Lesson 11 1-5

Conformity:

The degree of conformity present in the group influences communication. The term group think describes a condition where members are reluctant to offer a different point of view. Strike a balance between conformity and independent perspectives.

Which of the following reasons emphasizes the importance for optimal group communication?

The emergence of teams in organizations. Team often function in a dynamic environment when clear and timely communication is essential.

Characteristics of Group Communication: Group Communication is Complex

The larger the group, the greater the complexity. Complexity is introduced as all system elements interact simultaneously and undergo change.

As an administrative assistant, you practice interpersonal communication in a variety of ways—ranging from...

one-on-one to group communication. The basic purpose of interpersonal communication is to transfer understandable information to someone who then transfers understandable information back. Your desire to share thoughts and ideas creates the first part of communication. The second part takes place when you listen, interpret, and react to feedback.

Interaction Patterns:

A willingness of group members to interact has a significant effect on group communications. Far too often, members gravitate toward people that they know or to the leader. Strive for maximum interaction between all group members to capitalize on collective talents and experiences.

Which of the following practices is recommended regarding a company grapevine?

Be aware of the grapevine, listen to it, and learn from it. This process is the most sensible to follow.

Contemplative Listening:

A contemplative listener is logical. Content is listened for, but feeling is ignored. Senders of verbal input view a contemplative listener as disinterested and detached. Few indicators are present that listening is taking place. Listening for facts may be taking place, but senders are unaware of this. Move to quadrant IV to achieve the most desirable form of listening.

Distraction:

A distraction is defined as anything disrupting the communication process. Noise, interruptions, and physical discomfort (such as a sore back from an uncomfortable chair) are examples. Locate and reduce communication distractions.

The Company Grapevine:

A grapevine (also known as a rumor mill ) is an informal communication system resulting from casual contacts between co-workers. Although they vary in degree of intensity, grapevines exist at all levels of an enterprise. As an administrative assistant who supports management throughout your organization, it is essential for you to recognize this form of communication. Administrative assistants are often viewed as targets of grapevine communication. You may be approached with open-ended statements from employees, such as "What do you hear these days that I should know about?" Also, an administrative assistant from another part of your organization may encourage you to pass along statements that you know are not true. Facts, opinions, suspicions, and rumors travel through a grapevine. Accuracy of grapevine information is suspect, but as much as one-third to one-half may be accurate. Some organizations view a grapevine as a way for employees to blow off steam . Other companies see a grapevine as something that undermines morale; initiates untruths; impacts productivity; and most damaging, ruins careers. Grapevines are started for a few reasons. The first reason is related to the natural speculative curiosity of human beings. There is a desire to discuss what may or may not happen. Another reason (and perhaps the most important) is that formal communication from management is lacking and that people have a need to know. A third reason is that an organization is in a constant state of change and employees are concerned about their future. Patterns of communication in a grapevine are highly variable. As compared to standard patterns of communication between department members, grapevine communication follows many paths. Don't ignore the grapevine in your organization. Be aware of it, listen to it, and learn from it. Protect your organization by refuting false statements. Also, ask your supervisor to address grossly inaccurate grapevine statements by using formal communication channels. Communication Problems Few people deliberately intend to miscommunicate. Despite the best intentions, communication breakdown occurs too frequently. Let's take a look at some of the main causes of communication breakdown.

Characteristics of Group Communication: Purpose of the Group

A purpose or task greatly shapes group communications. Groups come together for purposes of information sharing, problem solving, and self-maintenance. The purposes are not mutually exclusive. A group that initially forms to share information may later find it necessary to solve problems. Information Sharing: This purpose focuses on imparting knowledge. Debating facts is usually not allowed. An example of this purpose is a student attending an orientation session for graduate school. Problem Solving: This purpose is the most challenging purpose of a group. It addresses identification and elimination of an undesirable current or potential situation. Self-Maintenance: This purpose pertains to formal and informal groups whose primary goal is to exist. Formal groups, including many self-help organizations, meet to perpetuate their existence. Informal groups are quite common in organizations and form with little planning. When you meet with co-workers to play backgammon during lunch, you are part of an informal group.

