Chap 9: Communication

Media Richness: Face-to-face

This communication media ranks the highest in terms of richness, feedback availability, personal focus, and the number of cues it provides Richness: - High Feedback Availability: - High Number of Cues: - High Language Variety: - High Personal Focus: - High

Organizational Barriers

*Barriers to Effective Communication* - Hierarchical structure and culture may limit who can discuss what with whom. - Jargon- technical language that may create ambiguity if the receiver is not trained to understand it - EX: Animation company Pixar has only one set of bathrooms in its entire building to force communication and interaction among employees.

Noise: as a Barrier

*Barriers to Effective Communication* Anything that blocks, distorts, or changes the message. - Ambiguity of meaning and intent - EX: Because of her bias against younger workers, the manager was slow to realize that the concerns her young subordinate was expressing about the safety process were valid.

Cultural barriers

*Barriers to Effective Communication* Different national cultures have different ways of expressing things. - Low Context Cultures: Cultures that rely on words to convey meaning - High Context cultures: Situational and nonverbal cues are used to convey meaning - EX: Rather than just saying, "no" as most people in the United States do, the Japanese tend to say "that could be difficult" instead.

Filtering

*Barriers to Effective Communication* How we reduce the amount of information being received to a manageable amount - Information is intentionally withheld, ignored, or distorted to influence the message that is ultimately received.

Misperception

*Barriers to Effective Communication* Messages are not always decoded by the receiver in the way the sender intended. - EX: Because you were in a hurry when you typed the email message you were very brief and the message came across as rude to your coworker even though you did not intend for it to.

Selective Perception

*Barriers to Effective Communication* We selectively see and hear based on our interests, expectations, experience, and attitudes rather than on how things really are - Perceptual screen - Confirmation bias

Information Overload

*Barriers to Effective Communication* having too much information such that you are unable to process it.

Media richness

*Media Communication* - Ability of media to carry nonverbal cues, provide rapid feedback, convey personality, and support natural language use

Internet

*Media Communication* - Internet media include websites, video chats, podcasts, email, instant messaging: (enables users to see who is logged on and to chat with them in real time rather than emailing and waiting for a response.) - Telework: home-based telecommuting, satellite offices, neighborhood work centers, mobile work

Intranets

*Media Communication* - Intranets give employees controlled access to shared information - Portals are similar to intranets but are more project-focused. keep your team's project status continually updated and visible. Used for sharing: ▪ Scheduling ▪ Collaboration ▪ Databases, calendars, other documents - Webcasts: live or prerecorded video segments - Wikis: searchable, archivable websites that let people edit and comment on each other's work in real time. Can enhance bottom-up communication in organizations. - Blogs: chronicles of people's personal thoughts and interests

Oral communication

*Media Communication* - Lowest possibility for miscommunication - Important for building credibility and trust

Collaboration software

*Media Communication* - Workflow automation systems: use technology to facilitate and speed up work processes - Decision support systems: interactive, computer-based systems that help decision-making teams find solutions to unstructured problems that require judgment, evaluation, and insights.

Downward Communication

*Organizational Communication Paths* A higher-level employee communicates to a lower-level employee - EX: Your manager asks you to give him a project update by the end of the day.

Upward Communication

*Organizational Communication Paths* A lower-level employee communicates to a higher-level employee - EX: Mark Allen, a Clinical Information Systems Manager for Intermountain Healthcare, must work with others to coordinate communication processes across 22 hospitals and over 300 clinics. If Mark creates a communication open-source workspace in which nurses can share insights and experiences with doctors and executives at Intermountain Healthcare by posting suggestions

Horizontal Communication

*Organizational Communication Paths* An employee communicates with others at the same organizational level - EX: You give the coworker coming in for the next shift an update on where you are in the production process so that he can get up to speed more quickly.

Diagonal Communication

*Organizational Communication Paths* Employees communicate across departments and levels - EX: General Motors holds regular meetings in which top executives seek feedback from white-collar people at all levels of the company.

Step 1: Encoding

*The Communication Process* Process begins by when the messege sender sends the message and the message receiver encodes the message - Encoding: Converting a thought, idea, or fact into a message composed of symbols, pictures, or words

Message

*The Communication Process* The encoded information - EX: To let your employees know the facility's safety performance, you post a graph on the wall every day summarizing accidents and near-misses. The safety performance in the graph is called a message

Channel

*The Communication Process* The medium used to send the message - Encoding -> Decoding

Decoding

*The Communication Process* When the message receiver sees, reads, or hears the message, it gets decoded. - Decoding: Translating the message back into something that can be understood by the receiver - EX: Physicians at Intermountain Healthcare hear presentations conducted by Mark Allen about a brochure. One of the physicians attends the presentation and reads the associated brochure and concludes that Intermountain Healthcare is not very serious about improving teamwork.

