Communication Primer

Anand Kumar SurgeForth Technologies

Expectations

What is it that you want to get out of this training session?

What We Will Cover Today

Communication
Overview Presenting & Speaking Email Listening Non verbal Globalization Impact Tips

Overview
What Is It ? Common Forms Of Communication Positive Value Of Communication The Model

Communication
It is the process of sending and receiving messages Effective communication means :
The sender and receiver understands the message as it was intended to be

Forms Of Communication :
Conversation Group Communication (small & large) Mediums used could be speech, email or any other form

What are the most common ways we communicate?

Written Word

Value Of Communication
Can each of you share a point on the value of communication ? Did you come across a situation where your communication helped you solve a problem or an issue ? Have you had a situation where somebody misinterpreted your communication ?

Understanding Communication
The Basic Communication Model
A sender (person who initiates the conversation or the message) A message (specific set of words, gestures or images) that the sender uses to convey what they want to say A channel (through which the communication moves) A Receiver (person who receives the message) Feedback response from receiver to sender

All messages do not reach the receiver due to distortion

Feedback

Sender

Receiver

Distortion

What causes distortion or the barriers to understanding/listening?

Perceptions Language Semantics Personal Interests Emotions

Environment noise Preconceived notions/expectations Wordiness/Attention span Physical hearing problem Speed of thought

Presenting & Speaking

Communication - Making Presentations and Connecting With Your Audience

Audience Management Personal Management Hitting A Six (Cricket) or Hitting A Home Run (Baseball) Getting Your Message Across

Taking A Look At Your Audience

Would I Say The Wrong Thing ? How To Analyze Your Audience Reaching Out To Your Audience

Audience Dynamics & Analysis

Know Your Audience
I cannot speak electrical engineering to an audience of scientists and expect to make sense The more you know about your audience, the better
Are they aggressive, passive, defensive What is their relation to the topic of discussion What do they need to know from you What are their interests What is your relationship to the audience What is their competency on the topic etc

Reaching Out To Your Audience

Adopt the YOU approach
Target your communication so as to fit into an audience member shoes Pay attention to the time and place of your communication (example after lunch means make the communication lively) Build agreement and then move into controversy Plan for questions Focus on what is positive and drive the emphasis on it Accept feedback

Choosing The Right Channel And The Right Time

Thinking And The Thoughtful Process How To Send A Message Timing Your Message

Channel Management
We use the TV remote and manage channels as we manage our emotions Similarly, we have to identify what is the best channel for communicating our message
Spoken Face to Face Email Spoken Phone Spoken Voice mail etc

Identify objective, urgency and type of message (information sharing, requiring feedback etc)

Timing
Going to the vegetable market in the morning so that we can get fresh vegetables ???? It is all about timing Ensure that there are no events competing if you want to send an important message Identify organizational moods Identify workloads, spacing of message

Making Effective Presentations

Confidence ? Organizing Your Presentation To Reach Your Audience Presentation Format Organizing Content The famous 5 Questions Or Questioning ?

Effective Presentations
Confidence
Have faith in yourself Prepare, prepare and prepare Know your audience Change pace and add content based on audience feedback Anticipate questions and prepare for them

Effective Presentations
Format Your Presentation
Create an outline for your presentation, this should be the overall theme Write your main point at the top, you can use powerpoint notes if you want to Plan your presentation per time allotted .. Keep a time of about 3 minutes per slide If there is a time limit

Effective Presentations
Organize Content
Define your objective is it to inform, is it for discussion etc If it is a letter Create an opener Create a body Create a ending Make sure you keep in mind why an audience would want to listen to you Remember that your audience is listening, do not read from the slides Make a clear break at the end, leave the audience with a strong argument, startling fact or a friendly summary

The Famous 5
Non verbal Cues convert to positives Project sincerity, acknowledge if mistakes are made, be truthful Be energetic Dress well, do not be a sideshow Control stage fright (easier said than done)

Questions ?
Be relaxed Be truthful, do not get into an argumentative mode Acknowledge difference of opinion and be thankful for that Do not repeat yourself word for word If there is a persistent argument, you can indicate that it will be discussed offline if that is fine

Other helpful techniques to foster communication (both verbal and non-verbal)This is when you are a receiver
Nod Your Head Repeat the last word or two of the prior speaker

Maintain eye contact

Keep an open body position

Make encouraging statements

Repeat a sentence or part of one

Email

Email & Chaos Or Is It Utopia ?

