Ningbo University of Technology COLLEGE: SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT MAJOR: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS NAME: EBRIMA DARBOE ID: 19008170118 COURSE: MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION TEACHER: Introduction Managerial Communication Managerial communication is a function which helps managers communicate with each other as well as with employees within the organization. Managerial Communication helps in the smooth flow of information among managers working towards a common goal. Management communication in transition. This chapter looks at the nature of managerial work, examining the roles managers play and the characteristics of the jobs they hold. It also looks at what varies in a manager’s position, what is different from one manager’s job to another. If students were to consult a number of management textbooks for advice on the nature of managerial work, many would say that managers spend their time engaged in planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting and controlling. The interactive nature of management means that most management work is conversational. Communication and strategy Managerial communication explores what the managers do in business, meaning that managers use the communication system to plan, organize, direct and control activities and people. The message is said to be effective when the receiver understands the same meaning that the sender was intended to convey. Communication Ethics Is how a person uses language, media, journalism, and creates relationships that are guided by an individual's moral and values. These ethics consider being aware of the consequences of behavior and consequences; it's to “respect other points of view and tolerate disagreement. Principles of ethics include being honest, being fair, as well as integrity of one's own words. Ethical communication is crucial due to its emphasis on the responsibility of people to keep society civil. With the concern of fake news becoming more prevalent in today's society, the importance with ethical communication has been significant Writing. At some point in your professional life, you may need to write something. It’s nothing to be intimidated by, though! Business writing is any written communication used in a professional setting, including emails, memos, and reports. It’s direct, clear, and designed to be read quickly. With time and practice, you too can become an effective business writer. Good business writing shares crucial information and keeps the concerns of the audience in mind. So before you write anything, ask yourself these two questions: What do I need to say? Who is my audience? Your answers will influence what and how you write, so take a moment to understand exactly why you’re writing. If you can’t clearly answer these questions, you’ll probably have trouble communicating effectively. Most business writing needs a call to action, which is information that instructs and encourages a response. Let your readers know what they should do, where to go, and so on. Provide your contact information (such as your phone number or email address) in case anyone has questions. Essentially, make sure everyone knows what their next move should be, like in the following example. Persuasion Is an act or process of presenting arguments to move, motivate, or change your audience. Persuasion can be implicit or explicit and can have both positive and negative effects. The importance of ethics will continued to be reviewed, especially related to presenting motivational arguments to your audience so that they will consider your points, adopt your view, or change their behavior. Technology Act as an essential element of managerial communication which is communication between managers and their employees. Knowing how to effectively utilize information technology will help you better communicate with your employees. Listening and feedback Feedback is a key component of active listening. Feedback can be a corrective mechanism for helping an individual learn how well his or her behavior matches the original intention. It can also be a means of establishing one's identity. Feedback helps another person to consider changing behavior or altering a message. It is communication with a person (group) that gives that person information about how he or she affects others. Feedback helps an individual stay "on target" and thus better achieve a goal or purpose. An active listener must be solicited for a response by the sender and must refrain from imposing uninvited responses. Feedback is most useful when the sender asks for response by formulating a question that a listener can answer. Nonverbal communication Refers to gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, eye contact (or lack thereof), body language, posture, and other ways people can communicate without using language. Intercultural communication Intercultural communication refers to the communication between people from two different cultures. Intercultural communication is a symbolic, interpretive, transactional, contextual process in which people from different cultures create shared meanings. Managing conflicts The dissimilarity in the ideas and opinions of individuals result in a conflict. One needs to adjust with each other to some extent to avoid conflicts and better relations. Conflicts and fights must be prevented to avoid its adverse consequences like stress, anxiety and unnecessary tensions. Communication has a big role to play in conflict management. It has been observed that poor communication always results in misunderstandings and eventually conflicts. Our communication has to be clear and precise to avoid conflicts. First yourself be very clear what you intend to convey to the other individual. The thoughts must be carefully put into sensible and relevant words for the others to understand well. Never use words which might hurt the sentiments of others and avoid using derogatory sentences. Don’t use too complicated terminologies as the other person might not understand it well. Business meeting that works In essence, a business meeting is a gathering of two or more people to discuss ideas, goals and objectives that concern the workplace. Business meetings can be conducted in person at an office or at a different location, or even over the phone and by video conference. Meetings take place with employees, managers, executives, clients, prospects, suppliers and partners, and anyone else related to the organization. In most cases, a meeting needs to take place when the issue at hand is something that cannot be properly communicated over the phone or via email, and requires face-to-face interaction with one or more people. Dealing with the news media Is the deliberate influencing of the presentation of information within the news media. The expression managing the news is often used in a negative sense. For example, people or organizations that wish to lessen the publicity concerning bad news may choose to release the information late on a Friday, giving journalists less time to pursue the story. Staying "on message" is a technique intended to limit questions and attention to a narrow scope favorable to the subject. 