The Importance

of Communicat

ion Skills

Humans are social animals.

Whenever we are in the company of others, we are communicating...

 

      

      

      

Why are communication skills important?

They improve relationshipsDevelops respectDevelops empathy for othersAllows us to function more effectively in social situationsHelps us to succeed in life (school, work, etc)

How do humans communicate? a) Verbal: Language &noise and soundsb) Non-verbal:

• Written word•Body Language:

•Eye contact•Haptics (touch)•Proxemics (proximity to each other)•Kinesics (all human behaviour except touch)•Symbols•Gestures & posture

Continued...

• Tone/pitch/tempo• Posture: Eg. Tapping foot, slumped, upright• Expression: crying, excited, fear

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRZqRjxkHpk

Paul Ekman’s Experiment• Humans everywhere use similar

expressions to demonstrate 6 basic emotions

• Fear• Anger• Disgust • Sadness• Surprise• Happiness

Overcoming Barriers to

Communication

What are some of the barriers?

• Noise pollution• People do not always share the

same vocabulary/dialect/language• Jargon, Slang, Acronyms, “Legal-

eze”• No feedback (one-way versus two-

way)• Interpretation of non-verbal

communication• Perception• Fear: an inability to speak, or fear

of repercussions

• Humans do use symbols in much of their communications. Experts say that humans differ from animals because they learn based on a series of learned symbols/responses and not from instinct.

• However, 90% of human communication is non-verbal. Humans have their own series of learned signals which represent meaning to communicate to others.

Feedback is essential to effective communication!!

“The Power of the Face”(Learn 360 clip, 5 mins)