Download Interpersonal Communication: Communicating with

Interpersonal Communication: Communicating with Confidence
Presentation & Facilitation Guide
© 2011 SkillSoft Ireland Limited
Introduction and Ground Rules
• Presenter: [enter name of presenter or facilitator].
• Target audience: Individuals who want to develop or refresh their
interpersonal communication skills.
• Goal: To use the essential elements of trust, credibility, and confident
behavior to communicate effectively and confidently.
• Ground rules:
• list ground rules here
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Agenda
• Course Overview.
• Topic 1: Advantages and Elements of Confident Communication.
• Topic 2: Trust, Credibility, and Communicating Confidently.
• Topic 3: Confident Communication Behavior.
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Course Overview
Interpersonal communication affects:
• Organizational success.
• Decision making.
• Dealing with problems.
• Relationships.
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Topic 1: Advantages and Elements of Confident Communication
• Recognize the advantages of communicating with confidence.
• Identify expressions of the essential elements of confident
communication.
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Advantages of Confident Communication
• Speak freely.
• Be assertive.
• Reduces anxiety in others.
• Listen better.
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Reflect
How does communicating with others feel when you don’t
have confidence?
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Effects of a Speaker’s Lack of Confidence
• Harder to focus on information.
• Less satisfying.
• Less inclined to give what the speaker wants.
• Less likely to help organization succeed.
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Speaking with Confidence
Now that you have thought about some of the negatives, follow along as a
confident communicator, Amrit, speaks to a colleague. Amrit needs Mario, the
stock controller, to provide her with reports earlier than he has been, so that she
can determine what stock to purchase in good time.
Amrit (with arms loosely by her sides and maintaining good eye contact): Hi, Mario.
Thanks for the report yesterday. I can always rely on your reports to be accurate. But I'm
worrying that the Paint Department is often under-stocked. What do you think?
Mario (with both hands up and palms out): Yes, you're right. The stock always seems to
arrive late. Why can't you keep our orders coming in fast enough?
Amrit (friendly and confident): Well, it takes me a whole a day to source stock and get the
paperwork in order. So the earlier I can get the reports, the quicker I can get the purchases
in. Would it be possible for you to get them to me a day earlier?
Mario (with his hand on his mouth): Oh, I didn’t realize it took so long on your side. I’ll try to
get the reports to you earlier.
Amrit (smiling): So I can expect the next report on Tuesday morning? Or would it suit you
better to get it to me by close of business on Monday?
Mario (relaxed): Actually, Monday would be better. Part of the problem is that mornings are
very busy for me, so I often have distractions and other things to deal with. Giving you the
report in the afternoon sounds like a much better idea.
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Discussion
How does Amrit show confidence?
How does Amrit’s confidence affect Mario?
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Advantages of Confident Communication
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Discussion
How is confidence an advantage in different types of situations you
may face?
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Practice
What are some of the advantages of communicating
with confidence?
A. You'll contribute to the success of your organization.
B. You and the recipient will find the exchange more satisfying.
C. You'll avoid awkward situations.
D. You and the recipient will be more focused on what's being communicated.
E. You'll be more likely to get what you want.
F. You’ll be able to dominate in conversations.
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Poor Confidence
Factors that affect confidence:
•
How listeners feel about the
speaker.
•
Communication history.
•
Speaker’s behavior.
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Reflect
Think about someone you know who speaks confidently.
What elements do you think are key to how he or she
communicates?
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Elements of Confident Communication
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Elements of Confident Communication
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Elements of Confident Communication
Trust:
Credibility:
• Resides with recipient.
• Resides with speaker.
• Inherent, subjective.
• Rational, objective.
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Practice
Which characteristics demonstrate the essential elements of confidence
when communicating?
A. Being open to feedback from others.
B. Making only commitments that you can fulfill.
C. Making only statements that you know other people agree with.
D. Sharing only accurate, factual information rather than theories or assumptions.
E. Making appropriate eye contact with people you are communicating with.
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Topic 2: Trust, Credibility, and Communicating Confidently
Recognize how trust and credibility enhance confidence in
interpersonal communication.
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Trust
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Building Trust
• Communicate productively.
• Share information.
• Be truthful.
• Accept constructive criticism.
• Respect others’ needs and interests.
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Trust
Communicate productively:
• Constructive feedback.
• Respect.