Persuasion Techniques:

A variety of persuasion techniques are available for your use. Use these techniques based on your particular situation and intent. Does This Make Sense?: Use frequent follow-up questions such as "Is this clear?" and "Do you agree?" to establish rapport and receive valuable feedback. Respond clearly to this feedback to meet listener objections. Artificial Disinterest: Listener resistance often increases when you appear anxious. Adopt a disinterested attitude when you detect this type of resistance to your persuasive statements. Bandwagon: Demonstrate that everyone is adopting the idea. This technique appeals to a listener's sense of belongingness. Positive Recognition: Use positive feedback where appropriate. Make comments such as "I always value and appreciate your input to my suggestions" to predispose listeners favorably. Which, Not If: Offer your listener a choice instead of asking if something is or is not desired. If you are looking for support for the annual count of physical inventory, ask co-workers a question such as "Would you like to count on Friday evening or Saturday morning?" instead of "Would you please help with the physical inventory?" Don't give them a chance to say no. Exchange Favors: Offer to help a co-worker. "If you help me finish this report, I'll stop by the market in the morning and buy fresh bagels for your meeting" illustrates this technique. Reassurance: When listeners comply with requests, let them know that they made a good decision that was of great assistance.

Additional Dimensions of Interpersonal Communication:

After lunch, MJ informs us that this part of the workshop is what she's been waiting for. Brian promises he will provide some verbal communication pearls specifically geared for administrative assistants. Topics to be discussed—upward communication, persuasion, dealing with the company grapevine , and identifying communication problems—have special applications for your duties as an administrative assistant.

Group Communication:

As the workshop progresses into the morning, Brian takes us to our next topic: group communication. The demands of organizational activity require optimal communication between groups. Examples of group activities are staff meetings; special committee meetings; workshops; and spontaneous, informal, problem-solving sessions. Group communication is important for the following reasons: The emergence of teams in organizations. Employee participation in setting company direction. Flattened organizational structures where department members make decisions without management involvement. To make sure that we know what is meant by group communication, Brian defines a group. He says, " A group exists when three or more people interact with one another and each person influences and is influenced by the other group members ."

Characteristics of Group Communication: Group Communication is Dynamic

Communication is a process, an activity occurring over time. It is fluid, meaning that change is continuous. After you transmit verbal input, you cannot take back what has been said. Trying to retrieve words from a communication channel is analogous to recovering goose feathers from a torn pillow on a windy day. So be careful what you say!

Which of the following activities plays a role in effective upward communication?

Discriminating between usable and non-useable information. This activity, along with being able to regularly communicate with your supervisor, determines your effectiveness as an upward communicator.

Distortion:

Distortion occurs when information travels through too many links in the communication chain. As messages pass through each step of the communication process, parts of the message are removed, parts are added, and parts are changed. Achieve optimal flow of information through proper organizational design.

Poor Feedback:

Effective feedback provides a speaker with information about a transmitted message. A speaker often mistakenly assumes that a message has been successfully received. Make sure that your communication includes timely and clear feedback. As the workshop leader turns off the overhead projector and puts away the last transparency, we turn and thank MJ. Attending this workshop was a good use of our time!

Characteristics of Group Communication: Group Communication Occurs in a System

Elements of a system include communicators, messages, interaction, and a situational context. A change in one part of a system results in changes in other parts of a system. If a new speaker joins a group, a different message is sent, listening is affected, and a new situational context is created. No single element can be understood as an isolated variable. To effectively communicate, it's essential that you understand each individual element and how elements relate to one another.

Group Orientation vs. Self-Orientation:

Group orientation occurs when individual goals are given less emphasis than group goals. Group orientation is a challenging objective, as groups are often composed of self-oriented people. Self-oriented members are so focused on their own personal gain that group goals are de-emphasized. The degree of task orientation present in the group greatly affects group communication.

Cohesiveness:

Groups in pursuit of goals require cohesiveness, described as the ability to work in a like-minded fashion. Members of cohesive groups are more likely to openly communicate and disagree than are members of less cohesive groups.

