Download - Everyday Leadership

Session 1.4 Interpersonal Communication
Total Session Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
 Define interpersonal communication.
 Describe the importance of communication in leadership.
 List at least three styles of communication.
 Identify and practice at least two strategies to improve listening.
 Describe communication barriers.
 Identify strategies for preventing and addressing communication barriers.
Slide 1
Introduction
•
The aim of this session is to explain
the importance of good
communication skills for
leaders/managers, and begin the
process of improving communication
skills.
Slide 2
All pictures and images in this session
are from Microsoft Office Clip Art
Gallery, unless otherwise noted.
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
93
Slide 3
Activity: Build a Story
•
One participant will begin telling the
story, with 1 sentence.
The person sitting to the left of that
person will continue the storytelling,
with 1 sentence that builds on the
detail from the person before them.
The story continues until every
person in the room has contributed a
line.
One participant to begin the story by
giving the first line:
“Once upon a time there was
___________”
Participants should continue the
story until everyone has contributed.
The purpose of this activity is to
emphasize the importance of
listening carefully to others.
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Slide 4
Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
•
Communication is the process by
which information, meaning and
feelings are shared by persons
through the exchange of verbal or
non-verbal messages. It is the
transfer of information from one
person to another for the purpose
of sharing the idea or information.
Slide 5
Animation Clicks: 1
Source: Tanzania MOHSW.
Communication Skills in PITC Services.
Module 3, Session 1.
Source: Tanzania MOHSW.
Communication Skills in PITC Services.
Module 3, Session 1.
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
94
Slide 6
Animation Clicks: 1
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Only 7 to 11% of all communication
is verbal, and the rest is non-verbal.
Non-verbal gestures may not always
match a verbal message.
Differences in how messages are
perceived can lead to confusion.
Slide 7
Examples:
• Crying while saying, “I am fine”
• Saying that you are listening when
you are not making eye contact with
the speaker and are looking all
around the room while the speaker
talking.
• Saying that you are not bored or tired
when you are yawning.
Source: Tanzania MOHSW.
Communication Skills in PITC Services.
Module 3, Session 1.
• Senders and receivers can be a
managers, colleagues, employees,
representatives from other
organizations, etc.
• The channel of communication is the
voice of the speaker. It could also be
an e-mail, phone call, letter, etc.
• Feedback can be either negative or
positive. It will be different
depending on who you are
communicating with!
• Leaders and managers need patience
to handle negative feedback.
Adapted from: Tanzania MOHSW.
Communication Skills in PITC Services.
Module 3, Session 1.
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
95
Slide 8
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Slide 9
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The communication process has five
components: Sender, Message,
Channel, Receiver and Feedback
The sender initiates the
communication to transmit a
message
The sender uses some kind of
channel (way to communicate)
The receiver is the person receiving
the message and translating it into
meaning
Feedback is an essential part of
communication; the receiver has to
respond to show that he/she
understood the message or not. Also,
the Sender has to find out whether
he/she has been understood by the
Receiver. Feedback can be verbal or
non-verbal.
Effective communication means that
the correct message goes from the
Sender to the Receiver successfully.
Effective communication requires
the ability of both the sender and the
receiver to:
• Listen
• Pay attention
• Perceive what the other is trying
to communicate
• Respond verbally or non-verbally
(i.e., use feedback)
Adapted from: Tanzania MOHSW.
Communication Skills in PITC Services.
Module 3, Session 1.
Other channels of communication
include:
• Drumming
• Dancing
• Visual images
• Hand signals
• Drawings and pictures
Adapted from: Tanzania MOHSW.
Communication Skills in PITC Services.
Module 3, Session 1.
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
96
Slide 11
Slide 10
Leadership and Communication
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Good leaders are excellent
communicators.
Each of the leadership and
management practices requires good
communication skills.
Managers who lead must be able to
convey meaningful, compelling and
inspiring messages and transmit or
exchange information with a variety
of people inside and outside the
organization.
