Essentials of Oral Communication

Slide 1 : Copyright @ 2011 IILM Institute of Higher Learning. All rights Reserved. Business Communication ESSENTIALS OF ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS ESSENTIALS OF ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

BASICS OF ORAL COMMUNICATION : BASICS OF ORAL COMMUNICATION Oral communication connotes words uttered through the mouth i.e., spoken words. It is any utterance of, at or near the mouth, involving resonance of the mouth. It must be distinguished from the nasal resonance – resonance through the nose. Oral communication always conveys an idea or a feeling. There are two forms of oral communication:   Speaking Listening Oral communication covers both the forms. Remember the famous saying, ‘It takes two to tango’. Like the famous chicken and egg story, it is difficult to decide which one came first. At any rate, it is pointless talking unless someone is listening. One cannot be listening unless someone is speaking or talking. It is said that ‘the art of conversation is the art of hearing as well as of being heard’.

Slide 3 : (1) Speaking: An average manager speaks for about 30 % of his time. The proportion goes up as one goes up the hierarchical levels. Speaking implies:   Talking Conversing Chatting Addressing Discoursing   (2) Listening A close synonym of listening is hearing; hearing is any sound that goes through the auditory nerves or sound waves as they enter the ears. An average manager spends about 45 % of the time listening. It should advisably go up as one goes upwards in the hierarchy. Listening is a very powerful trait of leaders.

POWER OF SPEECH : POWER OF SPEECH Spoken words form a powerful medium for influencing people to accomplish tasks. Salespersons make a sort of speech to persuade their customers to buy products they are selling. Travelling salespersons visit dealers and retailers and influence them to place order for the product offerings of the company. Insurance agents persuade their clients to buy life / general insurance of their firm for protection against various kinds of losses to life or possessions like household, car, health etc. Similarly business managers, industrialists and leaders have to deliver speeches at events relating to product launches, sales conferences and training programmes. Besides, they speak ot inaugural events, seminars, meetings of trade associations etc. An organization is an association of people who often organize social, sports and cultural gatherings where managers / leaders are expected to deliver speeches suited to the occasion.  Outside the organization, community and political leaders are called upon to speak on several occasions / functions. Master speakers and orators have been sought to speak on diverse subjects. Powerful speeches can: Ex of great speeches Nehru’s “tryst with destiny’,Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘the light has come out’ etc Inspire listeners or make them dispirited Build tension on issues or relax tension among the audience Incite people to quarrel / fight or induce them to be friendly Turn hostile audience in to supportive one and vice versa Stir people to rebel / revolt or become docile Make people undertake long march or stay at home .

CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD SPEECH : CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD SPEECH Listening to a good speech is a very interesting experience. Every one should put in the hard work necessary to acquire skills in speaking as it imparts considerable competitive advantage to the person. Some important aspects are: Clarity:The voice of the speaker should be clear, tone should vary and pitch should be pleasant. The ideas, emotions and arguments should come straight from the heart so that audience can grasp it easily. It should register with the listeners and vibrate with their feelings and thoughts. Informal, personal and conversationalA good speech should be like a conversation between two good friends – personal, informal and sincere. There should be a rapport between the speaker and the audience. (3) Concrete, vivid and imagery A speech should help build a picture that is easy to visualize and easier to comprehend. It should be furbished by concrete examples that grasp the imagination of the listeners.

Slide 6 : Brevity:It is very difficult to hold the attention of the listeners for more than 15 to 20 minutes. A good speaker should be able to convey his complete message in that period. He should come straight to the point and say what he wants by bringing three or four points to their attention. Interesting, jovial and humorous:A speaker wins or loses the battle in the first two or three minutes. If the speaker has impressed the audience with his opening remarks, he is well on your way to winning a space in their heart. And that is the target. It has to be a heart to heart dialogue. Lace it with short humorous anecdotes – laughter lubricates learning!Anecdotes should be short, appropriate and in good taste. Quotations, proverbs and idioms should be like arrows piercing directly in to the heart of the audience. Experienced speakers learn to master the art of reciting these statements, giving a long pause after it has been stated to let it sink in with the audience. (6) Listener-oriented:Audience is your customer. It is your business to know their needs and wants, their desires and their expectations. Speaker has to be very sensitive to the body language of their audience and modify the speech to fine tune with them. If the message has to gel well with the audience, speakers’ antenna should pick up the cues from the body language of the listeners.

TRAITS OF A GOOD SPEAKER : TRAITS OF A GOOD SPEAKER Speakers have also to learn and acquire skills in speaking. These skills can vary widely from being effective in conversation among a few colleagues, a medium sized group or a large audience verging upon a public speech. A few salient traits of a good speaker are: Be earnest:An earnest person speaks not to show of nor talks about irrelevant topics. He remains conscious of the purpose of his speech. Have a sense of responsibility towards audienceHe is conscious that time is precious and tries to make the best use of the time he gets with his audience. Has a sense of commitment to his subject / duty:He thinks and plans ahead what he has to say and does not take on more than what can be accomplished. (4) Has a sense of responsibility towards other speakers :He does not try to monopolize the occasion and restricts to the time allotted to him. (5) Keeps his coolHe is not carried away by excitement and enthusiasm. Over-confidence is as bad as under-confidence.

Slide 8 : Has a good sense of leadership: He speaks with eye contacts with the audience in full measure; talks with confidence, authority, and responsibility. Is balanced in approachThe speaker should remain balanced in spite of provocation if any and exhibit sanity to the audience. Has a sense of humour:An anecdote that is humorous is welcome as it adds a flavour to the message being delivered. Is focused and interested:The speaker must convey that he is very interested in the subject as it is interesting and will be of interest to his audience too. His focus on the subject should become evident by the time he finishes speaking. (10) Is enthusiastic and spirited:The speaker must be full of spirits and assume lively audience who need to be enthused about the benefits of the message that he has the privilege of knowing and delivering.

ADVANTAGES OF ORAL COMMUNICATION : ADVANTAGES OF ORAL COMMUNICATION Important merits are:  1 It has proximity with the audience 2 It helps immediate interchange of the opinions 3 It provides instant feedback It involves participation of all present  ACTIVITY: It is said that orators have mastery on their speech. They are very good in moulding opinions of their audience and veering them around to the desired viewpoint. In elections to state assemblies and Lok Sabha, actors and other celebrities are in great demand to address the election rallies for two reasons – firstly, they are able to attract more people to the public meetings and secondly, they are able to master the long parts of their speech quickly and deliver it in their own familiar style that appeals to the listeners. ………………………………………………………………………………………… Think of a good speaker you have listened to and write down all the aspects of speech that appealed to you. ………………………………………………………………………………………… Go back to the relevant sections above and identify what aspects you have overlooked.

STYLES OF ORAL COMMUNICATION : STYLES OF ORAL COMMUNICATION In order to understand the meaning and importance of oral communication, we must know the three styles of oral communication:   1.Non-assertive (Submissive) communication style 2.Aggressive communication style 3.Assertive communication style These are described below: (1) Non-assertive (Submissive) communication style:This style or behaviour happens when persons:  Fail to stand up for their rights Do things in a manner that others can easily disregard Express opinions, feelings etc in apologetic and cautious manner Fail to express own opinions, feelings etc altogether  A person becomes submissive when he sees that his own needs and wants are less important than others. The person tends to justify or explain while accommodating others’ viewpoint.In the event of a conflict, a person with submissive communication style can easily defuse the situation by avoiding taking a strong stand. It helps people to escape anxiety or confrontation. He avoids feeling guilty about letting someone down etc. Usually work suffers because aggressive viewpoint, not necessarily the best option, prevails.

