Chapter 2

Mastering Team Skills and

Interpersonal Communication

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 Learning Outcomes

 Characteristics of effective teams

 Collaborative communication
 Productive team meetings
 The listening process
 Nonverbal communication
 Business etiquette

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 Tips for Success

“Good listeners will achieve

more business success in their careers.”

— Tony Martino, Vice President Human Resources,

Communication & Corporate Affairs
Xerox Canada

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Teams: Advantages & Disadvantages

 Information and knowledge - Risk of groupthink

 Diversity of views - Hidden agendas
 Acceptance of solutions - High costs
 Performance levels

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 Characteristics of Effective Teams

 Understanding of purpose

 Open and honest communication

 Consensus building

 Creative thinking

 Focus

 Conflict resolution

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 Guidelines for Collaborative Writing

 Allocate roles  Resolve problems openly

and directly
 Agree on project goals
 Delegate writing tasks
 Allow time for bonding
 Ensure compatibility of
 Clarify responsibilities tools and techniques

 Establish clear processes  Check in regularly

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Technologies for Collaborative Writing

 Content management systems

 Wikis

 Groupware, collaboration platforms

 Cloud computing

 Shared workspaces (intranets, extranets)

 Social networking

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 Feedback

 Constructive feedback - Destructive feedback

 Directed at process and - Directed at the person
outcomes involved
 Yields improvement - Yields limited or no
improvement

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Preparing for Meetings

1. Clarify purpose

2. Select participants

3. Choose venue and time

4. Set and share agenda

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Conducting Efficient Meetings

 Keep meeting on track

 Follow agreed-on rules

 Encourage participation

 Participate actively

 Close effectively

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 Using Meeting Technologies

 Virtual meetings: save money, resources, stress; give teams

access to expertise

- Instant messaging
- Teleconferencing
- Video conferencing
- Virtual whiteboards
- Webinars
- Virtual worlds

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 Types of Listening

 Content listening: retain information

 Critical listening: understand, evaluate message

 Empathic listening: understand speaker’s feelings

 Active listening: conscious, engaged listening

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 The Listening Process

Message

Receiving Decoding Remembering

Feedback Message

Responding Evaluating

Message

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 Barriers to Listening

 Selective listening

 Failing to focus and slow down

 Selective perception, defensive listening

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 Nonverbal Communication

 Facial expressions

 Gestures and posture

 Vocal characteristics

 Personal appearance

 Touch

 Time and space

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 In the Workplace

 Appearance: style of dress

 Grooming

 Personal demeanour

 Punctuality and engagement in meetings

 Phone skills

 Mobile phone use and rules

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 In Social Settings

 Appropriate appearance and actions

 Cultural customs

 Effective introductions

 Dining etiquette

 Mobile phone use

 Appropriate conversation and actions

 Virtual assistant use

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 Business Etiquette Online

 No personal attacks

 Focus on topic

 Opinions versus facts

 Expectations of spelling, grammar, etc.

 Virus protection

 Invitation to IM chat

 Language and emotions

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Business Etiquette Online (cont’d)

 No multitasking

 Privacy

 Limits to “reply all”

 Expectations for replies

 Clear, complete messages

 Boundaries of time and space

 Use of commenting features

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 Real-World Application

Jason never seems to be paying attention during weekly team

meetings. He has never contributed to the discussion, and
you’ve never seen him take notes. He says he wants to
support the team but he finds it difficult to focus during
routine meetings.

What do you suggest?

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