Essentials of communication Today’s Communication Challenges

Trends in the New Workplace  Flattened management hierarchies  More participatory management  Increased emphasis on self-directed work and teams  Heightened global competition  Innovative communication technologies  New work environments  Move to knowledge economy

Trends in the New Workplace Communication Skills: Essential for succeeding in the new world of work.

Trends in the New Workplace Communication within the workplace  Information flow is crucial to any organization and the better the flow the more successful the company or organization  Being an effective communicator means being Honest with yourself and others It means having the ability to say what you want or feel but not at the expense of others Not about getting your own way and winning every time/by manipulating/ Effective communicator avoids quick fix tricks or techniques

Trends in the New Workplace Communication within the workplace(contd)  Information flow is crucial to the success of any organization  For business decisions to be effective and relevant -Timely and appropriate information has to be obtained and communicated throughout the organization  The successful organization is the one that has effective communication both within the organization and with other companies & clients

Trends in the New Workplace Communication within the workplace(contd) Using listening, speaking, questioning and feedback skills when dealing with clients about simple,routine matters Effective communicators will also use their internal personal skills These interpersonal skills are used to greet the clients, find out and satisfy their expectations and needs and finish the interaction courteously

Trends in the New Workplace Communication within the workplace(contd) Communication barriers can be caused by the sender the receiver Lack of feedback A poor choice of channel The wrong context or any other element in the communication model

Trends in the New Workplace Communication within the workplace(contd) Communication barriers can be caused by the Physical Distractions(attending phone calls etc while talking to a person) Semantic Problems-poor choice of words- KISS principle(we solicit any recommendation that you wish to make, and you may be assured that any such recommendations will be given our careful consideration)simplify it Mixed messages-persons word communicate one thing while his body language communicate quite another Absence of feedback-voice ,memo,letters

Trends in the New Workplace Contd of communication barrier Status Effects Status differences in organiizations create potential communication barriers between persons of higher and lower ranks-managers do a lot of telling than listening Mum effect(occurs when people are relutant to communicate bad news) MBWA –Management by wandering (involves getting out of the office to directly communicate with others)

Barriers to Effective Listening Physical barriers—hearing disabilities, noisy surroundings Personal barriers—tuning out ideas that counter our barriers Language problems—unfamiliar words or incorrect pronunciation Nonverbal distractions—clothing, mannerisms, appearance

Barriers to Effective Listening Thought speed—our minds process thoughts faster than speakers express them Faking attention—pretending to listen Grandstanding—talking all the time or listening only for the next pause

Barriers to Effective Listening Ê Listening is a matter of intelligence. Fact: Careful listening is a learned behaviour. Ë Speaking is more important than listening in the communication process. Fact: Speaking and listening are equally important

Barriers to Effective Listening Ì Listening is easy and requires little energy. Fact: Active listeners incur physiological changes similar to a person engaged in intense physical activity such as long distance running. Í Listening and hearing are the same process. Fact: Listening is a conscious, selective process. Hearing is an involuntary act.

Barriers to Effective Listening Î Speakers are able to command listening. Fact: Speakers cannot make a person actually listen. Ï Hearing ability determines listening ability. Fact: Listening happens mentally—between the ears.

Barriers to Effective Listening Ð Speakers are totally responsible for communication success. Fact: Communication is a two-way street. Ñ Listening is only a matter of understanding a speaker’s words. Fact: Nonverbal signals also help listeners gain understanding.

Tips for Becoming an Active Listener Stop talking. Control your surroundings. Establish a receptive mind-set. Keep an open mind. Listen for main points. Capitalize on lag time. Listen between the lines.

Tips for Becoming an Active Listener Judge ideas, not appearances. Be patient. Take selective notes. Provide feedback.

Nonverbal Communication The eyes, face, and body send silent messages. Eye contact Facial expression Posture and gestures Appearance sends silent messages. Appearance of business documents Appearance of people

Ch Nonverbal Communication Time, space, and territory send silent messages. Time (punctuality and structure of) Space (arrangement of objects in) Territory (privacy zones)

Tips for Improving Your Nonverbal Skills Establish and maintain eye contact. Use posture to show interest. Improve your decoding skills. Probe for more information. Avoid assigning nonverbal meanings out of context.

Tips for Improving Your Nonverbal Skills Associate with people from diverse cultures. Appreciate the power of appearance. Observe yourself on videotape. Enlist friends and family.

