MGMT 335 Chapter 4: Building Connection & Trust

Building Connection & Trust

Establishing trust with an audience through strategic thinking, effective listening, authenticity, healthy boundaries, and the appropriate use of clear communication strategies.

Strategic Thinking

The ability to analyze situations, plan for the future, and make decisions that align with long-term goals.

- knowing your audience, knowing yourself, and considering how your communication may impact your relationships

- Consider larger situational context and factors that might influence their and your decision making

Effective Listening

Actively and empathetically engaging with a speaker, understanding their message, and providing appropriate feedback.

Effective Listening Levels

Level 1: Noise: you hear words being said, but have no idea what the context is.

Level 2: Partial Attention: you hear some of the content and are paying some attention, but not full

Level 3: Full Attention: Fully and Actively engaged with the speaker

How to Reach Level 3 Listening

1. No Tech - turn off or put away distracting tech

2. Eye Contact - make eye contact with the person | if virtual, look at camera

3. Body Language - use open body language. Face the person speaking and try to avoid crossing arms or feeling closed off

4. Be Mindful - if you find yourself wondering off the topic, bring it back intentionally

Listen Effectively in Writing

Reading document carefully, and sometimes more than once

Ways to Read & Reply to Emails Carefully

1. Designate a time for email

2. Consider the sender and the topic

- Look at sender or topic to decide what to address first and what needs the most time spent on

3. Consider the 5 W's and 1 H

- Who, what, where, when, why and how

Authenticity

Behaving in a genuine and true manner, aligning actions with personal values and beliefs.

Respect

Recognizing and valuing the worth, dignity, and rights of others, and treating them with consideration and courtesy.

Mindset

A person's pattern of attitudes and beliefs that shape how they respond to situations and events.

Candor

Openness and honesty in communication, expressing thoughts and opinions transparently without deception or ambiguity

Setting Healthy Boundaries

Consider who you want to share more of your personal life with and what you feel is appropriate to share

Ways to Set Healthy Boundaries

- Know with WHOM you want to have more personal discussions

- Know WHAT you are comfortable discussing

Never overshare

- Schedule more personal discussions during a work break

Clear Communication

3 C's of Communication

- Clear

- Concise

- Complete

Using Audience's Preferred Communication Methods

Delivery Strategies (In Person & Over Tech)

- Tech Setup/Space

- Eye Contact

- Posture (Straight)

- Gestures (Natural)

- Movement (Some, not too much as it can be distracting)

- Volume