Chapter Two: Improving Personal and Organizational Communications

Chapter Two
Improving Personal
and Organizational
Communications
Chapter Preview: Improving Personal &
Organizational Communication
• Impact of advanced technology
• Impersonal versus interpersonal
communication
• Communication process and filters that
affect it
• Ways to improve communication skills
• Communication flow in organizations
and methods for improvement
• Communicating effectively using
technology
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Advanced Technology's Impact on
Communication
• Information age is characterized by:
– rapid advances in technology-based
communication
– communication across language and
cultural barriers due to increase in global
business
– increase in volume and speed of
messages
– less face to face communication

Communication
• E-commerce:
– ability to instantly buy and sell products or
services via the World Wide Web
– requires efficient and effective
communication skills utilizing the latest
technology advances

Communication
• Need to balance technology with human
touch
• Technology can enhance and create a
barrier to effective communication
• Too much information can lead to
frustration and breakdown in
communication

The Communication Process
• Basic communication process is always

the same
• Differences in:
– people
• cultures, countries, lifestyles
– methods
• technology, face to face
– individual interpretation

The Communication Process
• All organizational communication is on a

continuum
Impersonal Interpersonal

Impersonal Communication
• One-way information giving process
• Transmit or transfer of information
• Used to give basic information:
– company policies
– instructions
– facts
• Methods include:
– memos letters
– e-mail voice mail
– manuals bulletin boards

Impersonal Communication
• Advantage:
– Easy ways to get the word out
• Limitation:
– Limited feedback from receiver
– Understanding of message not know
– Timing of message not controlled

Interpersonal Communication
• Two-way communication
• Verbal exchange of thoughts or information
between two or more people
• Descriptions include:
– share discuss argue interact
• Formats include:
– meetings interviews
– phone calls classes
• Response from receiver necessary for
effectiveness

Interpersonal Communication
• Advantages:
– Builds stronger, more personal
relationships
– Sender can be sure the message was
understood
• Limitations:
– Takes time
– Often not feasible

Total Person Insight
Many skills are valuable at work, but one skill is
essential: the ability to communicate. Whether you
are presenting your ideas at a committee meeting,
dashing off fifteen e-mails in a row, chatting with
a coworker at a copy machine, evaluating an
employee, or closing a deal over the phone, what you
are doing is communicating. These exchanges are
the backbone and the life blood of every organization
and every relationship.
Eric Maisel
Author, 20 Communication Tips @ Work

Effective Communication
• Composed of three basic elements:

– A sender
– A receiver
– An understood message

Figure 2.1
Diagram of Simple
Communication Process
Figure 2.1

Complex Communication
• Most communications are more

complicated
• Messages travel through filters which
can alter the way your message is
understood
• Need to be aware of possible distortions
so miscommunication can be
interpreted

Figure 2.2
Diagram of More Complex
Communication Process

Communication Filters
• Semantics
• Emotions
• Attitudes
• Role expectations
• Gender bias
• Nonverbal messages

Semantics
• Study of relationship between words

and their meaning(s)
• Words are not things, they are labels
• Assumptions about meaning can be
dangerous
• Abstract terms are subject to more
interpretations of meaning

Language and Cultural Barriers
• Language
– English has been the dominant language
– Considerations when using English with
non-native speakers
• speak slowly, clearly
• avoid slang
– Multilingual transactions more common
with growth of transnational companies

• Culture
– An accumulation of values, forms of
expression, beliefs, and language
– Shapes one's interpretations of what
events mean
– communication problems can be caused
by conflicting cultural assumptions

• Cultures have different standards for

– how fast you should talk
– how much you should talk
– how long you should pause between ideas
– how long you should wait after someone
finishes talking before you say something

• Culture is getting more attention

because of
– globalization
– rapid increases in immigrant groups
– growing support for cultural diversity by
employers

• Remember:
– Your words and gestures may influence
how the other person is interpreting your
message
– Avoid making judgments about others'
messages if they are coming from a culture
different from your own

Emotions
• Powerful communication filter

• Receivers may think with their emotions
• Strong emotions can prevent reception,
or distort the strength of a message
• May shift attention from the message
content to feelings