Slide 11 : (2) Aggressive communication style:This style or behaviour happens when persons:  Stand up for their rights in a way that violates the right of others to have their say Express own thoughts, feelings etc in inappropriate way even when they believe that their views are incorrect  Aggressive style of communication enhances speakers at the cost of others. It puts the other person down and is based on the opinion that their opinions are more important than others. It is characterized by: Blaming others or factors external and outside own control Showing contempt for others Being hostile to others Attacking others orally Patronizing others Aggressive behaviour usually succeeds in getting what he wants; it also conveys a sense of power over others. It helps the communicator to release his steam and provides an outlet for his anger and bad feelings. (3) Assertive communication style:There is a third style of communication – assertive communication. It is neither submissive nor aggressive – it is emphatic behaviour while communicating with others. It happens when persons:  Stand up for their rights in a way that does not violate others’ rights Express own point of view honestly, openly and directly while conveying that they understand the others’ position

COMMUNICATION GRID : COMMUNICATION GRID Which style of communication one adopts in a given situation is largely influenced by person’s evaluation of self-esteem. Self-esteem is the assessment we have of ourselves. It is the judgement about own worth as a person and reflects ones’ life position in terms of ones’ belief in own competence and success. These styles can be illustrated with the help of the following communication grid: I am OK I am not OK  You are OK Assertive Submissive (Non-assertive) Style Styl    You are not OK Aggressive Manipulative Style Style All four options have a direct influence on individual’s thinking and impact on his oral communication.

Slide 13 : (1) Assertive style :It is the best and most positive stance of behaviour. It is a positive code of conduct when one hears other participants’ point of view while expressing one’s own. The person is open to ideas and willing to accept a change in the stand if the need arise. At the least, the two viewpoints are synthesized and a third viewpoint emerges which is based on combining the better features of the suggestions available. When individuals communicating are in assertive frame of communication, both are listening to each other, Since two heads working together are better than one, invariably a fourth solution that was thought of by neither of the parties, emerges. This fourth solution has often been found to be the most rewarding. (2) Other styles :In a simple formulation, the different styles are adopted in a problematic situation. In general, responses can be: Facilitating (assertive) Surrendering (submissive) Argumentative (Aggressive) Undermining (Manipulative) In nutshell, it is agreed that the assertive style of communication is the most desirable as it takes a good, positive view of not only self but also of other participants in the interaction.

ELEMENTS OF STYLES OF COMMUNICATION BEHAVIOUR : ELEMENTS OF STYLES OF COMMUNICATION BEHAVIOUR A sensitive observer should be able to spot the communication style of individuals’ from the verbal cues or signals exhibited: (1) Non-assertive (submissive) communication style:The verbal cues and clues are:  (1) Use of apologetic words (2) Devaluation of self (3) Failure to say what one means really (4) Use of phrases implying diffidence (5) Beating about the bush - hedging (6) Loss of words (7) Self-defeating (8) Shifting responsibility to others (9) Rambling and disjointed expressions (10) Veiled meanings

Slide 15 : (2) Aggressive communication style   The verbal symbols are:   (1) Accusations of others (2) Behaving like a dictator (3) Use of very subjective descriptions (4) Not recognizing roles of others (5) Use of loaded words (6) Putting others down (7) Frequent use of ‘you’ messages blaming or labeling others (8) Use of superior wordings in expressions

Slide 16 : (3) Assertive communication style   The verbal signs and signals are:   (1) Accept responsibility (2) Make direct statements that say what they mean (3) Express own feelings honestly (4) Negotiate on the basis of win-win situation for both parties (5) Use ‘I’ messages frequently (6) Use object sentences (7) Recognize others’ contribution (8) State their ‘wants’ clearly

Slide 17 : ACTIVITY   You are attending a meeting that has about 10 to 12 members who get together regularly to discuss topics of interest. It could be a safety meeting or works committee meeting. Using the above cues, identify their dominant style of communication and classify them in to the above three types. ………………………………………………………………………………………… Visualize that there is a contentious point being discussed where a person with aggressive style of communication is pitted against a person with non-assertive style of communication and guess the winner. ………………………………………………………………………………………… Now reverse the roles of the two speakers representing the two viewpoints and guess the winner. ………………………………………………………………………………………… Finally, visualize the same contentious issue being discussed between two speakers having assertive styles of oral communication. What would be the outcome?