Share information by:
•
Being forthcoming with
information.
•
Giving feedback.
•
Not breaking confidentiality.
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Trust
Be truthful:
• Don’t exaggerate, omit, or spin the truth.
• Show respect and demonstrate trust for others.
• Prevents spread of rumors, anxiety, mistrust.
Accept constructive criticism:
• Learn from mistakes.
• People aren’t afraid of being truthful.
• Supports innovation.
Respect others’ needs and interests by:
• Honoring confidentiality.
• Informing others when you can't share information.
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Developing Trust
Sally has been recruited as a line manager at a clothing manufacturer.
Her supervisor, Scott, is orienting her to her work. Follow along as Scott
tries to develop a trusting environment for interpersonal communication.
Scott (relaxed and open): Hi, Sally. I know that we have put a lot on your plate without
giving you time to settle in. I'm sorry about that. I'm here to find out how things are going
so far. Do you need help with anything?
Sally (smiling): I'm really loving the hectic pace. I thrive on it really. However, I did miss
the orientation meeting with the evening shift workers.
Scott (smiling): I like your enthusiasm. If you could combine that with careful planning,
I think you'll get more results. I find a to-do list and reminders set on my PC really help me
when things are new or overwhelming.
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Developing Trust
Sally (a little worried): Thanks. I'll try that. I'm also wondering – is there some priority list or
another way to organize all the information to get a bigger picture of what's going on?
Scott (reassuring): You can use the weekly report template for a view of each area that
needs attention and how they all fit together. The way it's structured really gives a good
overview of what you need to be doing.
Sally (smiling): Great. I'll start there. And speaking of reports, I heard that the quarterly
production rates and sales figures were pretty low. Is that true? And will it affect what we
need to do?
Scott (openly): I don't know the current figures yet, but as soon as I have them, I'll give the
entire staff a briefing on how this will affect us. I should be receiving them tomorrow
morning, and we can strategize then. Your division is generally our best performer, so I
don't think you will be affected.
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Discussion
How did Scott develop trust with Sally?
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Practice
Donna is a third-party auditor who has been brought in to audit processes at a
factory. Which actions will help Donna foster trust among the factory's employees?
A. Explaining what her goals are, whose interests she represents, and why she is
conducting her audit.
B. Freely sharing faults in the processes with the employees concerned and recording
this information.
C. Communicating with employees only for the purpose of gaining an understanding
of the factory processes.
D. Accepting corrections from the employees regarding her understanding of the
factory processes.
E. Sharing audit information to help employees correct their mistakes before auditing
the activities they're involved in.
F. Acknowledging the factory employees' busy schedules and avoiding disrupting
their work without good cause.
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Discussion
When credibility has been damaged, can it be repaired? If so, how?
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Credibility
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Credibility
Credibility can be undermined by:
• Not admitting your mistakes.
• Exaggerating.
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Factors Affecting Credibility
• Behavior:
• Background:
• Knowledge of subject matter.
• Previous positions.
• Body language.
• Successes.
• Tone of voice.
• Accumulated expertise.
• Saying what you mean.
• Keeping promises.
• Avoiding jargon.
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Building Credibility
Follow along as Sally discusses her
progress in her new job.
“I've been in the industry for five years. As a result
of the more efficient processes I've identified here,
I'm pleased to say that there has already been a
reported 5% increase in the organization's
productivity.”
“I believe that this increase will continue to grow
exponentially!”
“In terms of reporting, I've updated the TBS form
and the WSR form, which now have a much
higher validity-use ratio. I have also been
spending time getting to know my team members
to gain a better perspective on who they are.”
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Credibility
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Practice
Max led an environmental research team investigating pollution and possible
contamination of water tables in the area. Previous research efforts failed to
produce useful results and his own team's results were delayed. He has been
asked to present his findings to a group of stakeholders. What should Max do to
enhance his credibility during the presentation?
A. Ignore any criticisms leveled at him and his team for the delay in getting the needed
results.
B. Admit the mistakes that occurred during the previous research and explain what he
learned from them.
C. Focus on areas he knows will interest his audience, like methods to ensure the water
table remains pollution-free.
D. Ensure that his full credentials are mentioned when he is introduced to the group.
E. Name all pollution suspects, although the team is not yet sure who these may be.
F. Research the subject, taking care not to get caught up in technical jargon.
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Rapport and Confidence
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Discussion
What does rapport mean to you?
