Build Your Management Skills

Build Your Management Skills Self-Assessment Exercise: What is Your Communication Style Under Stress? 1

Stress Defined • Stress: is a behavioral, physical or psychological response to stressors. • Stress is not merely nervous tension. • Stress can have positive consequences. • Stress is not something to be avoided. • The absence of stress is death. 2

Seven Dialogue Skills For Success in Crucial Conversations • Start with the heart • Learn to look • Make it safe • Master my stories 3

Seven Dialogue Skills (Continued) • STATE my path • Share your facts • Tell your story • Ask for others’ paths • Talk tentatively • Encourage testing • Explore others’ paths • Move to action 4

Learning Objectives: Part A • To assess students’ communication style under stress. • To identify the pros and cons of using various communication styles. 5

Instructions: Part A • Complete the assessment. Print and read your results. • Individually determine outcomes of your style(s) and specific ways you can improve your communication style under stress. • Break into groups. • Share your individual reasoning and receive feedback. 6

Six Less Than Perfect Strategies of Handling Crucial Conversations 7

Learning Objectives: Part B • To further students’ understanding of communication styles under stress through role-play. 8

Instructions: Part B • Break into groups of 3. • Read roles. • Take turns acting out roles with one team member as the observer. • After five minutes of role play, observer shares his or her observations with fellow group members. • Change roles and repeat the process. 9

Build Your Management Skills