? We will look at the enormous benefit derived from developing a positive self-image.  You are more open to accepting the views of others and can handle disagreement in a calm and composed manner.  You can enjoy the ease of being yourself without trying to impress anyone.  You are willing to accept new challenges  You emerge a confident individual  You do not fear uncertainty Obstacle to creating a positive self-image:  Excessive shyness and timidity  Feeling defeated  Remembering past hurts and failures and feeling remorse  Comparing yourself with others in an unfavourable light and feeling inferior  Ashamed of your appearance and feeling self-disgust  Overhearing in your head again and again the past criticism from others Tips on creating a strong and positive self-image: 1. Stop criticizing yourself – No good comes in beating yourself up for little mistakes that you commit. You have to learn to accept your follies and let go. Constantly criticizing yourself will do no good, rather will undermine your confidence and create a negative image. Both positive and negative experiences make up life and so learn to accept both. Learn to forgive yourself – that’s the best thing you can do. 2. Change your beliefs – Your beliefs determine the results and experiences in your life. Therefore, if you want to have better experiences and want to be joyful, happy or have better relationships, you must believe that it is possible. Beliefs are created by internalizing emotions to your thoughts – hence changing belief will change life. The more positive your belief, the better and more positive are your experiences. 3. List down 10 things you like about yourself before going to sleep – Nothing can be worse than not realizing your self-worth. Before going to sleep, take a pen and a paper and list down all the things that you like about yourself. It can be as small as your new haircut that looks good on you or as big as some recent show of confidence in yourself, just write down. Thinking about these things will give you the much needed boost of confidence and morale. 4. Smile when you see yourself in the mirror - This is a small trick which you must deliberately play with yourself – it brings back confidence and enhances ‘feel good factor’. 5. Avoid falling into the comparison trap - Comparing yourself to other people in your position in which you can never win. There is always someone who has more or is better than you at something. A better plan is to compare yourself to yourself and  to focus on how far you have come. Focusing on your results will motivate you and it will help to raise your self-esteem. 6. Get adequate sleep everyday – Having adequate sleep everyday is essential to feel good and stay harmonious in body, mind and soul. Good thoughts come when the body is feeling energetic and fresh along with relaxed mind. Hence sticking to the regime of 8 hours sleep is essential. 7. Wear clothes that look good on you – Wearing clothes that look good on you is not necessarily wearing the trendy clothes or trying to look like a model /fashionista. It simply means that you should be wearing clothes that look good on you and makes you feel comfortable. You need to impress yourself first before you impress anyone else. Look good and feel good. When you wear clothes that do not suit you or make you feel uncomfortable, that affect your confidence and bring down your image. 8. Do things that interest you – Most of our life, we have done things to please others. For once do things that you have wanted to do! Be the person that you had always dreamed of becoming! There is not going to be a better time for becoming that! You are changing yourself inside out, what could be better than this? Do not limit yourself – break yourself free from the limitations that your mind had set on you. 9. Be in the present moment - People with positive self-image are present and in the moment. They don’t focus on regrets, nor do they spend time longing for a future. 10. Knowing perfection is an illusion – We are all striving to better ourselves in various ways, but if we have unrealistic goals, we are in for a lot of disappointment. 11. Take time to be grateful for what you have - Practicing gratitude can immediately lighten your mood and improve your outlook on life. Daily practice can have lasting effects on your self-image. 12. Be yourself – Be the best version of yourself without trying to be someone else. You don’t have to try to be someone else’s idea of perfect because no matter how hard you try, you will always fall short and never be one. So, don’t even strive for that. Instead just be yourself. Be at ease.  Chapter 11 Self-Evaluation Learning Objective: This module will enable the learner to understand the importance of improving the skills necessary for self-evaluation so that one is able to write one by following the steps mentioned. Self-evaluation is defined as judging the quality of one’s work, based on evidence and explicit criterion, for the purpose of doing better work. The main purpose of self-evaluation is to reflect on one’s performance honestly so as to encourage individual and professional growth. Self- evaluation is essentially a motivation tool which assumes that each individual is responsible and in-charge of his/her own growth, professional and otherwise. Self-assessment is as important to students as they are to professionals. Since this is practiced in most organizations, it’s necessary you learn to do it properly. Self-assessment is part of the formal employee appraisal in some organizations, where the employee is permitted to provide his own version of his development over the past year. Benefits of self-evaluation:  Increase confidence level in your abilities and interests.  Improved team work and greater flexibility – you are able to better assess what strategies you shall take in dealing with your team.  Identifying weaknesses and failures and the reasons thereof.  Self-assessment provides direction for training. Once you know what your strengths and weaknesses are, you can choose the right education path and what kind of training would best suit you.  Enhanced planning skills - It helps people in selecting occupations or educational programs that are best suited for them. For instance, if you find out that you are a friendly or social person, then it would be good to consider marketing /sales as a profession for yourself. Skills to improve self-evaluation: Introspection – The first step towards self-evaluation is introspection. Ask yourself a lot of ‘relevant’ questions concerning the problem at hand – what, how and why are you facing it and if you need to overcome it, what would you have to do. Remember that at all times you need to be outright honest with yourself. Be specific about your objectives - Being able to give an honest and objective assessment of yourself is the toughest aspect of the entire process. Write down the targets for the most important aspects or goals of your work and assess your performance in comparison to each of them. Develop a self-grading system – You can create a grading system for yourself. Be honest and objective about grading yourself. You can create your own parameters for the grading of the work you want to start or have just completed to assess yourself. Importance of Self-Reflections: Regardless of the effectiveness of using self-evaluation during the review process, implementing self-evaluation and self- reflection in our everyday lives is essential to our own growth, both professionally and personally. Self-reflection seeks insight into yourself and your behaviour, values, knowledge and growth. Self-evaluation, on the other hand, is used to study your performance in order to improve it. Both are related and necessary to your growth both at work and outside of it. Now the question many ask is ‘how often should we reflect?’ Whether we know it or not, we are all engaged in reflection on everything that is happening around us. However, when it comes to intentionally setting aside time to reflect, it is best we do it daily to maintain consistency and practice. Very soon you shall see, that self-reflection has become a part of our daily routine. Commit to a daily practice and keep your commitment as you would any other. When you start to see value and reap the benefits, you will anticipate and embrace the time. How much of time should you keep aside for reflection? To begin with 15-20 min is good for a start and gradually on some days you may need to increase it depending on the case you are reflecting. It may feel painful and something you would want to avoid in the beginning of the practice as you may not be comfortable with the answers that are coming in front of you. Harvard and others have done extensive research on self- reflection as it relates to productivity and have found great benefit in the practice. In one particular study, employees who spent 15 minutes at the end of the day reflecting about lessons learned performed 23% better after 10 days than those who did not reflect.  While you are the task of self-reflection, it is important to mention here is that documenting it is very important. Therefore, writing down your reflections on a daily basis is required. There may be other ways of expression also if you feel you don’t want to write always. This is how you can go, for example –  One week of just thinking.  Followed by next week of writing down your thoughts.  The third week you can try some other creative ways of expression. Experiment, feel it out, push through the awkward, silly and uncomfortable as you discover what works best for you. There will certainly be days where insights feel more powerful than others. Trust the process and let each practice yield what it will. Steps to write a self-evaluation: 1) Give yourself enough time to write a self-evaluation. This task should never be done in a rush. 2) Be brutally honest with yourself – you can evade the truth from everyone but never from yourself. The entire purpose is lost if you are not honest when writing it. 3) One of the most prominent features of the self-evaluation is the addition of all your achievements or successes. 4) Give supporting evidence of your accomplishments. Use both qualitative and quantitative measures. 5) Link in the feedback of others to your accomplishments – what view do others have on your success. 6) Remember to maintain the attention of the self-evaluation on yourself. 7) Mention the difficulties you faced and your weaknesses – it is important you come face-to-face with them.  8) Analyse your goals – This shows whether you are meeting your goals or not. 9) Show how you can handle and deal with your shortcomings. It will demonstrate that you are aware of yourself and not just thinking that you should get validation from others for your adept working. 10) Set your futuristic goals which you would like accomplish and set a timeline to that. You can set both short-term and long- term goals for yourself. While carrying out the self-evaluation, stay positive and do not be too harsh or unkind to yourself. Self-evaluation focuses on being aware of both your strengths and accomplishments, weakness and ways you will go about overcoming those. It is a very important tool in your hand to improve both your personal and professional life and move ahead on the path of growth, success and positivity. Self-evaluation is a process through which not only do you realize your progress, but also boosts independent thinking as well as confidence. It helps improve work-life significantly. If you need to map out your professional curve and journey, the process of self- evaluation is a good idea. Here is one sample self-evaluation form which you can practice. You have to answer the questions and once you finish you have to total the score in each column. After that add up the scores of each column into one comprehensive score. This is your self-evaluation score. The higher the score, the more confident you are about the company, its structure and your role in it.  Chapter 12 Communication Techniques for the Workplace Learning Objective: This module will equip the learner with the communication techniques needed to communicate with people at different levels in the workplace. Communication techniques are very important in strengthening our relations in all walks and it is most critical at our workplace. Every workplace has some decorum and our communication should be such that it adheres and maintains that. Being able to communicate well will help you in all areas of your work. You’ll be able to work more effectively with your colleagues, your managers, vendors and clients. Strong communication impacts your relationships with everyone you work with. Building strong communication skills requires a focus on effective interactions and the ability to listen so you understand and focus on meeting the needs of others. Good workplace communication results in employees feeling engaged and enthusiastic, and they feel a part of the organization. They work on their own without needing to be micro-managed. They also come up with their ideas and solutions, because they know they will be heard and that there's a very good chance what they suggest will be implemented. Good communication has its benefits for your business and staff:  Increase in employee retention  Enhanced decision making  Increased productivity  Better problem-solving skills  More streamlined processes  Increased efficiency  Better relationships between departments, between staff, and between staff and management  A better business reputation in the market both for quality goods and services (whichever the case maybe) and also as a place that’s great to work for Here we will be exploring few workplace techniques which needs to be practices for strengthening our professional relations. First and foremost, it is important to identify your communication objective. There is a purpose behind every communication and identifying that purpose is the first step in effective communication. Whether you want to enquire, inform, influence, request or sell, having an end goal in mind can help you communicate effectively. Understand and analyse your audience. Knowing your audience will help you do a better job in communicating with them. For example, if you want to tell your subordinate to submit his reports on time as there are other deadlines that depend on those reports and you know he is going through a difficult situation at home, it is a point you can bring up in your int