NUE 30021 COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH 2

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
UNIT 3: COMMUNICATION AT THE WORKPLACE

PREPARED FOR :
MRS. YUSFAZILA BINTI YUSOF

PREPARED BY:
MUHAMMAD FAISOL BIN ABU BAKAR

DGA 5B
COMMUNICATION

Effective Communication

Want to communicate better? These tips will help you avoid misunderstandings, grasp
the real meaning of what’s being communicated, and greatly improve your work and personal
relationships.

What is effective communication?

Effective communication is about more than just exchanging information. It's about understanding the
emotion and intentions behind the information. As well as being able to clearly convey a message,
you need to also listen in a way that gains the full meaning of what's being said and makes the other
person feel heard and understood.
Effective communication sounds like it should be instinctive. But all too often, when we try to
communicate with others something goes astray. We say one thing, the other person hears something
else, and misunderstandings, frustration, and conflicts ensue. This can cause problems in your home,
school, and work relationships.

For many of us, communicating more clearly and effectively requires learning some important skills.
Whether you’re trying to improve communication with your spouse, kids, boss, or coworkers,
learning these skills can deepen your connections to others, build greater trust and respect, and
improve teamwork, problem solving, and your overall social and emotional health.

What's stopping you from communicating effectively?

Common barriers to effective communication include:

Stress and out-of-control emotion. When you're stressed or emotionally overwhelmed, you're more
likely to misread other people, send confusing or off-putting nonverbal signals, and lapse into
unhealthy knee-jerk patterns of behavior. To avoid conflict and misunderstandings, you can learn how
to quickly calm down before continuing a conversation.

Lack of focus. You can't communicate effectively when you're multitasking. If you're checking your
phone, planning what you're going to say next, or daydreaming, you're almost certain to miss
nonverbal cues in the conversation. To communicate effectively, you need to avoid distractions and
stay focused.

Inconsistent body language. Nonverbal communication should reinforce what is being said, not
contradict it. If you say one thing, but your body language says something else, your listener will
likely feel that you're being dishonest. For example, you can't say “yes” while shaking your head no.

[Read: Nonverbal Communication and Body Language]

Negative body language. If you disagree with or dislike what's being said, you might use negative
body language to rebuff the other person's message, such as crossing your arms, avoiding eye contact,
or tapping your feet. You don't have to agree with, or even like what's being said, but to communicate
effectively and not put the other person on the defensive, it's important to avoid sending negative
signals.

Effective communication skill 1: Become an engaged listener

There's a big difference between engaged listening and simply hearing. When you really listen—when
you're engaged with what's being said—you'll hear the subtle intonations in someone's voice that tell
you how that person is feeling and the emotions they're trying to communicate. When you're an
engaged listener, not only will you better understand the other person, you'll also make that person
feel heard and understood, which can help build a stronger, deeper connection between you.

By communicating in this way, you'll also experience a process that lowers stress and supports
physical and emotional well-being. If the person you're talking to is calm, for example, listening in an
engaged way will help to calm you, too. Similarly, if the person is agitated, you can help calm them
by listening in an attentive way and making the person feel understood.

If your goal is to fully understand and connect with the other person, listening in an engaged way will
often come naturally. If it doesn't, try the following tips. The more you practice them, the more
satisfying and rewarding your interactions with others will become.

Tips for becoming an engaged listener

Focus fully on the speaker. You can't listen in an engaged way if you're constantly checking your
phone or thinking about something else. You need to stay focused on the moment-to-moment
experience in order to pick up the subtle nuances and important nonverbal cues in a conversation. If
you find it hard to concentrate on some speakers, try repeating their words over in your head—it'll
reinforce their message and help you stay focused.

Favor your right ear. As strange as it sounds, the left side of the brain contains the primary processing
centers for both speech comprehension and emotions. Since the left side of the brain is connected to
the right side of the body, favoring your right ear can help you better detect the emotional nuances of
what someone is saying.

Avoid interrupting or trying to redirect the conversation to your concerns. By saying something like,
“If you think that's bad, let me tell you what happened to me.” Listening is not the same as waiting for
your turn to talk. You can't concentrate on what someone's saying if you're forming what you're going
to say next. Often, the speaker can read your facial expressions and know that your mind's elsewhere.

Show your interest in what's being said. Nod occasionally, smile at the person, and make sure your
posture is open and inviting. Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like
“yes” or “uh huh.”
Try to set aside judgment. In order to communicate effectively with someone, you don't have to like
them or agree with their ideas, values, or opinions. However, you do need to set aside your judgment
and withhold blame and criticism in order to fully understand them. The most difficult
communication, when successfully executed, can often lead to an unlikely connection with someone.

[Read: Improving Emotional Intelligence (EQ)]

Provide feedback. If there seems to be a disconnect, reflect what has been said by paraphrasing.
“What I'm hearing is,” or “Sounds like you are saying,” are great ways to reflect back. Don't simply
repeat what the speaker has said verbatim, though—you'll sound insincere or unintelligent. Instead,
express what the speaker's words mean to you. Ask questions to clarify certain points: “What do you
mean when you say…” or “Is this what you mean?”

Hear the emotion behind the words. It's the higher frequencies of human speech that impart emotion.
You can become more attuned to these frequencies—and thus better able to understand what others
are really saying—by exercising the tiny muscles of your middle ear (the smallest in the body). You
can do this by singing, playing a wind instrument, or listening to certain types of high-frequency
music (a Mozart symphony or violin concerto, for example, rather than low-frequency rock, pop, or
hip-hop).