Attitudes
• Can be a barrier to effective

communication like emotions
• Negative and positive attitudes can
create resistance or bias to a message
• Attitude may be based on:
– voice accent gesture
– dress delivery mannerisms
– speaker’s topic

Role Expectations
• Influences how people expect

themselves, and others, to act
• Two ways they can distort
communication
– People may identify others too closely with
their roles
– People use their roles to alter the way they
relate to others or “position power”

Gender-Specific Focus
• Learned gender roles can influence the

way men and women communicate
• Genders conditioned to approach
communication in different ways
– Boys: take charge
– Girls: facilitative and cooperative
• Most recent research contents genders
more alike than different

Nonverbal Messages
• Messages without words or silent

messages
• Not spoken or written
• Include:
– posture facial expressions
– voice tone gestures
– appearances eye contact

Nonverbal Messages
• More impact than verbal message

• Being more conscious of nonverbal
messages improves communication
• Make sure verbal and nonverbal
messages are consistent:
– message clarity
– builds trust

The Impact of Nonverbal
Messages
Figure 2.3
Source: Silent Messages by Albert Mehrabian (Wadsworth: 1981).

Eye Contact
• Transmit more information than any

other part of the body
• Western standard in business setting:
– meet other person’s eyes 60 - 70%

Facial Expressions
• Identifies inner feelings and emotions of

person
• Most observations are accurate
• “Wearing your emotions on your sleeve”

Gestures
• Messages indicating reaction to

situation
• Should command respect
• Meanings vary across cultures

Personal Space
• Used to define relationships

• Edward Hall identified “zones” of
comfortable distances
• Distances vary across cultures

Comfort Zones
Intimate Distance Personal Distance

Touching to 18 inches From 18 inches to 4 feet
Social Distance Public Distance

From 4 feet to 12 feet From 12 feet to 15 feet

Responsibility for Effective Communication
• Senders and the receivers share equal

responsibility
– Senders for sending a clear and concise
message
– Receivers for receiving the message that
the sender intended
– Use of feedback to ensure accurate
message

Steps to Improve Communication
1. Send clear messages

2. Develop active listening skills

Send Clear Messages
• Use simple, clear and concise words

• Use repetition
• Use appropriate timing
• Consider the receiver’s preferences

Develop Listening Skills
• Listening is a learned behavior

• Studies show poor listening habits
– People listen at a 25 percent efficiency rate
– About 75 percent of the messages are
missed
• Listening should be “active or generous”
not passive

Active or Generous Listening
• Intense involvement and concentration

on what one is hearing
• Opportunity to:
– Gain stronger relationships
– Learn new information
– Make fewer mistakes

Develop Active Listening Skills
1. Develop a listening attitude

2. Give the speaker your full attention
3. Clarify by asking questions
4. Feed back your understanding of the
speaker’s message
– Add depth and dimension with critical and
empathic listening skills

Total Person Insight
Listening well is at the heart of intimacy

and connection. When we are able to
listen to another person with attention
and care, that person feels validated
and enhanced.
Harriet Lerner
Author, The Dance of Connection

Critical Listening
• Organized cognitive process to carefully

examine the thinking of others
• Attempt to see topic from speakers
point of view
• Especially important when emotions are
involved
• Important during impersonal and
interpersonal communication

Empathic Listening
• Listening with the intent to understand

how the person feels
• One often has need to talk without
expectation of advice or guidance
• Listening with “ears, eyes and heart”
• Rare in Western culture

Develop Empathic Listening Skills
• Adopt three practices:

– Avoid being judgmental
– Accept what is said
– Be patient

Communication Channels in Organizations
• Organizations depend on teamwork

• Good communication builds teamwork
by
– permitting two-way communication
– unifying group behavior
• Use both formal and information
channels

Formal Channels
• Formal channels used for official

information
• Two types
– Vertical
– Horizontal

Formal Channels
• Vertical channels
– between top and lowest levels
– often via impersonal methods
– less opportunity for feedback
• Horizontal channels
– people on the same level
– often via interpersonal methods

Informal Channels
• Also known as the “grapevine”

• Exists in all organizations
• Can be both positive and negative
– Information passes quickly
– Can clarify message from formal channels
– Provides for employees’ social needs
– Messages can be distorted, abbreviated,
exaggerated, or completely inaccurate

