Communication Optimization: How to Communicate in Groups and Teams Effectively

APMP Florida Sunshine Chapter Virtual Meeting

September 21, 2011Dr. LaBrita Cash-Baskett, CCC-SLP, AM.APMP

We will cover …

1. Plausible Scenarios

2. Key Concepts

3. Essential Elements

4. Best Practices

5. Summary

6. Questions and Comments

Benefits of Better Communication

1. Greater team collaboration and participation

2. Increased productivity

3. Better experience in the proposal process

4. Increased responsiveness to stakeholder needs

5. More willingness to fully participate

6. Increased engagement and motivation

7. Better proposals

Introducing Ned …

Ned the Proposal Manager Profile

• 34 year in experience

• Manages a team of 8

• Works of 3-4 proposals at a time

• Gets the proposal out the door and on time at all costs

• Considers himself a “success”

• Believes winning is not the only thing it’s everything

Identifying Ned’s Behaviors …1. Argues stubbornly for his own ideas, positions and conclusions

2. Suppresses differences of opinion and conflict

3. Works for quick agreement

4. If a stalemate occurs , he pits one person against another

5. Uses his power position to get others to agree with him

6. Sends emails that attacks, embarrass others, or is unresponsive

7. Kills the morale of the team

THE ESSENTIAL

ELEMENTS

Competence “ Our ability to understand appropriate behaviors, our specific intentions, our willingness to engage in communication, and our ability to interact with others to generate shared realities all contribute to our impression of our own competence … and those with whom we are communicating …” ” (Shockley-Zalabak, 2006).

Manager Communication Skills

Presentation & Vocal Skills

Group Participation Skills

Effective Group Communication

Develop the Skills to Communicate Better in Groups

Manager Communication Skills

Benefits of the team based organizations and teamwork

1. Greater innovation

2. Increased ability to share information

3. Higher levels of involvement and

4. More diversity of skills and experience

Key Concept:

Management in a team based organizational structure

1. Structural change from a hierarchy to “flat” organizational structure

2. Networked configuration of self managing teams

3. Formed to improve competitive positioning

4. Formal and informal power networks

(Bridges, 2003)

Key Concept: Four Important aspects of organizational

life

1. Goals guide all aspects of work.

2. Diverse role sets are required by team members and individuals.

3. Relationships with stakeholders are managed and influenced by the team.

4. Interpersonal processes require highly developed communication competencies by all members.

What’s holding managers back? Common Problems

1. Difficulty providing and receiving peer feedback

2. Leading without authority

3. Problems with rewards and recognition

4. Too little time … too much to do

5. Unresponsive team members

6. Imposing self limiting behaviors

7. Lack of leadership support

Task Skills:Communicate with People Better

1. Connect with business strategy

2. Develop social problem solving skills

3. Measure communication performance

4. Orient and summarize expectations

5. Think before you talk

6. Talk straight! Stand behind what you say

7. Make listeners feel comfortable

8. Paraphrase and ask open ended questions

9. Include the words and experiences of the listener

10. Confirm understanding & clarify meanings

Maintenance SkillsLead Change Through People

1. Increase self awareness

2. Take risks

3. Build cooperative efforts

4. Enlist the right people

5. Develop a tolerance for ambiguity

6. Define and solve quality or performance problems

Five Principles of Team Leader Communication

1. Team leaders should always be the main hubs of communication.

2. Team meetings must be focused, regular and frequent.

3. There should be a regular agenda, based on two or three performance measures, which teams can influence and feel that they own.

4. Emphasis should be on listening to the team’s ideas and involving them in problem solving.

5. The process should help the team to focus effective upward pressure, making sure that senior managers leaders are able to recognize and

fix any any problems that are outside the team ’s influence.

