Effective Communication Skills

First draft

Getting thoughts on paper

Effective communication

Considering audience and adapting message

Effective meetings

Creating agenda and planning in advance

Evaluating

Critically reviewing and judging communication

Conflict

Difference in understanding or emotional response

Team

Group with shared commitment towards a goal

Writer's block

Result of procrastination or impatience

Solid understanding

Understanding intent, content, and emotion behind communication

Reading your audience

Understanding their interest through cues

Comprehending

Understanding what you hear and read

Restating

Paraphrasing a complex or ambiguous message

Primary research

Collecting own data

Face to face

Detailed explanation in person

Interpretation

Analyzing the meaning of communication

Strategic communication

Audience-oriented and persuasive

Analysis

Determining best medium for message

Voicemail messages

Focusing on one topic

Active listening

Focusing on the speaker

Passive listening

Forgetting information shortly after hearing it

Persuasion

Influencing audience to agree with your point of view

Audience

Intended recipients of the message

Interpersonal communication

Interacting with others, exchanging information, achieving understanding

Medium

Method used to deliver a message

Adaptable

Modifying presentation based on audience's needs

Listening

Most used communication skill

Collaboration

Motivated by different goals

Email rules

No assumption of privacy, company's right to read

Body language

Nonverbal communication through gestures and expressions

Facial expressions

Not universal across cultures

Barriers

Obstacles to effective communication

Outlining

Planning organization of a message

Ethics

Principles guiding decision making and doing the right thing

Goals

Purpose and desired outcome of a message

Encoding

Putting ideas into words, images, or actions

Persuasive communication

Understanding audience perspective and benefits

Conciseness

Using necessary words to accomplish purpose

Writing skills

Valuable for employers and organization's success

Purposeful communication

Well-structured, concise information with a specific point

Collaboration

Working together to achieve a common goal

What are the benefits of being a good communicator?

creates stronger relationships, accelerating career success, generating stronger sales, improving self esteem

What are employers looking for?

competence, credibility, and confidence