Managerial communication test- chapter 7, 8
Poor subjects are either too short and thus nondescriptive or too long and thus difficult to process
(1 to 2 words), (12 words or loner)
Avoid Contributing to Confusing and Repetitive Email Chains
- As the number of messages and people involved in an email chain increases, confusion can build.
Avoid Indications That You View Email as Casual Communication
- Certain causal ways of writing and formatting appear unprofessional - Casual forms of communication in email can be appropriate for close colleagues with whom you work often - stay aware of how your message recipients will react.
Asynchronus Communication
- Does not occur in real-time. -occurs outside of the constraints of time and place. Email is often asynchronous because we use it to send messages and wait for responses when receivers are not on their communication devices or are simply not available.
Protect Privacy and Confidentiality
- Double-checking that you have placed the correct people in the address line before you hit the send button is a worthwhile habit that requires a few extra moments
Maintain Professionalism and Appropriate Formality
- Email communication is typically considered fairly formal - having high standards is even more important - In the past few years, preference has emerged for less formal, stuffy writing. - You are better off erring on the side of too much formality as opposed to too much casualness
Keep your message brief yet complete
- Get to the point within three or four sentences, and keep your paragraphs about half the size of those in business documents • Ideally 30 to 50 words long. - Consider placing the most critical information at the beginning so readers gather the most relevant information immediately.
Let Others Know When You Will Take Longer Than Anticipated to Respond or Take Action
- If you can't respond to a request made in an email, reply immediately and explain how soon you can respond in full. • When you make your commitment, make sure to place the task on your calendar so you follow through
Be careful about Using the Priority Flag
- If you too often set a priority flag on such emails, your colleagues may become annoyed, perceiving you as pushy. • If you need something urgently, mention it politely in the subject line or use a rich communication channel such as a phone call to gain buy-in.
Show Respect for Other's Time
- Imagine their time pressures and the line of emails awaiting their response. - In the business world, where time pressures can be overwhelming, you can engender goodwill by writing emails that are professional, relevant, easy to read, and other-oriented.
manage Emotion and Maintain Civility
- Many managers cite the lack of emotion in emails as positive. - Yet, avoiding emotion, even for task-based messages, is nearly impossible - In the absence of face-to-face communication, emails tend to elicit either the neutrality effect or the negativity effect.
Use attachments wisely
- Messages that are more than several paragraphs long are typically appropriate as attachments - Pictures and other graphics, spreadsheets, databases, and many other types of files are nearly always appropriate as attachments - Consider whether these documents are more appropriate as shared files on company intranet or another location ( such as Google drive or Dropbox)
Provide a Descriptive Signature Block
- Signature blocks should provide clear contact information - this allows recipients to easily contact you through richer communication channels if needed. - It also enhances your professional image
benefits of writing messages
- individuals can carefully craft messages at their own pace and on their schedule (high in planning and low in coordination) - creates a permanent record - Generally, the constraints of writing are quite low
Principles of effective emails
- use for the right purposes - ensure ease of reading - show respect for time - protect privacy and confidentiality - respond promptly - maintain professionalism and appropriate formality - manage emotion effectively - avoid distractions
you can take several steps to defuse the situation when you receive an uncivil email
1. focus on task-related facts and issues in your reply 2. Focus on shared objectives and agreements 3. Express interest in arranging a time to meet in person
Most business professionals spend between ___ and ____ percent of their time reading and writing email.
20, 50
Good subject lines are generally ___ to ___ words long
5 to 10
Communication channel
A medium through which a message is transmitted.
Which of the following channels is considered the richest? A. An online conference (e.g., Google hangouts) B. A phone call C. An email
A. With verbal and audio cues and immediate feedback, online conferences are richer than phone calls and email.
_____ was the most damaging
Active incivility
Using Greeting and Names
Although not technically required, consider using short greetings and the names of your recipients. - Traditionally, the format for memos calls for omitting a personal greeting and name - typically, professionals with blue and hub MVSs show a stronger preference for greetings and names.