1. Nonverbal communication Refers to gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, eye contact (or lack thereof), body language, posture, and other ways people can communicate without using language. When you’re interviewing for a job or participating in a meeting, your nonverbal communication is almost as important as your verbal responses. Why is important? Your nonverbal communication skills can create a positive (or a negative) impression. Crossed arms can seem defensive. Poor posture may appear unprofessional. A downward gaze or avoiding eye contact can detract from you being seen as confident. Employers will evaluate what you do as well as what you say, and you can use your nonverbal communication skills to make the best impression. If your skills aren't top-notch, you can practice them so you make a positive impression on everyone you meet in the workplace and beyond. Nonverbal categories While the key to success in both personal and professional relationships lies in your ability to communicate well, it’s not the words that you use but your nonverbal cues or “body language” that speak the loudest. Body language is the use of physical behavior, expressions, and mannerisms to communicate nonverbally, often done instinctively rather than consciously. Whether you’re aware of it or not, when you interact with others, you’re continuously giving and receiving wordless signals. All of your nonverbal behaviors—the gestures you make, your posture, your tone of voice, how much eye contact you make—send strong messages. They can put people at ease, build trust, and draw others towards you, or they can offend, confuse, and undermine what you’re trying to convey. These messages don’t stop when you stop speaking either. Even when you’re silent, you’re still communicating nonverbally. In some instances, what comes out of your mouth and what you communicate through your body language may be two totally different things. If you say one thing, but your body language says something else, your listener will likely feel that you’re being dishonest. If you say “yes” while shaking your head no, for example. When faced with such mixed signals, the listener has to choose whether to believe your verbal or nonverbal message. Since body language is a natural, unconscious language that broadcasts your true feelings and intentions, they’ll likely choose the nonverbal message. However, by improving how you understand and use nonverbal communication, you can express what you really mean, connect better with others, and build stronger, more rewarding relationships. The importance of nonverbal communication Your nonverbal communication cues—the way you listen, look, move, and react—tell the person you’re communicating with whether or not you care, if you’re being truthful, and how well you’re listening. When your nonverbal signals match up with the words you’re saying, they increase trust, clarity, and rapport. When they don’t, they can generate tension, mistrust, and confusion. If you want to become a better communicator, it’s important to become more sensitive not only to the body language and nonverbal cues of others, but also to your own. Functions of nonverbal communication Nonverbal communication can play five roles: Repetition: It repeats and often strengthens the message you’re making verbally. Contradiction: It can contradict the message you’re trying to convey, thus indicating to your listener that you may not be telling the truth. Substitution: It can substitute for a verbal message. For example, your facial expression often conveys a far more vivid message than words ever can. Complementing: It may add to or complement your verbal message. As a boss, if you pat an employee on the back in addition to giving praise, it can increase the impact of your message. Accenting: It may accent or underline a verbal message. Pounding the table, for example, can underline the importance of your message. Types of nonverbal communication The many different types of nonverbal communication or body language include: Facial expressions. The human face is extremely expressive, able to convey countless emotions without saying a word. And unlike some forms of nonverbal communication, facial expressions are universal. The facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and disgust are the same across cultures. Body movement and posture. Consider how your perceptions of people are affected by the way they sit, walk, stand, or hold their head. The way you move and carry yourself communicates a wealth of information to the world. This type of nonverbal communication includes your posture, bearing, stance, and the subtle movements you make. Gestures. Gestures are woven into the fabric of our daily lives. You may wave, point, beckon, or use your hands when arguing or speaking animatedly, often expressing yourself with gestures without thinking. However, the meaning of some gestures can be very different across cultures. While the “OK” sign made with the hand, for example, usually conveys a positive message in Englishspeaking countries, it’s considered offensive in countries such as Germany, Russia, and Brazil. So, it’s important to be careful of how you use gestures to avoid misinterpretation. Eye contact. Since the visual sense is dominant for most people, eye contact is an especially important type of nonverbal communication. The way you