BSED Chapter 5 Cengage

nonverbal communication

A local school district has invited a communications expert to train their teachers in __________. Understanding this subject will help the teachers better understand how students are feeling just by observing their gestures, posture, and facial expressions—even when those students aren't speaking.

age bias

Amit is preparing a job advertisement for a new tech developer for his company. He is looking for someone with a lot of energy, so he included this wording in the ad: "Must be under 30 and proficient in emerging technology." Amit shared the job ad with a colleague for proofreading, and his colleague pointed out that Amit was demonstrating ________.

passive voice

Annabelle is working on a cover letter to include with her job application for a position at Google. She knows that jobs at Google are incredibly competitive, so she needs to put her best foot forward. In her closing paragraph, she writes: "Google is such an incredible company, and I am hoping to one day be hired by them so that I can help contribute to their mission 'to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.'" This sentence can be improved because it includes __________.

tone of voice

Bethany is a customer service agent at an insurance company. During her most recent performance review, her manager mentioned that she sometimes comes across as angry or bored during customer calls because she does not regulate the intensity of her voice: sometimes she is too intense, which can translate to anger, and other times she is not energetic, which can translate to boredom. Bethany's manager requested that she practice her __________ to improve her communication skills.

text

Blake's manager is out of the office today to take her kids to an amusement park, but he needs a quick answer on something that is relatively important. He knows that his boss will have her phone with her, and that the amusement park, which is a few hours away, will be noisy. Which communication channel should Blake consider in this situation?

organizational

Camilla just started working at a large, multinational law firm. Her previous job was in a small firm where coworkers were close-knit and collegial. At her new firm, she has noticed that older, more experienced associates keep their office doors closed and don't often make eye contact in the hallways. Camilla is worried that these associates are not open to speaking with her. Camilla's workplace may have a(n) ______ barrier to communication.

visual aids

Carlos is working on his start-up pitch. He is going to present his business plan to potential investors, and he believes that showing them a prototype of his product will be more impactful than just telling them about it. Which presentation element does the prototype represent?

question

Catriona is scheduled to facilitate a new-employee training session. This is the first time the company has held an official training session like this, and Catriona is nervous that she won't have all of the information that new hires might be interested in. To prepare, Catriona has compiled a list of potential things they might ask about, along with plans on how to respond. Catriona is preparing the _________ part of her presentation.

dynamic delivery

Devon signed up for a speech contest that his company hosts each year. Not only is this a chance for him to win a cash prize, he will also have the chance to show off his skills in front of the CEO. Devon feels well-practiced, especially in how he can control his pacing and the tone of his voice. As an enthusiastic and engaging speaker, he is counting on his _________ to help him win first place.

bulleted list

Eeva is preparing a company-wide email that includes a list of action items that each employee must complete before the end of the year. She wants to make sure that employees can easily see that she is presenting a list. What formatting element should Eeva consider for her list?

block paragraphs

Geraldine is preparing a proposal for a new memory-care facility that would represent a significant expansion to the current continuing care retirement community where she works. The proposal is long and includes a lot of information about the current demand for memory care, relevant demographic trends, a cost analysis, and a proposed timeline. Geraldine wants to make sure that the document is organized and easy to read. What formatting element should she consider using?

face to face meeting

Hiro has been working closely with the engineering team at his company on a new, highly technical project. The company has invested a lot of money in this project, but Hiro is worried that the prototype won't be finished by the expected deadline. His engineering counterpart seems stressed out by the project, and Hiro suspects that he may be falling behind on his work. Hiro wants to have a candid conversation to figure out where the project stands and devise a way to keep things on track. Which communication channel should Hiro consider for this conversation?

active listening

Jodie works in the graphic design department at a financial services firm. She loves the part of her job that allows her to be creative, but she struggles when it comes to understanding all the different products the company offers. She knows that she should have a deep understanding of their product offerings, but she has trouble with _______ during meetings where they discuss the specifics. She sometimes finds herself doodling on her notepad or daydreaming instead of paying attention.