Which of the following channels has the most constraints? A. A phone call between two colleagues in the same office B. An online conference involving a senior executive team C. AN email conversation between a manager and one of her employees
B The online conference requires the most resources because the largest number of people are involved and because the time of senior executives is a particularly valuable resource for their organization. This channel also requires a relatively high degree of coordination because it involves the largest number of people
Which of the following channels has the most control? A. A phone call B. An email B. An online conference
B professionals can carefully plan what they write in emails, and emails typically leave a more precise record of communication than do phone calls and online conferences.
Many business professional consider use of the ___ ____ ___ feature a breach of privacy
Blind carbon copy.
______ is likewise important in electronic communication
Civility
Having so many options, however, also presents dilemmas about selecting an appropriate ______ ____
Communication channel
____ may be your primary concern form many important communications
Control
Many business professionals use the ____ feature liberally to let everyone in a department or work unit in on the conversation.
Copy - Copying too many people can lead to information overload - Copying too many people on an email can dilute responsibility
______ has been shown to lead to lower job satisfaction and organizational commitment
Cyber incivility
Clearly Identify Expected Actions
Effective emails contain specific and clear requests so that recipients know exactly how to respond. In many cases, you can place these directions in the subject line for the greatest clarity.
____ communication is the primary form of written business communication
_____ communication has few constraints (low cost, little coordination) and high control (the writer can think them out carefully, and they provide a permanent record)
Generally, projects begin with ____ -____-____ meetings because rich communication is particularly important to develop trust and establishing work roles, and brainstorming in the early stages of a project.
Face-to-face
_____communication is considered the richest
Face-to-face since each person involved can get immediate verbal and nonverbal feedback.
Most business professional consider ____ a less formal communication channel than email
IM
Spoken communication
Ideal for matters that require rapport-building, discussion, brainstorming, clarification, and immediate feedback. Preferred for sensitive and emotion-packed situations - High richness immediacy + cues - Low Control planning + permanence - Low to High constraints coordination + resources
Male and female supervisors engaged in different types of ____
Incivility
____ messaging is ideal for short and simple business messages that contain announcements, questions, confirmations of plans, quick tips, support, and congratulations
Instant
______ messaging is a relatively new and undeveloped form of communication un the workplace, and attitudes toward it vary significantly
Instant
_____are among the most popular features on mobile phones
Instant messaging (IM) or texting
_____ communication typically leads to more trust-building, rapport, and commitment. It is generally the most efficient way to accomplish communication objectives quickly and is less likely to lead to misunderstandings.
Richer
_____ messages in the workplace are generally high in richness but low in control.
Spoken
respond promptly
_ one recent study of business professionals found that most business professionals expect an email response within one to four hours - Younger professionals are more likely to expect a response immediately • if you choose not to check your email more than four to five times a day, let others know how soon to expect replies.
Male supervisors were far more likely to engage in ____ incivility, whereas female supervisors were far more likely to engage in ____ incivility
active, passive
Two characteristics of asynchronous electronic communication can lead to feelings of
anger and frustration more so than in face-to-face communication
As ambiguity and sensitivity in your communication increase, you will generally seek richer forms of _____, such as face-to-face conversations, meetings, phone calls, and online conferences
communication
In all written _____, ensuring ease of reading is critical
communication
At the most basic level, _______ can be divided between the spoken and the written
communication channels
synchronous communication
communication that occurs in real-time; the individuals involved give immediate responses to one another and engage in turn-taking
The effects of emotional inaccuracy due to the neutrality and negativity effects can lead to
conflict escalation, confusion, and anxiety.
methods to reduce nager
counting to ten, taking time-outs, engaging in deep breathing, and looking for the humor in the situation.
In high-immediacy communication, people have immediate access to a variety of
cues including social cues _turn -taking) verbal cues (tone of voice), and nonverbal cues (gestures, facial expressions).
