C H A P T E R

11
Communication

Chapter 10: Communication

The Importance of Communication

“You can communicate without motivating but

it is impossible to motivate without
communicating” –John Thompson, former Georgetown
University men’s basketball coach.

“It is not what you tell them—it’s what they

hear” –Red Auerbach, former Boston Celtics championship
coach.
 Communication Keys

• Communication is used for many purposes:

– Persuasion, evaluation, information, motivation, and
problem solving.

• All communication contains content (what is

said) as well as relational (how we felt about
the person’s message) information.
Process of Communication
 Types of Communication

• Interpersonal communication
– at least two people in a meaningful exchange

• Nonverbal communication
– body language, facial expressions

• Intrapersonal communication
– self-talk, the communication we have with ourselves
 Sending Messages Effectively
(Verbal & Non-Verbal)
• Make verbal messages clear and concise.
• Pick the right time and place to deliver verbal messages.
• Enhance trust with the person receiving the message to
ensure verbal messages are appropriately interpreted.
• Do not underestimate the importance of nonverbal
communication:
– 50% to 70% of all communication is nonverbal.
– Nonverbal messages are harder to hide.
– Nonverbal messages are powerful.
• Important considerations for nonverbal message
components:
– Physical appearance, posture, gestures, body position, touching, facial
expression and voice characteristics.
 Guidelines for Sending Messages
• Be direct. Own your message.
• Be complete, specific, clear and consistent.
• State your needs and feelings clearly.
• Separate fact from fiction.
• Focus on one thing at a time.
• Deliver messages immediately.
• Avoid hidden agendas.
• Be supportive, don’t deliver the message with judgement.
• Be consistent with your nonverbal messages.
• Reinforce with repetition.
• Make messages appropriate to the receiver’s frame of reference.
• Look for feedback that your message was accurately interpreted.
 Electronic Communication
• Technology has become a driving force in
communication
• Use of emails, text messaging, social media continues
to gain momentum
– Useful for general communication between team members,
with coaches, administration
– Useful for advertising and social marketing
– Useful for explaining, describing, teaching
• Any drawbacks?
– Tone of message, Interpretation of message, quantity and
quality of message, access to message
 Receiving Messages Effectively

• Active listening
• Supportive listening
• Aware listening
• Empathy and caring
Barriers to Effective Communication
• Receiver not paying attention to the sender
• Lack of trust between the individuals attempting
to communicate
• Differences in socialization and heredity,
causing misinterpretations between the sender
and receiver
• Differences in the mental set or perception
between people
Barriers to Effective Communication
• Embarrassment (creates interference)
• Tendency to tell people what they want to hear
• Difficulties in expression or reluctance to
communicate
• Belief that silence is safer
• Inconsistency between actions and words
 Breakdowns in Communication

• Sender failures: Poorly transmitted messages

(ambiguity, inconsistency)

• Receiver failures: Failure to listen carefully

(misinterpretation)
 Communication to Improve
Team Coordination

• Use multiple sensory modes

– Drawing on whiteboard, showing a video, providing a
written handbook.

• Use redundancy
– Consistent reminders, talking through plays in addition to
displaying them, other resources to support the message.

• Use an enduring representation

– Supplement verbal instructions with handouts,
recordings, videos.
 Communication to Improve Team
Coordination
• Explain why
– Provide rationale for why things are.

• Enhance team members’ listening skills

– Encourage use of the HEAR principle.

• Encourage questions
– Provide time for questions with the team and in private.

• Check that plans are received

– Ask them to repeat, describe or demonstrate on the field.
 Dealing with Confrontation
and Conflict
• Over 80% of athletes and staff preparing for a major
international competition reported experiencing some
sort of conflict.
• Interpersonal conflict can lead to confrontation.
• Use active and supportive listening to avoid
breakdowns that prevent effective communication.
 Confrontation

• Confrontation
– Although confrontation (a face-to-face discussion
among people in conflict) is often seen as negative,
when properly used it is a part of effective
communication.
– Communication training can increase one’s
effectiveness in confrontation.
When to Use (or Avoid) Confrontation

• Don’t confront someone when you are angry.

• Do confront someone when you are in control,
can express your feelings constructively, and
have a well-thought-out reason for doing so.
 Assumptions for Approaching
a Confrontation
• All parties’ needs are legitimate and must be attended to.
• There are enough resources to meet all needs.
• Within every individual lies untapped power and capacity,
and people in conflict know what they need.
• Process is as important as content because it provides
direction and focus.
• Improving situations is different from solving problems.
• Everyone is right from his or her own perspective.
• Solutions and resolutions are temporary states of balance
and are not absolute or timeless.
 Do’s of Confronting
• Do convey that you value your relationship with
the person.
• Do go slowly and think about what you want to
communicate.
• Do try to understand the other person’s
position.
• Do listen carefully to what the other person is
trying to communicate.
 Don’ts of Confronting

• Don’t communicate the solution. Rather, focus

on the problem.
• Don’t stop communicating.
• Don’t use put-downs.
• Don’t rely on nonverbal hints to communicate
your thoughts.
 The Sandwich Approach
to Constructive Criticism

• A positive statement
• A future-oriented instruction
• A compliment
Examples of the Sandwich Approach

• Positive statement: “Sally, you are really

working hard out there.”
• Future-oriented statement: “Next time try to
slow down and not get ahead of yourself.”
• Compliment: “You’re getting there; keep up
the good work.”
Athletes’ Guidelines for Improving
Communication
• Don’t interrupt.
• Confront issues right away.
• Don’t make assumptions about what others are
thinking.
• Ask for help from teammates.
• Voice opinions to those who intimidate you.
• Make eye contact when communicating.