2. A Thought
A man is seldom better than his conversation
- German Proverb
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3. Communication Skills Overview
Effective communication skills are a
critical element in your career and
personal lives.
We all must use a variety of
communication techniques to both
understand and be understood.
4. What is Communication?
Communication is the process of sending and
receiving information among people…
Feedback
sender
receiver
Encode
Medium
SENDER
Decode
RECEIVER
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5. Most common ways to communicate
ing
peak
S
Writing
es
mag
lI
isua
V
Bod
y
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La n
gua
ge
8. We need to improve communication... as
70 % of our communication efforts are:
• misunderstood
• misinterpreted
• rejected
• distorted or
• not heard
6 people talking in a 2 people conversation!!
9. Critical success factor
The majority of your perceived ability comes from
how you communicate
55% Tonal
38% Visual
7% Verbal
93% of all Communication is non verbal - SKILL
10. Listening and Speaking are used a lot…
50%
45%
45%
40%
35%
30%
30%
25%
20%
16%
15%
10%
9%
5%
0%
Writing
Reading
Speaking
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Listening
11. … But not taught enough
50%
45%
45%
Am
ou
nt
tau
gh
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
30%
t
16%
15%
10%
9%
5%
0%
Writing
Reading
Speaking
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Listening
12. Common Communication Errors:
• Finishing others’ sentences
• Preparing our response before someone has
completed speaking
• Multitasking while ‘listening’
• Filtering content or meaning based on the
speaker
• Speaking for others (we…)
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13. A Good Algorithm
Communication is a two way process!
In order to have good communication:
• Listen to Understand
• Understand before speaking
• Speak to be understood
• Seek understanding before proceeding
• Repeat
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14. How can it be improved
•
•
•
•
Recognition
Pavlov study
Not being judgmental
Stop egocentric communication
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15. What today’s workshop can achieve
• Provide ‘knowledge’ about communication
• Give insight on ‘skills’ needed
• Suggest ways of going about it
What you need to do:
• Learn the tools
• Take up every opportunity
• Practice, Practice, Practice!
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17. Why is communication important
•
•
•
•
•
Inspires confidence
Builds respect in business and social life
Helps make friends
Develops a distinct personality
Reveals your ability to others
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18. Essentials of good communication
• Knowledge
– Spontaneity in conversation
– Level of conversation
• Organising your thoughts
• Participating in discussions
• Body Language
– Show v Tell
• Being a good listener
– Listening v hearing
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19. How to be an active listener
•
•
•
•
•
Set the stage
Ensure mutual understanding
Understand body language
Suspend judgment
Behaviors that hinder effective listening
–
–
–
–
–
–
Act distracted (look at your watch!)
Tell your own story without acknowledging theirs
Give no response
Invalidate response, be negative
Interrupt
Criticize
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20. Techniques to improve listening skills
SUMMARIZE
SUMMARIZE
PARAPHRASE
PARAPHRASE
Restate what was
Restate what was
said in your own
said in your own
words
words
Pull together
Pull together
the main points
the main points
of a speaker
of a speaker
QUESTION
QUESTION
Challenge speaker
Challenge speaker
to think further,
to think further,
clarifying both your
clarifying both your
and their
and their
understanding
understanding
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21. Two basic types of questions
1. Closed questions:
– Get a one-word response and inhibit thought.
– Questions begin with who, when and which
1. Open-ended questions:
– Invite unique thought, reflection or an explanation.
– Questions begin with how, what and how come (not why!).
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22. Practice Questioning
•
Rephrase the following closed questions to
make them open-ended:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Are you feeling tired?
Isn’t it a nice day?
Was the last activity useful?
Is there anything bothering you?
So everything is fine, then?
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24. Adding colour to communication
• Images – Describe,
relive
• Show, don’t tell
• Use audience’s senses
– Sight
– Sound
– Touch
– Taste
– Smell
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25. Improving communication
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Don’t use cliches
Brevity
Sincerity
Don’t praise yourself
Avoid argument
Be tactful
Silence
Enunciation
– Clear, loud, syllables. Flexibility of tone
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26. Practice
• For distinct enunciation, every word, every syllable,
every sound, must be given it proper form and value.
• Think of the mouth chamber as a mold, in which the
correct form is given to every sound.
• Will you please move your lips more noticeably?
• The teeth should never be kept closed in speech.
• Through practices, we can learn to speak more
rapidly, but still with perfect distinctness
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27. Ways to gain effective conversation
•
•
•
•
•
•
Good use of English – avoid errors
Improved vocabulary – overlook v oversee
Avoid old phrases
Use humour
Add interesting story
Improve clarity of voice – practice
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31. From effective conversation to speech
• Overcoming Fear
– #1 fear
• Idea of speech
– Know your subject
• Know the audience
– Target their interest
• Organising the speech
– Tell them…
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36. Practicing Your Presentation
• Simulate the
presentation setting
– Practice aloud
– Practice standing up
• Time your presentation
• Memorize your opening
few sentences
• Watch yourself in a
mirror
37. Presenting
• Stage fright
– Feelings follow action
•
•
•
•
•
•
Talk ‘to’, not ‘at’
Eye contact
Don’t judge your audience
Pause
Volume
Pace
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