Learning Outcomes
Chapter 8
Communication
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Terms to Know
Communication – the evoking of a shared or
common meaning in another person
Interpersonal Communication – communication
between two or more people in an organization
Communicator – the person sending the message
Receiver – the person receiving a message
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Terms to Know
Perceptual Screen – windows through which we
interact; allows the message to transmit smoothly,
or they can cause distinction
Message – the thoughts and feelings that the
communicator intends to evoke in the receiver
Feedback– occurs when information is fed back to the
sender that completes two-way communication
Language – the words, their pronunciation, and the
methods of combining them used and understood
by a group of people
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Terms to Know
Data – uninterpreted and unanalyzed elements of a
message
Information – data with meaning to the person
who interprets or analyzes them
Richness – the ability of a medium to convey
meaning to a receiver
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Basic Interpersonal Communication Model
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Information Richness & Data
Capacity
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Reflective Listening
the skill of listening carefully to another
person and repeating it back to the speaker
This complex
process needs
to be divided to
be understood
What I heard you
say was we will
understand the
process better if we
break it into steps
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VERBAL
REFLECTIVE LISTENING
Affirm Contact
• Communicates
attentiveness
• Provides reassurance in
expressing thoughts and
feelings
Clarify the Implicit
• Bring out unspoken (but
evident) thoughts and
feelings
• Builds greater awareness
Paraphrase
• Reflects back to speaker
what has been heard;
assures accuracy
• Builds empathy,
openness, acceptance
Reflect “core” feelings
• Restate important
thoughts and feelings
• Exercise caution; danger
of overreaching
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NONVERBAL
REFLECTIVE LISTENING
Silence
Speaker:
• Useful for thinking
• Determine how to
express difficult ideas
or feelings
Listener:
• Sort out thoughts and
feelings
• Identify and isolate
personal responses
Eye Contact
• Useful to open a
relationship
• Improves
communication
• Be aware of cultural
differences
• Use moderate eye
contact
• Use times of no eye
contact for privacy and
control
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One-way vs. Two-way
Communication
One-Way Communication – a person sends a
message to another and no questions, feedback, or
interaction follow
• Good for giving simple directions
• Efficient, but often less accurate
Two-Way Communication – an exchange of
thoughts and/or feelings, through which shared
meaning often occurs.
• Good for problem solving
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Five Keys to Effective
Supervisory Communication
• Expressiveness
• Empathy
• Sensitivity
• Persuasion
• Informative
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Barriers to Communication
Factors that distort, disrupt or even
halt successful communication
Physical separation
Status differences
Gender differences
Cultural diversity
Language
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Defensive Communication
aggressive, malevolent messages as well as
passive, withdrawn messages
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Defensive Communication
[Leads to]
– injured feelings
– communication breakdowns
– alienation
– retaliatory behaviors
– nonproductive efforts
– problem solving failures
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Nondefensive
Communication
communication that is assertive, direct,
and powerful
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Nondefensive Communication
[Provides]
– positive and productive basis
for asserting and defending
oneself against aggression.
– restores order, balance, and
effectiveness to working
relationships
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Two Defensiveness Patterns
Subordinate Defensiveness –
characterized by passive,
submissive behavior
“You are right, I am wrong.”
Dominant Defensiveness –
characterized by overtly aggressive
and domineering behavior.
“I am right.”
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Defensive Tactics
Defensive Tactic
Example
Power Play
“Finish this report by
month’s end or lose your
promotion.”
Labeling
“You must be a slow
learner. Your report is still
not done?”
Misleading
“He didn’t finish the report
Information
because he was out
drinking last night.”
Hostile Jokes
“Can you finish the report,
or are you too stupid?”
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Nondefensive Communication:
A Powerful Tool
• An alternative to defensive communication.
• Centered, assertive, controlled, informative,
realistic, and honest
• Speaker exhibits self-control and selfpossession.
• Speaker exhibits self-control and self
possession
• Enhances relationship building
• Listener feels accepted rather than rejected
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Nonverbal Communication
all elements of communication that do not
involve words
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Types of Nonverbal Communication
• Proxemics
• Kinesics
• Facial and Eye Behavior
• Paralanguage
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Proxemics
Territorial Space – bands
of space extending
outward from the body;
territorial space differs
from culture to culture
Zone a: intimate space: significant
others, spouses, family members.
