Why Did The Titanic Sink

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, my name is Jack I’m here to present on “How workers can better communicate with each other and their clients, lets get it started. Here's a question for you...Why did the Titanic sink? Because there was a lack of communication. Better communication could have prevented the Titanic from ramming into that iceberg. Communication has to be one of the most important skills no matter what industry you're in, in this case, the community service sector. However, many workplaces neglect to trained their employees in art of communicating. Now I will be going through a few steps and tips to help you become a better communicator.

1. Rapport building or what I like to call - “Breaking the Ice” literally (Titanic reference)

When meeting someone for the first time it helps to reduce the tension and make them feel more relaxed and comfortable, here are some ways to 'break the ice':

2. I'm going to talk more about 'ACTIVE LISTENING'. Lets be honest most of us are awful listeners, sometimes on purpose. Instead of listening to what your co worker is saying we are quick to interrupt and eager to give our response. You will never build good rapport with your co workers if you don't give them your undivided attention.

3. Once you have mastered 'listening' you must rephrase what you hear. Rephrasing is all about repeating the important points back to your co workers to shows that you are listening and understand what they're talking about. This also gives you and your co worker a chance to clarify any confusions and misunderstanding.

4. Lets move on to - Body language You need to pay more attention to your body language because 55% of communication is done through the body (Is Nonverbal Communication a Numbers Game? | Psychology Today. 2015) . Observe your co worker's body language when they talk it can tell you a lot.

5. Cater to your co-worker's communication

Your co-worker will have their own communication style, some will prefer emails, others prefer talking on the phone or text and use social media. Recent Sensis report revealed that 21% of employees use social media during their working day (The Perils of Social Media in the workplace. 2015). So consider and respect your co-workers prefer methods.

6. Give positive feedback Of course, you want your co workers and your clients to do their best. Remember to always give positive comments. Provide positive reinforcement when there’s a job well done. However according to statistics 98% of employees will fail to be engaged when managers give little or no feedback.(Statistics On The Importance Of Employee Feedback. 2015)

7. Let's all get personal People tend to drop their guard down when you talk about their interests outside of work. People love to talk about their family, ask about a co-workers kid's birthday on last weekend. Find a way to connect with your co-workers without being too personal. This also helps with building trust as well.

8. Practice makes prefect Communication is a skill you must practice, the more you practice the better you will be. Always keep in mind the way you're communicating with your co workers and ask yourself “Is there any room for improvement” and never stop learning.