ONE IS AS GOOD AS ONE THINKS : ONE IS AS GOOD AS ONE THINKS Shakespeare had said, ‘Nothing is good or bad; only thinking makes it so’. Ones’ thoughts mould ones’ personality. In general, two types of thought processes are: (1) Positive thought:These are: Positive self-recognition Identifying relationships with self and others Self-confidence (2) Negative thoughts:These include:  Negative self-recognition Crisis of relationship with self and others Non-assertive (submissive or aggressive) behaviour  Communication skills when measured along the dimension of negative thought, can become non-assertive in nature. Negative behaviours lead to low morale and lower inputs of employees on the one hand and low work output and low efficiency on the other.   It is thus of critical value to budding managers / leaders to ascertain their style of communication behaviour and to adapt more positive style.

ASSERTIVE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALES : ASSERTIVE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALES Every citizen of the world has two types of rights: (1) Fundamental rights :These are guaranteed by the constitutions of the respective countries. They have the legal back up of the country to which the persons belong. (2) Assertive rights:These are not guaranteed by legal framework but in the emerging world, these are being recognized as ‘Everyone’s Bill of Rights’. These rights stand for freedom from bondage and represent the spirit of individuals as they wish to be treated by society. These are: (i) Right of self respect and respect for others :It signifies confidence in self’s abilities and also respecting others as a reciprocal behaviour. (ii) Right to have and express own feelings and opinions:It represents the innate desire in each one of us for being recognized as a useful member of the society. (iii) Right to be listened to and taken seriously:It implies the innate urge to have self-esteem as it promotes positive attitude. (iv) Right to set own priorities:It represents individualistic approach and highlights the freedom to change own ideas and opinions without having to explain to anyone.

Slide 20 : Right to say ‘no’ without feeling guilty:It means unwillingness to accept ideas of others if they do not match with own understanding or perception. Right to ask for what one wants:It again talks of the individualistic needs, wants and desires. Right to get what one pays for:It upholds the right of consumers that has now become well-established norm in society. Right to ask for information from professionals:With the right to information from Government and other agencies becoming a law in India, this right to be informed by professionals is not far away. Right to make mistakes:It stands for accepting responsibility for errors and omissions by individuals. It reinforces the age-old concept that ‘To err is human’. At the same time, it implies that making mistakes is an essential part of learning and growing. (x) Right to choose not to assert oneself:It recognizes individuals’ need to renounce, resign and abdicate.

STRATEGIES FOR ASSERTIVE STYLE OF COMMUNICATION : STRATEGIES FOR ASSERTIVE STYLE OF COMMUNICATION Various tried out approaches are: (1) Creating the right first impression :A speaker is judged in the first two or three minutes. It is, therefore, imperative for the speaker to have a very well rehearsed opening of the presentation. If the good impression already exists, no major effort may be necessary. However, it is not desirable to take things for granted; good speakers have a good collection of opening statements in their repertory. (2) Clarifying and building image of the goal:Always start with end in view. You cannot go wrong if, from the beginning, speaker shares with the receivers the goal or the purpose or the ultimate finishing point. It helps developing a rapport with the listeners. A quick indication of the road map en route may further invoke interest and make it easier for the audience to understand the message. Some deviations are always possible and sometimes, are even welcome! (3) Making purposive statements:The goal should serve as a flag under which the participants can rally when the things are not smooth. It helps the speaker to bring discussions back on track and in reckoning; it is always welcomed by the audience. They link well with the ultimate destination and prevent derailing of your line of thought. (4) Using clear and lucid Language:An assertive speaker is direct and straight. He has the capability to hold the listeners spell-bound or in a trance willing to do his bidding. Use of clear, lucid and winning words that are couched in phrases the listeners are familiar is very rewarding. (5) Speaking with empathy:Experience confirms that ‘how’ of the message is more important than ‘what’ of the message. The body language is critical – good posture, eye contact and good voice modulation adds confidence and truthfulness to the speakers’ statements. The level of confidence that the speaker exhibits is very infectious.

