GILMOUR CONSULTING Ltd COMMUNICATION IS KEY Understanding How We Generate Effective Communication A brief presentation at an Engage Workshop held by Be

GILMOUR CONSULTING Ltd

COMMUNICATION IS KEYUnderstanding How We Generate

Effective Communication

A brief presentation at anEngage Workshop held by

Be Safe Taranaki

November 2015Presented by Ross Gilmour

Gilmour Consulting Ltd.www.gilmourconsulting.co.nz [email protected]

http://www.gilmourconsulting.co.nz/

mailto:[email protected]


Communication Is A Huge Topic

• Different types of communication include:– Verbal– Non Verbal– Visual (e.g. art, film)– Auditory (e.g. language, music)– Kinetic (e.g. dance, touch)


Communication Is A Huge Topic Cont’d

• Different methods/mediums of communication– Face to face– Written e.g. book, letters, etc.– Telephone e.g. texts, facetime etc.– Computers e.g. emails, skype,

Facebook etc.



• Even the environment the communication takes place in, impacts on how the message is interpreted– Remember the example of a message

given in a leaders office versus the same message given in a persons space

– The prison officer and praise example



• This brief address will link aspects of communication to some fundamental principles of human behaviour

• The focus will be on the practical application of these concepts to communication particularly in relation to:– Communication with contractors &

subcontractors– Toolbox talks


The Impact of Questions Leaders Ask

• The questions leaders ask are perceived as reflecting what is important to the leader and staff focus on these areas

• Areas that are not asked about become perceived as unimportant

• People respect not what a leader expects, but what he/she inspects – and questions are a powerful method of inspecting


Specific Examples Of The Impact Of Questions

• Organisations where senior leaders state how important safety is but only ask about production, budgets, meeting deadlines, etc

• The Impact of Questions Supervisors and Team Leaders were asking

• The office managers and the safety observations cards


Broad Implications Of The Impact Of Questions

• Reflect on the questions you ask– Your staff– Contractors and subcontractors

• If you want to increase peoples focus on safety make sure you increase the numbers of safety related questions you ask


Broad Implications Of The Impact Of Questions - Cont’d• Think carefully about the questions you

ask (remember the safety observation cards example)

• Ask the Leaders/Contractors/Subcontractors who report to you for examples of the safety relate questions or conversations that they have asked (or held) with their staff in the last week


Did You Know• Most people who attend safety related

conferences and workshops:– Only go to get out of work– Are not genuinely committed to

safety, indeed they often behave in unsafe ways

• So you really need to listen to what I am teaching in this session


How Did Those Comments Leave You Feeling

• Uncomfortable?• Defensive?• Willing and ready to listen to my ideas?• The “Did You Know” statements are all

untrue. I made them up to highlight another principle of human behaviour that relates to communication


People Will Be Very Resistant To Listening To Someone Else's

Ideas When They Have Just Been Criticised, Either Directly Or

Indirectly• Direct criticism e.g. “Only an idiot would

do that task like that. What you need to do is…”

• Indirect criticism – This occurs when we criticise

something the person or group is associated with


General Examples Of The Negative Impact Indirect

Criticism Can HaveComment: “We need to find ways to work more efficiently”

“Too many staff are still not wearing safety glasses when they should be”

Impact:People who have been focusing on working efficiently feel offended and demoralised.Staff who always wear their safety glasses feel offended and demoralised


General Examples Of The Negative Impact Indirect Criticism Can Have -

Cont’dComment:“The reality is that we are still having far too many breakdowns and we have to lift our maintenance standards”

“It has come to my attention that staff are making too many personal telephone calls. This practice is to cease immediately (sent by e-mail to all staff).”

Impact:Maintenance staff who feel they have been trying to deliver a quality service feel offended and demoralised.

Staff who rarely make personal calls, especially those who only call home to say they will be working late, feel offended


General Examples Of The Negative Impact Indirect Criticism Can Have -

Cont’dComment:“The recent serious accident is extremely disappointing and demonstrates that people are still not doing enough in terms of safety”

Impact:Leaders and staff who have been making real efforts to improve safety will feel annoyed and demoralised.