We will cover all aspects around email management Remember The way your email gets drafted conveys more than just content it shows your personality and possibly more

Effective Use Of Email

Email ? Taking Advantage Of Email
Using Email To Your Advantage

Effective Writing Practices For Email Etiquette On Email

E-mail messages (Not more than 5 lines Of Core Content )

Sending to a new person
Introduction(who, why) What (Background, Issue)

Sending to a project team member

Background (if necessary) Issue (What/Why in bullets)

Sending to a Manager/leadership team (Concise)

Background Issue (Who, What and Why)

Email
Type of communication & goals Target audience Dates (send by, response by) Email header (subject, from, reply-to) Choose format (plain text, html) Other resources as you plan content

Audience ?
Who is your target audience? External:
Clients Members

Internal Teams You might want to segment your list.

Your Head Or Header ?

Email header is probably the most important part of your message! Make Sure You Indicate What The Email is about in the header Some statistics Our company folks get more than 11 million emails in a day Dont you think we can make peoples lives easier if we at least state what our purpose is for the email we send ???

Time Ah Time
Three seconds and 40 characters. That's all you usually have to work with when trying to get and hold the attention of someone reading email. And with user behavior changing so much in response to overwhelming amounts of spam, the attention spans of email readers are getting shorter. Needless to say, it's vital to make the most of your introduction via the email subject line.

Gartner 2006

In Summary
Keep The Message Simple
Not more than 5 lines Of Core Content Use The Email Subject (header) For Indicating Purpose Examples :
Clarification With Respect To Budget Query Regarding My Compensation Resignation Virus

If the matter is detailed, better to have it as an attachment or better still have a call to discuss on the issue

Communication Without Speaking - Non Verbal

Nonverbal Communication & Body Language

Reasons For Being Aware Of Non Verbal Signals The Fabulous 8

Non Verbal Signs Awareness

Non Verbal messages have more impact than verbal when there is a conflict in terms of message conveyed When words and actions work together, message is conveyed the first time Intensity of message is conveyed by nonverbal signs

Fabulous 8
Facial expression Posture Gestures and Movements The Voice Or Viva Voce The Handshake and touch Timing Punctuality Pays All The Time Space Cultural dynamics Dressing For Success

Effectiveness Of Communication

Measuring Effectiveness Of Communication

You Are What You Communicate
In Email, you are how you write your email On Phone, you are how you speak on your phone In person, you are how you appear and speak

You can use your listening skills and nonverbal impressions to identify how well your message is received Use A Coach for evaluating yourself

Avoiding Misunderstanding
Keys For Preventing Misunderstanding Hitting The Bulls Eye

Misunderstanding Or Missed Understanding

Impact
Productivity Decreases Blame does not help solve the problem

Verbal, Non-Verbal, Interpersonal, Organizational And Cultural

Verbal
Avoid poor pronunciation and bad articulation Be aware of the knowledge levels of your listeners Eliminate vague remarks and confusion when you speak Be clear and keep your message simple

Non-Verbal
Listen to somebody who is speaking, it is the minimum respect we can give by being an active listener If you are talking and there is a distraction, acknowledge the distraction DO NOT use conflicting body language, people perceive things easily

Interpersonal
Do not assume that your point of view is correct Keep in mind that everybody has a point of view Do not stereotype people you speak to

Organizational
Avoid being influenced by gossip mongers and kitchen cabinets they do not have any positive impact on changing your career Play by the rules of the organization you work in, be patient, learn the rules and then you can be a player Do not indulge in selective information sharing

Cultural
What is good may be bad in a different culture Work within cultural boundaries

Making Sure All Understand Your Message

Keep It Simple (KISS) Double check facts Make an outline of what you want to say or write Eliminate unnecessary information Decide whether it is best to talk or email Examine what you want to say from anothers perspective

Globalization Impact

Global Culture
Society
Values The abstract ideas about what a group believes to be good, right, and desirable
Honesty, loyalty, individual freedom etc.

Norms The social rules and guidelines that governs people action toward one another
Folkways (importance of time in different culture, rituals, manners etc.) Routine convention of everyday life Mores (laws against theft, adultery etc.) Central to the functioning of a society and to its social life

Culture is a societys (or groups) system of shared values and norms.

