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Structure of the workbook Unit of Competency: BSBCMM511 Communicate with influence Part 1 - The workbook is structured to provide a knowledge component in the first part including the introduction to the theoretical aspects of the unit and detailed description of the unit of competency knowledge development. Part 2-The development of your skills and knowledge which are sectioned to cover the unit elements and performance criteria to apply your skills and knowledge to gain competency for effective vocational outcomes.

How to use the workbook First develop your knowledge Read the workbook starting with the introduction to the subject of unit of competency and the details to develop your knowledge application. 1. Once reading is complete, attempt the review questions to ensure you develop your knowledge related to knowledge evidence required. Then develop your skills and apply skills and knowledge for vocational outcome 1. Actively read the workbook sections which are sectioned in line with unit elements and performance criteria to confirm the application of skills and knowledge related to achieve effective and efficient vocational outcome. 2. Attempt and complete all the learning activities in the workbook in relevant sections to develop your competency including use of foundation skills.

Copyright © 2021 Dynamics Learning Pty Ltd. 2/23 Foster Street Surry Hills NSW 2010 Australia. (www.dynamicslearning.com.au). This publisher holds the copyright of its reproduction and adaptation. All rights are reserved for publisher and authors including total or partial reproduction or adaptation and the Institute is provided with a license for use and sharing with learners for educational purposes. Edition Compiled by Developed in Review by

:1

: A K Don (MBA (UK), MPA (Aus.), Dip L & M, DipM, FAIM (MCIM, Chartered Marketer – Fmr)) : June 2021 : June 2022

Disclaimer The information contained in this manual is drawn from sources believed to be valid and reliable. The writer, the firm, its employees, agents, and contractors do not warrant the correctness of the sources used and accept no responsibility to any person or commercial body for any errors or omissions or for any loss or damage however caused from the use of this manual. Every effort has been made to ensure that this publication is free from duplication, errors, or omissions. Information used from various sources including online materials, books and journals are tested for their validity, reliability, currency, and rephrased, adapted, quoted, and referenced. However, if unsure, users should conduct their own enquiries and seek professional advice before relying on any fact, statement or matter contained in this book. Information in this unit is current at the time of publication. Some images, charts and graphics appearing in this resource have been developed by the writer and some are accessed and used from various freely available online sources.

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Table of Contents Unit Overview ................................................................................................................................ 3 Introduction................................................................................................................................... 4 Communicate with influence ......................................................................................................... 4 What is communication? 4 Industry, media and government organisations, events and communication channels that are relevant to the organisation 12 Cross-cultural communication 15 Techniques for negotiation, mediation, conflict resolution and incident de-escalation 19 Structured and inclusive meeting procedures 29 Organisational policies and procedures relevant to presenting and negotiating 33 Organisational policies and procedures relevant to leading and participating in meetings 35 Organisations have policies and procedures relevant to leading and participating meetings. The following answers some of the meeting related policy and procedures questions: 35 Organisational policies and procedures relevant to making presentations 39 Communication tone, structure, style and impact on others 43 Relevant organisational policies and procedures on confidentiality of information 51 Section 1 .......................................................................................................................................53 Identify communication requirements ..........................................................................................53 Confirm authority to present material on behalf of an organisation or work area, according to organisational policies and procedures. 53 Identify information that may be subject to confidentiality and manage appropriately 56 Identify information needs of audience and prepare a position in line with purpose of communication 58 Identify objectives of negotiation, and needs and requirements of stakeholders 59 Identify and document potential issues and problems 62 Prepare positions and supporting arguments according to objectives 65 Communicate with stakeholders, and establish areas of common ground and potential compromise 72 Confirm and document outcomes of negotiation 75 Section 3 .......................................................................................................................................77 Participate in and lead meetings ...................................................................................................77 Identify the need for meeting and schedule according to stakeholder availability 77 Prepare meeting materials and distribute to stakeholders 80 Conduct meeting and contribute to discussions 82 Seek consensus on meeting objectives 83 Summarise outcomes of meetings and distribute to stakeholders 86 Section 4 .......................................................................................................................................87 Make presentations ......................................................................................................................87 Identify forums to present according to organisational objectives 87 Determine tone, structure, style of communication and presentation according to target audience 90 Prepare presentation according to desired outcomes 93 Provide an opportunity for audience to ask questions 100 Follow up with stakeholders following presentation 104 Evaluate presentation and identify areas for improvement 106 Make improvements to presentations based on feedback received 108 References .................................................................................................................................. 111

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Unit Overview Unit of Competency BSBCMM511 Communicate with influence

Application of the unit This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to present and negotiate persuasively, lead and participate in meetings and make presentations to customers, clients and other key stakeholders. The unit applies to individuals who are managers and leaders required to identify, analyse, synthesise and act on information from a range of sources, and who deal with unpredictable problems as part of their job role. They use initiative and judgement to organise the work of self and others and plan, evaluate and co-ordinate the work of teams.

Unit Elements 1. 2. 3. 4.

Identify communication requirements Negotiate to achieve agreed outcome Participate in and lead meetings Make presentations

Learning Activities This learner workbook is designed with learning activities. At the end of each training session, learners must do learning activities to confirm the application of skills and knowledge that are developed to ensure learning objectives are achieved. Activities are indicated with following icons:

Icon

Activity/Description

Icon

Activity/Description

Group Activity ● Group discussions ● Teamwork

Written task ● Written questioning ● Written activities ● Report writing

Verbal Questioning

Presentation

Trainer directs verbal questioning at learner/s

Learner makes presentations

Individual verbal presentation

Project work

Learner present learning

Learner undertakes project work

Role-play

Case study

Learner plays an assigned role

Lerner undertake a case study

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Introduction - BSBCMM511 Communicate with influence

Introduction Communicate with influence What is communication? The transmission of information from one place, person or group to another is simply the communication. An individual sender, a message and a recipient are involved in each communication. It may sound simple, but communication is a very complex topic. The conveyance or exchange of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. Successful communication or exchange of ideas and feelings is effective communication. As this definition shows, communication is more than just information transfer. The term calls for a successful element in conveying or transmitting a message whether info, idea or emotion. A wide variety of things may affect the transmission of the message from sender to recipient. Our emotions, culture, media and even our location are among them. We're here. The complexities are why employers around the world consider good communication skills to be so desirable: precise, effective and unequivocal communication is indeed very difficult.

Influence and communication Human communication usually has one of three basic purposes: ● ● ●

To educate or inform, To relate, or To influence.

Communication that starts with one purpose sometimes shifts to another. More than good communication, influence is. Informational communication moves. Influence leads to ideas and produces an effect without the use of force or control. Without influencing you can communicate, but without communicating you cannot influence. The purpose of "influence conduct" is to lead to action by other parties. Some people confuse power with influence. We can define power as a set of resources, and can influence your power as a set of skills or actions. Others feel influenced by respectful treatment and choice. Influence is the movement without direct power of another person towards action. Some ways are direct, some indirect, to influence others. Face to face, voice to voice, or electronic domain can have direct influence. Contest is not influence. It is a bidirectional process involving a relationship. Every time you influence someone, you make it easier or harder next time, depending on how effectively you do it. A balance between construction relations and the achievement of results is required for effective influence. Both of these are essential for your success. Emphasis can produce a short-term result at the expense of the others, but eventually leaves you weaker position with the others.

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Elements of communication A communication therefore has three parts: the sender, the message, and the recipient. The sender ‘encodes’ the message, usually in a mixture of words and non-verbal communication. It is transmitted in some way (for example, in speech or writing), and the recipient ‘decodes’ it. There may be more than one recipient, and the complexity of communication means that each one may receive a slightly different message. Two people may read very different things into the choice of words and/or body language. It is also possible that neither of them will have quite the same understanding as the sender. In face-to-face communication, the roles of the sender and recipient are not distinct. The two roles will pass back and forwards between two people talking. Both parties communicate with each other, even if in very subtle ways such as through eye-contact (or lack of) and general body language. In written communication, however, the sender and recipient are more distinct. 1. Sender: the person who initiate the communication with the intention of getting an answer to his or her questions or passing a feedback. 2. Ideas: this action is the subject of passed ideas. This can represent attitudes, opinions, opinions, sentiments, feelings, proposals, complaints or questions. 3. Encoding: means the conversion in certain symbols of the subject matter. Here, things become complicated, because for certain emotions or ideas most people use their own definition. The way they put these in sentences provides an insight into their character. 4. Communication channel: communications channels are means to communicate with and interact with people in an organisation. 5. Receiver: a team member whose main business is to solve the problems of customers and represent the brand of organisation. 6. Decoding: the recipient must extract its meaning and fully understand what the sender needs from the symbols sent. 7. Feedback: is the process by which the sender and the receiver ensure that they have understood each other and find the answer.

Communication Channels Communication channels are the means through which people in an organization communicate and interact with each other. Without the right communication channels in place, it becomes extremely challenging to align employees with the business goals, break down silos, and drive innovation in the workplace. Furthermore, the communication channels you use at your workplace has a direct impact on the employee experience you deliver, employee engagement as well as your ability to help your employees increase their productivity, thought leadership and communication skills. When looking at all the possible communication channels, we can segment them into two main groups: ● ●

Communication channels by formality Communication channels by means of communication

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Communication channels by formality There are three different communications channels based on formality: formal, informal and unofficial. 1. Formal communication channels Formal communication includes exchange of information such as the goals, policies and procedures of an organization. Some of the most common examples of formal communication include company business plans, strategy, goals, annual reports, agreements, company-wide communications, workplace safety guidelines and procedures, board presentations etc. 1. Informal communication channels Informal communication channels are also used to deliver official business messages but in a more relaxed way. Some examples of informal communication include conversations at work addressing various issues that team members may have, lunch time conversations and continuous collaboration among team members. 2. Unofficial communication channels In addition to official communication channels, there is also an unofficial mode of communication that is quite common in the workplace. Unofficial communication includes employee communication outside of the work environment on topics not related to work.

Communication channels by mean Besides formality, communication channels can be divided by means. In other words, the way and tools employees use to communicate with each other. 1. Digital communication channels Electronic means of communication include various online tools that employees use to stay connected with each other and keep up with the company news and updates. Today, digital communication channels are the most popular and most used channels in the workplace. Some of the examples include email, internal communication platforms, employee collaboration software and intranets. 2. Face-to-face communication Even though electronic means of conversation in the workplace are taking over, face-to-face communication is still extremely important. This meaning is much more personal, and it has more human touch into it. 3. Written communication This type of communication is almost completely dead within organizations. However, written communication is still necessary when important policies, letters, memos, manuals, notices and announcements are being communicated to the employees. The Rise of Digital Communication Channels in the Workplace With the emergence of remote work, the popularity and usage of digital communication channels in the workplace have skyrocketed in 2020, and we expect this trend to keep growing. As many employees are physically separated and dispersed, companies need to find new ways to keep their remote and non-wired employees connected, well informed and productive.

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However, most of them are well aware that communication via emails and outdated intranets is not enough as they are not the right channels to keep employees engaged with the company's daily conversations. We also know that these communication channels are not the best solutions for improving crossfunctional collaboration in the workplace which is now more important than ever before. Instead, employers need to turn to more modern, intuitive, user-friendly and mobile-first communication channels and tools that mimic the apps that employees use on a daily basis in their private lives. Needless to say, technology has completely reshaped the way we communicate and this change is the ongoing process. Effective two-way communication powered by technological communication channels can significantly improve peer collaboration, boost knowledge sharing and make internal communicators' jobs much more streamlined and efficient. Simply, the best communication channels are the ones that help you deliver the right message to the right employee at the right time, and the ones that keep all the important information at your employees' fingertips.

Categories of communication There are a wide range of ways in which we communicate and more than one may be occurring at any given time. The different categories of communication include: ● ●

●

●

Spoken or Verbal Communication, which includes face-to-face, telephone, radio or television and other media. Non-Verbal Communication, covering body language, gestures, how we dress or act, where we stand, and even our scent. There are many subtle ways that we communicate (perhaps even unintentionally) with others. For example, the tone of voice can give clues to mood or emotional state, whilst hand signals or gestures can add to a spoken message. Written Communication: which includes letters, e-mails, social media, books, magazines, the Internet and other media. Until recent times, a relatively small number of writers and publishers were very powerful when it came to communicating the written word. Today, we can all write and publish our ideas online, which has led to an explosion of information and communication possibilities. Visualizations: graphs and charts, maps, logos and other visualizations can all communicate messages.

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The communication process A message or communication is sent by the sender through a communication channel to a receiver, or to multiple receivers. ●

● ● ●

● ●

The sender must encode the message (the information being conveyed) into a form that is appropriate to the communication channel, and the receiver(s) then decodes the message to understand its meaning and significance. Misunderstanding can occur at any stage of the communication process. Effective communication involves minimising potential misunderstanding and overcoming any barriers to communication at each stage in the communication process. An effective communicator understands their audience, chooses an appropriate communication channel, hones their message to this channel and encodes the message to reduce misunderstanding by the receiver(s). They will also seek out feedback from the receiver(s) as to how the message is understood and attempt to correct any misunderstanding or confusion as soon as possible. Receivers can use techniques such as Clarification and Reflection as effective ways to ensure that the message sent has been understood correctly.

How do you achieve effective communication? Effective communication happens when a complete message is sent and fully received and understood by an audience. Good communication is about getting the right message to the right person in the right medium at the right time. Depending on the nature of the message and audience, the audience may then have the opportunity to engage in a productive discussion of the message.

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The content and timing of effective communication There are several vital elements: ●

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

KISS - keep it short and simple. The message must be clear, concise and complete. Be sure that the audience has the full message particularly as you may only have one opportunity to put over your message The content of the message must be factually accurate The message can be a mix of factual and psychological aspects to give the message its full impact; rather than just dry facts or overly emotional in style The message should be relevant to the concerns of the audience The language should be appropriate to the audience and communication medium. Avoid technical jargon unless talking to another professional It should be positive and focused on solutions rather than listing problems The language should invite participation and engagement where appropriate Using the right medium for the intended audience, the context and the desired response. For example, when reporting to a portfolio holder would you send a formal report or a text? Pick the right person/stakeholder to send out the message – for example the chief executive will have more impact on trustees than a junior member of staff The message is sent at the right time to enable the audience to have time to understand and act on the message

The stages of communication There are several components in communication as the diagram below shows.

N Noise

Noise

Noise

Noise

Noise

Noise

Noise

Noise Feedback

The sender develops the content of the message. In the process the sender decides on the medium (written or spoken) and the format (such as email, letter, leaflet, meeting, talk, press release, presentation, podcast.). The sender then transmits the communication by the relevant communication channel (such as presenting at a meeting of the heads of department, producing printed material, announcing on a website or in the press). The message then reaches the audience. The audience will then decide whether to respond and if so how. The audience response will have a particular content and format through their chosen communication channel. This may not be the same as the one the sender used to transmit the message (such as an email after a meeting where the sender gave their presentation).

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The three stages of communication Firstly, prepare well and understand what you want to communicate. Next, when you are communicating your message be confident, to the point and focused on solutions. Finally, let the person or group you are communicating with have the opportunity to respond and listen to what they are telling you. How a good communicator puts their message across Before communicating

● ●

Delivering the message

●

Responding to the recipient

Well prepared message and arguments Has full knowledge of the message ● Has full understanding of the message Confident including positive body language and communicating with energy ● Uses facts and well-founded opinion, not rumour; is honest ● Concise ● Articulate and/or uses persuasive writing skills ● Focused on solutions not problems ● ● ● ●

Understands the recipients’ point of view Actively listens to the response Confidently defends the message Is prepared to ask for clarification ● Is flexible in developing a solution - collaborative, not competitive

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Listening is vital part of communication Listening skills are just as important as communication skills in delivering your message. This allows full understanding of the other party and what their response is to your point of view. Good listening is vital for building strong relationships. To be a good listener means to fully understand and constructively respond to what the other party is communicating. Bear in mind that sometimes people seem to be giving one answer when they actual mean another; or wanting to say something else but feel unable to do so. This can occur in any communication scenario - face-to-face or remote, instant or over a longer time period, with one person or a group.

Core listening skills ●

Giving the other party your full attention. If you are in their presence look at them directly, don’t do other activities such as doodling. Try to understand their body language ● Encouraging them to speak. Ask open-ended questions ● Showing that you are genuinely listening by nodding, repeating back what they have said but in your own words ● Acknowledging their feelings – ‘It must have been really difficult for you when…’ ● Asking for clarification when you do not understand ● Not judging - trying to understand their point of view, rather than immediately applying your own preconceptions about the respondent ● Not interrupting - letting the other party put over their response fully before you react. Giving them time to express their point of view ● Being cautious in expressing your opinion. If it is clearly not appropriate don’t express it ● Being timely in your reaction to the other party’s responses to your messages - this is particularly true with communication that is not verbal

Learning Activity 1 Identify communication systems and dimensions at different workplaces Activity type

Group discussion (directed and observed by the trainer)

Activity timing

30-45 minutes

Activity description

1. 2. 3. 4.

Form groups of 2 to 3 learners per group. Appoint a group leader to manage the discussion. Discuss how communication takes place in your organisation. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences at each workplace.

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Industry, media and government organisations, events and communication channels that are relevant to the organisation Communication industry Communication industry, broadly defined, the business of conveying information, the practice and application of communication includes a wide variety of industries, from education and research, to public relations, advertising, publishing, and digital media. Although communication by means of symbols and gestures dates to the beginning of human history, the term generally refers to mass communications. As such, it covers television and radio broadcasting, telegraphs, publishing, advertising, telecommunications, motion pictures, home videos, public relations, computer databases, and other information industries. Advertisers, journalists, public relations practitioners, public speakers, television, radio, film, or multimedia producers, and all who communicate with others engage in these essential operations. The origins of mass communications can be traced to the development of the printing press in 15thcentury Europe; it allowed inexpensively produced newspapers and books to spread information to large numbers of people. Between the 16th and 19th century, improved roads and faster ships allowed news to spread farther and faster, linking Europe with Latin America and Asia. Newer technologies have also motivated governments to loosen controls over the communications industries. In the 1980s, many commercial and satellite television stations were established in Europe, breaking the monopoly of government broadcasters, and in the 1990s the flow of information over the Internet made it easier to bypass government restrictions and censorship. Nonetheless, the enormous power of the communications industry remains controversial. The mass media has been widely criticized for its superficial news coverage, its power to affect public opinion, and the economic power it gives to advertisers and governments.

Media The term media, which is the plural of medium, refers to the communication channels through which we disseminate news, music, movies, education, promotional messages and other data. It includes physical and online newspapers and magazines, television, radio, billboards, telephone, the Internet, fax and billboards. Media is the communication outlets or tools used to store and deliver information or data. The term refers to components of the mass media communication industry, such as print media, publishing, the news media, photography, cinema, broadcasting (radio and television), and advertising. Advances in communication, largely through the internet, have improved community access to information. Therefore, the media play an important role in society as a source of information. It describes the various ways through which we communicate in society. Because it refers to all means of communication, everything ranging from a telephone call to the evening news on television can be called media. When talking about reaching a very large number of people we say mass media. Local media refers to, for example, your local newspaper, or local/regional TV/radio channels. Media can be broken down into two main categories: broadcast and print. The Internet has also emerged as a major player, as a rapidly-growing number of people globally get their news, movies, etc. online.

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●

●

● ●

Print Media includes all types of publications, including newspapers, journals, magazines, books and reports. It is the oldest type, and despite suffering since the emergence of the Internet, is still used by a major proportion of the population. Broadcast Media refers to radio and TV, which came onto the scene at the beginning and middle of the 20th century respectively. Most people still get their news from TV and radio broadcasts – however, experts predict that it will not be long before online sources take over. Over the past twenty years, cable news has grown in importance. The Internet – specifically websites and blogs – are rapidly emerging as viable and major channels of communication as more and more people seek news, entertainment and educational material online. The term ‘viable,’ in business, means capable of generating profits for many years.

Virtually every part of the Internet has become a medium of communication – most free email services have little boxes that display ads and other messages. The Internet as we know it today did not really take off until the 1990s. In 1995, just 1% of the world’s population was online, compared to over 49% today. The notion of the Internet started in the 1960s in the USA during the Cold War, when the military and scientists were worried about a missile attack, which could knock out the telephone system.

Communication channels Communication channels is the term given to the way in which we communicate. It is therefore the method used to transmit our message to a recipient, or to receive a message from someone else. There are multiple communication channels available to us today. These include face-to-face conversations, telephone calls, text messages, email, the Internet (including social media such as Facebook and Twitter), radio and TV, written letters, brochures and reports. Choosing an appropriate communication channel is vital for effective communication. Each communication channel has different strengths and weaknesses. For example, broadcasting news of an upcoming event via a written letter might convey the message clearly to one or many individuals. It will not, however, be a time- or cost-effective way to broadcast the message to a large number of people. On the other hand, conveying complex, technical information is easier via a printed document than a spoken message. The recipients are able to assimilate the information at their own pace and revisit anything that they do not fully understand. Written communication is also useful as a way of recording what has been said, for example by taking minutes in a meeting.

Encoding Messages All messages must be encoded into a form that can be conveyed by the communication channel chosen for the message. We all do this every day when transferring abstract thoughts into spoken words or a written form. However, other communication channels require different forms of encoding, e.g. text written for a report will not work well if broadcast via a radio programme, and the short, abbreviated text used in text messages would be inappropriate in a letter or in speech. Complex data may be best communicated using a graph, chart or other visualisation. Effective communicators encode their messages so that they fit both the channel and the intended audience. They use appropriate language, conveying the information simply and clearly. They also anticipate and eliminate likely causes of confusion and misunderstanding. They are generally aware of the recipients’ experience in decoding similar communications. Successful encoding of messages for the audience and channel is a vital skill in effective communication.

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Decoding Messages Once received, the recipient needs to decode the message. Successful decoding is also a vital communication skill. People will decode and understand messages in different ways. This will depend on their experience and understanding of the context of the message, how well they know the sender, their psychological state and how they feel, and the time and place of receipt. They may also be affected by any barriers to communication which might be present. There are therefore a wide range of factors that will affect decoding and understanding. Successful communicators understand how the message will be decoded, and anticipate and remove as many as possible of the potential sources of misunderstanding.

Feedback The final part of a communication is feedback: the recipient lets the sender know that they have received and understood the message. Recipients of messages are likely to provide feedback on how they have understood the messages through both verbal and non-verbal reactions. Effective communicators pay close attention to this feedback as it is the only way to assess whether the message has been understood as intended, and it allows any confusion to be corrected. Bear in mind that the extent and form of feedback will vary with the communication channel. Feedback during a face-to-face or telephone conversation will be immediate and direct, whilst feedback to messages conveyed via TV or radio will be indirect and may be delayed, or even conveyed through other media such as the Internet. Effective communicators pay close attention to this feedback as it is the only way to assess whether the message has been understood as intended, and it allows any confusion to be corrected.

Learning Activity 2 Identify industry, media and government organisations, events and communication channels that are relevant to the organisation Activity type

Group discussion (directed and observed by the trainer)

Activity timing

30 minutes

Activity description

1. Form groups of 2 to 3 learners per group. 2. Appoint a group leader to manage the discussion. 3. Discuss how the following communication takes place at each organisation of you work that are relevant to the organisation 1. Industry, 2. Media 3. Government organisations, 4. Events and 5. Communication channels

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Cross-cultural communication Cross-cultural communication is how people from differing cultural backgrounds communicate, in similar and different ways among themselves, and how they endeavour to communicate across cultures. Cross cultural communication thus refers to the communication between people who have differences in any one of the following: styles of working, age, nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Cross cultural communication can also refer to the attempts that are made to exchange, negotiate and mediate cultural differences by means of language, gestures and body language. It is how people belonging to different cultures communicate with each other. Cross-cultural communication has become strategically important to organisations due to the growth of global business, technology, and the Internet. Understanding cross-cultural communication is important for any organisation that has a diverse workforce or plans on conducting global business. This type of communication involves an understanding of how people from different cultures speak, communicate, and perceive the world around them. Cross-cultural communication in an organization deals with understanding different business customs, beliefs and communication strategies. Language differences, high-context vs. low-context cultures, nonverbal differences, and power distance are major factors that can affect cross-cultural communication. For example, let's take a look at how cross-cultural differences can cause potential issues within an organization. Jack is a manager at a New Mexico-based retail conglomerate. He has flown to Japan to discuss a potential partnership with a local Japanese organisation. His business contact, Yamato, is his counterpart within the Japanese organisation. Jack has never been to Japan before, and he's not familiar with their cultural norms. Let's look at some of the ways that a lack of cultural understanding can create a barrier for business success by examining how Jack handles his meeting with Yamato.

