Communication Skills

1. Communication Skills MDPI/GIG Oil & Gas Training

2. Content • Introduction • Importance of communication • Effective Communication • valuable communication attitudes • assessing and developing your communication skills • Nonverbal Messages • How To Improve Your Nonverbal Communication Skills • Body Language

3. Introduction • On a daily basis we work with people who have different opinions, values, beliefs, and needs than our own. • Our ability to exchange ideas with others, understand others' perspectives, solve problems and successfully utilize the steps and processes presented in this training will depend significantly on how effectively we are able to communicate with others.

4. Introduction Cont. • The act of communicating involves verbal, nonverbal, and paraverbal components. • The verbal component refers to the content of our message‚ the choice and arrangement of our words. • The nonverbal component refers to the message we send through our body language. • The Paraverbal component refers to how we say what we say - the tone, pacing and volume of our voices.

5. Importance of Communication • Being able to communicate effectively with others is important to our psychological well-being. • Communication allows us to convey our needs and feelings to others , as well as to respond to and respect the needs of others. • Communication helps us develop significant relationships with friends and family, as well as with romantic partners.

6. Importance of Communication Cont. • In fact, social support is one of the most important factors that can protect us from unpleasant emotions such as anxiety and depression. Being able to talk to those we trust allows us to express how we feel, as well as to get some feedback and support.

7. Effective Communication. . . • It is two way process. • It involves active listening. • It reflects the accountability of speaker and listener. • It utilizes feedback. • It is free of stress. • It is clear.

8. Valuable Communication Attitudes-Being Proactive • Being proactive: means that you decide to take responsibility for your life. Thus, you choose to be happy, to achieve success, afraid and even to attend this training. • Genetics, events, people and unfortunate circumstances take the back seat to your ability to choose and control your life. You ‘act’ and do not ‘react’!

9. Valuable Communication Attitudes -Being Proactive Cont. Remember that one of the only things that cannot be taken away from you is your ability to choose

10. Valuable Communication Attitudes -thinking Win/Win • Thinking win/win: The society we live in tends to evaluate success in a bipolar way because much of what we are exposed to daily is based on competition. • In business, the goal is to provide the best service or product to maximize profits and beat the competition

11. Assessing and Developing your Communication Skills • Assertiveness: means expressing your opinions, wants or needs and respect how others express themselves.

12. Self Assessment: Assertiveness Training • You are generally passive and keep quiet. You never or rarely state your opinion as well as what you want or need. • You have difficulty saying No. • You keep things bottled up inside you and eventually blow up. • You find that the only way you can get what you need is by being aggressive.

13. Self Assessment: Assertiveness Training Cont. • You feel that others take advantage of you or give you too much to do. • You eventually give in to what others want. • You feel that you are not respected by others. • You have little or no self-respect because you do not communicate your needs, wants or opinions

14. Assessing And Developing Your Communication Skills Cont. • nonverbal communication: involves where we look, the tone of our voice and even our body posture. Nonverbal behavior can communicate all sorts of messages to the other person, which is why we need to pay attention to it.

15. Nonverbal Messages • The power of nonverbal communication cannot be underestimated. • Through our body language we are always communicating, whether we want to or not! • According toProfessor Albert Mehrabian says the messages we send through our posture, gestures, facial expression, and spatial distance account for 55% of what is perceived and understood by others.

16. How To Improve Your Nonverbal Communication Skills Perform a self-assessment. Use the following to help you identify potential problem areas. • Tone and volume of voice: Do you have a low volume, can you be heard? • Does your voice lack confidence? Does it sound shaky? Do you stutter? Speak quickly and not take regular breaths? • Body movement: Do you keep your hands stiff by your side? Wave your hands uncontrollably? Keep your arms crossed all the time? Remain rigid?

17. Perform A Self-assessment – Nonverbal Communication Cont. • Do you nod occasionally to let the other person know you understand them or are interested? • Eye contact: Do you stare and not blink when looking at the other person? Do you look away most of the time or stare at an object and not make eye contact? • Body Posture: Do you slouch when you sit? Do you keep your head down? • Turn and look at the person?

18. Perform a Self-assessment –Nonverbal Communication Cont. • Physical distance: Do you give the other person a comfortable amount of personal distance ? • Give space to a new person who joins the conversation when in a group? • Facial expression: Do you smile too much or not at all?

19. How To Improve Your Nonverbal Communication Skills Cont. 1. Conversation skills Perform a self-assessment. Use the following to help you identify potential problem areas that you may want to work on. For example: • Do you have trouble starting or keeping a conversation going? • You don't know what to say during a conversation? • Is it hard to know what to say if the conversation becomes conflicting? • Are you reluctant to talk about yourself?

20. How to Improve Your Nonverbal Communication Skills Cont. 2. Practice developing your verbal skills • Starting a conversation. Make sure to introduce yourself first if you do not know the person and then move on to a topic that is general and that everyone can • How to keep a conversation going. Make sure you pause so that the other person can get a word in. Remember that a conversation is a two-way street.

21. How to Improve Your Nonverbal Communication Skills Cont. Keep the following ‘listening’ principles in mind (Burns, 1999). a. Disarming b. Thought or feeling empathy c. Inquiring

22. How to Improve Your Nonverbal Communication Skills Cont. • Keep the following ‘self-expression’ principles in mind (Burns, 1999). • Use I feel statements • Stroking • Practicing with others. Make sure to practice your new conversation skills with friends, family,

23. Nonverbal Communication Barriers • Flashing or rolling eyes • Quick or slow movements • Arms crossed, legs crossed • Gestures made with exasperation • Slouching, hunching over • Poor personal care • Doodling • Staring at people or avoiding eye contact • Excessive fidgeting with materials

24. Body Language • Silent Signals • Eye contact • Facial expressions • Touch • Gestures • Body movements and posture • Space • Voice

25. Presenting a Professional Image • Your professional image is the set of qualities and characteristics that represent perceptions of your competence and character as judged by your key constituents (i.e., clients, superiors, subordinates, colleagues). • People are constantly observing your behavior and forming theories about your competence, character, and commitment, which are rapidly disseminated throughout your workplace. • It is only wise to add your voice in framing others' theories about who you are and what you can accomplish.

26. Presenting a Professional Image Cont. • Dressing professionally and control your body language are part of the story of managing your professional image. • But you also belong to a social identity group that brings its own stereotyping from the people you work with, especially in today's diverse workplaces.

27. Specific Areas of Appearance • Headwear • Jewellery • Spectacles and Sunglasses • Shirts/Blouses and Ties/Cravats • Footwear • Chewing Gum

28. Desired Professional Image and Perceived Professional Image • Most people want to be described as technically competent, socially skilled, of strong character and integrity, and committed to your work, your team, and your company. Research shows that the most favorably regarded traits are trustworthiness, caring, humility, and capability. • You can never know exactly what all of your key constituents think about you, or how they would describe you when you aren't in the room.

29. How Do Stereotypes Affect Perceived Professional Image • In the workplace, people face a number of complex challenges to creating a positive professional image. • they are not perceived in the manner they desire; instead, their undesired professional image may be more closely aligned with how their key constituents actually perceive them

30. Verbal Communication • Our use of language has tremendous power in the type of atmosphere that is created at the problem-solving table. • Words that are critical, blaming, judgmental or accusatory tend to create a resistant and defensive mindset that is not conducive to productive problem solving. • On the other hand, we can choose words that normalize the issues and problems and reduce resistance.

31. Verbal Communication Cont. • Sending effective messages requires that we state our point of view as briefly and succinctly as possible. • Listening to a rambling, unorganized speaker is tedious and discouraging. • Choose your words with the intent of making your message as clear as possible, avoiding jargons and tangential information.

32. Effective Verbal Messages • Are brief, succinct, and organized • Are free of jargon • Do not create resistance in the listener

33. Verbal Communication Tools • Paraphrasing - a brief, succinct statement reflecting the content of the speaker’s message. • Reflecting Feeling - a statement, in a way that conveys understanding, of the feeling that the listener has heard. • Summarizing - a statement of the main ideas and feelings to show understanding. • Questioning - asking open questions to gain information, encourage the speaker to tell her story, and gain clarification.

34. Verbal Communication Barriers • Attacking (interrogating, criticizing, blaming, shaming) • "You Messages" (moralizing, preaching, advising, diagnosing) • Showing Power (ordering, threatening, commanding, directing) • Other Verbal Barriers: shouting, name calling, refusing to speak

35. 10 Verbal Communication Tips • Be friendly • Think before you speak • Be clear • Don’t talk too much.. • Be your authentic self • Practice humility • Speak with confidence.. • Focus on your body language • Be concise • Learn the art of listening