COMM 205 Notes ___ CHAPTER 1: LO1 ● ● ● Your job placement, performance, career advancement, and organizational success depends on your communication skills. One of the most requested items in making hiring decisions: communication skills. What do job advertisements ask for when hiring? Excellent oral and written communication skills. ● ● Communication skills are: reading, listening, writing, speaking, nonverbal (These skills are not inherent and must be learned.) Writing skills are important in today’s society because: ○ By today’s technology the messages are transmitted faster, more often, and for a large variety of people. ○ ● ● People remotely work together. What does the Knowledge worker do? ○ he/she deals with symbols( words, figures, data) ○ Generate, process, and exchange information. Nowadays, the development and exchange of knowledge are the key factors in tomorrow’s wealth instead of physical labor, raw materials, and capital. ● Information workers are those who work with technology, says by Microsoft. ● The related factor between knowledge and information workers is: engaging in mind work ● Critical Thinking: Having reasonable and proof worthy opinions. CHAPTER 1: LO2 ● Many of the changes in the new world of work make communication skills a key to your success. ● Communication is more complicated with people who have different religions, customs, and lifestyles. ● Successful communication in new markets requires developing new skills, attitudes, cultural knowledge and sensitivity, flexibility, and patience. ● Flatter organizations the man that every employee be a skilled communicator. ● Workers on teams need strong communication skills to collaborate and work together effectively. ● In a cross-functional team, Individuals must work together and share information. ● Workers today are collaborating, telecommuting, working in open offices, and serving on virtual teams, all of which demand excellent communication skills. ● Communicating with workers who differ in race, ethnicity, gender, and age requires new attitudes and skills. ● ● Communication technologies: Reshaping the world of work ○ Telephony: VoIP ○ Multi functional printers ○ Open offices ○ handheld wireless devices ○ voice recognition ○ company intranet ○ electronic presentations Collaboration technologies: rethinking the way we work together ○ blogs, podcasts, and wikis ○ Voice conferencing ○ web conferencing ○ video conferencing ○ presents technology ○ video phones CHAPTER 1: LO3 ● Steps of communication process: a. Idea formation b. message encoding c. message transmission d. message decoding e. feedback ● Key factors in the successful communication ■ Predicting the effect of a message ■ Adopting the message to a receiver ● Encoding involves converting an idea into words or gestures that convey meaning. ● Bypassing: when missed meanings cause misunderstandings. ● Choosing appropriate words or symbols is critical to a successful message. ● Channel : The medium over which the message is physically transmitted. ● Noise: anything that interrupts the transmission of a message in the communication process. ● Receiver: The individual for Home to message is intended. ● Decoding: translating the message from its symbol form into meaning. ● Feedback: The verbal and nonverbal responses of the receiver which create a vital part of the communication process. ● asking questions encourages feedback that clarifies communication. ● The best feedback is descriptive rather than evaluative. CHAPTER 1: LO4 ● ● Barriers to successful communication: ○ Bypassing ○ deferring frames of reference ○ lack of language or listening skills ○ emotional interference and physical distractions miscommunication often results when the sender’s frame of reference differs markedly from the receiver’s. ● To overcome obstacles, communicators must anticipate problems in encoding, transmitting, and decoding. ● Good communicators ask questions to stimulate feedback. CHAPTER 1: LO5 ● Internal communication often consists of e-mail, memos, and voice messages; external communication generally consists of letters. ● ● Three basic functions of organizational communication: ○ to inform ○ to persuade ○ to promote goodwill. Communication media are changing from one-sided, slow forms to more interactive, faster results forms of communication. ● Instant messaging: A type of communications service that allows you to create a private chat room to communicate in real time over the Internet ● Text messaging: Sending short text messages usually to a wireless device such as a cell phone or PDA. ● Oral communication forms: Phone call ,Conversation, Interview, Meeting, Conference ● Advantage of Oral communication: ● ■ Immediate feedback ■ Nonverbal clues ■ Warm feeling ■ Forceful impact ■ Multiple input Disadvantages of Oral communication: ■ No permanent record ● ■ Expression may be careless or imprecise ■ May be inappropriate for formal or complex ideas Written communication forms: Announcement, E-mail, memo, fax Letter Report, proposal Newsletter, PowerPoint presentation, Résumé ● Written communication pros and cons: Pros: ○ Permanent record, Convenience, Careful message, Easy distribution Cons: ○ Requires skill, Requires effort, Lacks verbal cues, Sometimes seems impersonal CHAPTER 1: LO6 ● Formal communication channels : follow an organization’s chain of command. ● The flow of official information among workers through formal channels: ○ Downward : ■ From managers to