Mastering Team Skills

and Interpersonal
Communication

Collaboration
Working together to meet complex challenges has
become a core job responsibility for all
organizations worldwide.
No matter what career path you pursue, its a virtual
guarantee that you will be expected to collaborate
in at least some of your work activities.
your communication skills will play a vital role in
these interactions, because the productivity and
quality of collaboration efforts depends heavily on
team communication skills.

Communicating Effectively in Teams

A Team: is a Unit of two or more people who share
a mission and the responsibility for working to
achieve a common goal.
Problem solving team and task force:
assemble to resolve specific issues and then
disband when their goals have been accomplished.
Such teams are often cross-functional, pulling
together people from a variety of departments who
have different areas of expertise and responsibility.

Advantages and Disadvantages of

Teams
A successful team can provide a number of advantages:
1- Increased information and Knowledge: by pooling the
experience of several individuals, a team has access to more
information in the decision-making process.
2- Increased diversity of views: team members can bring a
variety of perspectives to the decision-making process.
3- Increased acceptance of a solution: those who participate
in making a decision are more likely to support in and encourage
others to accept it.
4- Higher performance level: working in teams can unleash
new levels of creativity and energy in workers.

Teams Potential Disadvantages

1- Groupthink: Occurs when peer pressures cause
individual team members to withhold contrary or
unpopular opinions.
2- Hidden agendas: some team members may have
a hidden agenda, such as a desire to take control of
the group, to undermine someone else on the team,
to pursue a business goal that runs counter to the
teams mission.
3- Cost: arranging meetings, aligning schedules, and
coordinating individual parts of a project can eat up a
lot of time and money.

Characteristics of Effective Team

The most effective team have:
- A clear objectives.
- Share sense of purpose.
- Strong sense of trust.
- Communicate openly and honestly.
- Reach decisions by consensus.
- Think creatively, and
- Know how to resolve conflict.

Teams that have these attributes can focus their time and
energy on their work, without being disrupted by destructive
conflict.

Group Dynamics
Group Dynamics: the interactions and
processes that take place among the
members of a team are called group
dynamics.
Productive teams tend to develop clear
norms, informal standards of conduct
that members share and that guide
members behavior.

Making your meeting more productive

Much of your workplace communication will
occur during in-person or online meetings, so to
a large degree, your ability to contribute to the
company- and to be recognized for your
contributions will depend on your meeting
skills.
Well-run meetings can help companies solve
problems, develop ideas, and identify
opportunities. On the other hand, meetings can
be waste of time if they arent planned and
managed well.

Making your meeting more productive

You can ensure productive meeting by;
Preparing for meetings:

Make sure the meeting is really necessary.

Identify your purpose.
select participants for the meeting.
choose the venue and the time.
set the agenda.

Conducting and contributing to efficient meetings:

Keep the discussion on track.

Encourage participation.
Participate actively.
Close effectively.

Using meeting technologies: meeting customers and employees online instead

of in-person

Collaborating on Communication Efforts

Employees should expect to

collaborate on a wide variety of
research, writing, design, and
presentation projects.
So as a team each team member
should collaborate to achieve the
organizational goal.

Guidelines for collaborative writing

1. Select collaborators carefully: choose a combination of people who
together have the experience, information and talent needed for each project.
2. Agree on project goals before you start: Starting without a clear idea of
what the team hopes to accomplish.
3. Give your team time to bond before driving in: give your employees time
to get to know each other before being asked to collaborate.
4. Clarify individual responsibilities: because members will be depending on
each other, make sure individual responsibilities are clear.
5. Establish clear processes: make sure everyone knows how the work will be
managed from start to finish.
6. Make sure tools and techniques are ready: such as different versions of
software.
7. Check to see how things are going along the way: Dont assume that
everything is working just because you dont hear anything negative.

Improving your Listening Skills

There are four types of Listening:
Effective Listeners adapt their listening
approaches to different situations
1.
2.
3.
4.

Content Listening:
Critical Listening:
Empathic Listening:
Active Listening:

Some 80 percent of executives say

that listening is the most important
skill needed to get things done in the
workplace.

