Course Name Communication Skills

Course Code COM1101

Lecture Six – Human Factors in an
Organization and
Interpersonal
Skills
Instructor (s) Biryomumeisho Joshua
HOUSE RULES

 Respect Time. Don’t be Late

 Switch Off Our Phones and Computers unless

accessing Notes

 Be respectful to your Colleagues

 No Late Assignments EXCEPT WITH VALID

REASONS
HOUSE RULES – CONT’D
 I DON’T KNOW IT ALL….We are Both Here to
Teach Each Other and Learn from Each Other.

 Please Participate and Communicate

The journey so
far...
RECAP OF THE LAST LECTURE –
LECTURE 5

By the Time we ended the Lecture, Students should have been

able to;
1)Understand Concept of Critical Reading and Its Interpretation

2)Briefly Describe What does it take to be a critical

reader?

3)Differentiate between Critical Reading v. Critical

Thinking

4)Understand Making Summaries

5)Understand different Concepts under Library

Skills
TODAY LECTURE & TALKING POINTS
By the End of the Lecture Students
Should be able to understand the
Following Concepts;
1)Emphasize the Importance of
Teamwork in Projects
2)Define Interpersonal Skills

3)Discuss vital interpersonal skills:

Leadership, Liaison with Clients,
sponsors and other stakeholders,
selecting, building and managing teams

4)Introducesome of the Key Techniques

for managing project Teams
TODAY LECTURE & TALKING POINTS –
CONT’D

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By the End of this Lecture Students should be able
to
 Identify the needs of the Teams

 Recognise the different types of Team

Organisation and assess their merits

 Understand the different roles needed in the

teams
 “Manage up”

 Build and motivate a Team BCE

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 Lead the Team ect
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nni
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 Negotiate with others and avoid conflict and
Man
WHAT ARE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS?
Interpersonal skills are the life skills we use every day
to communicate and interact with other people, both
individually and in groups.

Or
Interpersonal skills are also sometimes referred to as:
social skills, people skills, soft skills, communication
skills or life skills. Although these terms can include
interpersonal skills they tend to be broader and
therefore may also refer other types of skills.

People who have worked on developing strong

interpersonal skills are usually more successful in both
their professional and personal lives.
WHAT ARE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS? –
CONT’D
 Employers often seek to hire staff with 'strong
interpersonal skills' - they want people who will work
well in a team and be able to communicate effectively
with colleagues, customers and clients.

 Interpersonal skills are not just important in the

workplace, our personal and social lives can also
benefit from better interpersonal skills.

 People with good interpersonal skills are usually

perceived as optimistic, calm, confident
and charismatic - qualities that are often endearing or
appealing to others.
CLASS - TUTORIAL
Critical Analysis of Job Adverts in
both Electronic and Print Media
always show a requirement for Soft
Skills.

What are the Most Common

Softskills / Interpersonal Skills
Employers are Looking for ?
1) Leadership
2) Assertiveness
3) Problem Solving
4) Working with Minimum Supervision
5) Listening Skills
6) Flexibility
7) Trustworthy
8) Faithful
9) Obedience
10) Integrity
11) Resilience
12) Time Management
 Self Motivation
 Ability to Meet Deadlines

 Confidentiality

 Communicate Effectively/Ability to Address

Fellow Members
 Endurance

 Negotiator

 Linguistic

 Flexibility

 Ability to work in Hard to Reach Areas

 Positive Attitude

 Creative Thinking

 Consulting
SOFT / INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
1) Effective Communication

2) Positive Attitude

3) Problem Solving

4) Inclusiveness

5) Assertiveness

6) Good Manners

7) Emotional Intelligence

8) Team Player

9) Accountability and Responsibility

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

 To convey your message effectively, you need good

communication skills, including spoken, written and
nonverbal communication skills.

 To communicate effectively, you need to listen

thoughtfully and actively before giving your opinion.

 Good communication skills are necessary in any

profession; they help to combat conflicts at the work
place, facilitate productivity and allow one to convey
accurate and understandable message to colleagues
and clients.
 POSITIVE ATTITUDE
 Positive attitude is another component of good
interpersonal skills.

 Displaying a positive attitude implies that you

appreciate your work and the company.

 Portraying a positive attitude includes doing such

things as smiling while interacting and
communicating with your colleagues and
customers, greeting people cheerfully at the work
place, expressing appreciation for other people’s
efforts and undertaking challenging with optimism.
INCLUSIVENESS

 Rather than doing things your own way, it is

important to welcome the views of others in the
workplace.

 To demonstrate your team spirit, willingness to

cooperate and open-mindedness, you need to ask for
the opinion and input of your colleagues at the
workplace.

 To foster inclusiveness in the company, you should

also push for a socially inclusive environment in the
workplace.
PROBLEM SOLVING

 Conflicts are a common occurrence in the workplace.

 Rather than how fast you solve the conflicts at the

work place, you should focus on the best way to
resolve conflicts.

