Chapter 8
Communication
Learning Outcomes
1 Describe the interpersonal communication process and the role of
listening in the process.
2 Describe the five communication skills of effective supervisors.
3 Explain five communication barriers and gateways through them.
4 Distinguish between defensive and nondefensive communication.
5 Explain the impact of nonverbal communication.
6 Explain positive, healthy communication.
7 Identify communication technologies and how they affect the
communication process.
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1
Learning Outcome
Describe the interpersonal
communication process and the role of
listening in the process.
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Communication
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 originating the
message
Receiver – the person receiving a message
Perceptual Screen – a window through which we
interact with people that influences the quality,
accuracy, and clarity of the communication
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Communication
Message – the thoughts and feelings that the
communicator is attempting to elicit in the
receiver
Feedback Loop – the pathway that completes
two-way communication
Language – the words, their pronunciation,
and the methods of combining them used
and understood by a group of people
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Communication
Data – uninterpreted and unanalyzed facts
Information – data that have been
interpreted, analyzed, & and have
meaning to some user
Richness – the ability of a medium or
channel to elicit or evoke meaning in the
receiver
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Basic Interpersonal Communication
Model
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Communicator
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Message
• Context
• Affect
Perceptual screens
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Receiver
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Perceptual screens
Influence message quality, accuracy, clarity
Include age, gender, values, beliefs, culture,
experiences, needs
Event
X
Information Richness & Data
Capacity
MEDIA
Medium
Face-to-face
discussion
Telephone
Electronic mail
Individualized letter
Personalized note or
memo
Formal written
report
Flyer or bulletin
Formal numeric
report
Information
Richness
Data Capacity
Highest
Lowest
High
Moderate
Moderate
Low
Moderate
Moderate
Moderate
Moderate
Low
High
Low
High
Lowest
Highest
SOURCE: E. A. Gerloff in Research in Organizational Behavior 6 1984: 191-233. “Information Richness: A New Approach to Managerial Behavior and
Organizational Design” by Richard L. Dalt and R. H. Lengel. Reprinted by permission of JAI Press Inc.
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Reflective Listening
the skill of listening carefully to another
person and repeating back to the speaker
the heard message to correct any
inaccuracies or misunderstandings
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
Reflective Listening
• Emphasizes receiver’s role
• Helps the receiver and
communicator clearly and fully
understand the message sent
• Useful in problem solving
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Reflective Listening
Reflective listening emphasizes
• the personal elements of the
communication process
• the feelings communicated in the
message
• responding to the communicator, not
leading the communicator
• the role or receiver or audience
• understanding people by reducing
perceptual distortions and interpersonal
barriers
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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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Beyond the Book:
Listen Up!
Ways to improve your reflective listening skills:
•Stop talking
•Put the speaker at ease
•Show the speaker you want to listen
•Remove distractions
•Empathize with the speaker
•Be patient
•Hold your temper
•Go easy on criticism
•Ask questions, paraphrase, and clarify
•Stop talking! Be sure the speaker has finished before you talk.
Evaluate yourself: Which of these items do you most
need to work on? Think of specific times you had a
difficult communication with a coworker or peer.
Jennifer Grau, communication skills instructor: “Sometimes the
hardest part of listening is the mental part of getting yourself
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willing.”
rights reserved.
One-way vs. Two-way
Communication
One-Way
Communication – a
person sends a message
to another person and no
questions, feedback, or
interaction follow
• Good for giving simple
directions
• Fast but often less
accurate than two-way
communication
Two-Way
Communication – the
communicator and
receiver interact
• Good for problem
solving
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2
Learning Outcome
Describe the five communication skills
of effective supervisors.
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Five Keys to Effective
Supervisory Communication
• Expressive speaking
• Empathetic listening
• Persuasive leadership
• Sensitivity to feelings
• Informative management
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3
Learning Outcome
Explain five communication barriers and
gateways through them.
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Barriers to Communication
Communication
Barriers –
factors that block
or significantly
distort successful
communication
Copyright ©2006
by South-Western,
a division of
Thomson Learning.
