Communication & Negotiation Flashcards
Define communication.
- The imparting or exchanging of information
What are the different ways to communicate?
- Oral communication
- Written / graphical communication
Give some examples of oral communication
- Phone calls
- Reporting at meetings
- Chairing meetings
- Presentations
- Contractor interviews
- Listening skills
Give some examples of written communication.
- Letters
- Business memos
- Emails
- Written reports
- Using drawn information
What are the advantages of written communication?
- Creates a record / audit trail
- Good way to formalise verbal agreements
- Information can be circulated to several parties simultaneously and quickly
What are the disadvantages of written communication?
- May be unclear if the recipient has received the message
- Language / tone / terminology may not be familiar or acceptable to the recipient
- Much more difficult to ask questions / to ask someone to clarify information
- You will not always know the recipient has understood the message
How do you communicate successfully over the phone?
- Be prepared, note the points you wish to cover
- Be explicit about the reasons for the call
- listen carefully to responses
- Take notes, recording the date and time
- Always return calls as soon as possible
How do you successfully report at meetings?
- Prepare thoroughly
- Be accurate, never guess and be honest if information is not available
- Know your facts
- Distribute copies of your submission to others at the meeting
- Maintain eye contact
- Be brief and to the point
- Know your strengths and weaknesses, anticipate possible critique and prepare your responses
What are the benefits of meetings?
- Provide a collective for decision making, planning and follow-up, accountability and democracy
- Are an organising tool
How should you chair / facilitate a meeting?
- Distribute an agenda
- Open the meeting with taking attendees and introducing names of those including their position and title
- Explain the purpose
- Give apologies
- Make sure minutes of previous meeting are circulated
- record actions and summaries of discussions and decisions made
- issue meeting minutes
What are presentations?
- A means of communicating which can be adapted to various speaking situations
How do you ensure a presentation is successful?
- Consider your audience and the most appropriate presentation method
- Preparation is key
- Set out presentation in logical sequence
- Ensure your key points you want to get across are clearly defined
- Face and speak to audience, not screen
- Do not block screen, stand to the side
How do you demonstrate good listening skills?
- Face speaker and maintain eye contact
- Keep an open mind
- Don’t interrupt, wait for speaker to pause before asking
- Ask questions to ensure your understanding
What is meant by body language?
- Conscious or un-conscious movements and postures by which attitudes and feeling are communicated
What are the types of body language and what do they mean?
- Passive - defeated, over-apologetic, understanding, no eye contact
- Assertive - relaxed and balanced, firm but friendly, maintaining a comfortable distance
- Aggressive - tense, invading space, loud, clenched fists
How do you ensure successful communication via email?
- check you are sending your email to the correct person
- read emails twice before sending
- they are legal documents in the event of a dispute, so treat them like that
- check for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors
What should be included within a professional report?
- title page
- executive summary
- table of contents
What is effective and efficient communication?
- Effective - to accomplish a purpose; producing the intended or expected result
- Efficient - information presented in a clear and concise manner
What are the barriers to communication?
- Difference between verbal and non-verbal - your body language does not reflect what you are saying and visa versa
- Individual perceptions
- Body language can distract people meaning they miss vital parts of what you are saying
- Language or cultural differences
- Different time zones and locations
Define a negotiation.
- Discussions to reach a compromise or agreement
What are the key things to consider before entering a negotiation?
- Establishing authority
- Establishing objectives
- Determining alternatives to my ideal result
- Analysing strengths and weaknesses
- Knowing my facts
- Knowing who I am negotiating with
- Setting a strategy
What do you need to consider in setting a negotiation strategy?
- BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement) - most advantageous course of action a party can take if the negotiations aren’t going where you want
- Be prepared to concede
- Demonstrate active listening
- Be clear to avoid misunderstandings
- Collaborate
- Act decisively, agree to a compromise quickly and avoid stalemate
- Think of your tactics
Give an example of a negotiating tactic?
- discuss the easy stuff first and give way on smaller stuff to create a feeling from the other party that you are prepared to be fair and concede
- then move onto the harder stuff and refuse to concede so the party feels as though they cant obstruct as they will be seen as unfair
What are the barriers to negotiation?
- Lack of trust
- Information vacuums
- Cultural differences
- Lack of emotional intelligence
- Communication problems
When is communication successful?
- This occurs when the received meaning is the same as the transmitted meaning
What language should be used when communicating?
- Neutral
- Clear
- Objective
- Avoid unnecessary emotive terms
What are some communication standards that organisations might hold?
- Email signatures
- Templates with letter heads
What does procurement report include?
- Orders placed in the month
- Buying gains
- Packages of works that are being targeted
What does a progress report include?
- Health and safety reporting
- Progress and programme (Design and construction activity)
- Record of delays
- Financial report
- Procurement report
- Collateral warranty tracker
- Outstanding RFIs
- Outstanding CVIs
- Formal inspections
- Quality , inspection and handover
- Labour report
- KPIs
- Customer Care
What does the CVR report include?
- Current job position and forecast
- LAD exposure
- Contract variations
- Prelim overview
- Labour overview
- Material overview
- Subcontract overview
- Fee overview
- Contribution Action Plan – RISK
What does an early delay warning include?
- Nature of delay
- Reason why
- Predicted impact on programme
What does a written notice of delay include?
- Nature of delay
- Clause referred to
- Impact of the delay on programme
- Mitigation efforts
What did your written invitation to tender include?
- Important project information
- Specified package of works
- Return date
- Tender recipients
- Supply and fix or labour only
- Proposed contract information
- Payment terms
- List of numbered documents
- Estimated commencement
- Estimated duration
- Retention
- Required insurances
What attendences were discussed in pre let meetings?
- Materials
- Labour
- Plant
- Facilities
- Works
- Services
