COMMUNICATION
Introduction
Communication is essential for success. More than that, it is a life-skill that can
improve your home life, social life and work life. Communication skills are much more
than simply talking well: a good communicator has the ability to share ideas,
opinions, thoughts and plans; a good communicator listens and is organised; finally, a
good communicator is effective in all types of contact from emails to presentations.
With these skills, you will find you are able to succeed in work and outside.
Topics
effective communication
types of communication
workplace etiquette
presentation skills
effective emails
writing reports
effective meetings
feedback skills
How to Use These Guides?
These are self-learning guides. This means you can use them to learn about the topics
and skills contained without a teacher or facilitator. It is a bit harder but you can
potentially learn much more. If you don‟t believe you can do it, ask yourself how you
learnt to speak?
Structure
Each guide contains the following elements:
why
what
how
why is this skill
or idea
important to
learn?
what exactly
is it and what
do the terms
mean?
how can you
learn this skill
and what
tools are
available?
When you see the following symbols, you should do stop reading the do the task:
group exercise
group discussion
web-link
For the group exercises and discussions, you will need 3-4 learning partners.
Prepare Yourself
Choose your attitude
You must want to learn before you start. You can choose, so choose to learn.
Find your learning partners
For the group exercises and discussions, you will need 3-4 learning partners. Find a
small group of friends you trust and work on the guides together.
Set goals
A key principle of self-learning is setting yourself goals. When you have completed
one of the guides, set a goal to learn and practice that skill (use the table at the back
of this booklet). Make sure you write it down and tell people to make yourself
accountable.
1
effective communication
why is it important?
Effective communication is a
tool for you to use to:
 share ideas, opinions and
thoughts
 maintain healthy
relationships
 work with others
effectively
 give and receive
feedback to learn and
improve
 avoid arguments
 create a cohesive
atmosphere
 share with groups of
people of all sizes
Do you know any effective
communicators?
Many people are good
communicators.
From a
market-stall
operator
shouting his price out, to a
president making a speech
or a TV advert promoting
soap. Discuss what makes
these people successful or
effective communicators.
What is effective communication?
Speaking. Listening. Writing. Communication is
the basis of society and is the most basic skill.
Poor communication skills lead to isolation and
an inability to perform in a group context.
Effective communication skills allow a person to
contribute ideas, information and attitudes. In
essence, communication is about influencing
others through words and actions.
speaking
listening
influence
writing
How can you learn effective communication?
In other words, how can you become effective
at influencing others?
1. You will need two essential characteristics:
being respectful and being a good
listener.
2. You will need speaking, listening and
writing skills – you can learn and practice
these with this guide.
3. You will also need an understanding of
human nature and expertise in a field. This
takes time!
Building Respect and Listening Characteristics
Think of a topic that interests you and your learning-partners such as: a place you like
(eg. Jerusalem); your major (eg. Business); or your family.
While discussing this topic, apply the following techniques. You should not be
the speaker.
techniques
1
Clarify
2
Summarize
3
Empathize
4
Be Assertive
exercise
Think of three questions to help
you clarify their statement.
e.g. “Can you tell me more?”,
“Can you give an example?”
Summarize a long statement,
and check with the speaker that
it is correct.
Ask your learning-partners
to talk about something
sad, happy or exciting.
Reflect these emotions
when they speak.
Express your opinion on the topic
being discussed. Agree or
disagree a point. Support or
challenge an argument.
tip
Try to be positive and avoid
threatening questions. Also,
ensure your clarifying questions
do not challenge the speaker.
Timing is everything: wait until
the speaker is finished. Your
summary must be short and
correct
Your empathy must be genuine!
To empathize, you must be
properly engaged in the
conversation. Use words, body
language and facial expression.
Choose your words carefully:
avoid negative language; know
when to carry on and when to
concede a point; keep the
conversation constructive.
A factual discussion is
preferable but not always
possible if the facts are not
available or are disputable.
5
Be Factual
Try the opposite. Keep
telling lies. What happens
to the discussion?
