Effective Interpersonal Communication

Effective
Interpersonal
Communication
Prepared by: Bassem El Ahmar
Instructor: Dr. Yousif Jammal
Course Title: Organizational Behavior [MBA]
Spring 2010
AUCE
2
CONTENTS
 What communication is?

 Why and how we communicate?
 Barriers to communication
 Sharing ideas
 Getting information from others
 Giving constructive feedback
 Body language
BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION /AUCE/ SPRING2020
3
OBJECTIVES
 Provide a basic overview of

verbal and non-verbal
interpersonal communication
processes.
 Identify personal obstacles to
effective interpersonal
communication.
 Define some strategies for
improving individual and group
communications.
4
WHAT IS
COMMUNICATION?
Communication is defined as the

interchange of thoughts or
opinions through shared symbols;
e.g. language, words, phrases…

5
Some ●
message, directive, word,
synonyms contact, commerce, communion,
of the intercommunication, intercourse
●
converse, exchange, interchange,
word conversing, discussing, talking
●
conversation, discussion, talk,
communic advice, intelligence, news, tidings
ation are:
6
FOUR ASPECTS OF
COMMUNICATION
Three are four aspects in all

types of communication:
●
Sender
●
Receiver
●
Information
●
Behavior
7
SHARED SYMBOLS
 Sometimes when we communicate we

assume we are using shared symbols when
we might not be
 The term “asap”, “as soon as possible”.
What does it really mean?

8
 Someone from another department calls. He

needs some detailed information asap; but
you are already rather busy.
 A coworker comes to you for help with an
assignment. She needs you asap; but you
have another job to finish before lunch.
 Your immediate supervisor, whom you like to
please, asks you to type a memo for her
asap; but you already have a stack of other
jobs to finish.
9
 The meaning of “asap” change from “in a

few days” to “immediately”.
 Many other words and phrases are also
vague and have different meanings for
different people.
 Shared symbols are not always completely
shared. The message intended is not always
the message received.

10
MISSED
COMMUNICATION
As the Manager As Purchasing As Marketing

Requested it. ordered it. wrote it up.
As the Art Dept. As the Supervisor What the Employee

designed it. implemented it. really wanted!
11
WHY WE
COMMUNICATE?
 Share our ideas and opinions

 Provide feedback to others
 Get information from others
 Gain power and influence
 Develop social relationships
 Maintain self-expression and our culture and
other ideas may have thought of

12
HOW WE
COMMUNICATE?
We communicate and build interpersonal relationships

through:
●
Speech
●
Writing
●
Listening
●
Non-verbal language
●
Music, art, and crafts

13
CHOOSING MEDIUM
In person: one-to-one
In person: meetings, small groups
In person: presentations, large groups
Letter, Memo, Note
Email, Voice mail

14
 To determine the best medium for your

message determine:
 What you as the sender need to achieve?
 What the receiver needs to know. What the
receiver wants to know?
 How detailed, important, and or personal the
information in the message is?
 Which behavior you want to influence and
how?

15
 How would you communicate…

 an organizational change in your unit
 the introduction of a new employee
 a change in someone’s job duties
 a reprimand
 notice of a meeting

16
BARRIERS TO
COMMUNICATION
 Some common barriers to interpersonal

communication include:
 Unclear process
 Chain of command
 Large size of an organization, geographic
distance
 Personal limitations

17
 Additional common barriers to interpersonal

communication include:
 Human nature
 Conflicting feelings, goals, opinions
 Power

18
SHARE YOUR IDEAS
 State an opinion or position

 Give instructions or directions
 Announce a change
 Make presentations
 Participate in meetings
 Give information in emergencies
 Communicate the organizational mission, vision, and
values and other ideas you may have thought of

19
OBSTACLES TO SHARING
IDEAS
 Your own shyness

 Fear of rejection
 Peer pressure
 Unorganized thinking
 Others possibly becoming defensive
 Physical disabilities (impaired sight, hearing, speech)
 Having to deal with aggressive people and others
you may have thought of
20
SPEAK FOR YOURSELF
To ensure
your ●
Speaking for
messages
yourself
are clear,
speak for
●
Speaking for no one
yourself, not
●
Speaking for others
for others:

21
SHARE YOUR IDEAS
A MODEL
SHARE
Emphasize
React State
Assure Highlight

22
SHARE – AN EXAMPLE
State “I’d like to talk to you about the new employee welcome program”.
Highlight “We need to discuss the new schedule, locations, and presenters”.
Assure “Do you need me to further clarify how we are making invitations”?
React “I understand your concern about parking”.
“To wrap-up, I’ll develop the schedule and make the room reservations,
Emphasize if you can line up the guest speakers”.

