Management Chapter 11
The Process Model of Communication
A Sender originates the Message with a thought. The Sender encodes the Message, translating the idea into words. The medium of this encoded Message may be spoken words, written words, or signs. The receiver is the person who receives the Message. The Receiver decodes the Message by assigning meaning to the words. The meaning that the Receiver assigns may not be the meaning that the Sender intended because of such factors as noise.
Body Language
A simple rule of thumb is that simplicity, directness, and warmth convey sincerity. And sincerity is key to effective communication.
Noise
Anything that interferes with or distorts the Message being transformed. Due to noise, the meaning which the Receiver assigns may not be the meaning which the Sender intended.
Factors of Nonverbal Communication
Body language Eye contact Facial expression Posture Touch Space
Lack of source familiarity or credibility
Can derail communications, especially when humor is involved. Lack of familiarity with the Sender can lead to misinterpreting humor. Similarly, if the Sender lacks credibility or is untrustworthy, the Message will not get through. Receivers may be suspicious of the Sender's motivations
Customer Communications
Can include letters, catalogs, direct mail, e-mails, text messages, and telemarketing messages. Some Receivers automatically filter bulk messages like these. Others will be receptive. The key to a successful external communication to customers is to convey a business message in a personally compelling way—dramatic news, a money-saving coupon, and so forth.
Biased language
Can offend or stereotype others on the basis of their personal or group affiliation.
Information Richness
Channels vary in their information richness. Information-rich channels convey more nonverbal information. Research shows that effective managers tend to use more information-rich communication channels than less effective managers.
Press Releases
Convey a newsworthy message, real or manufactured. It may be constructed like a news item, inviting editors or reporters to reprint the Message in part, or as a whole, with or without acknowledgment of the Sender's identity. Public relations campaigns create Messages over time, through contests, special events, trade shows, and media interviews in addition to press releases. Less control over content.
External Communication
Deliver specific business messages to individuals outside an organization.
Differences in Meaning
Different words mean different things to different people. Age, education, and cultural background are all factors that influence how a person interprets words. The less we consider our audience, the greater our chances of miscommunication will be.
Emotions
Emotionally-laden messages require more thought in the choice of channel and how they are communicated. An important, although often ignored, rule when communicating emotional information is that e-mail's lack of richness can be your loss.
Web Pages
External communication can combine elements of public relations, advertising, and editorial content, reaching Receivers on multiple levels and in multiple ways. he perceived flexibility of online communications can impart a less formal (and, therefore, more believable) quality to an external communication. The "real-time" quality of Web communications may appeal to Receivers who might filter out a traditional ad and public relations message because of its "prefab" quality.
Barriers to Effective Communication
Filtering Selective Perception Information Overload Emotional Disconnects Lack of Source Familiarity or Credibility Workplace Gossip or Grapevine Semantics and Jargon Gender Differences in Communication Differences in Meaning Biased Language
Selective perception
Filtering what we see and hear to suit our own needs. This process is often unconscious.
Communication Flows
Frequent communication is related to better job performance ratings and organizational performance Who managers communicate with at work: Subordinates (46%), External Others (23%), Internal Others (17%), Superiors (14%).
Storytelling
Has been shown to be an effective form of verbal communication; it serves an important organizational function by helping to construct common meanings for individuals within the organization. Stories can help clarify key values and help demonstrate how things are done within an organization, and story frequency, strength, and tone are related to higher organizational commitment.
Verbal communications
In business, communication takes place over the phone or in person. The medium of the Message is oral. Synchronous (transmitting and receiving at the same time) message. Verbal communications are a better way to convey feelings.
Eye Contact
In business, the style and duration of eye contact considered appropriate vary greatly across cultures.
Direction of Communication Within Organizations
Information can move horizontally, from a Sender to a Receiver, as we've seen. It can also move vertically, down from top management or up from the front line. Information can also move diagonally between and among levels of an organization, such as a Message from a customer service representative up to a manager in the manufacturing department, or a Message from the chief financial officer sent down to all department heads.
