| The Hazmat 101 WebTM | |
Home | Hazmat 101 NewsTM | Files | List Stewards |
As an emergency manager, you must be a skilled communicator to achieve your objectives. You are required to convey information to a broad audience that includes public and private sector organizations, the media, disaster victims, and co-responders. Even during non-emergency situations, you will need to rely on strong communication skills to coordinate with staff and to promote safety awareness. This article briefly summarize the learning from the Effective Communication Course, an Independent Study Course of the Emergency Management Institute-FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). The article is a modified version of Unit 8 of the course manual.
The value of a model is that it simplifies a complex process. Because communication is a complex process, you will find it helpful to use one or more models to help ensure that your communications are effective. Regardless of the model you choose, a good model facilitates an efficient, two-way flow of communication and elicits the desired response.
Listening is a critical component of communication. When you listen empathically, you don’t just hear words. You hear thoughts, beliefs and feelings. Empathic listening is highly active and requires hard work. You should practice your listening skills whenever you have the opportunity so that you feel comfortable with your ability to listen to and hear what people tell you.
 |
There are numerous variables involved in the communication process, including:
|
In an emergency, people depend on information for physical and emotional comfort. To be effective, emergency communications must be timely, accurate, and clearly stated.
 |
There are considerable differences between day-to-day communications and emergency communications. Some of these differences include:
|
When communicating in an emergency, you should always:
Communication media range in complexity from handwritten notices to international satellite broadcasts. Selecting the appropriate media for both the message and the audience is essential to effective communication.
 |
Whether we realize it or not—and we often don’t—traditions shape the way we interact with other people. Cultural differences reflect internal beliefs and thought patterns that cause people to react differently to the same situation. Differences in age and sex, the presence of a disabling condition—and even the part of the country you live in—can affect how you communicate. |
It’s not realistic to become an expert on every culture that you may encounter. However, it is reasonable for you to learn about the populations
Making yourself aware of key cultural and other differences—both verbal and body language differences—that you will need to address during an emergency will help you learn what to expect of the groups and whether your message is being communicated.
Take into account cultural differences when addressing communications across cultures or those with special needs. Some things that you can do as a first step are:
 |
Technology can assist you in meeting your communication goals. Selecting the best technology to support your message maximizes its impact. But choosing the wrong technology can interfere with your message, and there is no correlation between the complexity of the technology and the effectiveness of the communication. With every potential technology come limitations and cautions. Always try to match the technology with the message’s purpose—and the audience. Emergency conditions can result in power outages or other conditions that may limit your choice of technologies. Be prepared to choose lowertech methods to support your communication. |
You can use a mix of high-tech and low-tech tools to support your message. In choosing your methods, consider your:
One of your most important emergency management skills is oral communication. In your role as emergency manager, planner, or responder, you may be asked to communicate critical information in a variety of ways. Each circumstance offers unique challenges and opportunities to match your verbal and nonverbal communication to your message and audience.
Ensuring that your presentation matches your audience is critical to gaining the desired response. Matching messages and audiences will help to ensure communication success.
The news media can be a strong ally in alerting and informing the public. It is important to establish credible and productive working relationships with representatives of the media. To minimize misunderstandings, build strong relationships with media representatives.
More than half of face-to-face communication is exchanged through nonverbal cues. Because up to 65 percent of the meaning of your message is unspoken, it is imperative to learn to read nonverbal communication. Eyes, tone of voice, expression, volume, and gestures reflect attitudes, emotions, states of mind, and related messages.
Nonverbal cues can have an impact equal to or stronger than the words that are spoken. When the speaker’s body language is in sync with the verbal message, the message is reinforced. Listeners are likely to respond to this extra persuasion with increased respect, harmony, or trust.
Speech anxiety is the single most common social anxiety in the United States. Whatever the source of your speech anxiety, taking these steps can help you reduce nervousness and gain control of your presentation.
 |
Three common elements to successful oral presentations are:
|
Matching the message to the audience begins with analyzing the needs of the audience. After you determine the “who, what, when, where, and why” aspects, it is easy to determine the right message and the most effective delivery.
It is likely that you will make one of two types of presentations—either informational or motivational. To determine which type is appropriate, ask: Am I relying on facts or shaping opinions?
Informational presentations:
Motivational presentations:
Being able to communicate effectively is a necessary and vital part of every emergency manager, planner, and responder’s job. To improve your communication skills consider taking FEMA's independent Study Course IS242 Effective Communication.
(Links will open in new Window)