Communications

Interpersonal Communications

Interpersonal Communication SkillsAgenda

• Icebreaker• Welcome and Overview• Communication Process• Types of Communication

– Verbal– Non-verbal– Listening

• Factors influencing Communication• Parking Lot• Discussion/Evaluation

Interpersonal Communication SkillsExercise 1

• Pair participants with someone they don’t know, if possible

• Take five minutes to interview each other to learn enough to introduce your partner to the group

• Each person introduces their partner to the group

Interpersonal Communication Skills

• What is communication– A process in which a person, through language,signs

and symbols, conveys a message to another person– Comprised of

• Sender• Message• Channel• Receiver• Feedback• Barriers

Interpersonal Communication Skills

– Sender• Language and how you use it• Credibility• Knowledge of content, audience and context• Experience, attitudes and values

– Message• Written – words, sentences, paragraphs• Oral – use of voice – tone and pitch• Non-verbal – gestures, facial expressions,

eye contact, environment (office set up)

Interpersonal Communication Skills

– Channel• Verbal – face to face meetings, telephone, video• Written – reports, letters

– Receiver• Abilities• Attitudes• Experience

– Feedback• Receiver responds in some way• Sender can evaluate effectiveness of message

Interpersonal Communication Skills

• Barriers– Inappropriate medium or channel– Incorrect grammar, inflammatory words,

words that conflict with body language– Technical jargon– Noise

• Can occur at any stage• Can be interference from various sources –

radio, chatter, etc.

Interpersonal Communication SkillsExercise 2

• Discuss barriers to communication process• Brainstorm and discuss some barriers in your workplace

or volunteer group

Interpersonal Communication SkillsCase study exercise 3

• Exercise– Identify strategies to deal with common

communication problems

Types of Communication

• Verbal• Non-verbal• Listening

Types of CommunicationExercise 4

• How we communicate– Role Play

How we communicate

• Verbal – 7%• Quality and tone of voice – 38%• Visual (non-verbal) 55%

Verbal Communication

– Speech• Rang e• Pitch• Volum e • Enunciatio n• Pronunciatio n• In fliction• T one

Non-verbal communication

• Body language• Written communication

Non-verbal communication

• Appearance/image• Environment

Interpreting Non-verbal Behaviour Exercise 5

• Discover what you know about non-verbal language

• Think about some non-verbal behaviours that have not been discussed

ListeningExercise 6

• Complete the listening skills exercise• Rate your listening skills

Types of Listening

• Pseudo    – Listen to meet some other need– Make people think you are interested– Keep alert to see if you are being rejected– Get some time before your next comment– Pretend to be listening to be polite– Natural to be pseudo listening some times

Types of Listening

• Active– Listen without barriers (time, emotional)– Listen to the entire message by focusing on

verbal and non-verbal message– Listen using your non-verbal communication

skills– Listen to the person without interrupting,

judging or arguing– Clarify and ask questions or paraphrase

Improving Listening through Feedback

– Paraphrasing– Perception checking– Describing behaviour– Making “I” statements

Paraphrasing

– Tests your understanding of communicator’s message

– Allows communicator to clarify a misunderstanding

– Provides climate where communicator can feel understood

– Provides communicator with sense that what they are saying is important

Perception Checking

– Describe other's feelings or behavior– Indicates to person that you want to

understand their feelings– State interpretation of behavior– Ask if interpretations are accurate

Describing Behaviour

– State what has been observed– Does not judge behaviour– Use it to indicate negative behaviour– Provides non-threatening opening to further

communication

Making “I” Statements

• Use when you want to explain your feelings• Use to reduce level of tension in conflict situation

Making “I” Statements

• How to make an I statement– -When (description of behaviour, not person), – -I feel (description of the feeling, – -because (tangible or real effect) or how about

if (suggestion for change) pushes speaker to define what disturbs him/her

Paraphrasing Exercise 7

• Discuss some ways to provide feedback through paraphrasing

• Discuss the exercises in manual

Giving and Receiving FeedbackExercise 8

• Assign groups• Write your responses • Share responses with group • Select one response to share with large group

Ways We CommunicatePublic Speaking

Exercise 9

• Discuss public speaking fears• Discuss some strategies to improve public speaking

fears

Ways We Communicate

• Speeches• Presentations• Correspondence/office communication• Telephone• Voice mail• Email• Websites• Blogs• Others?

Email PracticesExercise 10

• Discuss advantages and disadvantages of email

Factors Influencing Effective Communication

• Special needs/accessibility• Environment/setting• Literacy skills• Cultural factors• Email etiquette• Tone• Respect and appropriateness• Gender neutrality• Jargon• Others

Communication Blockers

• Responses that can block effective communication– Evaluation response– Advise giving response– Topping response– Diagnosing, psychoanalytic response– Prying-questioning response

Before moving on…

• Parking Lot • Summary• Evaluation

Interpersonal Communications

• Questions?• Thank you!• See you tomorrow!