Communicating Effectively
with Others
Learning Objectives
 Describe the steps in the process of communication
 Define passive, aggressive, and assertive communication
 List the benefits of active listening
 Define and describe effective nonverbal communication
 Identify issues in organizational communication
 List effective uses of technology in communication
 Discuss effective ways of handling communication in
conflict situations
Hello lovely scholars!
 Today we will discuss the steps in communication, the
types of communication, communication styles and
the use of technology when communicating.
 Look at the picture below and jot down your first
impressions. We will discuss momentarily.
Communication
 Sharing of information between people
 Steps in communication
 Encoding and sending messages
 Receiving and interpreting messages
 Feedback after reception
 Types of communication
 Verbal communication


Language skills—speaking and listening
Written or electronic communication
 Nonverbal communication
 Body language
 Use of gestures, facial expressions and postures
Verbal Communication
Communication Style Survey
Passive Communication
 The Door Mat
 Person is not willing to stand up for his or her position
 Want to avoid conflict at all costs
 Allow others to violate their rights
 Is acceptable when the issue is not important, or you
could lose more than you gain (Win the battle, lose the
war)
 Nonverbal cues—no eye contact, low pitch to voice
Aggressive Communication
 The Hammer
 Stands up for his or her rights but violates those of others
 Creates win/lose situation
 “My way or the highway.”
 You may alienate others and not get needs met
 Can be good-Acceptable in situations or when research
has been done and all facts are verifiable
 Nonverbal cues—pointing fingers, glaring, crossing arms,
hands on hips, speaking loudly
Assertive Communication
 The Scales
 Works in most situations—is between the passive and
aggressive
 Stands up for own rights but does not violate others’
rights
 Creates win/win situations
 Balance everyones’ needs
 Strong sense of self-worth and self-efficacy
Developing an Assertive Style
 Use I- messages- examples
 Describe your feelings
 Acknowledge the behavior of the person to whom you are
speaking
 State the results you would like to see
 Practice saying no when it is necessary—be kind but firm
 Use facts instead of emotional language
 Avoid hyperbole—over generalization and exaggeration
 Making statements without supporting facts- examples?
You always…You never…
Communication Survey
Written Communication via technology
 Take out you cell phones and retrieve the last 3 text
messages or emails YOU sent. No worries, you will not
have to share the content of your messages.
 Consider this….
1. Who did you send the message to?
2. Is your grammar correct?
3. Did you include smiley faces etc.?
4. Did you type in all lowercase or uppercase letters?
5. Did you include uppercase letters where appropriate?
6. If you retrieved an email, did you include information on the subject
line?
7. What does your personal email address say about you?
8. What is considered an appropriate response time for an email reply?
Technology for Communication
 Technology increases rate of communication
 Social networking—tie people together based on
interests (Facebook, Twitter)
 Importance of effective communication through
technology—Netiquette
 Good manners in online environment
 Be respectful
 Don’t type in all Capital Letters
Netiquette Exercise
Listening
 Required for effective verbal communication
 At superficial level, you hear the words
 Higher level, you hear and understand the message of the
speaker
 Highest level, you hear, understand the message, and
understand the feelings behind the message
 Is a skill you need to practice
Listening Styles
 Competitive (combative) listening—listener wants to argue
with the speaker, looks for things to attack
 Passive (attentive) listening—listener is interested in what the
speaker has to say, but not truly understand the message—
hears the words, not the meaning
 Active (reflective) listening—structured form of listening and
giving feedback to the speaker which promotes understanding
 Gives feedback
 Restates the information to ensure the understanding is correct
 Understanding the speaker’s point of view
Benefits of Active Listening
 Allows speakers to get acknowledgement of their point—
people may need to vent, and not be asking for you to
solve their problem
 If you try to understand someone’s point of view, they will
try to do the same for you
 Feedback may allow a speaker to change his position
 Feedback may allow you to change your position
 Feedback paves the way to find points on which you and
the speaker agree so work can move forward
Tips for Active Listening
 Understand both the dictionary definition (denotative) of





words and their symbolic meaning in context of a situation
(connotative)
When giving feedback, put what you think you understand in
your own words
Don’t jump to react to something—think before you respond
If you need to respond to a speaker, do so in a respectful but
assertive style
If you don’t understand, let the speaker know so they can try
to rephrase it for you. (Particularly important when you are in
class and what the teacher is explaining does not make sense
to you.) Paraphrase what you think you heard so the speaker
has context.
Be nonjudgmental—you don’t have to agree, but you do need
to understand
Listening in the classroom
 Know the purpose of listening
 Disregard internal and external distractions
 Ask questions when you need clarity
 Occasionally verify that you understand the professor
 Listen for transitions in the lecture
 Don’t jump to conclusions
 Watch for verbal and nonverbal cues, body language to
determine what the professor thinks is important
Barriers to Active Listening
 The Speaker—labeling or making pre-judgments about a
speaker may prevent you from hearing his message
 Making assumptions about what you think the speaker is
going to say
 Giving in to distractions either internal or external
Nonverbal Communication
 Exchange of information without words
 Nonverbal cues
 Repeat the verbal message
 Contradict the verbal message
 Substitute the verbal message
 Complement the verbal message
 Accent the verbal message
 Nonverbal cues are learned
 Some cross cultures—crossed arms mean disagreement
 Some are cultural—proxemics—how closely someone comes into
your “personal space”
Paying attention to Nonverbal Cues
 Observe body positions—leaning in or away
 Observe position of head, arms, and legs—crossed or
open, tilted head, hands open or clenched in fist
 Observe facial expressions—eye contact, smiling or
frowning
 Observe whether nonverbal message matches the verbal
message
Organizational Communication




Both verbal and nonverbal, like personal communication
Must pay attention to the culture of the organization
Each organization has its own unique vocabulary
Internal organizational communication—path of information
flow through organization
 Formal communication—through official channels
 Downward—from the top down
 Upward—originates from someone lower on hierarchy—employees feel
they have a voice
 Horizontal –flow between people at same level
 External organizational communication-flow of information
from organization outward—may be regulated by statutes or
laws
Informal Communication
 Outside of official channels
 Grapevine—mostly accurate, but probably incomplete
information prior to an official communication
 Rumor mill—varies in terms of accuracy and intent, may
be divisive
Communication in Conflict Situations
 Conflict is natural and unavoidable when there are
differing perceptions
 Ground rules for managing conflict
 Discussion for resolution, not just to discuss
 Nonthreatening environment—people can express opinions
without fear of reprisal
 Orderly discussions—all members get a turn to speak
 Positive body language—Limit any negative body language
Conflict Management Styles
 Avoidance—individual withdraws from conflict—may work




when issue is not important, but may drive conflict deeper
Accommodation—individual puts needs of the team first—
team wins, but individual loses—may work when need for
positive relationships outweigh resolution
Compromising—individuals meet in the middle by everyone
giving up some personal goals—works when team cannot
reach consensus
Collaboration—individual uses assertive communication to
reach consensus among members—creates win-win and longterm trust
Dominating—individual asserts will on the team creating winlose environment—may create long-term resentment—only
useful when in a crisis situation that cannot be handled any
other way