effective communication in the workplace. about your facilitators brenda watkins, trainer, special...

EffectiveCommunication

in theWorkplace

About your facilitators

Brenda Watkins, Trainer, Special Projects HCC and IT3 were fortunate to lure Brenda away from USF, where she was a full-time Visiting Instructor in the College of Education since 1996. Brenda’s work experience also includes a human resource background for several major companies in the Tampa area. She has a BS in Finance; an M.A. in Business and Office Education; and is a Ph.D. student in Higher Ed at USF. She has been a contributor in many conference presentations, and was an editor for Learning Disabilities 101: A Primer for Parents.

Celeste Fenton, Director IT3 Holding a BA in Psychology, an M.Ed., and a Ph.D. in Education from the University of South Florida. Celeste has over 16 years experience as an educator in K-12 and higher-ed; and spent 10 years at Anheuser-Busch in HR management. In addition to directing the IT3 department, she also teaches as an adjunct for HCC. Active in the community, she has served as a board member for the Hillsborough County Children’s Services since being appointed by the Hillsborough County Commissioners in 2000. Also in 2000, Celeste was selected as a consultant to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for international educational and workforce development.

Training Agenda

• Learning Objectives• Introduction• Awareness of Your Personal Style • Skillful Listening• Expressing Yourself• Impact of Emotions

Effective Communication in the WorkplaceClick to advance to next slide

Learning Objectives

After completing this workshoppresentation, you will be able to:

1. Develop an awareness of your personality and communication tendencies

2. Learn how to listen more effectively to others

3. Express yourself in a more clear and specific way

4. Appreciate the power of emotions


Introduction

Effective Communication in the Workplace

•The ability to effectively communicate with others is one of the most powerful tools for personal and/or professional success. •Most people are challenged by the many day-to-day interactions with co-workers, family, and friends. •Emotion, communication and conflict are present in all human interactions and affects each of us in different ways.

•Everyone manages emotion, communication and conflict from habit – patterns and styles developed early in life and over time.

•80% of problems in the workplace are communication related

Click to advance to next slide


• One of the quickest ways to alienate yourself from other people is to communicate unsuccessfully.

• Effective communication empowers you to influence others.

• Your capacity to communicate is often seen as an indicator of your ability and intelligence.

In this presentation, you will learn a variety of strategies to improve yourcommunication skills, and break the cycle of destructive habits of personalinteraction.

Introduction



Unit One – Awareness of Your Personal Style



Past Experiences Shape Communication Style

•Communication doesn’t just happen; your style is based on your experiences that over time have developed into a pattern of attitudes and actions.

•It is a continuous cycle. Your experiences influence your thoughts. Your thoughts, over time, become your attitudes. These attitudes become the blueprint for new experiences, which develop into patterns of behavior.

•An awareness of your personal style is critical to begin to transform negative attitudes and behaviors into positive ones.

•It is key to empowering you to establish personal responsibility and accountability in the midst of changing your behavior. Remember, the only person you can ever really control or change is yourself.

Awareness of Your Personal StyleUnit One


Awareness of Your Personal Style


Communication Skills Test

Discover your own level of interpersonal communication skills.

Activity: Click on the link below and read the statements carefully, then indicate the degree to which they apply to you. After finishing the Communication Skills Test, you will receive a free basic report. NOTE: Do not feel pressured to purchase the detailed report for a fee.

Access the link below, and click on “Non-members take the test – GO”

http://www.queendom.com/tests/relationships/communication_skills_r_access.html

Unit One



Take the Kiersey Temperment Sorter

Temperament is an arrangement of preferences or pre-dispositions towards developing certain attitudes and behaviors.

Activity: Access the link below. Complete the questions.

http://www.advisorteam.com/temperament_sorter/register.asp?partid=1

For more information on the Kiersey Temperment Sorter and your type, access the following link and click on your type (SJ, SP, NF, NT)

http://keirsey.com/pumII/temperdef.html

Unit One Awareness of Your Personal Style



Activity: What have you learned about yourself? Based on what you know about yourself and how you have handled similar situations in the past, how do you think you would handle the following scenario:

You have been asked to supervise a project. The success of the project is also dependent upon the contributions and feedback of other department groups. The deadline is approaching. The other managers/department groups have largely ignored requests for information, but complained in group meetings that the project is in danger of non-completion. During manager meetings, this non-response has been raised as an issue, but your manager has not addressed it, stating that all of the managers are busy and that they will respond as soon as they can. However when the documentation is not provided to you, it is identified as your deficiency and has been designated as a risk to project completion. The end result is that you (your project) has been identified by senior management as being at risk for completion and as your deficiency. At one meeting, a manager who had ignored requests for information for several weeks, complained that you were harassing him. You felt frustrated and close to tears.

