Module 4: Building Community

Leadership Capacity

Leadership and Effective

Communication
Unit II: Effective Communication
 Icebreaker
Find people with the same shape as the one on
your half sheet of paper
When you find your group answer the following
questions
– What does it mean to effectively communicate?
– How do you know when someone is listening to you?
– What are some clues that let you know that someone
understands what you are saying?
Share what your group came up with
 Communication
A process of sending and receiving
messages
Adults divide their communication time in
the following way
– 9 %is written
– 30 %is verbal
– 45 % is listening
– 16 % is reading
 Active Listening
Listening is one part of effective
communication, a very important one.
Being an effective and active listener is a
process that requires practice
These skills focus on a direct style of
communication versus indirect
When a direct communicator is speaking
to an indirect communicator there can be
misunderstanding
Verbal Active Listening Skills
Encouraging the speaker with verbal cues. I.E
“yes”, “uh huh”, or “please continue”.
Repeating what the speaker has said. This
allows for clarification and ensures that the
intended message has been delivered.
Asking. Open ended questions allow the person
to add to his/her statement.
Thanking the person for participating and or
talking with you.
 Non-verbal Active Listening
Most communication takes place non-
verbally
Body language is an important element of
communication
– Open-be open when talking with someone.
Do not cross arms in front of chest.
– Relax-Do not fidget when speaking to people.
It may appear that you are distracted which
may take away from credibility.
 Non-verbal Active Listening
Continued
– Eye contact-In American culture, eye contact
lets people know that attention is being
focused on them. In many cultures direct eye
contact is a form of disrespect, especially if
there is a higher ranking individual and a
subordinate in a meeting.
– Space-Be aware of the amount of personal
space between you and the person/people
you are speaking with. Americans tend to
have the most personal space at 2 feet and
some groups require as little as 6 inches
 Demonstration
What differences did you notice between
the first and second demonstration?
How do you think the speaker in the first
demonstration felt?
How do you think the speaker in the
second demonstration felt?
How did the listener convey that she/he
was listening?
 Communicating Across Cultures
African American
– Tend to use a lot of – Prefer direct eye
animation and contact
emotional expression – Prefer significant
– Use large amount of amount of space when
gestures speaking with others
– Higher volume of – Tend to be relationship
speech compared to based
other groups – Prefer verbal
– Generally direct when communication
asking or answering – History between
questions groups is important
Toomey-Ting, Stella. 1999. Communicating Across Cultures.
 Asian American
– Tend to use very little – Prefer more distance
animation or emotional between self and
expression in others
conversation – Relationship building
– Use very few gestures is important
– Generally soft spoken – Written communication
– Tend to be less direct is important
in answering and – History between
asking questions and groups is important
cyclical versus linear – Tend not to use direct
eye contact to show
respect
Toomey-Ting, Stella. 1999. Communicating Across Cultures.
 Hispanic/Latino
– Use a moderate – Tend to use direct eye
amount of animation contact in
and emotional conversation
expression – Have very little space
– Moderate use of between self and
gestures others when speaking
– Tend to have – Relationship building
moderate to high is important
speech volume – Verbal communication
– Less direct in is important
answering and asking – History between
questions groups is important
Toomey-Ting, Stella. 1999. Communicating Across Cultures.
 European American/White
Moderate use of Prefer direct eye contact
animation and emotional Prefer significant distance
expression between self and others
Moderate use of gestures when communicating
Moderate to high volume Focus on accomplishing
of speech task
Direct in asking and Prefer written
answering questions communication
History between groups is
not important

Toomey-Ting, Stella. 1999. Communicating Across Cultures.

 Native American Indian
– Use very little – Prefers more distance
animation or emotional between self and
expression in others
conversation – Relationship building
– Use very few gestures is important
– Soft volume of speech – Oral communication is
– Prefer indirect eye preferred
contact – History between
groups is important

Toomey-Ting, Stella. 1999. Communicating Across Cultures.