Effective

Communication
Skills

© NADRA 2024
Saturday, December 21, 2024
 Project & Program Management
Specialist
Trainer, Speaker, Agile
Practitioner
Mentor, Happiness
Coach
True believer of
“giving back to
society”
Storyteller

Naeem Iqbal
Head of PMCOE, Project Dte.
Mindset is a set of
beliefs that shape
how you make sense
of the world and
yourself.
It influences how
you think, feel, and
behave in any given
Learning Objectives

What is Communication

Communication Goals

Types of Communication
Improving
Communication
Non Verbal
Communication
Emails Etiquettes

Feedback
Communication Goals

To
r s uade
ls n sure pe
Goa To e
nding
rst a
& get unde
ive
To g a ti o n
et rm
To g Info
n
ha n ge actio
c t i ve
To c vior Effe ions
beha a t time
u n i c est
m o rt
Com ur goals in
s h

ev e yo
Ac hi
Communication
Origami
Why we do Projects?
Importance of Communication

Effective communication builds trust, fosters relationships, and ensures

smooth operations across borders.
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has
taken place.” — George Bernard Shaw
o Key Principles:
o Respect: Embrace and honor cultural differences.
“Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our
manners.” — Laurence Sterne
o Clarity: Communicate with precision and simplicity.
“To be clear is to be effective.” — Benjamin Disraeli

o Empathy: Understand and connect with others'

feelings.
“Empathy is about finding echoes of another person
in yourself.” — Mohsin Hamid
o Active Listening: Fully engage and respond
thoughtfully.
“The most important thing in communication is
hearing what isn’t said.” — Peter Drucker
Embracing Local Customs and Norms

o Non-Verbal Communication: Body language, gestures,

and facial expressions speak volumes. Learn the cultural
nuances.
o Cultural Differences:
 Eye contact in Japan vs. USA.
 Personal space in the Middle East vs. North America.
Embracing Local Customs and Norms

o Adaptation Tips:
 Observe and learn from locals.
 Ask for guidance on cultural norms.
 Share anecdotes of cultural learnings.

“Adapting does not mean imitation; it means being ready to

choose an effective response based on what is truly needed.” —
Paulo Coelho
Harnessing Technology

o Google Translate: Instant text, voice, and camera

translations.
o iTranslate: Comprehensive translation with offline
mode.
o Microsoft Translator: Real-time conversations and
group translations.
“Technology is best when it brings people together.” —
Matt Mullenweg
o Benefits:
 Break language barriers.
 Enhance understanding.
The Power of Effective Communication

o Building Relationships and Trust:

 Stronger connections with colleagues and locals.
 Real-world example: Building rapport through respectful
communication.
“Trust is built with consistency.” — Lincoln Chafee
o Enhanced Teamwork and Collaboration:
 Clear communication promotes cooperation.
 Example: Successful project outcomes through teamwork.
o Minimizing Misunderstandings and Conflicts:
 Understanding norms prevents conflicts.
 Example: Avoiding miscommunication mishaps.
 “The greatest misunderstanding in communication is the illusion
that we do it effectively.” — Julian Treasure
o Boosting Cultural Sensitivity and Competence:
 Greater adaptability in diverse environments.
 Example: Navigating cultural differences with ease.
 “Cultural intelligence is the capability to relate and work effectively
across cultures.” — David Livermore
Project Management as
Life Skill
The Art of Listening

“If we were supposed to talk more than

listen, we would have been given two
mouths and one ear.”

Mark Twain
Listening Skills

• Active Listening
• Responding
• Paraphrasing
• Asking questions for clarification
• Mirroring the other person’s language
 Listening is hard.
You must choose to participate in the process of listening.
 Value of listening
 Listening to others is an elegant art.
 Good listening reflects courtesy and good manners.

 Listening carefully to the instructions of superiors

improve competence and performance.

 The result of poor listening skill could be disastrous in

business, employment and social relations.