6
Be Active
Encourage the speaker to
continue: keep nodding, smile,
react to what is said, say when
you agree, ask brief questions
This is a hard one. Try to be
genuine. Actively listening is
important to get more
information and details.
7
Feedback
State where you stand on the
points made. Try telling the
speaker you strongly disagree.
Refer to the feedback guide in
this booklet.
2
types of communication
why is it important?
Understanding types of
communication helps you to:
 Select the best way to
communicate your ideas
 Understand the
shortcomings of different
types
 Recognise mistakes that
come from the type not
the content
 Avoid misunderstandings
 Improve your ability to
communicate by varying
your approach
What types are there?
Communication is a combination of written,
verbal or non-verbal elements. Everyone knows
about written and verbal methods. Non-verbal
communication
includes
gestures,
facial
expressions, eye contact, body movement,
physical appearance and tone of voice.
discussion
phone-call
msn
messenger
silent film
written
Chinese Whisper?
In a large group of friends, sit
in a circle. One person thinks
of a sentence and whispers it
to the next person to the
right. Make sure no-one else
can hear. Continue passing
it on until it returns. Is the
sentence the same? What
has happened?
dancing
presentation
email
Examples are given above of „mediums‟ or
methods of communication which include one
or more of each type.
Each medium has
definite
advantages
and
disadvantages.
Selecting the correct medium is vital to
effectively communicating your message.
How can you learn each medium?
You know them all already. But some are harder
than others. Presentations and speeches are
hardest because you rarely use them. This
booklet includes guides on several mediums.
Selecting the Best Medium
For each situation below, select the best communication method:
chat with your
sister in America
phone-call
inform a
customer about
a new product
ask a colleague
a quick question
report /
brochure
meeting
email
msn
messenger
presentation
dancing
invite fiends to a
party
explain a
complex
process to
colleagues
show how
much you like
your friend‟s
music
brainstorm
new ideas to
develop your
community
Using Non-verbal Methods
“Charades”: Charades is a game where you act out a book, movie, song or
poem without using words. Try playing this game with your learning-partners.
Split into two teams (minimum 2 people) – A and B. Team A thinks of a book,
movie, song or poem and team B selects one person to „act it out‟. Team A tells
the selected person the name, and he/she should act it out while his/her team
guess. If they get the result in 2 minutes or less, they get a point.
gestures
tone of voice
use selective hand-movements
(like pointing)to enhance your
message or create emphasis
can be considered part of
verbal communication – use
this especially on the phone
and when you‟re using a
microphone
eye contact
eye contact is good but don‟t
stare!
body movement
use your shoulders, legs and
head movements as well as
hand-movements – jump up
and down if you need to
facial expression
when you are a long way away
(making a presentation), try to
emphasise facial expressions
proximity
pay attention to how close you
are to your listener
Preparing your Presentation
objectives
list 3 objectives for a
presentation on healthy
living; share and discuss
have a maximum of 3; keep
repeating the key points;
keep it short and sweet!
rehearse
make the presentation in
front of a video camera
and watch it back
practice at full volume; if
you can‟t find a big room,
try to find a field outside!
back-up
plans
brainstorm all the possible
problems that could arise
and think of solutions
be prepared! you might
have no power, no printer,
no chairs, no room
visual aids
brainstorm the advantages
and disadvantages of each
type of visual aid
don‟t rely on powerpoint!
around 90% of the message
is from body language
Improve your Public Speaking Skills
vocal
clarity and
pitch
find a large, empty room: try
holding a conversation with
your learning-partners
project your voice – don‟t
shout but speak to a point
high on the opposite wall
confidence
join or start a debating club
and always be the first
person to volunteer to speak
you need a special type of
confidence – belief in
yourself
use of
silence and
volume
try making a speech and
leave 5 seconds gap, then
shout one word
both silence and loud noises
provide emphasis but only if
you use them sparingly
slow down
write a 5-line paragraph
and practice reading it over
2 minutes
if you talk quickly, no-one
will listen effectively
Improve your Writing and Powerpoint Skills
Check out the writing tips and exercises in the emails and letters section!
print your notes
and put a very
short summary on
the powerpoint
print the slides
6 to the page
to know what
is next
use only one
font and a
minimum of
32pt size
check out the
LCD and
laptop before
you start
Improve your Body Language
Check out the „charades‟ exercise in the Types of Communication section!
effective emails
why is it important?