Active Listening Skills

*Types of Communication Skills* Becoming actively involved in the process of listening to what others are saying and clarifying messages' meaning Ways to improve: • Concentrate on the message • Provide nonverbal evidence you are paying attention such as leaning in and making eye contact • Provide verbal evidence that you are listening attentively by providing feedback, paraphrasing and asking for clarification. • Use what the speaker says or infers to determine the speaker's motives and self-interest • Show respect by not interrupting and using a friendly tone

Presentation Skills

*Types of Communication Skills* be clear and enthusiastic, develop rapport, control body language, be concise and organized, watch the audience, end with a bang • Speak up and speak clearly. • Quickly achieve rapport. • Channel nervous energy into an enthusiastic presentation. • Move freely and naturally without pacing. • Minimize use of notes. • Highlight key ideas. • Watch for nonverbal cues from audience (for comprehension or misunderstanding) • End with a bang. Your concluding words should be memorable.

Meeting Skills

*Types of Communication Skills* come prepared, use an agenda, be punctual, have a clear purpose, encourage participation • Have a good reason for the meeting. • Have an agenda for the meeting that is provided in advance. • Provide any supporting material required and state what attendees should do to prepare. • Be mindful of time. • Don't wander from the agenda. • Finish with what was accomplished and next steps. - how the meeting time is spent: factor that employees care about the most

Writing Skills

*Types of Communication Skills* communications should have correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, style, and tone • Write to express, not to impress. • Back up your assertions. • Write for your audience. • Edit and revise. • Format for readability. • Use graphic aids and pictures when necessary. • Write with energy and conviction.

Tips for Effective Email

*Writing Skills* Using email effectively requires practice. These suggestions are useful ways to improve the quality and professionalism of email. 1. Deliver personal information in person or by telephone. 2. Avoid unprofessional email addresses for business emails—have two email accounts if necessary. This will avoid the embarrassment of having to tell a new boss that your email address is [email protected]. 3. Ensure that you are responding to every part of the email that warrants a response. 4. Respond to emails quickly, preferably by the end of the same day. If you cannot do this, email the person to let them know that you received their email and cannot address their question right now, but you will get back to them soon with an answer. 5. Read your emails once or twice before sending them to check for clarity and readability. 6. Write concise and informative subject lines. For example, "We're meeting Wednesday at 9" sends a message without the recipient even opening the email. 7. Do not criticize others via email. This can make them feel belittled and disrespected, and if others forward your email you could quickly regret ever sending it. 8. Do not use your inbox as a catchall folder. After reading an incoming item, answer immediately, delete it, or move it to a project-specific folder. 9. Agree on company acronyms for subject lines, such as "AR" for action required or "MFR" for monthly financial report. This both saves time and prevents confusion. 10.Send group mail only when useful to all recipients. Use "reply all" and "cc" sparingly. 11.Use the "out of office" feature and voice mail messages to let people know when you may not be able to respond quickly. 12.Before sending an attachment in a particular format, make sure the recipient can open it. 13.Because they are slow to download, avoid sending large attachments and graphics (especially to people who are traveling) unless it is necessary. Post large attachments on a wiki or portal instead. 14.Consolidate your messages in one organized email rather than sending one message per thought.

Communication Process: communication

- Nonverbal communication - one and two- way communication

Media Richness depends on four things (Classifying Media Richness)

1. *Interactivity, or the availability of feedback*. - Immediate feedback allows senders to adjust their messages. - Richer media provide faster feedback. 2. *The ability to transmit multiple cues, such as physical presence, voice inflection, nonverbal cues, and pictures.* - Richer media allow the communication of multiple cues. 3. *Language variety for conveying a broad set of concepts and ideas.* - For example, ideas about a new advertising campaign cannot be expressed in as many ways in a letter as they can in a face-to-face conversation. - Richer media allow for greater language variety. 4. T*he personal focus of the medium, or the degree to which it allows the expression of emotions and other social cues.* - Richer media allow for more personal focus.

