Communication skills

Communication Skills: Speaking and Listening

 By Mathias Anneth M

Effective spoken communication requires being able to express your ideas and views clearly, confidently and concisely in speech, tailoring your content and style to the audience and promoting free-flowing communication. Be clear and concise. Vary your tone, pace and volume to enhance the communication and encoura

Jargon free language

A survey of managers by the Institute of Leadership found that the most most irritating jargon/management speak phrases were "thinking outside the box", "going forward" and "let's touch base", so try to avoid such phrases when applying for jobs.

▪ Use simple words and clear unambiguous language.

▪ Be succinct: take time and effort to distill ideas to an absolute minimum.

▪ Make simple points that everyone agrees on.ge questions

▪ Persuading and Negotiating Arriving at an agreement that is agreeable to both sides: a win:win situation. Back up your points with logic. Show tact to those you disagree with.

▪ Making a speech in front of an audience: presenting your message in an interesting way, structuring your presentation, using audio-visual aids effectively and building a rapport with your audience. Communicating effectively in a team

▪ Ask for help when you need it. Research suggests that asking for help with something (within reason) makes you more liked by the person you ask!

Listening

Good listening has an enormous quality of nowness. Helpful listening is a form of meditation.

David Brandon

Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That's the problem.

Winnie the Pooh

Make effective use of body language and speech. Be sensitive to the other person's body language as well as what they say: eye contact,  gestures, appropriate humour and analogies.
Use appropriate body language yourself: face the person with an open, attentive posture and maintain good eye contact (look at the speaker Confirm and clarify

▪ Ask yourself exactly what you want to gain from the conversation: a lack of clarity can lead to confusion and poor decisions.

▪ Asking clarifying questions: "How?", "Why?", "When?", "Who?", "What?", "Where?", will help the other person crystallise their thoughts.

▪ Summarise the main points in simple language.

▪ Get the other person's agreement that your summary is accurate.

▪ Define the problem and then move the focus to the solution: separate the points that relate to the problem and those that relate to the solution.

▪ Agree on the action you will both take: even if this is that there will be no action. `

Jargon free language

A survey of managers by the Institute of Leadership found that the most most irritating jargon/management speak phrases were "thinking outside the box", "going forward" and "let's touch base", so try to avoid such phrases when applying for jobs.

▪ Use simple words and clear unambiguous language.

▪ Be succinct: take time and effort to distill ideas to an absolute minimum.

Make simple points that everyone agrees on.r a lot, but don't stare all the time), smiling and nod your head from time to time.

Managing turn-taking when talking to another person

▪ First the speaker makes eye contact

▪ The speaker then looks away whilst speaking but makes eye contact from time to time to see whether listener wants their turn to speak