It is now an accepted fact that degree alone does not guarantee success. What do you think is the most important quality for someone who wants to become a business leader?If you think that it is the ability to communicate, you are on the correct track. In fact, communication skills with people at all levels, of both genders, and from a variety of cultures and backgrounds help being pace-setters. In the old-style hierarchical, authoritarian setting, communication is relatively simple. The top person tells the underlings to jump,and the underlings need only ask, “How high?”
In a modern organisation, communication requires more finesse for the following reasons:
• The leader is not a transmitter of commands but a creator of motivational environments.
• The workers are not robots responding to switches and levers, but thinking individuals pouring their ingenuity into the corporate purpose.
•The corporate ideal is not mechanical stability, but dynamic,innovative, continuous change.
The leader who cannot communicate fails to create the conditions that motivate. The organisation that cannot communicate cannot change, and the corporation that cannot change is dead.
The good news is that anyone can become an effective communicator. The door to effective communication will open to anyone who uses the following five keys: desire,understanding, mastering basic skills, practice and patience.
Let us explain each one of these.
•Desire
It is a common experience that infants have an inborn desire to communicate. And this desire enables them to pick up words quickly and to enlarge their vocabularies continuously. The same kind of desire can enable you to enlarge your stock of words and improve your skill in employing them. Demosthenes, the Greek orator, had a desire to achieve eloquence after he was hissed and booed off the platform in Athens. He cultivated the art of speech writing, then went to the shores of the Aegean Sea, where he strengthened his voice by shouting into the wind for hours at a time. To improve his diction, he practiced speaking with pebbles in his mouth. To overcome his fear, he practiced with a sword hanging over his head. To clarify his presentation, he studied the techniques of the masters. Today, more than 2,000 years later, the name Demosthenes is synonymous with oratorical eloquence. Similarly, singers, athletes, players who wish to excel practice for several hours every day.
•Understanding the Process
Reduced to basics, communication consists of sending and receiving messages. Language is the primary conveyer of thoughts and ideas. It turns abstract concepts into words that symbolise those thoughts. Those words take the form of spoken sounds or written symbols.
if the mind can immediately translate the sounds and symbols into mental pictures, communication becomes very vivid and meaningful. If I say “I want a desk for my office,” my listener has only a vague and general idea of what I want.If I say “I want a brown walnut desk,” the listener has a more vivid mental picture.The more skillful you become at conveying images, the more effective your communication will be.
• Mastering the Basic SkillsSome people think that the first requisite for good communication is an exhaustive vocabulary and it is impossible to communicate well without first absorbing a heavy dose of grammar, then memorising a dictionary of English usage. Words and grammar are important.And yes, it helps to know which words and expressions are considered standard among educated people. But slavish allegiance to the rules of grammar can actually impede communication. The most important rule of communication is:Make it clear and understandable. Use words which are within the vocabularies of the people you are trying to communicate with.
•Practice makes a person perfect. Sachin Tendulkar, H.S. Rathore, Jaspal Rana, P.T. Usha, Lata Mangeshkar, S.D. Burman, Kapil Dev achieved excellence in their respective areas because they practiced for hours every day. A master musician may practice upto eight hours every day. While most people are content to become reasonably good at what they do, only a few invest the extra effort to become superb.To become superb, you have to practice. It is not enough to know what it takes to connect with people, to influence their behaviour, to create a motivational environment for them, to help them to identify with your message. The techniques of communication have to become part of your daily activity, so that they are as natural to you as swimming is to a duck. The more you practice these techniques, the easier you will find it to connect with people, whether you are dealing with individuals one- on-one or with a group of thousands.
•Patience
To become a polished, inspirational communicator, one needs patience, apart from practice, desire, etc. You must have realised that as years passed by, your understanding of people and processes at work in your organisation improved. So acquiring skills of a communicator requires constant, careful, loving attention to the craft.
You can use these five keys to effective communication in many settings, under a variety of circumstances. You can be a virtuoso at inspiring your work force, at negotiating business deals, at marketing your products and at building a positive corporate image. All these are important communication skills. But always remember: Whatever communication task you undertake, your objective is to connect with people.
