Using Your Voice as a Communication Tool

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Using Your Voice as a Communication Tool

• Improve your pronunciation.
• naturally not natcherly
• accessory not assessory
• dont you not doncha

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Using Your Voice as a Communication Tool

• Work on the quality of your voice.
• Do you sound friendly, alert, or positive?
• Do you sound angry, slow-witted, or negative?

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Using Your Voice as a Communication Tool

• Adjust the volume of your voice and your rate of
  speech.
• Speak as loudly or softly as the occasion
  demands.
• Dont make your listeners strain to hear you.
• Dont speak too rapidly.

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Using Your Voice as a Communication Tool

• Use emphasis to express meaning.
• Stress the words that require emphasis.
• Use of a lower pitch and volume can make you
  sound professional or reasonable.

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Promoting Positive Workplace Relations

• Use correct names and titles.
• Choose appropriate workplace topics.
• Avoid negative remarks.
• Listen and learn.
• Give sincere and specific praise.

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Offering Constructive Criticism on the Job

• Mentally outline your conversation.
• Use face-to-face communication.
• Focus on improvement (offer to help).
• Be specific avoid broad generalizations.
• Focus on the behavior, not the person.
• Use we rather than you.

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Offering Constructive Criticism on the Job

• Encourage two-way communication.
• Avoid anger, sarcasm, and a raised voice.
• Keep it private.

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Responding Professionally to Workplace Criticism

• Listen without interrupting.
• Determine the speakers intent.
• Acknowledge what you are hearing.
• Paraphrase what was said.
• If necessary, ask for more information.
• Agreeif the comments made are fair.

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Responding Professionally to Workplace Criticism

• Disagree respectfully and constructivelyif you
  feel the comments made are unfair.
• Look for a middle position.

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Common Conflict Response Patterns

• Avoidance/withdrawal
• Accommodation/smoothing
• Compromise
• Competition/forcing
• Collaboration/problem solving

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Six-Step Procedure for Dealing With Conflict

1. Listen carefully. Understand the problem.
2. Understand the other point of view.
3. Show a concern for the relationship.
4. Look for common ground.
5. Invent new problem-solving options.
6. Reach an agreement based on whats fair.

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Making Effective Telephone Calls

• Placing Calls
• Plan a mini agenda.
• Use a three-point introduction
• State your name.
• State your affiliation.
• Give a brief explanation of why you are calling.
• Be cheerful and accurate.
• Bring it to a close.

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Making Effective Telephone Calls

• Avoid telephone tag.
• Leave complete voice-mail messages.

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Making Effective Telephone Calls

• Receiving Calls
• Identify yourself immediately.
• Be responsive and helpful.
• Be cautious when answering calls intended for
  others.
• Take messages carefully.
• Explain when transferring calls.

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Practicing Courteous and Responsible Cell Phone
Use

• Be courteous to those around you.
• Observe the rules for wireless-free areas.
• Speak in low, conversational tones.
• Take only urgent calls.
• Drive now, talk later.

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Meetings

• Planning a Meeting
• Ask yourself whether a meeting is really
  necessary.
• Invite only key individuals.
• Prepare an agenda (include topics, times, and
  names).

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Meetings

• Conducting a Meeting
• Start the meeting on time.
• Begin with an introduction that establishes the
  goal and length of the meeting.
• Provide the background of the problem(s), suggest
  possible solutions.
• Present a tentative agenda.

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Meetings

• Establish ground rules.
• Appoint a secretary, who will take minutes, and a
  recorder, who will track ideas on a flipchart.
• Encourage participation by all, but avoid
  digressions.
• When the group reaches consensus, summarize and
  ask for confirmation.

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Meetings

• Concluding a Meeting and Following Up
• End the meeting on time.
• Summarize the results achieved.
• Distribute minutes of the meeting a few days
  later.
• Remind group members of their follow-up
  assignments.

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End