Building a Cohesive Team Introduction to Effective Workplace

Communication

November 7, 2011 Early Learning And Family Services

The Basics of Effective Communication

• Types of communication

• Feedback

• Cross Cultural Communication

• Tips for successful Dialogue

• Communication Flow

• Barriers to Communication

• Final tips for effective communication

Name Game

What is Communication?

• Communication is the creation or exchange of thoughts, ideas, emotions, and understanding between sender(s) and receiver(s). It is essential to building and maintaining relationships in the workplace.

• Effective Communication is a process where a message is received and understood by the receiver in the manner that the sender intended it to be.

Four types of Communication

• Verbal-songs, speeches, and any time you talk

• Non-Verbal-gestures, facial expressions, poise

• Written-e-mail, website, poem, this ppt.

• Visual-drawings, paintings, signs

Turn & Talk

In what ways did you use these during the Name Game?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31hPSWQtsD0

“Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.” - Anne Morrow Lindbergh

In order to have effective communication one must allow the opportunity for feedback.

• Feedback is any information that individuals receive about their

behavior.

• Feedback can be

information related to

the productivity of groups in an organization, or the performance of a particular individual.

Feedback

Four levels of Feedback

• Task or procedural feedback. Feedback at this level involves issues of effectiveness and appropriateness.

• Relational feedback. Feedback that provides information about interpersonal

• Individual feedback. Feedback that focuses on a particular individual

• Group feedback. Feedback that focuses on how well the group is performing

Discussion Questions

• What are some current practices at your worksite that allow for feedback?

• What can be done at

your site to improve

feedback?

Feedback is essential

• Through the feedback process, senders and receivers may adjust their outputs as related to the transmitted information.

• In the absence feedback opportunities, a certain amount of feedback will occur spontaneously and tends to take a negative form.

“When the eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on

the language of the first.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Communicating with Diversity in mind

http://prezi.com/5ns6sddvjjne/building-bridges-of-diversity-through-

dialogue/

Cross-Cultural Communication

• Communication difficulties arise from differences in cultural values, languages, and points of view.

What is Cultural Competency?

• Cultural competence refers to an ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures. Cultural competence is comprised of four components:

(1)Awareness of one's own cultural worldview,

(2) Attitude towards cultural differences,

(3) Knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews

(4) Cross-cultural skills. Developing cultural competence results in an ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures.

Be Flexible

Be Honest

Listen Actively

Respect Differences

Avoid Stereotyping

Recognize the

Complexity

Build Self-Awareness

Distinguish Perspectives

Ask Questions

Think Twice

Ten Strategies for Effective

Cross-Cultural Communication

“Are we listening from our past history, from our prejudices (prejudgments), from what we already know to be true and right, or from curiosity and a desire to expand our horizons, to see from new perspectives?” –Linda Ellinor & Glenna Gerard

Tips for Dialogue

• engage motivated people

• use a facilitator and recorder to manage the process

• have the group develop procedures and live by them

• ensure confidentiality

• let the process move at its own pace—don’t try to rush it

• focus on understanding the issue and not on developing an end product

• allow time to get to know each other—have dinner before, during, or after a meeting.

“Like a river that has no beginning and no end, there is no single clear definition of dialogue”

–Linda Ellinor & Glenna Gerard

“Dialogue stimulates thought in ways that non-interactive experience cannot.”

–Neil Mercer

Communication Flow

Communication Flow

Upward Flow- from subordinates to supervisor through Downward Flow- from supervisors to subordinates Horizontal Flow- from peer-to-peer, keeps information going Diagonal Flow- from director in one department to a employee in another department

What is the flow at your site?

• Is this effective?

• Is there more than one?

Flow Charts

• What do we want our flow chart to look like?

• Circle

• Chain

• Wheel

• Star

• All-Channel

1

3 3 3

2

1

1

1 1

1

1

2

2

2

2 2

2 2

2

2

1

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a

touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction.”

- Albert Einstein

Barriers to Effective Communication

• Personal

• Environmental

1. competition for time and attention

2. multiple levels of hierarchy 3. managerial philosophy 4. power/status relationships 5. organizational complexity 6. specific terminology

Environmental Barriers

Personal Barriers

1. frame of reference 2. beliefs 3. values 4. prejudices 5. selective perception 6. jealousy 7. fear 8. evaluate the source (sender) 9. status quo 10. lack of empathy

Reflection

What are some ways that you can overcome these barriers?

“Civility requires that we listen to others with knowledge of the possibility that

they are right and we are wrong.” –Stephen L. Carter

8 tips to improve communication

1. Get to know your coworkers in a realistic light

2. Steer clear of becoming the gossipmonger

3. Better sooner rather than later

4. Effective Teambuilding

5. Respect individual differences while avoiding controversial topics

6. Avoid getting personal on the job

7. Morale Booster

8. Master the art of listening, and observing

What color are you thinking?

“It’s good to shut up sometimes.” - Marcel Marceau