Effective Communication Skills

Effective
Communication
in the
Workplace
About your facilitators
BrendaWatkins,Trainer,SpecialProjects
HCCandIT3werefortunatetolureBrendaawayfromUSF,whereshe
wasafulltimeVisitingInstructorintheCollegeofEducationsince1996.
Brendasworkexperiencealsoincludesahumanresourcebackgroundfor
severalmajorcompaniesintheTampaarea.ShehasaBSinFinance;an
M.A.inBusinessandOfficeEducation;andisaPh.D.studentinHigher
EdatUSF.Shehasbeenacontributorinmanyconferencepresentations,
andwasaneditorforLearningDisabilities101:APrimerforParents.
CelesteFenton,DirectorIT3
HoldingaBAinPsychology,anM.Ed.,andaPh.D.inEducationfrom
theUniversityofSouthFlorida.Celestehasover16yearsexperienceas
aneducatorinK12andhighered;andspent10yearsatAnheuserBusch
inHRmanagement.InadditiontodirectingtheIT3department,shealso
teachesasanadjunctforHCC.Activeinthecommunity,shehasserved
asaboardmemberfortheHillsboroughCountyChildrensServicessince
beingappointedbytheHillsboroughCountyCommissionersin2000.
Alsoin2000,CelestewasselectedasaconsultanttotheUnitedStates
AgencyforInternationalDevelopment(USAID)forinternational
educationalandworkforcedevelopment.
Training Agenda
Learning Objectives
Introduction
Awareness of Your Personal Style
Skillful Listening
Expressing Yourself
Impact of Emotions
Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

Learning Objectives
After completing this workshop

presentation, you will be able to:
1. Develop an awareness of your personality and
communication tendencies
2. Learn how to listen more effectively to others
3. Express yourself in a more clear and specific way
4. Appreciate the power of emotions

Introduction
The ability to effectively communicate with others is one of the most

powerful tools for personal and/or professional success.
Most people are challenged by the many day-to-day interactions with

co-workers, family, and friends.
Emotion, communication and conflict are present in all human

interactions and affects each of us in different ways.
Everyone manages emotion, communication and conflict from habit

patterns and styles developed early in life and over time.
80% of problems in the workplace are communication related

Introduction
One of the quickest ways to alienate yourself from other people is to

communicate unsuccessfully.
Effective communication empowers you to influence others.
Your capacity to communicate is often seen as an indicator of your ability and

intelligence.
In this presentation, you will learn a variety of strategies to improve your

communication skills, and break the cycle of destructive habits of personal
interaction.

Unit One Awareness of Your
Personal Style

Unit One Awareness of Your Personal Style
Past Experiences Shape Communication Style
Communication doesnt just happen; your style is based on your experiences that
over time have developed into a pattern of attitudes and actions.
It is a continuous cycle. Your experiences influence your thoughts. Your

thoughts, over time, become your attitudes. These attitudes become the blueprint
for new experiences, which develop into patterns of behavior.
An awareness of your personal style is critical to begin to transform negative

attitudes and behaviors into positive ones.
It is key to empowering you to establish personal responsibility and accountability

in the midst of changing your behavior. Remember, the only person you can
ever really control or change is yourself.

Communication Skills Test
Discover your own level of interpersonal communication skills.
Activity: Click on the link below and read the statements carefully, then indicate
the degree to which they apply to you. After finishing the Communication Skills
Test, you will receive a free basic report.
NOTE: Do not feel pressured to purchase the detailed report for a fee.
Access the link below, and click on Non-members take the test GO
http://www.queendom.com/tests/relationships/communication_skills_r_access.ht
ml

Take the Kiersey Temperment Sorter
Temperament is an arrangement of preferences or pre-dispositions towards

developing certain attitudes and behaviors.
Activity:
Access the link below. Complete the questions.
http://www.advisorteam.com/temperament_sorter/register.asp?partid=
1
For more information on the Kiersey Temperment Sorter and your type,
access the following link and click on your type (SJ, SP, NF, NT)
http://keirsey.com/pumII/temperdef.html

Activity: What have you learned about yourself? Based on what you know
about yourself and how you have handled similar situations in the past,
how do you think you would handle the following scenario:
You have been asked to supervise a project. The success of the project is also dependent
upon the contributions and feedback of other department groups. The deadline is
approaching. The other managers/department groups have largely ignored requests for
information, but complained in group meetings that the project is in danger of non-
completion. During manager meetings, this non-response has been raised as an issue, but
your manager has not addressed it, stating that all of the managers are busy and that they
will respond as soon as they can. However when the documentation is not provided to you,
it is identified as your deficiency and has been designated as a risk to project completion.
The end result is that you (your project) has been identified by senior management as being
at risk for completion and as your deficiency. At one meeting, a manager who had ignored
requests for information for several weeks, complained that you were harassing him. You
felt frustrated and close to tears.

