Group Communication Strategies

Group Communication strategies refer to the Managing Meetings and Teams as well as making presentations.

a. Managing Meetings and Teams
b. Making Presentation

Although, communication is a process of exchanging messagesfrom one person to another, it does not happen in individual basis always. There are various modes and types of communication, for example,

1. Person to person
2. Person to group
3. Group to person
4. Group to Group

Whatever the nature and type of communication, as the professional manager, we should learn the group communication strategies well to get success in business.

•       Group communication automatically includes the communication in meetings and teams as well as the presentation of your ideas formally among your business partners/subordinates/costumer etc.

•       Before moving to the managing meetings and teams and making presentation, lets discuss some idea on how we can make our team communication effective and successful.

•       Simply we can make our group communication/communication in a team effective by understanding and maintaining the listening skills and nonverbal communication.

1. Promoting listening skills and strategies
2. Developing and maintaining nonverbal communication

•       First of all for the group communication we should be a good listener.

•       How to be a good listener was not highlighted in the past but now many researches have found that everybody in business organization should develop the quality of good listener.

Some tips for a good listening:

•       Maintain eye contact with the speaker which somehow demonstrate to the speaker that the listener is paying attention.

•       Do not interrupt the speaker.

•       Control body language.

•       A good listener is attentive to what the speaker doesn't say is as important as being attentive to what he does say.

•       On the other hand nonverbal communication also comparatively plays more vital role in group communication because there is no one to one and face to face contact.

•       You can be a presenter or an audience where nonverbal communication technically functions a very significant role.

•       For example in nonverbal we count eye contact, facial expression, body language and many more.

•       Either in meeting and or presentation you have to focus more in nonverbal communication because every person cannot/do not like to share their opinion verbally (in words and sentences).

•       It is important to develop for any type of successful business or organization. Teammates must develop trust and be more open in everyday business/ professional life.

•       Team communicate saves time than other individuals.

•       It allows team members to understand their roles and other team members’ roles.

To get success in group communication, there are the strategies among them managing meetings and teams is important.

Managing meetings and teams require your strategies and democratic nature as well.

Meetings refers to the formal gathering of specified people for business purposes in which the venue, date and time normally etc are notified already.

3-step process of managing meeting

managing meetings and teams is a process in which we have 3-steps to be completed.

1. Pre meeting step
2. While meeting step
3. Post meeting step
4. Pre meeting Step

Pre meeting as its name suggest the planning step of your meeting.

The success of your meeting rely on the your planning. As it is said one hour in planning saves two hours in execution, meetings requires your well planning about the place, time, equipment, the agenda, people, presenter and so on.

b. While meeting Step

During meeting you should manage the time for the people to put forward their points on agenda-wise. There must be some one who makes notes for the minutes. After listening all the voices and opinions how do you go for the decision is another important thing the meeting organizer or must of the time manager should do it properly.

c. Post meeting step

•       This is the final step of meeting process. The minutes is written after the meeting/in this step.

•       Must of the time meeting allowances and refreshments are provided at post meeting step.

•       The positive and negative aspects of the meetings are analyzed at this step.

Note:

A meeting is effective when it achieves its objectives in a minimum amount of time to the satisfaction to the participation.

Effective meetings are managed events-they don't just happens.

Plan

[why, what and how, where and when who etc. then pre position key contribution, identify and overcome barriers]

Do

Follow the agenda, record group communication, practice good meeting behaviours, Enact meeting roles, Identify next steps, Note benefits and concerns.

Review

Evaluate meeting effectiveness, circulate meetings summary, follow up on next steps, incorporate benefits and concerns into next meeting plans.

Last but no the least to make your meeting effective the basic things you should do are as follows:

•       Meet regularly. It means you have to hold regular strategy meetings for the entire team. ...

•       Be inclusive. ...

•       Be transparent, clear and concise. ...

•       You have to show some respect. ...

•       You should recognize that being right may be wrong. ...

•       Use online collaboration tools.

Making Presentations simply refers to one type of group communication. It is also called one of the important strategies of group communication.

Making presentation means designing and delivering both oral and online presentation.

•       Designing and delivering oral and online presentation is one of the major skill of an academician/businessman/manager and so on.

•       This task is effectively and purposively handle when we follow some specific producers.

•       There are 4 steps for delivering speeches or presentations.