 To resolve a conflict, you first need to understand the

cause. You should then evaluate all the possible
solutions to the conflict and set up objectives and
strategies for solving the issue.

 Finally, implement the plan and monitor its success.

ASSERTIVENESS
• Assertiveness is another important component of
good interpersonal skills.

• Assertiveness entails defending what you believe in,

standing up for your ideas and confidently instructing
others on what should be done.

• If not properly practiced, assertiveness can be

confused with aggressiveness.

• However, this is a very important aspect, with

regards to effective interpersonal skills. When used
tactfully, this skill can earn you respect from other
people.
MANNERS

Proper etiquette is essential in business-to-business

interactions in both small and big companies across
the world.

Having good manners can bring out other

interpersonal skills in you.

Differentcommunities across the world tend to judge

people by their manners. With many businesses going
global, the need for proper manners at work is
becoming more important.
SOCIAL AWARENESS
 In a bid to succeed in your projects, you may find
yourself ignoring other people’s concerns.

 Being aware of the emotions of the other people at

the place of work is an important interpersonal skill.
Additionally, this skill can make it easier for you to
identify opportunities.

 For example, a person undergoing professional

challenges tends to become desperate for aid.
However, such person will not tell you that they are
desperate.

 Having social awareness skills will ensure that you

identify such cases with ease.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

 Emotional Intelligence is a very valuable trait

in the work environment.

 Many things will offend you in your line of

duty, but this skill will enable you to conceal
anger and hide frustration.

 Learning this skill is vital as it will enable you

to control your emotions and remain calm in
adverse conditions for optimal production.
ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
 In addition to portraying maturity, these two
interpersonal skills ensure that you do exactly what
you said you would do.

 Therefore, these two traits will ensure that you are

a trusted and responsible person.

 Accountability can also be very helpful in conflict

resolution. For instance, admitting your mistakes
and their consequences means that you are
accountable and will solve many conflicts you
might have with your colleagues.
TEAM PLAYER
 Being a team player is essential for a position which
requires performing optimally in a culturally diverse
work environment.

 Additionally, it implies that you are able to work in

harmony with people from varied nationalities.

 This skill is particularly important if you are looking

for a leadership or a highly technical position in an
organization or company.
DEALING WITH PEOPLE

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1. Influencing

2. Delegating

3. Negotiating

4. Leading
INFLUENCING
High - Give way – to do it Use all your skills and
Importanc their way most but patience. Call in any debts
e of remember you are Make many but small
Interpers owed a favour concessions or
onal compromises
relationsh Take time to negotiate
ip
formally
Delegate
Low - Go for it
negotiation to
Importanc Dig your heel in
another team
e of
member for the
Interpers Fight like Hell
experience
onal
Walk away – at this
relationsh
ip level it isn't worth an
argument
Low Importance of High – Importance of
Goal
12/06/24 Goal
DELEGATION
Aspects of Successful Delegation;
1.Delegate the team member who will be
responsible for a particular activity and

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responsible to utilise the resources

2.Delegate
and avoid meddling in what the
Team member does

3.Delegate to the Lowest level possible

4.People learn from mistakes and they need

sufficient freedom to make them

5.Make feedback a regular routine

NEGOTIATION

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 Negotiating is the process of satisfying a
projects/business/work assignment needs by
compromising with others.

 Covers all aspects of day to day work assignments /

Project management/Running a Business

 We need to establish a win-win situation

NEGOTIATION - RESOURCES

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 Cash required

 Staff time or Time Span

 Equipment or Room

 Time Span
NEGOTIATION - SCHEDULES

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 Order of activities

 Time for activities

 Time for stages

 Deadline
CLASS - TUTORIAL
NEGOTIATION - CLASS EXERCISE
Mbarara University Regional Referal Hospital has a Project

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of Procurement and Installation of an MRI. You have
been given the Assignment of Project Manager. Identify
Possible Issues and Persons / groups to negotiate with
under the following Project Management Factors;

1. Standards / Quality

2. Procedures

3. Costs

4. People
NEGOTIATION – CONT’D

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1. Identify and define the Problem

2. Generate various alternative solutions

that you are willing to accept

3. Evaluate the alternative outcome

solutions
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4. Reach the agreement 0:
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5. Implement the results of the nni
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negotiation and
Man
NEGOTIATION – CONT’D

Negotiations need to have one of the following

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outcomes

1. Your needs are accepted by the other party and

little negotiation is needed

2. Your needs can be met but you have to make

some amendments or compromise
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3. The other party offers some options; you need 311
to
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make judgement on whether they are acceptable Proj
ect
Pla
4. Your requirements are rejected but normally the
nni
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and
other party remains objective Man
LEADING

To Lead is to

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1)Cause someone to go with one

2)Conduct or guide others especially by going in front

3)Direct the movements of others

4)Guide the actions or opinions of someone by

argument, induce someone to do something
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5)To have the first place in something go first or be 0:
Proj
ect
first Pla
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6)Direct by Example and
Man
LEADING – CONT’D
Some ways in which a an Individual/Team

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Member/Project Manager can lead individual
team members include;

1) Build Team

2) Feedback

3) Recognition BCE
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4) Reward ect
Pla
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5) Encourage and
Man
TEAM ORGANISATION

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 Different organisations use different types of
Teams

 The type affects how that team is scheduled,

managed, communication needs and reporting.
BCE
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 Organisations have traditionally been managed ect
Pla
through a hierarchical Structure nni
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FOUR COMMON TYPES OF TEAMS
 Functional Team

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 The Project (Single Team)

 The Matrix Team

 The Contract Team

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MANAGING STAKE HOLDERS

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 Stakeholders are any persons or groups who
have an interest in your
work/business/project are affected by it or
who can influence its outcome.

