Welcome to Module 2 of the Cardiovascular Program Coordinator course. This module is Improving Communications and Building Relationships. The content is provided by Deborah Washington and Edrina Johnson. At the end of this module, you will be equipped to interpret and implement effective listening skills, adapt to different communication styles, utilize active listening techniques. This module is divided into three parts. Part 1 will introduce you to different communication styles. Part 2 will provide information on effective communication techniques, and Part 3 will show you how to be an active listener. Part 1 Communication Styles. Clear and effective communication is key in any environment, but particularly vital in the workplace. Clear and effective communication can ease stress, boost productivity, and build better relationships. One key to ensuring you are communicating clearly and effectively is understanding communication styles. Every person has a unique communication style, the way in which they interact and exchange information with others. It is important to understand your primary communication style and the style of others so that you can learn to communicate with people that may have a different style from your own. If you do a quick Google search, you will find multiple takes on communication styles, and many of these styles are great, but they only focus on your style, which is certainly necessary to know, but does not provide you insight into others. In our diverse and ever-changing work environment, it is important to be able to recognize styles of others so that you can adjust your style accordingly. The communication styles we will use in this module is based out of research by Mark Murphy, who is a best-selling author and leadership coach. His styles focus on key information each style is looking for in an interaction and how you can best communicate with them. The four types he outlines are analytical, functional, intuitive, and personal. Let's take a look at each one, the pros and cons, and how to effectively communicate with someone who has a style that is different from your own. An analytical communicator appreciates hard data, numbers, specific language. As such, they are usually wary of people who use vague language and focus primarily on the high-level ideas. A person with an analytical style can get drained quickly when conversations move from logical to emotional. With this focus on logic, you may notice that an analytical style communicator will speed up the conversation in terms of their speech and pace. However, they may come across as cold and agitated if engaging in conversation that is not about getting from one point to another. When communicating with someone with an analytical style, provide as much detail as possible and support your assumptions with facts. Also, provide them time to think and process on their own. If working on a project, give them space to work independently. Avoid using emotionally charged language. Use I think or I know statements rather than I feel. Intuitive communicators are on the opposite end of the spectrum from the analytical ones. Instead of date, details, and concrete steps, the intuitive communication style thrives on big-picture ideas. Details aren't as important, and they are more interested in broad overviews that allow them to move directly to what's most important about an issue or a conversation. When working with an intuitive communicator, stick to the main topic and keep it high-level. Avoid too much detail. Intuitive communicators prefer asking questions, so be prepared for several follow-up questions. Intuitive communicators can attach quickly to a big idea, so don't overpromise or make commitments that you may be unable to keep. Someone with a functional communication style loves the process, step-by-step guides, details, timelines, and thorough plans. You may notice someone with this style wanting to go through each detail from start to finish, making sure nothing gets missed. When working with this communication style, it is critical to use active listening, repeating what they have said, and asking follow-up questions. Be ready to provide details because they want to know that nothing has been missed. Finally, there's the personal communicator. This style values connection, relationships, and emotional language above all. When you dig into an issue or problem with this style, they care as much or more about the people involved. They are good listeners and very diplomatic, and often can help smooth over issues that more hard-line communication styles cause. They build strong relationships and see communication as a chance to get to know people rather than just move a project forward. Ensure that you begin meetings and conversations with time for connecting, and don't overload this communication with details. Part 2. Effective Communication Techniques. Communication and interpersonal skills are repeatedly identified as the most important skill necessary in any workplace. There are five key techniques to master in order to communicate effectively. Know the fundamentals. Think clearly about what you will say, prepare for meetings, engage in discussion, and listen to others. Know the fundamentals. It is essential to know how to handle both the written and spoken word. Express yourself well verbally, making sure that you are using the right words and phrases to get your message across. When sending emails, read them out loud to yourself first before sending. This extra step can ensure that your email is making an impact in accomplishing your goal. When you have something big and important to say, whether it be a presentation or a meeting, think about what you want to communicate. Sketch it out on a piece of paper, like a storyboard for movies. Sketching it out can help you visualize what you want to say and how to say it. Also, determine the why behind what you are attempting to convey. Why are you saying this? Why should your audience care? Finally, think about the goal for what you are communicating. What is it that you want to accomplish? What action do you want your audience to take after you communicate this? This will all help you to communicate in a more effective way. Another effective communication technique is to engage in a discussion. This may seem obvious, but often people are talking at each other rather than with each other. Ask questions to the audience, to the person that is speaking, to gather additional information and gain clarity. Often there are people that are not speaking as much as others. Encourage those people to speak up, to share their feedback and ideas. Finally, there is a lot of information in silence, so let it happen. Look for nonverbal cues from people that you are talking with or from your audience. Allow people time to think and process in the moment. Finally, listen. When someone is talking to you, really listen. Avoid being distracted. Check your cell phone or email when you are engaged in a conversation. Focus on what the person is saying, not creating a response in your head. Also, check for what is being said verbally by focusing on the nonverbals. Part 3, how to be an active listener. Being an active listener is important to being an effective communicator. Let's take a look at this definition. The act of mindfully hearing and attempting to comprehend the meanings of the words spoken by another in conversation or speech. You'll see that the key words here are mindful and comprehend. It takes mindfulness in order to truly comprehend what someone is saying. Let's evaluate our listening skills. Do you think you're a good listener? Making a self-assessment is an excellent way to identify opportunities to improve our active listening skills. I want you to pause the module long enough to take this test and determine your score. The results will allow you to pinpoint areas to focus on as you improve your listening. Practices of great active listeners. Harvard Business Review researched the behavior of nearly 3,500 participants in a development program and analyzed their listening behaviors. With this data in hand, they identified the behaviors that made them better listeners. Some of these practices include engaging in a two-way dialogue, which includes listening and asking questions that lets the speaker know you have heard what they have said. Providing support and conveying confidence in what they are relaying can build self-esteem and enhance active listening. Allowing space for disagreement or challenging ideas helps create cooperative conversations without defensive comments or interactions. And then finally, making suggestions must be done with good intent and timed appropriately. Active listening includes some feedback provided in a way others would accept and that opens up alternative pathways to consider. There are several ways we all can become better listeners. A safe environment can promote honest conversation. There should be no fear of reprimand for voicing opinions or ideas. Clear all distractions by turning off your phone or turning away from your computer to completely focus your attention on the speaker. Seek to understand the message by capturing ideas and restating the issues or points being discussed. Also, an estimated 80% of communication is non-verbal. Learn to read these cues including facial expressions, gestures, posture, physical attributes such as diaphoresis or tachypnea. Also, be supportive in a non-judgmental way by empathizing with the speaker. And then finally, ask clarifying questions to help the other person see the issue from another perspective and to allow for growth for both the speaker and the listener in the conversation. As we have discussed, there are several methods to promote active listening and it is important to practice them often in your interactions with others. Whether it is listening to annotations, looking at non-verbal cues, paraphrasing, or being aware of your own level of engagement, all of these methods will help you improve your active listening and put you on the road to becoming an even more effective communicator. This concludes Module 2 of the Cardiovascular Program Coordinator Course.

Cardiovascular Program Coordinator

improving communications

building relationships

communication styles

effective communication techniques