employees: Job plans, policies, instructions, feedback, and procedures -obstacle: Distortion resulting from long lines of communication.) -How to improve: Switching to smaller operating ○ Upward : ■ From employees to managers: Feedback, suggestions, customer information, financial information -Obstacles: Untrustworthy employers, fear of reprisal for honest communication, lack of adequate communication skills, and differing frames of reference -How to improve: (a) hiring communication coaches to train employees, (b) asking employees to report customer complaints, (c) encouraging regular meetings with staff, (d) providing a trusting, nonthreatening environment in which employees can comfortably share their observations and ideas with management, (e) offering incentive programs that encourage employees to collect and share valuable feedback. ○ Horizontally : ■ Among employees: Task coordination, problem solving, conflict resolution, idea generation -Obstacles: poor communication skills, prejudice, ego involvement, and turf wars, competition within units and an uneven reward system How to improve: (a) training employees in teamwork and communication techniques, (b) establishing reward systems based on team achievement rather than individual achievement, and (c) encouraging full participation in team functions ● Grapevine: An informal channel of communication that carries organizationally relevant gossip. Its information is often incomplete because it travels in headlines ● Managers can influence the grapevine by : (a) respecting employees’ desire to know, (b) increasing the amount of information delivered through formal channels, (c) sharing bad as well as good news, (d) monitoring the grapevine, and (e) acting promptly to correct misinformation. CHAPTER 2: LO3 ● Meetings: three or more people who gather to pool information and solve problems; also, represent great opportunities for each individual to distinguish themselves and advance their career. ● 53 percent of Americans spend one to eight hours each week attending meetings. ● Our task as business communicators is to learn how to make meetings more efficient, satisfying, and productive. ● Techniques for planning and conducting successful meetings: ○ Call meetings only when necessary and invite only key people. ○ Selecting participants: Problem-solving meetings should involve five or fewer people. ○ A meeting agenda, showing topics to be discussed and other information, should be distributed before the meeting. The narrower the focus, the greater the chances for success. ○ Meetings should start on time and open with a brief introduction. ○ Successful leaders keep the meeting moving by avoiding issues that sidetrack the group. ○ To benefit from meetings, arrive early, be prepared, contribute positively and respectfully, stay calm, give credit to others, don’t use your cell phone or laptop, help summarize, express your views in the meeting (not after), and complete your assignments. ○ When a conflict develops between two members, allow each to make a complete case before the group. ○ Effective meetings end with a summary of accomplishments with a follow-up reminding participants of their assigned tasks. ● A good agenda: ■ Date and place of meeting ■ Start time and end time ■ Brief description of each topic, in order of priority, including the names of individuals who are responsible for performing some action ● ■ Proposed allotment of time for each topic ■ Any pre meeting preparation expected of participants open the meeting with a three- to five-minute introduction that includes the following: ○ Goal and length of the meeting ○ Background of topics or problems ○ Possible solutions and constraints ○ Tentative agenda ○ Ground rules to be followed - ground rules might include arriving on time, communicating openly, being supportive, listening carefully, participating fully, confronting conflict frankly, and following the agenda. CHAPTER 2: LO4 ● Because voice conferencing is simple and effective, more people use it than any other of the collaboration meeting tools. ● Video conferencing can help organizations to reduce travel expenses, travel time, and employee fatigue. ● Instant messaging(IM) is useful for immediate online conversations. ● Blogs are helpful for cross-departmental teams and when new members must get up to speed quickly. They also reduce time spent in unnecessary meetings by allowing minor matters to be handled online ● Difference between blogs and wikis: ○ Content can be edited more easily in a wiki than in a blog. ○ A wiki is a many-to-many form of communication, whereas blogs are a one-to-many form of communication. ○ Blogs resemble a personal broadcasting system, whereas wikis blend many voices to produce a forum. ● Blogs and wiki documents can be digitally stored, categorized, and searched. ● Companies usually set up wikis on an intranet behind corporate firewalls. CHAPTER 2: LO5 ● A vital ingredient in every successful workplace is high-quality communication. ● Listening skills are critical for : career success, organization effectiveness, and worker satisfaction. ● Most workers spend 30 to 45 percent of their communication time listening, whereas executives spend 60 to 70 percent of their communication time listening. ● Most of us listen at only 25 percent efficiency. ● Reasons that we are inefficient listeners: a. lack of training, b. competing sounds, c. slowness of speech, and d. daydreaming ● Listening to superiors