Effective Communication Skills

This module is aimed at lower and middle level management personnel. It is a one-day workshop. It has a powerpoint visual aid, games, psychometric tests, a case study and a role play.

Objective
People in organizations typically spend over 75% of their time in an interpersonal situation; thus it is no surprise to find that at the root of a large number of organizational problems is poor communications.

Communication is the heart and soul of management at absolutely every level. Without communication skills one can’t hope to express one’s thoughts, convince others or negotiate.

Effective communication is an essential component of organizational success whether it is at the interpersonal, inter-group, intra-group, organizational, or external levels.

Areas covered under this module

• Introduction.
• Objectives of Communication.
• Communication Process.
• Barriers to Communication.
• Attributes of Communication.
• Types of Communication.
• Verbal Communication.
• Oral Communication.
• Written Communication.
• Non-Verbal Communication.
  

Benefits of this module

• This module helps in understanding the communication process completely, with all the factors of and barriers to effective communication.
• This module helps to understand the reasons for the breakdown of communication.
• The module highlights various types of communication and gives tips of improving each of these.
• The activities covered in this module help the participant to gauge his competence in communication and also help him to improve himself.
• The module also specifies the use of body language in communication.
• It gives an insight into the meaning of various types of gestures and facial expression. A lot of emphasis has been given to eye-contact and its importance in communication.
• A lot of our communication depends on the way we present ourselves. The module also highlights some tips of power dressing for men and women.
  

Guidelines for developing effective communication skills
Guidelines for developing effective listening skills

• Stop talking. It is not possible to listen while talking.
• Make the person who you are listening to as your focus. Stop everything else that you are doing.
• Listen openly and with empathy to the other person.
• Judge the content, not the messenger or delivery; comprehend before you judge.
• Use multiple techniques to fully comprehend (ask, repeat, rephrase, etc.).
• Use body language to reinforce to reinforce your active listening. Face the person you are listening to. Make eye-contact and fight distractions.
• Ask the other person for as much detail as he/she can provide; paraphrase what the other is saying to make sure you understand it and check for understanding.
• Attend to non-verbal cues, body language, not just words; listen between the lines. Don’t be deaf to the emotion and feeling behind them.
• Do not create or tolerate distractions.
• Be aware of prejudices and preconceptions that may influence your listening.
• Ask the other for his views or suggestions.
• Practice supportive listening, not one way listening.
  

Guidelines for developing effective talking skills

• Think before you speak.
• Make every word count by.
• Choosing your words carefully.
• Keeping it clear and concise.
• Making it real but not exaggerated.
• Appealing to the senses.
• Telling the whole story.
  

Guidelines for developing effective e-mail practices

• Use short lines and paragraphs especially the first and the last ones.
• Don’t shout. Use capitals only for emphasis or to substitute for italicized text. Using capitals only is equivalent to shouting.
• Proof–read your message. Type the address only after proof-reading.
• Choose your recipients carefully. Send messages to people only if it applies to them.
• Use a descriptive subject line to ensure that it is read.
• Greet your recipient. Salutation is a must.
• Insert previous messages appropriately.
• Use a direct style of writing most of the time.
• Think twice – write once – always assume that the message will never be destroyed.
• Provide an appropriate closing. Include your name and other appropriate identifying information.
• Use initializes appropriately.