Leadership
Communication
Presented by your
Cigna Employee Assistance Program
Seminar Goals
• Know the 5 elements of communication
• Understand the factors that influence interpersonal communication
• Learn how to tune in to your listening skills
• Learn how the most effective leaders communicate
• Know your team and the best ways to communicate with them
• Understand the do’s and don’ts of providing feedback
• Know the benefits of your Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Confidential, unpublished property of Cigna. Do not duplicate or distribute. Use and distribution limited solely to authorized personnel. © 2011 Cigna
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5 elements of communication
1. Sender – source of the message.
2. Message – information being sent.
3. Receiver – person who gets the information from the sender.
4. Response – receiver’s reaction to the message.
5. Predisposition – factors influencing communicators’ points of view such as
experience, education, and culture.
Confidential, unpublished property of Cigna. Do not duplicate or distribute. Use and distribution limited solely to authorized personnel. © 2011 Cigna
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Factors that Influence Interpersonal Communication
• Word choice
• Your voice
• Conversation
• Questions (open and close-ended, leading, rhetorical, compound)
• Verbal encouragement
• Non-verbal communication
Confidential, unpublished property of Cigna. Do not duplicate or distribute. Use and distribution limited solely to authorized personnel. © 2011 Cigna
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How do you listen?
• Spurt listening
• Partial listening
• Active listening
• Reflective listening
Confidential, unpublished property of Cigna. Do not duplicate or distribute. Use and distribution limited solely to authorized personnel. © 2011 Cigna
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Obstacles to Effective Listening
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Rehearsing
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Defending
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Interrupting
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Changing the focus to yourself
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Discounting
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Judging
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Solving the problem prematurely
Confidential, unpublished property of Cigna. Do not duplicate or distribute. Use and distribution limited solely to authorized personnel. © 2011 Cigna
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Listening Checks
• Clarifying check
• Accuracy check
• Feeling check
• Summarizing check
• Acknowledgment
Confidential, unpublished property of Cigna. Do not duplicate or distribute. Use and distribution limited solely to authorized personnel. © 2011 Cigna
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The most effective leaders…
• Make sure communication is a two-way street
• Communicate openly and honestly
• Make sure they answer all questions
• Always keep employees informed
• Listen before they speak
• Encourage diversity of thought
Confidential, unpublished property of Cigna. Do not duplicate or distribute. Use and distribution limited solely to authorized personnel. © 2011 Cigna
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Encouraging Diversity of Thought
• Communicate openly
• Agree to disagree
• When presenting ideas, ask your team members for their opinions
• Show interest and appreciation when someone is telling you their point of view, or why
they disagree
• Ask open ended questions
Confidential, unpublished property of Cigna. Do not duplicate or distribute. Use and distribution limited solely to authorized personnel. © 2011 Cigna
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Understanding your team
• The director
• The socializer
• The relater
• The thinker
Confidential, unpublished property of Cigna. Do not duplicate or distribute. Use and distribution limited solely to authorized personnel. © 2011 Cigna
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Holding a Successful Meeting
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Open – Introduce meeting purpose and goal
•
Share – Exchange status and feedback
•
Plan – Identify and evaluate options
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Commit – Agree on specific next steps
•
Close – Summarize agreements and reinforce commitments
Confidential, unpublished property of Cigna. Do not duplicate or distribute. Use and distribution limited solely to authorized personnel. © 2011 Cigna
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The Do’s and Don’ts of Giving Feedback
DO…
• State the problem as the other person sees it
• Document your conversation
• Focus on the issue to promote discussion on the other person’s feelings and/or
circumstances.
• Remain calm
• Acknowledge the others feelings, without validating them
• Take all threats seriously
• Stay focused on the individual at hand
• Hold the employee accountable for expected outcomes
DON’T…
•
•
•
•
Probe
Argue, debate or give in
Retaliate or defend yourself
Make it right for the other person
Confidential, unpublished property of Cigna. Do not duplicate or distribute. Use and distribution limited solely to authorized personnel. © 2011 Cigna
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Benefits of the EAP
• Face to Face Sessions
• Confidential
• Prepaid
• Unlimited Telephonic consultation
• Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Household benefit
• Work/Life Support such as eldercare, childcare and pet care.
• Financial Services
• Legal Services
Confidential, unpublished property of Cigna. Do not duplicate or distribute. Use and distribution limited solely to authorized personnel. © 2011 Cigna
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