involves hearing instructions, assignments, and explanations of work procedures. ● Good listening techniques include taking notes, not interrupting, and paraphrasing. ● Critical listening enables you to judge and evaluate what you are hearing. ● Discriminative listening is necessary when you must understand and remember. It means you must identify main ideas, understand a logical argument, and recognize the purpose of the message. ● Listening to colleagues and teammates involves critical and discriminative listening. ● Organizations that listen to customers improve sales and profitability. ● Keys to Building Powerful Listening Skills : a. Control distractions b. Become actively involved c. Separate facts from opinion d. Identify important facts. e. Avoid interrupting f. Ask clarifying questions g. Paraphrase to increase understanding h. Capitalize on lag time ● i. Take notes to ensure retention j. Be aware of gender differences Differences between men and women listeners: a. Men tend to listen for facts, whereas women tend to perceive listening as an opportunity to connect with the other person on a personal level. b. Men tend to use interrupting behavior to control conversations, while women generally interrupt to communicate assent, to elaborate on an idea of another group member, or to participate in the topic of conversation. c. Women listeners tend to be attentive, provide steady eye contact, remain stationary, and nod their heads. Male listeners are less attentive, provide sporadic eye contact, and move around. CHAPTER 3: LO1 ● Learning how culture aff ects behavior helps you reduce friction and misunderstandings. ● National boundaries mean less as businesses expand through acquisitions, mergers, alliances, and buyouts. ● American companies in global markets must adapt to other cultures. ● Favorable trade agreements, declining domestic markets, and middle-class growth fuel the expansion of global markets. ● Advancements in transportation and information technologies contribute to global interconnectivity. ● Immigration makes intercultural communication skills increasingly necessary. ● Learning to adapt to an intercultural workforce and multinational companies is an important requirement for business communicators. CHAPTER 3: LO2 ● Understanding basic characteristics of culture helps us make adjustments and accommodations. ● Characteristics of Culture: ○ It Is Learned ○ Are Inherently Logical ○ Is the Basis of Self-Identity and Community ○ It Combines the Visible and Invisible behaviours ○ It Is Dynamic and will change over time ● Culture determines our sense of who we are and our sense of community. ● Stereotypes: Are oversimplified behavioral patterns applied uncritically to groups. ● Prototypes: Describe general characteristics that are dynamic and may change. ● 5 key dimensions of culture: ○ Context ■ Low-context cultures (such as those in North America and Western Europe) depend less on the environment of a situation to convey meaning than do high-context cultures (such as those in Japan, China, and Arab countries). People in low-context cultures tend to be logical, analytical, and action oriented. ○ Individualism ■ Members of many low-context cultures value independence and freedom from control. ○ Formality ■ Tradition, ceremony, and social rules are more important in some cultures than in others ○ Communication style ■ Words are used differently by people in low- and high-context cultures. North Americans value a direct, straightforward communication style. ○ Time orientation ■ North Americans tend to correlate time with productivity, efficiency, and money. Asians tend to need time for deliberation and contemplation. CHAPTER 3: LO3 ● Ethnocentrism, the belief in the superiority of one’s own race, tends to cause us to judge others by our own values. ● Because culture is learned, you can learn new attitudes and behaviors through training: ○ Tolerance ■ One desirable attitude. Closed-minded people cannot look beyond their own ethnocentrism. ○ Saving face ■ Saving face may require indirectness to respect the feelings and dignity of others. ○ Patience: ■ Tolerance sometimes involves being patient and silent. CHAPTER 3: LO4 ● Understanding nonverbal messages is particularly difficult when cultures differ. ● Gestures can create different reactions in intercultural environments. ● Becoming more aware of your own use of nonverbal cues can make you more sensitive to variations in other cultures. ● Techniques for Achieving Intercultural Competence: ○ Descriptiveness: the use of concrete and specific feedback ○ Nonjudgmentalism: It prevents defensive reactions from communicators ○ Supportiveness: Requires us to support others positively with head nods, eye contact, facial expression, and physical proximity. ○ ● Keep your gestures to a minimum, or follow the lead of native businesspeople. Techniques to enhance oral communication in intercultural environments : ○ Don’t assume that speakers of English as a second language understand everything you say. ○ Learn foreign phrases ○ Use simple English and avoid puns, sports references, slang, and jargon when communicating with people for whom English is a second language. ○ To improve communication with those for whom English is a second language, speak slowly, enunciate clearly, observe eye messages, encourage feedback, check for comprehension, accept blame, don’t interrupt, remember to smile, and follow up important conversations in writing.
