Chapter 15: Communication

Coaching

Dialogue with a goal of helping another be more effective and achieve his or her full potential on the job.

Downward communication

Information that flows from higher to lower levels in the organization's hierarchy.

Managing Informal Communication

- Don't allow malicious gossip. -Managers should talk to the key people involved to get the facts and their perspectives. -Neutralize rumors once they have started.

Horizontal Information

- Information moves between people on the same hierarchical level. - Horizontal allows sharing of information, coordination, and problem solving among units. -It helps to solve conflicts. -It provides social and emotional support to people.

Upward Communication

- Information that flows from lower to higher levels in the organization's hierarchy. - The information may be facilitated by techniques such as MBWA. - Management must not hold a grudge if they receive negative information.

Written Communication: Advantages

-A message can be revised. -It provides for a permanent record. -The message is unchanged even if relayed. -The receiver has more time to analyze the message.

Boundarlyless Organization

-An organization in which there are no barriers to information flow. -Information available as needed moving quickly and easily enough so that the organization functions far better as a whole than as separate parts.

Digital Media

-Digital and social media at the workplace provide employees opportunities to communicate 24/7 from virtually anywhere in the world. -A recent survey found that 70% of Fortune 500 company CEOs engage on at least one major social media.

Disadvantages of Digital Communication

-Digital may not be able to solve complex problems. -There can be the inability to pick up subtle, nonverbal, or inflectional clues. -Electronic messages may be seen by those for whom they are not intended.

Suggestions for preventing rumors from starting include:

-Explain events that are important but have not explained. -Dispel uncertainties by providing facts. -Work to establish open communication and trust over time.

Keys to Effective Listening

-Find an area of interest -Judge content, not delivery -Hold your fire -Listen for ideas -Be flexible -Resist distraction -Exercise your mind -Keep your mind open -Capitalize on thought speed -Work at listening

Oral Communication: Disadvantages

-It can lead to spontaneous, ill-considered statements (and regret) -There is no permanent record

Advantages of Digital Communication

-More information is shared. -There is speed and efficiency in delivering routine messages to large numbers of people. -Digital saves paper, postage, meetings, travel budgets, and conference calls.

Observing

-People can decode nonverbal signals to determine meaning. -A vital source of useful observations comes from personally visiting people, plants and other locations to get a firsthand view. -You must accurately interpret what you observe.

Oral Communication: Advantages

-Questions can be asked and answered -Feedback is immediate and direct -Oral communication is more persuasive

Written Communication: Disadvantages

-Sender has no control over where, when, or if the message is read. -Sender does not receive immediate feedback. -Receiver may not understand parts of the message.

Informal Communication: Grapevine

-The social network of information communications. -Provides people with information. -Helps them solve problems. -Teaches them how to do their work successfully.

3 Problems Frequently Encountered with Downward Communication:

1. Information Overload 2. A lack of Openness 3. Filtering of Information

10 Ways to Add Power to Presenations

1. Spend adequate time on the content of your presentation 2. Clearly understand your objective 3. Tell the audience the purpose of the presentation 4. Provide meaning, not just data 5. Practice, Practice, Practice 6. Remember that a presentation is more like a conversation than a speech 7. Remember eye contact 8. Allow imperfection 9. Be prepared for tough questions 10. Provide a crisp wrap-up to a question-and-answer session

Non-Verbal Skills

1. Use time appropriately 2. Make your office arrangement conducive to open communication 3. Remember your body language

The Virtual Office

A mobile office in which people can work anywhere, as long as they have the tools to communicate with customers and colleagues. - There are numerous benefits associated with virtual offices. - The longer term impact on productivity and morale is still in question.

One-Way Communication

A process in which information flows in only one direction - from the sender to the receiver, with no feedback loop/

Two-Way Communication

A process in which information flows in tow directions - the receiver provides feedback, and the sender is receptive to the feedback.

Written Communication

Includes e-mail, memos, letters, reports, computer files, and other written documents.

Oral Communication

Includes face-to-face discussion, telephone conversations, and formal presentations and speeches

Media Richness

More Rich: -Face-to-Face Conversation -Video Conference -Phone Call Less Rich: -E-mail -Text -Blog Post -Memo

Open-Book Management

Practice of sharing with employees at all levels of the organization vital information previously meant for management's eyes only.

Reflection

Process by which a person states what he or she believes the other person is saying -e.g., "So what you're saying is..."

Filtering

The process of withholding, ignoring, or distorting information

Perception

the process of receiving and interpreting information