2 Building communication skills

In Week 2, you considered the 7c’s of communication (concise, complete, coherent, clear, courteous, concrete, correct) in the context of virtual teams, but they also apply when you’re in a face-to-face meeting or conversation.

Figure 2 Communication bubbles

Show description|Hide description

Multiple sets of hands holding up blank speech bubble cards

Figure 2 Communication bubbles

You’ll see the 7c’s reflected in Brower’s recommendations (2023), which she breaks down into three areas, focusing on how you:

1. Send information – ‘express yourself with as many words as necessary but as few as possible’, and demonstrate energy and enthusiasm to engage your listeners.
2. Receive information – listen effectively by really paying attention ‘not only to what they’re saying but to their experience, their emotions and the intention of their statements’.
3. Ensure the flow of the exchange works – ‘communication is about aligning what you have to say with what the other person has to say’; understanding each other and paying attention to non-verbal cues such as facial expression and body language.

When you listen attentively, this is referred to as active listening. Watch this short video from ProSkills.training, which explains the basics:

Download this video clip.Video player: wdt_2_wk4_effective_listening.mp4

Show transcript|Hide transcript

Transcript

SPEAKER:

An effective listener doesn't just hear someone, they understand them. They listen actively. But doing that takes work. It requires being engaged, alert, and placing all your focus on the speaker. It's also about showing the speaker that you understand and care about what they're saying.

So how can you become an active listener? Here are four tips. First, avoid distractions. Put down your phone, ignore your computer screen, and just listen. Give the speaker the courtesy of your full attention. Second, keep an open mind. Try to recognise where the speaker is coming from. Can you see things from their point of view? If you make judgments, you'll compromise your ability to understand the message. Third, focus on the speaker, not yourself. Yes, it's tempting to think about what you're going to say next, but if you're thinking of your response, then you're not really listening. Finally, don't interrupt. Don't finish someone's sentences or interrupt because you have a great story. It can wait. If you steal the conversation, you'll miss part of the message.

Now let's take a look at how to show a speaker you're listening actively. First, visibly show your listening with nonverbal behaviours such as nodding, leaning forward, and maintaining eye contact. Without interrupting, you can also give brief and positive prompts. A simple ah or yes indicates that you are interested and want to learn more.

Another helpful tip is to summarise and paraphrase. When the speaker is finished talking, see if you can paraphrase what they've said. That way you'll show you're listening and that you care enough to check your understanding.

Finally, ask relevant questions. Prompt the speaker to give you more details. By asking questions, you'll show that you're paying attention and want to learn more. Start using these active listening techniques today and you'll have more productive conversations, build stronger relationships, and become a better communicator.

End transcript

Download

 

Active listening is equally important in a virtual environment and can be more of a challenge. For example, on a conference call with colleagues you might need to work harder to stay focused and to show them that you are giving them your full attention.

Barefoot Facilitation Inc (2022) recommends the following strategies:

• Position your camera so that your head, shoulders, arms and hands can be easily viewed – then you can use gestures and movements to show interest as you would in a face-to-face meeting.
• Look into the camera from time to time as this helps to emulate eye contact – particularly important in a one to one conversation.
• Turn off all notifications, close open tabs on your screen and position yourself to minimize distractions, e.g. away from a window or a pet if you’re working from home.
• If you plan to take notes – explain to others that you will be doing so, to avoid looking like you are bored or distracted.

The next time you have a conversation with a work colleague, practise using some of these techniques and see if it enhances the quality of your interaction.

The rest of this section will largely focus on specific areas of communication that are particularly relevant to creating and maintaining successful teams. If you want to find out about communication at work more generally, there is an OpenLearn course dedicated to exactly this subject – Effective communication in the workplace [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .

Next you will look at how effective feedback can enhance team performance and tips for how to deliver it.