Communications: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly – Christine Noya, Assistant Professor, Business Communications, School of Design, Stevenson University
*** Note – These are my personal notes blogged LIVE so please excuse the typos – also there may be personal comments.
- People bingo – find out unique things about those you know – purpose is to get to know each other / similarities & dissimilarities – good ice breaker
- Ronald Reagan said “no speech should be more than 20-minutes long”
- Issues that you want to talk about?
- when communication is not working any more – when is it appropriate for “Shenequa” to “come out” ?? If we learn to communicate properly: clearly, promptly, honestly then we can communicate clearly without “Shenequa”
KISS: Keep It Simple (Stupid) – always be able to LOOK and not see – Be transparent and honest In college in the 70’s – Communication was not a subject that they “studied” – they just DID it Define – a transaction between the speaker and the receiver … Communication was once considered a “soft” skill but now it is an integral part of society / our life “If we got rid of communication then maybe we could have some conversations” – MISS MANNERS
Communication in the workforce: To disseminate information / Build relationships of trust & commitment
- without communication Morale plummets
- Listening is the most important part of communication – a life skill that not everyone has developed
- Also, how we communicate: face / body language / tone / language
- Elements of good communication
- source credibility – know your audience
- good audience analysis
- common ground – what are our similarities and our dissimilarities
- competencies – know your subject – know what you are talking about
- thoroughly know your subject but also know who you are – know what you want to convey and how you want to convey it – WHY do you want to convey it?
- Remember that there is someone in the crowd who is going to double check what you say
Analyze your audience, understand your colleagues, know your environment Respect is as important as Honesty We analyze our audience daily – we know who people are based on what we see / what they say Good Listening skills
- don’t be judgmental about the speaker
- focus on the speaker as a source of information
- concentrate your attention on the speaker
- listen to the entire message
- focus on the intent as well content
- Avoid distraction, actively engage and focus
Public speaking permeates every facet of our life
Words: determine a great deal about a person – words shape thought – words are powerful – the words we choose show our perspective & perception
- use words that simplify
- use inclusive language
- avoid words that project stereotypes
- use words that evoke images
Anthony Dean Williams “words have great power – the power to help, the power to heal, the power to hurt – use this power carefully”