High- vs. Low-Context Culture The concept of high- and low-context culture relates to how an employee's thoughts, opinions, feelings, and upbringing affect how they act within a given culture. North America and Western Europe are generally considered to have low-context cultures. This means that businesses in these places have direct, individualistic employees who tend to base decisions on facts. This type of businessperson wants specifics noted in contracts and may have issues with trust. High-context cultures are the opposite in that trust is the most important part of business dealings. There are areas in the Middle East, Asia and Africa that can be considered high context. Organizations that have high-context cultures are collectivist and focus on interpersonal relationships. Individuals from high-context cultures might be interested in getting to know the person they are conducting business with in order to get a gut feeling on decision making. They may also be more concerned about business teams and group success rather than individual achievement. Jack and Yamato ran into some difficulties during their business negotiations. Jack spoke quickly and profusely because he wanted to seal the deal as soon as possible. However, Yamato wanted to get to know Jack, and he felt that Jack spoke too much. Yamato also felt that Jack was only concerned with completing the deal for his own self-interest and was not concerned with the overall good of the company. Jack's nonverbal cues did not help the negotiations either.

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Nonverbal differences Gestures and eye contact are two areas of nonverbal communication that are utilized differently across cultures. Organisations must train employees in the correct way to handle nonverbal communication as to not offend other cultures. For example, American workers tend to wave their hand and use a finger to point when giving nonverbal direction. Extreme gesturing is considered rude in some cultures. While pointing may be considered appropriate in some contexts in the United States, Yamato would never use a finger to point towards another person because that gesture is considered rude in Japan. Instead, he might gesture with an open hand, with his palm facing up, toward the person. Eye contact is another form of nonverbal communication. In the U.S., eye contact is a good thing and is seen as a reflection of honesty and straightforwardness. However, in some Asian and Middle Eastern cultures, prolonged eye contact can be seen as rude or aggressive in many situations. Women may need to avoid it altogether because lingering eye contact can be viewed as a sign of sexual interest. During their meeting, Jack felt that Yamato was not listening to his talking points because Yamato was not looking Jack in the eyes. However, Yamato did not want Jack to think he was rude, so he avoided looking directly into Jack's eyes during his speech.

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Language differences The biggest issue dealing with cross-cultural communication is the difficulty created by language barriers. For example, Jack does not speak Japanese, so he is concerned with his ability to communicate effectively with Yamato. There are some strategies that Jack can use to help establish a rapport with Yamato. Jack can explain himself without words by using emotions, facial expressions, and other nonverbal cues. He can also use drawings and ask for an interpreter.

Strategies for effective cross-cultural communication In today’s diverse workplace, communication issues can take on an added dimension of complexity. Every culture has its own set of tacit assumptions and tendencies when it comes to face-to-face interactions, and trying to get your point across effectively can sometimes be difficult. Even when a language barrier does not exist, cross-cultural communication can be challenging. Here are our top ten tips for effective cross-cultural communication:

1. Maintain etiquette (customary code of polite behaviour) Many cultures have specific etiquette around the way they communicate. Before you meet, research the target culture, or if time allows, do some cross-cultural training. For example, many cultures expect a degree of formality at the beginning of communication between individuals. Every culture has its own specific way of indicating this formality: ‘Herr’ and ‘Frau’ in Germany, reversing family and given names in China and the use of ‘san’ in Japan for men and women etc. Be aware of these familiarity tokens and do not jump straight to first name terms until you receive a cue from the other person to do so.

2. Avoid slang Not even the most educated non-native English speaker will have a comprehensive understanding of English slang, idioms and sayings. They may understand the individual words you have said, but not the context or the meaning. As a result, you could end up confusing them or at worst, offending them.

3. Speak slowly Even if English is the common language in a cross-cultural situation it is not a good idea to speak at your normal conversational speed. Modulating your pace will help, as will speaking clearly and pronouncing your words properly. Break your sentences into short, definable sections and give your listener time to translate and digest your words as you go. But do not slow down too much as it might seem patronising. If the person you are speaking to is talking too quickly or their accent is making it difficult for you to understand them, do not be afraid to politely ask them to slow down too.

4. Keep it simple In a cross-cultural conversation, there is no need to make it harder for both of you by using big words. Just keep it simple. Two syllable words are much easier to understand than three syllable words, and one syllable words are better than two syllable words. Say “Please do this quickly” rather than “Please do this in an efficacious manner.”

5. Practice active listening Active listening is a very effective strategy for improving cross cultural communication. Restate or summarise what the other person has said, to ensure that you have understood

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them correctly, and ask frequent questions. This helps build rapport and ensures that important information does not get missed or misunderstood.

6. Take turns to talk Make the conversation flow more freely by taking it in turns to speak. Make a point and then listen to the other person respond. Particularly when people are speaking English as their second language it is better to talk to them in short exchanges rather than delivering a long monologue that might be difficult for them to follow.

7. Write things down If you are not sure whether the other person has understood you properly, write it down to make sure. This can be particularly helpful when discussing large figures. For example, in the UK we write a billion as 1,000,000,000 but, in the USA, it is written as 1,000,000,000,000.

8. Avoid closed questions Do not phrase a question that needs a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. In many cultures it is difficult or embarrassing to answer in the negative, so you will always get a ‘yes’ even if the real answer is ‘no’. Ask open-ended questions that require information as a response instead.

9. Be careful with humour Many cultures take business very seriously and believe in behaving professionally and following protocol at all times. Consequently, they do not appreciate the use of humour and jokes in a business context. If you do decide to use humour make sure it will be understood and appreciated in the other culture and not cause offence. Be aware that British sarcasm usually has a negative effect abroad.

10.Be supportive Effective cross-cultural communication is about all parties feeling comfortable. In any conversation with a non-native English speaker, treat them with respect, do your best to communicate clearly and give them encouragement when they respond. This will help build their confidence and trust in you.

Learning Activity 3 Cross-cultural communication

Activity type

Individual verbal presentation

Activity timing

5 - 7 minutes per learner

Activity description

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Explain how diverse your workplace is The culture mix What strategies are used for cross cultural communication? What issues are faced? How does your organisation address the issues and concerns?

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Techniques for negotiation, mediation, conflict resolution and incident de-escalation Negotiation Individuals at a workplace are all not always the best negotiators. They step into the shoes of a business owner for the first time and find (to their surprise) that nearly everything involves negotiation of some kind, and they may not always have those negotiation techniques down. Running a business requires, quite literally, hundreds of negotiations. Some are small, like securing the best price on printing your letterhead and business cards. Others are far bigger deals that can make or break your business from the get-go. Sometimes you are the buyer; other times the seller. Either way, the skills you need to be a good negotiator are the same. For some small business owners, it comes naturally. They are the ones who started negotiating an allowance and extra TV time with their parents at age four. For most of us, however, it comes through effort and experience. Rarely is it something you learned as part of a formal education. The following are 10 tactics that can make you a better, more confident negotiator on behalf of your organisation. Ten negotiation techniques:

1. Prepare well Enter a negotiation without proper preparation and you have already lost. Start with yourself. Make sure you are clear on what you really want out of the arrangement. Research the other side to better understand their needs, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. Enlist help from experts, such as an accountant, attorney or tech guru.

2. Pay attention to timing Timing is important in any negotiation. Sure, you must know what to ask for, but also be sensitive to when you ask for it. There are times to press ahead, and times to wait. When you are looking your best is the time to press for what you want. But beware of pushing too hard and poisoning any long-term relationship.

3. Leave behind your ego The best negotiators either do not care or do not show they care about who gets credit for a successful deal. Their talent is in making the other side feel like the final agreement was all their idea.

4. Use your listening skills The best negotiators are often quiet listeners who patiently let others have the floor while they make their case. They never interrupt. Encourage the other side to talk first. That helps set up one of negotiation’s oldest maxims: whoever mentions numbers first, loses. While that is not always true, it is generally better to sit tight and let the other side go first. Even if they do not mention numbers, it gives you a chance to ask what they are thinking.

5. If you do not ask, you do not get Another tenet of negotiating is, “Go high, or go home.” As part of your preparation, define your highest justifiable price. As long as you can argue convincingly, do not be afraid to aim high. But no ultimatums. Take-it-or-leave-it offers are usually out of place.

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6. Anticipate compromise You should expect to make concessions and plan what they might be. Of course, the other side is thinking the same, so never take their first offer. Even if it is better than you’d hoped for, practice your best look of disappointment and politely decline. You never know what else you can get.

7. Offer and expect commitment The glue that keeps deals from unravelling is an unshakable commitment to deliver. You should offer this comfort level to others. Likewise, avoid deals where the other side does not demonstrate commitment.

8. Do not absorb their problems In most negotiations, you will hear all of the other side’s problems and reasons they can’t give you what you want. They want their problems to become yours, but do not let them. Instead, deal with each as they come up and try to solve them. If their “budget” is too low, for example, maybe there are other places that money could come from.

9. Stick to your principles As an individual and a business owner, you likely have a set of guiding principles and values that you just won’t compromise. If you find negotiations crossing those boundaries, it might be a deal you can live without.

10. Close with confirmation At the close of any meeting (even if no final deal is struck) recap the points covered and any areas of agreement. Make sure everyone confirms. Follow-up with appropriate letters or emails. Do not leave behind loose ends.

Learning Activity 4 Negotiation techniques Activity type

Verbal questioning by the trainer

Activity timing

3-5 minutes per learner

Activity description

Your trainer will ask you the following questions: 1. Explain your negotiation approach. 2. What outcomes have you achieved in your negotiations in general so far?

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Mediation When different people work together there are high chances that there will be differences in opinion. These differences sometimes lead to disputes among teams which a manager has to handle wisely because he is at the top position and has the authority to guide and correct his team members. A manager has to try his level best that any personal interests do not affect the job performance of the employees. Making collaboration easy should be the ultimate objective of the manager so that productivity can be increased.

Mediation techniques 1. Set expectations

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Have the mediator start with a short introduction. Thank the parties for being prepared to mediate. Remind them of any time limits on the meeting, the expected behaviours within the meeting and any confidentiality restrictions placed on them. Opening statements Allow each person, one at a time, to give a brief opening statement, perhaps 1-2 minutes only. Each person can state what they are hoping to achieve. This is not an opportunity to express grievances, lay blame or go into detail about any specific incidents. The time for that will come. Set the agenda From the opening statements an agenda of items for discussion can be listed. Ensure that every area of concern for each party is listed. The agenda should be set in neutral language, that is, not judgemental or inferring blame to either party. Work through the agenda Calmly work through each issue on the agenda, discussing the concerns of each person around that agenda item. Try not to get caught up in parties disagreeing about interpretation of facts. At some stage the mediator may have to intervene to move the discussion to cover real areas of concern. Break out privately A private session can be helpful at this stage to provide a break in a process that can be physically and mentally tiring. Always make sure there are light refreshments available. Meet with each party one at a time (and their support person if they have one) to discuss how they are feeling and how things are going, any concerns they might have and any options they may be starting to formulate for resolution. The mediator should never put forward their own ideas for resolution but should coach each person to search for answers by themselves. Re-join and set agreements Bringing the parties back together again, start to generate options for solutions (but only if all the items on the agenda have been discussed). Each of the parties can put forward their options for resolution. These options should be discussed, debated and tweaked until both parties can agree and are satisfied as to how each issue should be resolved. The mediator should record any agreements made between the parties. Break out for review A second set of private sessions allows the mediator to review with each party separately, the agreements from the previous step. Further coaching may be needed if some items are still in dispute. Finalise and document agreement When each agenda item has been discussed and agreement reached on how to move forward, bring the parties back together again to review, finalise and capture in writing an agreement that each party is happy to sign. If the parties cannot agree on all agenda items, or if one or both parties appear obstinate, an external experienced workplace mediator may be required.

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Techniques used by the best managers of the world for mediating disputes inside the firm The following are twelve techniques used by the best managers of the world for mediating disputes inside the firm. These techniques are:

1. Expedite transparent communication It is always easier to mediate disputes when we know the perspectives of both the parties involved. If we are only aware of one side of the picture and do not look at the other side, things will not become clear and disputes can never be resolved. A smart manager is the one who listens fairly to both parties and makes it easier for them to share whatever they want openly, without any barriers. This is the common practice in renowned firms that they let employees speak freely and give full freedom to them. If the manager listens to both parties, things can get controlled before the dispute reaches its peak point.

2. Use the right words Research shows that the top managers are very selective with their words when mediating a dispute. They know the power of words and they make full use of it. They usually say things like “I think you are feeling...” or “In my opinion, you feel…”. These types of phrases help the other person to open up at a professional as well as personal level. When members of the team open up in front of the manager, it helps him in resolving issues in a better way. This ultimately helps in creating a bond among the team as well.

3. Give enough time to speak Smart managers give enough time to each party for sharing their points of view. They strategically handle the situation in which both the parties are summoned and each is given enough time to say what they want. Boundaries are set such that one party speaks at a time and the other party is strictly forbidden to speak in the middle. This uninterrupted speaking time lets the manager understand the issue in a better way. If the other party interrupts, the dispute is likely to start again and this can result in a deadlock situation. After hearing both parties out, the manager then comes to a conclusion.

4. Stay impartial and provide reasoning One thing is clear, that when the final decision is taken, the manager will be taking the side of one party over the other, otherwise, the dispute will never be resolved. Managers go through such kinds of situations in their work-life and they understand what is better for the firm. Thus, they are expected to make sound decisions by keeping in view the objective and productivity of the firm besides employee morale and team collaboration. Whenever smart managers take any decision, they make sure to provide a good reason, in the end, to satisfy their employees and eliminate the chances of any type of favouritism.

5. Reduce the intensity of a conflict The manager cannot change the disagreements but he can create a culture in which every employee is ready to listen to the other employee’s point of view without showing aggressive behaviour. For instance, a software development company strictly forbids its employees to show aggressive body language to the other employees. It makes sure that employees are having eye contact while communication and aggressive gestures are noted that affect the performance evaluation of the employees.

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6. Setting up a respectful work culture A manager can show by his behaviour that disagreements can actually be healthy as well. When a manager is having a disagreement with another manager, he should seek it as an opportunity to learn the case from the other’s perspective. However, if he does not agree with the other person, he should show respect for his views. This will develop a healthy work culture in which employees will learn to respect each other.

7. Teach employees to have a positive approach Managers usually teach their employees about behaviours and work ethics as a part of their training sessions. Well-experienced managers teach this thing in every session so that they can develop a highly collaborative team. The employees are taught to stay away from negative assumptions about other employees. They are taught to think that every person is trying his level best to work for the objectives of the firm and that they have to help each other in meeting those objectives.

8. Having a solution-focused conversation Managers should tell both parties that personal attack is not forgiven and make sure that the conversation is solution-focused. Both parties should only speak about the problem and the behaviour inside the firm.

9. Asking relevant questions An ideal manager listens to both parties and then asks relevant questions. The questions are to-the-point and help in coming to the conclusion without wasting any time.

10. Creating a win-win solution There are three main things in which conflicts usually occur. These include roles, responsibilities, and goals. Roles and responsibilities are already set in the job description. However, the goals can be adjusted in a way that every employee can reap the benefits.

11. Let employees resolve issues themselves Managers should create a culture in which employees have a good bond with each other and they can resolve their issues themselves. However, if the disputes are sensitive, the manager should act right away.

12. Engaging the team If the disputes are occurring with respect to work, it is the duty of the manager to get the work done on time. He should make sure that every employee is fully engaged in doing the tasks on time. He can also use some motivational strategies for the timely completion of tasks so that disputes are avoided.

Steps to the mediation process There are essentially 5 steps to a successful mediation. They consist of the introduction; statement of the problem; information gathering; identification of the problems; bargaining; and finally, settlement.

1. Introductory meeting The introductory portion of the mediation is a way for all parties involved to feel comfortable with the matter. The mediator will usually introduce him or herself to the parties and explain the role that the mediator will take, ensuring that he/she is a neutral individual whose goal is to ensure a result that is both fair and just for each party Copyrights © 2021 Dynamics Learning Pty Ltd

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involved. The mediator, if given pre-mediation documents, will give a general statement about what he/she sees as the issue involved. Lastly the mediator will outline what the process will be in the mediation and discuss the protocol that should be followed.

2. Statement of the problem After the introduction the mediator will give each party the opportunity to explain the issue and tell their side of the story. It is imperative at this time that the party not speaking is silent. The entire point of mediation is to come to a reasonable agreement, when parties start bickering with each other the point of mediation is lost.

3. Information gathering If they have not already been submitted to the mediator, the mediator will request something in the form of a brief detailing the facts, evidence and any other pertinent information that may help the mediator come to a conclusion. After this the mediator will ask questions of the parties individually in order to flush out reasons, both fiscal and emotional, for why that party has operated in a certain manner or why they seek a certain result.

4. Identification of the problem This step is somewhat self-explanatory. The mediator, through the information received through briefs and previous dialogue will discuss what he/she feels is the heart of the issue.

5. Bargaining Once the issue or issues have been determined the bargaining process will begin. The bargaining session is the most creative of the steps. It can involve many different types of focus including group processes, discussion groups and hypotheticals. A common usage is the “caucus.” Often the mediator will put a proposed settlement on the table and require the participants to amend the settlement until they come to a reasonable solution. Another route is that the mediator will meet with each party privately to hammer out negotiations. The private meetings are confidential and provide an environment, outside the view of the other party, to brainstorm and discuss emotions and fears.

Learning Activity 5 Mediation strategies and techniques Activity type

Individual verbal presentation (directed and observed by the trainer)

Activity timing

5 - 7 minutes per learner

Activity description

1. Explain your mediation experience at your workplace.

2. How mediation takes place and what techniques your workplace managers use for mediation?

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Conflict resolution Conflicts are inevitable when a number of people will be working together. Conflict is defined as “difference in opinion or some kind of disagreement between two or more parties”. Conflicts need to be resolved effectively. It is not only important to resolve the conflict, but also is equally important to ensure that the parties involved in conflict do not unnecessarily end up being in any kind of emotional stress during the resolution process of the conflict. Striking a balance between resolving the conflict to find the decision and maintaining the emotional wellbeing of people involved will be critical to successful conflict management. Hence it is important to understand clearly, what is a conflict, why conflict occurs, challenges in resolving conflicts and various methods for resolving conflicts. There are two views on conflicts or the so-called differences in opinion between people. The traditional view says “conflicts are bad and should be totally discouraged”, and the new modern view says” conflicts can be constructive and good and different ways of thinking should be encouraged to get multiple ideas and solutions to problems in hand”. Let us approach conflict management with the idea that conflicts can be good for the team. So, for effective conflict management, there is a need for creating a right atmosphere which empowers people to think originally and encourages them to put forth their suggestions and opinions without fear. And the members are encouraged to resolve conflicts among themselves with a very open and collaborative mind. People need to rise above their personal emotions while resolving conflicts and they need to think about the final goals of the project or work in hand. A manager should intervene in resolving a conflict when the involved team members will not be able to resolve on their own. Some of the sources of conflict include disagreements on schedules, cost, priorities, technical opinions, resources, administrative procedures and personality. Personality related conflicts should completely be discouraged.

Conflict resolution techniques 1. Problem Solving / Collaboration / Confronting In this method, people involved in the conflict or having a difference in opinion, they come forward to discuss the problem at hand with a very open mind. They focus on resolving the conflict and finding the best alternative/solution for the team. They discuss by rising above personal emotions with the sole intention of finding what is best for the team. This leads to a win-win kind of an outcome. Here everyone collaborates.

2. Compromising/Reconciling Sometimes for certain conflicts, there will be a need for the involved parties to think of a middle path wherein both parties decide to give up something and identify a resolution. This kind of solution will be temporary for that moment and is not a long-lasting solution. This leads to a lose-lose kind of an outcome as both parties may feel they have lost something.

3. Withdrawing/Avoiding In some situations, one of the parties in the conflict may decide to retract from the discussion and allow going with the other person’s opinion. In some situations, one of the parties may decide to completely avoid the conflict by maintaining silence. This works well in situations where one of the parties in the conflict is emotionally charged up or is angry. Hence avoiding any conflict resolution provides a “cooling off” period to the people involved so that they can later come back for meaningful resolution.

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4. Forcing/Competing In some situations, a person with authority and power can force his/her opinion and resolve the conflict without giving any chance to the other party/person. This leads to a win-lose kind of an outcome. Someone may end up feeling as a loser while the other person with authority may feel as a winner. This technique can be used if we see the conflicts are unnecessary and mostly destructive for the team.

5. Smoothing/Accommodating This is a technique which is used when the atmosphere seems to be filled with apprehension/distrust among the parties involved. And no one is coming forward to resolve the conflict. In these kinds of scenarios, one of the parties can take charge and try to smooth the surrounding by using nice words and by emphasizing on the points of agreements and playing down on the points of disagreements. This can work as a catalyst to break the discomfort between the involved parties by creating a feeling of trust and encouraging them to come forward and resolve the conflict.

Learning Activity 6 Conflict resolution techniques at workplace Activity type

Group discussion (directed and observed by the trainer)

Activity timing

30-45 minutes

Activity description

1. Form groups of 3 to 5 learners per group 2. Appoint a group leader to manage the discussion 3. Discuss about workplace conflicts each individual has faced in their organisations. 4. How managers have resolved conflicts and what techniques they use? 5. Explain to the group what your techniques would be as compared to managers conflict resolution techniques.

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Incident de-escalation techniques De-escalation is a behaviour that is intended to prevent escalation of conflicts. It may also refer to approaches in conflict resolution. People may become committed to behaviours that tend to escalate conflict, so specific measures must be taken to avoid such escalation. Certain occupations are more at-risk of exposure to violence. For example, employees working alone, working late at night, or working in high-crime areas, are all more likely to be subjected to an act of violence. And if you have workers who routinely deal with angry customers, you know how things can get out of control, and that workers need a strategy for resolving those situations. That is where conflict deescalation techniques come in handy. Anticipating potential conflict is important for preparedness, and there are many verbal and non-verbal cues to be mindful of as situations unfold. For recognition, here are some signs of conflict escalation: ● A person clenching his or her fists or tightening and untightening their jaw. ● A sudden change in body language or tone used during a conversation. ● The person starts pacing or fidgeting. ● A change in type of eye contact. ● The “Rooster Stance” – chest protruding out more and arms more away from the body. ● Disruptive behaviours – Such as yelling, bullying, actively defying or refusing to comply with rules. So, what can you do in order to help de-escalate a conflict situation? Here are some tips, and remember, this is not a step by step list, but rather a menu of options that may prove useful. And remember, without specialized training; never consider the use of physical force as your first response. ● First, calm yourself before interacting with the person. ● If you are upset, it is only going to escalate the situation. Calm down and then begin to look at the situation and how you can intervene safely. ● Take a deep breath. ● Use a low, dull tone of voice and do not get defensive even if the insults are directed at you. Becoming aware of your situation is also critically important. This can include: ● Other people in the room, ● Objects; such as chairs, tables, items on a table, ● and the space around you, like exits or openings, and if you are blocking the person so that they are made to feel trapped. Try to look as non-threatening as possible. ● Appear calm and self-assured even if you do not feel it. ● Maintain limited eye contact and be at the same eye level. Encourage the customer to be seated, but if he/she needs to stand, stand up also. ● Maintain a neutral facial expression. ● Place your hands in front of your body in an open and relaxed position. ● Do not shrug your shoulders. ● Do not point your fingers at the person. ● Avoid excessive gesturing, pacing, fidgeting, or weight shifting. ● Maintain a public space distance, which is 12 feet or more. Make a personal connection. Something as simple as asking, “What’s your name?” can diffuse a situation quickly. ● People respond positively to their own name and can make the dialogue more personal. Listening to the persons concerns. - Acknowledge the other person’s feelings without passing judgment on them. Copyrights © 2021 Dynamics Learning Pty Ltd

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●

● ● ● ●

Empathy needs to be shown during conflict situations. Even if you do not agree with the person’s position, expressing an understanding why that person feels a particular way will help resolve the conflict. Clarifying, paraphrasing and open-ended questions all help to ensure that the person is aware you have understood their frustrations completely. Ask to take notes. Ask for their ideas or solutions. Help them talk out angry feelings rather than act on them.

