The Basics of Effective

Interpersonal Communication

Welcome!
This program is intended for anyone who
would like an overview of the basic verbal and
non-verbal communication skills needed for
success in the workplace.
The Professional Development Program
classes are offered to Macomb Community
College employees only.

Before you begin

Get the most from this program by answering
these questions for yourself before you begin.
You will evaluate your growth at the end.
What do I already know about interpersonal
communication?
What are my learning goals for this program?
What are my supervisors expectations, if any, for my
participation in this training?
How do I think I will be able to apply my learning on
the job?

Course Content
This program will cover:

What communication is
Why and how we communicate
Barriers to communication
Sharing ideas
Getting information from others
Giving constructive feedback
Body language

Writing materials will be useful for jotting down your

thoughts as your proceed through the course

Course Objectives
The objectives of this program are to:
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

What is communication?
What do you think communication is?
How would you define it?
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts

Communication
Communication is defined as the interchange of
thoughts or opinions through shared symbols; e.g.
language, words, phrases
Some synonyms of the word communication are:
message, directive, word, contact, commerce,
communion, intercommunication, converse,
exchange, interchange, conversing, discussing,
talking; conversation, discussion, talk, advice,
intelligence, news, tidings

Four facets of communication

Three are four facets in all types of
communication:
Sender
Receiver
Information
Behavior

Four facets of communication

In any communication:
The Sender is the person trying to
communicate a message
The Receiver is the person at whom the
message is directed
A message is sent to convey information
Information is meant to change behavior

Shared symbols
Sometimes when we communicate we
assume we are using shared symbols when
we might not be
Think about the term asap, as soon as
possible. What does it really mean?
Think about how the meaning might change
in the situations on the next slide

Shared symbols
How might your meaning of asap change in
these situations?
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.

Shared symbols
Someone from another department calls.
He needs some detailed information asap;
but you are already rather busy.
In this situation, you might interpret asap
as when I have finished all of my own
work and have a chance to get to it. It
might be tomorrow or the next day.

Shared symbols
A coworker comes to you for help with an
assignment. She needs you asap; but you
have another job to finish before lunch.
In this situation, you might interpret asap
as after I have finished my own work, I will
help out after lunch.

Shared symbols
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.
In this situation, you might interpret asap
as Ill do this now and finish my other work
afterwards.

Shared symbols
In the previous examples, weve seen 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.

Missed communication

As the Manager
Requested it.

As Purchasing
ordered it.

As the Art Dept.

designed it.

As the Supervisor
implemented it.

As Marketing
wrote it up.

What the
Employee really
wanted!

Why do we communicate?
What do you think?

Take a few moments to

write down some of
your thoughts

Why we communicate
We communicate to:

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 you may have thought of

How do we communicate?
Think of the many ways in which you
communicate
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts

How we communicate
We communicate and build interpersonal
relationships through:
Speech
Writing
Listening
Non-verbal language
Music, art, and crafts

Choosing your medium

Depending upon the situation, one method of
communication may be better than another.

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

Choosing your medium

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

Choosing your medium

How would you communicate

an organizational change in your unit

the introduction of a new employee
a change in someones job duties
a reprimand
notice of a meeting

Take a few moments to write down some of

your thoughts

Choosing your medium

The best way to communicate
an organizational change in your unit by
memo and small group meetings
the introduction of a new employee by group
and one-on-one meetings
a change in someones job duties by
memo and one-on-one meeting
a reprimand in a one-on-one private meeting
notice of a meeting by memo and email

Barriers to communication
What are barriers to communication
that exist in any work setting?
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts

Barriers to communication
Some common barriers to interpersonal
communication include:
Unclear process: The receiver and sender may not share the
same language, slang, jargon, vocabulary, symbols

Chain of command: There may be too many layers that a

message passes through between sender and receiver

Large size of an organization, geographic

distance: Large numbers of receivers require good message
sending methods

Personal limitations: Physical and mental disabilities, and

differences in intelligence and education may interfere with mutual

understanding

Barriers to communication
Additional common barriers to
interpersonal communication include:
Human nature: Peoples egos, prejudices, and traditions
can get in the way

Conflicting feelings, goals, opinions:

