Communication Skills Part 5

7/27/2019 Communication Skills Part 5

1/6

Communication Skills Part 5

Effective Speaking and Conversation

As part of oral communication we discussed about presentation and listening skills in the earlier two

parts. Any kind of oral communication starts with our speech. This may be talking to one person or many

at a time. Generally when we are engaged in one to one speech or we talk to a very small group sittingacross the table then it is called a conversation. When this happens in a very formal setting with a pre-

decided agenda then it becomes a meeting. When one person speaks to a relatively large group in a

formal setting then it is called presentation or public speaking. Thus the essence of oral communication

is speaking. When we are engaged into any kind of oral communication the most basic is the

conversation. Before we talk about the conversation we shall discuss some fundamental aspects of

speaking which may be one-to-one or one-to-many talk or discussion.

Types of Speech

On the basis of the purpose or objective the speaking can be classified into two basic categories

A. Informative Speaking

B. Persuasive Speaking

Informative Speaking

When we speak with the sole purpose of making our idea, message or information clear to the receiver

or listener then it is informative speaking. The listener may or may not have to take any action or do any

follow up on this. There are some broad categories of informative speaking.

1. Reports

Generally, it is understood that business reports are always given in writing. But that is not necessary.

Many a times the reports may be given orally. It is possible that these oral reports are based on some

written statements. Reports are the statements on the past happenings. Sales performance for the

previous week, financial performance for the last quarter, reports on the problems with the vendors orsuppliers, report on the problems in the shop floor are some of the common examples of reports. When

the content is very small or when some point is complicated which requires some explanation then on

the basis of some written statements reports are given orally. As explained earlier the receiver of the

information may or may not take any action on the report. The purpose is to only inform properly what

happened in the reporting period.

2. Goodwill

The purpose here is image building for the organization. In todays competitive world the brand or the

image of a company is very important for its success. When the executives or other employees of a

company speak at some forum to tell the listeners about their company then the objective is to create a

goodwill for the company. Here they talk some such points about their company which would attract

the listeners and leave some positive impact on them.

3. Briefings

When some decision is to be made or a problem is to be solved or a situation is to be handled then the

people involved require some information on that. When such information is provided along with pros

and cons of all the options or situations then this falls in the category of briefing. For example, if a

decision is to be made on the price increase or decrease of a product then there will be some pros and

cons to the decision whichever way it is made. Before the decision is made it will require some


2/6

information. The term has come from military settings where short problem solving sessions are called

briefings.

4. Instruction

This is not giving order or direction. Instruction involves passing on information like a teacher. When an

executive talks to people to tell them about some company policy or philosophy or processes then the

objective is that they should understand and practice or follow in future while working in the

organization.

Persuasive Speaking

Persuasive speaking is to persuade somebody or convince something to someone. This can be classified

into four categories

1. Policy

Policy is a course of action to be taken or not to be taken. In any business organization a lot of policy

decisions are made. Such decisions cannot be made unless all concerned accept those decisions. After

making the decisions they are to be implemented. The implementation is done usually by a different set

of people. Whether it is finalizing the policy or asking people to implement; on both the stages a lot ofpersuasion or convincing is required. Unless people are convinced they will not allow that policy decision

to be taken or implemented.

2. Procedure

Procedures are required to implement the policies. Procedures are step by step actions to be taken to

complete a task. Once a policy is decided then it is to be implemented for which a procedure is to be

devised. It is possible many a times that a policy can be implemented following two or three different

methods or procedures. Which is the best way of doing it may be a debatable point. Different people

may advocate for different procedures. However, ultimately someone has to take the decision. But this

decision cannot be taken and implemented unless all the concerned people agree to follow that

procedure. This again requires a lot of persuasion.

3. Value

Values many a times depend on the judgment of individuals. They have an element of relativity. What is

good for one person may not be so for another person. What is ethical for one person may be unethical

for another person. If one has to convince about the values then it will require some clarification or

definition of the term being used. If one says that the speakers for the upcoming seminar are not good

and we require better speakers that one has to clarify what he means by better speakers. If one says it

is unfair for the big industries to compete with the small ones then he needs to explain why does he feel

so and what does he mean by unfair. Thus, all the value statements will require a lot of explanation or

persuasion before they are accepted by others.