23
GETTING GOOD
INFORMATION
 Find out facts and details

 Get directions or instructions
 Try to understand another’s point of view
 Help someone solve a problem
 Resolve a team conflict
 Solve work problems and other ideas you
may have thought of

24
OBSTACLES TO GETTING
GOOD INFORMATION
 Lack of trust
 Assuming you already know it all
 Jumping to conclusions
 Not valuing diverse opinions
 Weak reading skills
 Weak listening skills
 Weak questioning skills and other ideas you
may have thought of

25
THE POWER OF
LISTENING
The philosopher Epictetus stressed

the power of listening in this quote:
“Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so

we could hear twice as much as we speak.”

26
LISTEN ACTIVELY
 Prepare to listen
 Control and eliminate distractions
 Establish appropriate eye contact
 See listening as an opportunity
 Create a need to listen
 Set aside the time to listen
 Don’t prejudge the message
 Monitor the way you listen

27 THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION!
 Close end questions

 Open end questions
 Direct questions
 Probing questions
 Hypothetical questions

28
GOOD QUESTION -
EXAMPLES
Close end question “Did you attend the staff meeting this morning”?
Open end question “What was discussed at the staff meeting this morning”?
Direct question “Which topics were listed on the meeting agenda”?
Probing question “Can you tell me more about the first agenda topic”?.
“What would you have done, if you had not had the chance to present
Hypothetical question your idea at the meeting”?

29
FOCUS ON INFORMATION
A MODEL
FUCUS
Summariz
e
Use active
listening skills Focus
Close-end Open-end
question question

30
GIVE FEEDBACK
WHEN…
 Someone asks for your opinion

 Work errors occur frequently
 A coworker’s habits disturb you
 A coworker’s behavior has negative
consequences
 There are unresolved problems and other
ideas you may have thought of

31
OBSTACLES TO GIVING
CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK
 Separating the person from the problem

 Others becoming defensive or angry
 Fear of negative consequences (especially if
the other person is a supervisor)
 Dealing with potential conflict (especially if
the other person is aggressive)
 Avoiding hurt feelings
 Preserving relationships
32
 Not having all the facts

and jumping to
conclusions
 Choosing the right
time so that the other
person is most
receptive and other
ideas you may have
thought of

33 STATE FEEDBACK – A MODEL
STATE
Express
Tender State
Address Tell

34
BODY LANGUAGE
Nonverbal communication,
known as “body language”
sends strong positive and
negative signals.

35
This is how much it
influences any message:
Words 8%
Tone of voice 34%
Non-verbal cue
58%
Message 100%

36
●
Face
●
Figure
●
Focus
●
Territory
●
Tone
●
Time
Body language includes…

37
 Face includes:
 Your expressions
 Your smile or lack thereof
 Tilt of the head
 Figure includes:
 Your posture
 Your demeanor and gestures
 Your clothes and accessories

38
 Focus is your eye contact with others

 Territory focuses on how you use space. It is
also called proxemics
 Tone is a factor of your voice
 Time focuses on how you use time. It is also
called chronemics.

39 MAKING THE MEETINGS
 Determine the
cost/benefit factors
 Clarify the purpose
 Follow the guidelines
 Become a skilled
meeting leader

40
STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL
PRESENTATION
Focus on the audience
Well prepared
Capture and keep the attention
Present with energy
Be ready for questions

41
E-COMMUNICATION
 Use the form of communication most likely

 Identify five fundamental factors: who, what,
when, where, and why.
 Using a conventional style of writing
 Establish an e-mail policy in writing
 Before making a call, organize your thought
 In voice-mail message, speak clearly
42
IDEAS TO WALK AWAY
WITH…
 People are always communicating

 The meaning intended by the sender is never
exactly the message gotten by the receiver
 We can help to overcome barriers to
communication by being aware of them
 Verbal and non-verbal communication is
important in sending our messages


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 What communication is?

 Provide a basic overview of

Communication is defined as the

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

Three are four aspects in all

 Sometimes when we communicate we

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

 Someone from another department calls. He

 The meaning of “asap” change from “in a

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

As the Manager As Purchasing As Marketing

As the Art Dept. As the Supervisor What the Employee

 Share our ideas and opinions

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

We communicate and build interpersonal relationships

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

In person: meetings, small groups

In person: presentations, large groups

Letter, Memo, Note

Email, Voice mail

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

 To determine the best medium for your

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

 How would you communicate…

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

 Some common barriers to interpersonal

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

 Additional common barriers to interpersonal

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

 State an opinion or position

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

 Your own shyness

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

React “I understand your concern about parking”.

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

 Find out facts and details

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

The philosopher Epictetus stressed

“Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

 Close end questions

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

Direct question “Which topics were listed on the meeting agenda”?

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

 Someone asks for your opinion

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

 Separating the person from the problem

 Not having all the facts

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

Body language includes…

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

 Focus is your eye contact with others

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL

BASSEM EL AHMAR / EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL