Effective Communications At Work

1. Effective Communications At Work Shrimal Jayathilake

2. OVERVIEW OF SESSION • TYPES OF COMMUNICATIONS • TIPS ON HOW TO BE EFFECTIVE WHEN COMMUNICATING Shrimal Jayathilake

3. “Communication is not a mysterious process.It takes place when the ideas from your mind are transferred to another’s and arrive intact, complete, and coherent” “Make Presentations with Confidence,” Barron’s Shrimal Jayathilake

4. FACTOID The average employee receives about 190 communications a day by paper, voicemail, email, phone, etc. from a Pitney-Bowes survey Shrimal Jayathilake

5. FACE-TO-FACE MEETINGS WRITTEN ELECTRONIC (EMAIL) TELEPHONE (VOICEMAIL) TYPES OF COMMUNICATION Shrimal Jayathilake

6. FACE-TO-FACE Most people prefer to get information face-to-face, especially from their immediate supervisor Shrimal Jayathilake

7. The Benefits(face-to-face) • Opens two-way communication • Allows for immediate response to questions, misinterpretations, feedback, etc. • Takes advantage of voice and body language Shrimal Jayathilake

8. The Challenges (face-to-face) • Use in-person communication when you have to share information that will affect the audience • Use for performance evaluations and feedback • Use when the information being communicated needs immediate attention • Be prepared to answer questions directly and immediately Shrimal Jayathilake

9. The Do’s and Don’ts (face-to-face) • DO -- give people your undivided attention -- listen, really listen, give full attention • DO -- give people honest, direct and comprehensive information • DO -- treat people’s ideas and concerns as critical and serious - EMPOWER THEM Shrimal Jayathilake

10. Face-to-Face cont….. • DON’T -- tell people “what”, tell them “why, how, and the larger picture” • DON’T -- make the conversation one-way. Invite responses -- discuss and debate • DON’T -- answer the phone or take a call when someone is in your office Shrimal Jayathilake

11. Face-to-Face cont... • DON’T -- wait too long to ask for (or to give) feedback, gather information immediately • DON’T -- hold back bad news. Treat people as intelligent adults, they want to hear the truth Shrimal Jayathilake

12. Communication is not over when you finish delivering your message Shrimal Jayathilake

13. Types of Meetings • Executive Briefing • Informational • Meeting with a Sponsor (e.g. Site Visit) • Staff Meeting • Team-building • Informal • Others... Let’s Meet Shrimal Jayathilake

14. Why Meet? The primary reason for meetings are to share or brainstorm information or to develop action steps toward accomplishing a goal Shrimal Jayathilake

15. Making Meetings Work 1. Make an agenda and stick to it. Send it out before the meeting, if possible 2. Be clear about the reasons for and goals of the meeting 3. Have a facilitator -- either a professional or ask someone at the meeting to step into this role Shrimal Jayathilake

16. Making Meetings Work cont.… 4. Watch the time -- do not overrun -- keep the agenda flowing 5. Add humor, allow for laughter, have fun -- it makes for a much more productive meeting 6. Allow for conflict but deal with it immediately Shrimal Jayathilake

17. Making Meetings Work cont…. 7. Maintain control of the meeting at all times. Don’t get off track 8. Eliminate attendees’ behaviors that are disruptive 9. Allow for questions, be prepared to answer them 10. Wrap the meeting up with what was accomplished and action items Shrimal Jayathilake

18. Meeting “Killers” -- why they fail • Poor Preparation • Ignored agenda • Poor time management • Lack of participation • Strong personalities • Lack of leadership • Lack of humor and fun • No/poor closing Shrimal Jayathilake

19. The only thing worse than a bad meeting is a great presentation that could have been sent as a memo Shrimal Jayathilake

20. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION • MEMOS • REPORTS • BULLETINS • LETTERS • NEWSLETTERS • HANDWRITTEN NOTES Shrimal Jayathilake

21. The Benefits (written) • Creates a permanent record • Allows you to store information for future reference • Easily distributed • All recipients receive the same information • Necessary for legal and binding documentation Shrimal Jayathilake

22. The Challenges (written) • May seem extremely formal -- use handwritten notes when it is to be personalized • Must be well written, straightforward and concise • Written communications are usually not read right away Shrimal Jayathilake

23. DO’s and DON’Ts (written) • DO -- realize it is not read as soon as it is received • DO -- make sure that there is enough time to prepare and send, and for the recipient to receive and digest • DO -- assess writing skills, if poor -- get help Shrimal Jayathilake

24. Do’s and Don’ts… (written) cont... • DO -- outline key points before producing a draft • DO -- always draft a written piece and then reduce all unnecessary language -- be brief • DO -- proof-read very carefully before any document is distributed Shrimal Jayathilake

25. Do’s and Don’ts (written) cont... • DON’T -- use this form of communication if writing is full of errors -- this reflects poorly on the writer • DON’T -- use if communication is time sensitive. If immediate feedback is necessary -- use email Shrimal Jayathilake

26. Is it clear? Have you hit your target? In written communication most confusion & frustration are caused by failing to be specific ….. Make it clear, brief and concise….. Shrimal Jayathilake

27. THE PROBLEM WITH COMMUNICATION IS “the illusion that it has been accomplished” George Bernard Shaw Shrimal Jayathilake

28. EMAIL Email is now the dominant method of communicating in business. It is quick, inexpensive, flexible and convenient Shrimal Jayathilake

29. But it could be a time-bomb USEWITH CARE…. Shrimal Jayathilake

30. The Benefits (email) • Can be sent and received any time • Very time effective, can be sent and received within seconds • Cost effective -- no paper, no stamps, no costs -- yet(?) • Allows for direct access to others • Messages can be saved and stored Shrimal Jayathilake

31. The Benefits (email)cont... • Convenient for communicating with people in different places and different time zones • Easier to communicate with people who understand written English but don’t speak it well • Excellent mechanism for follow-up or action items after a meeting Shrimal Jayathilake

32. The Challenges (email) • Not everyone has an email account or access to email at all times • Email etiquette -- no standards -- people make up own styles, can be very confusing • Email is not confidential -- emails can be obtained from central network even if deleted from personal computers Shrimal Jayathilake

33. The Challenges (email)cont... • Email is too often used to distribute inappropriate material, such as racial and gender jokes • Email is too often used to avoid confrontation and can be easily misinterpreted Shrimal Jayathilake

34. The Challenges(email) cont... • Email is often sent out without re-reading, proof-reading and other standards applied to written communications. We press the send button too soon… • Emails can be forwarded and sent to others without the author’s approval or knowledge Shrimal Jayathilake

35. The Challenges (email) cont... • Emails are often casual and informal -- this can create a potential hazard • Senders often assume that email is read immediately which can create problems Shrimal Jayathilake

36. Do’s and Don’ts (email) • DO -- always begin your email with a salutation and the person’s name -- a date is a good idea as well • DO -- always close the email with a closing sentence and your name • DO -- in the subject line write a brief and clear reference to your topic Shrimal Jayathilake

37. Do’s and Don’ts(email)cont... • DO -- consider the order of the recipients -- be sensitive to organizational hierarchy • DO -- limit the number of attachments • DO -- consider the purpose of the email -- why is it being written in the first place? • DO -- consider alternatives -- phone, voice mail, note, etc. can be more appropriate Shrimal Jayathilake

38. Do’s and Don’ts (email)cont... • DON’T -- Send the entire email when replying. Only send the part that is essential • DON’T -- Be too blunt -- email is the coldest form of communications. Watch the tone. Be friendly but polite • DON’T -- Write an email longer than two screens -- it probably won’t be read Shrimal Jayathilake

39. Do’s and Don’ts(email)cont... • DON’T -- use “CAPS” for emphasis in the body of the email. It looks and “sounds” angry • DON’T -- use an automatic signature with every email. Use only in your initial email, not when replying to a message Shrimal Jayathilake

40. The biggest difference in the quality of your email messages is made by you Shrimal Jayathilake

41. Telephone and Voicemail • Most employees have access to a phone (and voicemail) • Using a telephone can be spontaneous and often friendly Shrimal Jayathilake

42. Benefits (telephone/voicemail) • Immediate access to audience • Communication is direct and timely • Takes advantage of tone of voice and language • Allows for immediate response to questions, feedback, etc. Shrimal Jayathilake

43. Challenges (telephone/voicemail) • Too spontaneous, might not be ready to have a conversation • Not prepared when a call is received but take it anyway • Can’t reach party in time to relay information • Not everyone has voicemail Shrimal Jayathilake

44. Tips for telephone & voicemail • Let your voicemail speak for you (don’t have someone else record your message) • Record a daily greeting - let callers know when you are available • When leaving a voicemail message tell the person what you want and how they should reply to you Shrimal Jayathilake

45. Tips (telephone/voicemail) cont... • Leave your name and phone number at the beginning of the voicemail message not at the end • Before placing a call write down key points you want to cover • Give undivided attention when speaking on the phone Shrimal Jayathilake

46. Tips (telephone/voicemail) cont... • Try to return calls immediately, if someone is calling -- it must be important to them • Avoid calling when angry, be friendly and helpful Shrimal Jayathilake

47. FACTOID 55% of what people perceive of others comes from body language and facial expressions 38% comes from tone of voice 7% is based on the actual words people use Shrimal Jayathilake

48. Final ThoughtsA person’s competence and a person’s effectiveness are based on their ability to communicate effectivelyCompetence isn’t the problem --How you Communicate is Shrimal Jayathilake

49. Seymoure & Shervington, “Essential Managers, Maximizing Performance”, DK Publishing, Inc. Boylan, “What’s Your Point?”, Adams Media Corporation Ivy Sea Online, “Interpersonal Communication Quick Tips” http://www.Ivysea.com “Writing Professional E-Mail Messages”, compositioncafe. http://www.compositioncafe.com Vivian Buchan, “Make Presentations with Confidence,” Barron’s Maureen Bauer, “Learning Tips for Effective Communication at Work”, Click10.com Resources Shrimal Jayathilake

50. Shrimal Jayathilake Bsc. HNDE,bis_sol@yahoo.com Shrimal Jayathilake