COMMUNICATION SKILLS The Goal of This Workshop The

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

The Goal of This Workshop

The Power of the Chair Department chairs set the tone and culture in their department. A chair is short on authority. Chairs do, however, have personal power that is achieved by the respect and confidence that faculty members place in them…. Faculty members will in all likelihood support a chair who is perceived as being competent, honest, and fair, has good interpersonal and communicative skills, is widely respected, has well-earned credibility, is universally known to be trustworthy, and treats all people with respect and dignity. When the chair’s behavior leads faculty members and staff to distrust him problems ensue: small problems become large ones and large problems become monumental. From: Facilitating a Collegial Department in Higher Education: Chapter 1 by Robert E. Cipriano

Think of a time when you have been grossly misunderstood or somebody has completely misunderstood what you were trying to convey WHAT WENT WRONG?

Miscommunication v Can you give an example of when this happened to you? v What do you think went wrong?

What is the Purpose of Communication? To get your message across to others clearly and unambiguously This involves effort from both the sender of the message and the receiver It is only successful when both the sender and the receiver understand the same information as a result of the communication

Effective Communication Strategies

This is NOT an effective communication strategy

GETTING YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS You must understand what your message is, what audience you are sending it to, and how it will be perceived. You must also weigh-in the circumstances surrounding your communications, such as situational and cultural context.

Effective communicators use the KISS ("Keep It Simple and Straightforward") principle. They understand that less is often more, and that good communication should be efficient as well as effective.

The 7 C’s of Effective Communication should be: Clear Concise Concrete Correct Coherent Complete Courteous

Someone Should Have Told Donald…… There are knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there also unknowns. There are things we don't know. Video Donald Rumsfeld, United States Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense News Briefing, 2002

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS Source Message Channel Receiver Feedback Context

Communication Barriers Can occur at every stage of this process The goal is to lessen the frequency of these barriers at each stage of the process with clear, concise, accurate, wellplanned communications

SOURCE

Source • You need to be clear about why you're communicating, and what you want to communicate • You need to be confident that the information you're communicating is useful and accurate • Make sure there is not a disconnect between your verbal and your non-verbal message

Let’s Watch a Video……

Think About This…… 55% of what we communicate is based on non-verbal behavior 38% is based on voice inflections 7% is based on vocabulary

Work on Your Body Language and Non Verbal Cues Not a good example of using non-verbal behaviors to get your message across

The Power of Inflection I know the answer [no one else does] "I know the answer!” [all that studying paid off] "I know the answer? " [no, I don't] "I know the answer… [but what's the question? ]" These sentences have vastly different meanings, but the words are the same – only your voice inflection has changed.

ENCODING Transferring the information you want to communicate into a form that can be correctly decoded by the receiver

Success in Encoding • Depends partly on your ability to convey information clearly and simply, but also on your ability to anticipate and eliminate sources of confusion • For effective communication, it is essential that you know your audience and are aware of possible sources of miscommunication The same words can mean different things to different people, even when they talk the "same" language because their frames of reference differ

We interpret information and experiences using schemata, which are like databases of stored, related information that allow us to assign meaning based on accumulated knowledge and previous experience To be a successful communicator, be aware of how schemata may color the interpretation of the message you are trying to convey

Communication Across Cultures

Communication Across Cultures Effective communication with people of different cultures can be especially challenging Cultures provide people with ways of thinking, seeing, hearing, and interpreting the world Members of any culture often perceive their own behavior as logical, since that behavior works for them. People tend to accept the values of the culture around them as absolute values

The same words can mean different things to people from different cultures…. A Scandinavian advertising campaign was developed for the vacuum cleaner manufacturer, Electrolux. The same campaign was later used, without modification, in the company’s American market.

Nothing Sucks Like Electrolux

Cultural Differences Encompass More Than Just Language

Communication and Culture Age – Millennial vs Gen X Gender – Women are from Venus, Men are from Mars Power differentials – non-tenure track faculty/chair Dis/ability Sexual identity Socioeconomic circumstance Education Religion and spiritual beliefs Personality Upbringing and life experiences

One Size Does NOT Fit All

Think About…. Identity or individualism vs. collectivism: What matters more to a person from that culture – their own personal wants and needs or the social harmony of the group they belong to? The United States and Japan could be seen as examples of an individualist and a collectivist society, respectively. Hierarchy or power distances: Do people treat each other in a relatively egalitarian manner, or are status and seniority very important? The Scandinavian countries are frequently cited as egalitarian cultures, whereas Chinese culture emphasizes the importance of hierarchies. Truth: The dimension is also called uncertainty avoidance vs. uncertainty tolerance. Achievement-oriented vs. care-oriented would be a better way of describing this dimension. An achievement-oriented (or “masculine”) culture emphasizes competition and success. Care-oriented (or “feminine”) societies, on the other hand, prefer equality and solidarity. Virtue: It’s more about which basic behavior a certain culture likes better: that which brings long-term benefits or what benefits you immediately.

Know what culture(s) you belong to. Understand that culture is pervasive. Don’t make assumptions or Don’t draw conclusions based on some aspect of their lifestyle. Don’t assume that when you see something familiar it has the same meaning and significance as in your own culture. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your culture is more complex than others. Allow yourself to like and dislike aspects of other cultures, but don’t condemn entire cultures. Remember that when you judge another culture you are probably using your own culture’s standards as a measurement. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the people in your culture are diverse individuals, whereas the people in other cultures are indistinguishable.