Writing Effectively
Management Guru Peter Drucker claims that more than 60% of all manage ment problems result from breakdowns in communications. A major study by the Rockefeller Foundation found that 68% of the customers who quit buying from their regular suppliers do so because employees fail to communicate effectively with those customers. Efficiency experts claim that at least 40% of Communication the average worker’s time is spent doing tasks that are either unnecessary or have to be done again Skills and because they were not done according to instructions. So, the ability to communicate with Motivation precision has a tremendous impact on the bottom line. One way to communicate precisely is to put it in writing.
You can multiply your influence by learning the techniques of forceful writing. High- powered writers learn to focus words the way a laser beam focuses light. Some pertinent guidelines for forceful writing are:
• Focus your objective. What is the purpose of the material you want to write? Writing can help you achieve the five I’s: It can inform, inquire, influence, instruct and incite.
• Focus your audience. Written materials such as reports and brochures can be valuable positioning tools. They should be written with a specific audience in mind – the audience you wish to influence to buy your products or services.
• Focus your content. Make sure that your message is the right message for the right audience. Do not let unnecessary ideas intrude on your princi pal message.Therefore, “a sentence should contain no unnecessary words and, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences”.
• Focus your clarity. Some writers think they can hide fuzzy thinking by burying it under a mass of words. To have impact, ideas must be ex pressed precisely and concisely. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address required only 275 words, and 196 of them were of one syllable.
• Focus your refinement. Perfection rarely emerges from the first draft. All self- learning materials are reviewed, revised and edited before being sent to print. Such refinements help us to bring in greater clarity.Be your own toughest editor, but do not stop there. Let others read what you have written before you submit it to your audience. You know what you meant, but you cannot know how others might interpret it until others have read it.
•Focus your results. Unless results are built in, they do not happen. Good writing always does four things:
– It creates a feeling.
– It gives an idea.
– It gives the reader a benefit.
–It produces a desired response.
Some techniques for clear writing include the following:
•Get your thinking straight.
All communication begins with thoughts. In fact, thoughts are the vehicles 56through which you communicate with yourself. Before you communicate your thoughts to the outside world, organise them. Think about the things you want to say. What is the most important point? What facts, data or arguments do you need to support this point? Organise your points in the order of importance, along with supporting points. Then decide upon an effective, attention-getting introduction.Next, present your material in the order of importance. Conclude by summarising the material or telling your readers how you want them to respond to it.
•Write exactly what you mean.
In face-to-face communication, physically or electronically, the speaker can receive immediate feedback from the listener. In written communication, the feedback is not immediate. In fact, you may receive no feedback. So you must get your point across accurately the first time, or your communication is futile.
•Get to the point.
If you are writing a letter to ask for an appointment, ask for it in the opening paragraph. If you want more information, request it. If you want someone to buy something, ask for the order.
In a modern organisation, communication requires more finesse for the following reasons:
• The leader is not a transmitter of commands but a creator of motivational environments.
• The workers are not robots responding to switches and levers, but thinking individuals pouring their ingenuity into the corporate purpose.
•The corporate ideal is not mechanical stability, but dynamic,innovative, continuous change.
The leader who cannot communicate fails to create the conditions that motivate. The organisation that cannot communicate cannot change, and the corporation that cannot change is dead.
The good news is that anyone can become an effective communicator. The door to effective communication will open to anyone who uses the following five keys: desire,understanding, mastering basic skills, practice and patience.
Let us explain each one of these.
•Desire
It is a common experience that infants have an inborn desire to communicate. And this desire enables them to pick up words quickly and to enlarge their vocabularies continuously. The same kind of desire can enable you to enlarge your stock of words and improve your skill in employing them. Demosthenes, the Greek orator, had a desire to achieve eloquence after he was hissed and booed off the platform in Athens. He cultivated the art of speech writing, then went to the shores of the Aegean Sea, where he strengthened his voice by shouting into the wind for hours at a time. To improve his diction, he practiced speaking with pebbles in his mouth. To overcome his fear, he practiced with a sword hanging over his head. To clarify his presentation, he studied the techniques of the masters. Today, more than 2,000 years later, the name Demosthenes is synonymous with oratorical eloquence. Similarly, singers, athletes, players who wish to excel practice for several hours every day.