If people

feel on opposite sides of an issue they may not share

Power: The idea that knowledge is power can lead to

information hoarding
and other ideas you may have thought of

Sharing your ideas

Why and when is it necessary to share
your ideas?
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts

Share your ideas to

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

Obstacles to sharing ideas

What can make sharing ideas difficult?
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts

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

Speak for yourself

To ensure your messages are clear,
speak for yourself, not for others:
Speaking for yourself sounds like:
I, me, my
I think, I feel, I want to know that

Speaking for no one sounds like:

It, some people, everyone, they decided

Speaking for others sounds like:

We, you, John, Mary said

SHARE your ideas a model

State the main point of your message

Highlight other important points
Assure the receivers understanding
React to how the receiver responds
Emphasize/summarize your main
ideas

SHARE an example
State the main point of your message
Id like to talk to you about the new employee welcome program.
Highlight other important points
We need to discuss the new schedule, locations, and presenters.
Assure the receivers understanding
Do you need me to further clarify how we are making invitations?
React to how the receiver responds
I understand your concern about parking.
Emphasize/summarize your main ideas
To wrap-up, Ill develop the schedule and make the room
reservations, if you can line up the guest speakers.

Getting good information

Why is it necessary to get good
information from others?
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts

Get good information to

Find out facts and details

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

Obstacles to getting good

information
What can make getting good
information difficult?
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts

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

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.

Epictetus (55 AD - 135 AD)

Roman (Greek-born) slave & Stoic philosopher

Listen actively
Prepare to listen by focusing on the speaker
Control and eliminate distractions so that you
can focus on the message. Dont do anything else
(writing, reading, email) but listen
Establish appropriate eye contact to show
interest
See listening as an opportunity to get
information, share anothers views, and broaden
your own knowledge

Listen actively
Create a need to listen by thinking about what you can
learn from the speaker
Set aside the time to listen so that you wont feel
rushed or become distracted by other responsibilities
Dont prejudge the message based on who is
delivering it. Focus instead on the content of the
message.
Monitor the way you listen by asking yourself
questions such as Did I really pay attention or was I
thinking about what I was going to say next? Was
there information I missed because I allowed myself to
become distracted?

Thats a good question!

Close end questions limit the answer to yes or no
Open end questions allow the responder total
freedom in answering
Direct questions ask for specific information; limit
answers to brief fact statements
Probing questions follow up other questions to solicit
additional information
Hypothetical questions present a theoretical
situation to which receiver responds
See examples of each on the next slide

Good questions an example

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?.

Hypothetical question
What would you have done, if you had not had the chance to
present your idea at the meeting?

FOCUS on information a model

Focus the discussion on the specific
information you need
Open-end question to expand the
discussion
Close-end question to get specifics
Use active listening skills to
understand what you are hearing
Summarize and close the discussion

FOCUS on information an
example
Focus the discussion on the specific information you need
I need to ask you about the computer meeting you attended
yesterday.
Open-end question to expand the discussion
What kinds of decisions were made regarding expansion of our
departmental system?
Close-end question to get specifics
Did the committee decide to buy Dell computers?
Use active listening skills to understand what you are hearing
What I think I heard you say was that the decision was made?
Summarize and close the discussion
So to wrap up, the system will expand and we will be using Dells.
Thanks for keeping me up to date.

Giving feedback
Why is it necessary to give constructive
feedback to others?
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts

Give feedback when

Someone asks for your opinion

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

Constructive feedback focuses on facts not people, solving

problems instead of placing blame, and strengthening
relationships instead of being right

Obstacles to giving constructive

feedback
What makes it hard to give constructive
feedback?
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts

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
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

STATE feedback a model

State the constructive purpose of your
feedback
Tell specifically what you have observed
Address and describe your reactions
Tender specific suggestions for
improvement
Express your support and respect for
the person

STATE feedback an example

State the constructive purpose of your feedback
Id like to give you some feedback about your training style so that
your evaluations will be more positive and you will enjoy it more.

Tell specifically what you have observed

I notice that you rely heavily on your notes.

Address and describe your reactions

I feel as though you are unsure of yourself when you read.

Tender specific suggestions for improvement

I can help you develop a PowerPoint presentation so that you can
use the screens as a cue instead of being tied to your notes.

Express your support for the person

You know a lot about the subject. With practice you can become a
good trainer.

