Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Motivation Communication
method/media Motivation
Perception Perception
The Dangers of Ineffective
Communication
• Managers and their subordinates can become
effective communicators by:
– Selecting an appropriate medium for each message—
there is no one “best” medium.
– Considering information richness (the amount of
information a medium can carry).
• A medium with high richness can carry much more
information to aid understanding.
– Is there a need for a paper path or electronic trail to
provide documentation of the communication?
Information Richness of Communication
Media
Communication Media
• Face-to-Face
– Has highest information richness.
– Can take advantage of verbal and nonverbal signals.
– Provides for instant feedback.
• Management by wandering around takes advantage of this
with informal talks to workers.
• Video conferences provide
much of this richness and
reduce travel costs and
meeting times.
Communication Media (cont’d)
• Spoken Communication Electronically
Transmitted
– Has the second highest information richness.
• Telephone conversations are information rich with
tone of voice, sender’s emphasis, and quick
feedback, but provide no visual nonverbal cues.
Communication Media (cont’d)
• Personally Addressed Written Communication
– Has a lower richness than the verbal forms of
communication, but still is directed at a given person.
• Personal addressing helps ensure receiver actually reads the
message—personal letters and e-mail are common forms.
• Does not provide instant feedback to the sender although
sender may get feedback later.
• Excellent media for complex messages requesting follow-up
actions by receiver.
E-Mail Dos and Don’ts
• E-mail allows telecommuting employees to work
from home and keep in contact.
• The use of e-mail is growing rapidly and e-mail
etiquette is expected:
– Typing messages in all CAPITALS is seen as
“screaming” at the receiver.
– Punctuate your messages for easy reading and don’t
ramble on.
– Pay attention to spelling and treat the message like a
written letter.
Communication Media (cont’d)
• Impersonal Written Communication
– Has the lowest information richness.
• Good for messages to many receivers where little or
feedback is expected (e.g., newsletters, reports)
Ten Commandments of Email
• Don’t use your inbox as a catcall for everything
you need to work on. Read items once, answer
them immediately, delete them if possible or move
them to another folder.
• Set up a five weeks folder that deletes
automatically.
• Use common acronyms to identify important items
• Send group mail only when it is important to all
recipients
Ten Commandments of Email
• Ask to be removed from distribution lists you do not
need to be on.
• To cut down on pile up, use out of office
• Send messages that use only the subject line using
EOM to signify end of message
• Use graphics sparingly
• Attachments over 5mb to groups are better put on
company website
• Specify important parts of the attachment Pg 17 and
20
Communication Networks
• Communication Networks
– The pathways along which information flows in
groups and teams and throughout the
organization.
– Choice of communication network depends on:
• The nature of the group’s tasks
• The extent to which group members need to
communicate with each other to achieve group
goals.
Communication Networks
• Communication Networks
Pathways
– Vertical
• Manager to upper level managers
• Manager to subordinates (direct reports)
– Lateral
• Manager to other managers
Communication Networks in
Groups and Teams
Type of Network
Wheel Network Information flows to and from one central
member.
Figure 15.3
Organization Communication
Networks
• Organization Chart
– A pictorial representation of formal reporting channels
in an organization.
• Communication in an organization flows through formal and
informal pathways
• Vertical communications flow up and down the corporate
hierarchy.
• Horizontal communications flow between employees of the
same level.
• Informal communications can span levels and departments—
the grapevine is an informal network carrying unofficial
information throughout the firm.
Formal and Informal Communication
Networks in An Organization
Figure 0.4
Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal Communication - all elements of
communication that do not involve words
Four basic types
– Proxemics - an individual’s perception & use of space
– Kinesics - study of body movements, including posture
– Facial & Eye Behavior - movements that add cues for the
receiver
– Paralanguage - variations in speech, such as pitch,
loudness, tempo, tone, duration, laughing, & crying
Proxemics: Territorial Space
Territorial Space - bands of space extending
outward from the body; territorial space differs
from culture to culture
a = intimate <1.5’
b = personal 1.5-4’
c = social 4-12’ a
b
c
d = public >12’ d
Proxemics: Seating Dynamics
Seating Dynamics - seating people in certain
positions according to the person’s purpose in
communication
X O X
O Communication
Cooperation
X O X O
Non-
Competition
Communication
O
Examples of
Decoding Nonverbal Cues
He’s
unapproachable!
He’s angry! I’ll
stay out of
his way!
Boss breathes
Boss fails to acknowledge heavily &
employee’s greeting waves arms
No eye contact
while
communicating
Manager sighs deeply
New Technologies
for Communication
• Informational databases
• Electronic mail systems
• Voice mail systems
• Fax machine systems
• Cellular phone systems
Technological Advances in
Communication
• Internet
– Global system of computer networks used by many
firms use it to communicate with their suppliers.
• World Wide Web (WWW)
– Provides multimedia access to the Internet.
• Intranets
– A company-wide system of computer networks for
information sharing by employees inside the firm.
Technological Advances in
Communication
• Groupware
– Computer software that enables members of
groups and teams to share information with
each other and improve communication.
• Best used to support team-oriented working
environments.
How Do New Technologies
Affect Behavior?