Content Listening
The goal of Content Listening is to
understand and retain the information
in the speakers message . Because
you are not evaluating the information
at this point, it doesnt matter whether
you agree or disagree, approve or
disapprove only that you understand.
Avoid the speakers style and any
limitation in the presentation; just
focus on the information.

Critical Listening
The goal of critical listening is to
understand and evaluate the meaning
of the speakers message on several
levels: the logic of the argument, the
strength of the evidence, the validity of
the conclusion, the implications of the
message, the speakers intentions and
motives, and the omission of any
important and relevant points.

Empathic Listening
The goal of empathic listening is to
understand the speakers feelings,
needs and wants so that you can
appreciate his or her point of view,
regardless of whether you share that
perspective.

Active Listening
Trying to understand with the
speakers are saying. And then ask
questions to verify key points and
encourage the speaker through
positive body language.

Understand the Listening process

Listening is a far more complex process
than most people think- and most of us
arent very good at it.
People typically listen at no more than a
25 percent efficiency rate,
remember only about half of whats said
during a 10-minute conversation, and
forget half of that within 48 hours.

Understand the Listening process

Listening follows the same sequence as
the general communication process. So to
listen effectively you need to successfully
complete five separate steps:
1. Receiving
2. Decoding
3. Remembering.
4. Evaluating.
5. Responding.

Improving your Nonverbal

Communication Skills
Nonverbal Communication: is the
interpersonal process of sending and
receiving information, both
intentionally and unintentionally,
without using written or spoken
language.

Recognizing nonverbal communication

Paying special attention to nonverbal signals
in the workplace will enhance your ability to
communicate successfully.

Facial Expression
Gesture
Vocal Characteristics
Personal appearance
Touch
Time and Space

Developing your Business Etiquette

Etiquette is an essential element of every aspect of
business communication, and consider an essential
business skill.
Nobody wants to work with someone who is rude to
colleagues or an embarrassment to the company .
Moreover shabby treatment of others in the
workplace can be a huge drain on morale and
productivity.
Poor etiquette can drive away customers, investors,
and other critical audience and it can limit your
career potential.

Business Etiquette in the workplace

- Workplace etiquette includes a variety of behaviors, habits,
and aspects of nonverbal communication.
- Pay attention to the style of dress where you work and adjust
your style to match.
- Expectations for specific jobs, companies, and industries can
vary widely.
- Observe others and dont be afraid to ask for advice.
- If you are not sure dress modestly and simply.
- Earn a reputation for what you can do, not for what you can
wear.
- Mobile phones are a contentious point of etiquette in todays
workplace. They can boost productivity if used mindfully, or
they can drain productivity.
- Pay close attention to cleanliness and avoid using products
with powerful scents. Like perfumes soaps.

Business Etiquette online

Avoid personal attacks.
Stay focused on the original topic.
Dont present opinions as facts, and
support facts with evidence.
Use virus protection and keep it up to date.
Watch your language and keep your
emotions under control.
Never assume privacy.
Respect boundaries of time and virtual
space.

Communicating
in a World of Diversity
Diversity: all the characteristics and experiences that define each
of us as individuals, Such as; Race, age, marital status, religion,
education, etc..
These characteristics and experiences can have a profound effect
on the way business people communicate.
Intercultural Communication: is the process of sending and
receiving messages between people whose cultural backgrounds
could lead to interpret verbal and non-verbal signs differently.
Every attempt to send or receive messages is influenced by
culture, so to communicate successfully, you need a basic grasp of
the cultural differences you may encounter and how you should
handle them.

The Advantages of Diverse

Workforce

Smart business leaders recognize the

advantage of the broadest possible
pool of talent, and they recognize the
competitive advantages of a diverse
workforce that offers a broader
spectrum of viewpoints and ideas,
helps companies understand and
identify with diverse markets, connect
with customers, and enables
companies to benefit from a wider

The Challenges of intercultural

communication
- Todays increasingly diverse workforce encompasses a
wide range of skills, traditions, backgrounds,
experiences, outlooks and attitudes toward work all
of which can affect communication in the workplace.
- Supervisors face the challenge of connecting with
these diverse employees, motivating them, and
fostering cooperation and harmony among them.
- Teams face the challenge of working together closely,
and companies are challenged to coexist peacefully
with business partners and with the community as a
whole.