Individualist Organization
Individualist
Emphasis on independence and focus on the individual

Leaders/Facilitators are expected to:

Give people/members freedom for individual initiative Tailor tasks to individuals Accommodate individual needs Provide individual feedback

Members are comfortable with:

Openly sharing thoughts and feelings Speaking ones mind Compensation based on individual performance Being praised/rewarded openly Individual taking responsibilities Competition between members present at the time

Collectivist Organizations
Collectivist
Emphasis and focus on group approach

Leaders/Facilitators are expected to:

Hold people/members accountable for group goals and objectives Safe face Provide group feedback Provide individual feedback privately

Members are comfortable with:

Responding with correct answers Not standing out or apart from the group Long-term relationships Moving forward with group Group rewards Ambiguous, shared or overlapping responsibility Team competition

Individualist/Collectivist Organizations
Individualism 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 USA Australia UK, Canada Germany, France, India, Ireland Spain Brazil Japan & Turkey Mexico, China, Hong kong S. Korea Taiwan Collectivism

Hierarchical Organizations
Hierarchical (Inequality)
High degree of acceptability of differential power and social stratification

Leaders/Facilitators are expected to:

Have all the answers Control meeting/sessions Demonstrate competence Show difference to members with higher status Provide clear structure Use meetings to gather and share information

Members are comfortable with:

Leader initiative Receiving clear task assignments Not questioning the leader Answering yes to questions and requests Positions based on seniority

Egalitarian Organizations
Egalitarian (Equality)
Little tolerance of differential power and social stratification

Leaders/Facilitators are expected to:

Facilitate decision making Consult the team regularly Use meeting for active decision making

Members are comfortable with:

Equal access to and exchange of information and ideas Challenging the leader Providing direct feedback to the leader and to each other Share opinions in the presence of senior members

Hierarchical/Egalitarian Organizations
Egalitarian (Equality) 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Switzerland USA, UK, Australia Canada Germany, Spain S. Korea, Taiwan China Hong Kong, Turkey Brazil, France, Singapore, Japan India Venezuela/Mexico

Hierarchical (Inequality)

Order Organizations
Order
Environment that value adherence to rules, regulations and procedures to minimize the risks and prefer predictability

Leaders/Facilitators are expected to:

Have all the answers, control chaos & provides detailed project overview Prepare members, well in advance, for their roles in team meetings and interaction so that they will be successful

Members are comfortable with:

Precise instructions, Detailed assignments & Strict timetables, Passive participation specially in initialization phase Having a clear model and process, Clear agendas and background

material distributed prior to the meetings

Flexibility Organizations
Flexibility
Environment that rewards risk taking, tolerate ambiguity and value innovation

Leaders/Facilitators are expected to:

Say I dont know when they dont know Openly consult other team members when not sure of a point Provide a general overview and let the process work itself out over time. Make mid-course corrections Allow individuals to prepare themselves for their participation in team meetings and interactions

Members are comfortable with:

Vague objectives, general assignments, flexible schedules, active participation Learning by doing; attempting to achieve results without clear step-by-step process Frequent experiments which might result in mistakes or failure

Order/Flexibility Societies
Flexibility
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Singapore Hong Kong, Canada, UK USA, India Australia, Taiwan, Switzerland Germany, Brazil S. Korea Venezuela, Turkey Mexico, Spain France, China Japan Order

Cross cultural communication goals

To build common ground To avoid misunderstandings To avoid misinterpretation To show respect To influence To build relationship & Trust

Communication across cultures

Cross-national blunders
Coca-cola introduced the soft drink to the Chinese market, the bottles were marked with Chinese characters that presented the sounds of Coca-Cola but the fact meant Bite the wax tadpole. Pepsi-cola moved to the Thai market with the American slogan Come alive, youre in the Pepsi generation. which means Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead. When the Chevy Nova (American Car) was introduced to Latin America, many people reluctant to purchase a car whose name means doesnt go in Spanish.

Cultural Differences

Differences
National Cultural differences
Political systems, food, buildings, art, language, social norms, religion, nature of core relationships

Organizational differences
Power dynamics, leadership negotiation process, organizational structure, reward systems

Work team differences

Purpose, management, forming rules

Individual differences
Thinking styles, values, motivations, fears

Cross cultural communication differences

Low Context
Message is primarily by words (No non-verbal communication) Direct communication (Get to the point.) Conflicts are depersonalized (separate the person from the issues) Business relationship start and end quickly No trust required

Cross cultural communication differences

High Context
Message is carried is large part through nonverbal signals Communication is indirect Primary purpose of the communication is to build relationship Conflicts are personalized. Face saving is important Business relationships are developed slowly and are built on trust

Cross Cultural Concepts

How do people interact?
Individualism Collectivism Task Relationship Egalitarian Hierarchical Independence Interdependence

How do we view time?

Risk taker (Uncertainty) Risk Avoidance (Certainty)

What is our role?