 Good listening skill can improve social relations and

conversation.
 Listening is a positive activity rather than a passive or

negative activity.
Responding

 Responses to check that your perceptions are

correct
 Responses to encourage further communication
Activity
Improving Verbal
Communication

Be aware Think
Speak
Think Be clear Be an of non- about the
with Vary your
before and active verbal perspectiv
confidenc vocal tone
you speak concise listener communic e of your
e
ation cues audience
 Written Communication
Examples

Text Business
Emails Blog posts Reports Proposals
messages letters

Job
Employee Instant
Contracts descriptio Memos Bulletins
manuals messages
ns

Advertise News
Postcards Faxes Brochures
ments releases
Common Mistakes
1.Spelling and Grammar Errors
2.Inconsistent Formatting
3.Incomplete Information
4.Ambiguous Language
5.Jargon and Acronyms
6.Lack of Proofreading
7.Poor Organization
8.Tone and Courtesy
9.Failure to Follow Guidelines
10.Failure to Address the Audience
11.Excessive Length
12.Using Inappropriate Language or
Tone
Improving Written
Communication
1)Think about the purpose of your
message
2)Put yourself in your reader’s shoes
3)Keep it simple
4)Keep a place to jot down thoughts and
ideas
5)Write and read often
6)Edit fiercely and read the message out
loud
Email Etiquettes: Subject

 Importance of the
message must be
indicated in the
subject line.
 Be specific but brief!
Email Etiquettes: Salutation &
Closing Salutation Closing
Dear Professor (Name) Respectfully yours
Communication with Dear Mr. (Name) Yours sincerely
top management Respected Sir, Professor, Yours faithfully
Dr. (Name) Regards
Yours sincerely or sincerely
Dear (Name) Best regards, Kind regards
To a group: Dear all, Dear (vary from situation to
Communication at team, To team members, situation)
peer level Dear faculty All the best
Take care
Have a nice day
Yours faithfully (when using
Communication at dear sir/madam in
lower level Dear (Name) salutation)
All the best, take care, Have
Email Etiquettes: Body

 Write in a positive tone

 “When you complete the report” instead of “If you

complete the report.”

 Avoid negative words (useless, non-existent, ex-

employee, undecided)
 Delivering information about Meetings, orientations,

processes, provide as much information as possible

 • Deliver the news up front
• Avoid blaming statements
Delivering Bad News
• Avoid words that sound ambiguous
• Maintain a positive resolve
• Briefly state the history of the problem
• Explain attempts made previously to resolve
problem
Writing a Complaint
• Show why it is critical for the problem to be
resolved by your reader
• Offer suggestions on ways you
• Include (If you want people to contact you)
• Your name, Title, Organization, Website, Phones
Signature Line • If you must include a quote in signature, keep it
short.
Activity
Measuring
Words & Phrases That Usually
Annoy and Hurt People

• You should have known

better….. • Avoid absolutes
• I can see no point in .. unless you mean
• You must realize that.. them.
• I find it difficult to • Avoid putting
believe…. the other person
• Don’t be stupid.. down.
• You can’t do that… • Avoid superior
• That’s irrelevant... sounding
judgements.
Strength Deployment
Inventory (SDI)
Visual Communication Strategy
Showing the impact of your work by using
data visualization

Outlining processes and flows by using

shapes and lines

Creating more memorable information

through the use of symbols and icons

Telling stories through visuals and data

Harnessing color to illustrate importance

and attract attention
Non Verbal
Communication
Body Language

Communication of personal
feelings, emotions , attitudes,
thoughts through body
movements -gestures, postures
, facial expressions, walking
styles, positions & distance
- either consciously or
involuntarily
 Gestures
Emotions

Body
Behaviours
Movements
Language of
Gestures

Postur
e
Eyes Face Hands Arms Legs (sitting
and
walkin
g)
Eyes
Windows of the soul, excellent indicators of feelings.
Honest person looks you straight in the eye when
speaking.
The raising of one eyebrow shows disbelief and two
shows surprise.
 People are classified as right lookers and left lookers.
 Right lookers are more influenced by logic and precision,
 Left lookers are found to be more emotional, subjective
and suggestible.
 Face