The second aspect of asynchronous electronic communications that can lead to anger and frustration is
cyber silence
Coordination
deals with the effort and timing needed to allow all relevant people to participate in a communication
Active incivility
direct forms of disrespect
Email is ____ and _____
easy and convenient
for nearly 25 years, ____ has been the primary written business communication tool
Examples of communication channels include
emails phone conversations face-to-face dialogue
The ability ti defuse such situations require high
emotional intelligence, especially in self-awareness and self- management
Typically, written communication is considered more _____
formal
Three features contribute to email chains:
forward, copy, and reply to all
Email chains
groups of emails that are sent back and forth among a group of people
In terms of constraints, spoken communication can range from ____ to ___ depending on a number of factors
high, low
A meeting of ten corporate employees who fly in from different cities is a ____-_____ communication that requires extensive coordination and resources.
high-constraint
For fewer ambiguous, highly detailed, and highly analytical messages, you will likely turn to _____-____ channels
higher-control
written messages
ideal for asynchronous communication, matters that require documentation, and messages that need to be crafted with a lot of thought and precision. - high control planning + permanence - low richness immediacy + cues - Low constraints coordination + restrictions
Planning
implies that the communication can be tightly drafted, edited and revised, rehearsed, and otherwise strategically developed before delivery.
Resources
include the financial, space, time, and other investments necessary to employ particular channels of communication.
Passive incivility
indirect forms of disrespect
Reinterpretation
involves adjusting your initial perceptions by making more objective, more fact-based, and less personal judgments and evaluations
Defusing
involves avoiding escalation and removing tension to focus on work objectives
Relaxation
involves releasing and overcoming anger and frustration so that you can make a more rational and less emotional response
Cyber silence
nonresponse to emails and other communications
By reinterpreting the event, you allow yourself to take the communication less ___
personally
most analytics expect email to be the ___ for at least the next five years in most companies
primary tool
Negativity effect
recipients are more likely to perceive messages that are intended as neutral as negative
Neutrality effect
recipients are more likely to perceive messages with an intended positive emotion as neutral
Constraints
refer to the practical limitations of coordination and resources.
Control
refers to the degree to which communications can be planned and recorded, thus following strategic message development.
Permanence
refers to the extent to which the message can be stored, retrieved, and distributed to others.
you can take several steps to constructively address uncivil emails:
reinterpretation, relaxation, and defusing
Immediacy
relates to how quickly someone is able to respond and give feedback
The ____ feature can contribute to confusing email chains in many of the same ways as the forward and copy features
reply to all
Strategically choosing a communication channel involves three basic considerations related to their limitations:
richness, control, and constraints
The forward feature allows you to
send any message you receive to others with the click of the mouse. • Make sure that those you are forwarding the message to need to see the email. - consider whether the original sender would consider it appropriate for you to forward the email to other
Provide a ___, descriptive subject line
short
During the nonresponse stage, the message sender often misattributes explanations for the ____
silence
The distinctions between spoken and written business messages mirror the relative benefits and weaknesses of ____ and _____ communications
synchronous, asynchronous
Because emails are not rich, they are best suited for routine, ____, ____, and ____ messages
task-oriented, fact-based, and nonsensitive
Strategically selecting a communication channel means
that you choose the one that is best able to meet your work objectives
Richness involves two considerations:
the level of immediacy and the number of cues available
Components of Effective Emails
the subject line, greeting, message, closing, signature block, attachments
Choosing between communication channels is generally a matter of _____.
trade-offs.
T/F: There is no such thing as a perfect communication channel
true
cyber incivility
violation of respect and consideration in an online environment based on workplace norms
_____ messages in the workplace are generally low in richness since they typically do not allow immediate feedback and lack a variety of social, verbal, and nonverbal cues.
written
Select Message Recipients Carefully
• Before sending an email, think about the workload you are creating for your colleagues or other message recipients. - Make sure the email is necessary and relevant for each of your message recipients
Apply the Same Standards of spelling, punctuation, and Formatting You Would for Other Written Documents.
• Carefully review for typos, spelling punctuation, or grammatical problems before sending it. - For important messages, consider first composing with word processing software - Finally, you can ensure that you do not inadvertently send the message without making sure it is polished and complete.
Provide Timeline and Options
•By clearly providing timelines and schedules, you minimize the number of emails needed to coordinate your efforts, thus saving time. • By providing options, you show respect for your colleague's schedules - If you use email to coordinate tasks with deadlines, provide detailed information about time frames and your availability. - If you are setting up appointments, make sure you have provided several options
