Chapter 13: Using Interpersonal Communication Skills in Conversations and Meetings

Which of the following statements should be used when delivering a bad news message?

"I understand this is difficult for you to hear."

Which of the following statements are acceptable when giving constructive feedback? (Choose every correct answer.)

"Sales volume in the Western region has declined by 15% since August." "Although I liked your ideas about improving the supply chain, your proposal was submitted two days past the deadline."

Which of the following are examples of nonverbal communication? (Choose every correct answer.)

-Facial expressions -Hand gestures

Which of the following should a collaboration strategy be used for? (Choose every correct answer.)

-Groups that want to build trust -Groups with unlimited time -Small groups

Match each distance to the type of space. -Physical contact to 18 inches -18 inches to 4 feet -4 to 12 feet -12 feet to the outer range of seeing and hearing

-Intimate -Personal -Social -Public

Which of the following techniques can improve your listening ability?

-Leaning forward -Nodding -Making eye contact

Which of the following topics are acceptable to start with when having a neutral conversation with someone you just met? (Choose every correct answer.)

-Questions about the event you are at -The weather -A compliment

Which of the following items are commonly found in meeting minutes? (Choose every correct answer.)

-Summaries of the discussion of each agenda item -The date, time, and location of the meeting -A list of attendees

In dealing with a conflict, when should you prioritize others' feelings over your own wishes? (Choose every correct answer.)

-When the opposing party has a strong preference and you do not -When you lack power and are not likely to get what you want

Running an Effective Meeting As a businessperson, you will participate in many meetings either as a leader or as a participant. Your communication skills will be essential to your success in these meetings. This activity requires you to apply what you've learned about interpersonal communication, active listening, nonverbal communication, and conducting meetings. Read the case and answer the questions that follow. For the last three years, you've been working as an accountant at the U.S. headquarters of Exottica Eyewear, a large multinational company that owns several popular chains of eyewear stores. Given your short time with the company, you were surprised and honored to be named chair of Team Exottica, the company's local volunteer program. You helped found the program and have been an enthusiastic participant in its activities. Last year, you served as a member of the committee that oversees the program, and now the vice president of corporate relations has asked you to chair the committee for the coming year. This is an exciting professional development opportunity for you, as well as a way for you to continue to help Exottica make a positive difference in your city. At the first meeting you chaired, held a month ago, your committee decided that its primary goal this year would be to expand the company's volunteer efforts. Exottica has a well-established tutoring program with one of your city's largest public high schools; in fact, the company won the city's Association of Volunteer Administrators' award for this program. But that's just the problem: You fear that the award will make employees feel that the program is fine as is and doesn't need any more volunteers. In fact, only 20 employees actually tutored at the high school, leaving about 300 who didn't participate in the company-sponsored program. You and the rest of your committee think that Exottica can, and should, do better. At its first meeting, the committee decided that each member would explore ways to promote and expand the Team Exottica program and then share these findings at the next meeting. Now that meeting is approaching. Since the conference room you've reserved is in high demand, you'll have it for only an hour—not a minute longer. You're determined to make the most of the committee's time together.

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This activity is important because, as a businessperson, you can expect to participate in or even lead virtual business meetings. To lead a virtual team, you will need to manage expectations for team dynamics, professionalism, communication, and technology. In the video you are about to watch, you will watch a virtual team meeting. While at the end of the meeting James, the leader, acknowledges that he mistakenly assumed his team knew one another and knew what they were doing, his team members share in the blame for the team's dysfunction. When you watch the video, pay attention to both James's words and actions and to those of the team members.

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Quiz

... Got a 100%

Which of the following would be the best way to keep things moving along?

As people approach their allotted time, help them wrap up the main points and then move on to the next person.

Probably the shyest member of the committee is Su Wong. She's a nonnative English speaker who is often hesitant to talk, and when she does talk, she speaks a bit more slowly than the other committee members. What's the best way for you to handle this situation?

Ask her questions to draw her out, and use encouraging body language to keep her talking.

One of the committee members, Ed Hall, is very enthusiastic about his idea to expand the successful tutoring program to more local high schools. He has brought a list of high schools with him and is going down the list, explaining which in his view would be the best ones to partner with. With his allotted time about to run out, what's your best course of action?

Ask him to send his list and recommendations to everyone by email so these can be considered at the next meeting.

When is it acceptable to enter someone's office without first being invited?

During an informal conversation with close colleagues

In which form of communication are nonverbal cues most important to the total message?

Face-to-face conversations

True or false: Nonverbal language is usually easy to interpret.

False

True or false: Written and oral communications have little influence on organizational culture.

False

Which types of meetings require a prepared list of topics to be distributed to attendees in advance?

Formal meetings Complex meetings

Which of the following are secondary characteristics of functional teams? (Choose every correct answer.)

Managed conflict Balanced participation Valued diversity

Which of the following factors influence the meaning we attribute to sounds? (Choose every correct answer.)

Personal context Culture

Which of the following are tertiary characteristics of functional teams? (Choose every correct answer.)

Positive atmosphere Cooperative relationships

Which of the following is a recommended technique for improving your telephone voice?

Smile and use gestures as if you are face-to-face.

Which of the following are recommended techniques for stopping people who stray off topic or repeat themselves at a meeting? (Choose every correct answer.)

Summarize the discussion. Ask for other viewpoints.

Which of the following would be the best way to end the meeting?

Summarize what the committee has accomplished and agree on the purpose for the next meeting.

