Unit 2 speaking, listening and non-verbal communication

Unit 2speaking, listening and non-verbal communication

WHY ARE COMMUNICATION SKILLS IMPORTANT?Effective communication will help you to:To secure an interview.To get the jobTo do your job wellTo advance your career

Oral communication in the workplaceOral communication can take a variety of forms. It can be over the telephone or face to face. It can be:A private discussionA conversation over lunchA gossip in the lift A telephone conversationA chance meeting in the corridorAn informal gathering of staffInstructing subordinatesDealing with clientsFormal meetingsInterviewsTraining sessionsGiving a presentationConference/seminars

SPEAKING SKILLSMost people find talking easier than writing because phrase can sometimes be used in speech that would not be appropriate in written communication. However, if understanding is to be complete and effective, your spoken language needs to be chosen carefully.

LISTENING SKILLSThere is hardly any point in someone talking if no-one listens to what is being said. Listening is half of oral communication, and it is skill that needs to be practiced and taken equally as seriously as speaking and writing.

The listening processHere are the six stages of the listening process:1 receiving

2 interpreting

3 Remembering

4 Evaluating5 Responding 6 Acting

Barriers to effective listeningIf you are to become a good listener, it is important to be familiar with and conquer a number of physical and mental obstacles. These include:

Pre-judgment. Most people function in life through some basic principles and assumptions, so some listeners jump to conclusion or close their mind to new information on anything that does not agree with their beliefs.Selfishness. some people prefer not listen but to take control of conversations, it doesnt matter what the subject is, the selfish listener believes he/she knows more than the speaker, and they set about to prove it by relating their own experiences and their own problems, and belittling the speakers comments.Selective listening. Selective listeners let their minds drift around all over the place-perhaps wondering where they will go for lunch, or what they will do after work. They tune out until they hear something that attracts their attention, and then they tune back in again temporarily.

What is the difference between a good listener and a bad listener?A bad listener a good listenerDaydreams make an effort to concentrateFakes attentions uses body language to show attentionTunes out dry subjects ask whats in this for?Tunes out if delivery is poor considers the facts and data.Tends to argue judges content over delivery Interrupts only to clarifyReacts to emotion gives speaker a chance before judging Is not obsessed with emotional words Considers evidence.

Techniques for effective listeningHere are suggestions for how you can improve your listening skills:1.Prepare to listen. Clear your mind so that your attention is assured.2. Avoid pre-judgement. Do not pre-judge the speaker because of appearance or occupation, and do not jump to any conclutions before hearing what is said.3. Be open-minded. Appreciate the speakers point of view and accept that it may not necessarily agree with your own.4.Establish eye contact. This shows that you are listening, as does your posture and your facial expressions.5. Dont interrupt. Try to keep emotions out of it and hold any counter-arguments until the speaker has finished.

6. Watch for signals. Pick up aspects that the speakers considers important by watching posture and gestures, as well as listening to intonation in the speakers voice. This like listening to the music as well as to the words. 7. judge content, not delivery. Appraise the content instead of the speaker. Consider the main points and ask if they make sense. 8.Extract the key points. Pick out and repeat to yourself some key words or phrases this will help to fix in your mind what is being said.9.Give feedback. Learn to give positive feedback nonverbally, perhaps by nodding or smiling, to let the speaker know you are following what is being said. Be alert and make comment or ask question if it will help your understanding. 10. Block out distractions. Fight distractions and competing thoughts, by working hard at listening. You may need to close doors, turn off a television or radio, or move closer to the speaker.

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONNon-verbal communication is often referred to as body language.

PostureThe way people stand or sit can say an awfullot about how they feel. Someone who isnervous or anxious will fidget with theirhands, tap their feet, drum the table with their fingers. Someone who is sitting well back inheir chair, legs crossed at the ankle, may beseen as being relaxed and confident. Someonewith a gloomy expression, head down and

Facial expressionsHuman faces are capable of communicating a wide range of expression andemotion. A smile conveys good humour, raised eyebrows denote questioning anddisbelief, a frown denotes upset or worry.

