Improving Communication

&Participant Complaint Resolution

For Connections To Independence

Communication Communication skills are some of the most

important skills that you need to succeed in the workplace.

Involves a sender and a receiver To be successful receiver must understand

the message in the way the sender intended To be an expert communicator you must be

effective at all points in the communication process and be comfortable with the different channels of communication.

Let’s take the…..COMMUNICATION QUIZ

Are you communicating

effectively?

The Communications Process

Source Encoding Channel Decoding Receiver

Feedback

Context

MSG MSG MSG MSG

The Source – Planning Your Message To plan your communication:

Understand your objective. Why are your communicating?

Understand your audience. With whom are you communicating? What do they need to know?

Plan what you want to say and how you’ll send the message.

Seek feedback on how well your message was received.

Good communicators use KISS. Keep It Simple and Straightforward

Encoding – Creating a Clear, Well Crafted Message - Verbal

You need to consider not only what you say, but also how you think the recipient will perceive it.

Understand what you truly need and want to say

Anticipate the other person’s reaction Choose words and body language that allow

the other person to really hear what you’re saying

Encoding – Creating a Clear, Well Crafted Message - Written

Words on a page generally have no emotion. When writing take time to do the following:

Review your style Avoid jargon or slang Check grammar and punctuation Check for tone, attitude, nuance and other

subtleties Familiarize yourself with your company’s writing

policies Use pictures, charts and diagrams Consider the cultural context

Choosing the Right Channel Along with encoding the message you need to

choose the best communication channel to send it. Email: for simple directions is practical. If message is complex or has any negative

emotional content, communication Face to Face or by Phone.

To determine the best way to send a message consider: Sensitivity and emotional content How easy it is to communicate detail The receiver’s preferences Time constraints The need to ask and answer questions

Decoding – Receiving and Interpreting a Message

To be a great communicator you need to listen. Active listening = effective listening

Look at the person Pay attention to body language Avoid distractions Nod and smile Think back about what the person has said Allow the person to speak Don’t interrupt

Empathic listening allows you to understand the underlying feelings the speaker is expressing

Receiver Must keep in mind the actions or reactions

you hope your message will get from this audience.

Each of these individuals enters into the communication process with ideas and feelings that will influence their understanding and their response.

To be a successful communicator you should consider this before delivering your message

Feedback

Feedback can be verbal or non-verbal. Feedback through body language is the

most important source of clues to the effectiveness of your communication.

You can learn what the other person is saying

Ask questions to ensure that you have understood each other

Context The situation in which your message is

delivered is the context. This may include: The surrounding environment Broader culture

Corporate culture International culture Etc.

Communication Summary The Source – Planning Your Message Encoding – Creating a Clear, Well Crafted Message

Verbally or in writing Choose the right channel: email, phone or face-to-

face Decoding – Receiving and Interpreting a Message Receiver - Must keep in mind the actions or

reactions you hope your message will get from this audience.

Feedback – can be verbal or non-verbal Context – the situation your message is delivered

Utilizing CommunicationSo how can we utilize

communication to help deal with difficult behavior?

First, let’s take a look at difficult behavior and it’s causes.

Difficult Behavior

You can’t control the behavior but you can control your response

to it.

Causes Illness Disability Possibility of death Emotional change Physical changes PainAll race through their minds

Why? Fear of loss of control is a huge problem

for many people and is often the root of behavior problems

They will grasp at anything to try to control the situation

Family members will go through these same emotions due to the causal factors.

5 R’sRemain calmRespond to person’s feelingsReassure the personRemove yourselfReturn when you are calm

Communication for When a Person Refuses Help Involve them as much as possible Assure them they have the final say Reinforce that your aim is to work with

them to keep them at home Watch for body language clues for

feedback If at first you don’t succeed wait 15

minutes and try again Be patient

Excessive Complaints and Angry Behavior Don’t downplay feelings Don’t take personally Say “You seem really frustrated, what can we

do to make it better next time?” Let them talk about their anger LISTEN! (empathic and active) Make an effort to respect demands that may

seem petty to you, but are important to them Learn triggers and avoid them

Anxious Behavior Chronic disability may make the person more

anxious than normal. Anxiety may make the person feel:

Restless Dizzy Hot or chilled Heart pounding Not enough air Insomnia

Identify and decrease things that may be causing anxiety

Look for feelings behind demands Reassure things are under control Encourage deep breathing Encourage hydration

Disrespectful Behavior Calm yourself Use I statements such as: “When you use

that tone of voice I feel unappreciated.” Communicate politely how you’d like to

be treated. Remember to consider the channel: (is this phone or face-to-face)

Utilize empathic and active listening to understand what the person is actually saying behind the disrespectful words

Ask if you did something to offend them and if you did apologize

Communication and Difficult Behavior In most cases of difficult behavior

utilizing communication skills will aid you in diffusing the situation.

Consider the context in which you are delivering your message and what you are trying to convey.

Keep in mind the actions or reactions you may receive from your audience.

To Review: A Scenario In groups of three or four, read through

your scenario. Using the 5 R’s and other tips you’ve

learned, how would you respond to your scenario. Include the steps in the communication process learned during this training.

Present to the rest of the group