According to Construction Supervision by Gerald L. Rounds and Robert O. Segner Four techniques have been demonstrated to be particularly useful in improving oral
communication. These techniques are:
■ Repetition
■ Tell-back
■ Feedback
Repetition
Repetition differs a bit depending on whether the speaker is speaking to a group in
a formal setting or speaking to an individual or a small group in an informal situation.
For a formal presentation, a speech should be organized with an introduction that
tells the audience what is going to be presented, then the body of the presentation
in which the speaker relates the message with as much detail as appropriate,
and finally a conclusion with a summary that reviews the key points of what was
presented. This process prepares the audience, then provides the information, then
repeats important points to help improve retention.
In a one-on-one situation, repetition is used to reinforce the message in such a
way that the important elements are less likely to be forgotten. The speaker should
present the message. He or she should then repeat it, if possible in a somewhat
different form. The speaker should highlight important points. He or she might ask
questions to determine how well the message was received, and might repeat
points again to correct, clarify, or emphasize the message even more.
Tell-Back
The purpose of tell-back is to ensure that the message was received as intended.
With this technique, the message is delivered, then the speaker asks the listener
to repeat the message back to the sender. The sender can then correct erroneous
parts or repeat forgotten parts and ask for the listener to tell it back again. This cycle
is repeated until the response is the same as the message, thus ensuring that the
message was received and understood as intended.
Tell-back can be used not only to ensure that the correct message has been
received but also to reinforce the message so that it will not easily be forgotten.
Feedback
Feedback has a different focus than the other techniques. The purpose of feedback
is to find out what the sender or receiver thinks about the message. From the
standpoint of the receiver, is the message accepted, embraced, or rejected? From
the standpoint of the sender, is the message strongly felt, is it debatable, or is it
inflexible?
When giving feedback, focus needs to be placed on specific facts. The partici-
pants should be as objective as possible and avoid getting personal. The responder
should make a clear statement in a positive and instructive manner about how he or
she feels about the message. Responders should limit their feedback to key issues
instead of trying to cover every point. The feedback is finished with an invitation to
the other party to respond to the feedback.
Feedback has many uses. In addition to the stated objective of determining how
the message is perceived, it is useful for drawing a person into a discussion. It is also
useful for gaining the attention of an inattentive listener. The feedback process can
be used as a means to solicit creative ideas and also to get buy-in from the listener. The feedback process can help a supervisor move from a dictatorial leadership
style to a more interactive and positive style.
communication. These techniques are:
■ Repetition
■ Tell-back
■ Feedback
Repetition
Repetition differs a bit depending on whether the speaker is speaking to a group in
a formal setting or speaking to an individual or a small group in an informal situation.
For a formal presentation, a speech should be organized with an introduction that
tells the audience what is going to be presented, then the body of the presentation
in which the speaker relates the message with as much detail as appropriate,
and finally a conclusion with a summary that reviews the key points of what was
presented. This process prepares the audience, then provides the information, then
repeats important points to help improve retention.
In a one-on-one situation, repetition is used to reinforce the message in such a
way that the important elements are less likely to be forgotten. The speaker should
present the message. He or she should then repeat it, if possible in a somewhat
different form. The speaker should highlight important points. He or she might ask
questions to determine how well the message was received, and might repeat
points again to correct, clarify, or emphasize the message even more.
Tell-Back
The purpose of tell-back is to ensure that the message was received as intended.
With this technique, the message is delivered, then the speaker asks the listener
to repeat the message back to the sender. The sender can then correct erroneous
parts or repeat forgotten parts and ask for the listener to tell it back again. This cycle
is repeated until the response is the same as the message, thus ensuring that the
message was received and understood as intended.
Tell-back can be used not only to ensure that the correct message has been
received but also to reinforce the message so that it will not easily be forgotten.
Feedback
Feedback has a different focus than the other techniques. The purpose of feedback
is to find out what the sender or receiver thinks about the message. From the
standpoint of the receiver, is the message accepted, embraced, or rejected? From
the standpoint of the sender, is the message strongly felt, is it debatable, or is it
inflexible?
When giving feedback, focus needs to be placed on specific facts. The partici-
pants should be as objective as possible and avoid getting personal. The responder
should make a clear statement in a positive and instructive manner about how he or
she feels about the message. Responders should limit their feedback to key issues
instead of trying to cover every point. The feedback is finished with an invitation to
the other party to respond to the feedback.
Feedback has many uses. In addition to the stated objective of determining how
the message is perceived, it is useful for drawing a person into a discussion. It is also
useful for gaining the attention of an inattentive listener. The feedback process can
be used as a means to solicit creative ideas and also to get buy-in from the listener. The feedback process can help a supervisor move from a dictatorial leadership
style to a more interactive and positive style.
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