Slide 22 : (6) Paraphrasing:From time to time, the speaker should repeat the important part of the message as it keeps the attention of listener focused on the point. It avoids any of the listeners losing track of the subject. Simultaneously, speaker should ask questions to ensure audience participation. (7) Maintaining listeners’ interest:The speaker applauds good answers from the audience and makes positive gestures when listeners have grasped the idea or concept. He keeps them involved about the next step on the road map to the finish and readies them for receiving the message by telling listeners about its importance. (8) Collecting feedback‘Feedback is the breakfast of the champions’. If you want to be a champion speaker then, it is absolutely essential to be sensitive to the feedback from the audience. Active participation by the receivers is very desirable. Ideally, the feedback is more than the body language that they show – they way they move forward or backward on their seats, the way they yawn and they way they twitter their fingers are cues and clues that will never tell lies but if these are supplemented by comments / suggestions in line with the issues being discussed, it is a feedback that should not be ignored.

TRAITS OF ASSERTIVE STYLE OF COMMUNICATION : TRAITS OF ASSERTIVE STYLE OF COMMUNICATION In order to acquire a high level of assertive behaviour, the individuals have to imbibe certain traits as below: (1) High level of listening skillsThe human mind has one limitation – it can do one thing at a time. However, it can change to another idea or thought in a flash and sometimes, persons think that they can do many things at the same time. When one is speaking, one cannot be listening. A good listening requires the ability to remain silent for long periods. Besides when two persons are interacting, silence is very awkward. If one person remains silent for reasonable length of time, the other person will fill the vacuum with his voice; he is able to listen to the other person completely. (2) Initiative to make new contacts:This increases persons’ area of influence as he is able to listen and get opinions of wider range of people who can share their experience or viewpoint. Quick to respondThis is the ability to respond to a large number of contacts in short time. It directly measures ones’ reaction time. ‘Response is everyone’s response-ability’. Some persons are, by nature, more sensitive to others needs and wants while others take time to respond. By speeding up own responses, persons can speed ahead of their competitors. (4) Perseverance with issuesIt is the ability of an individual to keep going back to the same persons and raising issues that have been rejected or where there has been little enthusiasm. The approach is that if one feels strongly about issues that have not invoked the right response, it is time to re-examine critically about the way it was packaged and parceled last time and make necessary changes to make it more exciting and interesting on the one hand and to compromise, persuade and bring out newer possibilities on the other. (5) Maintaining flexibilityRigid stand leads to resistance. It is always better to remain flexible and open as that helps one discover patterns that other finds easy to understand. It also encourages them to talk freely and openly. This openness in dialogues invariably leads to solutions that are more rewarding and fetching.

DETERMINING / CHANGING STYLE OF COMMUNICATION : DETERMINING / CHANGING STYLE OF COMMUNICATION It has, thus, become an issue of critical value for all budding managers and leaders to identify their style of communication and take conscious steps to change it to the assertive style of communication.It is a journey starting with change in the mindset of the individual – changing it from negative thinking to a positive one. It signifies changing from ‘I should’ to ‘I want to’ and finally to ‘I will’. The subtle differences in these stages of transition are: ‘I should’:Such statements demonstrate powerlessness that places the ability to act quite outside the control of the speaker. These are passive statements and rarely, result in getting people to act. ‘I want to’:These statements include expression of the intent to a desired level in a speaker. The listener taking action, as a result, is likely. ‘I will’:Such statements are assertive as they claim ownership of the idea and present the concept to the listener in the present tense of ‘here and now’. The speaker takes control of the idea and listeners’ acting on it becomes imminent.

Slide 25 : Acknowledgments We wish to acknowledge the people who actively contributed to the writing and delivery of the learning material Author Prof. Manohar L. Gulati Presenter M.Sadiqur Rahman, Fullbright Scholar, Lecturer, Employability Skills & Business Communication A special thanks to the technical support team who were instrumental in the design and implementation of this presentation.

Slide 26 : Contact Details For further information, please contact: IILM Institute for Higher Education 3, Lodhi Institutional Area, Lodhi Road, New Delhi- 110003 Email: learning@iilm.edu Web : www.iilm.edu

Thank you : Thank you