Communication

William Reed Rising

Chief Operating Officer
 Objectives of the Module
• Understand why communication is
important.
• Understand non-verbal communication,
listening, and the communication
process.
• Recognize the importance of
maintaining communications
 Communication: Introduction
• Communication is broad, important
topic.
• Effective communication is key element
to having productive employees.
• It is an important management function.
• Your ability to communicate effectively
with employees and peers will directly
affect your effectiveness as a manager.
 Why Communicate?
• What is the objective of communicating?
– To be understood
– To understand
• It is a two-way process that includes
instructing, informing, explaining,
listening, etc.
• It is the responsibility of communicator to
make himself/herself understood!
 Why Communicate?
• A major reason why employees don’t do
what they’re supposed to do: they don’t
understand what they are supposed to
do!
• This is not the responsibility of the
employee; it is the responsibility of the
manager to communicate effectively
and ensure the employee understands
what to do and how!
 Truths of Management
• You work with and through other people.
• You are only as good as the people you
manage!
• If your employees fail to meet expectations you
have set, you may not be as good as you think
you are; don’t blame employees.
• The key element involved in communication is
understanding; communication does not occur
unless someone understands the point you are
trying to make.
 How We Communicate
• Communication is a constant; we spend
80% of our day communicating!
• Typically we do the following:
– Listening: 45%
– Speaking: 30%
– Reading: 16%
– Writing: 9%
 Importance of Communication
• We communicate each time we interact with
someone, whether we know it or not!
• We need to interact with others to accomplish
tasks and achieve goals.
• Communication is the glue that keeps
everyone working together!
• Effective communication promotes balance
between organization and employees, and
helps restore and maintain credibility.
 Communication Process
• Lassiter model of five steps in
communication:
1. Who
2. Says What
3. In Which Channel
4. To Whom
5. With What Effect
Shannon and Weaver Model
 Communication Process
• The receiver puts meaning on message.
• The meaning is in people, not just
words or non-verbal expression.
• There is psychological noise between
sender and receiver.
• Perception, belief, experience, fears,
and knowledge of both sender and
receiver influences meaning attached to
message.
 Communication Process
• Since receiver attaches meaning to the
message, what the sender intended
may not be the same as the message
that was received.
• It is the responsibility of both sender
and receiver to ensure the message is
the same for each.
 Communication Effectiveness
• Key ingredient is believability.
• Three elements of communication:
1.Verbal element: The words, the message
itself, including vocabulary choices.
2.Vocal element: The voice, including rate,
tone, inflection, volume and pitch.
3.Non-verbal element: What people see
when you are speaking, including face,
hands, body positioning, etc.
 Exercise
Write your estimate of which element
carries the most believability when you
are speaking. For this exercise you are
trying to persuade the listener and to
make them understand your message.
1.Verbal
2.Vocal
3.Non-verbal
 Exercise: Answers
1. Verbal 7%
2. Vocal 38%
3. Non-verbal 55%
4. TOTAL 100%

Are you surprised? Why?