4. Facts

Facts may be past, present or future. One may think that no persuasion or convincing is required for

facts to be communicated because facts are not based on opinions. But that is a wrong notion. Many a

times people may want to know about the sources of your facts or the research you have done to get

those facts. Unless these points are explained, people may not be willing to accept your facts. Thus,

even facts may require some persuasion or convincing.

Audience Analysis for Speaking


3/6

Whether it is informative or persuasive speaking if you have to succeed in your objective then you must

do the audience analysis before speaking. To do the audience analysis you need to know the following

1. Interest and attitude of the audience

2. Occasion

3. Location

======

Conversation

Business conversations are one to one interactions or interactions with very small group of people. In

old days informal talks in the office were not encouraged as these were seen as time wasters. It is no

more so because in the knowledge economy exchange of knowledge or information is critical for

business success. If a person is a very effective conversationalist, it will help him become a good

manager or leader. Such a person will be able to clinch many important business deals merely because

of his conversation skills.

Essentials of Business Conversation

1. Conversations must be About the Issues that Matter Most

Business conversations must be focused on the issues which are most important for the organization.

The issues which determine the growth and improvement, the issues which decide the long term

success of the organization are very important. Sometimes people get carried away by the operational

issues and spend more time on them than required. Of course, the operational issues are also important

but the strategic issues are always considered to be more important.

2. Conversation must be Collective and Public

If the strategies are to be implemented successfully, then everyone in the organization should be

involved in the process. All the senior managers should keep people three to four levels down informed

about the decisions. In short, the managers should not restrict their conversations to only some select

persons in the organization. If they do so then many people in the organization who are responsible for

the implementation would not be aware of what is going on, therefore, the implementation would not

be very effective.

3. Conversations must be Structured

In an effective conversation people in the group should follow the protocol of speaking and listening.

Somebody in the group should lead the discussion. The discussion goes through a well defined step by

step process. All the members are expected to follow certain discipline. If the discussion goes off the

track then the leader should bring it back on the line. The best way to keep the discussion structured is

to define the scope of the discussion in the beginning and then ensuring that everybody sticks to that.

4. Change-in-Strategy Conversation

Whenever the top management suggests any significant change in the strategy it should ask for the

opinion of all the people who are going to be responsible for the implementation or who are going to be

affected by the change. After getting feedback from these people the change should be effected. This

approach is possible only when the management converse with the people. Also, the other extreme of

depending too much on the subordinates is not correct. The lead, the direction and the goals or targets


4/6

should always come from the top management and the junior level people should be asked to react and

give feedback.

5. Conversations must Allow Employees to be Honest without Risking Their Jobs

The top management should create an atmosphere in the organization wherein everybody should be

fearless to give opinion as long as they are giving their honest opinion. If people find that something in

the company is wrong or if they feel that the seniors are not performing well then they should be

allowed to talk about all this. If top management does not encourage this then the inefficiencies would

never be pointed out. If people think that they may be punished for talking truth then they would never

open their mouth out of fear. Such companies can never progress and give excellent performance.

Conversation Management

If the management wants that the people in the organization should participate in the conversation and

should not walk away from it then the conversation should be managed properly.

1. Involve Everyone

A good conversationalist is one who gives chance to everybody to speak and not one who wants to see

his group members spell-bound by his speech. At the end of a conversation session everyone should goback with a sense of satisfaction of contributing something. Many a times it is not remembered who said

what during a conversation but what people remember is that they spoke something. Some people like

to hear their own voice all the time. They are not really good conversationalist.

2. Arouse and Sustain Interest

A conversation is successful only when all the people take part in it and show interest. People come

from different background. They have different likes and dislikes. Their attitudes are different. Their

group behaviours are different. It is a great task to keep everybody engaged in the conversation and

keep their interest levels intact till the end. But that is what is needed to make a conversation

successful.

