Session 2: Impact and getting your message across
Introduction
You will start this session by applying your learning to the motor racing video from Session 1. Then you will move on to explore two key questions. The first is what makes spoken and written messages effective? Clearly, this is connected to getting your message across in an optimal way, so you will discover how your written messages can have most impact, and you’ll use the example of email as a communication channel since it illustrates characteristics that are also used in business and social media writing.
The second question you will respond to in this session is about the impressions you give to others when interacting with them: how does the persona you convey during interactions influence your communication? This is about how others might perceive you, even though they might not know you that well. For instance, it’s likely that you already have an impression of Chris Hoy and this would influence how you communicated with him.
By the end of this session, you should be able to:
- use observational skills to interpret work interactions and relationships
- understand how the structure, sequencing and tone of messages, whether in writing or in speech, are a key feature of how clear and concise they are
- recognise how the way in which you create impressions in your communication has an impact on how others respond to you.
Before moving on, watch the following video featuring award-winning journalist Sue Mott and Open University academic and former Olympic coach Ben Oakley.
