Communications
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Why communicate?
The communications process and
characteristics
Barriers to effective communications
Improving communications
Communications and gender
Why Communicate?
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To convey information
To receive information
To determine what information needs to be sent or obtained
To gain acceptance for you or your ideas
To motivate other people
To maintain relationships with coworkers, clients, etc.
To establish trust
To keep people involved in a project
To produce action or change
To understand the wants and needs of your stakeholders
To express your emotions or feelings
The Communications
Process
Sender
Noise
Barriers
Message
Barriers
Feedback
Receiver
Types of Communications
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Forms of communication
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Verbal
Written
Non-verbal
To Whom
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Immediate coworkers
Supervisor / subordinates
Others within own organization
Customers and clients
Suppliers / vendors
Communications Channels
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Face-to-face
Telephone
Grapevine
E-mail
Memos, letters
Formal reports
Channel Richness
Channel Richness
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A channel’s ability to transmit information, including the ability to
handle multiple cues simultaneously, encourage feedback, and
focus personally on the receiver.
Why Is It Important?
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More cues (i.e., words, tone of voice, and non-verbals) allow
more information to be transmitted
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Feedback ensures that listener has opportunity to obtain
additional information or clarify any uncertainties
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Personal focus permits customizing message and encourages
listener attention
Channel Richness:
Specific Channels
High
Channel
Richness
Phone
call
Memos,
Letters
Low
Channel
Richness
Face to
face
E-mail,
voicemail
Formal
Report
Non-Verbal Communications
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Voice
Appearance
Face and eyes
Posture and movement
Personal space and distance
Time
Physical environment
Rumors and the Grapevine
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The informal network
About 75% accuracy
Purpose
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Reduce anxiety
Make sense of ambiguity
Organizing coalitions
Signal status
Managing rumors, gossip and the grapevine
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Communicate openly -- the good and the bad
Deliberate rumors ??
Barriers to Communications
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Information overload
Noise
Language
Filtering
Selective perception
Defensiveness
Information Overload
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Multiple communications
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Phone and voicemail
Email
Pager
Cellphone
Reports and memos
What price peace and quiet ??
Noise
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Physical noise and distractions
Environment (cold, heat, dust)
Preoccupations
Language Issues
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Actual language
Accents, etc.
Volume and speed
Jargon
Filtering
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Sending on the news you think your
audience wants to hear
Impression management
What happens to the messenger
bringing bad news…...
Selective Perception
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Stereotypes
Halo Effect
Projection
Primacy and Recency Effects
Perceptual Readiness
Perceptual Defense
Attribution
Defensiveness
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A response to perceived threat or
criticism
What is it?
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Personal attacks
Sarcasm
Questioning motives
Supportive and Defensive
Climates
DEFENSIVE
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Evaluation
Control
Strategy
Neutrality
Superiority
Certainty
SUPPORTIVE
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Description
Problem Orientation
Spontaneity
Empathy
Equality
Provisionalism
The Three Hardest Things to
Say
I Was
Wrong
I Don’t
Know
I Need
Help
Improving Communications
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Listening
Openness
Feedback
Trust
The Levels of Listening
Level 1:
Unrelated Response
Level 2:
Tangential Response
Level 3:
“I had a bad
accident
yesterday,
but nobody
was hurt”
Furthering Response
Level 4:
Feeling Response
“Did you hear that
Chuck and Mary are
getting a divorce?”
“Cars are a pain; my
air is out.”
“Were you on
Nonconnah when it
happened?”
“I know you must be
relieved to be safe”
Listening Guides for
Display at the Workplace
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Stop talking. You cannot listen if you are talking !
Put the talker at ease.
Show the talker that you want to listen.
Remove distractions.
Empathize. See the situation from the other person’s point of
view.
Be patient.
Hold your temper.
Go easy with arguments and criticisms. When you argue, even
if you win, you lose.
Ask questions to show interest and encourage response.
Stop Talking. This is both first and last, because all other
guides depend on it.
How to Listen
Nature gave people two
ears but only one tongue,
which is a gentle guide
that they should listen
more than they talk.
Listening requires two ears, one for meaning and one for
feeling.
Decision makers who do not listen have less information
for making sound decisions.
Giving Effective Feedback
STRENGTHS
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Descriptive
Feelings evoked
Specific
Controllable
Timely
Effect
Positive and negative
Help
WEAKNESSES
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Evaluative
Do it indifferently
General
Uncontrollable
Late
Analyze
Negative only
Punish
Receiving
Effective Feedback
STRENGTHS
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Elicit
Listen
Check
Clarify
Ask others
WEAKNESSES
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Wait
Wonder
Assume
Justify
Discount
The Three
Elements of Trust
What Encourages the
Development of Trust?
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Correspondence between word and deed
Demonstrations of concern for others’ well-being and
needs
Willingness to see the other person’s point of view
Demonstrated skills and abilities - showing that you
can be counted on to accomplish the job
Rewards for openness and disagreement
No reprisals for speaking your mind
Freely expressing your opinion - but with tact
Not being afraid to show your emotions
Honesty and fairness in business dealings
Communications and Gender
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Are the differences genetic or learned?
Does it matter?
Typical patterns: this doesn’t apply to all
women or all men
Women
Rapport
Expressive
Supportive
Tentative
Initiate and maintain
Men
Report
Instrumental
Advising
Certain
Control