Communicating at Work

Ronald Adler Santa Barbara City College Jeanne Elmhorst Albuquerque TVI Community College

Chapter 1

Communicating at Work
Chapter Outline
The Importance of Communication The Nature of Communication Communication Principles Using Communication Networks Choosing the Optimal Communication Channel
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The Importance of Communication

Communication skills:
are vital to personal success at work are a major factor in job interviews help determine success or failure for a company are in use during 75% of your work day determine life or death in some occupations

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The Importance of Communication

Table 1-1: Importance of Competencies in Hiring Decisions

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The Nature of Communication

Communication is a process in which people who occupy differing environments exchange messages in a specific context via one or more channels and often respond to each others messages through verbal and nonverbal feedback.

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The Nature of Communication

The Process of Communication
Sender Message Encoding Channel Receiver Decoding Feedback Noise

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The Process of Communication

Figure 1-1: Communication Model

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Communication Principles
Communication is:
unavoidable two-level irreversible a process not a panacea ethically challenging

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Communication Principles
Ethical frameworks
Kants Categorical Imperative The Utilitarian Rule The Golden Rule Standard The Professional Ethic The 60 Minutes Test

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Using Communication Networks

A communication network is a regular pattern of person-to-person relationships through which information flows in an organization.

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Using Communication Networks

Kinds of Communication Networks
Formal
Designed by management for job accomplishment Downward communication from superiors to subordinates Upward communication from subordinates to superiors Horizontal communication between members with equal power

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Using Communication Networks

Kinds of Communication Networks
Informal
Not part of official relationship hierarchy Arise from many different sources including friendships, clubs, proximity, and families Serve many functions, often complementary or supplementary to formal networks

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Using Communication Networks

If the formal organization is the skeleton of a company, the informal is the nervous system.
-- Krackhardt and Hanson in Harvard Business Review, 1993

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Using Communication Networks

Cultivating Personal Networks
View everyone as a networking prospect Get referrals to secondary sources Seek a mentor Become a bridge Ask questions Dont flaunt informal shortcuts

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Choosing the Optimal Communication Channel

Face-to-face
Speed Control Instantaneous feedback Personal quality Difficult to arrange Can be expensive and time-consuming Exaggerates personality differences
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Choosing the Optimal Communication Channel

Teleconferencing
Minimizes expense of face-to-face over large distances

Telephone
Minimizes cost and delays of face-to-face Lacks visual component of face-to-face Initiator does not know physical context of receiver Easier to initiate than teleconferencing
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Choosing the Optimal Communication Channel

Voice mail
Has some personal elements of telephone Dealing with cumbersome automatic voice mail programs can be annoying One-sided voice communication can shortcut conversational overhead and intermediaries

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Choosing the Optimal Communication Channel

Written communication
Permanent Deals well with complex subjects Permits time for composition Less prone to errors

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Choosing the Optimal Communication Channel

E-mail
Prevalent in USA and Canada Instantaneous but asynchronous Can bypass intermediaries Can be one-to-one or one-to-many Can lead to trouble due to deceptive appearance of privacy Can facilitate routine communications
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Choosing the Optimal Communication Channel

Computer conferencing
Allows group development of documents in realtime

Instant messaging
Strong real-time element Less disruptive than telephone Less demanding of normal personal protocol Permanent record possible
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Choosing the Optimal Communication Channel

Table 1-4: Considerations in Choosing a Communication Channel

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Communicating at Work
Communication is a process in which people who occupy differing environments exchange messages in a specific context via one or more channels and often respond to each others messages through verbal and nonverbal feedback.

Copyright The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2005

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