Persuasion:

In your day-to-day activities, you encounter situations where you must influence another person using interpersonal communication. These activities range from following up with a staff member on a late monthly report to expediting a critical delivery from a supplier. Attempts at persuasion can be disappointing (when they don't work) or exciting (when they do). When you succeed in persuading another person, are you aware of why you are successful? Let's examine persuasion.

Credibility:

Knowledge, ability, honesty, and work ethic come together to create credibility. Unfortunately, less admirable factors, such as a person's personal appearance, are often used to establish credibility. Credibility results from a combination of source and situational factors. Source factors include education, work experience, and reputation. Situational factors refer to what a person does in interacting with others, such as developing and proposing recommendations. When you establish credibility, you are able to influence others to accept your ideas.

Leadership Styles:

Leadership styles influence how groups communicate. Three typical styles are democratic, autocratic, and detached. Democratic: Power is shared between group and leader. Decisions are made by the group and supported by the leader. Member status is achieved through accomplishments and satisfaction of group members, and leader is based on equality in interactions. Members and leader share responsibility. Verbal communication is two-way and abundant. Autocratic: Plans and decisions are made by the leader. Group members are consulted only when needed. The leader believes that constant direction is needed for group performance, which causes high member stress and discontent. Status is determined by praise from the leader. Verbal communication is primarily one-way from the leader. Detached: A detached leader is aloof and removed. Assistance is provided to members only when requested. Members have unclear expectations, are frustrated, and an overall lack of group unity is present. The group determines status. Verbal communication is two-way between group members. While the democratic style is preferred in most cases, there are instances when autocratic and detached styles are appropriate. Emergencies are best managed with an autocratic style. A team that is stalled and needs to work through their own problems benefits from a detached style.

Attitude:

Listeners close their minds to verbal messages for a variety of reasons, ranging from being fatigued to not approving of the physical appearance of a speaker. The attitude that you display when you speak greatly affects the attitudes of listeners.

Upward Communication:

One of your most important organizational contributions is to inform your boss of key issues, trends, incidents, problems, and opportunities. By sending information up, you strengthen your supervisor's ability to proactively manage situations before they become problems. It is challenging to become an effective upward communicator. Develop your upward communication skills by putting forth sufficient effort and obtaining assistance from management. Your willingness to regularly communicate with your boss is a critical requirement. Your relationship with your supervisor plays an important role. A relationship of mutual respect and support is a key factor. Supervisors who belittle and discount employee comments receive little upward information. Also, supervisors who rarely (or never) act on information that is provided breed a Why bother? attitude among their employees. Another requirement is being able to distinguish between useful and unimportant information. Your ability to discriminate regulates upward information flow and determines quality of information you provide. Spend time with your supervisor to determine the difference between desired and undesired verbal information. Meet with your boss and use the following model to assess your willingness to communicate and your ability to discriminate between usable and non-usable information. Strive for a 1 . If you are not a 1, identify your developmental areas to improve upward communication.

Characteristics of Group Communication: Situational Context of Group Communication

Patterns affecting information flows form a situational context. A group of parents meeting to form a booster club for a high school tennis team is one form of a situational context. A group of administrative assistants who join together to improve ordering and using office supplies is another type. Of particular importance are physical setting, purpose of the group, social climate, group structure, group size, leadership styles, interaction patterns, group-orientation versus self-orientation, conformity, and cohesiveness.

The Persuasion Process:

Persuasion can be used for a variety of purposes. It begins when you make a connection and establish a relationship between your objective and your listener's needs and values. Your statements, backed by facts and supporting comments from others, create this relationship. If you desire a negative attitude toward a topic or object, show how related behaviors lead to unfulfilled needs. Statements and statistics that portray illegal drug use as an empty solution for loneliness illustrate this type of persuasion. Conversely, relate behaviors to goal satisfaction when you desire to create a positive attitude.

Characteristics of Group Communication: Physical Setting

Physical design and size of a meeting place, furniture arrangement, décor, and climate create a physical setting for group communication. A few folding chairs in the middle of a cold gymnasium creates a different physical setting than a conference room overlooking a beach in the Caribbean. Plan your physical setting carefully to get the most out of group communication. Consider a u-shaped (horseshoe) seating configuration for maximum benefit.