Good communication is critical for
leaders who want to involve the
members of their team, department,
or organization to face challenges
successfully.
Good communication is also
important to align expectations.
Irritations and frustrations between
organizational units, between
individuals, or between collaborating
organizations often arise from
miscommunications or a disconnect
in expectations.
Source: Management Sciences for
Health, 2005. “Managers Who Lead”.
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
97
Slide 12
Slide 13
Communication skills that are important
for leadership include the ability to:
• Articulate points of view in a manner
that allows for productive dialogue
• Relate positively with people at all
levels of the organization
• Create messages that inspire others
to support the organization’s goals
and work together
• Convey hope during times of
turbulence
• Present clear and compelling points
of view to individuals and groups
• Select a channel that is a appropriate
for the message and the receiver
• Consider how culture (your own, and
that of your colleagues, staff,
partners, etc.) impacts your
communication. As much as
possible, communicate in a way that
is culturally appropriate.
Source: Management Sciences for
Health, 2005. “Managers Who Lead”.
Communication Styles
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
98
Slide 14
We will focus on three modes of learning
and communicating for the next part of
the presentation.
• Most of us have a combination of all
3 modes, but there are typically two
modes that we favor/prefer.
• These modes influence how we
prefer to receive information, and
also how we prefer to convey
information.
Slide 15
Adapted from Anita Verna Crofts,
University of Washington.
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Visual learners learn best by seeing
things
Usually, visual learners respond well
to color, shapes, and language that
reflects this
Visual learners might say, “show
me!”
Visual communicators might say,
“Watch how I do it.”
Slide 16
Adapted from Anita Verna Crofts,
University of Washington.
Refer to Answer Sheet in Handout
1.4.1: Communication Style
Assessment, on page 113 in the
Participant Handbook.
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•
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
In the Communication Assessment
exercise, higher scores in Column 1
and Column 6 suggest a preference
for visual learning and
communication.
Column 1 indicates how you best
learn or take in information, and
Column 6 indicates a preference for
sharing or explaining information in
a visual way.
Participant Handbook
99
Slide 17
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Visual learners are very attuned to
facial expressions
Photos, Graphs and Charts, Colored
font, and using images to express
ideas
Slide 18
Adapted from Anita Verna Crofts,
University of Washington.
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Slide 19
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Refer to Answer Sheet in Handout
1.4.1: Communication Style
Assessment, on page 113 in the
Participant Handbook.
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Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Auditory learners learn best by
hearing things
Auditory learners might say, “Tell
me.”
Auditory communicators might say,
“listen to me explain.”
In the communication Assessment
exercise, higher scores in Column 2
and Column 7 suggest a preference
for auditory learning and
communication.
Column 2 indicates how you best
learn or take in information, and
Column 7 indicates a preference for
sharing or explaining information in
an auditory way.
Participant Handbook
100
Slide 20
Examples of different ways that auditory
learners prefer to take in or communicate
information: (Note: list is illustrative; not
intended to be complete)
• Using the phone or talking face-toface instead of an e-mail or letter
• Reading out loud
• Listening to music
• Talking through an issue
Slide 21
Adapted from Anita Verna Crofts,
University of Washington.
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Kinesthetic learners are often
successful when they are touching,
feeling, and experiencing the
material at hand.
Kinesthetic learners “learn by
doing.”
Kinesthetic learners might say, “Let
me try.”
Kinesthetic communicators might
say, “Now you try doing it.”
Slide 22
Adapted from Anita Verna Crofts,
University of Washington.
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Refer to Answer Sheet in Handout
1.4.1: Communication Style
Assessment, on page 113 in the
Participant Handbook.
• In the communication Assessment
exercise, higher scores in Column 3
and Column 8 suggest a preference
for kinesthetic learning and
communication.
