General

Communication
Skills
WHO Public Health Laboratories Knowledge Sharing
Webinars, General Communication Skills, 30 March 2022
Know Your Audience
and Know Yourself!
▪ Everyone has their own communication
style
▪ Adapt your presentation based on your
audience

Photo Courtesy of Rebecca Kaiser

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 2
Session At the end of this session, attendees
objectives will be able to:

▪ Understand how to communicate as a leader

▪ Identify the elements of communication
▪ Explain types of communication
▪ Plan and deliver an effective presentation

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 3

Communicating as a leader

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 4

What is Communication?

The word “communication” is

descended from the Latin
word communicare, which
means to share, or to make
common.
Communication is the process
of understanding, sharing,
and exchanging information.

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 5

Communication is key to leadership

One of the single most

important leadership
competencies is the ability to
present and communicate
effectively—in both formal and
informal settings

© APHL

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 6

 Influence
desicion
makers

Better
Why you should Improve
response
from

improve problem
solving
stakeholders
, clinical and
commercial
communication partners

skills Effective
Communication

Avoid spread Better

of false professional
information image

Motivate
staff

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 7

Communication channels
What are the ways you communicate?

Group 1:1 Conference Community

meetings meetings calls dialogue

1:1 Email message Text/ Video

telephone or other instant conference
calls written message
communication
3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 8
▪ What are the ways you most communicate in the laboratory? (pick 3)
A) Group meetings
B) 1:1 meetings
C) Conference calls
D) Community dialogue
E) 1:1 telephone calls
F) Email message
G) Text/ instant message
H) Video conference
I) Memos, graphics, and other written documents

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 9

Elements of communication

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 10

Elements of communication

Visual Vocal Verbal

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Visual
Body language
▪ Posture
▪ Gestures
▪ Facial expression
▪ Eye contact
▪ Movement
▪ Clothing
▪ Appropriate setting

© CDC

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 12

Body language – the signs you send (and receive)
A body language of a person may give a positive or negative effect to others.

Body language
Leaning forward
▪ Positive ▪ Negative
Eye contact
Lack of eye contact

Nodding

Crossed arms

Fidgeting hands
Smiling

Leaning back
3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 13
Vocal

▪ Tone and pitch

▪ Volume
▪ Rate
▪ Type of language (formal
versus informal)

© APHL

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 14

Verbal
▪ Technical jargon or slang
▪ Fillers – words or sounds used in
place of a pause
▪ Positive versus negative language
▪ Visual language to ‘paint a
picture’ for your audience

© CDC

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 15

Poll for slide 16
▪ In general, when communicating with others, how much of our messages is communicated
by visual cues, by verbal cues and by vocal cues'?
A) 7% Visual, 38% Vocal, 55% Verbal
B) 38% Visual, 55% Vocal, 7% Verbal
C) 55% Visual, 38% Vocal, 7% Verbal

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 16

Face-to-face communication

Vocal
38%
Visual
55%
Verbal
7%

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 17

Types of communication

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 18

Types of communication
Oral Written
▪ Media interviews ▪ Policy position
▪ Meetings
statements
▪ Journal articles
▪ Presentations
▪ Press releases
▪ Training staff ▪ Advocacy statement
▪ Advocacy statements ▪ Standard operating
procedures

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 19

Oral communication model
Communication is bi-directional and constant

Encoding Decoding

Ideas and Messages

Ideas and
Feelings (Symbols) Feelings
Decoding Encoding

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 20

Active Listening

▪ Adopt attentive/engaging body

language
▪ Eliminate distractions (multi-
tasking)
▪ Paraphrase and mirror back what
was said
▪ Use empathetic language to
acknowledge
▪ Ask questions to clarify

© APHL

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 21

Barriers to listening
What gets in the way of listening?
▪ Making judgements
▪ Making assumptions
▪ Jumping to conclusions
▪ Selective listening
▪ “I’m right, you’re wrong” attitude
▪ Interruptions
▪ Distractions
▪ Multi-tasking
▪ Sidestepping
▪ Lack of knowledge

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 22

End of Part
One

3.B.1 Beta (2021)23

::
Planning and delivering a presentation

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 24

Planning a communication

MESSAGE What do I want to say?

AUDIENCE To whom do I want to say it?

CHANNEL Through what means can I convey it most effectively?

TIMING When will it have the most advantageous effect?

IMPACT What do I want to have happen as a result of my message?

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 25

Planning your presentation

Know your Know your

audience purpose
Effective
Presentation

Know Know your

yourself content

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 26

Know your audience
How do you gather information about your audience?

▪ Talk with members of the audience

▪ Distribute a survey
▪ Talk with the organizer
▪ Reviewevaluations from past
presentations
▪ Attenda presentation to get a sense of
the group
▪ Askfor information or written materials
describing the audience
© APHL
3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 27
Know your purpose
What type of presentation are you giving?

Informational Motivational
provide information motivate to take action

Demonstration Extemporaneous
teach or build new skills immediate, without preparation

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 28

Poll for slide 29
▪ What presentations have you given?
A) Informational
B) Motivational
C) Demonstration
D) Extemporaneous

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 29

Know your content
Be confident by knowing your content

▪ Research the topic

▪ Use information from credible sources
▪ Incorporate relevant data/statistics Practice,
▪ Differentiate opinions from facts
practice,
practice!
▪ Include helpful resources
▪ Practice your presentation out loud

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 30

 Know yourself
What are your skills and strengths?

Ability to Story Communication

Humor*
build rapport Telling dimensions

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 31

Timing
▪ Planyour content to match the
length of your presentation
▪ Allow time for questions
▪ Check your speaking pace

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 32

Organize your content

Opening Body Closing

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 33

Open strong
This is your first Impression

▪ Welcome and thank your audience/host

▪ Introduce yourself
▪ Use gestures, vocal variation and movement
▪ Explain why you’re there (main point)
▪ Engage the audience so that they want to hear
what you have to say

© CDC

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 34

Ideas for opening a presentation (“Icebreakers”)

▪ Ask a question

▪ Make a powerful statement

▪ Tell a story

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 35

Body

▪ Shape your story to present your main message

▪ Sequence your content:
▪ Chronological
▪ Basic to advanced
▪ General to specific
▪ Known to new information
▪ Summarize and transition from one point to
another

© OIE/F. Daniel

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 36

Rule of three

1
Your audience is
2
Use no more than
3
Support each
likely to remember 3 main points in point with facts,
only three things the body of your evidence and
from your presentation reasons
presentation

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 37

Close with flare
▪ Summarize the main points
▪ End with a memorable closing or
call for action
▪ Allow
time for questions and
answers
▪ Providea list of resources or
references
▪ Thank your audience

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 38

The psychology of memory
Primacy and Recency: People remember the beginning and the end

Advertisers, writers, entertainers and teachers know this secret.

Beginning End
Vast cognitive
wasteland

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 39

Wrap up

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 40

In summary

▪ Good communication is key to being

an effective leader
▪ Your
communication can and must
change based on your audience
▪ LISTEN

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 41

Questions?

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 42

References

▪ Strategic
Advisor, 2010. Communicate to Influence and Get What You want:
The Power Checklist.
http://www.fminsight.com/rokdownloads/Handouts/Handout%20-
%20Communicate%20to%20Influence.pdf, accessed December 1, 2020.

3.B.1 Beta (2021) :: 43

Disclaimer

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the GLLP and do not necessarily
represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For more information, please contact CDC:
www.cdc.gov
1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)
TTY: 1-888-232-6348

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