Shift the conversation to the future, create hope, and you make yourself less threatening. ● Using “what” and “we” helps include the person in those future plans. Get them to say yes. ● It is very hard for someone to stay angry towards you if they are agreeing with you. No person, group, or set of conditions can guarantee that a conflict will proceed constructively. ● If de-escalation is not working, stop! ● If the situation feels unsafe, leave and call for help. Remember to be patient, calm and aware of the situational surroundings should a conflict arise in your workplace. Most importantly, have a plan to protect yourself if the worst-case scenario unfolds; how do you escape, defend your life, or protect other colleagues.

Learning Activity 7 Incident de-escalation techniques

Activity type

Group discussion (directed and observed by the trainer)

Activity timing

30-45 minutes

Activity description

1. Form groups of 3 to 5 learners per group 2. Appoint a group leader to manage the discussion 3. Discuss about incident de-escalation procedures adopted by your organisation. 4. What are the techniques that managers use to de-escalate the incidents?

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Structured and inclusive meeting procedures The purpose of the structured meeting is to provide a consistent process for engaging youth in activities and discussions that will increase participation and a positive learning experience. By having a consistent meeting structure, participants become comfortable with the process and more engaged in the discussions. The discussions are meant to help participants remember more of their new discussions points and actions required. The following steps provides an example of a typical structured meeting. However, this is not the only way to structure a meeting since different types of meetings will have different structures.

How to conduct a structured meeting Step

Description

1. Prepare your meeting

Define the objectives and desired outcomes – Estimate the length of the meeting – Specify the agenda in advance

2. Prepare to attend a meeting

Invite the right people. (Not too many people) Deliver the agenda to all the participants. Each participant needs to – Know the purpose of the meeting – Know their role and the path – Arrive on time and be prepared Select a physical setting that is comfortable – Create a warm and attractive atmosphere conducive to interaction

3. Set up the meeting place

4. Assign a note taker

Key decisions reached – Next Steps (action plan) with a dead line and an owner – Sending the meeting minutes to everyone

5. Start the meeting

Review the agenda: Communicate the purpose and desired outcomes – Clarify the type of participation and interaction desired.

6. Conduct the meeting

Take time to tell and hear stories – Ask for different points of view – Keep the focus on ideas and objectives

7. Keep the meeting focused and moving

Get information and data from the meeting – Acknowledge and reinforce constructive contributions – Periodically summarize key points and ask for agreement

8. Closing

Conclude by summarizing the group’s accomplishments, action points and decisions. – Thank group members sincerely for their participation and contributions Share a meeting minutes to summarize the decision and actions plan

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A successful meeting closes with a plan of action that extends from your original objective. At the end of meeting, briefing shall be given to the participants about decisions, meeting outcome, miles stones, major deliverable and their follow-up. You should be able to complete this sentence: “For our next step I want the team to —.” Community Builders - Help members become more comfortable with each other. ● ● ● ●

Compliments and Appreciations - Promote a positive environment and supportive group. Group Agreements - Help reduce conflict, create an optimal decision-making environment, and build team success. Program Business - Provides relevant business information and details. Closing/Reflection -Provides meeting closure and an opportunity for participants to share feelings, plans, and insights.

Inclusive meetings procedure Inclusive meeting means that everyone gets a chance to contribute and all voices have equal weight. The facilitator helps people prepare by sharing the agenda in advance and takes care to minimize interruptions during the meeting, resulting in a better outcome. Create an environment that encourages diversity of opinion and participation from all attendees. The following guidelines describe how to be inclusive in a meeting: 1. Use equal seating to suggest equal value Ensure everyone's sitting around the table comfortably. If some people are gathered at one end, spread them out evenly so everyone can be seen and heard. If you are feeling bold, try taking this principle to the extreme. Instead of piping in remote participants as giant heads on TV screens, make the meeting fully remote, where even the collocated attendees dial in from their desks. 2. Make everyone feel welcome Briefly introduce everyone, and why each person has been included in this meeting. This helps diffuse initial tensions and helps everyone feel valued and included. 3. Lay some ground rules Set a "no talking over each other" rule, and encourage bystanders to speak up and call out interruptions. If there are remote attendees, remind the room to include them and point out any hand-raise feature or message board that everyone should be mindful of. 4. 5. Explain the meeting structure For example, you might choose a round-robin style discussion to ensure that every person in the room gets a turn to express themselves before you move onto the next topic. Or you might pass around a speaking totem, or squawk a rubber chicken when one person starts monopolising the floor. 6. Review meeting roles and agenda, clarify any confusion Explain who's in charge of each agenda item, who's facilitating, and what the meeting goals are. 7. Get everyone in on the action Proactively give fewer dominant participants the floor by calling on them individually. On remote calls, regularly check if remote participants are able to follow the conversation and contribute.

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8. Interrupt interruptions Lead by example and call out when you see someone being inadvertently silenced in a discussion. Encourage others to do the same. Come equipped with phrases like, "Hang on a sec, Mary – I want to make sure I understand John's point before we add on to it." If anyone is a repeat offender, take them aside for a moment after the meeting and point it out to them. Assume they're totally oblivious to their behaviours – people rarely act this way on purpose. 9. Give credit where credit is due When someone makes a good point, acknowledge their contribution and give public attribution to their ideas. Do not let hijackers get away with appropriation, and highlight when value has been added. 10. Use the power of the pen If one person is dominating, ask them to be the scribe. This intrinsically tasks them with listening and creates a space for others. 11. Write and share Give everyone time to process the question, jot down thoughts on paper, and share what they have come up with. This gives fewer vocal participants time to gather their thoughts and ensures they will be heard. At the end of each agenda topic, pause to agree on next steps and establish specific commitments with clear deadlines. Assign Directly Responsible Individuals (DRI) and rotate the DRI role to ensure the loudest person does not receive all of the action items. Review key points and decisions to make sure everyone is on the same page, then clarify (or reiterate) the next steps. Finally, take a moment to thank everyone for contributing and highlight the value this meeting created – e.g., "The decisions we made here today will set us up to move a lot faster throughout the rest of the project."

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Learning Activity 8 Conduct a structured and inclusive meeting Activity type

Group discussion (directed and observed by the trainer)

Activity timing

30-45 minutes

Activity description

Scenario You are the manager for a work area. 1. There has been an increase of work health and safety (WHS) incidents and accidents during the past few months. The organisation needs to identify the causes and provide controls for eliminating and reducing hazards. 2. Form groups of 3 to 5 learners per group 3. Chair the meeting each learner in turn. 4. Conduct a structured meeting and participate in the meeting maintaining inclusiveness. 5. Ensure you provide an opportunity to each participant to raise their voice.

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Organisational policies and procedures relevant to presenting and negotiating Policies and procedures are an essential part of any organization. Together, policies and procedures provide a roadmap for day-to-day operations including presenting and negotiations. They ensure compliance with laws and regulations, give guidance for decision-making, and streamline internal processes. However, policies and procedures will not do your organization any good if your employees do not follow them. Employees do not always like the idea of having to follow the rules. But policy implementation is not just a matter of arbitrarily forcing employees to do things they do not want to do. A policy is a course of action or guidelines to be followed whereas a procedure is the ‘nitty gritty’ of the policy, outlining what has to be done to implement the policy. For example, negotiation policy and procedure could involve the following:

Example Purpose This Negotiation and Execution of Contracts Policy clarifies the procedures, obligations and liabilities applicable to the negotiation and execution of contracts in the name of (organisation). This policy is consistent with the policy entitled “Purchasing and Contracting Regulations” Except for the contracts for which authority is reserved by the Board or designated to the CEO by this Policy Manual, all contracts necessary for the daily operations of each. Therefore, the following Negotiation and Execution of Contracts Policy defines the circumstances under which individual employees are authorized to negotiate and sign contracts on behalf of (organisation), as well as the process and procedure for reviewing and approving contracts prior to signature. Policy Statement Unless specifically excluded from this Policy, all contracts involving (organisation)must be executed in accordance with the terms of this Policy. No person shall sign any contract binding upon the (organisation) unless such individual has been appointed, in writing, as the designee authorized to sign. For purposes of this policy, “contract” shall mean any contract, agreement, memorandum of understanding, memorandum of agreement, letter of intent, or any other instrument which commits the funds, personnel, equipment, property or facilities of (organisation). The policy shall further apply to revenue contracts for which the (organisation) receives funds for providing services, as well as all change orders, modifications, amendments or renewals of any contract. Procedure Planning your negotiation No amount of preparation is too much in approaching complex or high-stakes negotiations. Plan both your approach to the subject under negotiation, and your tone and communication style. In approaching the subject of your negotiations: ● ● ● ● ●

set your objectives clearly in your own mind (including your minimum acceptable outcome, your anticipated outcome and your ideal outcome) determine what you will do if the negotiation, or a particular outcome, fails determine your needs, the needs of the other party and the reasons behind them list, rank and value your issues (and then consider concessions you might make) analyse the other party (including their objectives and the information they need)

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● ● ●

conduct research and consult with colleagues and partners rehearse the negotiation write an agenda — discussion topics, participants, location and schedule.

In deciding your communication style, familiarise yourself with successful negotiating strategies. Arm yourself with a calm, confident tone and a set of considered responses and strategies to the tactics you anticipate.

Engaging with the other party during the negotiation ● ●

● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Introduce yourself and articulate the agenda. Demonstrate calm confidence. Propose — make your first offer. The other party will also make proposals. You should rarely accept their first offer. Evidence suggests that people who take the first proposal are less satisfied and regret their haste. Check your understanding of the other party's proposal. Remember your objectives. Discuss concepts and ideas. Consider appropriate compromises, then make and seek concessions. Suggest alternative proposals and listen to offered suggestions. Paraphrase others' suggestions to clarify and acknowledge proposals. Give and take.

Closing the negotiation Take a moment to revisit your objectives for the negotiation. Once you feel you are approaching an outcome that is acceptable to you: ●

● ●

● ●

look for closing signals; for example o fading counter-arguments o tired body language from the other party o negotiating positions converging articulate agreements and concessions already made make 'closing' statements; for example o 'That suggestion might work.' o 'Right. Where do I sign?' get agreements in writing as soon as you can follow up promptly on any commitments you have made.

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Organisational policies and procedures relevant to leading and participating in meetings Organisations have policies and procedures relevant to leading and participating meetings. The following answers some of the meeting related policy and procedures questions:

1. What are the policies and procedures for meetings? Policy and procedures for meetings are a very important part of the formal meeting process because they set out what can and cannot be decided in meetings, as well as ensuring that certain conventions are adhered to at that meeting.

2. What are the policies and procedures for meetings like? Policies and Procedures for meetings are like the rules in sport. They have been designed to protect the players as well as to ensure that the game is fair.

3. What is the purpose of policy and procedures for meetings? Policies and procedures for meetings are designed to represent the interests of those who attend the meeting as well as those who are not at the meeting, such as shareholders and the general public. In some areas, there are formal policies and procedures, which are legal requirements and are designed to ensure that all formal meetings are transparent and the participants are accountable.

4. What are the different types of policy and procedures for meetings? Legal Requirements – These are policies and procedures which are required from some organisations by law. An agenda, a chairperson and formal minutes of the meeting are legal requirements in many places, and considered good business practice in others. In many countries, an agenda and minutes of the meeting must be stored indefinitely. Organisational Requirements – these requirements are not formally required by law, but may have been introduced to increase transparency, protect the shareholders or to ensure that employees can operate in a safe workplace, which is free from health hazards or prejudices.

5. What’s involved with policy and procedures for meetings? Although many policies and procedures are legal requirements in formal business meetings, others are agreed on by the attendees of the meetings. If meetings are regular, attendees may come up with their own agreed policies and procedures during the first meeting. These policies may then be debated again in later meetings if the participants wish. Some formal meetings at high levels in a company may serve to decide on an official policy which must then be respected by all of the employees in the company.

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Example policy for leading meetings Introduction It is important to ensure that meetings are conducted well so that: ● in making decisions, proper regard can be had to the views of the majority, of the minority, of individual members, of absentee members, and of all of these groups taken together; and ● decisions can be made efficiently and expeditiously, with due respect for the time and commitment of members of [Name of Organisation] and members of the Board. Primary responsibility for this rests with the Chair. To achieve that, broad discretion and authority is given to the Chair to make rulings on questions of meeting procedure (subject to the limitations set out in this policy).

Purpose This policy is designed to provide guidance on the appointment of the Chair and set out the parameters by which the Chair is to conduct meetings, to ensure that meetings are conducted well.

Appointment of Chair The Chair of [Name of Organisation]’s Board shall be elected as laid down in the [Name of Organisation]’s constitution/rules. Subject to anything in the Constitution/Rules: ● In the Chair's absence, the Vice-Chair shall preside as Chair at each General Meeting of the Organisation. ● If the Chair and the Vice-Chair are absent from a General Meeting or a Board meeting, or are unable to preside, or decline to preside, the Members present must elect one of their number to preside as Chair. ● Meetings of any Board sub-committees shall be chaired in the manner laid down by the Board in their terms of reference. ● A person should not preside as Chair over the part of a meeting concerning the election of the Chair, nor should the Chair give instructions as to the procedure to be followed, in respect of an election for the position of Chair. A temporary Chair should be appointed for that purpose to ensure a fair, unbiased election.

Responsibilities The Chair shall conduct meetings according to the Standing Orders (see Appendix A), and any other resolution of the Board.

Where the Standing Orders are ambiguous or contestable or silent, and there are no other Board directions given on the subject, the Chair has discretion to rule as to the practices to be followed. Where there is continuing disagreement on any ruling by the Chair, any member may move a motion of dissent to the Chair’s ruling. If this motion is seconded a vote shall be taken. If the motion of dissent is carried, the Chair’s decision is reversed.

Related Documents ● ● ● ● ●

Constitution Standing Orders (Accessible to ICDA Members only) Conflict of Interest Policy Privacy Policy Transparency and Accountability Policy

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Authorisation ( [Name of Organisation]

Meeting conduct procedure 1. Be ready ● Give people proper lead-time to ensure maximum attendance. Let them know a week in advance, when possible. 2. Be organized and prompt ● Have an agenda, start the meeting on time and end it when promised. Over one hour and you will start to lose people. 3. Be serious ● Avoid downplaying the meeting: ("I know it is a beautiful Friday afternoon and we'd all rather be somewhere else so I'll keep our meeting short"). ● Take pride in the fact that you have been tasked or chosen to chair the meeting and that you take your business seriously. 4. Be confident ● Thank them for attending, but do not let them feel they are making the supreme sacrifice by not bailing. Begin the meeting by stating three key objectives and the desired duration of the meeting. Be confident in your initial greeting. ● Instead of saying, "Well, uh, I do not know where everyone else is but I guess we better get started (gulp)…" ● Try: "We've got lots of exciting issues to discuss today, so let's get started. Welcome – it is good to have you here." 5. Be productive ● Depending on the type of meeting, suggest to participants that to make the meeting more productive, each will conduct themselves as if they were meeting before a live studio and broadcast to an audience of their career influencers. Tell them their comments will be published unedited in electronic and print media on a global scale. ● This will help everyone stay focused, generate better ideas, remain respectful of each other and listen carefully to others 6. Be focused ● It is your meeting and you deserve participants' full attention. Should some participants launch into side conversations, say something like, "Our time is valuable so let's all stay focused on the business at hand." ● If a conversation between two participants gets adversarial and recriminations start, suggest that the three of you meet privately to discuss the issues. Do your best to restore calm as the entire group can lose energy quickly in the face of bad feelings. 7. Be fair ● Verbal or overly zealous contributors can be managed by saying, "We all appreciate your enthusiasm. To do full justice to your ideas, I'd like to suggest that you and I chat after the meeting." 8. Be inclusive ● To hold participants' attention, engage everyone in conversation, both before and during the meeting. Copyrights © 2021 Dynamics Learning Pty Ltd

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● ●

Avoid too many comments (especially about socializing together) to a few people. Everyone's view counts. If you are in a meeting where you do not know all participants, before the meeting starts, make a point of walking around the table, introduce yourself, and ask about their role within the company or project. Always find out who's around the table.

9. Take notes ● Take minutes or ask someone to note meeting highlights and decisions. 10. Summarize ● After you have summarized next steps and who will do what, and when, be sure to thank everyone for their time and contribution.

Learning Activity 9 Develop a meeting policy and procedures

Activity type

Written Task

Activity timing

60 minutes

Activity description

1. Develop a 1 – 2-page meeting policy and procedures for a workplace (assume that you develop this policy for your own workplace where you work or any hypothetical organisation including simulated workplace. Do not copy and paste existing policies of any workplace.)

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Organisational policies and procedures relevant to making presentations Before the Presentation

Organizing content ●

● ● ● ●

Make sure the audience walks away understanding the following: o The problem and why it is a problem o What has been done about the problem o What you are doing (or have done) about the problem o The value your approach provides o Next steps Describe the problem clearly enough for the audience to appreciate the value of your contribution. Present your contribution clearly. Aim your presentation at an audience that is not familiar with your research area so you communicate the importance of your work, rather than simply laying out the results. Provide references and your contact information.

Preparing effective displays ● Keep it simple so you do not distract from your research. ● Use at least 24-point type. ● Do not use a photocopy of a standard printed page as a display. ● Summarize your main points. ● Limit your material to eight lines per slide. ● Limit tables to four rows/columns. ● Display large tables as graphs. ● Avoid numerous curves on a graphical display. ● Label graphs clearly with big, readable types. ● Use easy-to-read fonts such as Arial. ● Use light letters (e.g., yellow or white) on a dark background (e.g., dark blue) when displaying your material on an LCD projector. ● Use equations sparingly and concentrate on what your results mean. ● Keep a large margin on all sides of your slide. ● Identify the journal when you give references. ● Preview your presentation. Timing your talk ● Present one slide per minute. ● Talk at a pace that everybody in the audience can understand. ● Budget your time to take a minute or two less than your maximum allotment. ● Practice your talk. The Presentation ● ● ● ●

Check to make sure the microphone works before you begin. Be sure everyone in the room can see your material. Do not apologize for your displays (create them properly in the first place). Do not apologize for incomplete results.

After the Presentation

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● ● ●

Thank the audience for its attention. Gather your materials and move off quickly to allow the next presenter to prepare. Stay for the entire session and, afterward, be available for people to ask you questions.

Steps in Preparing a Presentation Planning Your Presentation Preparing a presentation can be an overwhelming experience if you allow it to be one. The strategies and steps below are provided to help you break down what you might view as a large job into smaller, more manageable tasks. Step 1: Analyse your audience The first step in preparing a presentation is to learn more about the audience to whom you will be speaking. It is a good idea to obtain some information on the backgrounds, values, and interests of your audience so that you understand what the audience members might expect from your presentation. Step 2: Select a topic Next, if possible select a topic that is of interest to the audience and to you. It will be much easier to deliver a presentation that the audience finds relevant, and more enjoyable to research a topic that is of interest to you. Step 3: Define the objective of the presentation Once you have selected a topic, write the objective of the presentation in a single concise statement. The objective needs to specify exactly what you want your audience to learn from your presentation. Base the objective and the level of the content on the amount of time you have for the presentation and the background knowledge of the audience. Use this statement to help keep you focused as you research and develop the presentation.

Preparing the content of your presentation Step 4: Prepare the body of the presentation After defining the objective of your presentation, determine how much information you can present in the amount of time allowed. Also, use your knowledge about the audience to prepare a presentation with the right level of detail. You do not want to plan a presentation that is too basic or too advanced. The body of the presentation is where you present your ideas. To present your ideas convincingly, you will need to illustrate and support them. Strategies to help you do this include the following: ● ● ● ●

Present data and facts Read quotes from experts Relate personal experiences Provide vivid descriptions

And remember, as you plan the body of your presentation it is important to provide variety. Listeners may quickly become bored by lots of facts or they may tire of hearing story after story.

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Step 5: Prepare the introduction and conclusion Once you have prepared the body of the presentation, decide how you will begin and end the talk. Make sure the introduction captures the attention of your audience and the conclusion summarizes and reiterates your important points. In other words, "Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them. Then, tell them what you told them." During the opening of your presentation, it is important to attract the audience's attention and build their interest. If you do not, listeners will turn their attention elsewhere and you will have a difficult time getting it back. Strategies that you can use include the following: ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Make the introduction relevant to the listeners' goals, values, and needs Ask questions to stimulate thinking Share a personal experience Begin with a joke or humorous story Project a cartoon or colourful visual Make a stimulating or inspirational statement Give a unique demonstration

During the opening you want to clearly present your topic and the purpose of your presentation. Clearly articulating the topic and purpose will help the listeners focus on and easily follow your main ideas. During the conclusion of your presentation, reinforce the main ideas you communicated. Remember that listeners will not remember your entire presentation, only the main ideas. By reinforcing and reviewing the main ideas, you help the audience remember them.

Practicing and delivering Step 6: Practice delivering the presentation Most people spend hours preparing a presentation but very little time practicing it. When you practice your presentation, you can reduce the number of times you utter words and phrases like, "um," "well," and "you know." These habits can easily diminish a speaker's credibility. You can also fine-tune your content to be sure you make your most important points in the time allotted. In addition to planning the content of your presentation, you need to give advanced thought to how you want to deliver it. Do you want to commit your presentation to memory, use cards to guide you, or read from a script? Or, you might want to use a combination of methods. To help you decide, read the advantages and disadvantages of the four delivery methods described below.

Speaking from Memory A distinct advantage of speaking from memory is your ability to speak to the audience without relying on notes or a script. This allows you the flexibility to move away from the podium and to maintain eye contact with the audience. However, speaking from memory has disadvantages, too. Presentations from memory often sound rehearsed and the possibility exists that you will forget an important point, present information that is inaccurate, or completely lose your train of thought. If you decide to deliver your presentation from memory, have notes handy to jog your memory just in case any people like to speak from notes. Typically, these notes are either on cards or paper in outline form and contain key ideas and information. If you are using an electronic presentation tool, you may be able to include your notes in the presentation itself. The benefit of delivering a presentation from notes is that you sound natural rather than rehearsed and you can still maintain relatively good eye contact with the audience. The downside is that you might not express your key ideas and thoughts as well as you may have liked had you planned your exact words in advance. Copyrights © 2021 Dynamics Learning Pty Ltd

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Speaking from text Speaking from text involves writing your speech out, word for word, then basically reading from the text. As with speaking from memory, an advantage of this method is that you plan, in advance, exactly what you are going to say and how you are going to say it. A disadvantage is that you might appear to the audience to be stiff or rehearsed. You will need to make frequent eye contact and speak with expression to maintain the audience's interest.

Using a Combination of Methods You may find the best method to be a combination of all three. For instance, experts suggest you memorize the first and last ten minutes of your talk so that you can speak flawlessly and without notes. Notes may be suitable for segments of your presentation that you know very well, for example, relating a personal story. Finally, speaking from a text might be appropriate when you have quotes or other important points that you want to make sure you communicate accurately and completely. You can make a smooth segue to written text by saying something like: "I want to read this quote to you accurately, to ensure that I do not distort the original intent."