•Understanding the Process
Reduced to basics, communication consists of sending and receiving messages. Language is the primary conveyer of thoughts and ideas. It turns abstract concepts into words that symbolise those thoughts. Those words take the form of spoken sounds or written symbols.
if the mind can immediately translate the sounds and symbols into mental pictures, communication becomes very vivid and meaningful. If I say “I want a desk for my office,” my listener has only a vague and general idea of what I want.If I say “I want a brown walnut desk,” the listener has a more vivid mental picture.The more skillful you become at conveying images, the more effective your communication will be.
• Mastering the Basic SkillsSome people think that the first requisite for good communication is an exhaustive vocabulary and it is impossible to communicate well without first absorbing a heavy dose of grammar, then memorising a dictionary of English usage. Words and grammar are important.And yes, it helps to know which words and expressions are considered standard among educated people. But slavish allegiance to the rules of grammar can actually impede communication. The most important rule of communication is:Make it clear and understandable. Use words which are within the vocabularies of the people you are trying to communicate with.
•Practice makes a person perfect. Sachin Tendulkar, H.S. Rathore, Jaspal Rana, P.T. Usha, Lata Mangeshkar, S.D. Burman, Kapil Dev achieved excellence in their respective areas because they practiced for hours every day. A master musician may practice upto eight hours every day. While most people are content to become reasonably good at what they do, only a few invest the extra effort to become superb.To become superb, you have to practice. It is not enough to know what it takes to connect with people, to influence their behaviour, to create a motivational environment for them, to help them to identify with your message. The techniques of communication have to become part of your daily activity, so that they are as natural to you as swimming is to a duck. The more you practice these techniques, the easier you will find it to connect with people, whether you are dealing with individuals one- on-one or with a group of thousands.
•Patience
To become a polished, inspirational communicator, one needs patience, apart from practice, desire, etc. You must have realised that as years passed by, your understanding of people and processes at work in your organisation improved. So acquiring skills of a communicator requires constant, careful, loving attention to the craft.
You can use these five keys to effective communication in many settings, under a variety of circumstances. You can be a virtuoso at inspiring your work force, at negotiating business deals, at marketing your products and at building a positive corporate image. All these are important communication skills. But always remember: Whatever communication task you undertake, your objective is to connect with people.
Writing Effectively
Management Guru Peter Drucker claims that more than 60% of all manage ment problems result from breakdowns in communications. A major study by the Rockefeller Foundation found that 68% of the customers who quit buying from their regular suppliers do so because employees fail to communicate effectively with those customers. Efficiency experts claim that at least 40% of Communication the average worker’s time is spent doing tasks that are either unnecessary or have to be done again Skills and because they were not done according to instructions. So, the ability to communicate with Motivation precision has a tremendous impact on the bottom line. One way to communicate precisely is to put it in writing.
You can multiply your influence by learning the techniques of forceful writing. High- powered writers learn to focus words the way a laser beam focuses light. Some pertinent guidelines for forceful writing are:
• Focus your objective. What is the purpose of the material you want to write? Writing can help you achieve the five I’s: It can inform, inquire, influence, instruct and incite.
• Focus your audience. Written materials such as reports and brochures can be valuable positioning tools. They should be written with a specific audience in mind – the audience you wish to influence to buy your products or services.
• Focus your content. Make sure that your message is the right message for the right audience. Do not let unnecessary ideas intrude on your princi pal message.Therefore, “a sentence should contain no unnecessary words and, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences”.
• Focus your clarity. Some writers think they can hide fuzzy thinking by burying it under a mass of words. To have impact, ideas must be ex pressed precisely and concisely. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address required only 275 words, and 196 of them were of one syllable.
• Focus your refinement. Perfection rarely emerges from the first draft. All self- learning materials are reviewed, revised and edited before being sent to print. Such refinements help us to bring in greater clarity.Be your own toughest editor, but do not stop there. Let others read what you have written before you submit it to your audience. You know what you meant, but you cannot know how others might interpret it until others have read it.
•Focus your results. Unless results are built in, they do not happen. Good writing always does four things:
– It creates a feeling.
– It gives an idea.
– It gives the reader a benefit.
–It produces a desired response.
Some techniques for clear writing include the following:
•Get your thinking straight.
All communication begins with thoughts. In fact, thoughts are the vehicles 56through which you communicate with yourself. Before you communicate your thoughts to the outside world, organise them. Think about the things you want to say. What is the most important point? What facts, data or arguments do you need to support this point? Organise your points in the order of importance, along with supporting points. Then decide upon an effective, attention-getting introduction.Next, present your material in the order of importance. Conclude by summarising the material or telling your readers how you want them to respond to it.
