©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Newstrom 12/e PPT ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Managing Communications Chapter Three Managing Communications ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Chapter Objectives To understand: The two-way communication process Barriers to communication Factors leading to effective communication Downward and upward communications problems The roles of questioning and listening The impact of electronic communications Organizational grapevines and rumors ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Introduction Communication is… An ever-present activity How people relate to one another and combine their efforts Necessary for the health of the organization Communication travels… Upward, downward, laterally Listening and humility are important parts of the communication process ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Communication Fundamentals Communication transfers information and understanding from person to person The goal is for receivers to understand the message as it was intended Two people are required… There is no communication until a message is… Received Interpreted Understood ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

The Importance of Communication Organizations cannot exist without communication Coordination of work Input to management Instructions Cooperation Feelings and needs Every act of communication influences the organization in some way Effective communication encourages better performance ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

The Importance of Communication Open communication is better than restricted communication Informed employees usually respond favorably Open-book management is open and transparent Managers… Initiate communications Pass messages on Interpret communications for employees Need timely, useful information to make sound decisions ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

The Two-Way Communication Process ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Potential Problems Two-Way Communication Drawbacks Polarization Defensive reasoning Cognitive dissonance Self-revelation Face-saving Threat to self-image Regrettable messages ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Communication Barriers (Noise) Personal barriers Psychological distance Physical barriers Proxemics Semantics Jargon (acronyms) Slang Translation Inference ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Communication Symbols Words Context provides meaning Social Cues Positive or negative Readability Pictures ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Non-Verbal Communication (Action) Key Points Failure to act is a way of communicating Actions speak louder than words Credibility gaps cause problems Body language provides meaning ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved The Impact of Barriers ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Downward Communication Managers who communicate successfully are… Sensitive to human needs Open to true dialog with employees Flashy but often ineffective communication methods… Colorful booklets PowerPoint presentations Elaborately planned meetings ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Downward Communication Prerequisites Develop a positive communication attitude Get informed Plan for communication Develop trust Problems Communication overload Acceptance of communication Quality is preferable to quantity ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Downward Communication Communication Needs Job instruction Realistic job previews Performance feedback News Social support ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Upward Communication Difficulties Delay Filtering Silence Need for a response Distortion ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Upward Communication Upward Communication Practices Questioning Listening Employee meetings Open-door policy Management by walking around Participation in social groups ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Guidelines for Effective Listening Stop talking! Put the talker at ease Show that you want to listen Remove distractions Empathize with a talker Be patient Hold your temper Go easy on argument and criticism Ask relevant questions ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Other Forms of Communication Lateral Communication Cross-communication Boundary spanners Networking Ombudsperson Electronic Communication Electronic mail Blogs Telecommuting Virtual offices ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Informal Communication The Grapevine Coexists with the formal communication system Includes all informal communication Can be both inside and outside the organization Electronic Grapevine Speeds up transmission of information Will not replace the traditional grapevine ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Features of the Grapevine Cluster Chain Liaison individuals Factors that Encourage Grapevine Activity Excitement and insecurity Involvement of friends and associates Recent information Procedure that brings people into contact Work that allows conversation Job that provides information desired by others Personality of communicator ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Features of the Grapevine The Grapevine is Influential 53% of managers and white-collar employees view the grapevine as negative 27% see it as positive Contrary to common perceptions, over 3/4ths of grapevine information is accurate ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Rumor Rumor is… Often used as a synonym for “grapevine” Information communicated without verification Generally incorrect Prompted by interest and ambiguity Subject to filtering and elaborating Types of Rumors Historical and explanatory Spontaneous and action-oriented Positive or negative ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Guidelines for Control of Rumor Remove its causes Apply efforts primarily to serious rumors Refute rumor with facts Deal with rumor as soon as possible Emphasize face-to-face supply of facts, confirmed in writing if necessary Provide facts from reliable sources Refrain from repeating rumor while refuting it Encourage assistance of informal and union leaders Listen to all rumors in order to understand what they may mean ©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved