Page 62 - DENG102_COMMUNICATION_SKILLS_II

Unit 3: Conversation Building

7. Visualise: Visualisation is a technique that can enhance listening: a picture is worth a notes
thousand words. One way to use visualisation is to visualise what you are being told.
Some people are more visual than others. If visualisation is more a chore than a help, you
may not be a visual person. But anything new takes some adjustment and might take a few
tries before feeling natural.
8. Remember Names: The first step in remembering names is deciding that they are important
to remember. Listen when you’re told about someone prior to introductions. Repeat the
names when you are introduced. Make associations to remember names.
9. Question: Going into a listening situation with questions in your mind will help you
remember and, often, put information into the framework of your existing knowledge.
Listen to body language and be quick to clarify assumptions if you are unsure or are getting
a negative message. Observe. Listen. Ask.
10. Be Aware: We must be aware of the speaker, aware of verbal and non-verbal cues, and
aware of our own listening strengths and challenges.

11. Have a Positive Attitude: Attitudes drive behavior. Your body language is a result of your
mental attitude. By choosing your attitude you get in that mood and send out a message
that everyone understands, consciously or unconsciously.
“Almost always, you have a choice as to what attitude to adopt. There is nothing in any
normal work situation that dictates you must react one way or another. If you feel angry
about something that happens, for instance, that’s how you choose to feel. Nothing in
the event itself makes it absolutely necessary for you to feel that way. It is your choice.
And since you do have a choice, most of the time you’ll be better off if you choose to react
in a positive rather than a negative way.”
It is not what happens to you that counts. It is how you react to what happens to you,
especially when you have unexpected problems of any kind.
12. Try to be a Leader: A leader creates the environment that determines people’s moods at the
office and their mood, in turn, affects their productivity and level of engagement.

When we move the curtain a bit, we can see clearly that a leader’s bad mood is a source of
Infection – an emotional contagion that eventually spreads across people to entire units.
We can learn a thing or two from leadership in the military. Imagine the effect on troop
morale and energy that an “overwhelmed,” “anxious,” “worried” or “irate” leader would
have.

Take a hard look at your behavior in meetings, which are often “cauldrons of emotion.” Do
you model the way by setting a positive tone right from the start? Or do you impose your
own “pace” based on how you feel at the moment? Aim for a calm, relaxed mood and a
consistent, positive approach.
One of the central objectives of a leader is to make others aware of the greatness that lies in
them. Be known in your organization as someone who is always on the lookout for what is
right with people. It engenders good will and is good for business.
Do you have a good reading of the climate of your unit or organization? Can you accurately
sense what the emotional atmosphere is? Is it upbeat? Is it energized? Is it down or dejected?
Do people seem slightly apprehensive and somewhat cautious in your presence? Can you
ask a trusted acolyte if the atmosphere changes when you are away?
If you are an emergent leader, and working on having a pleasant personality is not a
priority for you, consider putting some effort into cultivating this prized quality. It is
almost impossible to have executive presence without it. Be cooperative, for example,
sharing ideas and shortcuts. This is another example of how mood affects productivity.

lovely Professional university 57