Communication Skills
Dr Prabhati Pati
Professor & Area Chairperson
Human Resources
Centre for management Studies
ASCI, Hyderabad
Ppati@asci.org.in
Introduction
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“While communication is one of the most
basic human activities, its importance
within the business environment is often
underestimated.”
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Effective communication builds effective
employees.
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“Effective communication does not
begin and end with the ability to relay
information. It also includes the ability
to listen, act assertively,and ask
questions when appropriate.”
Boundary Management
* Individual
* Group / team / Dept.
* Unit / Division
* Organization
* Inter organizational
Common causes of problems in
internal communication
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If I know it , then everyone must know it.
We hate bureaucracy
I told everyone……
Did you hear what I meant for you to hear?
Our problem is too big to have to listen to each
other!
So , what’s to talk about?
If I need your opinion , I shall tell it to you
Communication provides :
# corporate direction
# Corporate goals,mission statement,
and strategic plans
# Values, codes of ethics,
# Organizational practices
Industry specifics/ guidelines
# Top management philosophy
Communication competence
1. Ability
2. Command over language
3. Situational factor/ context
4. Audience knowledge
5. Cross cultural awareness / Diversity
6. Empathy
Barriers to communication
1. Noise
2. Excessive long chains of command
3. Comm. Overload
4. Inappropriate message construction
5. lack of communication opportunity.
6. Inability to listen
BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
• Ind. Barriers
o Conflicting frame of
reference.
o Semantics
o Communication skills
o Cultural diversity
Org. Barriers
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Information overload
Structural arrangements
Status differences
Task specialization
Filtering
Timeliness (appropriate
timing)
Encouragining upward employ
communication
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Communicate needs
Share skills and knowledge
Create a motivation cycle
Establish employment expectations
Improving communication
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Be candid
Stay constructive
Contextual
Consistent(your action supports your message)
Continuous(provide ongoing reinforcement)
Choose communication tools that your
employees will use.
Try these ideas to encourage
employ communication
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Hold monthly or quarterly staff meetings
Publish internal newsletters
Post notices on staff room bulletin boards
Send information intranet or e-mail
Invite questions.
Maintain an overall open door policy.
Practice MBWA
Downsizing/ Restructuring / mergers/
Acquisitions
# Fear/ Concerns/ belief/ attitudes
# Constricted communication
# mourns a corporate death
# Rumors
# Stress reactions
# Comfort zone threatened
# cultural clashes
# Change in Management Style !
Communication Style gets influenced by:
1. Your sense of time urgency
2. Your frustration with the system
3. Your prejudices, stereotypes, biases
4. Your own self perception
5. Your credibility
6. Competitive attitude
7. Being in Leadership position means sharing
credit, grooming people, and identifying
strengths and hidden potential
Guiding principles for employee
communication
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Provide context ,whenever possible.
Be accurate, timely, relevant and easy to
understand.
Encourage an open, multi-dimensional
communicational environment.
Use communicational channels that invite
input, involvement and ongoing dialog.
Consistently reinforce key message.
Effective communication
strategies,systems,and practices
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Deliver clear and consistent messages to
all parts of the organization.
Inspire and energy
Are user-friendly,human and personal.
Move information, experiences,learning
ideas, direction and feedback equally in all
directions-up,down and across the
organization.
… contd.
… contd.
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Provide multiple channels.
Are only possible in an atmosphere of
trust and openness.
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“A vision is little more than an employ
dream until it is widely shared and
accepted.Only then does it acquire the
force necessary to change an organization
and move it in the intended direction”.
Communication
challenges/opportunities.
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Cultural diversity
Leadership issues
Need for visible commitment and support
Ability to communicate / connect
Need to work in partnership
Need for open,regular communication.
Employee communication challenges
Uncertainly(concern for job security)
Responsibility for involvement
Resources
Need for continued focus on customers,financial results
Achieving organizational
excellence through communication
Reinventing customer communication
strategies for your organization.
Breaking functional mindset
through communication.
Achieving attitudinal change
Creating positivity in the workplace
Developing a multi-pronged
communication strategy –methods
and options.
Employee mentoring , counseling,
coaching as a part of managerial
communication.
Creating a creative environment through
open communication
Communicating to Internal and
external Customers