Direct (Confrontation) .. Indirect (Harmony) Low context .. High Context

U.S.A - Characteristics
Friendly and Informal Task/goal oriented, Aggressive Individual Competitive (Individualism) Multicultural Egalitarian Low Context Monochronic (Time is money!) Risk Takers

U.S.A Dos and Donts

Dos
Prepared on agreed agendas Be prompt in the meetings Solicit inputs from all attendees Expect open discussion and debate Assign individual action items Be direct, assertive, involved and action oriented What do you do for living standard opening line

Donts
Avoid embracing unless already acquainted Coming too close Ignore gender Avoid asking personal questions (Are you married?) Avoid patting on back Avoid giving personal gifts

U.S.A Business Interaction

Casual and friendly Individual achievements Punctuality Low context communicators
Low in non-verbal communication

Trust is build with the accuracy of the information Get right down to business

India Characteristics
Friendly and hospitable Hierarchical Collectivism Flexible Polychronic Bureaucratic Diversified Religious

India Dos and Donts

Dos
Gift-giving is an important aspect Discuss sports (Cricket, Hockey etc.) Shoes are removed outside of a place of worship Respect Hierarchy and Leaders Accept lunch/dinner invitations which helps to build relationship Be casual and friendly. Bargain goods and services

Donts
Avoid discussing politics Avoid discussing India & Pakistan relations Avoid discussing religion Avoid discussing sex, salary, poverty, beggars, snake charmers and widow-burning Avoid refusing an invitation Avoid opening gifts in front of the giver

Cross cultural communication differences

French animals DONT MAKE THE SAME SOUNDS as American ones. But, I dont understand, why Pigs always say oink, oink.

Cross cultural communication differences

Cultural Differences... and how they affect our perceptions of each other.

Cross cultural communication differences

Globalization Leads to Working Together No Choice

We think differently We talk differently We have cultural differences and more How to overcome these difficulties?

Guidelines To Enhance Cross Cultural Communication

Always
Speak Clearly Use common words Short sentences Talk slowly Repeat if required! Be flexible Time and punctuality Learn preferred communication styles Learn appropriate greetings

THINK Globally, ACT Locally!

Avoid
Slang, jargon, buzzwords, and abbreviations that may not be understood Humor, sarcasm and criticizing Judging the people on their message because of the way that they speak Do not assume that yes and no are straightforward response. Yes may mean I understand or I am saying yes to help you save face and actually I meant no

Keys for successful Global CrossCultural Communication

Build cooperative relationship Understand and effectively deal with cultural differences Develop work relationships that have win-win outcomes Recognize that with differences come discomfort and tension, and that this does not have to lead to fight Recognize that differences present an opportunity and accept it! They are the ingredients that lead to creative and synergistic results

Listening

Listening Skills
Hearing Vs Listening
Listening (80/20) Exercise (Speaker/Listener/Observer)

Objectives
Enhance your understanding and appreciation of:
Differences in natural communication styles Valuing communication style differences The importance of feedback and coaching to successful performance and development.

Provide tools for:

Listening to make a difference Giving meaningful feedback Improving your ability to seek and receive coaching and feedback

Improve your ability to coach others effectively Better enable you to help others develop these skills

Communication Styles Generous Listening

Consider This

You have two ears and one mouth use them proportionately.

Ways to ensure you are listening and let the other person know you are:
Make comfortable eye contact Use silence to let them talk Use affirmative responses such as head nods, appropriate facial expressions and verbal prompts (uh-huh, go ahead,etc.) Incline your body forward toward the person Avoid actions, facial expressions or gestures that suggest disinterest or displeasure Do not interrupt Do not complete the other persons sentences Focus on understanding, not formulating your response

What do you listen for?

Content - clarifying understanding? Emotion identifying any feelings behind the words and non-verbal behavior? Noble Intention most people desire the same positive outcome as you, they just have a different experience of how to get there. What is their view & intention?

Generous Listening
Types of Questions:

Open-ended encourage the other person to go deeper and broader Close-ended results in short, succinct answers Clarifying ensures that you understand each other Reflecting-back mirrors back the essence of what was said

How can we improve our listening skills?

Eliminate distractions Concentrate Focus on the speaker Maintain an open mind Look for nonverbal cues Do not react to emotive words Ask questions Sit so you can see & hear Avoid prejudices Take notes Ask for clarification

Some Tips

Knowing Your Workplace

Understand your organization
There are no golden rules
Some styles are informal, some are hierarchical Use the tools available to ascertain what approach to use

Play by the rules till you learn about the organization, do not shoot off the hip first

Communicating Some Tips

Be Open and share information, understand coworker attitudes and level of competence Do not hoard information Show respect, Establish trust / Be fair Share common discussions around issues you both agree on as a starting point, you can mature to constructive dissension Help others when help is needed Praise in public, constructive feedback in private Watch your body language

The Long Story Cut Short

It is all about recognizing that we have to put ourselves in the shoes of others and think about using the YOU approach It is all about being confident and being aware of the signals we give even when we talk something else It is all about reaching out, putting your best foot forward and collaborating to make a difference