Communication Skills Communication Skills

Exercise 1aExercise 1a

Who have you met in recent years who seemed to have a problem with communications in some way? What was it?

Name: Type of problem:

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Exercise 1bExercise 1b

Now what about some good communicators you’ve met personally? Who are they? Can you sum up what impressed you?

Name: Ability to:

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Exercise 1cExercise 1c

Choose five communication events from the last 48 hours. It could have been a discussion with someone, a brief meeting, a phone call, talk and so on.

Who Medium

Purpose/s Result & Comment

Citibank Phone Make them reverse the late payment charge

Had a heated argument over the reason.

Ended up canceling my card.

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CommunicationCommunication

3 areas: ◦Face-to-face- meetings, public speaking◦Technology – writing, phone, web conf◦Knowing Yourself

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Face-to-face: basicsFace-to-face: basics

Your audience Your communication

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Face-to-face basics: Face-to-face basics: Your AudienceYour Audience

Audience◦Who is the audience?◦What does it want?◦What does it fear?◦What does it care about?

The “So What” monster?

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Face-to-face basics: Face-to-face basics: Your CommunicationYour Communication

Keep it clear◦Opening◦Introduction◦Key points and examples◦Closing remarks

The “Mind Lock” Monster

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Face-to-face: Face-to-face: Group MeetingsGroup Meetings

The communication spoiler:◦ Know-all◦ Interrupt◦ Ramble ◦ Solo-artist◦ Ego

The communication maker:◦ Listen! Listen! Listen!◦ Use simple concrete

language◦ Use first person ◦ Kill fillers ◦ Be specific◦ Full stop

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The “King” monster

Face-to-face: Face-to-face: Group MeetingsGroup Meetings

What is my main message?Why am I saying it?Who is it for?What outcome do I want?Are the facts in place?Is the required action clear?

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Technology: Technology: WrittenWritten

Know your messageKnow your audience Structure your

material Be briefSummarizeGive conclusion or

recommendations

Supply factsMake numbers

comparativeAvoid jargon,

remove clichésUse graphicsCheck

Spelling/grammar

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The spectacled monster

Exercise 3cExercise 3cInvitation EmailInvitation Email

Write an email to the HR head of Widget Corporation, inviting them to visit your college for placements

(20 min)

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Written: Written: Know your messageKnow your message

What do I want to say?Why do I want to say it?Why is it important- to me and to them?

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Written: Written: Know your AudienceKnow your Audience

Does the audience need: ◦Fact, opinion, inspiration, instruction, comfort,

censure, support, entertainment Is the audience:

◦Conventional/un, educated/un, old/young, sophisticated/un, hungry for facts

Will the audience:◦Understand your subject, find it interesting,

want to know more, need telling what to do

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Written:Written:StructureStructure

Arrange different parts of the whole message ◦Introduction◦Development ◦Conclusion

The 100-word mantra

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Written:Written:BrevityBrevity

Keep sentences and paragraphs short◦Sentence – not more than 20-25 words ◦Paragraphs- not more than 14-18 sentences

Special importance on first paragraph

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Written:Written:SummarizeSummarize

Essential for longer texts such as reportsSummary text should meet this criteria:

My reader MUST know this

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Written:Written:Give Conclusions or RecommendationsGive Conclusions or Recommendations

What you want to happen Call to action or even inaction

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Written:Written:Supply FactsSupply Facts

Give factual evidence to support your analysis, conclusion, recommendation

Tips ◦Choose relevant facts ◦Distinguish between facts and assertion ◦State assumptions ◦Support facts with extra material/examples, if

necessary

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Written:Written:Make numbers comparativeMake numbers comparative

Tips◦Numbers rounded and simple◦Few numbers so that pattern is apparent

Ex: ◦This version of software has 252 bugs.◦This version of software has 252 bugs against

512 in the last version and 568 before that.◦Version 2.1 Version 2.2 Current

570 510 250

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Written:Written:Use GraphicsUse Graphics

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Version2.1

Version2.2

CurrentVersion

Defects

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Written:Written:Avoid JargonAvoid Jargon

Write 12 most common words in your specialist area and try replacing them with sensible alternatives

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Written:Written:Check Spelling/GrammarCheck Spelling/Grammar

Use spell and grammar checker!!Avoid

◦Complex words◦Jargon ◦Over-used words ◦Passive voice

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Knowing YourselfKnowing Yourself

Communication Style Inventory (CSI)Johari Window Locus of Control Inventory (LCI) Personal Effectiveness Inventory (PEI)Interpersonal Needs Inventory (INI)Transactional Styles Inventory (TSI)

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The doubting monster