Business Communications- CH 3+4

Within 48 hours, people tend to forget approximately ________ percent of what was said in a 10-minute conversation.

50

An effective listener tries to practice ________ in an effort to hear and understand what the other party is saying.

active listening

When planning a meeting, the group leader prepares a(n) ________ of items to discuss, topics to present, or decisions to make.

agenda

To ensure participants know what is expected of them, the meeting leader should

include all assignments for each participant in the meeting minutes.

Nearly 90 percent of executives claim profit and revenue would increase with improvements in

international communication skills

One member of a task force on which you serve is particularly good at helping other members get along and work through their differences. This individual plays a(n)

team maintenance role

The first step in the basic listening process is

recieving the message

For a formal meeting, appoint one person to record a ________ to summarize the important highlights of the meeting.

set of meeting minutes

"Virtual offices" that give everyone on a team access to the same set of resources and information are called

shared workspaces.

When the nonverbal signals match the spoken words, nonverbal signals can ________ a verbal message.

strengthen

The limited ability to convey nonverbal subtleties such as facial expressions and hand gestures makes ________ particularly good for negotiations, collaborative problem solving, and other complex discussions.

telepresence

List at least three general categories of nonverbal communication.

(1) facial expression, (2) gesture and posture, (3) vocal characteristics, (4) personal appearance, (5) touch, and (6) use of time and space.

True or False: In the phenomenon of groupthink, the team may arrive at poor-quality decisions and even act unethically.

True

List at least three strategies to keep your mind from wandering while listening to a speaker.

Although people can think faster than they (and others) can speak, several techniques can help. They include lowering barriers to physical reception, focusing on the speaker, analyzing what you hear, and keeping an open mind.

"All the characteristics and experiences that define each of us as individuals" is the definition of

diversity

________ refers to working together to meet complex challenges.

Collaboration

Briefly explain why the ability to work effectively in teams is so important in business.

Companies look for employees who work well in teams for a number of reasons, but primarily because successful teams improve productivity, creativity, employee involvement, and even job security. Teams also involve employees in company decision making through participative management.

The primary difference between constructive feedback and destructive feedback is

Constructive feedback sometimes called constructive criticism focuses on the process and outcomes of communication, not on the people involved. Destructive feedback delivers criticism with no guidance to stimulate improvement. The other answers are the opposite of what constructive and destructive feedback are about.

________ focuses on the process and outcomes of communication, whereas ________ delivers criticism with no guidance to stimulate improvement.

Constructive feedback; destructive feedback

List at least three benefits of effective listening in business.

Effective listening strengthens organizational relationships, alerts an organization to opportunities for innovation, and allows the organization to manage growing diversity both in the workforce and in the customers it serves.

True or False: The outcome of collaborative writing is usually inferior to what a single individual can produce.

FALSE

True or False: Your ability to listen effectively will have little effect on your long-term career prospects.

FALSE

True or False:Unlike with verbal language, the meanings of nonverbal signals are consistent across cultures.

FALSE

Which one of the following is an indication of a dysfunctional team role?

diverting

True or False: Cross-functional teams perform several roles, even though they contain employees from the same department or division.

False

Which of the following statements about nonverbal communication is false?

Mastering nonverbal signals will allow you to "read someone like a book."

True or False: Culture influences how messages are sent and received in the workplace.

TRUE

True or False: When it comes to personal appearance in the workplace, it's best to match your style to the expectations of your organization.

TRUE

Once you have decided that a meeting is necessary, what four strategies can help you plan it effectively?

The first task is to decide whether the meeting will serve mostly informational or decision-making purposes, or whether it will be geared toward both. Next, meeting participants should be chosen carefully, limiting selections to those whose presence is essential. Then the venue and time must be selected and reserved. Finally, the meeting planner should develop a suitable agenda and distribute it among the participants several days before the meeting.

True or False: Group members who play team-maintenance roles help everyone to work better together.

True

What are three potential disadvantages of working in teams?

While teams yield numerous benefits, it is important to recognize the possible drawbacks of working in teams. Groupthink occurs when team members value team harmony more than effective decision making. Some team members may have hidden agendas that can impede the team's progress. Finally, the cost of coordinating group activities can be unreasonably high.

A new coworker from Russia asks you about North American greeting customs. You explain that in most business contexts,

a firm handshake is expected when two people meet.

In today's global business world, communication and culture

are so closely related that separating the two is virtually impossible.

Whenever you're representing your company online, all of the following except ________ will help you maintain a high standard of business etiquette.

assuming that people are available to discuss work-related issues around the clock

Many difficulties in intercultural communication occur because people in different cultures have different

assumptions about how people should think, behave, and communicate.

The best time to distribute an agenda for a meeting is

before the meeting

The competitive advantage of a diverse workforce includes

better identify with diverse markets

As businesses become more global, the workforce increasingly consists of employees with ________ national, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.

diverse

In part, poor listening occurs because listeners

can think faster than speakers can speak

A ________ usually has a long life span and typically deals with regularly recurring tasks.

committee

If you are listening mainly to understand the speaker's message, you are engaging in

content listening

Intercultural communication is the process of sending and receiving messages between people whose cultural backgrounds

could lead them to interpret verbal and nonverbal signs differently.

Some people use ________ to tune out anything that doesn't conform to their beliefs or their self-images.

defensive listening

The key to cross-cultural and global business is

effective communication

During the group development process, the ________ phase is reached when a consensus is reached and the team finds a solution that all members are willing to support.

emergence

A reliable employee you supervise has come to speak with you about a leave of absence related to personal issues. To understand her feelings and needs, you should engage in

empathetic listening

Especially effective in establishing dominance, ________ can also regulate interaction and indicate attention or interest.

eyes

The primary vehicle for expressing emotions is

facial expression

One of the main advantages of collaboration via mobile devices is

flexibility.

According to the theory of nonverbal communication, touch

is governed by cultural customs that establish who can touch whom and when.

Selective listening refers to

letting one's mind wander until something personally relevant is said.

Social networking technologies can help a company create virtual communities of practice that

link employees to others with similar professional interests throughout the organization.

Conducting successful virtual meetings requires ________ before the meeting and ________ during the meeting.

more planning; more diligence

Successful teamwork, productive meetings, effective listening, and nonverbal communication depend on ________ among all participants.

mutual respect and consideration

To be a better speaker and a better listener, pay attention to

nonverbal cues

________ are informal standards of conduct that members share and that guide member behavior.

norms

Much of your workplace communication will occur during in-person or online meetings. If you're leading a meeting, you can help to make sure it's productive by

preparing carefully

Groupthink refers to

the willingness of individual group members to withhold contrary or unpopular opinions, even when those objections are legitimate, and to favor majority opinion.

One way to show respect for others is being on time for a meeting. This is an example of ________ as a nonverbal cue.

time and space

Local markets and national borders are no longer impassable barriers to business, thanks in part to

transportation technologies.

One advantage of virtual meetings is

wider access to expertise

As an approach to resolving conflict during team activities, a ________ proposes that both sides can satisfy their goals (at least to some extent) and seeks to minimize losses for everyone involved.

win-win strategy

Which of the following is not an important consideration related to etiquette in the workplace?

your height and weight