© 2006 thomson-wadsworth. learning objectives define communication. state why communication skills...


Learning Objectives

• Define communication.• State why communication skills are

important ones for managers to develop.

• Discuss the roles of the senders and the receivers of messages.

• Differentiate between hearing and listening.

• Describe the components of a message.


Learning Objectives

• Explain how channels, settings, and timing can influence the perception of the message by the receiver.

• Discuss the role of noise and feedback in communications.

• Differentiate between the verbal and nonverbal components of interpersonal communication.


Learning Objectives

• Describe how the personal characteristics of the sender may contribute to the noise that distorts messages.

• Differentiate between essential and optional written communication.

• Discuss how organizational culture affects communication.


Learning Objectives

• Outline how computers and other technologies are changing how we communicate.

• Identify differences between communicating with individuals and with groups.

• State how to minimize barriers to communication.


Communication

• Communication – The interaction between two or more

individuals.


Communication

• Sending and receiving– Sender - The person who creates and

transmits a message to another person or people.

– Encode - Create a message and determine how it is to be sent.

– Transmit - Send a message to one or more people (for example, in person, in print, or by using technologies like faxes, modems, phones, and so on).


Communication

• Sending and receiving– Receiver - The person who gets the

message from the sender.– Decode - Decipher the message that

was received.– Interpret - Assign meaning to the

message based on personal experiences.


Communication

• Listening/hearing– Hearing - A physical sense

that is involuntary and passive and often done automatically without paying attention.

– Listening - An active process that requires effort or attention from the listener; used to decode messages.


Communication

• Components of messages– Message - The information that is

communicated by the sender to the receiver.

– Packaging - How the message is conveyed.


Communication


Communication

• Components of messages– Content– Language– Symbols– Delivery style– Complexity– Focus


Communication


Communication

• Packaging the message– Channels

•Channel - A communication pathway through which a message is transmitted.

•Direct Channel - A communication pathway in which the message sent is targeted to a specific group(s) or person(s).

• Indirect Channel - A communication pathway in which the receiver is not specified.


Communication

• Packaging the message– Setting

• The physical environment in which communication takes place.

• ex: – A meeting room can be arranged in several

different ways, in order to best suit the meeting’s purpose.

– Furniture in a manager’s office may be arranged to communicate a message.


• Transfer of information from person in authority to subordinates


• Openness to 2-way communication


• Equality among group members


• (a) Manager has power over employee

• (b) or (c) Willingness to work together


• (d) or (e) All work together as equals


Communication

• Packaging the message– Timing

• A strategy for when communication will take place in relation to the present situation and the kind of message relayed.

– Noise • Interference factors that can affect a message

and distort it (for example, physical environment, external factors like illness, bad timing, and so on).

– Feedback • The process of responding to messages after

interpreting them.


Communication

• Packaging the message– Personal characteristics

• Verbal characteristics– Accent– Speed of natural conversation– Tone– Pitch– Rhythm


Communication

• Packaging the message– Personal characteristics

• Nonverbal characteristics


Communication

• Packaging the message– Nonverbal characteristics

•Artifacts - Tangible items and their placement, which are a part of nonverbal communication that can convey an unintended message.

•Proxemics - A component of nonverbal communication that defines the spatial relationship between the sender and the receiver of a message.


Communication


• Body Language - A personal characteristic of nonverbal communication that includes the use and extent of facial expressions and gestures, and may have an impact on communication.

• Physical Characteristics - The physical appearance and shape of an individual, which may subtly affect communication.

• Grooming - The personal appearance, style, and attire of an individual, which has an impact on communication.


Communication


• Dress for Success - The idea that an appropriate appearance and grooming style will create the desired effect during communication.

• Touching Behavior - A characteristic of nonverbal communication that describes the extent and ways an individual extends physical contact to others and the kind of message that contact transmits.


Written Communication

• Written communication– A type of communication that uses

written, typed, or printed words to convey the message (for example, e-mails, memos, letters, and so on).

– Supplementary Channel - A secondary pathway used to transmit a message in another way to reinforce the message.



• Written communication– Websites - An Internet-based

medium that uses a type of electronic, written communication to convey information to many people.

– Legal Document - A written record that is required to serve as verifiable evidence that something has occurred.



• Essential communications documents– Types of written communication that

are necessary (fundamental) to carrying out the business of an organization.

– Longevity of Documents - The length of time a specific type of written document must be kept.



• Essential communications documents– Employee Handbooks - Written or online

documents produced by organizations to provide information to employees relating to the organization’s mission, policies, rules, benefits, and so on.

– Human Resource Policy and Procedure Manuals - Written or online documents used as a management tool to direct the actions of management relative to employee relations.



• Essential communications documents– Departmental Policy and

Procedure Manuals - Written or online documents specific to a department that guide the activities and work processes of that department.



• Optional communications documents– Any type of written document that is

not considered essential to the functioning of an organization.

– Newsletters - A type of optional communications document that relates useful information about or to employees.



• Optional communications documents– Networking

• An optional and informal type of communication that can be either oral or written.

• It includes information exchange among colleagues and peers in related fields of interest.

– Listserv - An electronic mailing list that is used as a means of communication among a group of colleagues wishing to interact with one another in areas of mutual interest.



• Organizational culture and written communication– Proprietary Information - Knowledge

about an organization that must be restricted to certain individuals within the organization or to members of that organization only

– For health care: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)

– Amount of information shared, and direction of flow

– Preferred channel(s)



• Using computers to communicate– E-mail, e-mail, e-mail...– Proliferation of e-mail may interfere

with timely completion of work– “Junk e-mail” may waste time– E-mail has the potential to replace

interpersonal communication


Communication to Groups

• More impersonal– Less tolerance for errors– Greater chance for distortion

• Larger audience = more sophisticated packaging

• Important to test technology, proofread printed materials, etc.


Other Communication Barriers

• Regional language• Cultural variations:

– Language– Proxemics– Body language– Touching behavior– Customs



• Gender• Generational differences

– Traditionalists– Baby Boomers– Generation Xers– Generation Yers



• Politically correct terminology– Politically Correct - A designation

for terminology that is non-offensive or neutral to replace words or phrases in common usage that are disparaging, offensive, or insensitive.


Conclusion

• The message sender encodes and packages the information to be communicated.

• The receiver is responsible for decoding the message.

• Listening is an activity that requires concentration and skill; hearing is passive.

• The message and its packaging should be consistent with each other and geared toward the intended receiver.


Conclusion

• Feedback and noise are an inevitable part of interpersonal communication.

• Written communication is tangible, permanent, and verifiable.

• Communicating with groups requires significant attention to detail.

• It is important to avoid or minimize barriers to communication.


Planned Ambiguity

• Precision is usually necessary for successful communication

• Ambiguity is part of the message in a purposefully-imprecise form of communication

• ex: ambiguous class assignment to write a report analyzing an herbal supplement

© 2006 thomson-wadsworth. learning objectives define communication. state why communication skills...

Documents

kind of message

communication pathway

communication skills

optional written communication

learning objectivesdescribe

learning objectivesexplain

learning objectivesoutline

physical sense