Lesson Two

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Chapter Essential Questions

What written, verbal and interpersonal skills are required for a manager working in First Nation communities?
How can a strategic approach benefit communication?

Lesson 2: Keys to Communication

Outcomes

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

Explain the importance of verbal communication in the workplace, and describe ways to start a thoughtful conversation that keeps the focus on the listener and makes a good first impression.
Identify question types and demonstrate how to use them effectively to improve your listening skills and display active listening.
Demonstrate how to end a conversation on a positive note, and identify compelling reasons for saying goodbye.
Describe some go -to conversation starters that can be used to initiate and maintain engaging and productive conversations.

How do you start a focused conversation?

Communication is critical to the workplace as it allows us to share and receive information. Communication also has positive benefits as it improves employee satisfaction and moral, allows for more open engagement and increases productivity. As a team, it is difficult to collaborate or cooperate without communication.

So, how can you start a great conversation and still be a great listener? Here are some tips:

Start the conversation on a positive note. Whenever you can, start the conversation with something upbeat or even humorous.
Find a common nugget of interest and try to grow this shared similarity in the conversation.
Shift your mindset from opposition to a partnership. Try repositioning yourself so that you are working alongside your client – rather than against. Think about working along side and that you are focused on the same problem.

It is also important to be vocal about what you want to talk about or verbalize your intention. Being clear about what you want to accomplish in the meeting will allow the listener to set clear expectations. This also can help reduce any noise or barriers in your conversation.

Also, try to avoid assumptions before starting the conversation. If you assume someone’s emotions or thoughts then you may be creating issues that do not currently exist. Be sure to examine the other’s perspective and try to approach the conversation from a place of curiosity.

Ending a Conversation on a Positive Note

Ending a conversation can be difficult and it is often hard to determine when and how it should be done. However, learning to end a conversation on a positive note can help maintain a level of positivity in the conversation. As a manager, you need to be aware of how to shift the tone of the conversation and end the conversation while it is still headed in a positive direction.

Examples of ending a conversation in a positive way include…

It was a really nice catching up with you but I have another appointment.
Thank you for taking the time to share your ideas and thoughts with me today.
Ah, looks like went over time.
Well, I will have to let you go now as we have run over our time.

Go-to Conversation Starters

When we talk to others, we are engaging in communication. Casual conversations, or small talk, is a form of communication that we engage in throughout the day. According to authors Han and Lebowitz (2016), there are many different ways to get better at small talk.

There are many different methods for starting ‘small talk’ so let’s explore some of those methods.

Start by asking open-ended questions.

People love talking about themselves and nothing is easier to discuss then yourself. Think about it, is it easier to talk about French history or the last great movie you went to? Open ended questions allow us to generate small talk and begin a dynamic conversation that will encourage the listener to open up and share information about themselves.

Practice active listening.

In today’s world, it can seem more difficult to concentrate on people and less on our phones. Active listening is a skill and it has to be practiced and honed over time. However, listening to someone else can help you to engage with that person later on and the conversation will feel less stressed.

Remove noise barriers.

As you have read before, noise barriers come in many forms. When we pull out our phones, gaze out the window, listen to others conversation or look anywhere but the person – we are creating a noise barrier. People feel more uncomfortable when you are staring at your phone and are not sure if you are listening to them. Turning off your phone, or computer screen, turning down or off the radio and closing your door can help to the conversation to have less noise as you listen.

Positive body language.

Making small talk is not easy and can often feel stressful if you are not familiar with the person. However, by nodding your head, smiling, and keeping your body relaxed can allow the conversation to flow easier. View these conversations as an opportunity to learn more about someone and you never know what you will learn by asking open ended questions.

Journal Prompt
Using the forum labelled Course 5: Chapter 2 make a journal entry responding to the prompt below. Ensure that you title the entry Lesson 2. After writing a journal entry, go and make a comment on two other posts from your classmates. It can be about anything you noticed, liked, agreed with etc. The idea is to continue the dialogue about the topic.

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your communication skills? What are your strengths? What are some areas that might need improvement and how would you start that process?

Journal Entry Evaluation Rubric

Criteria

Exemplary (4)

Accomplished (3)

Developing (2)

Beginning (1)

Purpose

Strong voice and tone that clearly addresses the purpose for writing.

Appropriate voice and tone. The purpose is largely clear.

Attempts to use personal voice and tone. Somewhat addresses the intended purpose.

Demonstrates limited awareness of use of voice and tone. Limited evidence of intended purpose.

Understanding

Many interesting, specific facts and ideas are included.

Many facts and ideas are included.

Some facts and ideas are included.

Few facts and ideas are included.

Conventions

All grammar and spelling is correct.

Only one or two grammar and spelling errors.

A few grammar and spelling errors.

Many grammar and spelling errors.

Reply

Made two significant contributions to the online forum. Highly supportive of others.

Made one contribution to the online forum. Supported group members.

Attempted to contribute to online forum but was vague and unclear in the writing.

Minimally involved. Offered limited support to online group members.

References

Han, Y., & Lebowitz, S. (n.d.). 9 ways to get better at small talk. Business Insider. Retrieved April 24, 2023, from https://www.businessinsider.com/9-ways-to-get-better-at-small-talk-2016-11

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