•Write exactly what you mean.
In face-to-face communication, physically or electronically, the speaker can receive immediate feedback from the listener. In written communication, the feedback is not immediate. In fact, you may receive no feedback. So you must get your point across accurately the first time, or your communication is futile.
•Get to the point.
If you are writing a letter to ask for an appointment, ask for it in the opening paragraph. If you want more information, request it. If you want someone to buy something, ask for the order.
•Be concise.
Do not waste words. Keep sentences and paragraphs short and simple. Always use the shortest and most familiar words. Do not endeavour when you can try. Do not finalise when you can finish. Do not utilise an instrument for manual excavation when you can dig with a shovel.To quote Winston Churchill, one of the great masters of language, “Short words are best, and the old words when short are the best of all.”
•Be real.
Each one of us has a personality, a blending of traits, thought patterns and mannerisms– which can aid us in communicating clearly. Be natural, and let the real you come through. Do not try to write like a Harvard scholar unless you really are one. Do not try to imitate street language unless it comes naturally to you.
•Use images: A picture is worth a thousand words.
Normally we form a mental picture of the event we are thinking about. A good example is the line that once divided the Communist world from the Free World. It was just another political boundary until Churchill called it the “Iron Curtain.” That gave it a powerful image that made clear its true nature.When you have an abstract idea of something you want to express, try to think of something familiar to relate to it. Make sure it is familiar to you and to your audience. One writer, explaining the working of a nuclear reactor,Communication likened the nucleus of an atom to a rack of balls on a pool table, ready to fly apart when struck by a Skills and
speeding cue ball. Instructors in problem-solving like to compare knotty problems to logjams,Motivation which can be broken by finding and releasing the key log.
Having good communication skills is not optional; it is essential to success in every field of activity today. To produce and market the products and services to support the billions of people who now inhabit the earth requires a level of communication undreamt of in previous centuries. When the quality of your product depends upon the collective efforts of dozens, hundreds or thousands of individuals, communication becomes the lifeblood of your enterprise.In fact, communication is at the heart of everything we do. It is the foundation for interaction among human beings. Communication has to do with meanings, with understandings, with feelings, with desires, with needs and with ideas. But the greatest need is for understanding – for building bridges between human beings so that we can live together, work together, get along with each other, today and tomorrow.It is easy to think of communication as a process of sending messages. But sending is only half the process. Receiving is the other half. So at the appropriate time, we have to stop sending and prepare to receive.
• Listening Pays: Listening pays off daily in the world of business. Smart salespeople have learned that you can talk your way out of a sale, but you can listen your way into one. They listen to their customers to find out what their needs are, then concentrate on filling those needs. Skilled negotiators know that no progess can be made until they have heard and understood what the otherside wants.
• Listening requires Thought and Care: Listening, like speaking and writing, requires thought and care. If you don’t concentrate on listening, you won’t learn much of what you learn. Some experts claim that professionals earn be tween 40% and 80% of their pay by listening. Yet, most of us retain only 25% of what we hear.If you can increase your retention and your comprehension, you can increase your effectiveness in the 21st century’s Age of Information.
• Listen With Your Eyes: If you listen only with your ears, you are missing outon much of the message. Good listeners keep their eyes open whil listening. Look for fellings. The face is an eloquent communication medium. Learn to read its massages. While the speaker is delivering a verbal message, the face cna be saying, “I am serious,” “Just kidding,” “It pains me to be telling you this,” or “This gives me great pleasure.”The following are some non-verbal signals to watch for:Rubbing one’s eye: When your hear “I guess you are right,” and the speaker is rubbing one eye, guess again. Rubbing one eye often is a signal that the speaker is having trouble inwardly accepting something.Tapping feet: When a statement is accompanied by foot-tapping, it usually indicates a lack of confidence in what is being said.
Rubbing fingers: When you see the thumb and forefinger rubbing together,it ofter means that the speaker is holding something back.
Staring and blinking: If you have made your best offer nad the other person stares at ceiling nad blinks repidly, your offer is under consideration.