• Column 3 indicates how you best
learn or take in information, and
Column 8 indicates a preference for
sharing or explaining information in
a kinesthetic way.
Participant Handbook
101
Slide 23
Examples of different ways that
kinesthetic learners prefer to take in or
communicate information.
• Learning a skill by using your hands
or your body
• Pacing (walking) to help you think
• Demonstrations
• Reacting to “gut feelings” in
decision-making
Slide 24
Adapted from Anita Verna Crofts,
University of Washington.
Refer to Answer Sheet in Handout
1.4.1: Communication Style
Assessment, on page 113 in the
Participant Handbook.
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Slide 25
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Columns 4 and 5 refer to how we
approach tasks.
In the communication Assessment
exercise, higher scores in Column 4
means we prefer to work on one task
at a time, if given a choice (solo
tasking).
Higher scores in Column 5 means
we work best with a variety, moving
from project to project (multitasking).
No mode is superior to any other –
they are simply different styles.
To learn and to lead best, we must
understand our preferred modes of
giving and receiving information.
Given that most people learn in
multiple modes, we must work to
include a variety in how we
communicate with others
To be effectively understood, we
must tailor our speech and hearing to
the mode of the listener
Adapted from Anita Verna Crofts,
University of Washington.
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
102
Slide 27
Slide 26
The Art of Listening
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
•
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Listening is critical for effective
leadership.
The people we work with respond
differently to us, and to the
organization, when they know they
are being heard.
Participant Handbook
103
Slide 28
This exercise will give you an
opportunity to reflect on your own
listening habits.
Refer to Handout 1.4.2: Listening SelfAssessment, on page 115 in the
Participant Handbook.
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It may be useful for them to solicit
feedback from others about their
listening habits.
You may consider sharing this
assessment with others – your
colleagues, co-workers, managers,
friends, and/or family to get
additional perspectives on your
listening habits.
Slide 29
Source: Wilkinson, Richard.
International Training and Education
Center for Health (I-TECH). Seattle,
WA.
Slide 30
Source: Wilkinson, Richard.
International Training and Education
Center for Health (I-TECH). Seattle,
WA.
Refer to Handout 1.4.3: Becoming an
Effective Listener on page 117 of
Participant Handbook.
Tip: “Stop Talking” is included twice
because it is an important point!
•
•
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Adapted from:Covey, Steven.
(2003)The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People—Personal
Workbook. pg. 110.
Senge, Peter et al. (1994) The Fifth
Discipline Fieldbook. pg. 391
Participant Handbook
104
Slide 31
Strengthening Communication
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Slide 32
Animation Clicks: 1
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There are many ways that we can
strengthen communication.
This requires thought and reflection
on how we listen and speak to the
people around us.
We will discuss each of these
elements in greater detail.
Each of the items on this list can
prevent us from communicating
effectively.
Note that many of these barriers can
come from the sender or from the
receiver. Some are also related to the
environment.
Slide 33
Adapted from: Tanzania MOHSW.
Communication Skills in PITC Services.
Module 3, Session 1.
Communication can be complex,
difficult, and frustrating because of the
barriers we put in the way. In this
activity, you will discuss one specific
barrier to communication and how to
overcome it.
Refer to Worksheet 1.4.1: Barriers to
Communication Activity on page 121
of participant manual.
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Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Communication is one of the most
important skills in being an effective
leader and manager.
We all need to pay attention to
communication and work on
improving how we communicate
with each other.
Participant Handbook
105
Slide 34
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Refer to Handout 1.4.4: Hear What
Others Say on page 119 of Participant
Handbook for a full explanation of each
statement.
Participant Handbook
106
Slide 35
•
It is important to be genuine with
positive comments, and constructive
with criticism.
Give specific feedback:
• Reinforce constructive actions by
letting the person know specifically
what you appreciated.
• (For example, “The way you
organized the meeting agenda
was very clear…”)
• When providing critical feedback, it
is also important to be specific, in
order to avoid feelings of
helplessness or resentment among
staff.