Two Ways To Avoid Or Minimise The Negative Impact Of Indirect

Criticism1. When criticising a group, separate the good

from the poor performers by starting with a compliment for the good performers.

2. If you know who the poor or ‘problem’ performers are, go and deal directly with them and avoid sending out a ‘general’ memo or making ‘general’ comments.


Example Of Separating The Good Performers From The Poor

What to do – An E-mail from a Senior Manager

I realise that the great majority of people only make personal calls when it is really necessary and I thank you for this. Unfortunately a small minority of people are making a substantial number of personal calls and the cost to our organisation is significant. This practice is to stop. From now on please do as the great majority do, and limit your personal calls.


Example Of How To Deal With Situations Where Real Efforts Have

Been Made To Improve Safety And A Serious Accident Occurs

• “Given the genuine efforts everyone throughout our organisation have made over the last couple of years to improve safety, I am sure that you will all be as concerned and disappointed as I am about the recent serious accident. Clearly we will need to look for and apply any lessons that can be learned from this tragic event. In the meantime please make sure that you continue to focus on safety and to take actions that will result in you and your workmates going home safely everyday”


Broad Implications Of The Indirect Criticism Process

• Before criticising ask yourself:– What am I trying to achieve– Is making a criticism the best way to

achieve it• Apply the strategies outlined on the slide

titled “How To Avoid Or Minimise The Negative Impact Of Indirect Criticism” and pay particular attention to this when:– Communicating with contractors– Leading toolbox talks


Mental Models & Stereotyped Beliefs

• Mental models are “shortcuts” that our brain has developed to cope with the massive amounts of incoming information that it receives

• The mental models that we hold strongly influence what we end up seeing and hearing and they have a powerful impact on the interactions we have with other people.


Mental Models & Stereotyped Beliefs Cont’d• We are often not consciously aware of

the mental models we hold• The fact that people all have mental

models and that these may often be different to the ones we hold is one of the major causes of miscommunication


• Please write down (or just remember) exactly what is written in the next slide


The grass is

is always greener on the

the other side of

of the fence


Monkey Business& The Door Study


The Impact Of Mental Models On Toolbox Talks

Potential Problems• People who think

they “Know it all” or that “toolbox talks are a waste of time stop listening”

Possible Solution– Ask participants

questions – Rotate the

leadership of toolbox talks

– Pop in the occasional “surprise”, - remember the South Island Supervisor example


The Impact Of Mental Models On Toolbox Talks – Cont’d

Potential Problems• The message that

was given was received differently by the individual or group it was delivered to

Possible Solution– Ask recipients to

outline what they are now about to go away and do


The Impact Of Mental Models On Communication With

ContractorsPotential ProblemsAssuming that because they are a specialised contractor that they know what to do

Contractors having different safety standards to those in your organisations

Possible SolutionAsk them detailed question on what and how they are going to do the task and include safety related questionsAsk questions related to their safety procedures to check that they are at least as good as those of your organisation


The Impact Of Mental Models On Communication With Contractors Cont’d

Potential ProblemsOver reliance on the “experts” advice

Possible SolutionIf the advice doesn’t feel right, get a second opinionIf you start a task and it doesn’t feel right stop; and check (remember Ross’s recent travel example)


A Second Time When People Will Be Very Resistant To Listening To Someone Else’s Ideas Is When

They Have Just Put Forward One Of Their Own

• Remember Ross’s highly assertive and very negative management team example

• If you want to communicate in a way that influences people do so by asking lots of questions


A Second Time When People Will Be Very Resistant To Listening To Someone Else’s Ideas Is When

They Have Just Put Forward One Of Their Own – Cont’d

• If you disagree with someone else's suggestions and you have an alternative idea:– Turn your reasons for disagreeing into

questions– Only make your suggestion at a point where

you can see that the person (or group) is becoming aware that there could be difficulties with their plan

Documents

GILMOUR CONSULTING Ltd COMMUNICATION IS KEY Understanding How We Generate Effective Communication A brief presentation at an Engage Workshop held by Be