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Communication tone, structure, style and impact on others Tone of voice Tone of voice is how the character of your business comes through in your words, both written and spoken. It is not about what you say, but rather the way you say it, and the impression it makes on everyone in your audience who reads or hears you. Everyone you meet has their own way of expressing themselves that is as unique as their face or fingerprint. Some are pleasant and polite. Others are pushy and in your face. Some say so much with just a few words. Others never seem to get to the point. Organisations are no different. Psychologists have made an effort to identify the hidden meanings behind different tones of voice. Now we have a huge catalogue of interpretations for these small details, the kind that go unnoticed by most of us. Let’s look at some of them. Breathing The way someone breathes while they talk gives an idea of the pace they live their life at. ● Calm: someone very balanced is talking. ● Deep and constant: energy and activity. ● Deep, constant, and strong: bottled up anger. ● Superficial: a lack of practicality. ● Short and quick: anxiety, distress. Volume This generally defines how someone interacts with themselves and others: ● Normal: self-control and the ability to listen. ● High: weakness, selfishness, and impatience. ● Low: inexperience and inhibition Articulation or vocalization Vocalization has to do with someone’s ability to be understood and their desire to be understood: ● Well-defined: mental clarity, openness to communication. ● Imprecise: deceit or mental confusion. ● Very clear: narcissism, tension. ● Stumbling: aggressiveness, inhibition. Speed This will tell you about the emotional state the person is in: ● Slow: lack of interest, disconnection from the world. ● Fast: tension, desire to hide information. ● Regular: holding back, bottling up, unnatural. ● Irregular: confusion, anxiety, communication breakdown.

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Take a look at the examples below. Text

Tone of Voice

Possible Impression

With its industry-leading, massively scalable technology, our web services platform delivers exceptional performance and reliability under the most demanding and highly variable conditions. Our web services platform delivers 99.99% uptime and adapts to changing loads in less than a second. Web services that you can start and forget.

Technical, verbose, inwardly focused

High-pressure marketing and empty boasts.

Factual, concise

Clear and factual, but what are the company’s people like?

Informal, non-technical

You have got my interest, but where’s the proof?

All three descriptions mean roughly the same thing, but They are expressed in completely different ways. That affects the impression you get, and how you feel about the person who’s speaking. Why? Because when you read a company’s content, you understand it on two levels. The facts tell the analytical side of your brain what the company does, while the tone tells the creative side what they’d be like to deal with. Despite its name, the tone of voice is not just about how you speak. It includes all the words you use in your business content, including on your website, in sales emails, product brochures, call-centre scripts, and client presentations, to name just a few examples. Oh, and by the way, tone of voice is not the same as good writing or strong messaging. It is the next level up from those things. It is about using language to give your communications their own distinct and recognizable brand voice. All the content you produce should have the same tone of voice. When your tone is consistent, your audience hears the same person speaking whenever and however they deal with you. That shows them you are a consistent, reliable company to deal with, and that every part of their personal brand experience with you will be equally good. More and more B2B organisations are getting into tone of voice as a way to engage their customers through language. For example, leading tone of voice consultancy.

Six Reasons to focus on tone of voice So why are all of those organisations focused on tone of voice, and why should you be too? Here are six important reasons: 1. It makes you human People like to deal with people. So, they like a brand to have a personality they can recognize and bond with. Sometimes, people assume that B2B buyers work in a completely rational way. But businesspeople are still people. They might have more priorities and stakeholders to think about, but, given a choice, they will go with the firm that Copyrights © 2021 Dynamics Learning Pty Ltd

connects with their emotional state. In B2B, the trend is toward more authenticity, honesty, realness, and openness, things that were traditionally seen as B2C values. Buyers of all types are looking for the emotional truth behind an offer or brand, not just the rational benefits.

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2. It helps you cut through As content marketing becomes more popular, firms are generating more and more writing, but much of it does not have a clear voice. A distinctive brand tone gives you the best chance of connecting with people. Ideally, you want your tone to be immediately recognizable (even if you take the logo off your website or your social media feed) and not sound virtually the same as your competitors. 2. It replaces face-to-face communication According to Forrester Research, business buyers do not contact suppliers directly until they are up to 90 percent of the way through the purchase process. With fewer opportunities to talk face to face, your written words have to work harder than ever. Prospects know you pretty well from your website and marketing material before they ever pick up the phone. Your tone helps to build trust with them from the start, laying the foundation for a strong working relationship. We’ve evolved to be highly attuned to subtle signals such as emotion, body language, gesture, voice, and so on. In writing, all those signals are carried by tone of voice, so that is the only way to show your identity, your personality, and your intention. 3. It builds authority Think of the killer TED talks or conference presentations you have seen. Did the speakers stand perfectly still, reciting dull but convincing facts in

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a relentless monotone voice? Or were they lively, funny, and memorable, filling the stage with their passion? Tone of voice can be a huge carrier of authority and belief. Personality shows you have confidence in what you are saying, and that it therefore has real value. 4. It gives you focus Working on tone of voice can be an excellent discipline for thinking about your company’s identity. You have to boil everything down to something clear and simple that anyone can understand. That helps to cut through clutter and confusion. Your tone can even help you set strategic direction. Markets are getting more crowded and competitive, so organisations have to decide on their brand personality. Instead of being all things to all people, they are embracing niche appeal so they can hone in on the most relevant audience. 5. It makes you different In B2B, tone of voice is a story that is just beginning. Most organisations have not woken up to the idea at all. A few have taken great strides. But almost none have successfully transformed the way they use language and that opens up a huge opportunity. “Very few B2B brands have been doing this for long enough that we can say they have definitely nailed it for their whole brand,” says Neil Taylor, managing partner at the Writer. “But what that means is that the first people who nail it, in any sector, will clean up.”

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Developing a Unique Voice How does the aspiring writer acquire his/her own voice? It takes time to create a voice. It begins by developing an original style. From style, the writer needs to write and gain experience. Over time, the writer’s voice emerges. It is a process. To help develop a unique voice, the aspiring writer can do the following: 1.

Learn to write well. Learn the rules of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. And then learn when to break these rules. 2. Expand vocabulary. The writer must use the dictionary to learn the meaning of unfamiliar words. The writer should also use a thesaurus to find similar words with different shades of meaning. 3. Read widely and deeply. The writer ought to read fiction by the great writers. The writer also needs to read nonfiction, like biographies, and personal essays. By doing this, the writer can learn how the masters constructed memorable fiction. 4. Analyse the styles of great writers, such as Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway, and George Orwell. Analysis teaches the writer how to create setting, plot, characters, and use other literary devices. 5. Experiment with different writing styles, such as word choice and syntax. Only through practice and experience will the aspiring writer develop a unique style. 6. Learn the elements of fiction and use them. (Plot, setting, character, conflict, and so forth.) 7. Learn literary techniques and use them. (Imagery, symbolism, allusion, and figures of speech, such as simile, metaphor, and personification.) 8. Make writing a lifestyle choice. The aspiring writer must write every day. Only by writing on a regular basis will the writer develop his/her unique voice. 9. Write in a way that comes naturally. The writer needs to use words and phrases that are his/her own. Imitation is acceptable. 10. The writer also needs to place himself/herself in the background. To do this, the writer needs to write in a way that draws the reader to the sense and style of the writing, rather than to the tone and temper of the writer. (Strunk and White’s Elements of Style) 11. Avoid using a breezy manner. The breezy style is a work of an egocentric, the writer who imagines that everything that comes to mind is of interest and ought to be written on the page. Instead, the writer needs to make every word count, each word should move the story forward, and each word needs to have a purpose. (Strunk and White’s Elements of Style).

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Introduction - BSBCMM511 Communicate with influence

Styles of communication Learning to identify the different communications styles and their effect on the normal daily interaction with friends, family, acquaintances, workmates, and other people you interact with is important if you are looking to develop effective and assertive communication skills. Being assertive can mean respecting yourself and other people. This is the ability to express your thoughts and feelings using honest and direct communication. It is important to remember that you may not always get what you want by being assertive, but you will be able to achieve a compromise. You may not get what you want, but at least you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you handled the situation in the best way possible. There will also be no negative feelings between you and the other people in the discussion. Before you can start thinking of developing your assertive communication, you will first have to know your style of communication. There are 5 styles of communication, and you may be able to use more than one, but there is one style that you will always fall back to when feeling uncomfortable or when you are not prepared. Below are the 5 styles of communication.

Assertive communication style This is the best style of communication. It is the most effective communication style. It is born of high self-esteem and is neither too passive and too aggressive. People using this style of communication have the confidence to communicate without having to employ games or manipulation. They know their limits and don’t allow people to push them beyond the limit just because the other person needs or wants something from them. The surprise is that this is the least used style of communication. This type of person strives to achieve their goals without hurting others. They are emotionally and socially expressive and they make their own choices and take responsibility. They ask directly and accept the possibility of being rejected. They go with a medium pitch, speed, and volume. They have good eye contact, are relaxed, have an open posture, and don’t fidget. The way they communicate builds trust and the other person feels they can take them for their words.

Aggressive communication style This type of person can focus on winning even if it is at the other person’s expense. They behave as if their needs are more important, have more to contribute, and have more rights than other people. This is not a healthy style of communication because the content of the message can be lost because people become too busy reacting to the way it is delivered. They are frightening, threatening and hostile. They are out to win and they use different methods such as bullying, intimidation, abrasiveness, demanding, unpredictability, and belligerence. Their volume is loud and their posture is bigger than others. They invade other people’s spaces and try to stand over them. Their facial expressions can be glaring, frowning, and scowling. The other person is likely to feel defensive, hurt, humiliated, resentful, afraid, and ultimately does not respect the other person.

The Passive-aggressive communication style This is a communication style where a person appears to be passive on the outside, but are indirectly acting out their anger. People employing this style of communication usually feel powerless, and undermine the object of their resentments subtly to express how they feel, even if it means sabotaging themselves. A good expression that can be used to describe them is “cutting off your nose to spite your face” Copyrights © 2021 Dynamics Learning Pty Ltd

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Introduction - BSBCMM511 Communicate with influence

They are indirectly aggressive and sarcastic. They are not reliable and can be dubious, sulky, gossiping, patronizing, and complainers. Their expressions are inconsistent with their true feelings and will be pleasant to your face but poisonous behind your back. They have a sugary sweet voice and an asymmetrical posture. They have a sweet and innocent facial expression. People on the receiving end will feel confused, resentful, angry, and hurt.

The submissive communication styles These types of people try their best to please others and avoid conflict. They treat the needs of others as more important than theirs. They behave as if the other person has more rights and more to contribute. They are apologetic because they feel as if they are imposing when they want something. They try their best to avoid any confrontation and will yield to the preferences of other people. They feel like the victim and they refuse compliments. They don’t express their desires or how they are feeling. They use a soft volume and try to make themselves as small as possible. They tend to fidget a lot and will portray submissive behaviours. People on the receiving end will feel guilty, frustrated, exasperated, and don’t know what they want.

The manipulative communication styles People employing this style are scheming, shrewd and calculating. Manipulative communicators are great at influencing and controlling others for their own benefit. They have an underlying message when they speak, and many times the other person is unaware. They are cunning, controlling other people in an insidious way such as sulking, using fake tears, indirectly asking for their needs to be met, and making the other person feel sorry or obliged to help them. They can have a patronizing, ingratiating, envious, and often high-pitched voice. The other person will be left feeling guilty, angry, frustrated, irritated, and not sure of where to stand with them.

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Introduction - BSBCMM511 Communicate with influence

The difference between voice, tone, and style Referring to a ‘voice, tone, and style guide’ might seem a bit awkward, compared to the more common ‘style guide’ or ‘tone of voice guide’. It is a conscious decision though because those terms do not make all the elements you need for a successful guide totally clear. Tone, voice, and style are three separate elements, which work together in harmony: Voice

Voice is a description of the unique, distinctive voice of your brand. This should cover: ● Personality: is it playful, cheeky and fun like Innocent, or personal, inspiring, straightforward and active like Macmillan? ● Rhythm and pace: are you short and sharp like Oxfam, or musical like Penhaligons? ● Vocabulary: plain and simple like Ovo, or rich and poetic like Dom Perignon?

Tone

Tone is how to use your voice in different situations. In life, we adjust our tone according to who we are talking to and what we are talking about, but our voice remains the same. Your brand voice is singular, but you can use it with many different tones. Separating voice and tone means you can be empathetic to your users. Empathy is what makes the difference between just meeting user needs and really engaging them. Style is a house ‘style’ for what your writing looks like. For example, where to use capitals, how to spell certain words, reminders on grammar, vocabulary. This might also include design elements like how to use, logo, fonts, and images.

Style

Structuring your voice, tone and style guide There are many different ways to approach the structure of your voice, tone and style guide. Observe the following way as one of them:

● An introduction Start by telling people what the guide is for, how it will make their job easier, and how to use it.

● Voice Give a set of simple, memorable statements that encompass your brand voice. These statements should cover the qualities of your voice, the adjectives you would use to describe it, its rhythm, and a list of things that it is not. Accompany each statement with a paragraph explaining it in more detail and showing how to put it into practice.

● Tone Show people how to use that voice with different tones. Explain the kind of tones that people should use in different scenarios and provide examples. It is good to talk about user empathy at this point too, and reference any personas you have. ● Style Abbreviations and acronyms, apostrophes, bold, brackets, bullet point, capitalisation, colons, commas, contractions, dates, full stops, headings, hyphenation, linking, numbers and figures, quotations, spelling, titles.

● Specialist language Include sections on any specialist language your brand or organisation has to use. For every single rule or statement, you make in your guide, provide an example. Always make your examples specific to the organisation, rather than generic. If you want to explain why using the

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Introduction - BSBCMM511 Communicate with influence

passive voice is a bad thing, it is much more likely to stick if you use it on an example taken from the kind of copy that people will be dealing with in real life.

Learning Activity 10 Communication tone, structure, style and impact on others Activity type

Group discussion (directed and observed by the trainer)

Activity timing

5 - 7 minutes per learner

Activity description

1. Form groups of 3 to 5 learners per group. 2. Appoint a group leader to manage the discussion. 3. Identify at least two people of each workplace and their communication styles. 4. Discuss and share with group members how they communicate with tone, structure, style and how they impact on others.

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Introduction - BSBCMM511 Communicate with influence

Relevant organisational policies and procedures on confidentiality of information Organisational design organisational confidentiality policy to explain how we expect our employees to treat confidential information. Employees will unavoidably receive and handle personal and private information about clients, partners and organisations. We want to make sure that this information is well-protected. We must protect this information for two reasons. It may: ● Be legally binding (e.g. sensitive customer data.) ● Constitute the backbone of our business, giving us a competitive advantage (e.g. business processes.)

Sample confidentiality policy Scope This policy affects all employees, including board members, investors, contractors and volunteers, who may have access to confidential information. Policy elements Confidential and proprietary information is secret, valuable, expensive and/or easily replicated. Common examples of confidential information are: ● Unpublished financial information ● Data of Customers/Partners/Vendors ● Patents, formulas or new technologies ● Customer lists (existing and prospective) ● Data entrusted to our company by external parties ● Pricing/marketing and other undisclosed strategies ● Documents and processes explicitly marked as confidential ● Unpublished goals, forecasts and initiatives marked as confidential Employees may have various levels of authorized access to confidential information. What employees should do: ● Lock or secure confidential information at all times ● Shred confidential documents when They are no longer needed ● Make sure they only view confidential information on secure devices ● Only disclose information to other employees when it’s necessary and authorized ● Keep confidential documents inside our company’s premises unless it’s absolutely necessary to move them What employees should not do: ● Use confidential information for any personal benefit or profit ● Disclose confidential information to anyone outside of our company ● Replicate confidential documents and files and store them on insecure devices When employees stop working for our company, they are obliged to return any confidential files and delete them from their personal devices. Confidentiality measures We will take measures to ensure that confidential information is well protected. We will: Copyrights © 2021 Dynamics Learning Pty Ltd

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Introduction - BSBCMM511 Communicate with influence

● ● ● ●

Store and lock paper documents Encrypt electronic information and safeguard databases Ask employees to sign non-compete and/or non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) Ask for authorization by senior management to allow employees to access certain confidential information

Exceptions Confidential information may occasionally have to be disclosed for legitimate reasons. Examples are: If a regulatory body requests it as part of an investigation or audit ● ●

If our company examines a venture or partnership that requires disclosing some information (within legal boundaries) In such cases, employees involved should document their disclosure procedure and collect all needed authorizations. We’re bound to avoid disclosing more information than needed.

Disciplinary consequences Employees who do not respect our confidentiality policy will face disciplinary and, possibly, legal action. We will investigate every breach of this policy. We will terminate any employee who wilfully or regularly breaches our confidentiality guidelines for personal profit. We may also have to punish any unintentional breach of this policy depending on its frequency and seriousness. We will terminate employees who repeatedly disregard this policy, even when they do so unintentionally. This policy is binding even after separation of employment.

Learning Activity 11 Relevant organisational policies and procedures on confidentiality of information Activity type

Verbal questioning by the trainer

Activity timing

3-5 minutes per learner

Activity description

Your trainer will ask you the following questions: 1. About your workplace 2. How does your workplace handle confidential information? 3. What policies and procedures apply in your organisation for handling confidential information?

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BSBCMM511 – Section 1 – Identify communication requirements

Section 1 Identify communication requirements Confirm authority to present material on behalf of an organisation or work area, according to organisational policies and procedures. Regardless of whether your organisational communication materials are going to be presented formally, such as at work or informally, for a club or perhaps a speech, you should always aim to present clear, well-structured martials. That is, you should know exactly what you want to communicate and the order in which you want to communicate it. Having thought about and planned a good structure will also help to alleviate any nervousness you may be feeling in the build up to present materials.

Levels of authority Silcox (2012) has outlined four levels of authority which exist within all organisations. Depending on your current experience and career history you may be able to relate to some or all of these levels: 1. Act from instruction 2. Act after approval 3. Decide, inform and act

4. Decide and act

At this level the individual implements decisions made by others. There is no choice and staff have to do as they are told. The person weighs factors and acts only after their manager has approved their chosen action. Power to decide is added, but people remain accountable to someone else. There is a need for this person to inform their manager of their actions. Provides complete authority and accountability. No approval is required.

This is a fairly simple model but it is actually one of the only models available that categories authority in this way. Silcox proposes that all levels of authority should be balanced and managed effectively in order to be successful. The model can be a useful marker for leaders who are looking to develop their staff as the benefits associated with each level increases respectively.

Top Managers Top managers are in charge of the overall performance and health of the company by controlling and overseeing the entire organization. They are the ones who set the goals, objectives, and mission for the company. Top-level executives spend the majority of their time planning and decisionmaking and consistently scan the business environment for opportunities and threats. ● ● ● ●

Some of their duties include: Set company goals and objectives Scan external environment Plan strategically and make decisions

Some examples of a top managers include the following: Board of directors, chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO), chief operating officer (COO), president, and vice president.

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BSBCMM511 – Section 1 – Identify communication requirements

Middle Managers Middle managers are responsible for achieving the objectives set by the top managers by developing and implementing activities. They oversee the first line managers and make sure they are properly executing the activities they set out. Some of their duties include: ● ● ● ●

Report to top management Oversee first-Line managers Allocate resources Design, develop and implement activities

Some examples of middle managers include the following: General managers, department managers, operations manager, division manager, branch manager, and division manager.

First-Line Managers First line managers are in charge of supervising employees and coordinating their day-to-day activities. They need to make sure that the work done by their employees is consistent with the plans that the upper management set out for the company. Some of their duties include: ● ● ● ●

Report to middle managers Supervise employees Organize activities Involved in day-to-day business operations

Some examples of a first-line manager include the following: ● ● ● ● ● ●

department head, foreman, office manager, section head, shift boss, and supervisor.

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BSBCMM511 – Section 1 – Identify communication requirements

Advantages of a good chain of command There are numerous advantages that can come from having a good Chain of Command, including the following:

Responsibility Efficiency Clarity Employee Morale Career Path Specialization

Having different areas of the business can improve accountability by giving everyone a different responsibility. Everyone has their own separate duties, and their own supervisor to keep them accountable. A functional chain of command helps improve efficiency when communicating with workers. As a result, this helps them improve workflow and adjusting their management methods. Having a good company structure makes the chain of command very clear. Furthermore, this lets everyone know which decisions they are allowed to make and which ones to present to their supervisors. Organisations that have a clear chain of command create an environment without uncertainty and chaos. It improves the morale of workers leading to high productivity and low employee turnover. It makes it easier to create career paths for employees and track their progress toward their goals outlined in their respective areas. Making employees focus on narrow functional areas can create groups of specialists that heavily impact the functions of the company.

Learning Activity 12 Confirm authority to present material on behalf of an organisation or work area, according to organisational policies and procedures Activity type

Verbal questioning by the trainer

Activity timing

3-5 minutes per learner

Activity description

Your trainer will ask you the following questions: 1. About your workplace or work area. 2. Explain the authority levels for presenting materials. 3. Organisational policies regarding authority.

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BSBCMM511 – Section 1 – Identify communication requirements

Identify information that may be subject to confidentiality and manage appropriately Confidential Information ‘Confidential Information ‘refers to any information or document that a business or individual wish not to make public. It can include anything that has been acquired by or made available to an individual or other legal entity in the course of the relationship between the parties. It may include, but is not limited to: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

any information or documents about a business’s organisational structure, activities, operating procedures, organisational strategies and tactics products and services, intellectual property, trade secrets and know how, finances, organisational plans and planning information, transactions and internal policies.

Data protection laws Organisations must adhere to data protection laws when handling sensitive information and it is paramount when processing criminal record checks that a strict code of confidentiality is practiced. Failure to protect and secure confidential information may not only lead to the loss of business or clients, but it also unlocks the danger of confidential information being misused to commit illegal activity such as fraud.

Building trust A key element of confidentiality is that it helps build trust. It potentially allows for the flowing of information between employees and employers when reassured that all personal information is being retained and used appropriately. To have their information shared is not only a breach in privacy, but it will destroy employee trust, confidence and loyalty. It will also cause a loss in productivity. Confidentiality builds trust between employer and employee and business owners have an obligation to keep staff information secure and trusted. Employees will feel reassured knowing that their personal information is being retained and used appropriately. To have their information shared is not only a breach in privacy, but it will destroy employee trust, confidence and loyalty. It will also cause a loss in productivity.

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BSBCMM511 – Section 1 – Identify communication requirements

Confidentiality agreement A confidentiality agreement is a commercial contract also referred to as a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) where one or more parties provide confidential information to the other, with the expectation that both parties will keep the information provided secret and use it only for an agreed purpose (Permitted Purpose). Confidentiality Agreements can contain mandatory or elective obligations to disclose, or one way or mutual obligations of confidence, in addition to a range of other obligations relating to the disclosure and use of confidential information which the parties agree to comply with. In case of organisational internal affairs, you may have either written or verbal agreement to maintain confidential information.

Learning Activity 13 Identify information that may be subject to confidentiality and manage appropriately

Activity type

Report

Activity timing

45 minutes

Activity description

Write one-page report on management of confidential information at a workplace of your choice: 1. Describe the workplace and the information used. 2. Identify information that may be subject to confidentiality. 3. Describe how the organisation manages appropriately use information that may be subject to confidentiality.

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BSBCMM511 – Section 1 – Identify communication requirements

Identify information needs of audience and prepare a position in line with purpose of communication It is also very important to learn about the person you are trying to influence by understanding: ● What their title or position is ● What their usual communication style is (direct, spirited, systematic, considerate) ● What their business perspective is (strategic, operational, interpersonal, personal) ● What their current level of knowledge/understanding is ● What information they require

Three purposes of communication You will also need to determine which purpose your communication falls into out of the following: 1. Inform – the anticipated outcome is to share knowledge. No action is expected of the receiver. No deadline or time frame is required 2. Persuade – the anticipated outcome is to change attitudes to affect an action. The executive may or may not take the action, depending in whole, or in part, on the strength of the communication 3. Direct – the anticipated outcome is to initiate an action. The outcome can be measured by whether the action occurred. Usually, a deadline or time frame is stated explicitly. One you have determined the essential information you need to communicate, based on the executive’s current and required knowledge, think through the risks by considering how you will answer any potential objections and correct any misconceptions. Always keep the executive’s perspective and your purpose in mind, and develop a brief list of the main ideas you want to convey and the order you want to convey them in. Check your notes to ensure you avoid acronyms, jargon and other language that could be a barrier to the executive’s easy understanding of your message.

