© 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

15 Chapter Managing Communication McGraw-Hill© 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning Objectives After reading this chapter, you should be able to: Understand the process of communication. Eliminate barriers that distort the meaning of information. Analyze the basic patterns of organizational communication. Develop the skills of organizing and running effective meetings. Master electronic forms of communication such as and know when to use them. Work with an organization’s informal communication. Improve assertive communication, presentation, nonverbal, and listening skills. © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

The Process of Communication Communication is a process that involves the transmission of meaningful information from one party to another through the use of shared symbols. Communication is successful when meaning is understood. © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

The Process of Communication (continued) Two forms of information are sent and received in communication:  Facts – bits of information that can be objectively measured or described.  Feelings – an individual’s emotional responses to decisions made or actions taken by other people. © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Skills for Managing Communication Presentation Skills Nonverbal Communication Skills Listening Skills © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill Assertive Communication Skills

The Communication Process Feedback Noise Communication Channel Sender (encodes message) Receiver (decodes message) © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

The Communication Process: Feedback Feedback allows the sender to clarify the message if its true meaning is not received.  Two-way Communications – communication channels that provide for feedback.  One-way Communications – communication channels that provide no opportunity for feedback. © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

The Communication Process: Barriers to Effective Communication Barriers can disrupt the accurate transmission of information. These barriers take different forms:  Sender barrier  Encoding barrier  Communication channel barrier  Decoding barrier  Receiver barrier  Feedback barrier  Noise barrier  Perception barrier © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Patterns of Organizational Communications Communications in organizations can be complex. Possible barriers to communication includes:  Differences in employee status and power  Diversity  Differences in interests © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Patterns of Organizational Communications Downward Communication Upward Communication Horizontal Communication © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Constructive Feedback Focus your feedback on specific behaviors that were successful or that were unsuccessful. Keep personality traits out of your feedback by focusing on what rather than who. Investigate whether the employee had control over the results before giving feedback about unsuccessful behaviors. Feedback should be given as soon as possible. Ensure privacy when giving feedback about negative behaviors. © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Communication Channels Ranked by Information Richness Richest ChannelLeanest Channel Physical presence (face- to-face, meetings) Interactive channels (telephone, electronic media, voice mail, ) Personal static channels (memos, letters, reports tailored to receiver) Impersonal static channels (fliers, bulletins, generalized reports) Best for non- routine, ambiguous, difficult messages Best for routine, clear, simple messages © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Managing Organizational Communications Face-to-Face Communication Written Communication Electronic Communication Informal Communication © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Steps you can take to make meetings more productive Ask yourself if it’s important even to schedule a meeting. Schedule the meeting for an appropriate place. Create an agenda for the meeting and distribute it ahead of time. Establish rules for participation. Follow the agenda’s time limits for each topic. Leave some open time for topics not on the agenda. End the meeting with a plan of action. © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Informal Communication Also called the grapevine – informal communication that takes place at the workplace.  can be about promotions and other personnel decisions  can be about company events (new products, downsizing)  must be managed so that negative rumors do not hurt morale Management by Wandering Around (MBWA) – dropping in unannounced for spontaneous conversations  builds levels of trust  stops harmful rumors © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Assertive Communication Skills Assertive communication skills— communicate in ways that meet one’s own needs while at the same time respecting the needs and rights of others Several less effective styles people tend to use because they are indirect or not mindful of needs:  Passive communication – an individual does not let others know directly what he or she wants or needs.  Aggressive communication – a forceful approach that expresses dominance or anger.  Passive-aggressive communication – avoids giving direct responses but rather tries to “get even” with others. © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Presentation Skills Basic guidelines Prepare objectives Organize the presentation Structure the presentation Tailor the presentation Establish credibility Speak in a responsive and conversational style Use visual aids Practice presentation skills Restate key ideas © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Nonverbal Communication Skills Nonverbal communication is sending and decoding messages with emotional content. Dimensions of nonverbal communication:  Body movements and gestures  Eye contact  Touch  Facial expressions  Physical distance  Tone of voice © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Listening Skills Help create understanding between both parties Are an active rather than passive activity Use of nonverbal indicators, like eye contact, tone of voice, or touch Are an invaluable skill for managers © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Guidelines for Active Listening Do create a supportive atmosphere. Do listen for feelings as well as words. Do note cues. Do occasionally test for understanding. Do demonstrate acceptance and understanding. Do ask exploratory, open-ended questions. Do create a supportive atmosphere. Do listen for feelings as well as words. Do note cues. Do occasionally test for understanding. Do demonstrate acceptance and understanding. Do ask exploratory, open-ended questions. Don’t try to change the other’s views. Don’t solve the problem for the speaker. Don’t give advice. Don’t pass judgment. Don’t explain or interpret others’ behavior. Don’t give false reassurances. Don’t attack if the speaker is hostile. Don’t ask “why” the feelings. Don’t try to change the other’s views. Don’t solve the problem for the speaker. Don’t give advice. Don’t pass judgment. Don’t explain or interpret others’ behavior. Don’t give false reassurances. Don’t attack if the speaker is hostile. Don’t ask “why” the feelings. © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Applications of Management Perspectives — For the Manager Use your listening skills when dealing with an employee who has an issue that is emotional in nature. Try to understand the issue from the employee’s perspective. If it is necessary to give negative feedback, make sure that the behavior being criticized is one the employee is able to control. © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Applications of Management Perspectives — For Managing Teams If you are part of a virtual team it is important to schedule periodic face-to-face meetings in order to build team spirit and trust. Without trust, there can be misunderstandings and teams are likely to be short-lived. Make sure individual team members and the team as a whole receive performance feedback. Give team members customer feedback. © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Applications of Management Perspectives — For Individuals Look for ways to practice presentation skills by speaking to different audiences. Find ways to enhance your credibility so that people want to listen to what you have to say. Act with integrity around other employees. Make sure your actions are consistent with your verbal messages. © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill