The Do s and Don ts of Communicating Effectively

Transcription

1 The Do s and Don ts of Communicating Effectively

2 It all started with: Then came verbal communication:

3 Finally, technology was introduced.

4 Webster states: It is. 1. the act or process of communicating; fact of being communicated. 2. the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs. 3. something imparted, interchanged, or transmitted. 4. a document or message imparting news, views, information, etc.

5 Is communication a two way street? Are we supposed to listen, speak, or what? Sometimes the signs of communication are right in front of us, but we don t listen. Sometimes we just can t understand what the signs are telling us.

6 Step 1: Be Proactive Step 2: Begin With the End in Mind Step 3: Put First Things First Step 4: Think Win/Win Step 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

7 You communicate whether you think you do or not with your body. Where are your eyes looking when you are talking to a student? Are your arms crossed or at your side? Are you shifting weight from side to side or standing still? Are you listening to the other person or are you hearing the other person? RLA

8 When talking to parents and students, some will not look you directly in the eyes. It is not that they are disrespecting you, but is part of their heritage and the way they were raised. Don t force them to stop what they are doing and have them look you in the eyes. If they are listening to what you are saying, continue and don t embarrass them by making a big deal about eye contact.

9 As a teacher, you should greet each student at the door as they enter your classroom. I always stood at the door and made the students say one thing positive and I would return a compliment or a positive statement. I would then shake the students hand and at that point the student would be allowed to enter the room. This may be the only positive thing said to the student during the day.

10 Always start the school year out with a phone call to each parent. Set the tone with a positive thing to say about their child to start the conversation. Then give out important information.

11 Here are 12 tips for better etiquette: 1.) Be informal, not sloppy. You may use commonly used abbreviations, but you should always check your spelling grammar, and punctuation since you are representing Midway ISD. 2.) Keep messages brief and to the point. Concentrate on one subject per . Don t write a dissertation. Be Joe Friday!

12 3.) Use sentence case. USING ALL CAPITAL LETTERS LOOKS AS IF YOU RE SHOUTING. Use bold formatting to emphasize important words. Do not use lots of colors or embedded graphics as not everyone uses an program that can display them. 4.) Use blind copy and courtesy copy appropriately. Don t use BCC to keep others from seeing who you sent it to. Do use BCC when sending out a large distribution list. CC clutters peoples inboxes. Send it only to the people that need to know.

13 5.) Don t use as an excuse to avoid personal contact. Don't forget the value of face-to-face or even voice-to-voice communication. communication isn't appropriate when sending confusing or emotional messages. Think of the times you've heard someone in the office indignantly say, "Well, I sent you ." If you have a problem with someone, speak with that person directly. Don't use to avoid an uncomfortable situation or to cover up a mistake.

14 6.) Remember that isn't private. I've seen people fired for using inappropriately. is considered company property and can be retrieved, examined, and used in a court of law. Unless you are using an encryption device (hardware or software), you should assume that over the Internet is not secure. Never put in an message anything that you wouldn't put on a postcard. Remember that can be forwarded, so unintended audiences may see what you've written. You might also inadvertently send something to the wrong party, so always keep the content professional to avoid embarrassment.

15 7.) Be sparing with group . Use the reply all button only when compiling results requiring collective input and only if you have something to add. Recipients get quite annoyed to open an that says Me too!. 8.) Use the subject field to indicate content and purpose. Don't just say, "Hi!" or "From Laura." Use words or acronyms that quickly identify actions. For example, your <PDAS> or <PLC> meeting requested. It's also a good practice to include the word "Long" in the subject field, if necessary, so that the recipient knows that the message will take time to read.

16 9.) Don t send chain letters, virus warnings, or junk . Always check with the IT department before sending out an alarm. If a constant stream of jokes from a friend annoys you, be honest and ask to be removed from the list. Direct personal to your home account. 10.) Remember that your tone can t be heard in . Have you ever attempted sarcasm in an , and the recipient took it the wrong way? communication can't convey the nuances of verbal communication. In an attempt to infer tone of voice, some people use emoticons, but use them sparingly so that you don't appear unprofessional. Also, don't assume that using a smiley will diffuse a difficult message.

17 11.) Use a signature that contains a contact number. Include a signature that has your contact information, including your mailing address, website, and/or phone numbers. 12.) Summarize long discussions. Scrolling through pages of replies to understand a discussion is annoying. Instead of continuing to forward a message string, take a minute to summarize it for your reader. You could even highlight or quote the relevant passage, then include your response. Some words of caution: If you are forwarding or reposting a message you've received, do not change the wording. If you want to repost to a group a message that you received individually, ask the author for permission first. Give proper attribution.

18 Check your addresses and attachments before you send. Otherwise this mistake could happen to you. A Minneapolis couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier. Because of hectic schedules, the husband left Minnesota and flew to Florida on Thursday, with his wife flying down the following day. The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter in her address, and, without realizing his error, sent the . Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returned home from her husband's funeral. He was a minister who had a heart attack and died. The widow decided to check her , expecting messages from relatives and friends. After reading the first message, she screamed and fainted. The widow's son rushed into the room and saw the computer screen which read:

19 To: My Loving Wife Subject: I've Arrived I know you're surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now and you are allowed to send s to your loved ones. I've just arrived and have been checked in. I see that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then! Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was. P.S. Sure is freaking hot down here!

20 Always be professional. When using work , strictly keep your s work related. Everyone loves a good joke, but remember that anything you send in an is there forever. Think long and hard before you forward a joke or any personal s. Know that your files are always open to a community member through the Open Records Act. If you make a mistake on an , you need to make it right. If sent to 3 or fewer, pick up the phone and call them. If sent in a mass , make the corrections quickly, be brief, and to the point.

21 TEXT MESSAGING DO s and DON Ts Text-messaging is not an alternative to using the phone when calling would be considered rude. You would not take a call in the middle of a movie, a performance, or a meeting, and likewise, you should not send text messages. Make sure you re texting to the right phone number! It s very easy to dial the wrong number or select the wrong phone book entry. Don t text-message anything confidential, private, or potentially embarrassing. You never know when someone might be looking over your significant other s shoulder or worse yet, when your message might get sent to the wrong person. If you text-message someone who doesn t have your phone number, start your message by stating who you are: Hi it s Kate (yoga). Chiropractor s number is: Good luck.

22 When you have a chance, respond to a text message with either a text message or a phone call. Just as you should not be answering your phone during a conversation, you should not send a text message when you are engaged with someone else. If you are with someone who will not stop text messaging during your conversation, feel free to excuse yourself until they have concluded their messaging. You shouldn t use text messaging when informing someone of sad news, business matters, or urgent meetings, unless it s to set up a phone call on the subject. If you receive a text message that was sent to you by mistake, reply explaining that you aren t the intended recipient. You don t have to respond to anything else in the message. Remember that as with , you can t know for sure when the recipient is going to read his or her message so don t freak out if your text message doesn t get an immediate response. Remember that not everyone is on the unlimited minutes plan. If you send out a group message, every response that one of the recipients have charges the unhappy group member.

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26 Be sure to always be brief and to the point in s. Give the facts only when discussing issues with a parent. It is best however to pick up the phone so there is no confusion. Make sure you have the right address. Do not write in capital letters. Do not use emoticons. When send is pressed, there is an electronic address signature forever.