Learning Activity 14 Identify information needs of audience and prepare a position in line with purpose of communication

Activity type

Written Task

Activity timing

30 minutes

Activity description

Provide answers for the following questions: 1. Identify a work area of your workplace. 2. Identify information needs of the audience of the work area. 3. Prepare a communication position in line with the purpose of communication.

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BSBCMM511 – Section 2 – Negotiate to achieve agreed outcome

Section 2 Negotiate to achieve agreed outcome Identify objectives of negotiation, and needs and requirements of stakeholders You will be negotiating your whole life, whether you like it or not. Most things in life are at least partially negotiable, and some of those things like your salary, responsibilities, and benefits, sales pitch, purchasing and customer demands will bear a significant impact on the quality of your work life. Learning how to negotiate effectively is crucial to your long-term success. Negotiation is the process by which two or more parties meet to discuss an arrangement that ideally, would benefit all parties involved. Negotiations can occur among individuals, such as between a supervisor and employee, or among larger groups, as well as between companies or nations. Purchasing negotiations are a familiar and are also a major aspect of business negotiations, but the process also applies to many forms of partnership building, such as establishing terms for collaborative projects. No matter which type of negotiation you undertake, establishing your objectives in advance will help bring about a favourable outcome.

Preliminary objectives The time to start developing your objectives is before you even sit down at the negotiating table. You and your team should carefully think through what you want to get from the negotiation process. Some objectives may be straightforward, such as leasing an office under a standard contract. In this case, you might simply want to sign the contract at the agreed-upon price. Complex projects, however, require deeper thinking as you explore the short- and long-term implications of your negotiation. For example, your objectives for a major new machinery or software development purchase might cover, in addition to basic factors like price, delivery, warranty and payment terms, such advanced considerations as installation time frames, service contracts, operator training and replacement costs.

Bracketing your objectives Once you have developed your list of objectives, you should review each of them to develop the maximum desired and minimum acceptable levels. For example, when making a major purchase you would likely have a desired price point along with a higher price point that is still acceptable. You would begin the negotiation by offering a price that is somewhat lower than your desired price point, while keeping in mind the higher level to which you might ultimately agree. Note where it’s possible to trade off your objectives. If you are acquiring an essential manufacturing component that is needed right away, you may be willing to go to the higher price point in exchange for expedited delivery. On the other hand, you are more likely to negotiate a more attractive price If you can accept a longer time frame for the delivery because the item is not immediately needed.

Your negotiating partners Knowing and understanding the other person or company involved in your negotiation will help you refine your objectives so that both of you reach a favourable outcome. For example, imagine you are negotiating with a valued employee who pushes for a raise exceeding your company’s current financial limitations. You do not want to lose this employee, and you do want to provide reasonable recognition for the employee’s contributions to the company. You also know that the employee is a Copyrights © 2021 Dynamics Learning Pty Ltd

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BSBCMM511 – Section 2 – Negotiate to achieve agreed outcome

parent of young children, and would welcome the opportunity to be closer to them while working. You might offer a modest raise along with a more flexible work schedule that includes work from home options. This offer may satisfy the employee’s need to feel rewarded for good work, along with the extra incentive of serving family needs.

Your circumstances External circumstances can affect your negotiation process and should be reflected in your development of objectives. Major influences include the state of the economy, or even simply the market position of your negotiating partner. In real estate, the concept of a “buyers’ market” versus a “sellers’ market” succinctly describes this idea. Tough economic times or slow-moving markets enhance a supplier’s willingness to negotiate on price and other parameters of the deal. In strong economic times, suppliers and contractors often have enough demand for their offerings that they do not need to negotiate on price, although they might respond in your favour to other points of negotiation, such as extending a service contract at no additional cost.

Your BATNA Having a Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement, also known by its acronym, BATNA, gives you an out when your objectives cannot reasonably be met. The BATNA term and concept was developed by the originators of the WIN-WIN negotiating method. Your BATNA is your Plan B, an acceptable option that allows you to amicably cease negotiations and walk away from the table. For example, suppose you are seeking a contractor to work on a project that must be completed in a very specific and limited time frame. You have identified several contractors that would be suitable, but one of them is preferred. You begin negotiations with your preferred contractor, who explains that under the current workload, that they would not be able to meet your deadline. You offer incentives, but the best the contractor could do in the time allotted would be to complete only the first stage of the project. At this point, you and the contractor agree to cease negotiations, while keeping the door open for work on future projects. This outcome was possible because of your BATNA, which is to offer your project request to the other contractors under consideration. Negotiation is essentially relating to quality, date of delivery, prices etc. so that a satisfactory settlement is reached. As a result of negotiation, the supplier may reduce the price. In case of repeat orders, price negotiation may take place even before receiving the quotation if there is an increase in price. The following are some of the areas of negotiation. 1. Reduction in price. 2. Higher trade discount on bulk purchases. 3. Reduction in packing charges. 4. Free delivery up to buyers’ end. 5. Cash discount which can be claimed for prompt payment to the supplier.

Negotiation in purchasing Negotiation refers to trading deliberations which generally lead to lowering of prices by the vendors. However, it would not be proper to think that negotiation supply refers to bargaining for lower prices. In a broad sense, negotiation aims at obtaining the maximum value of money spent on purchasing. The purchase manager must be skilful and well informed. His skill of negotiation improves with every fresh purchase. Objectives The following are the objectives of negotiation: 1. To settle at a fair and reasonable price. 2. To ensure that the contract is performed on time. 3. To remove obstacles this may be there in future. Copyrights © 2021 Dynamics Learning Pty Ltd

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BSBCMM511 – Section 2 – Negotiate to achieve agreed outcome

4. To exercise control over the manner in which the contract is performed. 5. To persuade the supplier to give maximum co-operation to the buyer’s company. 6. To develop cordial relations with competent suppliers. In the following cases, negotiation is essential. 1. When competitive bidding is missing. 2. When quality and service are important in addition to price. 3. When business risks can’t be accurately determined, the seller unnecessarily increases the price which can be reduced only by negotiation. 4. When the time required to produce an item is very long. 5. When production schedules are frequently affected by new orders as a result of changed technology. It requires changes in drawings, designs and specifications. 6. Decisions relating to make or buy require a great deal of negotiation. 7. Terms and prices must be thoroughly negotiated to prevent unreasonable dictation by the seller.

Learning Activity 15 Identify objectives of negotiation, and needs and requirements of stakeholders

Activity type

Written Task

Activity timing

20 minutes

Activity description

Scenario You want to buy a computer with all the multimedia features and have found one, but it is little more than your budget. You found that the seller does not have a strict pricing policy. 1. Identify objectives of negotiation. 2. Identify needs and requirements of stakeholders.

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BSBCMM511 – Section 2 – Negotiate to achieve agreed outcome

Identify and document potential issues and problems Issues and problems An issue is smaller, not life altering, and it does not present such a degree of difficulty that you have to seek out the counsel of others in order to figure out the impact of the issue. A problem is larger in scale, often large enough to alter your life either temporarily or permanently. A problem can easily require the advice and guidance of those around you, in order to solve it. Size often dictates the difference between an issue and a problem.

Issue

Problem

● An issue is smaller, not life altering, and it

● A problem is larger in scale, often large

does not present such a degree of difficulty that you have to seek out the counsel of others in order to figure out the impact of the issue. ● An issue is a factor that might cause you some annoyance. ● In a corporate or governmental level, an issue is something that can be handled behind closed doors, impacting no one but the people of highest authority in the situation.

enough to alter your life either temporarily or permanently. ● A problem can easily require the advice and guidance of those around you, in order to solve it. ● A problem can impact people and situations around you, even if they are not directly related to the problem. For instance, forgetting your lunch is an issue, but losing your job is a problem. ● A problem involves information that must be released, because there will be cause to involve employees, or citizens, in the solution to the problem.

Example: An issue also holds potential. When you discover that there is great potential for a situation to have a large impact, it is still, by definition, an issue. The issue mutates into a problem when the potential is realized. For instance, when a restaurant chef realizes that part of the batch of fish they are serving for the night has gone bad, they have an issue, because it holds the potential to make a lot of people sick, cause people to sue, and ruin the establishment’s reputation. If no one has eaten, or has had a bad reaction to the fish, then it remains an issue. Once someone becomes ill and accusations start to surface, the issue is now a problem.

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BSBCMM511 – Section 2 – Negotiate to achieve agreed outcome

The 5 most common problems of organisations Creating a great business of any kind is a daunting task, one that can be fraught with challenges and problems with organization. The five most common problems we have experienced in our work with client organizations over the past 35 years are outlined below. 1. Absence of clear direction Lack of direction is one of the most common organizational problems and it stems from two root causes: 1. The leader or leaders rarely discuss or chart a deliberate direction or strategy for the future, or they fail to communicate a coherent message about the strategy to all members of the organization. 2. There are many activities to execute and the organization lacks the alignment needed to gain the traction necessary to help the organization transform, adapt, and shape the future—activities that would ensure the organization’s long-term, sustained growth. In short, too many functions and individuals lack an understanding of how they fit or why they matter. As a result, people become complacent, content to just show up, take care of today’s business, and hope that someone is in the wheelhouse steering the ship. 2. Difficulty blending multiple personalities into a cohesive and unified team This can be an enormous challenge, regardless of whether the team is part of the executive suite, a special project team in an R&D lab, or an operating team in a production facility. People’s personalities vary widely, and the diversity of backgrounds, opinions, views, and experiences can cause challenges for teams. This creates a unique set of potential issues and opportunities. If you can get people to come into alignment and support common objectives, a diverse team of leaders can produce amazing results, take on the demands of customers, and meet the threat of competitors. However, if leaders stay in their silos, protect their own “turf,” fail to share information, refuse to collaborate on shared problems, or lack the ability to think with an entrepreneurial mindset, the organization will under-produce. You have to have a team that is both in the business and on the business. 3. Failure to develop key competencies and behaviours In our work with organizations, we commonly encounter a lot of hardworking people who have good intentions. However, despite their experience in the industry, their technical talent, and the subjectmatter expertise that many leaders bring to the table, creating a high-performance organization is often still out of reach. Nearly everyone we meet, including senior leaders, has at least one (and in some cases, multiple) leadership weaknesses. Sometimes leaders are aware of their behavioural shortcomings; in other cases, they are blind to their leadership deficits. People inside the organization are often afraid to candidly say what they think, and helping enormously successful leaders with their Achilles heels can be tricky. Leading and managing an organization is a complex task that requires a unique mix of skills. Leaders have to utilize their natural strengths, but they also have to search relentlessly for ways to close their own performance gaps and improve their behaviour. Without continuous improvement, an organization’s capabilities will be severely limited. In short, if leaders do not constantly raise their game, they will suck all the energy and employee engagement out of an organization. Leaders need to be constantly aware of and working on their personal opportunities for improvement.

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4. Poor communication and feedback There seem to be two extremes in this area: Either people do everything in their power to avoid confronting others and holding them accountable or they relish any opportunity to chew people out, belittle them, and crush their spirits. Within leadership teams in which the number-one problem is a lack of honest, constructive, and open dialogue about the team members’ practices, styles, skills, or behaviours. Without a culture of openness, feedback, and coaching, organizations will struggle to grow. In fact, next to pitfall #1 (“absence of clear direction”), this is the most frequent lament we encounter. In fact, this issue is so predictable, common, and destructive that we prepare material on this topic prior to any work we do with individual leaders or leadership teams. Many teams try to muddle through this somehow, enduring the bully or trying to guess what others want and need from them. People often tell us that they fear reprisal or retaliation if they open up— but the reality is that leaders can’t execute on their strategies, lower costs, or effectively launch new processes or services when people fail to communicate with constructive candour, so this is an issue that must be overcome. 5. Lack of awareness Building a solid organization takes hard work and a keen awareness of the culture and environment that exists in a business. Most executives are very busy people; a lot of things vie for their attention. Market conditions can change fast in a VUCA (velocity, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) world and demand huge portions of a leader’s time. We affectionately call this the “task magnet.” Unfortunately, while They are busy focusing on their many necessary operational distractions, many managers take their eye off the teamwork ball. This means that communication suffers and leaders get preoccupied and fail to recognize people, celebrate progress, build the talent pipeline, or invest time reviewing processes, practices, and better ways of working across functions. People then become disengaged, feel marginalized, and lose focus and commitment.

Learning Activity 16 Identify and document potential issues and problems

Activity type

Discussion and debate

Activity timing

15 minutes

Activity description

Discuss the following and identify whether they are issues or problems. 1. A cafe is found to be breaching the Health and Safety Act and is fined. 2. Staff are at loggerheads with each other, even refusing to work together. 3. High levels of returns of goods or rework requests. 4. Higher than normal levels of customer complaints (in person, email, social media etc). 5. Safety incidents on the rise. 6. Staff failing to contribute in meetings or to initiatives

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Prepare positions and supporting arguments according to objectives Like a lawyer in a jury trial, a communicator must convince their audience of the validity of argument by using evidence effectively. As a communicator, you must also use evidence to persuade your audience to accept your claims. But how do you use evidence to your advantage? By leading your audience through your reasoning. The types of evidence you use change from discipline to discipline: you might use quotations from a poem or a literary critic, for example, in a literature paper; you might use data from an experiment in a lab report. Negotiations start from a difference of interest such as mere bargaining through offers and counteroffers. But it certainly holds for negotiations that try to settle a difference of opinion on policy issues. It will be demonstrated how a series of offers and counteroffers in a negotiation dialogue contains a constructible series of implicit persuasion dialogues. When trying to develop a reasonable compromise by means of negotiation dialogue, one may expect that argumentation plays an important role. As we shall see, argumentation has a role to play in what appears to be pure interest-based bargaining. Even more evident is its role in negotiations about policy issues between parties with conflicting interests and with different views on what would objectively be the best policy to adopt. In such negotiation’s parties will be seeking a compromise that settles not only their differences of interest but also their differences of opinion. Which is not to say that these differences would be resolved as in the case of a successful persuasion dialogue.

The seven C’s of building an argument When you need to build an argument, use the seven C’s to develop and support a position about a specific topic: 1. Consider the situation. Think of all aspects of the communication situation. What is the subject and purpose of your message? What medium will you use? Who is the receiver? What is the context? 2. Clarify your thinking. Think about the pros and cons of each side of the issue, and do some preliminary research so that you understand the subject well. 3. Construct a claim. Write a single statement that gives your position and the main reason that you hold that position. 4. Collect evidence. Research the issue in depth, using primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. Investigate to make sure your claim holds up, and change it if it doesn’t. Gather a variety of key evidence to support your claim. 5. Consider key objections. Think about other viewpoints related to the argument. What reasons could people cite to support opposing positions? What major problems could they see with your argument? Decide how you will answer those objections—by countering them (saying why they are unimportant) or by conceding them (saying they are important but can be overcome). 6. Craft your argument. Use your claim statement and the evidence you have gathered to argue persuasively for your position. Appeal to the needs of your reader, and answer any key objections. 7. Confirm your main point. Wrap up your argument by stating your claim in a new way, connecting it to real life and to the future.

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For discussions, speeches, debates, meetings, or intense discussions, you may need to organize your thoughts and defend them against people who might not agree with you. To do your best in these situations, follow the process outlined in the next few pages. Remember that arguments stem from a claim or position supported by compelling evidence—evidence that persuades the reader or listener to accept a point of view. ● ● ● ● ● ●

As a sender, what role do I have? What subject is my message about? What purpose do I have? What medium am I using? Who is the receiver? How can I convince that person? What is the context? When and where will the message arrive?

Consider the situation Before you can build a strong argument, you need to analyse the communication situation. Ask yourself the following questions:

Clarify your thinking Before you can convince others, you must be clear in your own mind about your position. What are you trying to prove? Why do you feel the way you do? What kind of proof do you have? In addition, you should consider both sides of the issue. To do this, set up a pro-con chart like the one shown here: Pro Reducing the national debt . . . • Is the right choice for the future? • Requires us to live within our means. • Improves our country's credit scores. • Sets an example for other nations regarding fiscal responsibility. • Creates a sustainable budget.

Con Reducing the national debt . . . ● May slow the economy. ● Requires bipartisan support. ● Requires tax increases. ● Requires cuts to spending. ● Impacts those receiving entitlements. ● Impacts the military.

Constructing a Claim After you have thoroughly investigated an issue, you are ready to construct a claim about it. Arguments develop three types of claims: 1. A truth claim indicates that you believe The national debt threatens the future of our something is or is not true. nation. 2. A value claim indicates the worth that you assign to something.

A balanced budget would be the best gift we can give our children.

3. A policy claim says what you think should or should not be done.

The federal government must cut spending to reduce the national debt.

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Collecting Evidence After stating a claim, you must support it. Different types of details provide different types of support: ●

Facts and statistics connect your claim to Each taxpayer's portion of the national debt is over $140,000. specific realities.

●

Reasons and results show the causes and The debt-ceiling debacle of 2011 caused the credit rating to slip. effects of a situation.

●

Examples and anecdotes show how the claim works.

A person who makes $46,000 can’t spend $71,000—but the government does.

●

Quotations and reflections get at the feelings of the audience.

“We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt,” said Thomas Jefferson.

Considering Key Objections Any debatable issue has at least two, and often many, points of view. When you build an argument, you need to consider alternate positions. Just as you have gathered support for your position, those with other perspectives will have gathered objections. Start by identifying them. Objection 1:

The debt matches our gross domestic product, which means that the debt has not yet reached an unmanageable size.

Objection 2:

The boom of the '90s balanced the federal budget, and the next boom will balance this budget.

Objection 3:

The time to cut government spending is not during a recession but during a boom.

Answering Objections Ignoring the objections to your argument weakens rather than strengthens it. You need to face objections head-on. The following strategies have been applied to each of the example objections above. ●

Rebut the objection.

If our gross domestic product goes down, our debt goes up as we try to stimulate the economy. Allowable debt can't be based solely on GDP.

●

Recognize part of the objection but overcome the rest.

It is true that the boom of the '90s resulted in a balanced budget, but a balanced budget fixes only that year's deficit, not the compounded national debt.

●

Concede the objection and move on.

Yes, during a recession, government spending is needed to get the economy moving again. Now that the recession is over, we need to reduce spending.

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Crafting your argument How you structure your argument depends a great deal on how receptive or resistant your audience is. For a receptive audience, you can provide support up front and rebuttal of objections near the end. For opposed audiences, you may want to start with rebuttals.

Using Persuasive Appeals Classical rhetoric, or the art of persuasion, prescribes three ways to appeal to your audience: 1. Appeal to ethos—demonstrate that you are an ethical and trustworthy source. 2. Appeal to logos—use logic to argue for your position. 3. Appeal to pathos—move the person emotionally to connect with your position.

The most persuasive arguments may use all three types of appeals—but always responsibly. Each of these appeals can be abused, as you will see in the section on logical fallacies

Confirming Your Main Point Complete your argument by stating your main point in a new way and connecting it to the future. Leave your audience with a strong final thought.

Using Socratic Questions to Examine Arguments You’ve learned how to build a compelling argument. There’s also a technique for examining arguments and deepening thinking. The Greek philosopher Socrates examined arguments through questions, pushing students to use logic to deduce answers. Socratic questions are especially useful for probing the thinking of opponents in a debate.

Socratic Questions Clarifying questions ask the person to restate an idea in a new way. o Could you please rephrase that statement? o How would you summarize your position? o Are you saying that ________________? Assumption questions explore the person’s underlying ideas. o What are the assumptions underlying that statement? o Is that statement based on the belief that ________________? Copyrights © 2021 Dynamics Learning Pty Ltd

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o

Could you explain how/why ________________?

Reasoning questions get at the logic the person is using. o Can you demonstrate how this premise is true? o What evidence supports this claim? o Are you implying/concluding that ________________? Perspective questions prompt the person to use a different point of view. o What analogy could you use to express that idea? o How would ________________ respond to that idea? o How do you answer the objection that ________________? Consequence questions ask the person to consider what might happen. o What will result from that position? o How can we apply that idea in a broader context? o What is the value of that idea, and why? Recursive questions return to the original question. o Why are we asking this question? o How does this question connect to the situation? o How can we reframe this question?

Supporting arguments with examples Appropriate examples can support the writer’s contention that a general statement is true. Not only do they provide specifics and details in support of a claim, but the vivid description they often include helps to capture and retain the reader’s attention. In the following paragraph, the writer includes examples of mistreatment to support the claim that women’s right to vote was “hard-won”. She also draws a conclusion from the examples in her final sentence. Women’s right to vote is a relatively new and hard-won privilege. The suffragists, who demonstrated for their cause in front of the White House in 1917, were incarcerated and tortured. For example, the prison guards beat Lucy Burn and left her hanging all night, her hands cuffed to a bar above her head. They also threw Doris Lewis headlong into a cell, smashing her head into an iron bed. For weeks, while imprisoned, these women were fed only worm-infested slop. When one of their leaders, Alice Paul, began a hunger strike in protest of the treatment they were receiving, prison personnel tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat, and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks (Patterson 78-80). These women endured torture on behalf of an entire class of human beings who were denied the right to vote. Women of today owe this right to the courageous suffragists who preceded them. Below, the writer uses a personal example to support his agreement with the author of a text. Notice how the writer both tells his story with details and ends the paragraph by spelling out why the story is relevant to his argument: I agree with Djilas that anticipating torture can often be more terrifying than actual torture. When I needed to go to the doctor to get a shot, I put off scheduling the appointment as long as possible. I am terrified by the mere idea of being stuck with a needle. I didn’t sleep well the night before my appointment, and by the time I arrived at the doctor’s office, I was jittery and pale. As the doctor prepared to give me the shot, I squeezed my eyes shut to block out the horrible pain I was sure was coming. Then I felt the tiniest little pinch. That was all. It was over. Although state-sponsored torture is certainly far worse than a simple shot in the arm, my experience has led me to believe that the combination of anticipation and fear one experiences prior to a painful situation often causes more discomfort than the situation itself Copyrights © 2021 Dynamics Learning Pty Ltd

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Supporting arguments with statistics Statistics convey information in numerical form, often referred to as data. Statistics are most accessible and convincing when they are used sparingly and in combination with an explanation of why the numbers are significant. Remember that even though statistics are considered factual, numbers can be presented in different ways to suggest dramatically different conclusions. Pay attention to any conflicting information you find and be sure to provide the full context of statistical data. In the paragraph below, the writer effectively uses data to support his argument. Notice that the writer identifies and credits the source of the data, summarizes it succinctly, and states plainly in the final sentence what conclusion he (the writer) draws from the results: The slower traffic speeds necessitated by traffic circles also reduce the number and severity of accidents. In an article from the journal Planning, titled “Let’s Go Round and Round: An Idea That’s Worth Copying,” author Georges Jacquemart describes a study of 181 recently built roundabouts in the Netherlands. Some of these roundabouts were built at previously uncontrolled intersections, while others replaced traffic signs or traffic lights. Results of the study showed a fifty-one percent reduction of total accidents and a seventy-two percent reduction of injury-causing accidents (18). Because traffic circles force motorists to slow down and pay attention, they lead to safer intersections.