Accept that, although goodwill and tolerance provide a reasonable start, they are not enough. Look for the knowledge, awareness and skill needed to improve intercultural communication. Don’t feel that you have to change your culture. Remember that your aim is to become a more skilled communicator, not a ‘better’ person. Try to avoid ‘discounting’ (I don’t like those people, but I like Juan, he’s different. ) If you meet someone from another culture whom you don’t like, don’t generalize. Accept that stereotyping is inevitable, but be aware that you are doing it, try to diminish it if possible, and don’t use it as the only basis for your attitudes and interpretations. Finally, be realistic.

Case Study – Communication Across Cultures

Communications Across Cultures Scenario

The Power of Empathy In Mitigating Miscommunication

Put aside your viewpoint, and try to see things from the other person's point of view When you do this, you'll realize that other people most likely aren't being evil, unkind, stubborn, or unreasonable – they're probably just reacting to the situation with the knowledge they have. Validate the other person's perspective Once you "see" why others believe what they believe, acknowledge it. Remember: acknowledgement does not always equal agreement. You can accept that people have different opinions from your own, and that they may have good reason to hold those opinions. Examine your attitude Are you more concerned with getting your way, winning, or being right? Or, is your priority to find a solution, build relationships, and accept others? Without an open mind attitude, you probably won't have enough room for empathy.

Using Empathy Effectively Listen • • • Listen with your ears – what is being said, and what tone is being used? Listen with your eyes – what is the person doing with his or her body while speaking? Listen with your instincts – do you sense that the person is not communicating something important? What do you think the other person feels? Ask what the other person would do • When in doubt, ask the person to explain his or her position. This is probably the simplest, and most direct, way to understand the other person. However, it's probably the least used way to develop empathy. • It's fine if you ask what the other person wants: you don't earn any "bonus points" for figuring it out on your own.

Channels in Communication

• Channels can include verbal including face-to-face meetings, telephone and videoconferencing; and written including letters, emails, memos, and reports • Different channels have different strengths and weaknesses • Choose your channel for communication wisely

Choose Your Channel Wisely!!! Example: How it can go south very, very quickly

Feedback

FEEDBACK The receiver will provide you with feedback - verbal and non-verbal reactions to your communicated message. Pay close attention to this feedback - it is the only thing that allows you to be confident that your audience has understood your message. If you find that there has been a misunderstanding, amend your communication strategy and try again

Context in Communication Context may include the surrounding environment or broader culture -- power dynamics, departmental and university culture, international cultures etc It can also mean your frame of mind at the time of the interaction – are you stressed, happy etc

Make sure you are willing to LISTEN as much as you are open to SPEAK

Active Listening With Purpose

This is NOT Active Listening

Please Complete The Listening Questionnaire

Active Listening Questionnaire Scoring 31 -35 points = Effective Listener 21 -30 points = Good Listener 14 -20 points = Not-so-good Listener 13 points or less = Really? ?

“If we were supposed to talk more than listen, we would have been given two mouths and one ear. ” Mark Twain

Listening is one of the most important skills you can acquire How well you listen has a major impact on your job effectiveness, and on the quality of your relationships with others Research suggests that we remember only between 25 % and 50 % of what we hear

A Sobering Thought……. We forget 50% of what we hear immediately We forget 75% of what we hear within two months Of the 25% we do remember, only 60% is correct, plus we add things that were never said in the first place

Active Listening Exercise

Instructions Draw a triangle on top of a circle inside a rectangle. Below and to the left of the circle draw a square and divide the square into two parts. Draw a diamond above the rectangle and divide it into four. Shade in two of the four sections. To the right of the square draw two circles.

Becoming an Active Listener There are five key elements of active listening Incorporating these elements into your communication tool kit will help to ensure that you hear the other person, and that the other person knows you are hearing what they say

Key Elements to Active Listening • Pay Attention • Show that you are Listening • Provide Feedback • Defer Judgment • Respond Appropriately

Repeat the exercise using active listening skills Remember: Ask questions Make no assumptions

This is What We Were Looking For….

Pay Attention Give the speaker your undivided attention, and acknowledge the message Look at the speaker directly Put aside distracting thoughts Don't mentally prepare a rebuttal! Avoid being distracted by environmental factors e. g. side conversations Recognize that non-verbal communication also "speaks" loudly "Listen" to the speaker's body language

Show That You Are Listening Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention. Nod occasionally. Smile and use other facial expressions. Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting. Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes, and uh huh.

Be Cognizant of Non-Verbal Cues Be consistent with your verbal cues and your body language. Do not say one thing and express something else through your body language. If someone seems to be sending a double message - by saying one thing and expressing something else in their body language - ask for clarification.

Provide Feedback Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and beliefs can distort what we hear As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect what is being said and ask questions Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. "What I'm hearing is, " and "Sounds like you are saying” Ask questions to clarify certain points. "What do you mean when you say. " "Is this what you mean? ” Summarize the speaker's comments periodically

Follow up Make sure that BOTH of you have left the conversation with the SAME understanding of what was said Send an email summarizing the salient points of the conversation

Defer Judgment • Interrupting is a waste of time • It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message • Allow the speaker to finish each point before asking questions. • Don't interrupt with counter arguments.

Respond Appropriately Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down. Be candid, open, and honest in your response. Assert your opinions respectfully. Treat the other person in a way that you think he or she would want to be treated.

Questions?