The art of effective communication

1. © Gladeana McMahon, 2013
KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU
The Art of Effective Communication
GLADEANA McMAHON

2. Why Communication
Matters
 Improves interpersonal skills/understanding
 Builds trust
 Diminishes conflict
 Increases profitability
© Gladeana McMahon, 2013

3. The Knowledge Base
Martin Seligman (1998)
Psychologist, Cognitive Behavioural Therapist,
originator of the Positive Psychology now part of
mainstream psychological understanding.
© Gladeana McMahon, 2013

4. Positive Psychology
 Numerous studies on many topics, health,
psychological well-being, happiness, work,
institutions, society etc
 Mainstream and integrated into work places, training
programmes, coaching, education, mental health etc
© Gladeana McMahon, 2013

5. Positive Psychology
 Cultivates leadership, teamwork, work ethic
 These support positive emotions
 All based on being able to communicate well
© Gladeana McMahon, 2013

6. Learned Behaviour
© Gladeana McMahon, 2013
Genetic Predisposition
Bad News = 50% Genetic loading
10% Life events
Good News = 40% minimum within
individual control!
Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness: The
architecture of sustainable change. Review of General Psychology, 9, 111-131. USA

7. Understanding Work
Positive workplaces understand the need for
 Variety of tasks
 Money doesn’t do it for all (intrinsic motivation,
recognition, praise, flow)
 Focusing on strengths
© Gladeana McMahon, 2013

8.  Building teams (communication etc)
 Keeping staff motivated through positive
feedback
© Gladeana McMahon, 2013
Understanding Work

9. © Gladeana McMahon, 2013
Gallup Survey, 2005
Understanding Work

10. © Gladeana McMahon, 2013
 Positive Managers have consistently higher
performing teams
 Positive Managers have less absenteeism,
communication difficulties and staff related
issues
Understanding Work

11. © Gladeana McMahon, 2013
 Blackberries, Computers, remote working,
emails
 Poor Listening Skills
Blocks to Communication

12. © Gladeana McMahon, 2013
L = Listen (2 eyes, 2 ears and 1 mouth)
E = Evaluate (motivations, possibilities)
A = and (think before you speak)
R = Respond(check out understanding)
N = Now
LEARN to listen

13. © Gladeana McMahon, 2013
O = Occupation, history, role etc
P = Personal
E = Environment
N = Non work activities
OPEN to knowing people

14. © Gladeana McMahon, 2013
Open Questions
What, Where, How, When, why?
OPEN to knowing people

15. Resources : Books
Positive Psychology for Dummies, Gladeana
McMahon & Averil Leimon, 2009, John Wiley &
Sons.
Effective Communications, the most important
Management skill of all, John Adair, 2009, Pan
Publishers
© Gladeana McMahon, 2013

16. Gladeana McMahon
www.gladeanamcmahon.com
www.cognitivebehaviouralcoachingworks.com