 Non-Verbal Communication
• Commonly used for communication
beyond written or spoken words.
• It significantly influences the types of
relationships that form between people.
• It expresses emotion.
• Affects meanings conveyed verbally.
• Can be tied with verbal communication to
increase effectiveness.
 Non-Verbal Enhancement
• Repeating a verbal message: pointing to
direction you are describing.
• Contradicting verbal message: “I am not
nervous” while fidgeting or sweating.
• Substituting for verbal message: When you
look exhausted, nobody bothers you.
• Completing verbal message: blushing
• Accenting verbal message: waving hands,
pounding of table, stern expressions
 Verbal/Non-Verbal Connections
• When tone of voice conveys an attitude,
words say what the attitude is about.
• When information is expressed in
words, non-verbal communication
shows how the speaker feels about it.
 The Voice: Qualities
• Your voice transmits energy; excitement,
enthusiasm you feel should be conveyed.
• Your voice tone, prominence, delivery and
quality are important.
• These account for 84% of message when
people cannot see you (e.g. via phone).
• Differences in voices are far greater than we
generally think.
 The Voice: Volume and Speech
• Use your voice to assist you by making it
louder to emphasize important points. It will
help the listener understand priorities.
• Project your voice so you can be heard.
• Vary the rate of speech to attract attention to
main points and conclusions.
• Speak fast enough to be interesting but slow
enough to be understood; use pauses.
 The Voice: Volume and Speech
• Control and vary your pitch.
• Experiment with different pitches and
range of tones.
• Replace fillers (e.g. “You know”, “OK”,
“Right”) with pauses. Other examples?
• Replace non-words (e.g. “Umm”, “Ah”,
“Uh”) with pauses. Other examples?
 The Voice: Language
• Use clear and direct language.
• Say what you mean, mean what you say.
• Work on vocabulary so you can be precise;
use a dictionary or Thesaurus; find the right
word for the right situation.
• Do not use slang or colloquialisms all the
time. Reserve it for emphasis (humorous or
otherwise), or to be understood and gain
credibility with those who understand it.
Body Language and Appearance
• The body conveys meaning even when
it is not in motion.
• Most people have certain beliefs about
personalities and characters based on
body language: thin, fat, round,
muscular, athletic.
• What are your assumptions about how
body type is connected with
personalities and characters?
Body Language and Appearance

• Hair:
• Skin color:
• Gender:
• Grooming:
 Body Language and Appearance
• Posture, or the way people carry
themselves, conveys a message.
• Example: a speaker slouches while
talking to a group could indicate to
group the speaker is not interested in
them, since slouching conveys lack of
interest.
 Body Language and Appearance
• All cultures have gestures to some degree.
• Gestures can have different meanings
depending on where you are. Examples?
• Some gestures are widely understood.
• Head nodding keeps conversation going; it
conveys interest. Rapid head nodding
indicates listener wants to speak.
• Foot-shaking, finger tapping: boredom,
nervousness. Other examples?
 Body Language and Appearance
• When you are speaking, it is important
your gestures are compatible with what
you are saying. Examples?
• Touching is a means of communication
used in every culture, but with different
meanings. What’s an example of when
touching conveys a message?
 Facial Expressions
• Facial expressions are probably the single
most important source of nonverbal
communication.
• The face is the most expressive part of the
body; can convey several emotions at once.
• A smile communicates how you are feeling,
and a smile dominates your face. Insincere
smiles are totally ineffective, or worse.
• Faces can communicate a great deal, but is
non-verbal behavior best able to be
controlled.
 Eye Contact
• Eye contact probably most important
aspect of facial expression and
communication.
• Making fleeting “eye contact” not
enough. In individual communication,
normal eye contact is generally from 5
to 15 seconds. To individuals in a group
it is generally 4 to 5 seconds.
 Eye Contact Occurs When…
• One person wants feedback about the other
person’s reactions.
• People want to signal communication channel
is open.
• People want to signal a desire for
association, involvement or inclusion.
• One person wants to put another person
under stress.
• People like each other and establish eye
contact for long periods of time.
Eye Contact Decreases When…
• People have something to hide or are in
competitive settings.
• There is dislike, tension, or fear of
dishonesty.
• People are physically close to one
another.
• During a long statement.
• A person does not wish to maintain
social contact.
 Territory and Space
• People use territory & space as an
indirect, non-verbal communication.
• Senior managers get more office space.
• Four patterns of informal space:
– Intimate space: lovers, small children
– Personal distance: most conversation
– Social distance: work-related interactions
– Public distance: one-way interaction
(speech)
 Territory and Space
• Based on a study, average informal
spaces were as follows:
– Intimate: direct contact to 35 cm
– Personal: 35 cm to 1m
– Social: 1m to 2m
– Public: 3.5m to 7m
• What would be the informal space
distance for you?
 Environment, Things and Time
• We are influenced by our surroundings.
• What effects do buildings, rooms or
seating arrangements have on you?
• Furnishings also play a role in shaping
interaction. What effect do furnishings
or personal belongings have on you?
• Use of time conveys message. What
are examples of differences in time
use?
 Review of the Module
• Effective communication in all its forms
is essential for effective management.
• Employees may be more affected by
the way something is said rather than
what (the words) is actually said.
The End of this Section