GesturesMany gestures are used as we speak, for example, shaking a fist to denote anger,sweeping arms in excitement, using hands for emphasis. In listening, too, gesturesare used, like nodding in agreement, shaking your head in disapproval, puttingyour hand to your chin in consideration, folding your arms in boredom. These are all valuable signs in communicating and you should learn to read such gestures carefully.

Eye contactThe importance of eye contact is paramount. Looking someone directly in the eyesuggests openness, honesty, confidence and comfort. Looking away gives an impression of being conniving or sly, or perhaps just unsure and uncomfortable. When speaking to one person try to look them in the eye. When speaking to a group avoid fixing your gaze on one or two people let your eyes roam regularly to allcorners of the room so that everyone feels involved.

TouchingTouch is an important tool to convey warmth, reassurance, support, encouragement and comfort. In some cultures, because touching implies intimacy and familiarity, there are very strict rules that govern who may touch whom and how. These norms of behaviour may change according to age, status, cultural background, etc. In todays workplace, touching hasbecome rather a contentious issue, as it could sometimes be construed assexual harassment.

How to improve your non-verbalcommunication skillsHere are some ways in which you can improve your non-verbal communicationskills:1 Be honest, especially when communicating emotions.2 Use a firm, friendly handshake when meeting new people.3 Maintain eye contact with your entire audience.4 Reinforce your words with tones and gestures.5 Be aware of your posture.6 Use appropriate gestures to support your points.

7 Imitate the posture and appearance of people you want to impress.8 Show respect for speakers and listeners.9 Touch people only when appropriate and acceptable.10 Smile genuinely, as a fake one will be obvious

THE TELEPHONE Using the telephone for business purposes is very different. In any organization, the person on the telephone represents the company and gives animpression of the company to the outside world. If you are to ensure good public relations, you must master effective telephone techniques. When using the telephone and voice mail, your communication loses a lot of the impact that would be present with face-to-face communication. On the telephone,therefore, its important to use tone of voice, inflections and attitude carefully, to show your professionalism, your readiness to listen carefully, and your ability tocommunicate clearly.

Making effective telephone callsThe key to making effective telephone calls is, as in most things, planning. Here aresome tips that will ensure you are as effective as possible on the telephone:

Before calling Choose the right time to call. Consider both cost, urgency and convenience. Whencalling overseas you must also consider the time difference. Check the number. A great deal of money is wasted each year on dialing wrongnumbers. Plan your call. Make a list of points and questions to be raised during your call. Be prepared. Gather together any files, papers or other information which may beneeded during the call. It is unprofessional to have to say Hold on while I look for that. Avoid interruptions. Call at a time when you are unlikely to be distracted.

During the call

Be courteous and establish a rapport. Make time for suitable pleasantries like Howare you today Jim?, Did you enjoy your holiday? Put a smile in your voice. Remember your caller cannot see you so use intonationto good effect and try to sound confident, decisive, helpful, interested. Check your notes. Look back at your notes to ensure you have covered everythingand quote figures and other data correctly.

Obtain feedback. Make sure the caller understands the message correctly,especially where deadlines and actions are involved. Close in a positive. courteous manner. Double check any essential details, thenfinish by thanking the caller for his or her time and trouble.

After the call Make notes. Let it become a habit to make notes of the call and place them in theappropriate file. Take action. If you need to send a letter of confirmation or inform someone inyour organization about any details of the call, do so immediately so that you donot forget important points.

Taking messagesTaking telephone messages requires both oral and written communication skills.A pencil and telephone message pad should always be kept by the telephone. A message pad like the one shown overleaf provides headings which act as a reminder to obtain the necessary information from the caller.When taking messages, remember that the caller cannot see you. You will need to give verbal signals to know that the message is being understood. Repeat the

VOICE PROCESSING

Answering machines are now a thing of the past, and voice mail is now part of what is known as voice processing. This includes an automatic attendant, automatic call distribution, call forwarding, call screening, and many other features.Voice mail is more than just an answering machine it allows you to send, store and retrieve verbal messages. It is often used in business to replace brief inter-office notes or e-mails and messages that need no response