Training Recipe-Effective Communication Skills

Communication in Prehistoric ages

During the prehistoric ages when the languages were not so perfect communication happened between human and environment. The origin of speech was dated back 500,000 years ago approximately. Man used symbols on wall of caves, used fire & smoke, drum beats etc to communicate.

With the advent of languages and telecom, there was a paradigm shift as tools of communication improved manifolds.

Define Communication

Communication is the exchange of information between source and destination. The source and destination can be speaker and listener or sender and receiver. It is both way process or duplex in nature.

Communication is the key

" Why Leaders lead.?"

The prowess of communication is so much that makes an ordinary team member - a leader. A leader is so adept in communication that he binds all his team members personally as well as professionally. The art of effective communication is quite subtle. An effective leader maintain the balance between his statements and execution.

Eight traits of a good communicator

Connect with the source: A good communicator knows many verbal and non verbal ways to welcome audience. Such a welcome note please the audience. it also helps in

building rapport. Such an initiative in communication melts the ice and create warmth.

Listener first:: Always a good practice to implement. Listeners do most of their speaking job by lending their ears to speakers. This is appreciated by universal creator, this is why we all have two ears and one mouth. This is how nature validates the rule of speaking.

Understands first: Understand your audience before you make them understand.

Body language: Expert communicator are always a great face reader. Practicing face reading one can easily identify the acceptance level of one's thought among audience.

Judging acceptance: When audience do not respond but react to speaker's note, acceptance become low. Speaker conversation could be annoying as it can be one way such a communication is usually called monologue.

Pacing:Speaker should pace suitably according to level of audience. As an example a speaker elaborating on some advanced topics in field of engineering with fifth grade students is not an efficient communication. The message will bounce back as student can not assimilate such information. Instead such information would be gem for the Doctorate level students. So pacing is the ability of a speaker to match the understanding of audience.

Simplify your message: The wise men believe" It is difficult to be simple and it is easy to be difficult". Avoid jargons, mnemonics and abbreviation until it is absolutely necessary. Speak to express not to impress. Folks started using jargons to impress audience thereby losing direction and communication path.

Story telling :Story helps audience to build relevance and correlation with their own lives. Stories delivers the message powerfully yet beautifully. Stories can inspire and create more values than monotonous lectures. A good story always carries some message for everyone.

Training Recipe - Team work

Team Work

Authority- Biased: Now days organisation are plagued with Authority-Biased  team work. In such team upper strata of work force creates unusual work pressure on their juniors.

Such a phenomenon leads to unequal distribution of work. To many employees work means bearing burden of their seniors colleagues. Fig(A) depicts how person of high authority sits on the talent and aspiration of his juniors.

Frustration and stress due to work pressure leads to high attrition. Authority- biased in upper strata of workforce creates divide in the organisation.

Favouritism and lack of transparency are most nurtured parasites of such team work.

An Ideal team Fig(B)

Authority- Unbiased: Here the captain of the event participate with fellow members. Apart from doing their designated job, the upper strata of work force involves themselves with ground workforce. With high intuition and rich proactive behaviour they earn respect rather than commanding respect. Authority-Unbiased is framework of winning teams. 

A conflict in team Fig(C)

Team Conflict: Growth declines when team develops cracks. Most of the friction happens due to egocentric behaviour of employees. Attitudinal issues in employees, cultivate behaviour imbalances that further negate any positive development.

Fig(C) depicts how constructive work in an
organisation is nullified with negative or destructive workforce. In such a situation although lot of work is visible but no growth is attained.

Ref Fig(C) how could a car  move forward if team is not unified in principle. A union in an organisation goes on strike due to friction of behaviour or processes. 

Pin pricking some one else inflated balloon filled with ego is never been a good idea. Instead prick your own balloon.

Stagnant Growth: Think if all managers in organisation start competing to show their supremacy over others. In doing so the processes are ripped apart and individualism arises. Instead anyone who tries to bind people together to achieve one goal is no other than true leader. For all leaders this is worth emulating.

Enlightening Mind with Yoga Fig(D)

Reflection: The successful leaders  have knack of identifying their blind spots. They are always open to feedback and criticism. 

Keeping calm always leads to good decision making. A man in Fig(D) is in fact reflecting before going to sleep. This practice prepare him to stay mindful and stable for next day.

His work life balance also improves with practice. During regular introspection at the end of the day, a man develops habit to identifying and correcting his blind spots.  He see himself as more proactive and responsive than ever.

Under the guidance of an expert if a team member start using Reflection as a tool for growth. His blind spots starts becoming his strength spots and he starts transforming.

We all have blind spots and realising them is the prerequisite stage for correction. Unfortunately culture of blaming others prevails in most societies. If leaders cultivate this habit of reflection they can kill almost all of their personal and professional
blind spots. They, thus becomes the path breaker for their team
members. Self correction helps correcting others.