Tactical Communication

OUTLINE                                                                                                                                          

I.             Introduction

1. Welcome and opening comments
   1. Set the context
      1.  Introduce the difficulty of gaining the attention of our audience to provide our message due to an overwhelming amount of external stimulus demanding our attention (ie: cellphone, billboards, ipads, television, gaming, text message, ever growing technology platforms)
   2. Welcome and brief statement of purpose
      1. Instructor introductions
      2. Speaking with positive strategy for positive influence
   3. Introduction to the course content
      1. Key points of facilitators (video introduction of conscious desire to deliver important message)
      2. Objectives and agenda
          
          
2. Introduction to course
   1. Housekeeping (Emergency instructions, breaks, restroom facilities)
   2. Defining Conflict
   3. Introduction of students
3. The student will participate in a Group Activity first introducing themselves to one another amongst their groups. Then, using easel pads each group will be task with introducing 1 member of their group to the entire class.  A facilitated discussion will follow on how communication takes place in the work environment. When the topic or person of topic of discussion loses the ability to control what information is shared amongst their peers, much of the information is misguided, reinterpreted and can take on many meanings. This is commonly identified as gossip in the workplace.
                                                                                                                                                                                                  
    
   II:            Obstacles Of Communication   
    

1. Sources of Difficulty for Person Talking
   1. Voice too low
   2. Complex message
   3. Getting Lost
   4. Improper body language
   5. Fear of reaction
   6. Unconventional methods
   7. Personality types
   8. Outside influence
   9. Emotions
   10. Judging the listener
   11. Ego
        
        
2. Sources of Difficulty for Person Listening
   1. Preoccupation
   2. Listening to only find an opening
   3. Formulation your own opening
   4. Formulating your own rebuttal
   5. Personal beliefs
   6. Not asking for clarification
   7. One-upping, offering advice
   8. Jumping to conclusion, interrupting
   9. Personality
   10. Artifacts
   11. Emotions
   12. Judging the speaker
   13. Ego
        
3. Obstacles of Communication
   1. One upping
   2. Waiting to talk
   3. Jumping to conclusions
   4. Offering advice
   5. Interrupting
   6. Prejudging
   7. 275 Word Gap: Talking Rate 125 WPM vs Process Rate 400 WPM
       
4. Pygmalion Effect is the phenomenon whereby higher expectations lead to an increased in performance.
    
5. Levels of Listening
   1. One Talk
   2. Selective Listening
   3. Attentive Listening
   4. Empathic Listening
       
       
       
       

III:           Personal Belief System                                                                

1. The student will participate in a Learning Activity where the facilitator will demonstrate how scotomas are found in the manner we read common words. A statement will be shown to all students. Students will have a brief moment to identify how many times they see a specific letter in the statement. Many students will fail in locating all of the letters asked to search for due to how the letter in the word is pronounced. This is typically a very rich discussion with significant student feedback.
    
2. Scotoma is a Greek term meaning “blindness”. We get a mind set in the neurons of our brain, which affect what we perceive with our eyes.
    
3. Human beings behave and act not in accordance with the truth as it might really be, but in accordance with the truth as we believe it to be.
   1. Locking In and Locking Out
       
4. The student will participate in another Learning Activity where the facilitator will guide the students through several photos demonstrating scotomas found in images which can be seen in 2 different ways and in commonly identifiable company logos which incorporate an underlying motto. This is typically a very rich discussion with significant student feedback.
    
5. Cognitive Dissonance Principle is a subconscious selective perception, not consciously based on our already existing beliefs and opinions.
    
    
    
    

IV:          Components of Personal Communication                           

1. Components of Communications
   1. Spoken Words
   2. Voice, Tone, Pitch
   3. Body Language
       
2. Students will participate in a Group Exercise, listening to an audio recording of a word. This audio recording will elicit feedback from students in which they will find students hearing the same audio but two different interpretations of the word. This activity will focus on how pitch plays a role in what we hear.
    
3. Students will participate in a Group Exercise engaging in reviewing a statement. Students will be asked to put emphasis on single words within the statement adding a higher tone to the word. Adding a higher tone to individual words, students will hear the sentence take on a completely different meaning.
    
4. Proxemics
   1. Public zone
   2. Social Zone
   3. Personal Zone
   4. Intimate Zone
       
5. Overcoming Obstacles of Communication
   1. Supportive gestures
   2. Pick out key phrases
   3. Identify mood and intensity
   4. Watch non-verbals
   5. Suspend Judgments
   6. Respond to content
       
       
       
       

V:            Application Of Effective Communication

1. A student will be selected to participate in a Group Exercise engaging in a scripted dialog. The dialog read by both the facilitator and student will develop into a discussion dissecting the script read. All students will observe practical application of empathic listening incorporating all components of communication previously discussed.
    
2. Students will participate in a Group Exercise where groups will engage in a negotiation with another group. Students will bid on the purchase of oranges to be used for various purposes. Each group will convince an opposing group to cooperate with their goals of buying the oranges and methods.

1. Review
   1. What were some difficulties amongst groups in developing a plan to negotiate?
   2. How complex was the teams plan?
   3. Did complexity hinder the desired expectations of the group?
   4. How did individual personalities benefit/hinder the teams performance?
       

V:            Conclusion

1. Closing comments
   1. Review
   2. Questions and Answers
   3. Closing remarks from facilitators