The Challenges of intercultural

communication
- The interaction of culture and communication is so pervasive that
separating the two is virtually impossible.
- The way you communicate is deeply influenced by the culture in which
you were raised.
- The meaning of words, the significance of gestures, the importance of
time and space, the role of human relationships. These are aspects of
communication are defined by culture.
- To a large degree your culture influences the way you think, which
naturally affects the way you communicate as both a sender and a
receiver.
- Intercultural communication is much more complicated than simply
matching language between sender and receiver it goes beyond mere
words to beliefs, values, and emotions.

Opportunities in a Global
Marketplace
New customers
New labor sources
New job possibilities

Developing Cultural
Competency
Cultural competency: includes an
appreciation for cultural differences that
affect communication and the ability to
adjust ones communication style to ensure
that efforts to send and receive messages
across cultural boundaries are successful.
In other words, it requires a combination of
attitude, knowledge, and skills.

Understanding the concept of

culture
Culture is a shared system of symbols,
beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations,
and norms for behavior.
Your cultural background influences the
way you prioritize what is important in
life, help define your attitude toward
what is appropriate in a situation, and
establish rules of behavior.

Overcoming Ethnocentrism
and Stereotyping
- Ethnocentrism: is the tendency to judge other groups according
to the standards, behaviors and customs of ones own group.
- Stereotyping: is assigning generalized attributes to an
individual on the basis of membership in a particular group.
Clearly, businesspeople who take these views are not likely to
communicate successfully across cultures.
- Those who want to show respect for other people and to
communicate effectively in business need to adopt a more
positive viewpoint, in the form of cultural pluralism the
practice of accepting multiple cultures on their own terms.

Recognizing Variations in a Diverse

World
You can begin to learn how people in other cultures
want to be treated by recognizing and accommodating
seven main types of cultural differences:
- Legal and Ethical Differences.
- Social Difference (concepts of time)
- Nonverbal Differences (Greetings, personal space,
touching, eye contact)
- Age Differences.
- Gender Differences.
- Religious Differences.
- Ability Differences.

Legal and Ethical Behavior

Seek common ground
Withhold judgment
Send honest messages
Respect differences

Social Behavior Differences

Work and success
Roles and status
Use of manners
Concepts of time
Future orientation
Openness and inclusiveness

Nonverbal Differences
Greetings and touching
Personal space
Facial expressions
Eye contact
Posture
Formality

Differences in Age
Youth-oriented
Senior-oriented
Multi-generational

Gender Differences
Existing workplace cultures
Communication styles

Religious Differences
Personal beliefs
Workplace issues

Ability Differences
Assistive technologies
Customers
Colleagues
Employees

Improving Intercultural
Communication Skills
- Studying other Cultures.
- Studying other languages.
- Respecting preferences for
communication style.
- Writing clearly.
- Speaking and Listening carefully.
- Using interpreters, translators, and
translation software.
- Helping others adapt to your culture.

Improving Intercultural
Communication
Study other cultures and
languages
Respect communication styles
Speak and write clearly
Listen carefully to others
Use interpreters or translators
Help others adapt to your culture

Studying Other Cultures

Social customs
Clothing and food
Political patterns
Religion and social beliefs
Economics and business
Ethics, values, and laws

Learning Languages
Facilitate communication
Promote business relationships

Respecting Communication
Preferences
Degree of formality
Level of directness
Writing or speaking

Writing Clearly
Clear Language

Conciseness

Transitional Elements

International Addresses

Numbers and Dates

Slang, Jargon, or Idioms

Humor and Culture

Audience Expectations

Speaking and Listening

Intercultural conversations
Speaking with others
Listening to others

Translators or Interpreters
Human beings
Interpretation, cultural context, nonverbal cues

Computers
Translation, words and phrases, gist of
the message

Helping Others Adapt

Business communication
Offer useful advice
Simplify the process