Supporting arguments with expert opinion Expert opinions are based on factual evidence but differ from fact in that they are interpretations of fact. For example, psychiatrists determining a criminal’s mental state may consider the same data set and observation yet offer differing interpretations of this information. The fate of the criminal— mental hospital versus prison—may depend upon which argument is more convincing. The fact that experts can draw different conclusions from the same information shows that opinions may not be as reliable as facts or personal experience, but they are a useful and common means of supporting an argument. In much of the argumentative writing you do, you will rely upon the opinions of experts in the field you are studying both to determine your own perspective and to support your claims. The following passage is taken from an essay titled “The Decline and Fall of Teaching History,” in which author Diane Ravitch argues that an ignorance of history will prevent people from being able to make independent judgments on current issues. Ravitch cites the opinion of a university professor as support for her claim: My gloomy assessment was echoed by Naomi Miller, chairman of the history department at Hunter College in New York. “My students have no historical knowledge on which to draw when they enter college,” she said.…Professor Miller believes that “we are in danger of bringing up a generation without historical memory. This is a dangerous situation.” In citing Miller, Ravitch is using the experience, credentials, and conclusions of someone else to vouch for her argument. Miller’s words, if you will, are used to bear witness to the situation Ravitch is describing. Miller’s profession and high rank strongly imply that Miller has the necessary experience with entering college students to draw sound conclusions. Citing an expert for any argument is easy to do and its success depends on your choosing an expert with the relevant credentials. How effective would Ravitch be had she quoted a famous talk show host?

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Supporting arguments with visuals Support also can be integrated into a paper as charts, figures, tables, illustrations, etc. Translating important information into a visual can both aid in readability and provide visual impact. However, the purpose of these visuals usually should be to report data too numerous or complicated to be described adequately in the text and/or to reveal trends or patterns in the data. Since visuals should complement your writing by adding necessary information, you must determine how information can be best conveyed to your readers—in words, numbers, tables, or figures. Decide how to best present information based on your purpose and the needs of the reader.

Learning Activity 17 Prepare positions and supporting arguments according to objectives Activity type

Written Task (includes project work and role-play)

Activity timing

45 - 60 minutes

Activity description

Undertake the following project work and write your solutions including role-play for item 6.

1. (1) Use the formula above to construct a truth, a value, and a policy claim about a subject you feel strongly about. (2) Choose one of your claims and research it. Write down one of each of the four types of supporting details listed in the chart above under collecting evidence.

2. Reverse your thinking. Imagine that you strongly oppose the claim you made and researched on the previous pages. List at least three serious objections to your previous position.

3. Answer each of the objections to your own claim that you listed in the previous activity.

4. Think about the audience for the position (claim) you chose to work with. How receptive or resistant are they? Which of the structures above would you use to craft your argument? Or would you use a different structure? Explain your answer.

5. You’ve learned about using logic (logos) to connect with the reader. Now consider what your audience wants or needs in order to make an emotional connection (pathos). How does your position help them get what they need, want, or expect?

6. With a partner, discuss a current issue that you are studying in class. Use Socratic questions occasionally to deepen the discussion. Which questions were most helpful? Which were least helpful? Why?

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Communicate with stakeholders, and establish areas of common ground and potential compromise Stakeholders “are the people who are actively involved with the work of the project or have something to either gain or lose as a result of the project.” If you were providing a service to a bank, your stakeholders would be the bank, your team, financial regulators and the customers who are affected by how well your service works for them. Let’s say you were the manager of your team. At any given project, your stakeholders could likely be: ● ● ● ● ●

Top management Your team Customers Contractors and suppliers Government regulatory bodies.

Now, the trick is navigating the sea of these stakeholders to negotiate a situation where everyone is satisfied (or at least not causing you major problems). After all, when the project’s stakeholders aren’t satisfied, no one else is either. And just like with managing risk, they’re necessary and can even be good for the project. However, you need to manage and engage them. Stakeholder management is just a process (like so many in project management) that you identify, assess and make plans for dealing with different types of stakeholders. Stakeholder engagement, on the other hand, consists of the acts of communicating with the stakeholders. They frequently include negotiation, consultation and relationship building.

Top management These are your superiors who need to give you the go-ahead for workplace tasks and activities, notable changes, and also likely shoulder the brunt of failure (should it occur). It’s always good to ● ●

Agree with them on reporting terms: For example, should you check in with them periodically? Would they like to be kept up-to-date constantly? Regulate their engagement through using Office 365 project management software. Notes and comments are welcome, but they are best kept for one-on-one meetings with yourself. A dashboard giving them an overview of what’s going on in the workplace can keep them in the loop in between meetings without having to provide constant updates. By outlining all the tasks clearly and updating the progress, you can keep them informed about workplace operation.

Workplace team stakeholder management Your team can (but doesn’t have to be) a tricky stakeholder. They’re the people who engage with you the most. Clients check in periodically and watch out for outcomes. The top management wants to know if there are any risks and if you’re on track. However, your team is there with you in the trenches every day. You can improve your communication with them by: ● ● ● ●

Having one-on-one meetings with individual team members Including them in project planning Managing tasks transparently (which is also a bonus for top management involvement) Encouraging them to participate fully (feedback).

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This way, you will be able to effectively collaborate and communicate with your team, as well as dispel any worries before they become a problem.

Customers Depending on your organization structure and the products and service delivery, your customers may be made up of co-workers, or others within the organization who will benefit from your products and services. For example, if an IT department carries out a project to upgrade internal systems, the customers include every other department in the organization. We need customers for our projects to be successful – especially if they are mandated by external customers – but sometimes they’re really hard to deal with as stakeholders. In some cases, they may not be sure what they want. The briefs are not comprehensive enough. They presume we know everything when really… A bit more information would be great. And not to mention unrealistic expectations. You can manage their engagement by Clearly communicating about their desired outcomes, expectations, as well as any change policies.

Contractors and suppliers Sometimes you just don’t have all the people (or all the things, in the case of suppliers) under one roof. And when you need to hire contractors, it can cause a mess. You could experience scheduling overlaps, problems with work quality, and so much more. It takes a lot of patience to keep contractors on track. Make sure you communicate with independent contractors clearly, have all the terms outlined in an agreement, and if you can – try to only work with people who have proven themselves to be trustworthy. It’s also good to integrate them into the team, even if it’s just for a one-off project. This way, they’ll feel more (emotionally) involved and they’ll be more likely to do their best work.

Government regulatory bodies Depending on the type of industry, you could also be working with government officials. This is especially true when it comes to public works or sectors like pharmaceuticals. In this case, it’s best to have a liaison for government communication. They can make sure that everyone is on the same page and that you’re compliant with all the pertinent regulations.

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Learning Activity 18 Communicate with stakeholders, and establish areas of common ground and potential compromise Activity type

Role-play (observed by trainer)

Activity timing

5-7 minutes per learner

Activity description

Your supervisor requires you to attend an external meeting with a client. You are a bit hesitant that you would fail in the task in hand due to lack of confidence. Your co-worker is well conversant with the task of client discussion. • Demonstrate in a role-play how you communicate with your supervisor, and establish areas of common ground and potential compromise.

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Confirm and document outcomes of negotiation Many professional negotiators prefer to aim towards what is known as a Win-Win outcome. This involves looking for resolutions that allow both sides to gain from the negotiation. In other words, negotiators aim to work together towards finding a solution to their differences that results in both sides being satisfied. Key points when aiming for a Win-Win outcome include: ● ● ● ●

Focus on maintaining the relationship - ‘separate the people from the problem’. Focus on interests not positions. Generate a variety of options that offer gains to both parties before deciding what to do. Aim for the result to be based on an objective standard.

Focus on maintaining the relationship This means not allowing the disagreement to damage the interpersonal relationship, not blaming the others for the problem and aiming to confront the problem not the people. This can involve actively supporting the other individuals while confronting the problem. Disagreements and negotiations are rarely ‘one-offs’. At times of disagreement, it is important to remember that you may well have to communicate with the same people in the future. For this reason, it is always worth considering whether ‘winning’ the particular issue is more important than maintaining a good relationship. All too often disagreement is treated as a personal affront. Rejecting what an individual says or does is seen as rejection of the person. Because of this, many attempts to resolve differences degenerate into personal battles or power struggles with those involved getting angry, hurt or upset. Remember negotiation is about finding an agreeable solution to a problem, not an excuse to undermine others, therefore, to avoid negotiation breaking down into argument, it is helpful to consciously separate the issues under dispute from the people involved. For example, it is quite possible to hold people in deep regard, to like them, to respect their worth, their feelings, values and beliefs, and yet to disagree with the particular point they are making. One valuable approach is to continue to express positive regard for an individual, even when disagreeing with what he/she is saying. When negotiating as a Contract Manager, it’s all about maintaining your working relationships. Your objective at the negotiation table should be to reach an agreement that works for both sides and to walk away with your supplier relationships intact. This means adopting a collaborative approach. While it would make everyone’s job easier if everyone approached negotiation collaboratively – it’s often not how it plays out. It can take a fair bit of maturity and creativity to find a solution where everyone wins. So, when preparing for a negotiation give some thought to the approach your supplier is likely to adopt. If you think it’s likely to be one of the less desirable approaches, have some strategies up your sleeve to encourage them towards a win-win situation, and know it’s always an option to walk away if they won’t move.

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Choose your negotiation approach There are five common approaches people take when negotiating as follows: 1. Avoid: Doesn’t want to negotiate, so they’re difficult to get to the table and hard to keep there. No-one wins. 2. Compete: Wants to have all their needs met and doesn’t care about yours (usually associated with limited resources). Won’t care about relationships or ongoing business. They win, you lose. 3. Accommodate: It’s just not that important to them (usually associated with low risk or low impact opportunities), so they’re happy for you to have it your way. You win, they lose. 4. Compromise: There are enough benefits to reach an agreement but you both compromises. Both parties win and lose. 5. Collaborate – Is willing to share the risk and reward between you both (often with strategic intent). Everyone wins! How each party approaches the contract negotiations, and the dynamics between the two approaches, has a big impact on the outcome.

Document outcomes of negotiation An outcome is a possible result of negotiation. Outcomes can be general or specific, factual or subjective, absolute or relative. If negotiation only consists of both sides identifying a preferred outcome, making it their goal and forcing it on the other, haggling or arguing will result. This results in an unwise decision (or no decision), inefficiency and potential damage to relationships. Entering negotiations with only a specific outcome in mind can be very counterproductive. Negotiators should consider the wider goals. For example, A potential client negotiates with a contractor for an office cleaning contract. The goal is to have a well cleaned office by 9am each day, regardless of how many people or hours the contractor has to provide. One possible outcome of the negotiation might be for the client to employ two people each day cleaning for two hours. To identify the goals, it is necessary to consider business goals and cultural or personal issues.

Write outcome statements Outcomes - are specific, measurable statements that let you know when you have reached your negotiation outcomes. Outcome statements describe specific needs you expect to occur as a result of your negotiations. You need to document your negotiation outcomes using your organisational method of reporting.

Learning Activity 19 Confirm and document outcomes of negotiation Activity type

Written Task - Report

Activity timing

30 minutes

Activity description

Referring to above activity (activity 19), write a brief report confirming outcomes of negotiation.

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Section 3 Participate in and lead meetings Identify the need for meeting and schedule according to stakeholder availability The most common reason to have a meeting is to discuss something face to face. It could be a new idea, a new opportunity, a problem, to brainstorm something, reach a decision about something or any number of things. But it all comes down to discussion and face to face interaction. A lot of business communication is done via the phone, email, post, newsletters, company websites, intranets and extranets. These methods of communication have made life easier and communication quicker in a lot of respects. They have opened up marketing possibilities and made B2B marketing and partnerships much more effective. However great they are, they still cannot replace a face to face meeting. Discussing something face to face allows you to not only hear what is being spoken, giving you access to clues hidden in the speaker's tone of voice but it also allows you to see the speaker. The observation of body language and facial muscles is very important as it allows you to read the person's reaction to what you are saying as well as what they actually think about what they themselves are saying. Only 7% of communication is spoken. The other 93% is made up of tone (38%) and body language (55%). So, although facts and figures are easily communicated via email, letter or phone, an actual discussion or negotiation is best handled where you can see the other person and therefore are able to see for yourself what their tone and body have to say on the matter. Meetings come in all shapes and sizes, from impromptu chats in the corridor, to weekly meetings and annual conferences. All meetings play an important role in the life of the business and at least some thought should be given to the planning, execution and follow up of each one. Workplace meeting environment Meetings in a work environment are undeniably an element of the business culture for proper management. Those working for a company may be required to attend meetings on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis. Meetings are an essential component when it comes to constant communication with management, employees, and other stakeholders of the organization. Besides enabling them to communicate, meetings are the right channels through which information is shared, problems are solved, and project progress is discussed. Workplace meetings can either be informal or formal, and the number of attendees can range from as few two people to several hundred, of course, depending on the size of the organization. The primary purpose of any workplace meeting is to deliberate on the list of predetermined agendas and discourse the set of objectives to make proper decisions relating to them. Some organizations may hold meetings to promote accountability and transparency. Regardless of the reason(s) for holding such meetings, when they are run correctly and planned well, they can be incredibly productive. On the contrary, they can be an annoyance and waste of time. Either way, it is essential to know different types of meetings in the workplace. In this light, the following are the common types of meetings and their main features:

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Workplace meeting types 1. Sales conference meetings A sales conference is one of the most common types of meetings in a company with a significant number of sales agents. As we all know, most sales representatives spend much of their time working alone, often off the office. Holding this type of meetings on a regular basis forms an excellent motivational and communication tool that brings them together with other company’s employees. During these meetings, sales managers can launch important initiatives like a major advertising campaign, the announcement of a new product, and even communicating the organization's sales plans for the subsequent financial year(s). 2. Staff meeting The staff meeting is another common type of meeting in a work environment. The managers and supervisors call it, and its objective is to keep workers informed on the current issues affecting them on their work as well as those affecting their department(s). If there is a significant issue or policy change that affects the entire organization, the staff meeting is the right forum to unveil the information and explain the change to employees. 3. Information sharing meetings Information sharing meetings are one of the most important types of meetings in business communication. As the name suggests, it is all about informing participants about a particular issue or rather sharing crucial information. In most cases, this type of meeting is often educational, such as panel debates and seminars. To hold successful information sharing meetings, meeting planners need to keep participants engaged. The primary challenge with this kind of meeting arises when organizers invite outside speakers, who in most cases, have a hard time trying to ensure the information shared is personalized to the organization. 4. Innovation meetings The innovation meetings can be considered as one of the types of private meetings that often begin with thinking outside the box, by associating, brainstorming, and more importantly, sharing ideas in a wider scope. Innovation is considered to be the primary key to success for every organization, and this explains this type of meeting is held quite often. For innovation meetings to be productive, three things ought to be done right, and it is taking notes, following through, and full participation. Those attending the meeting can use several processes and techniques to express their ideas to come up with focused suggestions. Through evaluations, decision making, and ranking, the most suitable ideas and tasks are identified and recommendations stated for further action by the company management. 5. Team building meetings Team building meetings are among the common 5 different types of formal meetings often held in a workplace. Despite the fact that all kinds of meetings discussed earlier should contribute to corporate culture, strengthening the relationship, and team building, there are specific meetings designed to focus specifically on team building activities. This category includes meetings such as kick-off meetings, all-hands meetings, corporate events, and team building outings. It is necessary for managers and supervisors to note that having their participants feel like critical parts of their team, unit, branch, department, and company as a whole has a positive impact on worker's performance, satisfaction, and of course, on performance.

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Purpose of meetings Do the meetings you attend always have a purpose? Do you ever spend time during a meeting saying to yourself, 'Why am I here?' or 'What's the point of all this?' For a meeting to be effective, it must have a purpose. The meeting should have a measurable outcome, so the purpose needs to have a focus. ``We always have a meeting on Monday' is not the purpose. A purpose could be 'We always have a meeting on Monday to set our goals for the week.' Your purpose will be determined by your goals and objectives: What do you want to achieve? There are a number of reasons for holding meetings. Meetings are held to make and ratify decisions, exchange opinions and make recommendations. They can establish policy and strategic directions. Meetings and their formal records are an important method for accounting to constituents and in some cases (e.g. annual general meetings of companies), they are a legal requirement. However, at the simplest level, meetings are held to give information, to get information, a combination of both of these objectives, and to make decisions. To help clarify your purpose, you should ask: ● ● ●

What do I intend to achieve at this meeting? what would be the consequences of not holding this meeting? how will I determine whether it has been a success or failure?

Learning Activity 20 Identify the need for meeting and schedule according to stakeholder availability Activity type

Written Task - Questioning

Activity timing

45 minutes

Activity description

Write answers to the following questions related to your workplace and your experience in attending workplace meetings. 1. What are the types of meetings you have attended? 2. What are the needs for those meetings? 3. How are the meetings scheduled?

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Prepare meeting materials and distribute to stakeholders Meeting minutes are an official record of the meeting for its participants and a source of information for teammates or other stakeholders who were unable to attend. They are meant to be a permanent written record for future references about decisions made. It's often useful as a back-up document. Despite the name, meeting minutes don't have to be a record of every single "minute." On the contrary, it is vital to learn how to cut through the noise and bring the most relevant information to your document. To write effective meeting minutes you should include: ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Meeting name and place Date and time of the meeting List of meeting participants Purpose of the meeting For each agenda items: decisions, action items, and next steps Next meeting date and place Documents to be included in the meeting report

A great meeting starts before you actually start writing minutes. To ensure maximum efficiency you should always clarify what is expected of you as the note-taker, especially if you are new to it. It's also important to check with the meeting owner that the meeting agenda is set in advance. Not only is it the path to running effective team meetings but it's a great way to be more efficient: ● ● ●

use the agenda items to prepare an outline for your document and pre-fill the list of meeting attendees If necessary, include a reference to items from the previous meeting that attendees would need to be aware of If you're using a note-taking software, you can set-up meeting minutes templates for different meetings and pre-attach relevant documents to the note (meeting presentation, report to be discussed etc.)

That way, when you actually get to the meeting, you're ready to write down the important stuff.

Prepare the meeting minutes to distribute to stakeholders You should wrap-up your notes right after the meeting, while it's still fresh in your mind: ● ● ● ● ●

Complete your meeting notes and clarify points when necessary Double-check that decisions and actions are precisely noted Keep things as concise and digestible as possible Proofread with care. Nowadays you can use automated grammar checkers such as Grammarly to help you go faster If needed send the draft to the meeting leader before sharing with other attendees. (Especially for most formal meetings such as "board of directors" or committee meetings.)

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Share the meeting minutes You made it! This last step is crucial: make sure to share your meeting minutes with all meeting attendees and relevant stakeholders. Furthermore, you can choose to host the meeting minutes in an organisation server/ database and collaborative tool like cloud drives and share with relevant parties so that everyone has easy access to it.

Learning Activity 21 Prepare meeting materials and distribute to stakeholders Activity type

Case study

Activity timing

45 minutes

Activity description

You have attended a workplace meeting regarding work health and safety (WHS). In that meeting, the meeting topic was about accidents and incidents and how to reduce injuries. Attendees ● Your supervisor ● Yourself as the note taker ● Other two team members (Tony and Mary) Discussed ● Incidents and accidents for the last one month ● How to implement WHS policy and procedures to reduce injuries ● Agreed to follow policies and procedures at all times of work and use personal protective clothing and equipment appropriately during work performance. Write a short meeting minutes to distribute to other stakeholders such as manager and other team members.

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Conduct meeting and contribute to discussions Helping people to contribute effectively during meetings There are many reasons for non-participation during meetings including lack of preparation, shyness, being overawed by rank or someone's specialist knowledge, being put off by another's aggressiveness or dominant behaviour or just pure laziness. To draw out the silent type and protect them from intimidation it might be helpful to ask questions that tap their expertise, praise their good ideas, openly note their contributions, and call on those that are shy or junior first. Of course, you may also have to limit the long winded. This can be done by setting the ground rules at the start including how long any one person can speak for at a time. You should also request that remarks be confined to the topic of discussion. If someone still insists on an opera length speech you may have to tactfully but firmly insist that you move on. It is equally important to remain focused on the agenda and what needs to be achieved. To do this you will want to summarise progress and remind everyone of the meeting's objectives. You will also have to interrupt if the discussion gets out of hand, off topic, too heated or rowdy. Act quickly if a serious disagreement arises. Sometimes a participant may have something worthy to contribute but may not be the best public speaker. At such times it is the chair's job to rescue that person by helpfully summating what they think he/she was trying to say. As the meeting chair you should work to encourage diverse points of view, especially if it is a problem solving or brainstorming session. Well run meetings enable a group of people to achieve more than the sum of their individual efforts, through the creation of synergy and the combination of their collective expertise. As the chair you should encourage all opinions and perspectives to be explored but be prepared to highlight bias and oversights. Some participants will need to broaden their viewpoints while others must be encouraged to be more realistic. To generate ideas you may want to try brainstorming, asking open questions (ones that cannot be simply answered by yes or no), encourage partial ideas, reserve your own ideas until the end, clarify and paraphrase for others (make sure you ask them to confirm that you have it right), and the use of verbal and non-verbal reinforcement.

Learning Activity 22 Conduct meeting and contribute to discussions Activity type

Group Discussion (observed by trainer)

Activity timing

45 minutes

Activity description

Using the scenario of activity 22, in a small group of 3 learners hold a meeting and contribute to discussions.

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Seek consensus on meeting objectives Consensus is a decision-making approach that seeks to secure the support of the whole group for the decision at hand. Consensus is when no one disagrees. A specific definition of consensus may be spelled out in a team's ground rules or operating agreements. An effective consensus process (consensus-building) is inclusive and engages all participants. Consensus decisions can lead to better quality outcomes that empower the group or community to move forward to create their future together. Consensus decision making is a creative and dynamic way of reaching agreement in a meeting. Instead of simply voting for an item and having the majority getting their way, a consensus group is committed to finding solutions that everyone actively supports – or at least can live with. By definition, in consensus no decision is made against the will of an individual or a minority. If significant concerns remain unresolved, a proposal can be blocked and prevented from going ahead. This means that the whole group has to work hard to find win-win solutions that address everyone's needs. Consensus is used widely by people around the world working towards a more just and equitable society: from small voluntary groups, co-operatives and campaign networks to businesses, local communities and, in some cultures, across much wider regions.

How do you meet consensus in a meeting? Be willing to work towards the solution that's best for everyone, not just what's best for you. Be flexible and willing to give up your favourite idea if there's another solution that meets your core needs. Help to create a respectful and trusting atmosphere. ●

●

● ● ●

Be willing to work towards the solution that’s best for everyone, not just what’s best for you. Be flexible and willing to give up your favourite idea if there’s another solution that meets your core needs. Help to create a respectful and trusting atmosphere. Make space for everyone to express their ideas and opinions, and remember we all have different needs, values and ways of communicating. Be open and honest about the reasons for your viewpoints and if possible. Express your concerns early on in the process so that they can be considered in any proposals. Listen actively to what people are trying to say. Try to understand someone’s position and their underlying needs, concerns and emotions. If you don’t understand, try to say so. Don’t be afraid of disagreement and conflict. Differences of opinion are natural and we need to know what they are in order to come up with a good decision. Easily reached consensus may cover up the fact that some people don’t feel safe or confident enough to express their disagreements.

Conditions for consensus Consensus is much easier when certain conditions are in place in a group. If your group is struggling, this checklist should help identify underlying issues you need to address in order to have a better experience of consensus. While the conditions aren’t met, it can sometimes be better to use a different method to make a decision (e.g. voting). ●

Common Goal: Everyone in the group needs to share a clear common goal and be willing to work together towards it. That could be a particular vision for your community, or an injustice you are working together to stop. It is easy to assume everyone is pulling in the same direction – but your group will be in a much stronger position if you take time to explore your aims Copyrights © 2021 Dynamics Learning Pty Ltd

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together. What does each person want to achieve and how do you expect to get there? Share your agreed goals with new members so they know what they are getting into! If major differences come up later, try re-visiting your aims to remind yourselves of the things you have in common, and get clear on how fundamental your differences really are. ●

Commitment to consensus: Everyone needs to be willing to really give it a go. This means sticking with the process when you disagree, instead of jumping to a majority vote. It also means being prepared to work at building equality in the group, and learning to recognise and value your differences.