Body language
Nonverbal communication, known as body
language sends strong positive and negative
signals. This is how much it influences any
message:
Words
Tone of voice
Non-verbal cues
Message

8%
34%
58%
100%

Body language includes

Face
Figure
Focus
Territory
Tone
Time

Each of these is described in the following slides

Body language - face

Face includes:
Your expressions
Your smile or lack thereof
Tilt of the head; e.g., if your head is tilted
to one side, it usually indicates you are
interested in what someone is saying
What message are you sending if someone is
presenting a new idea and you are frowning?

Body language - figure

Figure includes:
Your posture
Your demeanor and gestures
Your clothes and accessories such as
jewelry
What message are you sending if you are dressed
casually at an important meeting?

Body language - focus

Focus is your eye contact with others
The perception of eye contact differs by culture.
For most Americans
Staring makes other people uncomfortable
Lack of eye contact can make you appear weak or not
trustworthy
Glasses may interfere or enhance eye contact

What message are you sending if you are looking at other

things and people in a room when someone is speaking
to you?

Body language - territory

Territory focuses on how you use
space. It is also called proxemics.
The perception of territory differs by culture.
Most Americans are comfortable with an
individual space that is about an arms length
in diameter
What message are you sending if you keep moving
closer to a person who is backing away from you?

Body language - tone

Tone is a factor of your voice
Pitch is the highness or lowness of voice
Volume is how loud your voice is
Emphasis is your inflection
What message are you sending if during a
disagreement you start speaking very loudly?

Body language - time

Time focuses on how you use time.
is also called chronemics.
Pace is how quickly you speak
Response is how quickly you move
Punctuality is your timeliness
What message are you sending if you are
consistently late for meetings?

It

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

Test yourself
1. Communication is defined as the interchange of thoughts or
opinions through shared symbols.
True___

False___

2. The four facets of interpersonal communication are sender,

receiver, information, and behavior.
True___

False___

3. Unclear process; chain of command; large size of an

organization or geographic distance; personal limitations;
human nature; conflicting feelings, goals, opinions; and power
are examples of barriers to communication.
True___

False___

Test yourself
4. Describe the steps of the SHARE model for giving good
information share, highlight, assure, react, emphasize:
5. Describe the steps of the FOCUS model for getting good
information focus, open end, close end, use, summarize:
6. Describe the steps of the STATE model for giving constructive
feedback state, tell, address, tender, express:
7. Describe the the six aspects of non-verbal communication (body
language):

Test yourself - answers

1. Communication is defined as the interchange of thoughts or
opinions through shared symbols.
True

2. The four facets of interpersonal communication are sender,

receiver, information, and behavior.
True

3. Unclear process; chain of command; large size of an

organization or geographic distance; personal limitations;
human nature; conflicting feelings, goals, opinions; power are
examples of barriers to communication.
True

Test yourself - answers

4. The steps of the SHARE model for giving good information are:

State the main point of your message

Highlight other important points
Assure the receivers understanding
React to how the receiver responds
Emphasize/summarize your main ideas

5. The steps of the FOCUS model for getting good information are:

Focus the discussion on the specific information you need

Open-end question to expand the discussion
Close-end question to get specifics
Use active listening skills to understand what you are hearing
Summarize and close the discussion

Test yourself - answers

6. The steps of the STATE model for constructive feedback are:
State the constructive purpose of your feedback
Tell specifically what you have observed
Address and describe your reactions
Tender specific suggestions for improvement
Express your support for the person

7. The the six aspects of non-verbal communication (body language):

Face expressions, smile, tilt of head

Figure posture, demeanor, gestures, dress
Focus eye contact
Territory use of space
Tone voice pitch, volume, emphasis
Time the use time

Apply what youve learned

When you started this program I asked you to
consider some questions. Lets wrap up:
What new things did you learn about interpersonal
communication?
Did you meet your learning goals for this program?
Did you meet your supervisors expectations, if
any, for participation in this training?
How will you be able to apply your learning on the
job?
I hope you have enjoyed this program as an overview of the basic
verbal and non-verbal communication skills needed in the workplace.

Macomb Community College

Center Campus
Katerina Benny, Center for Continuing and
Professional Education
44575 Garfield Road
Clinton Township, MI 48038
810.226.4800