All rights reserved
• Physical separation
• Status differences
• Gender differences
• Cultural diversity
• Language
Gateways to Communication
Communication Gateways – factors that
are antidotes to communication problems
• Physical separation gateways
– Periodic face-to-face interactions
– Regular meetings for interrelated units
• Status differences gateways
– Effective supervisory skills
– Feelings of security for employees
– Informational technology communication
methods
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Gateways to Communication
[Gender differences gateways]
– Awareness of gender-specific differences in
communication
[Cultural diversity gateways]
– Increased awareness and sensitivity
[Language gateways]
– Simple, direct, declarative language
– Use brief sentences
– Speak in the language of the listener
– Avoid jargon or technical language
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4
Learning Outcome
Distinguish between defensive and
nondefensive communication
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Defensive Communication
communication that can be
aggressive, attacking and angry, or
passive and withdrawing
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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]
– basis for defense when
attacked
– restores order, balance, and
effectiveness
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Two Defensiveness Patterns
Subordinate Defensiveness
– characterized by passive,
submissive, withdrawing
behavior
Dominant Defensiveness –
characterized by active,
aggressive, attacking behavior
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Defensive Tactics: Boss
Defensive Tactic
Example
Power Play
“Finish this report by
month’s end or lose your
promotion.”
Put-Down
“A capable manager would
already be done with this
report.”
Labeling
“You must be a slow
learner. Your report is still
not done?”
Raising Doubts
“How can I trust you, Chris,
if you can’t finish an easy
report?”
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Defensive Tactics: Employee
Defensive
Tactic
Misleading
Information
Example
“Morgan has not gone over
with me the information I need
for the report.” [Morgan left
Chris with a copy of the report.]
Scapegoating “Morgan did not give me input
until just today.”
Hostile Jokes “You can’t be serious! The
report isn’t that important.”
Deception
“I gave it to the secretary. Did
she lose it?”
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Nondefensive Communication:
A Powerful Tool
• Speaker seen as centered,
assertive, controlled, informative,
realistic, and honest
• Speaker exhibits self-control and
self possession
• Enhances relationship building
• Listener feels accepted rather than
rejected
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5
Learning Outcome
Explain the impact of nonverbal
communication.
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Nonverbal Communication
all elements of communication that do not involve
words
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Types of Nonverbal
Communication
– Proxemics – an individual’s
perception and use of space
– Kinesics – study of body
movements, including posture
– Facial and Eye Behavior –
movements that add cues for the
receiver
– Paralanguage – variations in
speech, such as pitch, loudness,
tempo, tone, duration, laughing,
and crying
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Proxemics: Territorial Space
Territorial Space – bands of space
extending outward from the body; territorial
space differs from culture to culture
a = intimate <1.5’
b = personal 1.5-4’
a
c = social 4-12’
b
c
d = public >12’
d
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rights reserved.
Proxemics: Seating Dynamics
Seating Dynamics – seating people in
certain positions according to the person’s
purpose in communication
X
X O
Cooperation
X
Competition
O
O
Communication
O X O
NonCommunication
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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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Examples of
DECODING NONVERBAL CUES
He’s
unapproachable!
Boss fails to acknowledge
employee’s greeting
I wonder what
he’s hiding?
No eye contact
while
communicating
He’s angry! I’ll
stay out of
his way!
Boss breathes
heavily and
waves arms
My opinion
doesn’t count
Manager sighs deeply
SOURCE: Adapted from “Steps to Better Listening” by C. Hamilton and B. H. Kleiner. Copyright © February 1987. Reprinted with permission, Personnel Journal, all rights reserved.
6
Learning Outcome
Explain positive, healthy communication.
© 2009 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Communicative Disease
the absence of heartfelt communication in
human relationships leading to loneliness
and social isolation
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Positive, Healthy Communication
Head-to-Heart
Dialogue
Emotional
Competence
Personal
Integrity
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7
Learning Outcome
Identify communication technologies
and how they affect the communication
process.
© 2009 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Information Communication
Technology (ICT)
•
•
•
•
•
Informational databases
Electronic mail systems
Voice mail systems
Fax machine systems
Cellular phone systems
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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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How ITC Affects Behavior
• Impersonal—
interaction with a
machine
• Flaming, rude, or
obscene outbursts
• Bluntness
• Intimacy
• Uninhibitedness
• Interpersonal
skills—tact and
graciousness
• Nonverbal cues—
emotional element
• Clues to power,
organizational
position,
departmental
membership
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Other Ways ICT Affect Behavior
• Alters group interaction
– Equalize participation
– Less influence from dominant people
Information overload
•
•
•
•
Overwhelmed feelings
Can’t get away from work
Multi-tasking
Increases impatience with
face-to-face communication
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TIPS FOR
EFFECTIVE USE OF ITC
Strive for message completeness
Build in opportunities for feedback
Do not anticipate immediate response
“Is the communication really necessary?”
“Disconnect” from technology
Provide workplace social interactions
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