COMMUNICATION AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

“Take no customer for granted. Let them know how important they are.”

- Achieving Excellence through customer service

COMMUNICATION AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

DEFINITION OF COMMUNICATION Communication is defined as passing ofinformation and understanding from one person to another.

It is the means whereby people in an organization

exchange information regarding the operations of the

organization.

IN MANAGEMENT YOU COMMUNICATE TO…

Get things done

Pass on and obtain information

Reach decisions

Achieve joint understanding

Develop relationship

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Language: The choice of words or language in

which a sender encodes a message will

influence the quality of communication

Defensiveness, distorted perceptions, guilt, project, transference, distortions from the past

Misreading of body language, tone and other

non-verbal forms of communication

Noisy transmissions (unreliable messages, inconsistency)

Receiver distortion: selective hearing, ignoring non-verbal cues

Power struggles

Self- fulfilling assumptions

Manager hesitation to be candid Assumptions – e.g. assuming others see

situation same as you, has feeling as you

Distrusted source, erroneous translation, value judgment,state of mind of two people

Perceptual biases: people tend to stimuli in the environment in very different ways. We each have shortcuts that we use to organize

data

Interpersonal Relationships: How we perceive communication is affected by the

past experience with the individual

Cultural Differences: Effective communication requires deciphering the basic values, motives, aspirations, and assumptions

that operate across geographical lines

STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Be respectful and professionalListen intently to the other personTry to understand the other person’s

viewpointAcknowledge the other person’s

thoughts and feelingsBe CooperativeLook for shared concerns

State your feelings

Don’t take things personally

Learn to say, “ I was wrong”.

Do not feel pressured to agree

instantly

Think about possible solution before

meeting

THE LANGUAGE OF POSITIVE COMMUNICATION

Use peoples Names - People appreciate your repeated use of their name.

Show respect for others – Make sure that you match the name to the right face

Positive relationships start with fellow workers – Create a positive environment by giving positive feedback to your fellow workers

 

Being prompt and efficient really counts – Recognize other people time is valuable

People appreciate explanations – Giving a person an honest, straight-forward explanation of a difficulty is quality service

Say “Thank You!” and Smile

Voice Tone - Use pleasant , jovial tone of voice

 

 

HOW BODY LANGUAGE CONVEY’S ONE’S ATTITUDE

Slouching – it is read by other people as a sign of boredom, of not caring about what they’re really saying

Arms closed over the chest indicates a closed mind, one that isn’t open to information

Making eye contact while talking shows trust and honesty

Smile – a smile is a powerful form of body language that is powerful

Exercise What can you do to improve the first

impressions you make on others? What communication skills would you like to

improve upon? In which situations do you find yourself

communicating in a negative manner?

TEAM BUILDING

“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.”

-Achieving Excellence through customer service.

TEAM BUILDING AND IMPROVING INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

WHAT IS A TEAM?

It is a group of people working together towards a common goal.

WHAT IS TEAM BUILDING?

It is enabling the group to realize its objectives.

It is the interaction among members of work teams to learn how each other think and works.

TEAM WORK - is about individuals working together to accomplish more than they could alone- and then sharing the rewards

STAGES OF TEAM BUILDING

Identify the team

Clarify team goals

Identify the issues which inhibit the team from reaching their goals

Address those issues, remove the inhibitors and enable the goals to be achieved.

BENEFITS OF TEAMS They help people cope more effectively

with change

They enable work and effort to be divided

 They generate more possible solutions to problems

 They minimize mistakes, as members can spot and correct each other’s errors

 They can increase motivation

Benefits of Teams contd…

Increased organizational productivity and creativity.

Greater involvement, commitment, loyalty

Better use of diverse talents, knowledge, and experience

Improved decision-making in future

DETERMINANTS OF TEAM EFFECTIVENESS

Common goal focus

Length and stability of membership

Dependence of members on the team

Size of the team to assure close interaction

Ability and willingness to fight outside threat (e.g. competition)

Charisma

Three Types of Challenges

1. Work Priority Conflict

2. Co-Worker Conflict

3. Systems and Procedures Conflict

Handling Challenges

1. Do not take it personally2. Listen with interest3. Empathize4. Ask questions to clarify5. Apologize6. Offer alternatives7. Take steps to solve the problem8. Thank the guest9. Follow through to ensure satisfaction10. Celebrate your success

Challenging Situations

Do not take the problem personally

but

take personal responsibility

for solving the problem!

Listening

By Listening:

You are better equipped to hear what the actual problem is

You are better able to solve the problem

Empathy

By Empathizing You Show:

You careYou understandYou really want to help

Thank the Guest

Thanking the guest

shows that you are dedicated

to making things right

so that the guest has a pleasant stay and returns in the future.

Follow Through to Completion

Ensure that the

problem is resolved

and the customer

is happy and satisfied

Congratulate Yourself For Your Efforts

Celebrate your successLearn from the experienceEnhance self-respectExcel at customer satisfaction

“Finally, we have to respect our

customers, learn to love them, and

eventually we will adore them.”

Stanley MarcusThere is no other way!!!

Exercise

1. What are the benefits of team work in Crown Berger Kenya ltd to you?

2. what do you do when you find you cannot keep a promise to a customer?

3. How do you think your co-workers would describe you? What are four words they might choose? (e.g. organized, efficient, good natured, moody, prompt, neat, quick-tempered)