communication skills in the workplace
TRANSCRIPT
Sub HeadingMain Heading
May 2015 1
Steven Truman
Succeeding beyond the technical
Communication Skills in the workplace
Hypothetical
• In the elevator with the CEO
CEO: How are you?Employee: ???
Hypothetical
• In the elevator with the CEOCEO: How are you?
Employee: Are you familiar with project XYZIt’s aimed at bringing about (insert end result of project)It will really benefit the organisation because...My role in the project is...Ask a relevant interesting question
Let know if you need more information or anything else I can help you with.
Hypothetical
• In the elevator with the CEO
• Think like the person you are talking to• Put yourself in their shoes – what are the issues they have to deal with
• budgets • strategy• organisational development• leadership• organisational culture
• Show your positivity• Make a connection
• Elevator pitch <30s must be work related• Don’t complain that Peter leaves a mess in the kitchen
What are Hard Skills?
Hard Skills
Technical or academic Science degreeSoftware developerCivil Engineer
Easy to define Apply scientific process to a problem.Write a program to find your location of a map using your phone GPSDesign a bridge
Measurable CertificationUniversity Degree
Can be easily taught Online@UniversityIn the workplace
What are Soft Skills?Soft Skills
Non Technical CommunicationActive listeningSee things from all viewpoints (Poly View)Can see the grey – not all black & whiteEase around peopleRelates to the big pictureSituations are not staticGenerally positive (but not delusionally so)Knows who they are \ where they want to be
Hard to define But easy to spot
Not easily measured But you know when it’s good
Not easily taught But can be learnt with experience & willingness
Why Are Soft Skills Significant
How important is this really?• Technology is the easy bit• Knowing yourself is a lot harder• Transferrable across industries, fields, and job titles• Recruiters: beyond technical competencies on your CV • No one can know everything about their field.• Ability, willingness, capacity to learn new things quickly is key.
This is a soft skill.
Soft skills
Communication
Stakeholders
Expectations
Management & Leadership
Externallyfocussed
Soft skills
Active Listening
Strengths
PsyCap
Positive Psychology
Conflict
Appreciative Inquiry
Internallyfocussed
Communication
• hh
After Williamson 2009 (sltinfo.com)
• Shannon-Weaver model of communication (1948)• Osgood-Schramm circular model of communication (1955)
What about the noise and the medium?Culture VerbalLanguage WrittenBody language
Stakeholders• An individual, group or organisation who may affect, be affected by,
or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity or outcome of the project. (Project Management Institute)
• Who is who?• What are they about?• What is important to them?
Stakeholder Management
Tools & Techniques
• Power & Influence grid• Influence & interest grid• Interest & Impact grid• Salience Model
Expectations Management• What is required from you, your group, your project?• Are they realistic?• Do they align?
Tools & TechniquesGap analysis
Engagement AnalysisKey message sheets
Issue logs
Political Awareness
• Not Left vs Right• Political Antennae• Power is knowledge• Power and Influence• Organisational structure (Who reports to whom)• Organisational view of you and your role• Affiliates and cliques• Who is moving up \ down \ sideways• Learn to ‘read’ people• Build you personal brand
Tools & TechniquesChange Readiness Audits
360⁰ Feedback
Foucault (1977)(Power \ Knowledge)
Management vs Leadership
Subject Management LeadershipRole Stability Change
Decision Making Makes Facilitates
Approach Plans around constrains Sets and leads direction
Vision Short to medium term Long term
Control Influence & negotiate Charm & Charisma
Culture Endorses Shapes
Values Results Achievements
Concerns Doing the thing right Doing the right thing
Focus Managing work Leading people
Human Resources Subordinates Followers
Grace Murray Hopper You manage things; you lead people
Active Listening
• Listen more than you talk• Enquire to understand the speaker’s point of view• Explain in plain language – alter to match the listener, watch for jargon
• Pay attention• Show that you are listening• Provide feedback• Respond appropriately• Defer judgement• Short words of encouragement• Open questions
after Hirst & Gilchrist (2013)
Active Listening Technique ExamplesEncouraging Can you expand on that point...
Clarifying What do you mean by...In what sense do you mean xyz...
Restating So what you are saying is...What you mean here is that...An example of that could be...
Reflecting (verbal) You seem to be advocating a certain view here...
Reflecting (non-verbal) From your smile, I think you enjoyed...
Summarising So it’s all about...So from what I understand from you...