Skill 2: Pay attention to nonverbal signals

The way you look, listen, move, and react to another person tells them more about how you're feeling
than words alone ever can. Nonverbal communication, or body language, includes facial expressions,
body movement and gestures, eye contact, posture, the tone of your voice, and even your muscle
tension and breathing.

Developing the ability to understand and use nonverbal communication can help you connect with
others, express what you really mean, navigate challenging situations, and build better relationships at
home and work.

You can enhance effective communication by using open body language—arms uncrossed, standing
with an open stance or sitting on the edge of your seat, and maintaining eye contact with the person
you're talking to.

You can also use body language to emphasize or enhance your verbal message—patting a friend on
the back while complimenting him on his success, for example, or pounding your fists to underline
your message.
Improve how you read nonverbal communication

Be aware of individual differences. People from different countries and cultures tend to use different
nonverbal communication gestures, so it's important to take age, culture, religion, gender, and
emotional state into account when reading body language signals. An American teen, a grieving
widow, and an Asian businessman, for example, are likely to use nonverbal signals differently.

Look at nonverbal communication signals as a group. Don't read too much into a single gesture or
nonverbal cue. Consider all of the nonverbal signals you receive, from eye contact to tone of voice to
body language. Anyone can slip up occasionally and let eye contact go, for example, or briefly cross
their arms without meaning to. Consider the signals as a whole to get a better “read” on a person.

Improve how you deliver nonverbal communication

Use nonverbal signals that match up with your words rather than contradict them. If you say one
thing, but your body language says something else, your listener will feel confused or suspect that
you're being dishonest. For example, sitting with your arms crossed and shaking your head doesn't
match words telling the other person that you agree with what they're saying.

Adjust your nonverbal signals according to the context. The tone of your voice, for example, should
be different when you're addressing a child than when you're addressing a group of adults. Similarly,
take into account the emotional state and cultural background of the person you're interacting with.

Avoid negative body language. Instead, use body language to convey positive feelings, even when
you're not actually experiencing them. If you're nervous about a situation—a job interview, important
presentation, or first date, for example—you can use positive body language to signal confidence,
even though you're not feeling it. Instead of tentatively entering a room with your head down, eyes
averted, and sliding into a chair, try standing tall with your shoulders back, smiling and maintaining
eye contact, and delivering a firm handshake. It will make you feel more self-confident and help to
put the other person at ease.

Skill 3: Keep stress in check

How many times have you felt stressed during a disagreement with your spouse, kids, boss, friends, or
coworkers and then said or done something you later regretted? If you can quickly relieve stress and
return to a calm state, you'll not only avoid such regrets, but in many cases you'll also help to calm the
other person as well. It's only when you're in a calm, relaxed state that you'll be able to know whether
the situation requires a response, or whether the other person's signals indicate it would be better to
remain silent.
In situations such as a job interview, business presentation, high-pressure meeting, or introduction to a
loved one's family, for example, it's important to manage your emotions, think on your feet,
and effectively communicate under pressure.

Communicate effectively by staying calm under pressure

Use stalling tactics to give yourself time to think. Ask for a question to be repeated or for clarification
of a statement before you respond.

Pause to collect your thoughts. Silence isn't necessarily a bad thing—pausing can make you seem
more in control than rushing your response.

Make one point and provide an example or supporting piece of information. If your response is too
long or you waffle about a number of points, you risk losing the listener's interest. Follow one point
with an example and then gauge the listener's reaction to tell if you should make a second point.

Deliver your words clearly. In many cases, how you say something can be as important as what you
say. Speak clearly, maintain an even tone, and make eye contact. Keep your body language relaxed
and open.

Wrap up with a summary and then stop. Summarize your response and then stop talking, even if it
leaves a silence in the room. You don't have to fill the silence by continuing to talk.

Quick stress relief for effective communication

When a conversation starts to get heated, you need something quick and immediate to bring down the
emotional intensity. By learning to quickly reduce stress in the moment, you can safely take stock of
any strong emotions you're experiencing, regulate your feelings, and behave appropriately.

Recognize when you're becoming stressed. Your body will let you know if you're stressed as you
communicate. Are your muscles or stomach tight? Are your hands clenched? Is your breath shallow?
Are you “forgetting” to breathe?

Take a moment to calm down before deciding to continue a conversation or postpone it.

Bring your senses to the rescue. The best way to rapidly and reliably relieve stress is through the
senses—sight, sound, touch, taste, smell—or movement. For example, you could pop a peppermint in
your mouth, squeeze a stress ball in your pocket, take a few deep breaths, clench and relax your
muscles, or simply recall a soothing, sensory-rich image. Each person responds differently to sensory
input, so you need to find a coping mechanism that is soothing to you.

[Read: Quick Stress Relief]

Look for humor in the situation. When used appropriately, humor is a great way to relieve stress when
communicating. When you or those around you start taking things too seriously, find a way to lighten
the mood by sharing a joke or an amusing story.

Be willing to compromise. Sometimes, if you can both bend a little, you'll be able to find a happy
middle ground that reduces the stress levels for everyone concerned. If you realize that the other
person cares much more about an issue than you do, compromise may be easier for you and a good
investment for the future of the relationship.

Agree to disagree, if necessary, and take time away from the situation so everyone can calm down. Go
for a stroll outside if possible, or spend a few minutes meditating. Physical movement or finding a
quiet place to regain your balance can quickly reduce stress.

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Skill 4: Assert Yourself

Direct, assertive expression makes for clear communication and can help boost your self-esteem and
decision-making skills. Being assertive means expressing your thoughts, feelings, and needs in an
open and honest way, while standing up for yourself and respecting others. It does NOT mean being
hosti