Unit One Awareness of Your Personal Style



Unit Two – Skillful Listening



Nine Steps to Effective Listening

1. Face the speaker and maintain eye contact.2. Be attentive, yet relaxed.3. Keep an open mind to the speaker’s message – try to feel what the speaker

is feeling.4. Listen to the words and try to picture what the speaker is saying.5. Do not interrupt and do not impose your "solutions."6. Wait for the speaker to pause to ask clarifying questions - ask questions only

to ensure understanding of something that has been said (avoiding questions that disrupt the speaker's train of thought).

7. Give the speaker regular feedback, e.g., summarize, reflect feelings, or simply say "uh huh."

8. Pay attention to nonverbal cues -- to feelings, tone of voice, inflection, facial expressions, gestures, posture.

9. Be aware of potential barriers that impact your ability to listen effectively.

Skillful ListeningUnit Two



Barriers to Listening

Sometimes people have a barrier that impedes their listening skills. Awareness of a barrier is the first step in being able to overcome it.

Barriers to listening include:•past experiences that influence our reaction to the speaker or the message•worry, fear, anger, grief and depression•individual bias and prejudice•semantics and language differences•noise and verbal "clutter"•preoccupation, boredom and shrinking attention spans

Activity: Awareness of a barrier is the first step in being able to overcome it andimprove your listening skills. Look at the above list of barriers. Can youidentify one or more barriers that may/does impact your ability to

listen?

Skillful ListeningUnit Two



Active Listening

Stay active by asking mental questions.Some questions you can ask yourself asyou listen are:

1. What key point is the speaker making?

2. How does this fit with what I know

from experience? 3. How can this information benefit

me?

Unit Two

Skillful Listening



Looking and Acting Like a Good ListenerNon-Verbal Communication

• Turn your body and tilt your face toward the speaker.

• Use other parts of your body besides your ears to receive the message:1. Look at the speaker to pick up nonverbal signals or cues2. Your eyes will also send signals to the speaker3. When the speaker sees a receptive audience they are motivated to work

harder to communicate their message

• React to the speaker by nodding your head.

Unit Two Skillful Listening



•Listen and acknowledge what you hear the speaker saying, even if you don't agree with it. At this point do not express your point of view.

•Acknowledging the speakers thoughts and feelings does not mean that you approve of or agree with the speaker’s opinions or actions.

•Your ability to listen and then acknowledge what the speaker said allows the speaker to feel a sense of satisfaction of being understood

Unit Two Skillful Listening

Acknowledgement


Skillful Listening


Reflecting backUnit Two

•When making a statement, paraphrase and reflect back what you've heard the speaker say.

•Reflecting is affirming to the speaker and encourages the speaker to elaborate further or delve more deeply into the topic.

•Meaningful exchanges between you and the speaker are built on feedback.

•In order to accurately feedback a person's thoughts and feelings, you have to be consciously, actively engaged in the process of listening.

•Try to experience what the speaker is describing, feeling the speaker’s feelings through the lens of your own experience.


Unit Three – Expressing Yourself


Expressing Yourself


.

Communicating Long or Emotional Messages

•Briefly explain the intention of your conversation.

•The other person(s) will attend better if they have a basic understanding of the time and effort they will be bringing to the conversation.

•Use “I” statements to communicate your feelings, and what you have personally seen, heard, need, or expect.

•Do not engage in verbal attacks on the other person. if you need to criticize, describe the behavior or actions of the other person that bother you.

•State what you need or expect in positive terms.

Unit Three



Utilizing “I” Statements

Activity: Consider the following statements you might make. How would you

changethem into “I” statements?

1. You make me so mad when you don’t complete your work on time.2. My supervisor frustrates me when she doesn’t communicate her

expectations.3. My employee aggravates me when she comes in late.4. My boss made me happy when he complimented my financial

report.5. Those students make me sad when they don’t study and fail their

tests.

Unit Three Expressing Yourself

.