Unit Two Skillful Listening

Unit Two
Skillful Listening
Nine Steps to Effective Listening
1. Face the speaker and maintain eye contact.

2. Be attentive, yet relaxed.
3. Keep an open mind to the speakers message try to feel what the speaker
is feeling.
4. Listen to the words and try to picture what the speaker is saying.
5. Do not interrupt and do not impose your "solutions."
6. Wait for the speaker to pause to ask clarifying questions - ask questions only
to ensure understanding of something that has been said (avoiding questions
that disrupt the speaker's train of thought).
7. Give the speaker regular feedback, e.g., summarize, reflect feelings, or
simply say "uh huh."
8. Pay attention to nonverbal cues -- to feelings, tone of voice, inflection, facial
expressions, gestures, posture.
9. Be aware of potential barriers that impact your ability to listen effectively.

Barriers to Listening
Sometimes people have a barrier that impedes their listening skills. Awareness of
a barrier is the first step in being able to overcome it.
Barriers to listening include:
past experiences that influence our reaction to the speaker or the message
worry, fear, anger, grief and depression
individual bias and prejudice
semantics and language differences
noise and verbal "clutter"
preoccupation, boredom and shrinking attention spans
Activity:
Awareness of a barrier is the first step in being able to overcome it and
improve your listening skills. Look at the above list of barriers. Can you
identify one or more barriers that may/does impact your ability to
listen?

Skillful Listening
Unit Two
Active Listening
Stay active by asking mental questions.

Some questions you can ask yourself as
you listen are:
1. What key point is the speaker

making?
2. How does this fit with what I know

from experience?
3. How can this information benefit

me?

Looking and Acting Like a Good Listener

Non-Verbal Communication
Turn your body and tilt your face toward the speaker.
Use other parts of your body besides your ears to receive the message:
1. Look at the speaker to pick up nonverbal signals or cues
2. Your eyes will also send signals to the speaker
3. When the speaker sees a receptive audience they are motivated to work
harder to communicate their message
React to the speaker by nodding your head.

Unit Two
Skillful Listening
Acknowledgement
Listen and acknowledge what you hear the speaker

saying, even if you don't agree with it. At this point do not
express your point of view.
Acknowledging the speakers thoughts and feelings does

not mean that you approve of or agree with the speakers
opinions or actions.
Your ability to listen and then acknowledge what the

speaker said allows the speaker to feel a sense of
satisfaction of being understood

Skillful Listening
Unit Two
Reflecting back
When making a statement, paraphrase and reflect back what you've heard
the speaker say.
Reflecting is affirming to the speaker and encourages the speaker to

elaborate further or delve more deeply into the topic.
Meaningful exchanges between you and the speaker are built on feedback.
In order to accurately feedback a person's thoughts and feelings, you have to

be consciously, actively engaged in the process of listening.
Try to experience what the speaker is describing, feeling the speakers

feelings through the lens of your own experience.

Unit Three
Expressing Yourself

Unit Three Expressing Yourself
Communicating Long or Emotional Messages
Briefly
. explain the intention of your conversation.
The other person(s) will attend better if they have a basic

understanding of the time and effort they will be bringing to the
conversation.
Use I statements to communicate your feelings, and what you

have personally seen, heard, need, or expect.
Do not engage in verbal attacks on the other person. if you need

to criticize, describe the behavior or actions of the other person
that bother you.
State what you need or expect in positive terms.

Utilizing I Statements
Accept responsibility for your emotions

Use I statements. Say I feel angry when rather than You make me mad
Activity:
Consider the following statements you might make. How would you
. change
them into I statements?
1. You make me so mad when you dont complete your work on time.
2. My supervisor frustrates me when she doesnt communicate her
expectations.
3. My employee aggravates me when she comes in late.
4. My boss made me happy when he complimented my financial
report.
5. Those students make me sad when they dont study and fail their
tests.
Five Components of Your Message
Your communication should include these five important

components:
1. What you are seeing have seen
2. What you are hearing have heard
3. What you are feeling have felt about the issue
4. What you need or want
5. What the positive result will be from receiving/acting on your

request

Five Components of Your Message
Activity: For the three situations listed below, think how you would
communicate:
What you are seeing have seen
What you are hearing have heard
What you are feeling have felt about the issue
What you need or want
What the positive result will be from receiving/acting on your
request
1. Your boss marked you low on your performance review. This was
the first
indication you had of how you were performing in your job.
2. An employee you supervise has been frequently absent causing

lost
production and a hardship for the rest of the employees in your
unit.
Unit Four
Impact of Emotions