•       They are: planning, developing, completing (comes under designing) and delivering.

Planning the Presentation

1^st step of planning a presentation includes analyzing the situation;

1] Analyzing the Situation

•       Here you have to design your purpose and developing an audience profile.

•       Your purpose of your presentation is to inform or persuade your audience.

•       Include your audience’s emotional state and language preferences.

Planning the Presentation

2] Selecting the Right Medium

•       Selecting the right medium for your presentation plays a great role for your effective presentation.

•       Choose the best combination for your presentation such as handouts, slide presentation and pamphlets.

•       Include technological choices such as social media and webcasts.

Planning the Presentation

3. Organizing your Presentation

•       Here in this step, you have to define your main data.

•       Simply figure out the one key message you want your audience to walk away with.

•       It is always better to limit your scope while organizing your presentation because you must work within strict time limits. Moreover, longer you speak the less the audience will understand.

Planning the Presentation

Cont… Organizing your presentation

 You have to select your approach at this sub step. There are mainly two steps:

1. Direct approach: it is good when you want to present regular information and good news to your audience.
2. Indirect approach: It is better to use when you want to persuade your audience about bad news or consequences.

                Furthermore, you need to prepare your outline as well.

Step 2: Developing a Presentation

•       After analyzing the context, in the second step you have to adapt with the features of your audience.

•       Here you adapt the audience’s size, the venue, your subject, your purpose, your budget, and time for presentation all impact on your presentation.

•       If you have small number of audience, use a casual style that encourages participants and use notes to jog (walk) your memory but for the large audience it is better to use more formal way of presentation with the use of microphone etc.

•       Step 2: Developing a Presentation

Composing your Presentation

•       Introduction

•       A good introduction gets your audience’s attention, establish credibility and prepares listeners.

•       Body

•       Make sure that the organization is clear and that you hold the audience’s attention.

•       Close

•       Ensure that listeners leave with your key points clear on their mind. Putting the audience in the appropriate emotional state.

•       Step 3: Completing a Presentation

 Finalizing your Slides (Optional)

•       In electronic presentation we need the software power-point which helps to edit the presentation. You can use it to add or delete slides, reposition and check for design consistency.

•       Here you need to be sure about title, slide, agenda and navigation (steering/direction finding).

Example how you prepare your presenation

Regular physical exercise is important for good health.

1.Introduction

A. Opening (General Background)

Every person wants to live healthy life.

B. Hit the title/Subject matter

Continuous physical exercise is very essential to live a healthy and happy life.

C. Supplementary (Not in the title but need to consider)

However, a person should consider about his/her eating style and proper rest/work nature/ duties for the healthy life.

Step 3: Completing a Presentation

A. Creating Effective Handouts

•       Handouts should be an integral part of your presentation because it will give you the confidence while presentation goes on.

•       Handouts can set you free.

-Garr Raynolds

•       Handouts can be detailed charts and table, case studies, research results or finding or magazine articles.

Step 3: Completing a Presentation

B. Practicing your Delivery (What you Practice: Mainly Presentation)

•       Practicing your presentation is essential ‘Practice makes perfect’.

•       It boosts your confidence and gives you more professional demeanor (manner/behaviour).

•       In case if your audience don’t speak the same language as you, consider utilizing an interpreter/translator.

•       It is already require to make sure you and your presentation are ready.

•       You may need to adapt the content and design of your presentation if you’re presenting to a diverse audience.

Step 4: Delivering your Presentation

Overcoming Anxiety

•       A lot of presenters, even pros area little nervous before a big presentation

•       Nervousness means that you care. Being nervous is good and natural but you need to control it.

•       Techniques that will help to convert anxiety to positive energy:

•       1.Stop worrying about being perfect

•       2.Know your subject

•       3.Practice, Practice, Practice

•       4.Breathe in breathe out

•       5. Maintain eye contact

Step 4: Delivering your Presentation

Handling Questions Responsively

Ø  Questions are important to a presentation

Ø  They give a chance to obtain important information, emphasize main idea, and build enthusiasm.

Ø  If you don’t want to answer; you can provide the discussion session at end of presentation.

Ø  If you are asked a complex question, answer carefully.

Giving Online Presentation

•       It gives the opportunity to present with a geographically or worldwide audience at a fraction of the cost of travel.

•       Some advice to ensure successful online presentations.