look at someone can communicate many things, including interest, affection, hostility, or attraction. Eye contact is also important in maintaining the flow of conversation and for gauging the other person’s interest and response. Touch. We communicate a great deal through touch. Think about the very different messages given by a weak handshake, a warm bear hug, a patronizing pat on the head, or a controlling grip on the arm, for example. Space. Have you ever felt uncomfortable during a conversation because the other person was standing too close and invading your space? We all have a need for physical space, although that need differs depending on the culture, the situation, and the closeness of the relationship. You can use physical space to communicate many different nonverbal messages, including signals of intimacy and affection, aggression or dominance. Voice. It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. When you speak, other people “read” your voice in addition to listening to your words. Things they pay attention to include your timing and pace, how loud you speak, your tone and inflection, and sounds that convey understanding, such as “ahh” and “uh-huh.” Think about how your tone of voice can indicate sarcasm, anger, affection, or. Principles of nonverbal communication As you begin to hone your skills in picking up on nonverbal cues, it is important to keep five key principles in mind. #.Culture, age, gender and geographic location are critical. Gestures may mean very different things in different regions. Cultural and family norms also affect the way we react to nonverbal cues. Put things into context. If someone has their arms crossed it may just mean they are chilly. Before jumping to conclusions, put the conversation and the individual into the context of the topic, timing and other external influences. 1. Look for a combination of signals. It is extremely difficult for our entire body to lie. People are capable of hiding their true intentions, but the real meaning often leaks through multiple channels. 2. Incongruence can mean many things. When words and nonverbal cues don’t align, our natural instincts kick in. Psychological discomfort may indicate that you are the recipient of untruths, but that uneasy feeling may mean other things, as well. Refining one’s ability to become more attuned to nonverbal cues can increase one’s ability to be more in tune with your own instincts. 3. Trust your intuition. Intuition is the unconscious processing of information (e.g. subtle nonverbal signals) manifested as physical feelings. Authenticity is key since people easily pick up on unauthentic and insincere communication. The more one’s awareness of the spoken and the unspoken, the more one’s own instincts are heightened. Dimension of nonverbal communication code. Paralanguage Paralanguage refers to communication that is vocalized but not words. This includes tone of voice, loudness, speed of speech and inflection. Paralanguage is key to understanding the context or meaning of the words used. It’s important to be mindful of these issues, and to understand they are not discernible in emails and texts, so great care must be used in the words you choose. Touch Touch often is used frequently in communication, even in a business setting, with customs such as the handshake. But other cultures consider touching other people inappropriate. Those who live in Asia tend to take a more conservative approach when it comes to touching, with a bow typically replacing a handshake. Another example of the differences with touching is patting someone on the head. The U.S., it’s seen as endearing and shows affection with children. But in some Asian cultures touching children or adults on the head is disrespectful. The U.S. is more conservative in other areas, such as not kissing on the cheek as they do in many parts of Europe. Kinesics The word kinesics comes from the root word kinesis, which means “movement,” and refers to the study of hand, arm, body, and face movements. It is thought by some to be the richest nonverbal code in terms of its power to communicate meaning. Specifically, this section will outline the use of gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, and posture as kinetic forms of nonverbal communication. Physical Appearance and Artifacts Physical appearance and artifacts profoundly influence our communication encounters. In other words, how you look conveys as much about you as what you say. Physical appearance includes attributes such as hair, clothing, body type, and personal grooming. Across cultures, people credit individuals they find physically attractive with higher levels of intelligence, persuasiveness, poise, sociability, warmth, power, and employment success than they credit to unattractive individuals Some effects of nonverbal communication While the key to success in both personal and professional relationships lies in your ability to communicate well, it’s not the words that you use but your nonverbal cues or “body language” that speak the loudest. Body language is the use of physical behavior, expressions, and mannerisms to communicate nonverbally, often done instinctively rather than consciously. Whether you’re aware of it or not, when you interact with others, you’re continuously giving and receiving wordless signals. All of your nonverbal behaviors—the gestures you make, your posture, your tone of voice, how much eye contact you make—send strong messages. They can put people at ease, build trust, and draw others towards you, or they can offend, confuse, and undermine what you’re trying to convey. These messages don’t stop when you stop speaking either. Even when you’re silent, you’re still communicating nonverbally. In some instances, what comes out of your mouth and what you communicate through your body language may be two totally different things. If you say one thing, but your body language says something else, your listener will likely feel that you’re being dishonest. If you say “yes” while shaking your head no, for example. When faced with such mixed signals, the listener has to choose whether to believe your verbal or nonverbal message. Since body language is a natural, unconscious language that broadcasts your true feelings and intentions, they’ll likely choose the nonverbal message.
