Page 29 - Communication in Organizations Basic Skills and Conversation Models

Communication in organizations 18

Structure
By structure we mean: the clarity and orderliness of an amount of information. Whenever
you are going to give an explanation, it is of importance during preparation to divide it
into a number of points. At the beginning of the explanation you can best start with short
indications of these points. Then the conversational partners will know what is to follow.
After that you discuss the various points, specifying the transitions between them: That is
what I wanted to say about the first point. Let us now turn to the second.’ At the end it is
sometimes useful to recapitulate the contents.

Simplicity of style

The conversational partner is most likely to understand the information being presented if
you use short sentences, known words and clear wording, and speak in a calm tempo.
Someone who wishes to demonstrate their expertise through impressive use of language
often achieves the opposite effect in the listener. Notions such as clarity and
comprehensibility are, after all, relative. The correct choice of wording is dependent, for
example, on the level of education of the conversational partner and the level of his
familiarity with the subject. Therefore there are no precise directives to be given. It is
very important to be alert to the reaction of the person or persons to whom you speak.
Information delivered too simply or too slowly arouses boredom or annoyance, as does
complex information given too quickly. The feedback that you receive, either verbally or
nonverbally, forms an important source of information for the speaker. When the
feedback is negative, for example when the conversational partners begin to yawn or to
ask all sorts of questions, then you should try to adjust your use of language. When the
feedback is positive, you can naturally continue in the same manner.

Conciseness
Here we wish to emphasize thoroughness, conclusiveness and succinctness. What is
essential for the conversation should be set apart, shortly and clearly. Conciseness means,
therefore, a certain restriction in the amount of information given.

Attractiveness
It is important to mention a number of methods that you as a speaker can use to hold the
attention of the conversational partners and to stimulate them to think and to participate
actively. We can classify these methods into two groups: ways to enliven the content of
the conversation, and ways to strengthen the relationship between the speaker and
conversational partner (s).
The content of the conversation becomes captivating when it is paired with concrete
examples and unforced wording in the spoken language. The relationship between the
speaker and conversational partner(s) is strengthened by the maintenance of contact. If
you wish to give clear information, you are forced to concentrate on the task. Sometimes
this means that you are so busy with the content that you have no time to keep an eye on
the listeners. A possible way to avoid this is to prepare yourself thoroughly for what you
wish to say, but this is not always feasible. The second way is to keep noticing the