Crooked smiles: Most genuine smiles are symmetrical. And most facial experessions are fleeting. If a smile is noticeable crooked, you are probably lokking at a fake smile.
Eyes that avoid contact: Poor eye contact can be sign of low self-esteem, but it can also indicate that the speaker is not being truthful.It would be unwise to make a decision based solely on these visible signals. But they can give you valuable tips on the kind of questions to ask and the kind of answers to be alert for.
Remember: Good Listeners Make Things Easy. People who are poor listeners will find few who are willing to come to them with useful information.
Communicating Silently
The face and eyes are eloquent message conveyers. Someone has estimated that humans are capable of 20,000 different facial expressions. How do you measure up?The most pleasant, and usually the most advantageous, is a smile. It is always more pleasant to deal with people who smile than with those who frown.The eye is “the light of the body.” The unvoiced testimony it offers is often the most eloquent. Most people interpret a firm, steady gaze as a sign of sincerity. Darting, shifty eyes are interpreted as signs of untrustworthiness. A quick wink can convey a secret message silently across a crowded room. A coquettish look can set a heart fluttering. The ability to look someone in the eye is a sign of high self-esteem. When children fib to their parents, they usually look at the floor. It is hard to have self-esteem while you are telling a lie. Steady eye contact is also a sign of assertiveness. People who consistently avoid the eyes of those to whom they speak are inviting others to treat them as doormats.
Sometimes, angry conversation leads to mutual glares in which each party tries to outstare the other. If you find your eyes locked in a stare with an angry customer, it is okay to break contact first. In fact, one theory holds that the dominant person will break contact first, since the dominant person takes the lead in all things.The next two boxes describe the different kinds of communicators.
Box : Unproductive Communicators
Unproductive Communicators
The Fog Maker:
Keeps people guessing about what’s expected, how well they’re doing and, what’s going to happen.
Figures the fuzzier the instructions the easier it is to find some reason to blame workers.
The Exterminator: Motto is, “Come on, make my day!”.
Tells people to do it or get fires.
The God-Player:
Uses phrases like, “Any idiot ought to know better than that!”
Whatever people do is not good enough.
The Social Often asks, “Is everybody happy?’.
director: Assumes personal responsibility for everyone’s problems.
The Do-It- Believes that, if you want something done right, you have to
Yourselfer: do it yourself.
The Carrom Shooter:Never talks directly to anyone.
Takes pot shots at one employee through another.
The Old-Timer:
The Paper
Hanger:
The Prosecutor:
Often laments, “I remember when people used to work for a living.”
At every suggestion, replies, “That’s not the way we’ve always done it.”
Doesn’t process paperwork; just shuffles papers.
Motto is: “I know it’s in here, somewhere.”
Publicly and loudly attacks anybody who errs.
Assumes everybody’s guilty until proven innocent.
The Wimp:
Afraid to confront anybody.
Hates everybody but wouldn’t dare tell them.
Unproductive Communicators
The Fog Maker:
Keeps people guessing about what’s expected, how well they’re doing and, what’s going to happen.
Figures the fuzzier the instructions the easier it is to find some reason to blame workers.
The Exterminator: Motto is, “Come on, make my day!”.
Tells people to do it or get fires.
The God-Player:
Uses phrases like, “Any idiot ought to know better than that!”
Whatever people do is not good enough.
The Social Often asks, “Is everybody happy?’.
director: Assumes personal responsibility for everyone’s problems.
The Do-It- Believes that, if you want something done right, you have to
Yourselfer: do it yourself.
The Carrom Shooter:Never talks directly to anyone.
Takes pot shots at one employee through another.
The Old-Timer:
The Paper
Hanger:
The Prosecutor:
Often laments, “I remember when people used to work for a living.”
At every suggestion, replies, “That’s not the way we’ve always done it.”
Doesn’t process paperwork; just shuffles papers.
Motto is: “I know it’s in here, somewhere.”
Publicly and loudly attacks anybody who errs.
Assumes everybody’s guilty until proven innocent.
The Wimp:
Afraid to confront anybody.
Hates everybody but wouldn’t dare tell them.
Box : Productive Communicators Productive Communicators
The Facilitator:
Makes it easy for people to do their jobs.
Uses key log technique to solve problems.
The Enabler:
Teaches people how and why, not just what.
Keeps interference to a minimum.