intercultural communication

Kennedy is an event manager at a large hospital. He has been tasked with planning a large conference that will attract prominent physicians from around the world. Part of Kennedy's job is to ensure that there is as little interference as possible during meeting sessions. Refer to Scenario 5.1. Kennedy is also aware that there will be many attendees who do not speak English as their first language and who do not live in the United States, where the conference is taking place. He has put together a document for the conference speakers that outlines best practices when speaking to such a diverse audience. Kennedy is using this document in an effort to prevent _________ barriers.

noise

Kennedy is an event manager at a large hospital. He has been tasked with planning a large conference that will attract prominent physicians from around the world. Part of Kennedy's job is to ensure that there is as little interference as possible during meeting sessions. Refer to Scenario 5.1. Kennedy plans to research optimal room layouts and temperature, check the audio equipment well in advance of the meeting, and help each speaker understand how to use the microphones and where to stand to ensure that the audience will easily see and hear them. Kennedy is working to reduce __________ at the conference.

gender bias

Leandra is in charge of sending out a monthly memo that includes information on company-sponsored events. This month, she includes the following information about a coding workshop: "Know a budding young coder? Send him to our upcoming Coding for Kids workshop!" After she distributes the memo, a few of her coworkers email her to say that her wording demonstrates a(n) ___________.

physical

Leonardo is hosting a meeting where he and his coworkers can practice their public speaking skills. He has reserved a meeting room at work during their typical lunch period, and when the meeting begins, he learns that another coworker has reserved the meeting room next to his to watch the World Cup with some other coworkers. The wall between the rooms is thin enough that Leonardo and his public speaking colleagues can hear the loud cheering and laughing from the other room throughout the duration of their own meeting, which is incredibly distracting. This kind of poor setup is an example of a(n) ________ barrier to communication.

gestures and posture

Massimo comes from a culture where it's considered incredibly rude to point, regardless of whether a person is pointing at a person or a location. During a recent meeting with some of his U.S.-based colleagues, he was shocked when he saw a few of people pointing directly at each other during a casual conversation. Massimo is observing how __________ can communicate different things in different cultures.

eye contact

Miriam just moved to the United States. In her home culture, looking down is sometimes a sign of respect, but in her new job, she has noticed that her coworkers will ask her if she is feeling well if she looks down too much. They seem to think that she is either unwell or upset. Miriam may be struggling with the concept of _________ as a positive communication tool in the United States.

voice mail

One of Andre's coworkers just retired. Andre missed the coworker's retirement party but still wants to say a quick goodbye. Unfortunately, he is not able to connect with his coworker before he leaves the office on his last day of work. Andre doesn't know this coworker outside of work, but he still wants to wish him well. What is the best method for Andre to communicate this message to his newly retired coworker?

body language

Peter has always been shy, but he's trying to practice his presentation skills so that he can advance at work. Peter attends a class on effective communication skills, and the facilitator points out that Peter often crosses his arms in front of his chest when he speaks, which can make him appear "closed off" or defensive. The facilitator is pointing out a potential _________ barrier to communication that Peter should be careful to avoid.

communication channel

Rosemary works in HR at a start-up in Silicon Valley. She has just been asked to fire a developer who has been with the company since it started. Rosemary knows that this is a delicate situation that requires some forethought. She wants to make sure that she uses the correct ___________ for delivering the bad news; her experience tells her that a face-to-face conversation is the most appropriate.

videoconferance

The leadership team of an international office supply company wants to provide a company-wide update on the company's performance that ideally would include a way for people to ask questions at the end. They are hoping to make this a semiannual event, so they have to consider the overall cost of such a presentation. Which channel should they consider for their presentation?

facial expression

When Daniella is concentrating, it sometimes appears that she is frowning. She has noticed that sometimes when she is in meetings, her boss will suddenly interrupt and ask, "Daniella, is there something wrong?" Even though she is not upset, Daniella's _________ makes it seem like she is.

perceptual

Yunyun is running for a seat on the local school board. She has two children in the school district and is concerned about the lack of arts classes and programming available. She has had some private conversations with other parents and learned that some believe that adding more arts programs will mean that the school has to cut classes in other subjects. Yunyun doesn't believe that other classes should be cut, but she worries that when she speaks about increasing access to the arts, other parents will become hostile to the idea. Yunyun should prepare for potential _________ barriers to communication.