Types of Communication Skills

1. Active Listening Skills 2. Feedback Skills (Giving and Receiving) 3. Writing Skills 4. Presentation Skills 5. Meeting Skills

Types of Nonverbal communication (2)

1. Body language: - a body movement such as a gesture or expression that conveys information to others - biggest impact on receivers interpretation of the message sent by sender - EX: During a performance appraisal meeting, an employee drumming his fingers on the table and fidgeting in the chair is told by his manager to relax, the purpose of the meeting is to help him succeed at the company. 2. Verbal intonation: - the emphasis given to spoken words or phrases (can be interpreted differently based on how you speak)

Organizational Communication Paths (4)

1. Downward Communication 2. Upward Communication 3. Horizontal Communication 4. Diagonal Communication

Media Communication

1. Internet 2. Collaboration software 3. Intranets 4. Oral communication

3 Types of Task interdependence

1. Pooled interdependence 2. Sequential interdependence 3. Reciprocal interdependence

Barriers to Effective Communication

1. Selective Perception 2. Misperception 3. Information Overload 4. Filtering 5. Organizational Barriers 6. Cultural barriers 7. Noise

Feedback

A check on the success of the communication - The message receiver (person who decodes) Sends Feedback to the Message receiver (person who encodes)

Social networks

A set of relationships among people connected through friendship, family, work, or other ties Can be: 1. Formal: ties to relationships with coworkers, bosses, and others we know because of the roles we hold 2. Informal: ties to relationships based on friendship and choice - Social Networking: If employees tend to be connected to many other employees, communication is more open and information flows more freely.

Informal Communication

Any communication that is not official - include gossip and answering another employee's question about how to do something. - The grapevine is an example of an informal communication channel.

Noise

Anything that blocks, distorts, or changes in any way the message the sender intended to communicate

Formal Communication

Official, organization-sanctioned communications - Can be upward, downward, horizontal, or diagonal. - Typically involve some sort of written communication that provides a permanent record of the exchange. - EX of written communication: Some companies give all new hires e-mail etiquette training that covers the basics including how to communicate quickly but with courtesy, what not to put in writing, and the importance of proofreading e-mails before sending them. - Usually interpreted accurately.

One- and two-way communication

One-way: - information flows from sender to receiver Two-way: - information flows from sender to receiver and then feedback is given and received - EX: Your manager asks you to bring her a report and you respond, "I'll be right there."

Receiving Feedback

Responding to negative feedback is not always easy, Even when delivered constructively, it can be tempting to ignore what was said or respond with negative emotions or counter-criticism. • Show appreciation for feedback • Agree with what you can & apologize if necessary • Ask for more info if needed • Accept responsibility

Media Richness: Formal written correspondence

Richness: - Low Feedback Availability: - Low Number of Cues: - Low Language Variety: - Low Personal Focus: - Low

Media Richness: Personal written correspondence

Richness: - Low Feedback Availability: - Low Number of Cues: - Low Language Variety: - Low Personal Focus: - Low

Media Richness: Instant Messaging

Richness: - Moderate Feedback Availability: - High Number of Cues: - Low Language Variety: - Low Personal Focus: - Moderate

Media Richness: Email

Richness: - Moderate Feedback Availability: - Moderate Number of Cues: - Low Language Variety: - Low Personal Focus: - Moderate

Media Richness: Video Conference

Richness: - High Feedback Availability: - High Number of Cues: - High Language Variety: - High Personal Focus: - High

Media Richness: Telephone

Richness: - Moderate Feedback Availability: - Moderate Number of Cues: - Moderate Language Variety: - Moderate Personal Focus: - High

Communication Skills

Skills to improve communication to overcome barriers

The Communication Process: Figure 9.1

The communication process involves a number of steps. The process begins with encoding a message, then transmitting that message through a channel, and it then being decoded by the receiver. Feedback helps improve communication effectiveness, but, on the other hand, noise can block or distort it. Loop: - Feedback -> Message Sender -> Message Encoding -> *Channel* -> Message Decoding -> Message Receiver -> Feedback

Organizational communication

The exchange of information among two or more individuals or groups in an organization that creates a common basis of understanding and feeling - Can be formal or informal - Can be downward, upward, horizontal, or diagonal

Nonverbal communication

communications that are not spoken or written but that have meaning to others - EX: A fire alarm

Giving feedback

feedback should be timely, frequent, consistent, specific, and private • Ask for permission • Give in private • Preface a negative statement with a positive one • Be specific, but not overly harsh • Suggest specific changes for the future

Ambiguity

is a source of noise in communication Ambiguity of meaning: - occurs when the receiver is not sure what the sender meant. Ambiguity of Intent: - means the receiver is uncertain about the messages consequences.

Task interdependence

needed when one person or unit is dependent on another person for resources or information to get work done - The higher the level of interdependence the greater the requirement for effective communication

Information push

occurs when information is received that was not requested

Information pull

occurs when someone receives requested information

Reciprocal interdependence

used when constant communication and mutual adjustment are needed for task completion - most interdependent way of doing work and has the highest communication needs.

Pooled interdependence

used when employees work independently and then their output is combined into group output - employees work independently, results in low communication requirements

Sequential interdependence

used when tasks must be done in a certain order (i.e., an assembly line)