Thinking Skills
WIX2001 (LECTURE 1)
ORAL COMMUNICATION
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What is Communication?
What it means to you?
The process of communication is what allows us to interact with other
people; without it, we would be unable to share knowledge or
experiences with anything outside of ourselves. Common forms of
communication include speaking, writing, gestures, touch and
broadcasting.
Wikipedia definition
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What is Communication?
Can we communicate without words?
Voice attributes
– What are they and how do they affect communication?
– frequency (high and low) and intensity (loud or soft), vocal qualities include
tone, word emphasis, speed and volume. use tone to convey different emotions
such as sadness, anger, and surprise.
Physical attributes
– What could be considered here and how do they affect communication?
The power of touch
– What and when is OK?
Which is better, verbal or non verbal?
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The Communication Equation
What you hear
Tone of voice
Vocal clarity 40% of the message
Verbal expressiveness
What you see or feel
Facial expression
Dress and grooming
Posture 50% of the message
Eye contact
Touch
Gesture
WORDS … 10% of the message
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Understanding Communication
We are going to consider:
The 2-Way communication process
Effective communication skills
Barriers to effective communication
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Communication is a 2-way process
Communication skills involve: sender
Asserting/ Expressing (Sending) message
Listening to others (Receiving) receiver
Barriers to communication can lead to misunderstanding and confusion
values and attitudes
sender “generation gap”
language
Cultural differences
noise
hearing
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receiver
Factors involved in the communication process
Perception: ‘we know that we exist because we perceive’
Sender: formulates the message; ensure credibility
Message: what is communicated; can vary in complexity; simple
& complex
Channel: nonverbal, oral, written and electronic methods
Audience: its size, familiarity with the content, attitudes towards
subject
Transfer of meaning: goal of all communication activity;
meaning transferred may be different from the intended meaning
of the sender
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Factors involved in the communication process
Feedback: indicates the transfer of meaning in the message;
weather an accurate conception of the original message was
made; evaluate the effectiveness of the message sent.
Noise: refers to any interference with the clear transfer of
meaning; e.g. acoustics, sound system, disturbances.
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Effective Communication Skills
Eye contact & visible mouth
Some questions Body language
Encouragement Effective Silence
to continue Communication skills
Smiling face
Summarising Checking
what has been said 9
for understanding
Top 10 Communication Skills
Active listening - pay close attention, ask clarifying questions, and rephrasing.
Nonverbal Communication - body language, eye contact, hand gestures.
Clarity and Concision – convey message in as few words as possible, clearly.
Friendliness - friendly tone to encourage open and honest communication.
Confidence - as simple as making eye contact or using a firm but friendly tone
Empathy - understand and respect other’s point of view.
Open-mindedness
Respect
Feedback – as simple as “good job”
Picking the right medium - simply know what form of communication to use.
Serious conversations (layoffs, changes in salary, etc.) best done in person. For
busy people (such as your boss, perhaps), you might want to convey your
message through email. 10
The Art of Listening
“If we were supposed to talk more than listen,
we would have been given two mouths and one
ear.”
Mark Twain
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Oral Communication
Making a speech is like making a hamburger.
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Why is it important to be able to speak well?
10 skills employers say they seek
1. Ability to work in a team structure
2. Ability to make decisions and solve problems
3. Ability to communicate verbally with people inside and outside an organization
4. Ability to plan, organize and prioritize work
5. Ability to obtain and process information
6. Ability to analyze quantitative data
7. Technical knowledge related to the job
8. Proficiency with computer software programs
9. Ability to create and/or edit written reports
10. Ability to sell and influence others
http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2014/11/12/the-10-skills-employers-most-want-in-2015-
graduates/#551d097019f6 13
The Soft Skills Needed:
https://learning.linkedin.com/blog/top-skills/the-skills-companies-need-most-in-2019--and-how-to-learn-them
• While robots are great at optimizing old
1. Creativity ideas, organizations most need creative employees who
can conceive the solutions of tomorrow.
• Having a great product, a great platform or a great concept
2. Persuasion is one thing, but the key is persuading people to buy into
it.
• As projects grow increasingly more complex and global in
3. Collaboration the age of AI, effective collaboration only grows more
important.
• An adaptable mind is an essential tool for navigating
4. Adaptability today’s ever-changing world, as yesterday’s solutions
won’t solve tomorrow’s problems.
5. Time • A timeless skill, mastering time management today will
Management serve you the rest of your career.
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8 Skills That Employers Are Looking for:
https://www.goskills.com/Soft-Skills/Articles/Best-skills-to-learn-for-jobs
1. Time management
2. Communication
3. Business writing
4. Creativity and innovation
5. Leadership
6. Sales
7. Marketing
8. Data Analytics
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Public speaking
RULE NO. 1
DO NOT READ YOUR
SPEECH!
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Public speaking
PSYCHOLOGY OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
You are nervous for good reasons.
Almost all of us feel this way.
Doesn’t have to be perfect to be good.
Optimal level of arousal.
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Public speaking
DEALING WITH NERVES
BREATHE!!!
It’s OK to be nervous.
Accept, rather than push away.
Prepare!
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Public speaking
KEY TALKING POINTS
Main message. What is it?
Best to have 2-3 talking points.
Make them known early.
Reinforce throughout the speech.
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Public speaking
KEEPING THINGS SIMPLE
Know your material.
Study. Don’t memorize.
Be conversational.
Don’t scripts things out too much.
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Public speaking
A-B-C RULE
A – AUDIBLE
B – BRIEF
C – COMPELLING
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Public speaking
The 4Cs
Core message
Confident
Clear
Conversational.
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The importance of ‘audience’
Identifying the audience and speaking ‘for’ them, not just
‘to’ or ‘at’ them, is essential.
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Public speaking
Audience analysis
What do we know about them?
Demographics are important.
What is the knowledge base?
https://causecommunications.org/bite-size-courses/how-to-identify-
audiences-for-your-cause/
https://www.lynda.com/Business-Skills-tutorials/Identify-your-audiences-
knowledge-level/151544/3508000-4.html
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How do you nail the first 3 minutes of your
presentation?
Ask challenging question
Tell a good joke
Tell a story
Facts and quotations
Ask to do something
Memorize the opening
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Dos
Speak clearly. Don't shout or whisper - judge the acoustics of the
room.
Don't rush, or talk deliberately slowly. Be natural - although not
conversational.
Deliberately pause at key points - this has the effect of emphasizing
the importance of a particular point you are making.
Avoid jokes - always disastrous unless you are a natural expert
To make the presentation interesting, change your delivery, but not
too obviously, e.g.: speed, pitch of voice
Use your hands to emphasize points but don't indulge in to much
hand waving. People can, over time, develop irritating habits. Ask
colleagues occasionally what they think of your style. 27
Dos
Look at the audience as much as possible, but don't fix on an
individual - it can be intimidating. Pitch your presentation
towards the back of the audience, especially in larger rooms.
Don't face the display screen behind you and talk to it or
standing in a position where you obscure the screen.
Avoid moving about too much. Pacing up and down can
unnerve the audience, although some animation is desirable.
Keep an eye on the audience's body language. Know when
to stop and also when to cut out a piece of the presentation.
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