• (For example, “When you do not
prepare a lesson in advance, the
class often runs out of time to
cover all of the information and
practice all of the skills.”)
Balance negative and positive
comments:
• Give your team positive feedback
when their work deserves praise, and
encourage people to do this with one
another.
Use proactive language:
• It is important to choose words that
enable you and others to face
challenges constructively. (Note: we
will discuss reactive and proactive
approaches in greater depth in a few
minutes.)
Convert complaints into requests
• Encourage staff to shift their
language by converting complaints
into requests.
• Ask them to identify the person who
might be able to help remedy the
situation, and support them in asking
that person to take a specific action.
Be genuine.
• It is important to be genuine with
positive comments, and constructive
with criticism.
Source: Management Sciences for
Health, 2005. “Managers Who Lead”.
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
107
Slide 36
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Reactive means making decision
based on impulse, in response to
external stimuli.
Proactive means making decisions
based on values, and thinking before
you act.
Stephen R. Covey, who wrote The 7
Habits of Highly Effective People,
describes it this way: “Reactive
people are like bottles of cola. When
life or work shakes things up, the
pressure builds until they explode.
Proactive people are like bottles of
water. When they get shaken up, they
remain calm.”
You may not be able to control
what happens, but you can control
how you respond to it.
Slide 37
Source: Covey, Steven. 2003. “The 7
Habits of Highly Effective People:
Personal Workbook.” New York:
Fireside Books/Simon & Schuster.
Adapted from: Covey, Steven. (2003) The
7 Habits of Highly Effective People—
Personal Workbook. New York: Fireside
Books by Simon and Schuster. pg. 110.
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
108
Slide 38
Think of all the things we have discussed
in this session: Listening skills, verbal
and non-verbal communication, learning
and communication styles (visual,
auditory, kinesthetic), constructive
communication, proactive
communication, balancing advocacy and
inquiry, etc.
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Take 1 minute to reflect on your own
communication skills as a leader or
manager.
What areas can you improve?
Write 1-2 things that you can
improve about your communication
skills. Be specific.
• I will consider the
communication styles of my
team members, and try to engage
visual learners more in my
presentations.
• I will get feedback on my
listening skills from my team
members, to see how my staff
and colleagues feel.
Slide 39
Key Points
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
109
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
110
Handout 1.4.1: Communication Style Assessment
Section A
Instructions:
You will complete this activity for homework the night before this session is presented.
Below is a list of twenty-seven statements. Use the Answer Sheet to complete this exercise. Using the
Answer Sheet, circle the numbers of any of the following statements that clearly and definitely
describe what you pay attention to and what you are aware of the majority of the time. Circle only the
items that definitely describe you.
1. I pay primary attention to what I see.
2. I often think things over in my head.
3. I often reflect on my physical sensations.
4. I see things in my mind’s eye.
5. I like it when things fall into place for me.
6. I feel things and decisions in my heart (intuitive).
7. I make up pictures in my head.
8. I enjoy listening to music.
9. I pay a great deal of attention to my emotions.
10. I sometimes ask people to draw me a picture to explain their reasoning.
11. I talk with myself, either out loud or silently.
12. When I sit, I feel the chair.
13. I try to get a mental picture of things.
14. I often imagine hearing a dialogue in my head.
15. It is important for me to feel physically comfortable.
16. I look for the big picture.
17. I maintain attention at lectures and speeches.
18. I trust my inner voice.
19. I hate it when people block my view.
20. I like a good conversation.
21. I like physical touch.
22. I tend to write things down.
23. I prefer for a boss to explain things to me verbally.
24. I like hands-on involvement with problems.
25. I look at the person who is speaking to me.
26. I pay more attention to what people say than how they look.
27. I like to touch people when I am talking to them.
Continued on next page.
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
111
Section B
Instructions:
Below are seven pairs of statements. Choose only one in each of the following pairs of statements.
Using the Response Form, circle the number in each pair that best describes you.
28. I pay attention to detail.
29. I am usually inattentive to detail.
30. I focus on one task at a time.
31. I tend to focus on several tasks at once.
32. I carry out tasks in a step-by-step manner.
33. I perform in a multi-task fashion.
34. I complete one task before moving on to another.
35. I complete tasks at inconsistent intervals.
36. I construct logical, step-by-step analyses.
37. I perform multi-leveled analyses.
38. People would describe me as well organized.
39. People would describe me as either visionary or scattered.
40. I would prefer to complete complex forms myself, rather than have someone else do them for me.
41. I would prefer that someone else complete complex forms for me, such as tax returns.
Section C
Instructions:
Below are eight sets of three words. Read each set of three words and think of the one word in each
set that you would most likely use when verbally communicating with others. Using the Answer
Sheet, circle the number of the word you selected from each set. Do this for all eight sets of words.
Remember, you are to select only one word out of each set of three.
42. clear
43. sound
44. feel
48. bright
49. hear
50. touch
54. see
55. listen
56. pressure
60. look
61. tell
62. push
45. flash
46. loud
47. handle
51. color
52. explain
53. grip
57. view
58. say
59. guts
63. envision
64. speak
65. push hard
Continued: Answer Sheet on next page
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
112
Answer Sheet
Complete this answer sheet using the information on the previous pages. When you have finished,
total the number of circles you made in each column in the bottom row.
Section A
Section B
Section C
Circle all statements
that describe you
Circle one
from each pair
Circle one item
in each triad
Column
1
Column
2
Column
3
Column
4
Column
5
Column
6
Column
7
Column
8
1
2
3
28
29
42
43
44
4
5
6
30
31
45
46
47
7
8
9
32
33
48
49
50
10
11
12
34
35
51
52
53
13
14
15
36
37
54
55
56
16
17
18
38
39
57
58
59
19
20
21
40
41
60
61
62
22
23
24
63
64
65
25
26
27
Score for
Column 1:
Score for
Column 2:
Score for
Column 3:
Score for
Column 6:
Score for
Column 7:
Score for
Column 8:
Score for
Column 4:
Score for
Column 5:
Continued: Interpretation of Results on next page.
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
113
Interpretation of Results
Take notes on what you learned about yourself from this assessment as you listen to the
instructor.
Section A: My preferred mode for receiving information is:
Section B: My preferred style of completing tasks is:
Section C: My preferred mode for sharing/explaining information with others is:
Source: Anita Verna Crofts, University of Washington, Department of Global Health & Department of Communication.
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
114
Handout 1.4.2: Listening Self-Assessment
Instructions
Rate yourself using this assessment to find out how well you listen. To get a wider
perspective, give copies of this assessment to co-workers, friends, and family to learn their
opinions of your listening habits.
Use the following scale: 1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often, 5 = Always
Listening Habits
1. I give the impression that I am fully listening.
Never-----------------Always
1
2
3
4
5
2. I make the speaker feel as if he or she is the center of the
conversation.
1
2
3
4
5
3. I give the speaker plenty of time to talk.
1
2
3
4
5
4. I refrain from interrupting the speaker.
1
2
3
4
5
5. I look at the speaker with encouraging eye contact.
1
2
3
4
5
6. I do not fidget with objects or otherwise act distracted.
1
2
3
4
5
7. I help keep the speaker on track with paraphrasing.
1
2
3
4
5
8. I probe for deeper understanding.
1
2
3
4
5
9. I do not finish the speaker’s sentences.
1
2
3
4
5
10. I convey an attitude of openness and sincerity.
1
2
3
4
5
11. I put the speaker at ease, encouraging deeper sharing.
1
2
3
4
5
12. I ask questions that open up the discussion.
1
2
3
4
5
13. I ask questions to direct more discussion to a particular point,
when helpful.