The conflict management strategy that prioritizes the feelings of others is called ______ strategy.

accommodative

Focusing on the words being said and suspending judgment until the message is complete is called ______.

active listening

A prepared list of topics to be covered at a meeting is called a(n) ______.

agenda

Effective teams view conflict as ______.

an opportunity to grow

When leaving a voice mail message, you should first tell the listener your name and affiliation and then begin with ______.

an overview of the message

Our interpretation of nonverbal cues is strongly influenced by ______.

our culture

Nonverbal cues that are communicated via the sound of the speaker's voice are called ______.

paralanguage

The rules of conduct used to organize and structure meetings are called ______.

parliamentary procedure

Which of the following are recommended procedures for ensuring effective phone calls?

-Create an agenda for the call. -Eliminate distractions. -Refrain from interrupting.

Which of the following are examples of body language? (Choose every correct answer.)

-Facial expression -Gestures

What percentage of Americans own a cell phone?

99%

Which of the following is the best description of meeting minutes?

A written record of the decisions and discussions at a meeting

Which of the following would be the best way to begin the meeting?

After a friendly greeting, briefly review the previous meeting and the purpose and plan for this meeting.

When do most employers begin to assess your fit within the organizational culture?

At the job interview

Which two factors determine how well we sense the words around us?

Attentiveness Ability to hear

Which two factors require careful consideration when giving feedback? (Choose every correct answer.)

Audience Tone

Which of the following is the first step in resolving a conflict?

Define the conflict by recognizing people's feelings.

Which of the following must be in place before a team can begin its work? (Choose every correct answer.)

Defined roles Open communication Clear goals

True or false: It is important to monitor your cell phone for incoming messages at all times, including during meetings and other business functions.

False

When negotiating a conflict, which of the following factors should you focus on? (Choose every correct answer.)

Goals Feelings

One of the committee members, Joanne Hader, is exasperated that so few employees have shown an interest in the program. She begins to vent her frustration, criticizing her colleagues for the "weak excuses" they've given for not participating. After a minute or so of this, what would be your best course of action?

Help her focus on the reasons for employees' nonparticipation so your committee can use that information to generate better participation.

Which type of meeting generally does not require strict rules of procedure?

Informal meeting

What question should you ask yourself when receiving negative feedback?

Is this true?

At the end of the video, James says his key mistake was assuming his team members knew one another and knew what they were doing. What was his other key mistake?

James assumed this team would have the same dynamic as the other virtual teams he has worked with.

Although the setting and tone for the meeting were informal, all of the following behaviors might be considered unprofessional except

James's statement that the reason they needed to meet was to address the issue of the team missing two of its deadlines.

How much time does the average American spend talking on the phone each day?

Less than 10 minutes

Constructive feedback should be based on which of the following? (Choose every correct answer.)

Logic Evidence Facts

Which of the following describes most listeners?

Moderately attentive

Which of the following would be the best course of action to take before the meeting?

The day before the meeting, email all the committee members a reminder and include an agenda that allots each person a certain amount of time to speak.

What principle for communication in meetings did Wendy and Danny violate?

They did not use respectful language; they made fun of Bernard, his work, and his lack of technical proficiency.

What decision about communication should the team have agreed on earlier in their work on this project?

They should have decided on a check-in process and how they wanted to communicate outside of their meetings.

True or false: Every company culture is different.

True

Arranging a room in a particular way corresponds to which type of nonverbal communication?

Use of space

In which scenarios might you engage in a negotiation?

When asking for a raise When resolving a conflict When drafting a contract

When is it advisable to walk away from a conflict without pursuing a resolution?

When the conflict is small and will resolve itself

In which of the following situations should you avoid taking a business phone call? (Choose every correct answer.)

While waiting in line At social gatherings In meetings

If your client or colleague appears busy and does not ask if you would like to sit, you should ______.

ask, "May I sit?"

When leaving a voice mail message that includes a task that you want the recipient to accomplish, the call to action should come ______.

at the end of the message

The conflict management strategy employed by those who view the conflict as a win-lose scenario in which they expect to lose is called conflict ______.

avoidance

Objective comments meant to help improve others' work or strengthen relationships are called ______ feedback.

constructive

Before the next meeting, James should do all of the following except

encourage Danny to continue with the initiative to create duplicate documents so that the team always has a backup.

The most important communicators of body language are the ______.

face and eyes

A compromising strategy seeks to find a resolution that is ______.

fair to both sides

The process of attributing meaning to sounds while listening is called ______.

filtering

The aspects of a team that must be in place from the beginning of a team's work are called ______.

foundational characteristics

Before entering someone's office, you should always ______.

knock

When attending a meeting with no agenda, you should ______.

limit your comments to those that pertain to the goals of the meeting

Tertiary characteristics of functioning teams are essential for ______.

making teamwork enjoyable and rewarding

A discussion that leads to an agreement is called a(n) ______.

negotiation

Paralanguage is a form of ______.

nonverbal communication

A compromising strategy can lead to unhappiness if ______.

one side feels pressured into making too many concessions

When attending a meeting with an established agenda, you should ______.

only comment on agenda items

The beliefs, values, practices, and norms of a business are collectively known as its ______.

organizational culture

When speaking by phone in a professional setting, it is important to sound ______.

pleasant and friendly

A conversation on neutral topics with people you do not know well is called ______.

small talk

When you make a business phone call, you should begin the conversation by______.

stating the purpose of your call

The choice of whether to put a caller on hold should be made by ______.

the caller

A person screening calls for a busy businessperson should first ask ______.

the reason for the call

When receiving negative feedback, you should focus on ______.

the substance of the feedback

People should be allowed to continue speaking at a meeting as long as ______.

they are contributing to the goals of the meeting

The best way to make difficult conversations less uncomfortable is to _____.

think of them as growth opportunities

After entering a colleague's office, you should ______.

wait to be invited to sit

The collaboration strategy is also known as the ______ strategy.

win-win