Validating I think I am seeing it in a different perspectiveI appreciate explaining this problem to me
Building What about if we did...Have you thought about...Another way to look at it is...
Active Listening
Know your Strengths
• Strengths not weaknesses• Behaviours in which we excel• Activities that invigorate• Know your signature strengths• Work in teams with different strengths
Biswas-Diener & Kashdan (2010)Buckingham & Clinton (2001)
Kashdan & Minhas (2010)Linley & Harrington (2007)
Peterson & Seligman (2004)
Screw it, let’s do it (2011)
Know your Strengths
Strengths approach leads to:• Engagement• Higher work satisfaction• Lower employee turnover• Raw performance
Tools & Techniques:Myers BriggsDISCVIA assessment
VIA Strengths
StrengthAppreciation of beauty KindnessBravery LeadershipCreativity LoveCuriosity Love of learningFairness PerseveranceForgiveness PerspectiveGratitude PrudenceHonesty Self-regulationHope Social intelligenceHumility SpiritualityHumour TeamworkJudgement Zest
VIA Institute on Character
Psychological Capital
PsyCap
Optimism
Hope
Resilience
Self efficacy
SupportiveOrganisational
Climate
PositiveOrganisational
Outcomes
Luthans (2002)
Luthans foundations of Psychological Capital
Positive Psychology
• Instead of treating what is wrong with people, treat what is right
• Positive emotions• Positive individual traits (Strengths based approach)• Positive institutions
Seligman (2000) – Positive PsychologySeligman (2005) – Authentic Happinesshttp://bit.ly/1KyYttu
TED Talk - Seligman
Positive Psychology
Positive people and organisations can:• See new possibilities• Bounce back from setbacks• Connect with others• Be more engaged• Become the best version of yourself• Positive emotions are contagious in the workplace
•The Losada Line – 3:1 positive to negativeFrederickson (2009) – PositivityFrederickson and Losada (2005)
Why is it important?
How to build Positivity
• Be open• Create high quality connections• Cultivate kindness• Develop distractions• Dispute negative thinking• Spend time with nature• Learn and apply your strengths• Practice mindfulness• Ritualise gratitude• Savour positivity• Visualise your future
Frederickson (2009) – Positivity
Managing Conflict
• Conflict is more than a disagreement• Continues to fester when ignored• We respond based on perceptions• Trigger strong emotions• Opportunity for growth
after Hirst & Gilchrist(2012)
Disagreement over motivations, values, perceptions, ideas, or desires
Healthy vs Unhealthy ConflictHealthy Conflict Unhealthy Conflict
Rational debate BickeringProblem focussed not people focussed
Verbal abuse
Emotions kept in check Not listeningCalm, non-defensive, respectful Inability to compromiseRespect for each others views Blaming and avoiding blameClear and thoughtful communication
Personalising
Readiness to forgive and forget Disrespectful or submissiveRigid and unbending in views
after Hirst & Gilchrist(2012)
• Directing• Cooperating• Avoiding• Harmonising• Compromising
Kraybill Conflict Style Inventory
Appreciative InquiryWe create our organisations based on our anticipations of the future. The
image of the future guides the current behaviour of any system – Cooperrider (2007)
Cooperrider & Srivasva (1990)Cooperrider, Whitney and Stavros (2008)
People and organisations that apply core principles of AI can:
• Enhance their personal relationships and communication• Build enthusiasm, ownership, commitment and a sense of
purpose
Appreciative Inquiry
Cooperrider & Srivasva (1990)Cooperrider, Whitney and Stavros (2008)
• AI is about asking questions that strengthen people’s capacity to understand, anticipate, and heighten positive potential.
• Focussed on positive organisational core.
• Organisations and people have assets, capabilities, and strengths to be located, affirmed, leveraged and encouraged.
• Strengths based approach – what is strong, not what is wrong.
Appreciative Inquiry
Problem focussed approach Appreciative Enquiry
What is wrong or broken What is strong and workingProblem focussed (needs) Asset focussed (strengths)External focus Internal focusLooks backwards Future lookingCan isolate groups or individuals RelationshipsAmplifies problems Amplifies strengths
Discourages, demoralises Commitment, confidenceChange based on resource needs Change from within
Appreciative Inquiry – 4D model
Are Communication Skills Significant?
• How important is this really?• Technology is the easy bit• Knowing yourself is a lot harder
Questions and comments?