The Empowerer: Generates enthusiasm.
Helps people discover better ways.
The Guide:
Sets a good example.
Leads people to peak performance.
The Encourager: Helps people believe in themselves.
Lifts people when they feel down, but without assuming responsibility for their problems.
The Complimenter: Tries to catch people doing something right.
Gives compliments in public; criticizes only in private.
The Peacemaker: Works constructively to settle disputes.
Serves as an advocate to both management and workers.
The Communicator: Listens responsively.
Keeps constant dialogue going.
The Challenger: Shows people their potential, without highlighting their failures.
Rewards people for their progress.
The Evaluator:
Makes clear what is expected.
Inspects results.
Lets people know exactly where they stand. ‘
Avoiding Communication Barriers
Successful salespeople learn to recognise and overcome barriers to communication.There are two types of such barriers: those arising from the environment and those stemming from the listener’s resistance. We now discuss these.
A. Environmental Barriers
The environmental barriers include:
• Distractions,
• Disturbances,
• Diversions, and
• Discomfort
When you are communicating with an individual, s/he deserves your full attention.Choose a time and a place that will minimise interruptions. If you are meeting in your office during business hours, have your secretary hold telephone calls, or useyour telephone answering device for the duration of the conversation. Many executives set aside certain times of the day during which they will receive telephone calls and unscheduled visitors. The rest of the time, they reserve for creative thinking, strategic planning, decision-making and other duties of leadership.
When disturbances do occur, try not to talk over them. If the disturbance is obviously temporary, suspend the conversation until the interruption is past. If it is obviously going to be prolonged, try to reschedule the conversation for a more favourable time.Finally, pay attention to comfort, and avoid audience discomfort. Stay away from settings that are uncomfortable. Nobody can concentrate while in a state of discomfort. And if the person you need to communicate with is ill, injured or going through some emotional trauma, it is best to reschedule the conversation.Otherwise, you are going up against impossible barriers to communication.Monitoring the environment is the task of any person who wishes to communicate,whether as a company leader, a salesperson, a manager, or a letter writer. You just cannot ignore such barriers. To do so is to give up and let the competing voices have your audience. If people are distracted or interrupted, or they feel uncomfortable, they are not likely to tune you in completely, understand your message thoroughly, or respond to you positively.
B. Audience Resistance
Barriers resulting from audience resistance fall into two categories: external factors that cause people to tune you out, and internal factors that prevent them from giving you their complete attention.
External Factors
People often form first impressions on the basis of external factors. If the first impression is negative, you will not get the person’s attention. Look for characteristics of dress, speech and actions that may be turning peopleoff. If your dress is too casual, frivolous or distracting, you may be losing listeners.If your voice is strident, shrill or guttural, people may find you unpleasant to listen to. In certain areas, regional accents may turn people off. If you speak with a pronounced regional accent and are doing business in a region where that accent is not commonly heard, you may have to look for ways to overcome this barrier. You may want to work on acquiring a more generic accent. Or you may want to spend some time cultivating the person’s confidence.
People have a way of erecting defence mechanisms and emotional barriers when they feel threatened by what you are saying or by the way you are saying it. Studies have repeatedly shown that people, like other creatures, feel protective of their territories. Invade those turfs, or act in a threatening manner, and you will be sure to turn off their attention. When your task is to deliver an unpleasant message or to persuade your listener to take some unpleasant action, look for ways to neutralise the negatives and to reassure the person who feels threatened.
Keep It Simple
The most important thing you can do to make sure that you are understood is to keep your communication simple. People do not like to be led through a maze of words and mental meanderings before they reach the main point of your message.The high art of plain talk is simply saying something so that it can be understood. On this note, we end the discussion and summarise the main points.
• Effective communication in an organisation is important for its growth and success. Communication is both ways, viz., top to bottom and bottom to top. The players in the communication must learn how best to communi cate to their seniors as well as to their juniors.
• Communication is at the heart of everything we do. It is the foundation for interaction among human beings. Communication has to do with meanings, with understandings, with feelings, with desires, with needs and with ideas. Our world is filled with information.But the greatest need is for understanding – for building bridges between human beings so we can better live together, work together, get along with each other, and make this earth the best possible home for the human race.
The Facilitator:
Makes it easy for people to do their jobs.
Uses key log technique to solve problems.