Zone b: personal distance:
friendships
Zone c: social distance: business
associates and acquaintances.
Zone d: public distance: strangers
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rights reserved.
Proxemics
Seating dynamics – seating people in certain
positions according to the person’s purpose in
communication
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rights reserved.
Kinesics
Different gestures mean
different things in different cultures.
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rights reserved.
Facial and Eye Behavior
Facial expression and eye behavior are
used to communicate an emotional state,
reveal behavioral intentions, cue the
receiver or give unintended clues.
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rights reserved.
Paralanguage
variations in speech send messages
What message is sent by:
– High-pitched, breathy voice
– Rapid, loud speech
– Interruptions
– Tongue clucking
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Information Communication
Technology (ICT)
•
•
•
•
•
Information databases
E-mail
Voice mail
Smartphones
Video conferencing
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Characteristics of ICT
• Instant exchange of information
across geographic boundaries and
time zones
• Schedules and office hours
become irrelevant
• Normal considerations of time and
distance less important
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Communicating concerns about performance
 Why? The purpose is to improve
performance of the employee. Watch your
motives.
 What? Behaviors. Find good ones first, then
focus on behavior not meeting standards.
Make sure they (and you) understand why
their behavior does not meet standards and
how to correct it.
 How do you arrange the meeting? Sends a
message before the actual counseling
session. In person, e-mail, letter, secretary?
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Communicating concerns about performance
 Where? Your place or theirs? Power symbols (e.g.
seating) depend on severity of problem and if punishment
is involved.
 When? As close to the discrepancy as possible. Time
of day considerations?
 How do you express your concerns? In
person? Written? (memo, e-mail, letter, note).
Consider speaking to them in person and followup in writing.
 What next? Your behavior following counseling is key.
Need to establish normal relations, follow-up but still be
supportive. Build efficacy. Remember procedural justice
– everyone is watching you.
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Assertive Communication
 The ability to communicate clearly and
directly what you need or want from another
person in a way that does not deny or
infringe upon the other’s rights.
 Use I-statements rather than youstatements; produce dialogue rather than
defensiveness.
 Matter-of-fact, issue focused and not
personal.
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7-31
Assertive vs. Aggressive
Assertive
Aggressive
Verbal
Statement of wants. Honest statement of
feelings. Direct statements which say
what you mean. I statements.
“Loaded” words. Accusations.
Subjective terms. “You”
statements that blame or label
Nonverbal
general
demeanor
Attentive listening. Generally assured
manner, communicating caring support.
Exaggerated show of strength.
Flippant, sarcastic style.
Air of superiority.
Voice
Firm, warm, well modulated, relaxed
Tensed, shrill, loud, shaky;
cold, demanding; superior,
authoritarian
Eyes
Open, frank, direct. Eye contact, but not
glaring or staring
Expressionless, narrowed,
cold, glaring; not really
“seeing” others
Stance and
posture
Well balanced, straight on, open, erect,
relaxed
Hands on hips, arms crossed,
feet apart. Stiff, rigid, rude.
Hands
Relaxed motions
Clenched. Abrupt gestures,
fingerpointing, fist pounding.
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I-statements: Three components
1. A specific and nonblaming
description of the behavior
exhibited by the other person
2. The concrete effects of that
behavior
3. The speaker’s feelings about
the behavior
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I-statement examples
Behavior
Effects
Feelings
When you come late We have to use
And I resent that
to our meetings
valuable time
bringing you up-todate, and others end
up doing your share
of the work
When you interrupt
me
I lose my train of
And that makes me
thought and don’t
angry
get to make my point
When you don’t
complete your team
assignments
It disrupts the team’s And that concerns
ability to complete
me
it’s mission
Assertive communication
 In addition to using I-statements:



Empathize with the other person’s position in
the situation
Specify what changes you would like to see
in the situation or in another’s behavior, and
offer to negotiate those changes with the
other person
Indicate, in a nonthreatening way, the
possible consequences that will follow if
change does not occur.
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Assertive Communication: An example
 “When you are late to meetings, I get angry
because I think it is wasting the time of all the
other team members and we are never able to get
through our agenda items. I would like you to
consider finding some way of planning your
schedule that lets you get to these meetings on
time. That way, we can be more productive at the
meetings and we can all keep to our tight
schedules.”
© 2011 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.