Download Leadership and Effective Communication

Module 4: Building Community
Leadership Capacity
Leadership and Effective
Communication
Unit II: Effective Communication
Icebreaker
Find people with the same shape as the one on
your half sheet of paper
When you find your group answer the following
questions
– What does it mean to effectively communicate?
– How do you know when someone is listening to you?
– What are some clues that let you know that someone
understands what you are saying?
Share what your group came up with
Communication
A process of sending and receiving
messages
Adults divide their communication time in
the following way
– 9 %is written
– 30 %is verbal
– 45 % is listening
– 16 % is reading
Active Listening
Listening is one part of effective
communication, a very important one.
Being an effective and active listener is a
process that requires practice
These skills focus on a direct style of
communication versus indirect
When a direct communicator is speaking
to an indirect communicator there can be
misunderstanding
Verbal Active Listening Skills
Encouraging the speaker with verbal cues. I.E
“yes”, “uh huh”, or “please continue”.
Repeating what the speaker has said. This
allows for clarification and ensures that the
intended message has been delivered.
Asking. Open ended questions allow the person
to add to his/her statement.
Thanking the person for participating and or
talking with you.
Non-verbal Active Listening
Most communication takes place nonverbally
Body language is an important element of
communication
– Open-be open when talking with someone.
Do not cross arms in front of chest.
– Relax-Do not fidget when speaking to people.
It may appear that you are distracted which
may take away from credibility.
Non-verbal Active Listening
Continued
– Eye contact-In American culture, eye contact
lets people know that attention is being
focused on them. In many cultures direct eye
contact is a form of disrespect, especially if
there is a higher ranking individual and a
subordinate in a meeting.
– Space-Be aware of the amount of personal
space between you and the person/people
you are speaking with. Americans tend to
have the most personal space at 2 feet and
some groups require as little as 6 inches
Demonstration
What differences did you notice between
the first and second demonstration?
How do you think the speaker in the first
demonstration felt?
How do you think the speaker in the
second demonstration felt?
How did the listener convey that she/he
was listening?
Communicating Across Cultures
African American
– Tend to use a lot of
animation and
emotional expression
– Use large amount of
gestures
– Higher volume of
speech compared to
other groups
– Generally direct when
asking or answering
questions
– Prefer direct eye
contact
– Prefer significant
amount of space when
speaking with others
– Tend to be relationship
based
– Prefer verbal
communication
– History between
groups is important
Toomey-Ting, Stella. 1999. Communicating Across Cultures.
Asian American
– Tend to use very little
animation or emotional
expression in
conversation
– Use very few gestures
– Generally soft spoken
– Tend to be less direct
in answering and
asking questions and
cyclical versus linear
– Prefer more distance
between self and
others
– Relationship building
is important
– Written communication
is important
– History between
groups is important
– Tend not to use direct
eye contact to show
respect
Toomey-Ting, Stella. 1999. Communicating Across Cultures.
Hispanic/Latino
– Use a moderate
amount of animation
and emotional
expression
– Moderate use of
gestures
– Tend to have
moderate to high
speech volume
– Less direct in
answering and asking
questions
– Tend to use direct eye
contact in
conversation
– Have very little space
between self and
others when speaking
– Relationship building
is important
– Verbal communication
is important
– History between
groups is important
Toomey-Ting, Stella. 1999. Communicating Across Cultures.
European American/White
Moderate use of
animation and emotional
expression
Moderate use of gestures
Moderate to high volume
of speech
Direct in asking and
answering questions
Prefer direct eye contact
Prefer significant distance
between self and others
when communicating
Focus on accomplishing
task
Prefer written
communication
History between groups is
not important
Toomey-Ting, Stella. 1999. Communicating Across Cultures.
Native American Indian
– Use very little
animation or emotional
expression in
conversation
– Use very few gestures
– Soft volume of speech
– Prefer indirect eye
contact
– Prefers more distance
between self and
others
– Relationship building
is important
– Oral communication is
preferred
– History between
groups is important
Toomey-Ting, Stella. 1999. Communicating Across Cultures.