ENGG 406 ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER 6 : COMMUNICATION
IN ORGANIZATION
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Evaluate the basic communication skills
► Identify the barriers to communication.
► Recognize the importance of management
information system
► Demonstrate general communication skills to
manage complex engineering problems in a team
project environment.
►
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COMMUNICATION
Communication is the process of sharing information
through verbal and nonverbal means, including
words, messages, and body movements.
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COMMUNICATION
1.
2.
4
Is communication essential in
organization?
Will the organization train you to
communicate effectively?
BASIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS
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REGULATING SKILLS
Opening a conversation / Setting goals
1.
1.
2.
3.
Goal Evaluation
2.
1.
What is it that we want exactly to achieve?
Closing conversation
3.
1.
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Formal or informal
Be clear with your intentions
Have a prepared agenda
Keep an eye of the time
LISTENING SKILLS
Not only is it important to have a good
structure in a conversation, but it is also
important to let your conversational
partner know that he is being listened
to.
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LISTENING SKILLS – NON VERBAL BEHAVIOR
Non verbal behavior
•
•
•
•
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Facial Expression
Eye Contact
Body Posture
Encouraging Gestures
LISTENING SKILLS – VERBAL FOLLOWING
•
•
•
•
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The comments you make should be in line with what the
speaker is saying and that you do not start any new
subjects.
If you follow closely what the speaker is saying, the
speaker will be able to finish his train of thought.
To understand the speaker fully, it is necessary to put
aside your own opinions and thoughts about the
subject.
In order to do so, you should confine yourself to
‘minimal encouragers’.
LISTENING SKILLS – MINIMAL ENCOURAGERS
•
Minimal encouragers are short verbal reactions
intended to stimulate the speaker to talk by
showing him that he is being listened to.
Examples are: hemming (uh-huh), yes…yes, and then?, go
on, or even the repetition of one of the words in a
questioning tone of voice.
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BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
•
Personal Barriers. These are hindrances to
effective communication arising from the
communicator’s characteristics as a person,
including emotions, values, poor listening habits,
sex, age, race, socioeconomic status, religion,
education, and so on.
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BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
•
Physical Barriers. These are interferences to
effective communication occurring in the
environment where the communication is
undertaken. The very loud sound produced by a
passing jet temporarily drowns out the voice of a
guest delivering a speech. Such distraction does not
allow full understanding of the meaning of the
entire message and is an example of a physical
barrier.
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BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
•
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Semantic Barriers. Semantics is the study of
meaning as expressed in symbols. Words,
pictures, or actions are symbols that suggest
certain meanings. When the wrong meaning
has been chosen by the receiver,
Such
error
misunderstanding
occurs.
constitutes a barrier to communication.
OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Use feedback to facilitate understanding and increase
the potential for appropriate action.
Repeat messages in order to provide assurance that they
are properly received.
Use multiple channels so that the accuracy of
information may be enhanced.
Use simplified language that is easily understandable and
which eliminates the possibility of people getting mixedup with meanings.
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
VERBAL
WRITTEN
NON VERBAL
• Body
Language
• Eye Contact
• Facial
Expressions
• Posture
• Touch
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MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (MIS)
Management information
system (MIS) may be
defined as an organized
means of providing past
present, and projected
information on the
company’s internal
operations and external
intelligence for use in
decision making.
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PURPOSE OF MIS
1.
2.
3.
4.
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To provide a basis for the analysis of early warning signals
that can originate both externally and internally.
To automate routine clerical operations like payroll and
inventory reports.
To assist managers in making routine decisions like
scheduling orders, assigning orders to machine, and
reordering supplies.
To provide the information necessary for management to
make strategic or non- programmed decisions.
KEY POINTS
1. Communicating is vital function of the manager. Organizations cannot function
properly without effective communication. If the required outputs must be realized,
communication must be managed.
2. Communication is used to serve the information function, motivation function, control
function and emotive function of an organization.
3. The communication process consists of various steps namely, develop an idea,
encode, transmit, receive, decode, accept, use and provide feedback.
4. The forms of communication are verbal and non-verbal.
5. The barriers to communication may be classified as personal, physical or semantic.
These may be eliminated or minimized by using feedback, repeating messages, using
multiple channels and using simplified language.
6. Management information systems are useful means of communication.
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CHARGE TO EXPERIENCE
When you become future managers, always remember that people will look up to you
for leadership. Their response to your instructions will be based on how you delivered
the message to them.
Some will only hear what they want to hear while others will listen to what they need to
know.
Learn to differentiate listening from merely hearing. Master the art of communicating
effectively.
Sometimes, silence is the best response but always know when to speak up.
Always be cautious of your actions. As managers, you will always be the center of
attention not because of your position, but because you hold the responsibility over your
subordinates.
Always choose to be kind and polite but firm and credible with your actions and
decisions.
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