Effective Communication

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Effective Communication
Sometimes it is difficult to pin down the exact, observable behaviours that help you
to express yourself and communicate effectively some verbal, visual and vocal
traits play a large part in effective communication.
Verbal Elements of Communication
Dont over-qualify statements
Often we are apprehensive about how a message will be received and in order to
soften its impact we qualify our thoughts or feelings. Qualifiers are words or phrases
that discount the immediacy and impact of a message:

You will probably think Im just being touchy but

I hope you wont mind but
I hope Im not bothering you, but
Im probably completely wrong, but

The common element in these qualifiers is the word but which serves to discredit
everything in the sentence that precedes it. In fact when used often enough, the
mere sound of but serves as a warning that the forthcoming thought will contradict
what has already been said: John, Ive really enjoyed going out with you, but I dont
want to anymore. Weve found your work here more than satisfactory but were
going to have let you go. Your report was excellent, but I need you to rewrite it.
Other qualifiers include:
just as in I just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes or Theres just one
problem

kind of, sort of as in What you did was sort of wrong or I kind of hoped you
wouldnt do that again
little as in Theres a little problem with your work or I wish youd try a little harder
to be on time
any type of apology such as Im sorry to have to say this or I really hate to say
this
You can see from these examples that qualifiers detract from the power of your
message and serve to discount everything youve said, even before the other person
responds.
You have the right to be unsure of yourself and there is nothing wrong with what you
think or feel. Take yourself seriously, and others will start to do the same.
Also there is no reason to totally remove all qualifiers from your language.
Sometimes it is appropriate to qualify what you say, however, dont use them
routinely when you have a powerful message deliver it in a powerful way! There
are times when you need to apologise for your actions or express your uncertainty.
However, dont overdo it or your image will suffer both to yourself and others.
Non-Verbal Elements of Communication
Visual Elements
Actions speak louder then words may be an over-worn phrase, but its still true. If
you mean what you say, your non-verbal behaviour will reinforce your statements.
On the other hand, the most assertive words will lose their impact if expressed in a
hesitant, non-direct manner.
Eye Contact
Inadequate eye contact is usually interpreted in a negative way as anxiety,
dishonesty, shame, boredom or embarrassment. Even when they are not
consciously aware of a persons insufficient eye contact, others will often react
unconsciously to it by either avoiding or taking advantage of the person exhibiting it.
Dont go overboard and stare unblinkingly at everyone you meet this is just as
distracting as the other extreme but do be sure to maintain appropriate and steady
eye contact.
If necessary, you can gradually begin to increase your eye contact by first directing
your glance towards different parts of the other persons face, such as the forehead,
mouth or chin. From a distance of four feet or so its impossible to tell whether this
kind of gaze is any different to actual eye-to-eye contact.
Facial Expression
Some people wonder why they have trouble being taken seriously. They claim to
use the appropriate language, keep eye contact, stand at the proper distance, and
so on.

Very often, it is simply that their facial expression is totally inappropriate to the
message they are delivering. Many people, for example, verbally express
dissatisfaction while smiling, as if nothing were wrong. Others verbalise their
approval or appreciation whilst wearing an expression more appropriate to viewing a
corpse.
Some people at interviews, although confident about their abilities and suitability for
a job, have clenched jaws and miserable expressions, which convey a quite different
message. The problem in each of these examples is the same: in order to be taken
seriously your facial expression should match other parts of your message. Smiling
is appropriate for good news, a serious expression matches a serious message and
so on.
Gestures and Posture
Like facial expressions, your movements and body positioning can either contribute
to, or detract from, the immediacy and impact of a message. Fidgeting hands,
nervous shifting from one foot to the other, or slumped shoulders will reduce or even
contradict the impact of your message. On the other hand, gestures that are
appropriate to the words being spoken and a posture that suggest involvement in the
subject, will serve to reinforce your words. Watch an effective story-teller,
interviewer or other good speaker and note the added emphasis they give to a
message.
Recognising the importance of these actions doesnt mean you should begin to act in
an exaggerated way to make your point. The ridiculous sight of a person with
waving arms or jabbing finger can be just as distracting as a zombie-like pose. The
point here is to loosen up enough to let free-flowing and natural gestures suit the
words they accompany.
Body Orientation
Another way of expressing your attitude is through the positioning of your body in
relation to another person. Facing someone head-on communicates a much higher
degree of impact than a less direct positioning. In fact, a directly confronting stance
in which the face, shoulders, hips and feet squarely face the other person can
sometimes be interpreted as indicative of an aggressive attitude. (To verify this
impression think of the stance used by a baseball player who is furious with an
umpires decision or an Army drill instructor angry with a recruit).
To convey an assertive but non-confrontational message, the most successful body
orientation is a modified frontal one in which the communicators are slightly angled
away from a direct confrontation, perhaps 10 to 30 degrees. This position clearly
suggests a high degree of involvement, yet allows the occasional freedom from total
eye contact.
It is vital that consideration is given to the impression that we wish to convey, and
that the body orientation is appropriate to the message.
Distance
Choosing the correct distance between yourself and another person is an important
element of effective communication. It is vital that you respect the personal space of

