Educating the Worker for the Global Marketplace UI100: First-Year Seminar

Communicating in the Workplace  Today’s workplace is much more diverse than in the past  Think about what we talked about before: Employers want job candidates who have good communication & interpersonal skills and are team players.

Communicating in the Workplace Will those skills continue to be important in a culturally diverse workplace?

Communicating in the Workplace  These skills are increasingly important as the American workforce expands to include a wide variety of cultures.

 Culture is a set of learned attitudes, behaviors, and the other things that comprise a way of life. It is unlikely that you will share your personal culture with your coworkers, but… you will be sharing your work culture with your coworkers. What is Culture?

Challenges to today’s employer  Ensure that its work force’s diversity is a source of strength, not one of conflict.  All employees share in this responsibility.

Communication Styles  Miscommunication is a major source of discomfort and conflict.  What types of communication are there? Verbal Non-verbal Written

Communicating in the Workplace  Communication goes beyond what’s said, written, or expressed. It’s how it’s said When it’s said Why it’s said

 Miscommunication can (and often does) result when an individual’s style of communicating differs from that of another person.  In today’s workplace, you can bet that you will work with someone whose communication styles differs from yours. Communicating in the Workplace

 Are you a linear communicator? Do you move in a straight line to your point? Engage in little small talk?  Are you a spiral communicator? Do you circle around your subject in tighter and tighter loops until you get to your point? What is your communication style?

 Neither style is right or wrong. The spiral communicator may perceive the linear communicator as abrupt or rude. The linear communicator might think the spiral communicator is deceptive or indecisive. What is your communication style?

Communicating in the Workplace  Keep in mind that when you’re unfamiliar with another culture, it’s easy to jump to the wrong conclusions or create a conflict through misunderstanding.

 How do you strengthen your ability to understand and to be understood? Respect for differences Tolerance for ambiguity Flexibility Suspension of assumptions and judgments Willingness to see another person’s point of view Time and practice Communicating in the Workplace

In-Class Writing Tell me, briefly, about an experience you have had with someone who is different from you. What did you learn from it?