•Accept responsibility for your emotions•Use “I” statements. Say “I feel angry when…” rather than “You make me mad…”


Five Components of Your Message

Your communication should include these five important components:

1. What you are seeing – have seen

2. What you are hearing – have heard

3. What you are feeling – have felt about the issue

4. What you need or want

5. What the positive result will be from receiving/acting on your request




Activity: For the three situations listed below, think how you wouldcommunicate:

• What you are seeing – have seen• What you are hearing – have heard• What you are feeling – have felt about the issue• What you need or want• What the positive result will be from receiving/acting on your

request

1. Your boss marked you low on your performance review. This was the first

indication you had of how you were performing in your job.

2. An employee you supervise has been frequently absent causing lost

production and a hardship for the rest of the employees in your unit.

3. Your coworker has been opening your mail and going through your desk

drawers, as well as saying negative things to others behind your back.


Five Components of Your Message


Unit Four – Impact of Emotions


Unit Four – Impact of Emotions


Unit Four

Emotional Obstacles

Emotional obstacles to effective communication include:

Vulnerability – people may not express their true feelings because they do not want to expose themselves to others

Protecting – people may not want to express their true thoughts because they don’t want to hurt or upset the other person

Expectations - social, professional, or cultural “rules” may inhibit expression of some feelings

Fear – people seek approval and acceptance so they are often reluctant to say what they really mean for fear of rejection


Manage your emotions

•Recognize what you are feeling. Are you angry, embarrassed, or hurt?

•Simplify your feelings. Select one or two words to describe how you feel. Be specific.

•Do not act on your feelings right away. Don’t make a decision, enter into a discussion, or send an email in anger or frustration.

•Choose an appropriate time and place to communicate.

•Accept that you are responsible for your emotions; Use “I” statements. Say “I feel angry when…” rather than “You make me mad…”

Impact of Emotions


Unit Four


Impact of Emotions


Unit Four

Managing a conflict

•Keep yourself calm by breathing slowly and deeply. Remember that this is only one temporary moment in your life.

•Concentrate on what you need to move forward rather than dwell on the other person’s mistakes.

•Summarize the other person’s feelings to make sure that you understand what they are communicating.

•Give affirmation to the other person about what they may be feeling.

•Acknowledge and apologize for any mistakes you may have made.

•Focus on positive results and make specific requests that will enable the achievement of those goals.


Impact of Emotions


Unit Four


Activity: Reflect on the following situations. 1. Your boss reprimanded you at a department meeting for emailing a

joke to others in the workplace. Personal emails and jokes are routine at the office.

2. Recently you shared your idea with a coworker on how to improve departmental operating procedure that could result in greater efficiency and increased revenue for the college. You scheduled a meeting with your supervisor to introduce the concept, but your coworker beat you to it, and has claimed your idea for their own.

3. You have learned that one of the employees you supervise frequently criticizes you harshly to others in and outside of your department.

What pointers from Managing Conflict and Managing Your Emotions would be helpful to you in the above situations?

Check Your Knowledge


Following are a series of questions for you to complete. These questions are designed to check your understanding of the information you just reviewed.

Question 1

1. Past experiences

A. have little or no effect on your communication

B. influence your thoughts which in turn become your attitudes over time

C. are key to empowering you to establish personal responsibility

D. All of the above

(Click the answer you think is correct.)


You have answered

This answer is incorrect.

Back to Question 1

Click Back to Question 1 (above) to review the question, then click “B” for further explanation.

A. “have little or no effect on your communication”

You have answered

This answer is incorrect.Back to Question 1


C. “Is key to empowering you to establish personal responsibility”

You have answered


Back to Question 1


D. “All of the above”

You have answered

B. “Influence your thoughts which in turn become your attitudes over time”

This answer is correct.

Communication doesn’t just happen; your style is based on your experiences that, over time, develop into a pattern of attitudes and actions.

It is a continuous cycle. Your experiences influence your thoughts. Your thoughts, over time, become your attitudes. These attitudes become the blueprint for new experiences, which develop into patterns of behavior.

An awareness of your personal style is critical to begin to transform negative attitudes and behaviors into positive ones.

It is key to empowering you to establish personal responsibility and accountability in the midst of changing your behavior. Remember, the only person you can ever really control or change is yourself.

Continue

2. Acknowledging what the speaker is saying is valuable because

A. It does not mean that you approve or agree with the speaker

B. It allows the speaker to feel understood

C. It is a defensive posture

D. All of the above

E. Only A and B



Question 2

You have answered


Back to Question 2

Click Back to Question 2 (above) to review the question, then click “E” for further explanation.

