Suzanne Hazeltonworking with individuals and teams to THRIVE!

CommunicateEffectively in

Business

Whistle stop tour of the next 90 mins ….

• We have preferences to the way we communicate with others – what’s yours?

• To have more impact – it’s useful to develop flexibility in the way you communicate (not just using your preference)

• Introducing a structure to enable your communications to have impact and get heard

As you look at the picture you might be asking yourself some questions (jot them down)

Exploring the concept of ‘preference’

How people take in information How they make decisions

4

PS – there are no right answers – people need different types of information, and make their decisions differently in order to come to action.

The questions you ask might include:

• Am I in the right Centra session?

• Why is there a tin of soup on this page?

• What’s tomato soup got to do with training

• How is she going to link soup to facilitation?

• I wonder how we might use more pictures in our courses?

• … none of the above!

Your communication repertoire can be expanded

• With a communication preference or habit– you might ‘miss’ information

that would be useful to others

– You might ‘over do’ some other aspects of your communication

Starter

Main Course

Dessert

Your preference might mean you skip the starter, but it may be important for

others …

In business communications – it’s useful to communicate to all tastes. Aim for impact and action.

This approach has been adapted from Bernice McCarthy. She pulled together the work of a number of people with her 4MAT system. David Kolb, Kurt Lewin + others

ImprovementMotivation / Engagement

Action Clarity

Communicate for impact and action

Communicate in a way that people are motivated, clear on what they need to do, know what action to take and have the opportunity to question / propose improvements.

WHAT IF

Improvement

WHY

Motivation / Engagement

HOW

Action

WHAT

Clarity

Communicate for impact and action

Mini “what”

Easy to remember:Why, What, How, What-if

Review / other applications

Improvement

Purpose / Reasons / Benefits

Motivation / Engagement

First steps / who does what

Action

Relevant:- facts - theories - backgroundClarity

What to include …

WHAT IFReview / other applications

Improvement

WHYPurpose / Reasons / Benefits

Motivation / Engagement

HOWFirst steps / who does what

Action

WHATRelevant - facts - Theories- backgroundClarity

Communicate for impact and action

Mini “what”

As you looked at the soup picture you might be asking yourself some questions …

WHAT IFI wonder how we might use more pictures in our courses?

Improvement

WHYWhy is there a tin of soup on this page?

Motivation / Engagement

HOWHow is she going to link this to facilitation?Action

WHATWhat’s tomato soup got to do with training Clarity

WHAT IF WHY

HOW WHAT

Just 4 words to remember for effective communication

Mini “what”

Question …

• When I train this, I sometimes use an activity … would you be interested in doing it so that you find out your natural strengths and areas you may wish to pay more attention to?

Activity

Identifying Kolb Habits• Individually take 2 mins to prepare a short “briefing”

on one of the following

– Office relocation– End of project party– Subject of your choice

• (suggest you keep the topic simple)

As a result of the briefing you’re seeking for the person to “be involved” in some way. This is a “conversation with a purpose” (not a friendly chat)

Identifying Kolb Habits• Having prepared your briefing, work in pairs

(breakout rooms)– 1st person talks– 2nd person listens, and notes down what they hear

(a tick when you hear a comment for the quadrant)

– Then feedback

• Swap

WHY?

WHAT?HOW?

WHAT IF?

Review• Even knowing the quadrants … it does seem that

naturally we find it easier to do some than others …• If you did the activity … what did you notice?• What happens if someone doesn’t communicate the:

– Why– What– How – What if

WHY?

WHAT?HOW?

WHAT IF?

Diagnosing Communication Problems• No why … no motivation. Example from

UK corporate “don’t buy colour print cartridges”. Came across “petty” – until the annual spend was compared to saving jobs.

• No what …. Not typically a weakness – but lack of clarity … if lots of why and how – people running round like headless chickens

• No how … ever been in meetings where there’s no action …. Where people talk “about” it,

• No what if … where lessons aren’t applied … were no critical thinking takes place.

OK, that’s the theory …

• What questions do you have?• How do you see yourself using this?

Q&A

Objectives• Understand there are preferences in the way

we communicate which can impact your effectiveness

• Develop flexibility in the way you communicate (not just using your preference)

• Have a structure to enable your communications to have impact and get heard – and result in action

Take a moment

Your feedback

What you’d have liked different?What worked

Reference• “Hold on, you lost me” McCarthy,May 2007

Contact Details

• suzanne@thebusinessofchange.co.uk• Blog: www.suzannehazelton.com• Web: www.thebusinessofchange.co.uk• Twitter: @SuzanneHazelton

• FREE CHAPTER: http://www.johnsonfellowes.co.uk/resources/raise-your-game/

Backup slides

Summary

WHY?

WHAT?HOW?

WHAT IF?

InformationBackground / dataScope / SpecModels / Theories

ReasonsPurpose - overallBenefit (you / team / business)

Risks / gapsContingenciesOther applications

MethodsProblem solving1st StepsWho’s doing whatGet things moving

motivation

clarityaction

improve plan

Mini what

THRIVE! Coaching