Emailing is a vital tool in any
office. Using it effectively will
enable you to:






Communicate quickly
and easily with
colleagues.
Avoid
misunderstandings
Create a professional
image
Save time
Remain in control of
your work and time
Share information with
multiple recipients
Using work email for personal
reasons?
Would you send an email
from your work account to
your mother? In most cases,
work email is not considered
private. If you are away,
other employees will need to
access it.
Do you think this is fair?
Make sure you find out the
policy at your workplace.
What is an effective email?
Most people reading this will have sent
thousands of emails.
An effective email,
however, is less common. Effective means that
the message is delivered exactly as intended in
as short a time as possible. There are some vital
components to an effective work email:
cc: information only
to: direct
bcc: invisible copy
recipients
subject
greeting
body
5
informative
tone
message
signature
language
brevity
manage incoming emails
folders /
labels
filters /
email
rules
task
schedule/
reminders
event
calendar
Effective use of email is also about managing
your incoming emails. Each email represents a
task (see the guide to Time Management).
When you receive an email you should either
respond / act immediately or schedule a task for
action later. You can file your emails in folders to
make them easy to find and you can use filters
or email rules to automatically handle certain
emails:
How to Write a Good Email Message
bcc: sends the email
without the other
recipients knowing
who it went to
only use cc: when
you don‟t need a
reply; always cc:
your manager
bcc:
invisible
copy
cc:
information
only
tone
to:
direct
only use to: for
people who should
respond to your
email
the wrong tone
change the email‟s
meaning; think
about it carefully
language
brevity
keep your email
short and highlight
key points with bold
read and re-read your
emails before sending them
work email is not
informal; change
your language for
each recipient
keep them short and simple!
Staff Crisis!
With your learning partners, each adopt one of four
roles in an organization (right). The organization is
facing a crisis: the field worker has decided to quit and
she is your most valued member of staff.
Your task will be to resolve the crisis by email. The
rules:




All 4 roles must take part equally
You must each send only 3 emails
Be creative in imagining how the crisis is
solved
Remember the points that make effective
emails from opposite
Discuss the emails that were sent and score each
email under each component (right) out of 5.
executive
director
financial
manager
secretary
field
worker
recipients
greeting/ signature
subject
tone
language
6
report writing
why is it important?
Effective report writing is an
essential skill for all types of
office-work allowing you to:





Update colleagues
about your work
Fulfil management
requirements
Effectively
communicate
complex ideas
Present your work in a
positive and flattering
manner
Communicate your
work effectively to
other organisations
What is a report?
A report provides complex information to the
reader on a topic. Writing a report involves
researching your topic, planning the structure,
writing the information, reviewing and editing
and potentially layout and design. Your writing
should be clear, professional and targeted to the
audience. Your information should be accurate
and referenced.
title page
contents page
research
executive
summary
introduction
structure main
sections
main sections
conclusions
write up
references
appendix
What’s the difference
between academic and
work reports?
While you were studying, you
will have written reports.
Academic reports are more
technical and more heavily
referenced. A work report is
more like a sales pitch – you
must sell the idea to the
reader
and
prioritize
information for the maximum
impact.
review / edit
design / layout
How can you write an excellent report?
The most important elements of the report are
structure and audience. Structure makes the
report easier to read.
A reader might be
interested in an overview or an in-depth
investigation.
You must provide for both.
Meanwhile, if you fail to consider your audience,
you will always fail to communicate your idea,
academics,
NGO
donors
and
business
executives all look for very different information.