Unit Four Impact of Emotions
Unit Four
Emotional Obstacles
Emotional obstacles to effective communication include:
Vulnerability people may not express their true feelings

because they do not want to expose themselves to others
Protecting people may not want to express their true

thoughts because they dont want to hurt or upset the other
person
Expectations - social, professional, or cultural rules may

inhibit expression of some feelings
Fear people seek approval and acceptance so they are often

reluctant to say what they really mean for fear of rejection

Impact of Emotions
Unit Four
Manage your emotions
Recognize what you are feeling. Are you angry, embarrassed,
or hurt?
Simplify your feelings. Select one or two words to describe

how you feel. Be specific.
Do not act on your feelings right away. Dont make a decision,

enter into a discussion, or send an email in anger or
frustration.
Choose an appropriate time and place to communicate.
Accept that you are responsible for your emotions; Use I

statements. Say I feel angry when rather than You make
me mad

Managing a conflict
Keep yourself calm by breathing slowly and deeply. Remember that this is only
one temporary moment in your life.
Concentrate on what you need to move forward rather than dwell on the other
persons mistakes.
Summarize the other persons feelings to make sure that you understand what
they are communicating.
Give affirmation to the other person about what they may be feeling.
Acknowledge and apologize for any mistakes you may have made.
Focus on positive results and make specific requests that will enable the
achievement of those goals.

Activity:
Reflect on the following situations.
1. Your boss reprimanded you at a department meeting for emailing a
joke to others in the workplace. Personal emails and jokes are
routine at the office.
2. Recently you shared your idea with a coworker on how to improve

departmental operating procedure that could result in greater
efficiency and increased revenue for the college. You scheduled a
meeting with your supervisor to introduce the concept, but your
coworker beat you to it, and has claimed your idea for their own.
3. You have learned that one of the employees you supervise

frequently criticizes you harshly to others in and outside of your
department.
What pointers from Managing Conflict and Managing Your Emotions would be
helpful to you in the above situations?
Check Your Knowledge
Following are a series of

questions for you to complete.
These questions are designed to
check your understanding of the
information you just reviewed.

Question 1
1. Past experiences
A. have little or no effect on your communication

B. influence your thoughts which in turn become your
attitudes over time
C. are key to empowering you to establish personal r
esponsibility
D. All of the above
(Click the answer you think is correct.)

You have answered
A. have little or no effect on your communication
This answer is incorrect.
Back to Question 1
Click Back to Question 1 (above) to review the
question, then click B for further explanation.
You have answered
C. Is key to empowering you to establish personal responsibility

Back to Question 1
You have answered
D. All of the above
Back to Question 1
You have answered
B. Influence your thoughts which in turn become your attitudes over time
This answer is correct.

Communication doesnt just happen; your style is based on your experiences that, over
time, develop into a pattern of attitudes and actions.
It is a continuous cycle. Your experiences influence your thoughts. Your thoughts, over
time, become your attitudes. These attitudes become the blueprint for new experiences,
which develop into patterns of behavior.
An awareness of your personal style is critical to begin to transform negative attitudes

and behaviors into positive ones.
It is key to empowering you to establish personal responsibility and accountability in the

midst of changing your behavior. Remember, the only person you can ever really control
or change is yourself.
Continue
Question 2
2. Acknowledging what the speaker is saying is valuable because
A. It does not mean that you approve or agree with the spe
aker
B. It allows the speaker to feel understood
C. It is a defensive posture
D. All of the above
E. Only A and B

You have answered
A. It does not mean that you approve or agree with the speaker
Back to Question 2
question, then click E for further explanation.
You have answered
B. It allows the speaker to feel understood
Back to Question 2
You have answered
C. It is a defensive posture
Back to Question 2
You have answered
D. All of the above
Back to Question 2
You have answered
E. Only A and B

Briefly explain the intention of your conversation.
The other person(s) will attend better if they have a basic understanding of the
time and effort they will be bringing to the conversation.
Use I statements to communicate your feelings, and what you have

personally seen, heard, need, or expect.
Do not engage in verbal attacks on the other person; if you need to criticize,
describe the behavior or actions of the other person that bother you.
State what you need or expect in positive terms

Continue
Question 3
3. Consider the following scenario
You and your office coworkers have worked well together for approximately one year.
Another person has joined the work team and trouble has started. This person appears
very sensitive and frequently complains about being ignored. You and the staff have tried
to include this person in conversation and activities, but the employee went to the
supervisor after two weeks on the job and reported on a long list of office infractions.
Several of the complaints were exaggerated or totally false. The supervisor held a
meeting and firmly stated that department rules must be followed, that the office was too
busy for pettiness, and that future complaints or issues should be settled between the
staff. A preferred way to handle the situation would be which of the following?
A. Tell the coworker how mad they make you.

