Effective Communication 101

Life and Learning Workshop

September 24, 2007

Presented by: Melanie Bentley-Cruz

Center for Student Leadership and
Community Engagement
Presentation Overview

• Two opening activities

• Ways we communicate
• Barriers to communication
• Overcoming those barriers
• Listening
• Questions, comments, concerns
What is Effective Communication?

• Cingular Commercial

YouTube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=4nIUcRJX9-o

• What does this tell us about

communication?
Activity- Thanks for Coming

• Listen to the instructions

• What did you notice?
• How does this activity help us to
understand communication?
Ways We Communicate

• Writing- resumes, cover letters,

professional letters, emails, facebook,
MySpace
• Talking- public speaking, face-to-face, cell
phone messages, interviews, voice mail
• Listening
• Non-verbals
Barriers to Communication

• Physical barriers- yelling across the hall,

communicating from different locations
• Perceptual barriers- we all see the world
differently
• Emotional barriers- withholding thoughts
and feelings
• Cultural barriers- group behaviors
• Language barriers- not everyone is familiar
with all languages or jargon
Ways to overcome these barriers

• Physical barriers- try to use face-to-face

communication frequently

• Perceptual barriers- recognize we have

different values and try to recognize where
the person is speaking from

• Emotional barriers- try to build trust

• Cultural barriers- recognize differences in
meaning, pacing, volume and gesture, space, and
touch

• Language barriers- learn more about different

cultures, relax, try to find a place where there are
not many additional stimuli to take away from the
exchange of messages
- ask what people need in order to communicate
most effectively
- Solicit feedback
Tips and Tricks

• Assess who you are speaking to

- peer, professor, co-worker, boss, family
• If possible- PLAN
• Check on non-verbal and simple errors
• In conflict, focus on the problem, not the
person
• Listen and be honest with yourself
Assertiveness

• Assertiveness- expressing thoughts,

feelings, and beliefs in a direct and honest
way.
• Use “I” statements
• “I” statements include 3 parts:
- Feelings, behavior, effect
- Let’s create an “I” statement!
Listening
“We were given two ears but only one
mouth, because listening is twice as hard
as talking."
• How to listen:
- Attending
- Paraphrasing
- Clarifying
- Perception checking
• Make active listening a habit (it takes 21
days to turn something into a habit!)
 Thank You

• Questions?
• Comments?
Resources for this presentation

• Oklahoma Family Voices

http://okvoices.org/communication.html
• ManageTrainLead
http://hodu.com/barriers.shtml
• People Skills by Robert Bolton, Ph.D.
• How to Communicate by McKay, Davis,
and Fanning
The Center for Student Leadership and
Community Engagement
• Located at 235 Student Union
• Open Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
• Provides information on leadership
development and community engagement.
• Check out our website for more
information:
http://www.leadership.buffalo.edu
Additional Resources in the SLCE

Our resource center has several resources on

effective communication. These include:
• People Skills by Robert Bolton, Ph.D.
• Face-to-Face Communications by Harvard
Business School Press
• Listening: The Forgotten Skill by Burley-Allen
• Listen Up- Hear What Really is Being Said (VHS)
• Be Prepared to Speak (VHS)
• Lincoln on Communication (DVD)
…. And many more!
 Additional Opportunities through
the SLCE
• S.O.U.L.- An online and interactive program
to teach about the basics of leadership.
Check out:
http://www.leadership.buffalo.edu/soul.shtml
• Stay Up UB- November 16-17th
• Leadership Week- October 29th- November
3rd Check out:
http://www.leadership.buffalo.edu/leadweek.
shtml