 The Formal approach of identifying

stakeholders is called Stakeholder Mapping.
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 Brainstorming Technique can be used to 0:
Proj
identify and list individual stakeholders ect
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and
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MANAGING STAKE HOLDERS
Once Stake holders are identified the Business
Managers/Team Leaders/Project Managers

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must draw up a Table listing;

1.the stakeholders
2.Their Goals

3.Past reactions

4.What to Expect

5.Impact (Negative or Positive)

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6.Possible Future reactions Proj
ect
7.Ideas Pla
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and
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“MANAGING UP”

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 The Success of a Projects/Business/Job can
crucially depend on help and support from
Senior Management

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Proj
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and
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MANAGING THE SPONSOR

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 To make the Projects/Business/Job successful
the Business Managers/Team Leaders/Project
Managers must consider what the sponsor
needs and what is needed from the sponsor;

 Business Managers/Team Leaders/Project

Managers need from sponsors among other
things; BCE
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MANAGING THE RESOURCE
PROVIDERS
 For most Jobs/business(s)/project(s) the

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sponsors will not be solely responsible for
allocating the resources for a project;

 Business Managers/Team Leaders/Project

Managers must therefore also think about
managing any other resource providers
BUILDING THE TEAM

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Common Task Functions include;

1. Initiating

2. Information or opinion seeking

3. Clarifying or elaborating

4. Opinion giving

5. Consensus Testing

6. Summarizing
MAINTENANCE FUNCTION
 Encouraging: furthering group
participation by encouragement

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 Harmonising: recognising disagreements

 Compromising: the amendment of

conflicting ideas to make them
acceptable to both parties
MAINTENANCE FUNCTION – CONT’D

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 Express group feelings: sensing the
teams feelings and mood so the team can
deal with them

 Gate Keeping: sensing when others are

not getting the opportunity to participate
because of the more extrovert and
talkative members of the group
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 Setting
Standards: Expressing or applying Proj
ect
standards to evaluate the group process Pla
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and
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KEEPING THE TEAM MOTIVATED

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Key Question: Why are people
motivated to behave in a particular
way ?
In this Lecture we shall briefly confine
ourselves to;
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

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Herzbergs Motivation-hygiene theory 0:
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Expectancy Theory ng
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INFLUENCING THE TEAMS
MOTIVATION

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 The various theories of motivation
suggested above can be affected by
expected outcomes, the motivators or
by the fulfilment of some need.

 These
to some extent, be influenced or
even controlled by the Team project BCE
manager. 311
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INFLUENCING THE TEAMS MOTIVATION –
CONT’D
Business Managers/Team Leaders/Project Managers

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can ensure that;

1.Staff have clear objectives and know clearly what

they need to do

2.The right tools, conditions and environment are

available

3.Staff are well informed

4.The staff members motivations have been

matched as well as possible to the work and its
expected outcomes
HOW TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION IN THE
WORKPLACE

1) Communication Policy
2) Communication Tools
3) Employee Training Programs
4) Model
5) Promote
6) Performance Appraisals
HOW TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION IN THE
WORKPLACE - 2

1) Communication Policy

2) Communication Tools
HOW TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION IN THE
WORKPLACE - 2

(1) Employee Training Programs:

These programs can teach employees how to practice

effective communication skills that will help them

increase their effectiveness in what they do.

Forinstance, consider: listening skills, encoding,

communication fundamentals, and online
communication in your training program.
HOW TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION
IN THE WORKPLACE - 3
Model
•Sometimes the best type of learning is through
example.

•Modeling good and effective communication skills for

new employees can be a useful way to leverage the
social learning theory.

•If you are in a large company, pair your newer

employees up with older ones who already practice
effective communication skills so that they can learn
from each other.
HOW TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION
IN THE WORKPLACE - 4
Promote
As mentioned above, if you are a large business

owner, it can be helpful to promote certain individuals

with strong communication skills into more
supervisory positions.

This will help you set the bar for newer employees or
those who are working on their own communication
skills.
HOW TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION
IN THE WORKPLACE - 5
Performance Appraisals
This is a way to help motivate employees to

achieve their goals.

If communication seems to be an issue, set goals

for employees and give them an incentive to reach
those goals by offering rewards or setting up a
reward program for employees who are to meet
communication goals.
 The end.

Thanks for your attention and participation.