Presentation and Vocal Skills:Create and Communicate Vision

A Communication Framework for Managers

Combine natural rapport with a set of practical information sharing skills to communicate effectively at all levels:

1. Focus

2. Recognize

3. Articulate

4. Model

5. Engage

Presentation Skills:Step 1. Develop the message

1. Affirm values

2. Think systemically

3. Fully engage

4. Honor your ideas

5. Define priorities

6. Separate ambition from talent

Vocal Skills: Step 2: Deliver the message

Ten influence factors for effectiveness:1. Communication style

2. Articulation

3. Tone

4. Rate of speech

5. Loudness

6. Thought organization

7. Fluency

8. Contrastive stress and prosody

9. Resonance

10. Vocal register

Purpose Fuels Passion, Vision & PerseveranceStep 3. Sustain the message

“Purpose is a unique energy source …”(Loehr & Schwartz, 2003)

Enduring Purpose

EnergyPhysically energized

Emotionally connectedMentally focusedSpiritually aligned

.

PassionAuthenticity

MeaningEnthusiasmCreativity

PerseveranceCommitment

Interests & Needs Core Values

Accountability

Focused VisionCompetence

Clear strategyRight peopleManaged risk

Increase Group Participation

Key Concept: Effective Group Characteristics

1. Essential skills and abilities2. Strong desire by members to contribute and the 3. Capability of collaborating effectively(Shockley-Zalabak, 2002)

Increasing Group Participation Effectiveness

• Recognize group communication roles

• Identify effective and ineffective roles in groups

• Increase awareness of negative and positive group participation behaviors

Key Concept: Task roles and maintenance roles increase

participation and effectiveness in team based organizations

Key Concept: Task roles are the processes the team uses to

achieve goals

Problem analysis

Idea generation and evaluation

Solution generation

Solution implementation

Goal setting

Agenda making

Discussion clarification

Disagreement identification

Consensus identification

Key Concept: Maintenance roles deal with facilitating the ability

of the group to work together

Group participation

Group climate

Conflict management

Three Group Communication Roles

Help groups accomplish

goals

Task roles

Promote social support among group

members

Maintenance rolesSelf-centered

roles

Support individuals’

goals

Group Communication RolesTask Roles Maintenance Roles Self Centered Roles

Initiator: Social supporter Negative blocker

Information requestor: Harmonizer Dominator

Procedure facilitator: Tension reliever Attacker

Opinion requestor: Energizer Clown

Opinion giver Leader Avoider (Responsibility)

Clarifier Follower

Summarizer -evaluator Compromiser

Gatekeeper

Negative Participation Behaviors1. Argue stubbornly for your own ideas, positions and conclusions

2. Suppress differences of opinion and conflict

3. Work for quick agreement

4. If a stalemate occurs pit one person against another

5. Use your power position to get others to agree with you

6. Send emails that attack or embarrass others

Positive Communication Behaviors1. Be prepared when in decision making and problem solving groups

2. Exhibit cooperative and open minded behaviors (manage tone and style)

3. Speak with the receiver in mind in tone and style

4. Value diverse opinions and people

5. Contribute ideas and seek information

6. Attempt to remain rational and thoughtfully evaluate information

7. Actively participate as well as observe.

Seven Motivating Behaviors1. Note and celebrate past successes

2. Build group pride by creating tradition and identify ing group strengths

3. Use diverse communication roles and share roles with other members

4. Avoid self centered roles

5. Ease tensions by facilitating positive expressions of differences

6. Support people, and stress cooperation

7. Produce results. Take responsibility for outcomes and encourage responsibility

Summary of Key Concepts

Apply the concepts to achieve sustained change through best practices:

1. Develop essential task and maintenance skills to communicate effectively.

2. Defining your enduring purpose for communication to develop and deliver effective communication.

3. Expand your capacity to sustain communication by renewing four energy sources.

4. Align organizational and personal values to increase engagement.

5. Commit to making a positive difference in quality or performance through positive communication roles and behaviors.

Questions and CommentsDr. LaBrita Cash-Baskett,, CCC-SLP, AM.APMP

Fundamental Focus Communications

BOX 1259 Woodstock, GA 30188

Phone: 770-317-5993

E-mail: LJCASH@FUNDAMENTALFOCUS.NET

www.fundamentalfocus.net