3. Engage in Active ListeningListening is also very important for a successful conversation. Effective listening ensures that the giver

and receiver have derived the same meaning out of the message. It must be ensured that the receiver

has understood the message correctly. This can be done by asking for and giving feedback. One should

respond to the speakers talk by asking questions or reacting to his point of view. This would sh ow that

he is listening. This would certainly encourage the speaker and he would like to talk more.

4. Make Effective Requests

For ensuring that the communication is not ambiguous we should learn to make effective requests.

These requests are for getting what exactly we want, from whom we want that and when do we want

that. If the request is not clear then there is a strong possibility that we may not get what we want.

Therefore, to make the conversation session fruitful we should make correct and effective requests.5. Use Verbal Cues Effectively

Verbal cues are very useful to make the conversation effective. Some of the examples of verbal cues are

Encouraging the speaker by appreciating his views or thoughts (encourage)

-- Acknowledging the ideas of the speakers by saying that it is a brilliant idea (acknowledge)

-- Questioning the speaker to show that you want to know more about the point made by him

(question)


5/6

-- Informing involves sharing some more information with the speaker which you know but the speaker

missed out or presented in a different manner (inform)

-- Giving directions is also an example of verbal cue. Under this you give direction to someone to do

something. Essentially it is an act of delegating. (direct)

-- Criticizing is very effective in conversation. One should not interpret the word negatively. Criticism can

be positive as well as negative. A positive criticism gives very important feedback to the

speaker.(criticize)

6. Use Non-verbal Cues Effectively

It has been established that the non-verbal cues are more powerful than the verbal cues. One should

know how to use these cues. If used appropriately these cues would send very significant signals to the

speakers. These signals will be very helpful in encouraging the speaker to speak.

7. Avoid Stressful Conversation

If a superior gets into a stressful conversation with his subordinate then he will not be able to get what

he wants because the subordinate will not be able to express himself in those conditions. Therefore, one

should avoid stressful conversation. However, sometimes it is necessary to convey a message which maycreate some stress for the receiver. In such cases the speaker should know how to put it so that the

receiver is not hurt and not disappointed. Secondly, the speaker should also make his point very clear(to

avoid any misunderstanding) and try to be as neutral as possible in his tone so that it does not cause any

stress for the receiver.

8. Respond. Do not React

Instead of reacting when we respond we show that we are polite, well-mannered, graceful and calm

during our communication sessions. Reacting to somebodys speech will always leave a bad taste

behind.

9. Inquire and validate

Many a times an implied meaning of a word may be different from its explicit meaning. However, if wego by what we hear then there may be a huge misunderstanding. Therefore, it is always better to

inquire, clarify and validate before we respond to someones comment. Inquiry and clarification is for

understanding the message whereas validation is for ensuring that the speaker means the same thing

what you have understood.

10. State Your Intentions

Many a times your message may not be understood by the receiver. In such cases you should make your

intentions clear so that both, the receiver and the giver, have the same meaning of the message. This

will stop an unwanted situation from arising.

11. State Your Appreciation for the Interaction

At the end of the conversation if you appreciate the other person, he will be very happy and may like to

interact with you in future too. Therefore, whenever we think that conversing with a person is really

beneficial for us then we should always appreciate his conversation skills, his view point etc.

12. Dealing with and Argumentative Communicator

Sometimes we come across people who like to argue. They do it because it is their habit or they just

enjoy that. When we deal with such people our discussion may not take us anywhere. Therefore, we

should avoid arguments. If the other person does not want to stop then we need to make him realize


6/6

very politely that his way of arguing is not acceptable to you. Sometimes we may have to stop by saying

that it is better to end the discussion because we are not heading anywhere. Even while dealing with

such people we should ensure that we do not hurt them otherwise they may do a lot of bad mouthing

about us.

========

Communication Skills Part 5

Documents

Transcript of Communication Skills Part 5