A. “It does not mean that you approve or agree with the speaker“

You have answered


Back to Question 2


B. “It allows the speaker to feel understood“

You have answered


Back to Question 2


C. “It is a defensive posture“

You have answered


Back to Question 2


D. “All of the above“

You have answered

E. “Only A and B”


Continue

Briefly explain the intention of your conversation.

The other person(s) will attend better if they have a basic understanding of the time and effort they will be bringing to the conversation.

Use “I” statements to communicate your feelings, and what you have personally seen, heard, need, or expect.

Do not engage in verbal attacks on the other person; if you need to criticize, describe the behavior or actions of the other person that bother you.

State what you need or expect in positive terms

3. Consider the following scenario


You and your office coworkers have worked well together for approximately one year. Another person has joined the work team and trouble has started. This person appears very sensitive and frequently complains about being ignored. You and the staff have tried to include this person in conversation and activities, but the employee went to thesupervisor after two weeks on the job and reported on a long list of office infractions.Several of the complaints were exaggerated or totally false. The supervisor held ameeting and firmly stated that department rules must be followed, that the office was toobusy for pettiness, and that future complaints or issues should be settled between thestaff. A preferred way to handle the situation would be which of the following?

A. Tell the coworker how mad they make you.B. Demand to “have it out” with the coworker while it’s all fresh in your mindC. Listen not as a critic, and desire to understand your coworker rather than to achieve either

agreement from or change in themD. Concentrate on what you need to move forward rather than dwell on the other person’s mistakes.E. B and CF. C and D


Question 3

You have answered


Back to Question 3

Click Back to Question 3 (above) to review the question, then click “F” for further explanation.

A. “Tell the coworker how mad they make you”

You have answered

This answer is incorrect.Back to Question 3


B. “Demand to “have it out” with the coworker while it’s all fresh in your mind”

You have answered


Back to Question 3


C. “Listen not as a critic, and desire to understand your coworker rather than to achieve either agreement from or change in them”

You have answered


Back to Question 3


D. “Concentrate on what you need to move forward rather than dwell on the other person’s mistakes.”

You have answered


Back to Question 3


E. “B and C”

In managing a conflict you should:1. Concentrate on what you need to move forward rather than dwell on the other person’s

mistakes. Focus on positive results.2. Summarize the other person’s feelings to make sure that you understand what they are

communicating. Give affirmation to the other person about what they may be feeling.3. Acknowledge and apologize for any mistakes you may have made.4. Focus on positive results and make specific requests that will enable the achievement

of those goals.

To manage your emotions:1. Recognize what you are feeling. Are you angry, embarrassed, or hurt?2. Do not act on your feelings right away. Don’t make a decision, enter into a

discussion, or send an email in anger or frustration.3. Choose an appropriate time and place to communicate.4. Accept that you are responsible for your emotions; Use “I” statements. Say “I feel angry when…” rather than “You make me mad…”

You have answered

F. “C and D”


Continue

4. When you want to communicate a long or complex message, you should

A. Let the other person know this may be a long conversation

B. Briefly explain the intent of the conversationC. Use “I” statements to specifically state your feelin

gsD. Not engage in blame or verbal attacksE. All of the above



Question 4

You have answered


Back to Question 4


A. “Let the other person know this may be a long conversation ”

You have answered


Back to Question 4


B. “Briefly explain the intent of the conversation”

You have answered


Back to Question 4


C. “Use “I” statements to specifically state your feelings”

You have answered


Back to Question 4


D. “Not engage in blame or verbal attacks”

You have answered

E. “All of the above”


Continue

When communicating long or emotional messages, you should

Briefly explain the intention of your conversation.

The other person(s) will attend better if they have a basic understanding of the time and effort they will be bringing to the conversationUse “I” statements to communicate your feelings, and what you have personally seen, heard, need, or expect.

Do not engage in verbal attacks on the other person; if you need to criticize, describe the behavior or actions of the other person that bother you.

State what you need or expect in positive terms


Congratulations – you have completed the pre-workshopon Effective Communication in the Workplace

You will receive verification via email or phone that you are registered for the instructor led workshop on Effective Communication in the Workplace.

Your supervisor will receive an email notifying them that you have completed the pre-workshop activity.

Thank you for your participation. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the IT3 office at

253-7338 or at [email protected]

Conclusion

effective communication in the workplace. about your facilitators brenda watkins, trainer, special...

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