Which field of study is used as the foundation in developing characteristics of effective verbal communicators?

Psychology. Psychology plays a major role in the characteristics of effective communicators, such as self-image, attitude, personality, and expression of feelings.

Superficial Listening:

Quadrant II is an improvement over quadrant I because verbal input is heard. A superficial listener decides to put off issues until later. Also, other things such as visual objects or their own thoughts interfere with their ability to listen. Because of selective listening, miscommunication is very common. Senders of verbal input think that the other person is hearing their message; this is not the case. Strive to move beyond quadrant II to become a more effective listener.

Characteristics of Group Communication: Group Structure

Roles and norms define structure of a group. Roles are behavioral expectations that group members maintain based on positions in a group. The greatest difficulty for group communication is unclear definition of roles, especially the role of the group leader. Norms are standards of behavior expected of group members, including ground rules for conduct. Failure to meet group norms often result in avoidance by group members and even dismissal from a group.

Self-Disclosure:

Self-disclosure, an ability to talk truthfully and fully about yourself, is a reflection of healthy verbal communication. Other people appreciate your candid and honest comments. As you open up, you inspire others to do the same. Without self-disclosure, an atmosphere of distrust and even fear develops. Create an open situation of trust by practicing self-disclosure.

Self-Image:

Self-image, an important principle from psychology, is an essential part of interpersonal communication. Your self-image, defined as who you are and how you view situations, creates an important mental paradigm. A paradigm determines what you believe; what you value; and most importantly, filters incoming information. It screens what you see, hear, and understand. You begin to develop your self-image early in life. It is shaped by many factors, including love from family and friends; life experiences; and more specifically, through interpersonal communication. When you communicate, you learn whether you are liked, accepted, and respected. Input from others affects your feelings of self-worth. A negative self-image creates communication obstacles due to insecurity, inability to accept constructive criticism, and unwillingness to listen to differences of opinion. This leads to feelings of inadequacy. Low self-esteem individuals do not communicate because they believe you will find their comments to be uninteresting and of low value. When you develop a positive self-image, you are comfortable with your beliefs and are able to communicate with confidence.

What are common behavior of an engaged listener?

Senses non-verbal communication of a sender. Provides active signals of encouragement. Requests more information

No Listening:

Someone who is not interested in listening characterizes quadrant I. No attempt is made to hear verbal inputs. A non-listener often monopolizes air-time by speaking most of the time. During the few times that non-listeners stop speaking, they give a weak impression that they are listening. Blank stares or uneasiness are displayed while a non-listener formulates what he or she will say next. Avoid quadrant I, as it is a surefire way to suspend interpersonal communication.

Clarity of Expression:

Strive to say what you mean and express what you feel. Avoid the trap of thinking, If it is clear to me, it must be clear to them . Interpersonal communication often breaks down because of a lack of clarity of expression. If you are unclear in your communications, it is likely that you don't have a clear picture in mind. Be clear when you give instructions. Never leave a listener to guess what you mean. If you need monthly reports to be submitted by 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, specifically communicate these requirements. When you express your thoughts and ideas clearly, you communicate effectively and efficiently.

Your Ability to Listen:

The next portion of the workshop is about listening. Our facilitator, Brian Donovan, tells us, " It is likely that you have heard that you have two ears but just one mouth because it is more important to listen than to speak ." The skill to listen is a very under-developed characteristic. Most people have never taken a class in listening, although they probably have received training in developing their speaking skills. Listening skills fall into four quadrants: Contemplative, Superficial, engaged, no. (listening). Ineffective listening may be the number one problem in interpersonal relationships. The first three quadrants of ineffective listening result in errors at work, customer and employee dissatisfaction, and lower overall organizational productivity.

