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Communication Skills
Construction Management
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream
• “And when this happens, when we allow
freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every
village and every hamlet, from every state and
every city, we will be able to speed up that day
when all of God's children, black men and white
men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and
Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in
the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last!
free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at
last!’ ”
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved
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Speak well
• Tips and Tricks for speaking well
▫ Volume
 How loud are you? Can everyone hear you? Are you
too loud or not loud enough?
▫ Speed
 Are you talking too fast or too slow?
▫ Enunciation
 Are you mumbling?
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Preamble to the Constitution
• We the People of the United States, in Order to
form a more perfect Union, establish Justice,
insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the
common defense, promote the general Welfare,
and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves
and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America.
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Speak well
• Tips and Tricks for speaking well
▫ Make eye contact with your audience
 Let them know you want them to hear what you have
to say. You are talking WITH them, not AT them.
▫ Be pleasant
 People like “nice” speakers and tend to ignore
“mean” speakers.
▫ Be confident
 Sound like you know what you’re talking about!
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Speak well
• Tips and Tricks for speaking well
▫ Posture
 Stand up straight and don’t cross your arms. Be
careful not to fidget and bounce around like you’re
nervous or uncomfortable.
▫ Facial Expressions
 Let them see it in your face that you are a nice
person! Make them LIKE you with a SMILE!
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Listen like a Pro
• Tips and Tricks for being a good listener
▫ Pay attention
 Give them your undivided attention.
▫ Make eye contact
 Let them see your eyes so they know you’re following
along.
▫ Be respectful
 Don’t speak while they are speaking. Be quiet.
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Listen like a Pro
• Know what you hear
▫ Listen closely
▫ Stay tuned in
 Don’t lose your focus- keep your attention focused
on what they are saying.
▫ Take notes
 If it’s hard to understand, write it down!
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Giving feedback
• As a listener, you have a very important role!
You must take responsibility for your own
comprehension of the information the speaker
tried to give you.
▫ Ask the speaker to clarify something you don’t
understand.
▫ Ask the speaker to repeat themselves.
▫ Take notes! Paraphrase/summarize so you can
review the information later with ease.
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Today’s Exercise – Groups of 3
• In your group, take turns speaking and listening.
• Each of you will read a different article out loud to
your peers.
• When you’re speaking:
▫ Speak well!
• When you’re listening:
▫ Listen actively!
▫ Take notes on the form.
▫ Give feedback.
• Complete your notes and feedback on the handout.
Everyone will turn in their own work at the end of
class.