Communication Skills for the New Millennium

At the end of this workshop participants will:

  • Understand what actually constitutes communication
  • Know what the barriers to communication are
  • Learn how to confirm information and not “miss the memo”
  • What is non-verbal communication and why it is important in the message
  • Understand what the consequences are with electronic communications
  • Know how non-communication wastes time and keeps other people at bay
  • Learn skills that will ensure communication is complete

What Constitutes Communication

What is communication?

What is the intent of communicating?

Why is communicating everything we say, and how we say it, everything we do……..?

What communication is NOT!

Seek first to understand

Seek Win-Win

Drawbacks to electronic communications

Why use electronic communications

What is intent of electronic devices

Barriers to communication

What are they, both visible and invisible?

Show awareness of others

What does timing have to do with it?

Beware of assumptions

Questions – the real power of good communications

Open Questions

Closed Questions

Questioning to the void

Clarifying questions

Confirming questions

The most dangerous question – WHY?

Handling Answers

The fine art of listening

Confirming the answer – when to write things down

Make sure communication is complete

Confirm all parties have the same understanding

Don’t assume – we know what that can mean!