Communication Foundations

Which of the following is NOT a suggested step towards reacting to a situation that catches you off guard?

Act immediately.

Marvin wants to ask his boss for a promotion. Which approach should he take?

Ask or never know.

The executive committee presentation is coming up, and your boss wants you to prepare for difficult questions. Which approach should you take to prepare?

Ask three questions and practice with three colleagues.

You are pitching a new recruiting platform to your boss, who is known to be an analytical, data driven individual. Based on what we discussed in this video, what should you include in your pitch?

Benchmarks achieved by other companies using this new platform to show results

You and a colleague have been emailing about an upcoming project. Suddenly, your colleague sends an email with several off-topic questions and concerns. Which of these choices is a suggested next step for a strong listener?

Call your colleague to discuss over the phone.

Derek is leading an instructional meeting with his sales staff. He begins the meeting by demonstrating how to use a new software, which is met with a lot of yawns and blank stares from the audience. What did Derek do wrong?

He jumped straight to the demonstration, and did not explain why they were switching software.

You are partnering on a project with a colleague much older than you. Your colleague uses an inefficient methodology, and you have an idea about how to proceed. What's the best way to voice your opinion?

I know I have less experience than you working with this, but I have an idea that might help. What do you think about this...?

it is _____ to suggest a deadline from a decision maker when making an ask.

acceptable

Choice of words, timing, and _____ all have an equally large impact on the way a conversation goes.

location

What are the three major components of the Context communication building block?

location, timing, and relationships

When crafting an email, what should be the first thing you think about?

the action you want the reader to take

An employee stops by your office to ask for additional help before the project he is managing fails. What is the first step you should take?

Calm yourself.

Which of these should be your first step when responding to criticism?

Check your own listening bias.

In the context of presenting up, what does it mean to "go for the forest, not the trees"?

Focus on the big picture rather than the minute details.

A coworker calls to inform you she found several errors in a report you submitted. You feel defensive, but do not want to respond this way. How should you respond?

Lead with the third thought you have.

Katie is discussing improvements for a product with a senior employee who is not agreeing with her. How can Katie demonstrate respect to the senior employee in the discussion?

She should use a qualifier to disagree and redirect.

Quincy gives a coworker specific directions for tasks on a project using the Think, Feel, Do model, but the coworker does not understand the directions. What is the likely cause?

The coworker has mental filters.

You discuss a great idea on how to improve manufacturing product 45. Your boss is unaware of issues, since quotas are met. What is a likely reason you cannot persuade your boss on your idea?

You do not present enough evidence.

The boss asks you to help a new employee learn a process. After listing all the steps and separating them into buckets, you show the employee a tutorial. Which explanation activity are you following?

breaking down a process

When you are asking for something, it is important to state the action you need clearly, make the next steps obvious and as easy as possible for the decision maker, and finally _____.

create a sense of urgency

Cassy's employee comes to her office to discuss a confidential situation. Cassy listens intently and then says, "Thank you for sharing this information with me." What type of listening is this?

empathetic listening

Your team is just finishing a long meeting about a new accounting process, and your manager ends the meeting abruptly without taking questions because he has another meeting. Which critical step of the communication loop did your manager miss?

feedback

Communication can be challenging because all people have _____.

mental filters

You are creating your first presentation on a new CMS system for the company. Your steering committee includes VP of Operations and the IT director. What must you include in your overall message?

reasons aligned with the values and priorities of decision makers

Millie is traveling abroad and notices the person next to her has the same type of luggage, so she strikes up a conversation. What type of drill is used in this social setting?

Neutral Context

Raegan is developing a presentation for a C-suite on a major proposal. Which action will help him structure his presentation for this audience?

Use SCQA - This is a series of questions that will enable Raegan to keep her introduction short and the audience knowing the direction right away.

You are helping a coworker be a more effective facilitator when running a meeting with a mix of onsite and remote team members. Which tip would you follow?

Use a smart agenda.

You are reviewing your last few emails to identify what you can improve on. What should you look for to ensure you use the building blocks Think, Feel, Do model?

Was every word in the emails necessary, or could you have been more concise?

You want to practice the response formula for situations in which you are caught off guard. What is the correct formula?

What I know + What I don't know + How I will find out = Response formula

Why is the concept of teleoanticipation so important when running a meeting?

Your meeting attendees need to be able to pace their attention and energy to last the duration of the meeting, whether it is 15 or 90 minutes long.