Most reliable indicators of a person’s attitudes,

emotions & feelings

Clenched
Smiles:
• unhapp • dislike, jaws: • sadnes
iness, • happiness disgust • tension s.
anger , anger
Pouting
Frowns: Sneers:
lips:
Hands
Tightly clenched hands - experiencing undue pressure.
Superiority and authority are usually indicated when you are
standing and joining your hands behind your back.
Cupping one or both hands over the mouth, especially
when talking, - trying to hide something
Putting your hand to your cheek or stroking your chin
generally portrays thinking, interest or consideration.
Fingers bent across the chin or below the mouth most
often shows critical evaluation.
Rubing gently behind or beside the ear with the index
finger or rubbing the eye -uncertain about what you are
saying.
 Leaning back with both hands supporting the head -
confidence or superiority.
Arms and Legs

Crossed arms tend to signal

defensiveness.
Conversely, arms open and extended
toward you generally indicate openness
and acceptance.
Crossed legs tend to seem
disagreement.
Intimate Zone
Personal Zone
Social Zone
Public Zone
Shows that a person does not
know or understand what you
are talking about
 Means
"All correct"
 It is an OK signal normally,
but, when it is jerked sharply
upwards it becomes an insult
signal
 Submissive palm position

Dominant palm position

Aggressive palm position

 Taking control
handshake

Giving control
handshake

Glove handshake
 Steepling hands

Thinking or
concentration

Lowered steeple Raised steeple

 Clenched hands
High clenched hands indicate people who are difficult to decipher
Confidence Frustration

Gripping hands
 &
Closed attitude
 Mouth
guard

Suppress the deceitful words

Catch a lie..

Sometimes indicates thinking hard

Partial Arm-Cross Barrier Gesture

lacking in
self-confidence
The 4 Leg Lock Position

Sign of the
tough-minded,
stubborn
individual
Improving Non-verbal
Communication

Pay
Make Be aware Facial Play with attention to Practice
When in
proper eye of body expressions your tone discrepanci makes
doubt, ask.
contact. language. don't lie. of voice. es in perfect.
behavior.
Communication Barriers

Obstacle in a workplace that

prevent effective exchange of
ideas or thoughts. Such barriers
include:

(1) status differences,

(2) gender differences,
(3) cultural differences,
(4) prejudices, and
(5) the organizational environment.
Common Communication
Barriers
Apparent ‘cause’ Practical Example
Physiological Message in an internal report not received due to blindness.
Psychological Message from external stakeholder ignored due to ‘groupthink’
Cultural Message from organisation misinterpreted by members of a
particular group
Political Message from internal stakeholder not sent because individual is
marginalised
Economic Message not available to a public sector organisation due to lack
of resources
Technological Message not delivered due to technical failure
Physical Message cannot be heard and visual aids cannot be seen by
some members of the audience
Feedback
Providing information about
performance or behaviour with
the aim of:

 Affirming what you do

well.
 Helping you develop in

areas you do less well.

 Important: Feedback is

NOT about Blame,

Approval or Disapproval.
Feedback is more neutral -
it describes what you did
Giving Feedback: Rule of
Thumb
 Give feedback only when asked or when your offer
is accepted.
 Give feedback as soon after the event as possible.

 Focus on the positive.

 Feedback needs to be given privately when ever

possible, especially negative feedback.

 Focus on behaviours that can be changed , not

upon personality traits.

 Don’t bring up old concerns or previous mistakes ,

unless this is to highlight a pattern of behaviours.

Productive Praise

Add depth
Be specific, Don’t Use clear
to praise Don’t mix
not a praise and
with praise with
general everything descriptive
detailed criticism.
well done. . language
feedback .
 Call
Them
Do Not By
Mimic Their
Name

Bring the
Same
Energy
Shahrah-e-
Jamhuriat, G-5/2,
Islamabad
info@nadra.gov.p
k
@NadraMedia

111-786-100