• Fast, immediate access to information
• Immediate access to people in power
• Instant information exchange across
distance
• Makes schedules & office hours irrelevant
• May equalize group power
• May equalize group participation
How Do New Technologies
Affect Behavior?
• Communication can become more impersonal--
interaction with a machine
• Interpersonal skills may diminish--less tact, less
graciousness
• Non-verbal cues lacking
• Alters social context
• Easy to become overwhelmed with information
• Encourages polyphasic activity
Communication Skills for
Managers
• Barriers to Effective Communication
– Perceptual and attribution biases
– Conflicting assumptions
– Inadequate information
– Semantics
– Emotional Blocks
– Nonverbal communication barriers
– Cultural barriers
– Inadequate communication media
– Technological barriers
Communication Skills for
Managers
– Inadequate information
• Managers do not provide enough info to decode
Communication Skills for
Managers
Emotional Blocks
– Experiences have an emotional / feeling
component.
• A concert
• Wedding Day
• Movie
Barriers to Communication
– Cultural barriers
• Language, native customs, religious customs
– Inadequate communication media
• Use of wrong media to convey message completely
– Technological barriers
• Receiver does not have the ability or technological
capability to decode message
Communication Skills for
Managers
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One-Way
Communication - a Two-Way
person sends a message Communication - the
to another person and no communicator & receiver
questions, feedback, or interact
Good for problem
interaction follow
Good for giving solving
simple directions
Fast but often less
Non-defensive Communication -
communication that is assertive, direct,
& powerful
Provides
– basis for defense when attacked
– restores order, balance, and effectiveness
Two Defensiveness Patterns
Subordinate Defensiveness -
characterized by passive,
submissive, withdrawing
behavior
Dominant Defensiveness -
characterized by active,
aggressive, attacking behavior
Defensive Tactics
Defensive Tactic Speaker Example
Power Play Boss “Finish this report by month’s end or
lose your promotion.”
Put-Down Boss “A capable manager would already be
done with this report.”
Labeling Boss “You must be a slow learner. Your
report is still not done?”
Raising Doubts Boss “How can I trust you, Chris, if you can’t
finish an easy report?”
Defensive Tactics
Defensive Tactic Speaker Example
Misleading Employee “Morgan has not gone over with me
Information the information I need for the report.”
[Morgan left Chris with a copy of the
report.]
Scapegoating Employee “Morgan did not give me input until
just today.”
Hostile Jokes Employee “You can’t be serious! The report isn’t
that important.”
Deception Employee “I gave it to the secretary. Did she lose
it?”
Non-defensive Communication:
A Powerful Tool
• Speaker seen as centered, assertive, controlled,
informative, realistic, and honest
• Speaker exhibits self-control & self possession
• Listener feels accepted rather than rejected
• Catherine Crier’s rules to nondefensive
communication
1. Define the situation
2. Clarify the person’s position
3. Acknowledge the person’s feelings
4. Bring the focus back to the facts
Tips for Effective Communication
Provide
social
interaction
opportunities
Is the Regularly
message disconnect
really from the
necessary? technology
Provide
Don’t
Strive for Build in assume
social
message feedback immediate
interaction
completeness opportunities opportunities
response
Communication Techniques
♦ Active listening, focus on their issues and ◊ Interrupting them, focus on your own issues and
how you can better understand them prerogatives
♦ Clarifying mutual goals, objectives and ◊ Being vague about desired outcomes; prescribing what
outcomes, allowing different approaches others should do
♦ Making agreements for mutual advantage; ◊ Demanding compliance from others; using excuses for
keeping the agreements or changing them own failures
when necessary; not breaking agreements
♦ Releasing energy of people to perform at ◊ Controlling energy of people to get them to do exactly
their best using all of their talents and skills in what you want them to do the way you want them to do it
the ways they think best
Communication Techniques
Effective Communication Techniques Ineffective Communication Techniques
Do this more and develop trust: Do this less to avoid conflict and fear:
♦ Describing desired outcomes and ◊ Telling people what to do and demanding compliance
developing agreement and support
♦ Sharing as much information as possible ◊ Withholding information from everyone unless there is a
with everyone and let them decide if they “need to know;” determining for others whether or not
need it or not (except for confidential they need information
information)
♦ Accepting and valuing people as they are, ◊ Judging people for how they should be and expecting
with all the differences they bring to the them to all be the same (e.g. more like you)
organization
♦ Person-centered, sharing of self so that ◊ Authority-centered, impersonal so that people only see
people see the humanity of all rank and status
Communication Techniques
Effective Communication Techniques Ineffective Communication Techniques
Do this more and develop trust: Do this less to avoid conflict and fear:
♦ Attitude of problem-avoidance through ◊ Attitude of letting things go until something goes wrong
planning; fixing problems as soon as they then focusing on fixing the blame rather than the problem
occur and learning from them without regard
to blame
♦ Rewarding, recognizing, and actively ◊ Punishing and blaming for errors, ignoring even
appreciating excellence exemplary performance
♦ Emphasis on responsibility and developing ◊ Emphasis on accountability and assigning blame for
individual initiative errors or failures
End