Exercise
Write a report on Communication Skills for your community. You will be able to
use this guide as a basis for your report but you will have to adapt it for your
community and the challenges it faces. Follow the steps below and complete
each task:
for each topic of this guide:
 find a website providing
more information
 make extra notes about this
topic
 use your own experience
 look for information that is
relevant to your community
 save each website as a
bookmark for later reference
structure
main
sections
for each topic:
 what order does the
information need to be in to
help the reader understand
and follow your argument;
 what titles would give a
clear, concise indication of
the content of a section
 the order is as important as the
text
 the headings are more
important than the text
 think about the reader‟s state
of mind
write up
for each topic:
 write bullet points for each
topic
 combine your research into
the material here
 write up your points into a
concise narrative
 use the best word, not the most
complex word
 focus on communicating the
idea
 keep sentences short and
conclude your point clearly
 avoid repeating points with
alternative words
review /
edit
 read your report and
attempt to improve it
 ask one of your learningpartners to it and provide
feedback
 provide a draft to one of
your proposed readers and
get their feedback
 do not skip this phase
 you do not have to
incorporate all feedback but
be prepared for criticism
 take criticism as positive
because it helps improve the
report
layout /
design
your report should
 vary the size of titles
according to importance
 keep to one font
 make sure the font-size and
line-spacing is good for
reading
 be well aligned
 you will need a good ability
with Microsoft Word
 use the „styles‟ in Word to help
you get a consistent design
 limit the use of colours
 take a course in design for
more advanced techniques
research
7
effective meetings
why is it important?
Being able to hold and
participate in effective
meetings will enable you to:





communicate your
ideas to small groups
maintain a
professional image in
your workplace
contribute in important
meetings
develop ideas as part
of a group
work effectively as
part of a team
What is an effective meeting?
An effective meeting, achieves its objectives in
the time set out. A meeting can have almost
any purpose: from a social occasion like a
wedding to a brainstorming discussion for a new
product. Meetings tend to vary according to
several factors: how many attendees there are;
the type of topic; the objectives; the duration;
the formality; and of course, who is attending..
type of
topic
number of
attendees
objectives
who is
attending
style of
leadership
duration
Types of meeting
Discuss the types of meetings
you have attended. How do
they vary? Here are some
common types:






family meetings
sales meetings
team meetings
staff meetings
weddings
community meetings
style of meeting
How can you develop good meeting skills?
You have opportunities to participate in
meetings every day. Look out for chances to
use the techniques and ideas referred to
opposite. Putting them into practice will enable
you to understand and use a more nuanced
approach to meetings. The main point is to seek
every opportunity to practice what you are
learning.
Facilitation
Being a good facilitator relies on leadership and communication skills. A facilitator
helps the meeting reach its objectives using various techniques.
Practice being the facilitator and using each of the techniques in meetings with
your learning-partners
manage the
time / agenda
summarize
encourage
participation
manage conflict
do not participate in
the discussion, but
remind people to
stick to the agenda
review what has
been said to help
conclude discussions
target people who
are not contributing
and ask them directly
to add new points
allow disagreement
but prevent it getting
out of hand
Hold a Community Meeting
Choose a social issue which interests you and your learning-partners and
prepare and hold a meeting with members of your community.
make them specific and realistic
set your
meeting
objectives
inform the
community
about this issue
gather input and
perspectives on
the issue
brainstorm ideas
and solutions to
address the issue
make sure your agenda allows you to achieve your objectives
set your
agenda
introduction to
the issue
speak and
discuss the issue
brainstorming
solutions
choose people who will make useful, constructive contributions
invite
people
community
leaders
people affected
by the issue
people
responsible for
causing or
resolving the issue
somewhere convenient and with sufficient space and facilities
choose a
location
community
centre
someone‟s house
an outdoor
space
9
goals
GUIDE
1
effective
communication
2
types of
communication
3
workplace
etiquette
4
presentation
skills
5
effective emails
6
writing reports
7
effective
meetings
GOALS
PRACTICAL STEPS
Sharek Youth Forum
© 2010