Active Listening
Listen for message content Listen for feelings Respond to feelings Note all cues Paraphrase and restate
Consequences of Poor Listening
Lower Employee Productivity Missed Sales Dissatisfied Customers Lowered Morale Increased Turnover The Receiver's ability to listen effectively is equally vital to effective communication. Listening takes practice, skill, and concentration.
Communication realities
Managers can expect, on average, to do only three minutes of uninterrupted work on any one task before being interrupted by an incoming email, instant message, phone call, co-worker, or other distraction.
Gender Differences
Men and women work together every day. But their different styles of communication can sometimes work against them. Generally speaking, women like to ask questions before starting a project, while men tend to "jump right in."
Medium
Message may be spoken words, written words, or signs.
Information overload
Occurring when the information processing demands on an individual's time to perform interactions and internal calculations exceed the supply or capacity of time available for such processing.
Sender
Originates and Encodes the Message. Translates the idea into words.
Advertisements
Places external business Messages before target Receivers through media buys. A media buy is a fee that is paid to a television network, Web site, or magazine by an advertiser for an on-air, site, or publication ad. The fee is based on the perceived value of the audience who watches, reads, or frequents the space where the ad will appear. Keep control over the end product.
Nine Ways to Improve Your Listening Habits
Prepare and Be Receptive Don't Anticipate Summarize What You've Heard Focus and Don't Multitask Empathize with the Sender's Point of View Seek Clarification By Asking Questions Establish Eye Contact With an Open Mind Focus on the Goal Pay Attention to What is Not Said
Forms of External Communication
Press Releases Advertisements Web pages Customer Communications
Written Communication
Printed messages. Often asynchronous (transmitting and receiving at different time) and received by many individuals. Written communications do a better job of conveying facts. Examples include: Memos, Proposals, E-mails, Letters, Training manuals, Operating policies
Communication
Process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior. 50-90 percent of a manager's time is spent communicating.
Space
Proxemics to denote the different kinds of distance that occur between people. These distances vary between cultures.
Interpersonal Communication Distance
Standing too far away from a colleague (such as a public speaking distance of more than seven feet) or too close to a colleague (intimate distance for embracing) can thwart an effective verbal communication in business. Intimate (0-18 in.) Personal (1.5-5 ft.) Social (5-7 ft.)
Filtering
The distortion or withholding of information to manage a person's reactions. Prevents members of an organization from getting a complete picture of the way things are.
The growth of e-mail has been spectacular, but it has also created challenges in managing information and an ever-increasing speed of doing business. Email communication can convey facts quickly yet it is not a recommended choice for sending emotional information.
Facial Expressions
The human face can produce thousands of different expressions. These expressions have been decoded by experts as corresponding to hundreds of different emotional states.
Touch
The meaning of a simple touch differs between individuals, genders, and cultures.
Receiver
The person who receives the Message: Decodes the Message and Assigns meaning to the words.
Posture
The position of our body relative to a chair or another person is another powerful silent messenger that conveys interest, aloofness, professionalism—or lack thereof.
Semantics
The study of meaning in communication. Words can mean different things to different people, or they might not mean anything to another person.
Three Main Functions of Communications
Transmission of Information Coordination of Effort Sharing Emotions and Feelings
Nonverbal Communication
What you don't say can be even more important. Research also shows that 55% of in-person communication comes from nonverbal cues like facial expressions, body stance, and tone of voice. According to one study, only 7% of a Receiver's comprehension of a Message is based on the Sender's actual words; 38% is based on paralanguage (the tone, pace, and volume of speech), and 55% is based on nonverbal cues (body language). A different tone can change the perceived meaning of a message.
Crucial Conversations
While the process may be the same, high-stakes communications require more planning, reflection, and skill than normal day-to-day interactions at work. Stakes are high, Opinions vary, and emotions run strong.
Emotional disconnects
happen when the Sender or the Receiver is upset, whether about the subject at hand or about some unrelated incident that may have happened earlier.