Improving Organizational Communication
• Develop an effective listening

environment
• Encourage upward communication
– employees sharing feelings and ideas with
management
• Remove barriers that prevent open
communication
– builds trust among all employees,
regardless of position

Communicating via Technology
• Traditional • High-tech
– memos – virtual office
– letters telecommuting
– phone calls – e-mail
– face-to-face – cellular phone
conversations – fax modem
– electronic documents
– voice mail

Communicating via Technology
• Advantages
– Time efficiency
– Cost effectiveness
• Disadvantages
– Receiver’s impressions
– Frustration and stress
• Must be used with care to avoid
miscommunication

Voice Mail
• Voice mail tag

– exchange of several voice mails without
successful transmission of the message
• Avoid counterproductive exercise in
frustration

Voice Mail
• For incoming calls:

– Keep your recorded message updated
daily
– Practice your greeting before recording it
– Include your first and last names, and the
date
– Include when you will be retrieving your
messages
– Explain how to reach ‘live’ person for
urgent calls

Voice Mail
• When retrieving your voice mail:

– Keep a notepad beside your phone
– Write down the essential information you
need for calls you want to return; then
delete them
– Return calls promptly

Voice Mail
• When leaving a voice mail message:

– Be courteous
– Speak clearly and slowly
– Keep message short and simple
– Establish why you are calling
– Give name and contact number
– Let receiver know when you will be
available or set a time when you will call
again

E-Mail
• Advantages
– Fast
– Alternative if not comfortable with face to
face
– Great equalizer
– Can eliminate gender or racial biases
• Disadvantages
– Can take longer than other methods
– Careful planning and writing skills required

Guidelines for E-Mail
• Know your company’s e-mail policy

• Create an appropriate e-mail address
and signature
• Use the Subject: line
• Watch your language
• Avoid forwarding junk mail

E-mail Tips
• Do not send when angry or exhausted

• Do not substitute for face-to-face
meetings
• Scan subject lines
• Always try to have error-free messages
• Do not use to share rumors, innuendos,
or sensitive information
• Avoid unprofessional abbreviations

Summary
• Age of information has generated rapid

advances in communications
technology
• But technology needs people to make it
work

Summary
• No longer a need to communicate more;

instead, learn to communicate more
effectively
• Need to understand the communication
process

Summary
• Two types of communication

– Impersonal
• one-way method used to share basic facts,
policies, and instructions that require no
feedback from a receiver
– Interpersonal
• two-way exchange in which the receiver
understands the message in the same way as
the sender intended it

Summary
• Communication is often filtered through

– semantics
– emotions
– attitudes
– role expectations
– gender bias
– nonverbal messages

Summary
• Nonverbal body language conveys

thoughts and feelings through
– eye contact
– facial expressions
– gestures
– use of personal space

Summary
• Individuals can improve communication

by:
– making their messages clearer
– using repetition and good timing

Summary
• Organizational communication
– builds team work
– unifies group behavior
• Two channels
– Formal
• vertical or horizontal
– Informal
• grapevine
• Improve by creating channels for
upward communication

Summary
• Communications superhighway has

created tremendous opportunities
• Global marketplace has prompted
companies to train employees in cross-
cultural communication

Chapter Two: Improving Personal and Organizational Communications

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Chapter Two

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• Basic communication process is always

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• All organizational communication is on a

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• Composed of three basic elements:

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• Most communications are more

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• Study of relationship between words

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• Cultures have different standards for

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• Culture is getting more attention

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• Powerful communication filter

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• Can be a barrier to effective

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• Influences how people expect

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• Learned gender roles can influence the

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• Messages without words or silent

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• More impact than verbal message

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Source: Silent Messages by Albert Mehrabian (Wadsworth: 1981).

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• Transmit more information than any

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• Identifies inner feelings and emotions of

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• Messages indicating reaction to

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• Used to define relationships

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Intimate Distance Personal Distance

Social Distance Public Distance

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• Senders and the receivers share equal

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1. Send clear messages

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• Use simple, clear and concise words

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• Listening is a learned behavior

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• Intense involvement and concentration