Communication Barriers Cause of BarrierOutcomeStrategies to avoid barrier Difference in perception People often see and interpret the same event or action in a different way Listen carefully speak clearly and directly to the other person Ask questions. Give feedback Differing attitudes and values People often form different interpretation Listen carefully speak clearly and directly to the other person Ask questions. Give feedback Inconsistency between spoken and nonverbal communication Poor communication and confusion because of the ambiguous message Match the verbal and nonverbal parts of the total message

Communication Barriers Cause of BarrierOutcomeStrategies to avoid barrier Witholding informationOthers operate with only part of the message so mistakes are more likely to occur Plan and structure the message to include all necessary information Passing judgment by telling people their reaction is stupid The receiver can become angry and retaliate Listen actively. Ask questions. Give feedback Dismissing the concerns or point of view of others The receiver may withdraw Listen carefully. Show you are aware of the others points of view.Ask questions.Give feedback

Culture and Communication Good communication demands special sensitivity and skills when communicators are from different cultures.

Culture and Communication Intercultural communication  Intercultural communication is communication between people living in the same country but from different cultural backgrounds  Over time a culture develops distinctive national patterns of communication and social behaviour  These patterns are the customs and conventions regarded as the characteristics of a particular culture  They affect the way people communicate and act as individuals or in groups

Culture and Communication Key Canadian Beliefs: Individualism Initiative, self-assertion, personal achievement Informality Less emphasis on rituals, ceremonies, rank; preference for informal dress, direct business dealings Direct communication style Straightforward, literal, suspicious of evasiveness Importance of time Precious, correlates with productivity

Cultural Values Comparison Compared to Americans, Canadians tend to be more collective conforming conservative supportive of civil and political institutions and collective decision making

Cross Cultural communication People must always exercise caution when they are involved in cross cultural communication Whether between persons of different geographic or ethnic groupings within one country or between persons of different national cultures Common problem is ethnocentrism- believe one’s culture and its values are superior to those of others

Cross Cultural communication Difficulties with cross cultural communication –respect to language differences Advertising message-work well in one country but encounter difficulty when translated into the language of others Ka –mosquito in Japanese(introduction of Fords Europeans model) Crossed legs rude in Saudi Arabia acceptable in UK. Pointing at someone not considered appropriate in Asia

Cross Cultural communication Awareness of the different customs,rules and social behaviour in different cultures reduces the barriers caused by prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination

Culture and Communication Overcome misunderstanding by developing tolerance. Empathize with others. Try to see the world through another person’s eyes. Accept others’ contributions in solvingproblems.

Improving Communication With Multicultural Audiences Oral Messages Use simple English. Speak slowly and enunciate clearly. Encourage accurate feedback. Check frequently for comprehension. Observe eye messages.

Improving Communication With Multicultural Audiences Oral Messages (continued) Accept blame. Listen without interrupting. Remember to smile! Follow up in writing.

Improving Communication With Multicultural Audiences Written Messages Adopt local formats. Consider hiring a translator. Use short sentences and short paragraphs. Avoid ambiguous expressions. Cite numbers carefully.

Effective Communication With Diverse Workplace Audiences Understand the value of differences. Don’t expect total conformity. Create zero tolerance for bias and stereotypes. Practise focused, thoughtful, and open- minded listening. Invite, use, and give feedback.

Effective Communication With Diverse Workplace Audiences Make fewer workplace assumptions. Learn about your cultural self. Learn about other cultures and identity groups. Seek common ground.

Effective Communication With Diverse Workplace Audiences Different cultural groups have different rules for Use of humour and irony Courtesies in speech such as when to say please,thankyou or excuse me The meaning of yes and no Rules of politeness –who can speak to whom and who can begin a conversation Dress Use of time

Check your Cross cultural belief Naming systems 1.In the chinese naming system the surname is placed first 2.In China,descent is traced though the female line 3.In Vietnamese naming system the surname is placed first 4.In the Arabic naming system the surname is placed last

Check your Cross cultural belief Etiquette 5.In Australia direct eye contact is a sign of discourtesy 6.In Asia avoidance of eye contact is a sign of respect 7.To touch South –East Asians on the head is an act of extreme discourtesy 8.In a Muslim culture, people do not pass things to each other with the left hand 9.In Asian cultures people find it easy to say No 10.For Thais to share the cost of an outing is against accepted custom

Check your Cross cultural belief Answers 1.True 2.False 3.True 4.True 5.False 6.True 7.True 8.True 9.False 10.True