●

Trust and openness: Consensus means being deeply honest with yourself, and the rest of the group, about what you really need to happen, and what is just a preference. Finding win-win solutions often relies on people being flexible about their preferences to meet all the core needs. This requires trust. We need to feel safe to express our needs – and also to give up some of the things we want, in the knowledge that other people will do the same for us. Take time to build relationships within the group to enable people to be more open with each other.

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Sufficient time: for making decisions and for learning to work by consensus. Taking time to make a good decision now can save wasting time revisiting a bad one later.

●

Clear process: It’s essential to have a clear process for making decisions and to make sure everyone has a shared understanding of how it works.

●

Active participation: In consensus we all need to actively participate. We need to listen to what everyone has to say, voice our thoughts and feelings about the matter and pro-actively look for solutions that include everyone.

Facilitation Facilitation is about supporting a group to have an effective and inclusive meeting. Often, meetings have one or two facilitators. Their role is to help the group make decisions and work together creatively and efficiently. In a small group it can also work to have everyone responsible for making the meeting work, instead of appointing a facilitator. Facilitation tasks include: ● ● ● ● ● ●

setting up the meeting space so everyone can be comfortable; helping the group prepare an agenda; keeping people focused on one topic at a time until a decision is reached; making space for everyone to think and express themselves during the meeting; listening to all the different points and providing summaries to help the group work out a fair decision; helping the group to address conflict if it arises.

The facilitators shouldn’t have any more power than anyone else and should stay neutral on the issues under discussion. They’re not there to make all the proposals and decide things for a group. They can only do their job with everyone’s support and co-operation.

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Group structure Consensus decision making isn’t just about what happens in a meeting. It also depends on how the whole group is organised. A key democratic principle is that decisions should be made by people who are fundamentally affected by them. This makes it important that everyone is able to contribute to big decisions which impact the whole group. For example, decisions about your strategy, vision and policies. However, that doesn’t mean everyone has to be involved in every single decision. You could create working groups that take responsibility for different areas like publicity and organising events. Or make individuals responsible for particular tasks, like managing the bank account. These working groups or individuals can then take smaller, day-to-day decisions without taking everything back to the whole group. For example, the whole group might agree on a food policy – but let the kitchen team decide what’s on the menu and where they will do the shopping!

Key skills for consensus ●

Active listening When we actively listen, we suspend our own thought processes and give the speaker our full attention. We make a deliberate effort to understand someone’s position and their needs, concerns and emotions. Active listening can include asking questions to get clear about what someone means or to encourage them to say more.

●

Summarising A succinct and accurate summary of what’s been said so far can really help a group move towards a decision. Outline the emerging common ground as well as the unresolved differences: “It seems like we’ve almost reached agreement on that bit of the proposal, but we need to explore this part further to address everyone’s concerns.” Check with everyone that you’ve got it right.

●

Synthesis Bringing together different ideas and trying to find a proposal that is agreeable to everyone is at the core of consensus. We call this process synthesis: finding connections between seemingly competing ideas and weaving them together to form proposals.

It is common for people to enter a discussion with strong views on concrete options they do and don't like. This is particularly the case when the discussion starts with only one option on the table, and people in the group end up taking sides according to whether they want it or not. Finding a way forward often involves taking a step backwards and exploring the reasons why people are into different options. This in turn helps you identify core concerns and things people are trying to achieve - which form the basis of the new, synthesised ideas.

Learning Activity 23 Seek consensus on meeting objectives Activity type

Group Discussion (observed by trainer)

Activity timing

45 minutes

Activity description

Referring to activity 23, continue the same group with another meeting and Seek consensus on meeting objectives regarding WHS accidents and incidents at the workplace and how to mitigate risks.

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Summarise outcomes of meetings and distribute to stakeholders Ensure that minutes are produced and promptly distributed to all attendees including guests and other stakeholders. Meeting minutes don't need to include everything everyone said. They do need to include following: ● ● ● ● ● ●

Date, time, location Attendees Key points raised and decisions made Motions and voting results if votes taken Who is responsible for what follow-up action and by when? Name of the Recorder

You should wrap-up your notes right after the meeting, while it's still fresh in your mind: ● ● ● ● ●

Complete your meeting notes and clarify points when necessary Double-check that decisions and actions are precisely noted Keep things as concise and digestible as possible Proofread with care. Nowadays you can use automated grammar checkers such as Grammarly to help you go faster If needed send the draft to the meeting leader before sharing with other attendees. (Especially for most formal meetings such as "board of directors" or committee meetings.)

Share the meeting minutes You made it! This last step is crucial: make sure to share your meeting minutes with all meeting attendees and relevant stakeholders. Furthermore, you can choose to host the meeting minutes in an organisation server/ database and collaborative tool like cloud drives and share with relevant parties so that everyone has easy access to it.

Learning Activity 24 Summarise outcomes of meetings and distribute to stakeholders Activity type

Written Task - Report

Activity timing

30 minutes

Activity description

Write a brief summary of outcomes of above (activity 22, 23, 24) meetings and to distribute to stakeholders.

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Section 4 Make presentations Identify forums to present according to organisational objectives A forum is a meeting or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged. Forum could be argued that they are the first social media spots online. It was a way for people to interact with one another on like-minded topics. Most forums are based around a specific topic or niche. It can refer to a meeting, a meeting house or any conversation that is available publicly such as: ● a public meeting place for open discussion ● a medium (such as a newspaper or online service) of open discussion or expression of ideas ● a judicial body or assembly: COURT ● a public meeting or lecture involving audience discussion (The town has scheduled a public forum to discuss the proposal). ● a program (as on radio or television) involving discussion of a problem usually by several authorities Forums can be useful for anyone doing business online, both in terms of reading the content and actively participating in the discussions. Reading a forum’s archives can be a good way to obtain a basic knowledge about a topic, and it also provides a historical perspective on trends and opinions. Participation, whether as a member, moderator, or owner, can help one achieve recognition within a business community, and may even generate highly-qualified business leads. Forums differ, however, in their treatment of self-promotion; some disallow any hint of self-promotion, some are geared specifically towards self-promotion, and many falls somewhere in between, limiting URL’s to an off-the-page member profile. It is very important to read the terms and conditions of each particular forum for a basic guideline as to what is acceptable. Additionally, it is a good idea to read archived posts in order to see the guidelines in action. Failure to do so can have negative consequences, including tarnishing your site’s reputation and getting permanently banned from the community. Identify the forum to present Discussion forums are a great way to incorporate student dialog in a class, be it face-to-face, hybrid, or fully online. On Web Access, we have 2 types of forum activities: Forum and Advanced Forum. They are very similar, with the Advanced Forums allowing for more setting options having to do with grading and other administrative elements. For both types of forums, you can choose from different types. It comes down to this question: how do you want the students to interact with each other? ●

News Forum The News forum is automatically generated in each Web Access course and all participants in the course are subscribed by default. Usually, only teachers and administrators may post to this forum. The standard Student role may not post new announcements or reply to announcements. It is usually used for important announcements like due date reminders, changes in the syllabus, class cancelation, etc.

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Standard forum for general use In order to foster community, it is common for a teacher to ask students to post something about themselves to a forum before actual classwork begins. The "Standard forum for

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general use" option is well suited to a conversation like this. Students are able to post and reply to as many new discussions as they wish as often as they like. This can also be a great forum for general discussion, both instructors initiated and student-initiated. ●

A single, simple discussion There are times when a discussion needs to be more focused. A teacher may want students to respond to a question about a single type of poetry, for example. The "Single, simple discussion" forum type is well-suited for this. However, students can see other replies before submitting their own.

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Each person posts one discussion There are times when a teacher needs more interaction than a single simple discussion and less than a standard forum for general use. If a teacher requires each student to begin a discussion about an interesting, useful resource he or she found on the Internet, the ‘each person posts a single discussion’ forum type might work well. Again, students can see each other's posts before submitting their own.

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Question and answer forum The Q&A forum requires students to post once before they are able to view and respond to other students' posts. This forum is useful when a teacher wants to encourage students not to depend on their classmates' thoughts, but rather to think for themselves before posting. A teacher might want his or her students to answer a question like, "Was Huck Finn less racist at the end of the novel than at the beginning? (Support your answer with examples and/or facts.)" The Q&A forum is ideal for such a situation. In this type of forum, the only person who can post a discussion thread is the instructor. Students reply to what the instructor has posted. They can only see the instructor’s initial post at first; once they submit their own reply, they will then be able to see what their classmates have previously posted. This is an idea in order to keep plagiarism to a minimum. In this type of forum, it is important to set up different due dates, so that students will be able to post an initial reply and also be able to respond or react to what their colleagues post.

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Small business forums This forum is primarily for small business owners with questions. Every topic having to do with starting a business is covered here. Different types of small business owners team up here to share their knowledge and allow you to ask questions. If you plan on starting a business in the future, this is the place to go. An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are often longer than one line of text, and are at least temporarily archived. Also, depending on the access level of a user or the forum set-up, a posted message might need to be approved by a moderator before it becomes publicly visible.

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A community forum A community forum is like a public meeting, where members of the community come together at a central location to share their ideas, opinions and concerns.

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Forum Type

What it is

What's Special

Where to Use This

Questions

Q&A forum, where users can ask questions and get answers from the community

Other users can upvote questions saying 'I Have this Question'

Q&A Forums, Tips and Tricks, and Discussions on workarounds

Ideas

Users can share an idea and start a discussion around it, and agents can share progress on the idea

Problems

Users can share a problem or bug and discuss it with the community

Announcement s

Agents or users can share general announcements and start a simple discussion on this

Other users can upvote the ideas saying 'I Like this Idea', and you can share progress on the idea, tagging the topic as 'Planned', 'In Progress', 'Deferred', 'Implemented' or 'Not Taken' Other users can upvote the problem saying 'I Have this Problem', the problem can be marked as solved or unsolved and can be updated when a fix is found Announcement forums do not have any voting options inside each topic; only agents can make an announcement

Feature requests, product roadmap ideas and solutions

Issues and bug-report forums

Major product announcements, fixes and release notes

Learning Activity 25 Identify forums to present according to organisational objectives Activity type

Individual verbal presentation

Activity timing

5-7 minutes per learner

Activity description

1. Explain to the learner group and trainer about meetings and forums you have attended. 2. What were the organisational objectives for attending forums? 3. How you have presented according to organisational objectives?

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Determine tone, structure, style of communication and presentation according to target audience Tone of voice is how the character of your business comes through in your words, both written and spoken and it is the non-verbal aspect of communication. It’s not about what you say, but rather the way you say it, and the impression it makes on everyone in your audience who reads or hears you. Tone is the intonation or sometimes called an inflection, it is the rise and fall of the sound. It may also be a vowel in the syllable of the word sustained and or a consonant which is over pronounced. Loaded emotion and energy in the tone of a voice creates variation in the meaning of the message. You must be sure that the emotion you use in your voice tone matches the message you want others to hear. The mistake is that sometimes we mislead our audiences and communicate in the wrong tone. Everyone you meet has their own way of expressing themselves that’s as unique as their face or fingerprint. Some are pleasant and polite. Others are pushy and in your face. Some say so much with just a few words. Others never seem to get to the point. Organisations and employees are no different. Formal and casual tones

● An example of a casual tone is: The way I look at it, someone needs to start doing something about disease. What's the big deal? People are dying. But the average person doesn't think twice about it until it affects them. Or someone they know.

● A formal tone is shown in this example: There was a delay in the start of the project, attributable to circumstances beyond the control of all relevant parties. Progress came to a standstill, and no one was prepared to undertake the assessment of the problem and determination of the solution.

How the tone affects the workplace Most of the time, people are able to control what types of words they use when communicating with others, but their tone is harder for them to manage. In the workplace, tone plays a huge role in productivity. If a manager or colleague sounds irritated, disinterested, or bored when providing supervision or suggestions, they are manifesting a negative tone. This can impact how employees see their manager or colleague, damaging overall morale and engagement. How to improve tonal communication 1. If there’s a problem, address it. No issue was ever resolved by letting it go. Sometimes the person in question is simply unaware of their tone. The best thing to do is address the elephant in the room, come to a resolution, and move on. 2. Listen to yourself. Have you ever recorded a meeting you were speaking in or even a sales call? If not, you should. Take this time to learn how you interact with and speak towards others. You might even find that your own tone surprises you. 3. Reflect. Most of the time, the reasoning behind a negative tone is a part of a bigger picture. If you are going through a tough time or are feeling a bit stressed, your tone can come off negatively without you even realizing it. Before you go into work, take some time to reflect Copyrights © 2021 Dynamics Learning Pty Ltd

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on how you’re feeling. The last thing you want is to blow up on innocent bystanders during your weekly team meeting.

Presentation structure Presentations need to be very straightforward and logical. It is important that you avoid complex structures and focus on the need to explain and discuss your work clearly. An ideal structure for a presentation includes:

● A welcoming and informative introduction; ● A coherent series of main points presented in a logical sequence; ● A lucid and purposeful conclusion. The introduction The introduction is the point at which the presenter explains the content and purpose of the presentation. This is a vitally important part of your talk as you will need to gain the audience's interest and confidence. Key elements of an effective introduction include:

● A positive start: "Good afternoon, my name is Adam and ..."; ● A statement of what will be discussed: "I am going to explore ..."; ● A statement of the treatment to be applied to the topic (e.g. To compare, contrast, evaluate, describe): "I will be comparing the four main principles of ..."; ● A statement of the outcomes of the presentation: "I hope this will provide us with ..."; ● A statement of what the audience will need to do (e.g. When they can ask questions or whether or not they will need to take notes): "I will pass round a handout that summarises my presentation before taking questions at the end." You should aim to deliver your introduction confidently (wait until the audience is quiet before you start speaking) and communicate energy and enthusiasm for your topic. Main points The main points are the backbone of your talk. They play an important role in helping you prioritise, focus and sequence your information. When planning your presentation, you should put aside your research notes and produce a list or summary of the main points that you would like to make, expressing each in a few words or a short sentence. Ask yourself: "what am I really telling them? What should they be learning here?". Your answers to these questions will help you communicate clear and effective messages to your audience. After you have identified your main points, you should embellish them with supporting information. For example, add clarity to your argument through the use of diagrams, illustrate a link between theory and practice, or substantiate your claims with appropriate data. Use the supporting information to add colour and interest to your talk, but avoid detracting from the clarity of your main points by overburdening them with too much detail. Transitions Transitions are the signposts that help the audience navigate their way through your presentation. They can help divide information up into subsections, link different aspects of your talk and show progression through your topic. Importantly, transitions draw the audience's attention to the process of the presentation as well as its content. Examples include: Copyrights © 2021 Dynamics Learning Pty Ltd

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● ● ● ●

"I will begin by discussing ..."; "Now that we have explored the ... I would like to move on to ..."; "In contrast to my earlier statements concerning ..."; "Moving away from a focus on ....";

Transitions can also be made without speaking. Non-verbal transitions include pausing, changing a slide or other visual aid, moving to a different area of the room before resuming speaking, or making eye contact with a different group in the audience. The Conclusion The conclusion is an essential though frequently underdeveloped section of a presentation. This is the stage at which you can summarise the content and purpose of your talk, offer an overview of what has been achieved and make a lasting impact. Important elements of a conclusion are:

● a review of the topic and purpose of your presentation: "In this presentation I wanted to explore ...";

● a statement of the conclusions or recommendations to be drawn from your work: "I hope to have been able to show that the effect of ....";

● an indication of the next stages (what might be done to take this work further?): "This does of course highlight the need for further research in the area of ...";

● an instruction as to what happens next (questions, discussion or group work?): "I would now like to give you the opportunity to ask questions ..."; ● a thank you to the audience for their attention and participation: "That's all I have time for. Thank you very much for listening." As with your introduction, you should try to address the audience directly during your conclusion, consolidating the impression of a confident and useful presentation. Summary A presentation needs a carefully defined structure to make the most impact. This should centre on a series of identifiable main points that are supported by appropriate detail. Use transitions to link and move between points, helping your audience to understand the development or your argument. An introduction and conclusion are essential elements of your presentation. They enable you to establish a clear purpose for your talk at the start and summarise your main points before you finish speaking.

Learning Activity 26 Determine tone, structure, style of communication and presentation according to target audience Activity type

Individual verbal presentation

Activity timing

5-7 minutes per learner

Activity description

• •

Explain situations of communication at your workplace. How did you determine tone, structure, style of communication and presentation according to target audience?

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Prepare presentation according to desired outcomes Presentations are included in many meetings. They can be interesting and informative or dull as dishwater. You don't want to be the one giving the boring presentation so take some time to prepare. Make a Plan Every presentation needs a plan. Short, effective presentations are often the result of carefully editing an hour-long boring slideshow down to a concise 15 minutes, and ending up with a huge success. Use the presentation checklist to help jog your memory as to what needs to be taken into consideration. Effective Delivery When presenting, remember that even if you have planned well and have all your facts and figures together you could still get it wrong if it is poorly delivered. Think of the audience as your friends. ● ● ● ● ●

Remember to smile when appropriate, certainly at the beginning and end. Maintain eye contact and ensure you include everyone in the audience. Stand comfortably and firmly with your feet slightly apart. Be confident. Don't worry about the odd mistake, everyone makes them. Dress appropriately, you don't want to draw attention away from the presentation by wearing a hideous tie or outrageous jewellery.

The Introduction The introduction must establish your credibility and tell the audience what's in it for them. Let them know why they should give you some of their time. Find out if you are to be introduced before you start your presentation. If you are, tell the introducer what to say to ensure that you are accurately introduced. Opening remarks Your opening remarks should provide the impact required to get the presentation off to a good start. Effective openings include short stories, quotations, relevant facts and examples. As you begin you may also wish to tell the audience how long the presentation will take, if breaks are planned (for longer sessions) and when they can ask questions (during or after). What and How If you wish people to remember you and respond to your presentation then the content must be interesting, informative and relevant to them. Think about where you are going and stick to the shortest route. The information must flow logically so people can follow your ideas. Steady Now Include attention grabbers where necessary but remember that is more effective to maintain a steady delivery than to put the audience through the ups and downs of a roller coaster ride. Support and Sales Support your case with facts, figures, examples and references. Bring it home to the audience by using examples that will help them apply your ideas to their own situations. Sell them on the idea by clearly stating the benefits.

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Repetition is the Law of Memory Any idea that you want your audience to remember needs to be repeated. You should vary the manner in which you repeat the important points but get it in there at least 3 times, more if possible. Use visuals Visual aids are helpful in presentations and are often used to appeal to different senses, focus the audience's attention, create a change of pace, aid understanding, create a more lasting impression, reinforce and provide reference material. There are a variety of aids you can employ such as acetates, PowerPoint slideshows, videos and product demonstrations. Be careful to make sure that everyone can see whatever aid you are using. You may wish to provide handouts if the slide show, for example, includes a lot of numbers or small writing. There are PowerPoint designers available who can help you creating a professional presentation. And don't overdo it. Keep slides to a maximum of five, limit the number of charts shown and how much is on each one. And always look at the audience when speaking or they may not be able to hear you as well. You can point to the screen or chart and then turn back to the audience to continue speaking. Questions Please You will most likely take questions at the end even if you allowed questions throughout the presentation. After the Q&A session give another concise summary of the presentation's main point just in case the questions dislodged them from anyone's memory. Wrap it Up It is important that you close the presentation on a positive note but take care to avoid hype and exaggeration. Concentrate on and reinforce the key issues that you want the audience to go away with. Speak directly to the audience rather than relying on a list of bullet points on screen. You must engage them and ensure everyone goes away discussing the key issues. Ideas of ways to end the presentation include: ● ● ● ●

Sum up and state your conclusion. Simplify a complex subject. Condense your main thought into a witty or colourful phrase. Ask for action.

It is important to prioritise your information at an early stage in the planning process. When planning your presentation, put aside your notes and write a simple outline of your talk. This outline should be based on a series of main points structured in a logical order. Make sure that you can express each of the key points in a few words or a simple sentence. If you cannot do this it is likely that you still haven't found a precise focus for your presentation. Remember that a clear focus enhances the impact of your talk. When you have identified your main points, you can move on to illustrate your argument with appropriate supporting information. Choose the supporting detail for each main point carefully to find one or two examples that make a real impact and will be remembered. A wealth of less illuminating detail will be much less effective. Finally, plan to open and close your presentation with a strong introduction and conclusion. Although these sections will demand time if they are to be effective, and thus further limit the amount of information that you can include, they are essential elements of effective presentations and should not be ignored.

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Plan an effective presentation Aims and Objectives This study guide offers you an insight into the process of planning an effective presentation. It focuses on the importance of the presenter's relationship with the audience and suggests key strategies for making an impact. What is an effective presentation? An effective presentation makes the best use of the relationship between the presenter and the audience. It takes full consideration of the audience's needs in order to capture their interest, develop their understanding, inspire their confidence and achieve the presenter's objectives. Careful planning is essential. Preparation Many factors affect the design of your presentation. A powerful presenter will acknowledge and address each of the following: ● objectives; ● audience; ● venue; ● remit. ● Objectives Why are you making your presentation? Bear in mind what you want to achieve and what you want your audience to take away with them. Once you have decided upon your objectives, you are in a much better position to make strategic decisions about the design and tone of your presentation. For example, a presentation to a seminar group might require a balanced argument, whereas a charity appeal might require a more creative approach. Ask yourself:

● What do you want your audience to have understood? ● What action do you want your audience to take following your presentation? ● How can you best design your presentation to meet your objectives? Audience Your audience will have a variety of different experiences, interests and levels of knowledge. A powerful presenter will need to acknowledge these and prepare for and respond to them accordingly. Ask yourself:

● How much will your audience already know about your topic? ● How can you link new material to things they might already understand? ● will you need to win them over to a particular point of view? You may not be able to answer these questions for each member of your audience but you should have enough information to ensure that you have targeted your material at the right level for their needs. This might involve avoiding technical jargon or explaining abstract concepts with clear practical examples. If you fail to consider your audience's needs, you will fail to appeal to their interest and imagination.

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Venue Where will you be making your presentation? What will the room be like? What atmosphere will the physical conditions create? A large lecture theatre might create a formal atmosphere. Similarly, a seminar room might create a less formal tone. Ask yourself:

● What kind of atmosphere do you wish to create? ● How might the room arrangement affect your relationship with the audience? ● can you do anything to change the arrangement of the room to suit your objectives? ● What audio-visual aids can you use? Remit You may well have been given a remit for your presentation; you will need to stick to this. For example, you may have been asked to present a paper at a conference in a certain style or meet certain assessment criteria on your course. Ask yourself:

● How much time have you been allocated? ● Are you required to stick to a common format or style? ● have any guidelines been set regarding the content of your presentation (i.e. a predetermined title, or a fixed number of overhead transparencies)? Choose your main points Once you have thought about the design of your presentation, you can define your main points. Try presenting no more than three main points in a ten-minute presentation. Always allow time for an adequate introduction and conclusion. It is difficult for an audience to follow a more complex argument without significant help from the presenter. A powerful presentation delivers information in a logical, structured manner, building on the previous point and avoiding large jumps in sequence. Ask yourself:

● What are the main points you wish to make? ● Are these points structured in a logical, coherent way? ● Do these main points reflect your own objectives and take account of the needs of your audience? Choose your supporting information The supporting information helps your audience understand, believe in and agree with your main points. This evidence might take the form of factual data, points of detail or an explanation of process. It might be presented in imaginative ways using diagrams, pictures or video segments. Think about:

● what will add clarity to your argument (explaining complex terms, reminding your audience of any supporting theories)? ● what will add authority to your argument (making connections with other people's work, quoting experts, offering evidence from your own research)? ● what will add colour to your argument (showing a video clip or a slide, using a practical example or a vibrant analogy)?