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Confidence and Rapport
Trust + credibility + rapport = confident communication.
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Practice
How do trust and credibility help increase confidence in interpersonal
communication?
A. By focusing on nurturing your credibility, you risk becoming arrogant rather than
confident.
B. By behaving in ways that foster trust, you protect your credibility – if trust is lost,
your credibility is lost too.
C. By building trust and credibility, you feel more trustworthy and competent, which
improves your confidence.
D. By building trust and credibility, you help others to communicate confidently with
you.
E. By building trust, you're better able to ensure people do things your way and
receive less opposition to your plans.
F. By improving trust and credibility, you generate rapport with your audience, and
this helps to build confidence.
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Topic 3: Confident Communication Behavior
Recognize the use and impact of
confident communication behaviors
in a given communication scenario.
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Preparing for Confident Communication
• Develop your personal image.
• Know what you want to say.
• Address fears and self-doubt.
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Preparing to Communicate: Develop Your Personal Image
•
Adopt style that expresses who you are.
•
Don’t stand out or blend in too much.
•
Be aware of how you look.
•
Dress for the situation.
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Preparing to Communicate: Know What You Want to Say
• Prepare your message.
• Keep it simple and clear.
• Know your audience.
• Have a clear purpose.
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Preparing to Communicate: Address Fears and Self-Doubt
• Speak to yourself as you’d speak
to a good friend.
• Be in the present.
• Prepare for the worst outcome.
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Practice
Which techniques will help you prepare for confident communication?
A. Creating the personal image you want to project.
B. Dressing the same way that people you admire dress.
C. Addressing your fears and changing negative self-talk to positive self-talk.
D. Not letting yourself think about what could possibly go wrong.
E. Being clear on what you want to communicate.
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Confident Vocalization
• Inflection.
• Tone.
• Volume.
• Speed.
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Confident Vocalization
Inflection:
Tone:
• How voice rises and falls.
• Indicates when you are
• Can show certainty and
uncertainty.
• Can show emotion.
serious, joking, etc.
• Should match what you
want to say.
• Lower tone perceived as
authoritative.
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Confident Vocalization
Speed:
Volume:
• Be fluent.
• Be audible but not
overpowering.
• Avoid lengthy pauses.
• Don’t speak too quickly.
• If you’re too quiet, practice
speaking more loudly.
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Conveying Confidence with Vocalization Techniques
Rosa, William, and Taku work at a software development company. They're in a
meeting to discuss a project that's behind schedule. Follow along as they discuss
the problem and think about who conveys confidence and who doesn't.
William: (He speaks slowly without hesitation. His inflection goes down at the end
of the first two sentences and goes up at the end of the final sentence. His tone is
serious and he speaks clearly and audibly.) At our current rate, we won't be able
to complete the project on time. I think we'll need to bring another programmer on
to the project. What do you both think?
Rosa: (She speaks quickly, but audibly. Her inflection rises at the end of each
sentence. Her tone is quite high-pitched and anxious.) I don't know – it may take
too long to train someone. Perhaps if we put in a few extra hours we could get on
top of the deadlines.
Taku: (He speaks slowly with several hesitations. His voice is quiet. His inflection
goes up at the end of each sentence. His tone conveys that he is joking.) Umm...I
think, I think that the recent changes to scope are the real problem. The new stuff
is complex and, umm, will simply take longer...perhaps we should ask the client if
we can get an extension.
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Discussion
Which speaker sounded most confident?
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Practice
Amrit, Mario, and Tina work at a large hardware store. Follow their
conversation as they discuss the planning for a team-building weekend for
the staff. Count the number of confident vocalization characteristics for
each character. Then determine who has the most characteristics that
convey confidence.
Amrit: I looked into a venue for our team-building weekend, and I've found two that
sound good. The first is a resort an hour's drive from here. It's next to a large lake,
with little chalets in the woods next to the water.
Mario: We've got a limited amount to spend per head, so I need to see a quotation
for the weekend for each venue. Last year we didn't come in under budget.
Tina: I've got some, umm, ideas for...team-building exercises. So far, we
have...ahh...a number of possibilities. We need to organize workshops, and we also
need to have fun, I think. Maybe boat races would be fun.
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Confident Body Language
• Posture.
• Eye contact.
• Gestures and facial expressions.
