CELDA ELECTROQUIMICA

Leading questionsdirect the recipient to respond in a particular way: in line with the answer the interviewer either wants or expects. Clearly, they are not an aid to effective communication, as the receiver is not being given the opportunity to consider the message and make a decision about their own response.

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hypothetical questions

Questions which ask the recipient to apply their knowledge and experience to hypothetical (i.e. imaginary) situations. leading questions Questions which steer the recipient into responding in a particular way, in line with the answer the interviewer either wants or expects.

Summary

● Interviewing is a key communication skill for managers and prospective managers. As well as formal interactions, such as recruitment, appraisal or disciplinary/grievance interviews, a manager or supervisor will also need to be able to cope more informally with situation as they arise.

● For formal interviews, such as appraisals and recruitment interviews, practical considerations are really important. Make sure the room is set out appropriately and ensure that you won’t be interrupted. Take time to prepare properly and familiarise yourself with any advance paperwork – such as the candidate’s CV or an employee’s job description and appraisal history. Allow enough time to make a reasonable assessment, and be systematic in your approach.

● Begin by establishing a rapport and explaining what will happen during the interview. End by summarising the discussion and explaining what will happen next.

● In more informal, ad hoc situations, you may not have time to prepare and there may be no paperwork. However, the same principles apply. Make sure there is a beginning – where the conversation is opened – a middle – the key part of the interview – and an end.

● Whatever the situation, three skills are vital – appropriate questioning, active listening and the ability to clarify and summarise. The interviewer must also be able establish a rapport and manage the discussion effectively.

● Effective questioning is an important aspect of interviewing and an effective interviewer will use different approaches according to need. The main types are: open, closed, probing and hypothetical.

Stop and think

9.3

Make a recording of a television interview. Analyse the types of questions used and the responses they elicit. Also look out for any non-verbal signals and how they were used. Was the exchange an example of effective communication?

Presentations

List of topics

Introduction

1 The importance of presentations 2 Preparing to present

3 Know your audience

4 Presentation format and structure 5 Presentation techniques

6 Audio-visual equipment

The presentation is still regarded as a difficult communication channel. Most of us have had some experience of sitting through a badly delivered presentation and many otherwise self-confident people are reduced to panic at the prospect of delivering a presentation themselves. All presentations exhibit one similar characteristic:

presenters are judged by how they perform. A message that is poorly presented can be poorly received, regardless of the quality of its content. Small differences – an ill- chosen word or phrase, a hesitation, a misplaced emphasis – can all too easily dilute the impact. However, understanding the dynamics of presentations and mastering some basic skills and techniques can help most of us to make the most of such a potentially powerful communication channel. This chapter looks at the planning necessary for effective presentation and how to apply some of the tools and techniques available.

1

The importance of presentations

Presentations are important. All sorts of things can be involved. Presentations may be necessary:

● at an internal meeting

● externally, to distributors or customers perhaps ● to a committee (or board)

● at a conference or business event.

Presentations may have to be made to people you know, or those that you do not know; to more senior people, difficult people or those who are younger or older than you. You may need to speak to 10, 20 or 200 people; or more.

1.1 The power of the presenter

Most presentations take the format of an individual or individuals addressing a live audience in the room where the presentation is being made. Although this may make the presenter feel vulnerable, they are, in fact, in a position of some power. The receivers of the presenter’s message, i.e. the audience, have very little control over the

PART THREE Verbal communication

presentation, and are not in a position of being able to stop the flow of information or review or clarify something which has already been said, which generally has to wait until the end of the session. This lack of balance, and the tendency for the

communication to default to being one-way, is another reason why presentations can be an ineffective communication channel.

Presenters need to be aware of this potential problem and act positively to involve the audience by:

● engaging and retaining their attention

● making the presentation accessible by structuring the material appropriately and the judicious use of signposting (see below)

● stimulating interaction with the audience by asking questions or soliciting feedback.

2

Preparing to present

Few people can speak without thought. It was the author Mark Twain who said, ‘It usually takes me three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.’ Preparation is key to success.