1
2
3
4
5
14. I ask questions to draw out emotions as much as fact.
1
2
3
4
5
15. I do not insert humorous remarks when the speaker is serious.
1
2
3
4
5
16. I refrain from ‘sneaking a peek’ at my watch.
1
2
3
4
5
17. I smile at the speaker and lean forward to convey interest.
1
2
3
4
5
18. I do not give the impression of ‘listening just for show’.
1
2
3
4
5
19. I create an atmosphere of trust and connection through
listening.
1
2
3
4
5
20. I demonstrate empathy through listening.
1
2
3
4
5
Scoring
Items scored 1-2-3 may suggest areas for improvement.
Items scored 4-5 suggest strengths.
Source: Wilkinson, Richard. International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH. University of Washington,
Department of Global Health.
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
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Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
116
Handout 1.4.3: Becoming an Effective Listener
1. Stop talking.
2. Practice saying, “Take your time, I’m listening,” and really mean it.
3. Set aside your own agenda.
4. Look, act, and be interested. Be available and receptive emotionally as well as
through body language. Don’t read your email, use your mobile phone, send an
SMS, write notes/draw, shuffle, or tap papers while others are talking.
5. Try to appreciate the other person’s point of view. Stay constructive; don’t
evaluate or offer critical remarks until the context has shifted.
6. Listen without being in a hurry to take over. Don’t interrupt. Sit still past your
tolerance level.
7. Try to imagine yourself in the other’s place; feel what the speaker feels.
8. Help draw out thought and feeling by asking questions.
9. Have the speaker elaborate for further understanding.
10. Say, “Let me make sure I understand,” and then re-state the issue.
11. Be sensitive to the speaker’s feelings. Listen between the lines. Ask for
clarification if something seems to be hinted or omitted.
12. Stop talking. Take a vow of silence once in awhile.
Adapted from:
 Covey, Steven. (2003)The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People—Personal Workbook. pg. 110.
 Senge, Peter et al. (1994) The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook. pg. 391
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
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Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
118
Handout 1.4.4: Hear What Others Say
Listen carefully
• It is important to listen to our coworkers attentively, and respond to their concerns
appropriately.
• Leaders and managers should also practice good listening with partners, clients, and
stakeholders!
Eliminate Barriers to Communication
• Managers should think about the patterns of communication in their team.
• It is important to create a space where everyone learns from each other.
• Removing obstacles to communication can be the key to building relationships that really
work.
Identify Assumptions
• Conflicting opinions will frequently emerge in a group.
• Discussing differences of opinion can help teams identify better solutions or approaches.
• Encourage team members to ask each other questions, and to uncover hidden assumptions
and the reasoning behind their conclusions.
Seek to understand diverse viewpoints
• Encourage team members to understand each other’s way of communicating, especially
when teams include people from diverse groups and backgrounds. (Note that the
communication assessment that we used earlier is an example of different communication
styles.)
• The same words and gestures can mean different things to different groups. Encourage
people to patiently check assumptions with one another.
End conflict before it spreads
• When you feel yourself entering conflict, step back and examine your viewpoint.
• Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and remember to thoughtfully consider their
perspective.
Source: Adapted from: Management Sciences for Health, 2005. “Managers Who Lead”.
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Worksheet 1.4.1: Barriers to Communication Activity
Communication can be complex, difficult, and frustrating because of the barriers we put in
the way. In this activity, you will discuss one specific barrier to communication and how to
overcome it.
Instructions
 Read about the barrier assigned to your group.
 Discuss how this barrier relates to our work.
 Identify several examples of this barrier.
 Suggestion possible solutions to overcome this barrier.
 After 10 minutes, be prepared to share a brief 2-minute presentation. In the presentation,
you will:
o Explain the barrier
o Share the examples
o Describe some possible solutions
Group 1. Physical barriers
Physical barriers in the workplace include:
 marked out territories
 empires and fiefdoms into which strangers are not allowed
 closed office doors
 barrier screens
 separate areas for people of different status
 large working areas or working in one unit that is physically separate from others.