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Confident Body Language: Posture
• Alert and relaxed posture conveys confidence.
• Rigid posture communicates anxiety or insecurity.
• Slouching conveys lack of interest.
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Confident Body Language: Eye Contact
• Keep a steady gaze, mixed with brief periods of looking
away.
• Use the person looking back as a guide.
• Avoiding eye contact can cause you to miss responses,
creates distance, and conveys lack of confidence.
• Staring can be interpreted as rude or aggressive.
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Confident Body Language: Gestures and Facial Expressions
•
Gestures and facial expressions
should say the same thing that
your words do.
•
Expressions and movements can
describe and emphasize your
words.
•
Smiles shouldn’t be forced, or
used in serious moments.
•
Gestures shouldn’t be overused.
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Practice
Sally, the line manager at a clothing manufacturer, has asked her supervisor, Scott, for his
advice on the best place to put their new T-shirt printing machine. Follow the conversation
and think about whether Scott and Sally use confident body language.
Scott: How about putting the printer close
to the rack so we can hang the T-shirts
immediately?
Scott: Then there'll be no chance of
smudging any wet prints by accident.
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Practice
Which statements about Scott’s body language are true?
A. Scott makes good eye contact with Sally.
B. Scott's posture conveys confidence.
C. Scott gestures confidently.
D. Scott's facial expressions convey confidence.
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Practice
Sally: Yes, I think that's the right location, but
we'll need to connect the printer to the computer,
and it's on the other side of the factory.
Sally: We actually need to bring in a new
computer to manage this machine, so if anything
goes wrong, it can be sorted out at once on both
ends. Maybe we should create a workstation
between the machine and the rack.
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Practice
Which statements about Sally’s body language are true?
A. Sally makes good eye contact with Scott.
B. Sally’s posture is confident.
C. Sally uses confident gestures.
D. Sally’s facial expressions convey confidence.
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Confident Body Language
• Worrying and criticizing yourself reduces confidence.
• Replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
• Focus on the present and set worries aside.
• Look out for signs of anxiety and calm yourself.
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Discussion
What other kinds of body language indicate a lack of confidence?
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Practice – Case Study Info
Sally is preparing to inform her team that they won't be receiving a
bonus this quarter due to low profits. She is very nervous about giving
the group this news, so she has asked you to assess her speech.
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Practice – Case Study Info
Sally: “Hi everyone. I've called this meeting to...um...clarify what has been happening this
quarter with the company...and...how this will impact you.”
Sally: “As you already know, your performance this quarter has been the best of all our
teams, and...I...ah...really want to thank you for all the effort you've put in.”
Sally: “However, the company's profits this quarter are down 25%...which...is a really big
margin for us – the biggest drop in five years.”
Sally: “Our analysts believe that this trend won't continue into the next quarter,
so...ah...there's no need to worry about any long-term fallout from this.”
Sally: “but...um...in the short term, this is going to...ah...impact us. The company
can't...ah...provide us...with bonuses...for this quarter.”
Sally: “I'm...really sorry. I know many of you were counting on getting the bonus.
But...um...indicators suggest that next quarter, bonuses will be reinstated. Are there any
questions?”
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Practice
Which statements about the effectiveness of Sally's communication
are true?
A. The way she delivered her speech conveys authoritative certainty about
her message.
B. Her smile when she spoke about the team's excellent performance makes
her statement seem more authentic.
C. Smiling as she tells the team about the lack of a bonus softens the blow
for the team.
D. Standing tall with her hands loosely at her sides conveys that she is not
interested in what she is saying.
E. Sally conveys respect and interest by maintaining good eye contact.
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Practice
Which confident communication behaviors does Sally need to improve?
A. She needs to work on projecting her voice so that it's fully audible.
B. She needs to speak with less hesitation.
C. She needs to ensure that her vocal tone matches the tone of her message.
D. She needs to use gestures to enhance the meaning of her message.
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Wrap-up / Q&A
• Topic 1: Advantages and Elements of Confident Communication.
• Recognize the advantages of communicating with confidence.
• Identify expressions of the essential elements of confident communication.
• Topic 2: Trust, Credibility, and Communicating Confidently.
• Recognize how trust and credibility enhance confidence in interpersonal
communication.
• Topic 3: Confident Communication Behavior.
• Recognize the use and impact of confident communication behaviors in a given
communication scenario.
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