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Essential Communications

Global Awareness Skills

This workshop was stage two, of three, in communication skills. In the first workshop I learnt how non-verbal communication made up 55% of people’s communication, therefore it was good that this workshop focused on non-verbal communication, specifically body language. Body language is not something I have previously thought about in much depth, as it is unconscious. I hoped this workshop would open my eyes and help me start to learn the skills of non-verbal communication to improve my overall communication skills.

The workshop explained that to positively influence my interactions, with others I need to build a good rapport, consisting of: mirroring, pacing and leading. To do this I need to understand body language. Apparently 60% of body language is down to facial expressions and our hands. There are three main hand movements: open hands mean you are suggesting an idea, hands turned over means you are giving a direct comment and pointed fingers are instructional. Using a mixture of these hand movements when having a conversation, can help others understand what you want them to do. As for facial expressions, there are actually six emotions that people can recognise: anger, sadness, fear, happiness, disgust and surprise, all of these are endorsed by hand movements. There are other important aspects of body language, for example: eye position and movement, what people are wearing, position of feet and legs, and proxemics. By understanding these ‘ABC’s of body language’ I will be equipped to use them to help people I’m working with feel more comfortable. I will aim to aid their understanding of what I am saying by the non-verbal messages I am giving off, and also hope to understand them better through their body language.

A - Arm Position

B - Body angle

C - Character 

D - Dress

E - Eyes

F - Feed and Legs

G - Gait

H - Hands

We completed the activity of standing up and introducing ourselves to the other people we were sitting with. We all knew that the other people were watching and analysing our body language, yet many could still not help their natural reactions. Some people put their hands on the table, a sign of nervousness. This shows how learning to control your body language to create the impression you want is hard. This is something I want to work on so that I can express the feeling that I am comfortable and confident, even when this might not be true.

Another important aspect of communication is listening, as communication is a two-way system. By using the acronym of ‘LISTEN’ I will be able to make myself an even stronger team member. This will aid me to fully engage and work well with others and their ideas about a task. Recently I have been struggling in some group work due to my lack of assertiveness, this resulted in me having to do the bulk of the work. I often feel worried about being assertive and risking of giving a bad impression or accidently offending someone. This workshop taught me that if I need to negotiate I should, and the best way is to follow the guidelines to show ‘R.E.S.P.E.C.T’. By following this structure, I would now feel more confident to be assertive and negotiate as these tips should help me avoid any unfortunate situations with other members of my groups.

L - look interested 

I - Involve yourself 

S - Stay on target

T - Test understanding

E - Evaluate the message 

N - Neutralise your feelings

R - Responsiveness 

E - Empathy

S - Service

P - Perspectives

E - Esteem 

C - Courage

T - Truth telling

The last thing we explored was how to give critical feedback. This was the most useful part of the workshop for me, because in my group work I feel uncomfortable giving people critical feedback when they do not complete work, as I do not want to offend or create a bad feeling. The frame work suggested for giving critical feedback was:

  1. Action = describe the activities or behaviours that you are giving feedback on – keep it simple.

  2. Impact = explain the impact or effect the actions have had on you or relevant parties.

  3. Desired Outcome = be clear about what you would like them to keep doing, change and why.

This is a method that I will be trying to use in the future when it is necessary to give critical feedback to people I am working with. It prevents any negative emotions and neutralises my personal feelings, as it works by stating the facts of the situation.

 

I feel I have learnt a lot from this workshop. The section about body language has made me think more deeply about what ‘secret’ messages people are expressing and how to interpret them to understand their thoughts and feelings better. The section on active listening will continue to help my personal communication skills with others, and my team work skills. However, the most important things I personally took from the workshop was how to negotiate my view with respect and how to give critical feedback as these are areas I struggle with. Therefore, these are skills I will be trying to use in future group work to prevent the situation of having to do extra work for others who would not participate properly. I am excited to complete the last stage of this communication workshop, as I feel I have had my eyes opened to how communication works and I feel that my communication skills are already starting to improve. 

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