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Seminar 2 Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Lori Sundal Georgia Institute of Technology A seminar sponsored by EDUCAUSE EDUCAUSE Southeast Regional Conference June 2, 2008 Jacksonville, Florida Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Copyright Lori Sundal, 2008. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author. Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Agenda •Introductions •Communications – Definition •Communication Channels and Types •Effective Communications •Communication Styles •Active Listening •Summary and Wrap-Up Breaks each hour and from 10 – 10:15 Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Introductions Exercise: Partner with your neighbor: Tell your partner something about yourself – unusual, hobby, goals, or just something you enjoy. Describe it fully. Then switch and repeat. Share with all participants. Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Introductions Exercise: Each table will come up with a their definition of communication. Then, we’ll take the elements from all tables and we will develop our common definition as a group. Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communications Definition The exchange of ideas, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, or writing. Webster’s Dictionary The art of passing information and ideas from one person to another. Successful Communication – Ken Lawson, M.A., Ed.M. Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communications Definition As leaders, we communicate to: • Get things done • Pass on information • Obtain information • Reach decisions • Achieve understanding between individuals • Develop relationships Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communications Definition Sender Blah, blah, blah Message >>>>> Method >>>>>> <<<<<<<< Feedback <<<<<<<<<<< Receiver Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Definition Role of the Sender –Sender has clarity about the message and how it should be communicated. •Meaning is clear •Understand your audience •Message is believable •Solicit feedback Role of the Receiver –Receiver is attentive and “truly listening” •Hears the words •Interprets what is said and not said •Provides feedback for clarification Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communications Definition It takes two to speak the truth, one to speak, and the other to hear. Henry David Thoreau Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communications Definition KEY 1 – “It Takes Two” Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston Understand your role as a sender and a receiver Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communications Definition Jot down one thing you learned in this section. ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Types and Channels Channel – medium chosen by the sender to deliver a message •Direct Channels: Obvious and easily recognized, under direct control of the sender – Verbal: words, spoken or written – Non-verbal: body language, gestures, color, sound Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Types and Channels •Indirect Channels: usually recognized subliminally, not under direct control of the sender – Non-verbal: body language, gestures, facial expressions, etc. High risk of being misinterpreted! Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Types and Channels Understanding the Meaning of Communication 7% Words 55% 38% Tone Body Language Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Types and Channels Verbal Communications •Spoken word – speed and convenience, (face to face - either 1 on 1 or group, phone, interviews, meetings) – Face to face is strongest means for building relationships and trust with peers, employees, customers and constituents Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Types and Channels Verbal Communications •Written word – more permanent and orderly, (email, reports, letter, proposals, minutes, etc.) Strive for 6 things: • • • • • • Accuracy Relevance Brevity Structure Clarity Audience Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Types and Channels Type of Communication Example Usefulness Written Word Letters, Memos, Reports, Proposals, Notes, Contracts, Agendas, Minutes, Plans, etc. Permanence and Accessibility Spoken Word Conversations, Interviews, Meetings Debates, Announcements, Speeches, etc. Immediacy Symbolic Gestures Gestures, Facial Expressions, Actions, Unconsciously Tone of Voice, Silence, Stance, Affect Others Posture, Movement, etc. Visual Images Pictures, Drawings, Illustrations, Charts, Videos, Logos, Graphics, etc. Powerful conscious and unconscious messages Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Types and Channels Email Get out of your Chair! Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Types and Channels Non-Verbal •Body Language – can enhance the spoken word –Complementing –Reinforcing –Emphasizing –Substituting Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Types and Channels Non-Verbal •Body Language / Gestures – can contradict the spoken word –Hands –Body –Head / Face Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Types and Channels Exercise: I need 3 volunteers from the audience. Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communications Definition Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.) Walt Whitman, Song of Myself Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Types and Channels Exercise: Take 5 minutes to talk about how non-verbal communication can enhance vs. contradict communication. Share. Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Types and Channels KEY 2 – “Heard it through the Grapevine” Gladys Knight & the Pips Use appropriate channels for maximum effectiveness Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communications Definition Jot down one thing you learned in this section. ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Effective Communications Goal – to achieve clarity • Must be clear in your own mind • Must have a succinct deliver • Ensure the message has been clearly and correctly understood Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Effective Communications Benefits • Improve our effectiveness and our job satisfaction as leaders – Relationships (employees, peers, superiors, customers, etc.) – Management – Selling – Counseling – Coaching – Mentoring – Conflict Management Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Effective Communications Business and Technical Communications •Know your audience •Talk less about technology and more about how technology services affect those using them •Talk about how technology can enable the delivery of business process and services •Beware of technical jargon and acronyms! Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Effective Communications Questions Who, What, When, Why, How Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Effective Communications Types of Questions •Open •Closed •Fact Finding •Follow Up •Feedback Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Effective Communications “Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively.” Gerald Ford Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Effective Communications “ I keep six honest serving-men (They taught me alI I knew); Their names were What and Why and When and How and Where and Who” Rudyard Kipling, Just So Stories Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Effective Communications KEY 3 – “Return to Sender” Elvis Presley Question and provide feedback for clarity Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Effective Communications Jot down one thing you learned in this section. ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Styles Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Styles Analyticals •Quantitative – like facts, figures, numbers, details •Perfectionists – see themselves as experts •Critical thinkers – don’t like people to break rules •Analyze – need time to process information and make decisions, cautious, adverse to risk •Inflexible – often resist change •Reserved – want everything in writing and in detail Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Styles Amiable •Responsible – take it all on, hard for them to delegate •Reserved – don’t need the spot light •Multi-taskers – can juggle multiple tasks •Cooperative – great listeners and team players, but get hurt feelings or can be offended easily •Patient – generally nice people, value others and friendships •Persistent – want to be treated fairly Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Styles Drivers •Accomplish – get things done, action-oriented •Poor listeners – brief, get to the point, afraid of wasting their time •Quick decisions – don’t want all the detail, will make decisions on incomplete information •Judgmental – always right, highly opinionated, brusque and abrupt Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Styles Expressives •Talkers – love to talk and socialize, difficult to keep on task, easily distracted •Creative – never meet a stranger, abstract thinkers •Enthusiastic – very articulate and able to influence others •Verbal centric – don’t like detail or paper •People Centered – don’t like working alone •Poor listeners – say the same thing in three different ways because they are always thinking and revising Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Styles So, what happens when different styles communicate without understanding style differences? Analytical Driver Driver vs. vs. vs. Expressive Amiable Expressive Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Styles What do you do? •Understand the different styles and adjust your communication to the needs of others •Alter your behavior so that it fits better with another person’s style; this is your leverage •Don’t give up your point of view, opinions or goals •Remain flexible and understand communication in another person’s comfort zone Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Styles Exercise: Complete the communications style questionnaire and plot your style on the style grid. What did you learn about yourself? Share. Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Styles Communicating with Analyticals Do Be prepared Be accurate Be direct Present pros and cons Be specific Be persistent Present timelines/actions Use facts and evidence Don’t Be disorganized or messy Be informal or loud Rush a decision Fail to follow through Waste time Leave things to chance Threaten or cajole Use opinions as evidence Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Styles Communicating with Amiables Do Start with something personal Show sincere interest in them Listen and be responsive Be casual and non-threatening Ask “how” questions Provide assurances Don’t Rush into business Make their decision Force a response Be demanding Debate facts Be patronizing or abrupt Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Styles Communicating with Drivers Do Be specific and brief Stick to business Be prepared Present information clearly Ask “what” questions Take issues with facts Don’t Small talk, waste time Be disorganized Leave things unclear Ask rhetorical questions Speculate Be directive or make their decisions Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Styles Communicating with Expressives Do Be fast and entertaining Leave time for socializing Talk about their goals Deal with the “big” picture Ask for their opinions and ideas Offer incentives or rewards Don’t Legislate Be cold or aloof Press for solutions Deal with details Be dogmatic Talk down to them Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Styles You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere. Lee Iacocca Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Styles What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate. Frank. R. Pierson The problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred. George Bernard Shaw Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communications Styles KEY 4 – “Thank you for lettin’ me be myself” Sly and the Family Stone Understand how to communicate with styles other than your own Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Communication Styles Jot down one thing you learned in this section. ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Active Listening Why do we listen? •To obtain information •To understand •For enjoyment •To learn We remember 25-50% of what we hear! Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Active Listening 5 Elements of Active Listening •Pay attention, not just to the words, but body language as well •Show you are listening, mirroring •Provide feedback •Defer judgment •Respond appropriately Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Active Listening Listening Modes •Competitive or Combative •Passive or Attentive •Active or Reflective Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Active Listening Using Listening Skills •Empathizing – listening from the perspective of the speaker •Analyzing – using analytical questions to get at the full meaning of the speaker’s message •Reflecting – paraphrasing what has been said to show the speaker you have heard and understand the message. Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Active Listening Exercise: SOLER Face the speaker Squarely Adopt an Open posture Lean Maintain good Eye contact Try to be Relaxed Teams of 3 – Listener, Speaker, Observer Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Active Listening Feedback Effective feedback has to be: • accepted by the person receiving it • must be constructive • must not be critical Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Active Listening Speaker •Factual, specific and about what has happened •Addresses the behavior and the effect •Take into account needs of receiver as well as you •Make it well timed Receiver •Listen carefully to what is said •Try not to be defensive; mentally note questions or disagreements •Paraphrase what you think you heard •Ask questions for clarification Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Active Listening Barriers •Physical Barriers •Perceptual Barriers •Emotional Barriers •Cultural Barriers •Language Barriers •Gender Barriers •Interpersonal Barriers Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Active Listening Exercise: SOLER with Barriers Teams of 3 – Listener, Speaker, Observer Barriers will be provided to either the speaker or receiver. Do not share your specific barrier with your team. Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Active Listening The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said. Peter Drucker When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen. Ernest Hemingway We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. Epictetus Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Active Listening KEY 5 – “Listen to What the Man Said” Paul McCartney and Wings Truly hear and see what’s being communicated to you Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Active Listening Jot down one thing you learned in this section. ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Summary and Wrap-Up Sender Blah, blah, blah Message >>>>> Method >>>>>> <<<<<<<< Feedback <<<<<<<<<<< Receiver Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Summary and Wrap-Up Message <<<<< Method <<<<<< Active listening Eye contact Channels Receiver Written and Spoken word Watch body language Gestures Pay attention Body Language Mirror speaker Turn toward person Clarity Sender >>>>>>>>> Feedback >>>>>>>>>>> Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Summary and Wrap-Up 1 Understand your role as a sender and a receiver 2 Use appropriate channels for maximum effectiveness 3 Question and provide feedback for clarity 4 Understand how to communicate with styles other than your own 5 Truly hear and see what’s being communicated to you Understanding Communications:A Key to Effective Leadership Summary and Wrap-Up The art of communication is the language of leadership. James Humes Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Summary and Wrap-Up Development of effective communication skills is a life-long process. As a leader, you must practice and work at improving these skills. “The long and winding road” The Beatles Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Thank you for your attendance! Questions? Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Contact Information Lori Sundal, Director – Enterprise Information Systems Office of Information Technology Georgia Institute of Technology 404-894-5348 [email protected] Understanding Communications: A Key to Effective Leadership Reference Information Heller, R. (1998). Communicate Clearly. New York: DK Publishing, Inc. Lawson, M.A., Ed.M., K. (2006) Successful Communication. New York: Axis Publishing Limited Taggart, B. M. (2006). Communication and Self-Discovery. Boulder, Colorado: Educause Institute Trubitt, L. and Muchane, M. (2008). In Plain English, Please: Effective IT Communications. Educause Quarterly Internet Resources: http://www.jenniferwebb.com/communicate.htm http://www.hodu.com/barriers.shtml