2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved.

121
Communication and
Interpersonal Skills
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Communication Process Terms
Encoding
The conversion of a
message into some
symbolic form
Message
A purpose to be conveyed
Channel
The medium by which a
message travels
Decoding
A receivers translation of
a senders message
Feedback
The degree to which
carrying out the work
activities require by a job
results in the individuals
obtaining direct and clear
information about the
effectiveness of his her
performance
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Written Versus Verbal Communications
Written
Tangible
Verifiable
More permanent
More precise
More care taken
with the written
word
Verbal
Less secure
Known receipt
Quicker response
Consumes less
time
Quicker feedback
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The Grapevine
The grapevine motto: Good information passes
among people fairly rapidlybad information,
even faster!
Grapevine
An unofficial channel of communication that is neither
authorized nor supported by the organization.
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Nonverbal Communications
Body Language
Nonverbal communication cues such as facial
expressions, gestures, and other body
movements
Verbal Intonation
An emphasis given to word or phrases that
conveys meaning
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Information Technology (IT)
E-mail
Is the instantaneous transmission of messages on
computers that are linked together.
Instant Messaging (IM)
Is interactive, real-time communication among users
logged on the computer network at the same time.
Voice Mail
A system that digitizes a spoken message, transmits
it over the network, and stores the message for the
receiver to retrieve later.
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Information Technology (contd)
Fax
Allows for the transmission of documents containing
both text and graphics over telephone lines.
Electronic Data Interchange EDI
An exchange of documents with vendors, suppliers,
and customers using direct, computer-to-computer
networks.
Teleconferencing
Allows groups to confer simultaneously using
telephone or e-mail group communications software.
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Information Technology (contd)
Teleconferencing
Allows groups to confer simultaneously using
telephone or e-mail group communications software.
Videoconferencing
Is a simultaneous conference during which meeting
participants in different locations can see each other
over video screens.
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Information Technology (contd)
Intranets
An organizational communication network that uses
Internet technology but is accessible only to
organizational employees.
Extranets
An organizational communication network that uses
Internet technology and allows authorized users
inside the organization to communicate with certain
outsiders such as customers or vendors.
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Information Technology (contd)
Wireless Communications
Allow users to send and receive information from
anywhere as signals sent without a direct physical
connection to a hard-wired network system.
Knowledge Management
Includes cultivating a learning culture in which
employees systematically gather knowledge and
share it through computer-based networks and
community of interest teams.
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Developing Interpersonal Skills
Listening Requires:
Paying attention.
Interpreting.
Remembering sound stimuli.
Active Listening Requires:
Listening attentively (intensely) to the speaker.
Developing empathy for what the speaker is saying.
Accepting by listening without judging content.
Taking responsibility for completeness in getting the
full meaning from the speakers communication.
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Characteristics of Feedback
Positive Feedback
Is more readily and accurately perceived than
negative feedback.
Is almost always accepted, whereas negative
feedback often meets resistance.
Negative Feedback
Is most likely to be accepted when it comes from a
credible source or if it is objective.
Carries weight only when it comes from a person
with high status and credibility.
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What Are Empowerment Skills?
Forces Driving Empowerment
Need for quick decisions by those most knowledge
about the issue.
Downsizing has lead to the necessity for lower-level
employees to make decisions.
Delegation
Is the assignment of authority to another person to
carry out specific activities while retaining the
ultimate responsibility for the activities.
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Empowerment through Delegation
Proper delegation is not abdication and
requires:
Clarifying the exact job to be done
Setting the range of the employees discretion
Defining the expected level of performance
Setting the time frame for the task to be completed
Allowing employees to participate
Establishing feedback controls
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Managing Conflict
Conflict
Is perceived differences resulting in interference or
opposition.
Functional Conflict
Supports an organizations goals.
Dysfunctional Conflict
Prevents and organization from achieving its goals
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Three Views of Conflict
Traditional View
Assumed that conflict was bad and would always
have a negative impact on an organization.
Human Relations View
Argued that conflict was a natural and inevitable
occurrence in all organizations; rationalized the
existence of conflict and advocated its acceptance.
Interactionist View
Encourages mangers to maintain ongoing minimum
level of conflict sufficient to keep organizational units
viable, self-critical, and creative.
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Dimensions of Conflict (Thomas)
Cooperativeness
The degree to which an individual will attempt to
rectify a conflict by satisfying the other persons
concerns.
Assertiveness
The degree to which an individual will attempt to
rectify the conflict to satisfy his or her own concerns.
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Dimensions of Conflict (contd)
Conflict-handling techniques derived from
Thomas cooperative and assertiveness
dimensions:
Competing (assertive but uncooperative)
Collaborating (assertive and cooperative)
Avoiding (unassertive and uncooperative)
Accommodating (unassertive but cooperative)
Compromising (midrange on assertiveness and
cooperativeness
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How To Stimulate Functional Conflict
Convey to employees the message that conflict has its
legitimate place.
Use hot-button communications while maintaining
plausible deniability.
Issue ambiguous or threatening messages.
Bring in outsiders.
Centralize decisions, realign work groups, increase
formalization and interdependencies between units.
Appoint a devils advocate to purposely present
arguments that run counter to those proposed by the
majority or against current practices.
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What Are Negotiation Skills?
Negotiation
Is a process in which two or more parties who have
different preference must make a joint decision and
come to an agreement
Distributive bargaining
Negotiation under zero-sum conditions, in which the gains
by one party involve losses by the other party.
Integrative bargaining
Negotiation in which there is at least one settlement that
involves no loss to either party.
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Developing Effective Negotiation Skills
Research the individual with whom youll be
negotiating.
Begin with a positive overture.
Address problems, not personalities.
Pay little attention to initial offers.
Emphasize win-win solutions.
Create an open and trusting climate.
If needed, be open to accepting third-party
assistance.
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Making an Effective Presentation?
Prepare for the presentation.
Make your opening comments.
Make your points.
End the presentation.
Answer questions.