Research shows that one of the most important factors in building cohesive teams is
proximity. As long as people still have a personal space that they can call their own, nearness
to others aids communication because it helps us get to know one another.
Group 2. Perceptual barriers
The problem with communicating with others is that we all see the world differently. If we
didn't, we would have no need to communicate: something like extrasensory perception
would take its place.
Our thoughts, assumptions and perceptions shape our own realities
Group 3. Emotional barriers
One of the chief barriers to open and free communications is the emotional barrier. It is
comprised mainly of fear, mistrust and suspicion. The roots of our emotional mistrust of
others lie in our childhood and infancy when we were taught to be careful what we said to
others.
"Don't speak until you're spoken to"; "Children should be seen and not heard".
As a result many people hold back from communicating their thoughts and feelings to others.
They feel vulnerable. While some caution may be wise in certain relationships, excessive fear
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of what others might think of us can stunt our development as effective communicators and
our ability to form meaningful relationships.
Group 4. Cultural barriers
When we join a group and wish to remain in it, sooner or later we need to adopt the
behaviour patterns of the group. These are the behaviors that the group accept as signs of
belonging.
The group rewards such behavior through acts of recognition, approval and inclusion. In
groups that are happy to accept you, and where you are happy to conform, there is a
mutuality of interest and a high level of win-win contact.
Where, however, there are barriers to your membership of a group, a high level of gameplaying replaces good communication.
Group 5. Language barriers
Language that describes what we want to say in our terms may present barriers to others who
are not familiar with our expressions, buzz-words and jargon. When we couch our
communication in such language, it is a way of excluding others. In a global market place the
greatest compliment we can pay another person is to talk in their language.
Group 6. Gender barriers
There are distinct differences between the speech patterns in a man and those in a woman. A
woman speaks between 22,000 and 25,000 words a day whereas a man speaks between 7,000
and 10,000. In childhood, girls speak earlier than boys and at the age of three, have a
vocabulary twice that of boys.
The reason for this lies in the wiring of a man's and woman's brains. When a man talks, his
speech is located in the left side of the brain but in no specific area. When a woman talks, the
speech is located in both hemispheres and in two specific locations.
This means that a man talks in a linear, logical and compartmentalised way, features of leftbrain thinking; whereas a woman talks more freely mixing logic and emotion, features of
both sides of the brain. It also explains why women talk for much longer than men each day.
Group 7. Interpersonal barriers
There are six levels at which people can distance themselves from one another:
 Withdrawal is an absence of interpersonal contact. It is both refusal to be in touch and
time alone.
 Rituals are meaningless, repetitive routines devoid of real contact.
 Pastimes fill up time with others in social but superficial activities.
 Working activities are those tasks which follow the rules and procedures of contact but no
more.
 Games are subtle, manipulative interactions which are about winning and losing. They
include "rackets" and "stamps".
 Closeness is the aim of interpersonal contact where there is a high level of honesty and
acceptance of yourself and others.
Working on improving your communications is a broad-brush activity. You have to change
your thoughts, your feelings, and your physical connections.
That way, you can break down the barriers that get in your way and start building
relationships that really work.
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Sources/Bibliography:
Refer to these materials for additional background reading, as needed.



Covey, Steven. (2003) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People—Personal Workbook.
New York: Fireside Books by Simon and Schuster.
Management Sciences for Health. 2005. Managers Who Lead: A Handbook for
Improving Health Services. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MSH.
Management Sciences for Health. 2001. “Developing Managers Who Lead.” The
Manager, Vol 10, No. 3. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MSH.
Available at: http://erc.msh.org/TheManager/English/V10_N3_En_Issue.pdf
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Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
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Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.4: Interpersonal Communication
Participant Handbook
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