H.T.S. Crest Holy Trinity School
Grade 9 Business
Effective Communication


Related Terms

Protocol: the forms of ceremony and etiquette accepted as correct in official dealings

Etiquette: The forms of conduct or behaviour prescribed by custom or authority to be observed in social, official, or professional life.

Diplomacy: Skill in handling affairs without arousing hostility or causing discomfort.

Purpose

To make social and professional interaction more comfortable and more rewarding for those involved.


Philosophy

"You'll catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar."


Strategies

  1. Avoid inflating your own image or esteem while communicating with others. Rather, direct your efforts toward nurturing the listener’s esteem and self-confidence, subtly and by implication, at any given opportunity.

  2. Whenever possible, provide the benefit of the doubt to the listener (or to whomever you are speaking of).

  3. Place the listener's interests first - directly and indirectly (even if only through the tone and the manner with which you make your statements.)

  4. Concentrate on empathizing with the listener's position, situation, or circumstances.

  5. Be succinct and clear when expressing your position, as well your needs, wants, or goals. Even if your goal is to vent frustration, at least make this goal clear at the outset.

  6. Never present your opinion in absolute terms, such as "No, you're wrong. Bruce Lee was Korean." Always leave yourself a margin of error by using expressions such as, "It was my understanding...", or "In my opinion..." These methods dissassociate your opinion from your self-esteem, allowing you to be wrong and to not look like a complete idiot.

  7. Avoid using analogies, such as, "It’s kind of like when... " or "This reminds me of..." Analogies usually confuse the situation or subtly emphasise the aspects of the situation that suit only one person’s perspective. If you have a point to make regarding a situation, make the point with respect to that situation - don’t waste time making a point about some other situation that "kind of reminds you of this one."

  8. Be honest. Avoiding the truth or concealing your true motives will usually only trap you in the end. Our attempts to conceal our true motives are usually far more obvious to onlookers than we realize. In addition, the actions we take while concealing our true motivations will often appear to be quite strange and irrational to others.








    Activity 1

    Examine the following non-diplomatic expressions and observe how the same meaning is expressed in more diplomatic terms. State why the initial expression is non-diplomatic, and then identify the strategy that was used in order to correct the expression.

    Non Diplomatic ExpressionA Diplomatic Equivalent
    "You're lying!""Really?! Well, I suppose that is possible."
    "There's no way I'm driving anywhere with you!""I thank you for the offer, but I would feel more comfortable having my father pick me up."
    "The '92 Laser is faster than the Porsche 911.""It was always my understanding that the '92 Laser is faster than the Porsche 911 - but I couldn't say for certain."
    "There’s no reason why you can’t just do that yourself!""Oh come on, you're a quick learner - you'll be an expert at that in no time!"














    Activity 2

    Using the diplomatic strategies presented above, try replacing the following non-diplomatic expressions with more diplomatic statements.


    1. I'm not spending $50.00 to see some stupid Rap concert!

    2. Rick - as student council treasurer?! That's stupid, he's a thief!

    3. I'm not going to be in a group with him!

    4. There's no way I can lose, I have no competition!

    5. Even if I did have $10.00, I certainly wouldn't loan it to you!

    6. Why should I do all the work around here?!

    7. Your need to win all the time just isn't rational. You remind of that guy in the movie who was so obsessed with living up to his mother's expectations that he ended up going crazy and killing a bunch of people!"

    8. Take a shower, you stink!

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