Characteristics of Group Communication: Group Size

The right group size for effective verbal communication varies with the purpose of the group. In general, larger groups are able to solve a wider variety of problems because of number of participants. However, as group size increases, available time for each participant to communicate decreases and degree of involvement is reduced. Distribution patterns of communication are also influenced as group size increases. For a group of three, there are nine potential interactions possible: Al speaks to Beth, Al speaks to Cass, Beth speaks to Al. Beth speaks to Cass, Cass speaks to Al, Cass speaks to Beth, Al speaks to Beth and Call, Beth speaks to Al and Case, Case speaks to Al and Beth. Using mathematical combinations, for a group of eight, there are 1,056 possible interactions. Talk about complicated!

Characteristics of Group Communication: Social Climate

The two most common forms of social climates are cooperative and competitive. In cooperative orientations, goals are similar; while in competitive orientations, group members have different goals.

Engaged Listening:

True communication occurs in quadrant IV, as listening takes places from a speaker's point of view. An engaged listener is attentive to content and feeling. Verbal and non-verbal feedback is given as a sign of genuine listening. Give feedback by sensing non-verbal communication of a sender, displaying active signals of encouragement and making requests for more information. Sensing Non-Verbal Communication of a Sender: Be observant of silent messages that are sent, such as vocal tone and body language (movements and facial gestures). Active Signals of Encouragement: Encourage a speaker to continue speaking by maintaining eye contact and sitting facing a speaker with uncrossed arms. Nod occasionally and make appropriate comments, such as "I see." Give a speaker your undivided attention by not answering your phone or shuffling papers on your desk. Requests for More Information: Use follow-on comments, without interrupting a speaker, to paraphrase understanding. Make a statement such as, "Let me make sure I understand. What you are saying is that the best way to have a successful meeting is to send out an agenda, keep the meeting under an hour, and to publish meeting minutes the very next day. Is my understanding correct?" Becoming an engaged listener is not easy. With persistence and practice, make the transition to quadrant IV.

Information Overload:

When too much communication takes place too quickly, a listener becomes overwhelmed. Ask for feedback from listeners to identify and prevent information overload.

Language:

Words in the English language have many different meanings. For example, the words dull and beat each have 11 different definitions, while the word make has 12 different definitions. Don't assume a word that is perfectly clear to you is perfectly clear to someone else.

Attitude:

You form attitudes based on your tendencies to evaluate symbols, objects, behaviors, and people in a favorable or unfavorable way. Attitudes relate to interpersonal communication, as they influence processing and acceptance or rejection of information. Your attitudes lie on a continuum and vary depending on the situation. When you possess a strongly felt attitude that is quite different from another person, conflict is likely. Communicate openly in these situations to identify and hopefully resolve attitude gaps.

Coping with Angry Feelings:

Your ability to cope with anger plays a major role in your success as a verbal communicator. Many people suppress their anger. Internalized anger is a leading cause of health problems. Express your feelings and emotions as a sign that you are human and that you care. More specifically, express angry feelings constructively. Don't hesitate to communicate differences of opinion, but first reflect on your thoughts before you share them. When you are angry, express anger by saying, "I'm angry." Seek healthy outlets for unexpressed anger, such as exercise or talking to a friend or family member.

Personality:

Your personality predisposes you to react to situations in a consistent way. Studies of personality has yielded the following general personality types : Authoritarian: This personality type believes in status and power differences. The communication style of an authoritarian is firm, demanding, and directive. Empathizer: This trait is illustrated by an insight into feelings of others. A person displaying sensitivity is able to empathize and relate well in verbal communication. Social Climber: Assertiveness and advancement at the expense of others characterize this personality type. A social climber is rigid and extremely focused on attaining personal goals. Solid Citizen: These individuals exhibit integrity, self-esteem, self-reliance, and self-control. Not surprisingly, solid citizens are very successful verbal communicators. Maverick: A maverick is often disinterested in what others have to say. A maverick's unpredictable behavior in communicating often alienates others. Get in touch with your predominant personality type and determine what works best for successful interpersonal communications. Be aware that these basic personality traits exist in everyone to a certain degree.

Characteristics of Effective Communicators. there are seven characteristics of effective communicators, many of which are founded in the field of psychology. all seven characteristics must be present for...

successful interpersonal communication.