B. Demand to have it out with the coworker while its all fresh in your mind
C. Listen not as a critic, and desire to understand your coworker rather than to achieve either
agreement from or change in them
D. Concentrate on what you need to move forward rather than dwell on the other persons mistakes.
E. B and C
F. C and D

You have answered
A. Tell the coworker how mad they make you
Back to Question 3
question, then click F for further explanation.
You have answered
B. Demand to have it out with the coworker while

its all fresh in your mind

Back to Question 3
You have answered
C. Listen not as a critic, and desire to understand
your coworker rather than to achieve either
agreement from or change in them

Back to Question 3
You have answered
D. Concentrate on what you need to move

forward rather than dwell on the other persons
mistakes.
Back to Question 3
You have answered
E. B and C
Back to Question 3
You have answered
F. C and D
In managing a conflict you should:
1. Concentrate on what you need to move forward rather than dwell on the other persons
mistakes. Focus on positive results.
2. Summarize the other persons feelings to make sure that you understand what they are
communicating. Give affirmation to the other person about what they may be feeling.
3. Acknowledge and apologize for any mistakes you may have made.
4. Focus on positive results and make specific requests that will enable the achievement
of those goals.
To manage your emotions:

1. Recognize what you are feeling. Are you angry, embarrassed, or hurt?
2. Do not act on your feelings right away. Dont make a decision, enter into a discussion,
or send an email in anger or frustration.

3. Choose an appropriate time and place to communicate.
4. Accept that you are responsible for your emotions; Use I statements. Say I feel angry
when rather than You make me mad
Continue
Question 4
4. When you want to communicate a long or complex

message, you should
A. Let the other person know this may be a long

conversation
B. Briefly explain the intent of the conversation
C. Use I statements to specifically state your
feelings
D. Not engage in blame or verbal attacks
E. All of the above

You have answered
A. Let the other person know this may be a long conversation
Back to Question 4
You have answered
B. Briefly explain the intent of the conversation
Back to Question 4
You have answered
C. Use I statements to specifically state your feelings
Back to Question 4
You have answered
D. Not engage in blame or verbal attacks
Back to Question 4
You have answered
E. All of the above

When communicating long or emotional messages, you should
Briefly explain the intention of your conversation.
The other person(s) will attend better if they have a basic understanding of the
time and effort they will be bringing to the conversation
Use I statements to communicate your feelings, and what you have
personally seen, heard, need, or expect.
Do not engage in verbal attacks on the other person; if you need to criticize,
describe the behavior or actions of the other person that bother you.
State what you need or expect in positive terms Continue

Conclusion
Congratulations you have completed the pre-workshop
on Effective Communication in the Workplace
You will receive verification via email or phone that you are registered for the
instructor led workshop on Effective Communication in the Workplace.
Your supervisor will receive an email notifying them that you have completed the
pre-workshop activity.
Thank you for your participation. If you have any questions, please do not
hesitate to contact the IT3 office at
253-7338 or at it3@hccfl.edu
Effective Communication in the Workplace

Effective Communication Skills

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Effective

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

After completing this workshop

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

The ability to effectively communicate with others is one of the most

Most people are challenged by the many day-to-day interactions with

Emotion, communication and conflict are present in all human

Everyone manages emotion, communication and conflict from habit

80% of problems in the workplace are communication related

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

One of the quickest ways to alienate yourself from other people is to

Effective communication empowers you to influence others.

Your capacity to communicate is often seen as an indicator of your ability and

In this presentation, you will learn a variety of strategies to improve your

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

Past Experiences Shape Communication Style

It is a continuous cycle. Your experiences influence your thoughts. Your

An awareness of your personal style is critical to begin to transform negative

It is key to empowering you to establish personal responsibility and accountability

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

Discover your own level of interpersonal communication skills.

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

Temperament is an arrangement of preferences or pre-dispositions towards

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

1. Face the speaker and maintain eye contact.

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

Stay active by asking mental questions.

1. What key point is the speaker

2. How does this fit with what I know

3. How can this information benefit

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

Looking and Acting Like a Good Listener

React to the speaker by nodding your head.

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

Listen and acknowledge what you hear the speaker

Acknowledging the speakers thoughts and feelings does

Your ability to listen and then acknowledge what the

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

Reflecting is affirming to the speaker and encourages the speaker to

In order to accurately feedback a person's thoughts and feelings, you have to

Try to experience what the speaker is describing, feeling the speakers

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

Communicating Long or Emotional Messages

The other person(s) will attend better if they have a basic

Use I statements to communicate your feelings, and what you

Do not engage in verbal attacks on the other person. if you need

State what you need or expect in positive terms.

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

Accept responsibility for your emotions

Your communication should include these five important

1. What you are seeing have seen

2. What you are hearing have heard

3. What you are feeling have felt about the issue

4. What you need or want

5. What the positive result will be from receiving/acting on your

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace

2. An employee you supervise has been frequently absent causing

Click to advance to next slide Effective Communication in the Workplace