The Enabler:
Teaches people how and why, not just what.
Keeps interference to a minimum.
The Empowerer: Generates enthusiasm.
Helps people discover better ways.
The Guide:
Sets a good example.
Leads people to peak performance.
The Encourager: Helps people believe in themselves.
Lifts people when they feel down, but without assuming responsibility for their problems.
The Complimenter: Tries to catch people doing something right.
Gives compliments in public; criticizes only in private.
The Peacemaker: Works constructively to settle disputes.
Serves as an advocate to both management and workers.
The Communicator: Listens responsively.
Keeps constant dialogue going.
The Challenger: Shows people their potential, without highlighting their failures.
Rewards people for their progress.
The Evaluator:
Makes clear what is expected.
Inspects results.
Lets people know exactly where they stand. ‘
Avoiding Communication Barriers
Successful salespeople learn to recognise and overcome barriers to communication.There are two types of such barriers: those arising from the environment and those stemming from the listener’s resistance. We now discuss these.
A. Environmental Barriers
The environmental barriers include:
• Distractions,
• Disturbances,
• Diversions, and
• Discomfort
When you are communicating with an individual, s/he deserves your full attention.Choose a time and a place that will minimise interruptions. If you are meeting in your office during business hours, have your secretary hold telephone calls, or useyour telephone answering device for the duration of the conversation. Many executives set aside certain times of the day during which they will receive telephone calls and unscheduled visitors. The rest of the time, they reserve for creative thinking, strategic planning, decision-making and other duties of leadership.
When disturbances do occur, try not to talk over them. If the disturbance is obviously temporary, suspend the conversation until the interruption is past. If it is obviously going to be prolonged, try to reschedule the conversation for a more favourable time.Finally, pay attention to comfort, and avoid audience discomfort. Stay away from settings that are uncomfortable. Nobody can concentrate while in a state of discomfort. And if the person you need to communicate with is ill, injured or going through some emotional trauma, it is best to reschedule the conversation.Otherwise, you are going up against impossible barriers to communication.Monitoring the environment is the task of any person who wishes to communicate,whether as a company leader, a salesperson, a manager, or a letter writer. You just cannot ignore such barriers. To do so is to give up and let the competing voices have your audience. If people are distracted or interrupted, or they feel uncomfortable, they are not likely to tune you in completely, understand your message thoroughly, or respond to you positively.
B. Audience Resistance
Barriers resulting from audience resistance fall into two categories: external factors that cause people to tune you out, and internal factors that prevent them from giving you their complete attention.
External Factors
People often form first impressions on the basis of external factors. If the first impression is negative, you will not get the person’s attention. Look for characteristics of dress, speech and actions that may be turning peopleoff. If your dress is too casual, frivolous or distracting, you may be losing listeners.If your voice is strident, shrill or guttural, people may find you unpleasant to listen to. In certain areas, regional accents may turn people off. If you speak with a pronounced regional accent and are doing business in a region where that accent is not commonly heard, you may have to look for ways to overcome this barrier. You may want to work on acquiring a more generic accent. Or you may want to spend some time cultivating the person’s confidence.
People have a way of erecting defence mechanisms and emotional barriers when they feel threatened by what you are saying or by the way you are saying it. Studies have repeatedly shown that people, like other creatures, feel protective of their territories. Invade those turfs, or act in a threatening manner, and you will be sure to turn off their attention. When your task is to deliver an unpleasant message or to persuade your listener to take some unpleasant action, look for ways to neutralise the negatives and to reassure the person who feels threatened.
Keep It Simple
The most important thing you can do to make sure that you are understood is to keep your communication simple. People do not like to be led through a maze of words and mental meanderings before they reach the main point of your message.The high art of plain talk is simply saying something so that it can be understood. On this note, we end the discussion and summarise the main points.
• Effective communication in an organisation is important for its growth and success. Communication is both ways, viz., top to bottom and bottom to top. The players in the communication must learn how best to communi cate to their seniors as well as to their juniors.
• Communication is at the heart of everything we do. It is the foundation for interaction among human beings. Communication has to do with meanings, with understandings, with feelings, with desires, with needs and with ideas. Our world is filled with information.But the greatest need is for understanding – for building bridges between human beings so we can better live together, work together, get along with each other, and make this earth the best possible home for the human race.
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