others, particularly in the workplace, and the distance between people is appropriate
to their relationship and the situation.
Anthropologist Edward Hall (1959, 1969) has outlined four distinct distances used by
Americans in different situations. Intimate distance ranges from the surface of the
skin to about 18 inches. As its name implies, it is appropriately used for personal
and private purposes: in close relationships it is used for affection, protection and
comfort. It can also be used to display anger in a close relationship. Personal
distance runs from 18 inches to approximately 4 feet, and is used with people we
know well and are relaxed with. As Hall states, this is the range at which we keep
people at arms length, suggesting that while there is relatively high involvement
here, the immediacy is not as great as that which occurs within intimate distance.
Social distance ranges from 4 feet to 12 feet, and is generally appropriate in less
personal settings: meeting strangers, engaging in impersonal business transactions,
and so on. This is the range at which job interviews are often conducted, customers
are approached by salespeople, or newcomers introduced by a third party. We often
accuse someone, who ought to be using social distance, but instead moves into
personal space, of being pushy. Finally, Hall labels the space extending outward
from 12 feet as public distance. As its name implies, public distance is used in highly
impersonal settings and occasions involving large numbers of people: classrooms,
public performances and so on. You must ensure that you are using the distance
which is appropriate for the person, the situation and the message you want to
express.
Vocal Elements of Communication
Non-verbal communication does not focus on what you say but rather on how you
say it. To understand how the voice conveys messages, recall a time when you
have overheard a muffled conversation going on behind a closed door or on the
other side of a wall. You almost certainly had a good idea of the type of feelings of
the people concerned without seeing the visual behaviours. Also, as very young
children we can pick up the feelings of our parents without even being able to
understand the words. Most toddlers are only too aware that a parent is angry with
them! There are four ways that your voice can convey messages.
Loudness
The volume of your voice says a great deal about your feelings at that moment.
There are two ways in which loudness affects the impact of your communication.
First is the basic volume you use the way you speak most of the time. You may,
for instance, have the habit of talking so softly that others find it difficult to
understand you. Whatever the reasons for such a quiet tone, the impression it often
creates is one of timidity and uncertainty. On the other hand, you might talk so
loudly that other listeners become uncomfortable around you. Excessive volume
usually suggests aggression, anger or boorishness, even when you have no such
feelings.
Unlike the people who always express themselves at an inappropriate volume,
others may speak too loudly or too softly only at certain critical times. For instance,
you might find that your normally pleasant voice turns into a shout when you are
angry. Or you might almost lose your voice to just a whisper when you are upset.

Needless to say, either of these extremes will usually diminish the effectiveness of
your message.
Rate
Some speakers talk too rapidly and others too slowly. A speedy delivery often
conveys a sense of nervousness or aggression, while a low, overly hesitant manner
often appears to indicate uncertainty.
The average rate of speech is between 100 120 words per minute, thus providing a
gauge against which you can measure your own speed.
Fluency
In addition to speaking at an appropriate rate and volume, another important factor is
flow or fluency; the absence of disfluencies: unnecessary sounds such as um and
er, ya know, as well as other distracting vocal mannerisms such as repetitious
words and long pauses. You might already be aware of using certain disfluencies in
your speech. If not, try asking others who know you well whether you use any.
Affect
The affective ingredients of your voice include both tone and inflection. These
elements are major tools for expressing your feelings. Think of the number of
messages you could convey with a single sentence such as I hope you will call me,
just by changing the tone. These simple words could communicate excitement,
affection, sarcasm, anger or disinterest, depending on the variations in the pitch
chosen by the speaker.

This article has been extracted from one of our training course books. Our training materials
are developed by experienced trainers and consultants.

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