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Establish linking statements The next stage is to develop the linear flow of your presentation. This can be achieved by using linking statements to show clearly how your main points fit together. Common linking statements include: ● "The next stage in our project was to ..."; ● "Another important issue of consideration was ..."; ● "By following this argument, we can now see that ...". Linking statements send signals to your audience, highlighting the next point in your argument, linking to earlier ideas or clarifying the stage you have reached in your argument overall. This may be of particular importance in a lengthy presentation where even the most effective presenter has to work hard to keep an audience involved. Develop an opening The introduction to your presentation is crucial. It is your first point of contact with your audience; you can either capture or lose your audience's interest in a matter of seconds. Use your introduction to lay a clear foundation for the presentation to follow. Try using the following structure: ● introduce yourself; ● state what you will be talking about (a title or subject area); ● state how you will be talking about it (e.g. by comparing test results or reviewing the supporting literature); ● state what you intend to be the outcome of your presentation (an informed group, a lively discussion); ● state what you expect your audience to do (listen, take notes, read a handout, ask questions before/during/after). Always give your audience a moment to absorb this information before moving into your first main point. Develop a conclusion Your conclusion is another important stage in your presentation. You can use it to remind your audience of your main points, draw these points to a stimulating conclusion and leave your audience with a lasting impression of the quality of your presentation. The following structure provides a powerful conclusion: ● a review of your title or subject area. "In this presentation I wanted to explore the relationship between X and Y."; ● a summary of your main points. "We have discussed the following points..."; ● a summary of the process you have been through. "By looking at X we have found that Y ..."; ● a conclusion clearly drawn from your main points (this must be supported by the detail of your presentation). "It is clear that there can be no substantive relationship between X and Y"; ● a parting statement to stimulate your audience's thoughts (this might be a question or a bold comment). Review your presentation Once you have written your presentation make sure that you review its content. Ask yourself: ● does the presentation meet your objectives? ● is it logically structured? ● have you targeted the material at the right level for your audience? ● is the presentation too long or too short?

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Presentation preparation self-checklist Preparation

Yes

No

I have rehearsed my presentation. I have rehearsed my presentation in front of a mirror. I have given my presentation a trial run to a friend or colleague. I have checked that my presentation runs to the time allotted. I have taped/videoed myself and listened back to it. I have prepared speaker notes or cue cards. I have annotated my notes to help me get the emphasis right. I have thought about where to breathe. I have numbered my notes in case I drop them. I have prepared any visual aids that I may need. I have prepared any handouts that I wish to give out. I have checked my facts. I have done a grammar/spelling check. Technical I have confirmed that the audio-visual equipment I require will be in the room. I have saved my PowerPoint presentation onto at least two formats (disc/USB/hard drive/email). I have practiced using any unfamiliar technology that I am going to use. I have sourced an alternative version of any audio or video material (DVD and VHS) I have seen the room that I am going to be presenting in or had it described to me. I have turned off my mobile phone. I have checked the start time. Audience and Other Speakers I have thought about who is going to be in the audience. I have brainstormed a list of likely questions that I may be asked. I have found out who else will be speaking and what they will be speaking about. I have thought about any special needs my audience may have. I have thought about ways to engage the audience in my presentation. Personal I have got enough sleep the night before. I have considered how to combat my nervousness. I have thought about my personal appearance. I have looked after my health in the week preceding the presentation. I have brought a bottle of water to drink if my throat gets dry. I have thought about what else I am going to be doing that day. I've eaten breakfast.

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Learning Activity 27 Prepare presentation according to desired outcomes Activity type

Case study

Activity timing

45 minutes

Activity description

Your supervisor asked you to prepare a presentation regarding workplace accidents and incidents and how to minimise injuries. Prepare a 5- 10 slide presentation according to desired outcomes. Note: this activity is linked with activity 29. Read and address activity 29 in this activity.

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Provide an opportunity for audience to ask questions Aims and objectives The aim of this guide is to give you some practical strategies for handling and responding to questions during or at the end of an oral presentation. Many presenters fear the question and answer session at the end of their presentation because they feel that they are losing control of their input (speaking seems so much safer). However, it is important to remember that the questions are a vital part of the presentation for the whole audience as they allow for clarification and consolidation of learning. The presenter can enhance the effectiveness of the question and answer session by treating it as a formal part of the presentation that requires as much careful planning and control as the delivery of the core material.

Question and Answer Sessions Most seminars and conferences include a question and answer session. Such Q&A sessions should be hosted by someone who is capable of keeping the discussion flowing, controlling any potential problems or flare ups and giving everyone a fair turn. Sometimes the Q & A ``host" will be the one answering the questions, other times the host will be there to co-ordinate questions as they are asked of others. ●

● ● ●

● ● ●

●

●

Those taking the questions should try to remember the following: Believe that the person asking the question really wants to know the answer. It will make a difference to how you answer and will help you to avoid sarcasm and prevent offence. Listen actively and answer WHAT was asked. Do not try to take advantage of the questioner to get another point across. Using open questions, seek clarification if you are unsure about what is asked. Repeat the question if you are in front of a large audience. This ensures that everyone has heard it, clarifies the question in your mind and gives you an extra second or two to formulate your reply. Be as brief as possible while still providing a good answer. If not everyone in the room is interested in the question then give a brief answer and let the questioner know you would be happy to discuss it more fully with him/her later. Respond to negatives in a polite, positive and professional manner. Refer back to the facts that support your position that you have used in the presentation. Do not assume that the questioner heard these or realised their significance. He/she may have misheard, been distracted or out of the room at that point. If you cannot answer you may be able to ask someone else to take the question or promise to find out and tell the questioner when you will get back to them. Be sure to make a note of this and follow through. Deal with non-relevant questions politely and firmly. They can be deferred to another time or the questioner could be invited to send them to you via email.

Plan to take control The background work that you undertook whilst planning your presentation is the key to handling questions effectively. If you have defined a precise focus for your presentation and have explored this thoroughly in your background research and planning, you are more likely to be able to respond to questions with precise answers. If you have been unfocused in your preparatory work, this will come across in the way you answer questions. When planning your presentation, you will need to:

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● plan to leave plenty of time for questions so that the audience doesn't feel rushed (this might involve having to reduce the content of your talk);

● prepare prompts for questions that are open and straightforward: "That's the end of my presentation. I would now like to stop and take questions from the audience". As a further part of your planning you may decide to:

● define the topics for discussion: "Have you any questions on the four principles that I've outlined?"; ● avoid answering questions that fall outside of the remit of your talk: "I'm afraid that really falls outside of my objectives for today's presentation. Perhaps we can resume discussion of that particular point later?"

Responding to questions effectively One of the main problems with question and answer sessions is that the presenter's nerves frequently force an inappropriate response. This could be because a question has been misinterpreted or that only key words from the question have been heard rather than the full content. The following steps will help you respond more effectively to questions from your audience. 1. Step One - Listen It is important to listen to all parts of a question before drawing premature conclusions about your 'best' response. Frequently questions can change direction at the last moment, particularly if the questioner is thinking on her/his feet. This can throw you if you have already started to leaf through your material for the 'appropriate' response. Remember that questionnaires will frequently try to make a point whilst asking their question: "Surely a more meaningful interpretation of X is that it ...?" It is therefore important to both hear the content of the question and try to decipher the questioner's intention. 2. Step Two - Understand If you are worried that you haven't understood a question, clarify the area of enquiry before going any further. Check for direct confirmation by paraphrasing the question back to the questioner "You want me to explain the process of ...?" or check that your reply will be heading in the right direction "Do you mean in relation to factor X or factor Y?". 3. Step Three - Communicate and involve It is important to remember that even though you are taking a question from one member of the audience, as a presenter, you are still responsible for the interest and engagement of the other audience members. This is particularly important in large groups as the audience will become bored if the presentation descends into a series of one-to-one discussions. To involve the rest of the audience (and avoid potentially extended dialogue with the questioner) make sure the whole audience has heard and understood the question by outlining the area of enquiry: "I've been asked to outline my thinking behind ..." 4. Step Four - Respond When you reply to a question, direct your answer to both the questioner and other members of the audience. Try to keep your responses as focused as possible. This will help keep them brief and preserve space for other questions. To avoid going into too much detail, stop and check back with the questioner to see if you have answered his/her query: "Does that explain why we chose to ...?".

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5. Allow follow-up questions A particularly effective technique encourages your audience to ask questions after the event has finished through email discussion or telephone comments. This shows a particularly high level of respect for your audience's ideas and implies that the topic still has much further scope for enquiry.

Things to avoid When handling questions and answers, you will still need to be as polished and professional as you have been for the main delivery of your presentation. There are some common dangers that are useful to avoid. 1. Answering the question, you wished you'd been asked A common trick played by politicians, this strategy ignores the precise nature of the question and uses a predetermined answer to the broad topic area. If handled ineptly, this technique is very obvious to the audience and frustrating to the questioner. 2. Making a second 'mini' presentation This is the process whereby you make a lengthy response, including all the information you'd left out in planning the main presentation. Remember, you left that information out for a reason! Your unplanned response will be unstructured and rambling, so keep things focused and brief (check the time as you respond). You can always offer to forward lengthy details after the event. 3. Passing the blame "That wasn't my idea, my supervisor did the preliminary work, I've simply attempted to ..." Passing the blame to others comes across as weak and evasive. If an idea from the audience is a good one, acknowledge its value. If it isn't, make a polite rebuttal and move on. 4. Defensive answers Occasionally, questions can really put you on the spot, but it is important to remain calm and in control. An aggressive or defensive reply will be seen as weakness on your part and will spoil the effect of an otherwise successful presentation.

Handling difficult questions It is important not to start responding to a difficult question before you have thought about the answer. Repeating the question and asking for clarification will help create some space for your thoughts. Sometimes you will need to think about a question for a moment before responding. You may be able to buy a little bit of thinking time to help focus your response. Useful strategies include searching for an appropriate visual aid to help focus your response or simply pausing for a moment or two to think. For even more time, suggest that you will come back to the topic later (but don't forget to do this). Sometimes questions are too difficult to answer. Don't worry about admitting that you don't know something or haven't considered an alternative approach. An enthusiastic "That's an interesting idea, I'd not thought of that" is much more positive than a mumbled "I don't know". Remember that a presentation is a two-way process and it is important to show that you are learning from your audience as well.

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Occasionally, questions will fall outside of the remit of your talk and it would be too much of a diversion to tackle them in front of the whole audience. Respond positively to any such questions and suggest that they best be tackled by a quick chat after the event. Finally, you can come across a questioner who disagrees strongly with your argument. Although this can feel very awkward, remember that you are still responsible for the whole audience and that you cannot allocate all of your question time to one individual (no matter how passionate her/his views are). If you feel that you have answered the initial question, announce that you will move on and suggest that you might continue discussion after the presentation. If the questioner persists, use an assertiveness technique called 'broken record' to assert your position calmly: "I'm afraid I need to move on ... I do need to move on ... I would like to move on now." Your final sanction is to take another question or even close the presentation. In summary, question and answer sessions are important elements of any presentation. Plan for the question session by determining when you will be inviting questions and specifying any themes that you would like questionnaires to pursue. Clearly announce the start of your question session and involve all audience members in the way that you repeat and respond to questions. Make sure you respond to the question being asked and have practiced methods for dealing with awkward questions. Avoid common pitfalls by responding to questions positively and enthusiastically whilst keeping your answers brief and focused. Above all, don't be afraid to admit what you don't know: it is better to admit the limits of your knowledge than attempt an uninformed answer.

Learning Activity 28 Provide an opportunity for audience to ask questions Activity type

Individual verbal presentation

Activity timing

3-5 minutes per learner

Activity description

While making your presentation in activity 28, provide an opportunity for the audience to ask questions.

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Follow up with stakeholders following presentation Ask and receive The first sources you should tap for feedback are your co-workers and friends. Take the time to ask your closest colleagues to critique your presentation. Listen to what they have to say, paying special attention to points that repeat. It’s a great idea to email everyone who leaves you a card after attending your presentation. A simple follow up can serve as a thank you and an informal request for any feedback they may have to offer. Remember, these folks are networking themselves, and they want to be in touch with you. Many of them will be happy to offer their reactions. There are various ways you can follow up with your stakeholders to get their input for your presentation, these include: ●

In-person discussions. Ideally, an in-person, face-to-face discussion is the best way to get input. In-person discussions allow for follow-up questions, inflection, and nonverbal language that can be told in a stakeholder’s input. If you can, schedule a meeting time and place that works for them, such as the end of the work day at their office.

●

Phone discussions. Next to in-person discussions, phone discussions are the most preferred. Similar to being in-person, you can hear their voice, ask follow-up questions, and address any last-minute questions or concerns that your stakeholder may have on your presentation.

●

Group discussions. It’s not advisable to discuss varying stakeholder roles and departments in a group setting. However, you may have two or three stakeholders who come from one department or share similar responsibilities. In this case, a group discussion allows stakeholders to hear each other’s feedback, build on one another’s input, and agree (or disagree) with what their colleagues are saying.

●

Surveys or email. Though often a last resort, surveys and emails can be valuable for obtaining stakeholder input in cases when it’s hard to set a convenient time to talk in-person. This lets them answer your questions when it’s most convenient for them, whether in the office between meetings or at home finishing up any last-minute work.

Asking the right questions You’ve identified your stakeholders: You’ve informed them of your follow up and what you’re seeking: And you’ve scheduled an interview to learn more about the quality of your presentation: However, asking the right questions is essential to getting the information you need. As we all have learned, there are two types of questions: 1. Close-ended questions. These prompts your yes/no responses. While they can open the door to follow-up questions, close-ended questions can establish some must-know information first or help control conversations that may wander off. These questions often start with do/don’t, will/won’t, etc. 2. Open-ended questions. Contrary to yes/no responses, open ended questions require more input and longer answers, typically requiring a follow-up. These questions often start with why, how, what, etc.

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The types of questions you ask may range from broad to in-depth, depending on the stakeholders you’re talking to and how their feedback could steer the presentation for improvement direction. For example, broad questions might include: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

How does the presentation and its content impact your role/department/team/bottom line? What do you like or dislike about the presentation delivery? How is this presentation important to your target audience? Have I been very clear that the audience (you) could understand what I was presenting? Are you happy with the visuals I used to present? What do you think of the slide content, is it too much wording or too little wording?

Based on the answers, you may have followed up questions to better understand a stakeholder’s point of view. Remember: It’s never unacceptable to ask “Why?” when you hear an answer that piques your interest.

Learning Activity 29 Follow up with stakeholders following presentation Activity type

Role-play (observed by trainer)

Activity timing

5-7 minutes per learner

Activity description

This activity is linked with the above two activities (activity 28 and 29). • Discuss with stakeholders (fellow learners and your trainer) about your presentation and seek feedback.

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Evaluate presentation and identify areas for improvement Collecting presentation feedback is probably low on your list of priorities, especially if you’re terrified of public speaking and not making a fool of yourself in front of a group of people is your biggest concern. But having some sort of response system in place so your audience can provide you with feedback on your presentation is an incredibly useful (not to mention inexpensive) way to improve your public speaking skills and become an even better presenter. Why is getting presentation feedback so important? For starters, when people provide you with feedback—even if it’s negative—you know they were paying attention. They were listening and watching, and by telling you what they thought of your presentation, they’re giving you input on your overall message, from what you said to how you said it. That’s powerful information; it’s the best way for you to know if your presentation is doing what you want it to, whether that’s to inform, persuade, or motivate other people. Who better to tell you than the people in your audience? Choose the right response system Despite its usefulness, speakers continue to pass up the opportunity to poll audiences to get their feedback on a presentation. Certainly, no one wants to feel rejected or be told their presentation was terrible, but wouldn’t you rather be told your presentation missed the mark, than to continue delivering bad presentations that don’t engage audiences? Not only that, but without presentation feedback, a speaker is forced to self-evaluate. Some will be overly-critical while others will be selfcongratulatory—neither of which are beneficial or inspire the speaker to get better. Offer a presentation feedback form In our Presentation Skills Training workshops, we talk about the importance of making a connection with the audience, and that connection doesn’t need to end with the presentation. An immediate response system, such as providing your audience with a presentation feedback form to fill in and return at the end of the presentation is one way to gauge your performance. You can also encourage audience members to use other methods to provide feedback, such as directly to you through temp email, on social media, or online on Google or Yelp. This way, they’re not only helping you by rating your presentation, but their positive reviews will bolster your reputation, which will encourage others to work with you. And they’re staying connected with you beyond the presentation. If the thought of having people “judge” your presentation frightens you, think about how getting positive feedback will make you feel. If you’re someone who lacks confidence or tends to be selfcritical of your performance, hearing others tell you your presentation was inspiring or enjoyable can go a long way to helping you overcome your feelings of inadequacy. Using presentation feedback to achieve your goals Whatever the situation that’s brought you to the podium—whether you’re a keynote speaker at a fundraiser or delivering a sales pitch—getting presentation feedback can be energizing. Consider how you feel when a manager or co-worker congratulates you on a job well done. You feel invigorated and motivated to continue doing a good job that gets recognized. The same is true of positive presentation feedback: When you know you’ve achieved your goal of connecting with an audience, you’re motivated to keep making those connections—and make them even better.

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So, what should your presentation feedback form (or other response system) look like? That’s up to you. But however, you decide to collect presentation feedback, use the comments you receive to: ● ● ●

Assess what you are doing well and where you need to improve Understand how your message is being received by others Direct you toward achieving your goals (e.g., increase your number of sales)

Not all feedback is bad The term ‘feedback’ has earned a bad rap with some people. They hear it and run because they’re afraid someone will say something negative about them. Not all feedback is negative, and not all of it is positive. But it should always be constructive, and as a public speaker you should want to hear it all. It’s the best way to know what your audience is getting from your presentation so you can improve your public speaking skills. ●

Think it over Take some time to sort through all of the feedback you’ve been able to gather on your last presentation. This may seem boring or tiresome, but even 15 minutes of really focusing on what you’ve pulled together will reveal patterns – good and bad – that you can make use of in – or eliminate from – your next presentation.

●

One more time Don’t be shy about following up on feedback. Do you need more clarity? Has an observation raised more questions? People love to be asked for their opinions! Good, clear feedback is the only kind that will help, so get what you need.

●

Incorporate Take what you’ve learned and apply it to your next endeavour. Follow this plan every time and you will see vast improvements in your confidence and in the presentations themselves.

Learning Activity 30 Evaluate presentation and identify areas for improvement Activity type

Written Task - Report

Activity timing

30 minutes

Activity description

Evaluate your presentation and identify areas for improvement Develop a short report about your presentation and required improvements you have identified.

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BSBCMM511 – Section 4– Make presentations

Make improvements to presentations based on feedback received In order to provide the most effective presentations, the feedback from audience members should be gathered and used as a continuous improvement strategy for future sessions. Reflect on the types of information that participants want clarified and determine whether it is necessary to adjust the presentation in some way. Adjustments often relate to reassessing delivery style so it is more responsive to the characteristics of the target audience. Respond to participants respectfully and avoid showing frustration or annoyance if it becomes clear that some participants have not assimilated the information presented. Think on your feet to identify and overcome any barriers to communication. During the presentation, check whether any adjustments you have made are having the desired effect. There are a number of actions you can take to adjust the presentation to address the needs of the target audience and ensure the intended outcomes are achieved. Evaluations should identify the presenter's obvious ‘tendencies’ and measure the effectiveness of the presentation. The use of evaluation tools also enables the presenter to identify if how they perceive themselves is different to how their audience perceive them. This is a very common perception bias issue. Some presenters will always underrate their performance whilst others will always overrate it. Identifying the issues where differences of perception exist between the presenter and audience can provide valuable and often surprising feedback to the presenter. It is therefore recommended that a presenter use both types of evaluation tools. An issue to always keep in mind when seeking and evaluating audience feedback is that different members of the audience may have different personal experiences with presentations. Someone who has been to many presentations or who frequently makes presentations may provide different feedback to someone who has never seen a presentation or make one themselves. Individuals can also vary in what appeals to them e.g. some may love lots of visual aids and others want the minimum possible amount. These factors can sometimes help explain why individual feedback may differ quite significantly for the same presentation. You will have your own preferences and style but you can try to cater to as wide a range of audience needs as possible. Remember however, you cannot be all things to all people; use relevant feedback and keep trying to do your best.

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Example: Audience Evaluation Your name (optional): Date: Presentation Title: Content

Excellen t

Good

Averag e

Poor

1. Explanation of aims and expected outcomes was… 2. The pace of the session was… 3. The overall duration was… 4. The sequence and flow of topics was… 5. The workplace relevance in this program was… 6. The amount of interesting information I received was… Materials 1. The visual aids were… 2. The written material and hand-outs were… 3. Preparation and organisation seemed… 4. Practical exercises were… 5. The resources which I can take-away are…

Environment 1. In general, this location was… 2. Health and safety in this location was… 3. Temperature in the program was… 4. Seating and furniture was… 5. Catering was…

Presenter 1. The presenter’s knowledge of the subject seems… 2. Time dedicated to my questions / problems was… 3. The way that session outcomes were explained was… 4. Responsiveness to participant needs was… 5. Delivery style of the presenter was… 6. The presenter’s preparation / organisation seemed… What was the most valuable part of the presentation? What was the least valuable part of the presentation? How could this presentation be improved? Would you recommend this presentation to others?

❒ Yes

❒ No

Why/Why not?

Thank you for your feedback Please hand your completed form to your presenter Copyrights © 2021 Dynamics Learning Pty Ltd

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Example: A self-assessment checklist YES

NO

I identified the purpose of the presentation I established and clearly communicated the objectives I researched my audience I brainstormed the main ideas and built my presentation around them I warmly welcomed the audience and completed ‘housekeeping’ tasks I had a good introduction (a preview) and a good conclusion (review) I ‘grabbed’ the attention of the audience My visual aids were neat, accurate, simple and had impact I practised a few times as if I was at the venue My notes were brief but adequate with key words I set up the seating and venue so that it was comfortable I did not read from my notes, I used them to guide me My body language was good I maintained eye contact throughout the presentation My voice was strong, clear and easy to hear I had good questions prepared as well as anticipated answers I was able to persuade my audience I remembered to pause at times I was able to relax but stay enthusiastic I felt I connected to the audience I farewelled and thanked the audience Recommended Actions for any item with a ‘No’ response

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McHale, B. (2019), How To Engage And Communicate With Project Stakeholders?, Available at: https://www.projectcentral.com/ blog/ project-stakeholder-engagement, Accessed 04 November 2020. Policy and procedures for meetings (2013) Skill Maker, Available at: https://www.skillmaker.edu.au/ policy-and-procedures-for-meetings, Accessed 04 November 2020. Presentation skills, (n.d.) OER Resources, Available at: https://www.le.ac.uk/oerresources/ ssds/ presentationskills/index.htm, Accessed 07 December 2020. Raspass, G. (2014), ‘Influence and communication: A short guide’ DeakinCo, Available at: https://www.deakinco.com/ media-centre/news/influence-and-communication-a-short-guide, Accessed 23 December 2020. Sandling, J. (n.d.), Jonathan Sandling, The Four Levels of Authority, Available at: https://jonathansandling.com/ the four-levels-of-authority, Accessed 12 November 2020 The 5 Most Common Problems of Organizations (n.d.) CMOE, Centre for Management & Organisation Effectiveness, Available at: https://cmoe.com/ blog/organizational-problem, Accessed 04 November 2020. Top Ten Tips for... Effective Cross-Cultural Communication (n.d.), CHRysos, HR Solutions Ltd, Available at: https://www.chrysos.org.uk/ blog/top ten-tips-for-effective-cross-culturalcommunication, Accessed 04 November 2020. What is communication (n.d.), Skills You Need, Available at: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ ips/ what-is-communication.html, Accessed 04 November 2020. What Is Tone of Voice and Why Does It Matter? (2015) The Acrolinx Team, Available at: https://www.acrolinx.com/ blog/what-is-tone-of-voice, Accessed 04 November 2020. What is media? Definition and meaning (n.d.), MBN, Available at: https://marketbusinessnews.com/ financial-glossary/ media-definition-meaning, Accessed 04 November 2020.

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