11

Understanding Interpersonal Understanding Interpersonal and Organizational and Organizational CommunicationCommunication

22

Organizational Organizational CommunicationCommunicationUpward CommunicationUpward Communication

• Serial communicationSerial communication– MUM effectMUM effect– open-door policyopen-door policy

• Attitude surveyAttitude survey

• Suggestion boxSuggestion box

• LiaisonLiaison

33

Organizational Organizational CommunicationCommunicationDownward CommunicationDownward Communication• MeetingsMeetings

• MemoMemo

• Phone callPhone call

• E-mailE-mail

• Bulletin boardBulletin board

• Employee handbookEmployee handbook

• IntranetIntranet

44

Organizational Organizational CommunicationCommunicationHorizontal CommunicationHorizontal Communication

• GrapevineGrapevine– single-strand patternsingle-strand pattern– gossip patterngossip pattern– probability patternprobability pattern– cluster patterncluster pattern

• RumorRumor

55

Problem Area IProblem Area IIntended Message Versus Intended Message Versus Message SentMessage Sent

• Think about what you Think about what you want to communicatewant to communicate

• Practice what you Practice what you want to communicatewant to communicate

• Learn better Learn better communication skillscommunication skills

66

Problem Area IIProblem Area IIMessage Sent Versus Message Sent Versus Message ReceivedMessage Received

• Actual words usedActual words used

• Communication Communication channelchannel

• NoiseNoise

• Nonverbal cuesNonverbal cues

• ParalanguageParalanguage

• ArtifactsArtifacts

• Amount of informationAmount of information

77

Actual Words UsedActual Words Used

• The word “fine”The word “fine”– to describe jewelryto describe jewelry– to describe the to describe the

weatherweather– to describe food or sexto describe food or sex

• The applicant was aThe applicant was a::– femalefemale– girlgirl– babebabe– womanwoman

88

Use concrete words and ask how Use concrete words and ask how the other person might interpret the other person might interpret your messageyour message

• Avoid such words as:Avoid such words as:– as soon as possibleas soon as possible– I’ll be back soonI’ll be back soon– I’ll be out for a whileI’ll be out for a while

• Why not be specific?Why not be specific?– Avoid confrontationAvoid confrontation– ““test the water”test the water”– Avoid being the bad Avoid being the bad

guy (MUM effect)guy (MUM effect)

99

Gender Differences in Gender Differences in CommunicationCommunication(Tannen, 1986 & 1990)(Tannen, 1986 & 1990)• MenMen

– Talk about major eventsTalk about major events– Tell the main pointTell the main point– Are more directAre more direct– Use “uh-huh” to agreeUse “uh-huh” to agree– Are comfortable with Are comfortable with

silencesilence– Concentrate on the Concentrate on the

words spokenwords spoken– Sidetrack unpleasant Sidetrack unpleasant

topicstopics

• WomenWomen– Talk about daily lifeTalk about daily life– Provide detailsProvide details– Are more indirectAre more indirect– Use “uh-huh” to listenUse “uh-huh” to listen– Are less comfortable Are less comfortable

with silencewith silence– Concentrate on Concentrate on

nonverbal cues and nonverbal cues and paralanguageparalanguage

– Focus on unpleasant Focus on unpleasant topicstopics

1010

Communication ChannelsCommunication Channels

• OralOral– in-personin-person– word-of-mouthword-of-mouth– answering machineanswering machine

• NonverbalNonverbal

• WrittenWritten– personal personal

letter/memoletter/memo– general letter/memogeneral letter/memo– e-maile-mail

1111

NoiseNoise

• Actual noiseActual noise

• Appropriateness of the Appropriateness of the channelchannel

• BiasBias

• Feelings about the person Feelings about the person communicatingcommunicating

• MoodMood

• Perceived motivesPerceived motives

1212

Nonverbal CuesNonverbal Cues

• Are ambiguousAre ambiguous

• Those that aren’t, are Those that aren’t, are called emblemscalled emblems

• Gender and cultural Gender and cultural differences are differences are commoncommon

• Nonverbal cues are Nonverbal cues are thought to be 80% of thought to be 80% of the message receivedthe message received

1313

Nonverbal Cues IncludeNonverbal Cues Include

• Eye contactEye contact

• ExpressionsExpressions

• Micro-expressionsMicro-expressions

• PosturePosture

• Arm and leg useArm and leg use

• MotionMotion

• TouchingTouching

1414

Use of SpaceUse of Space• Intimacy zoneIntimacy zone

– 0 to 18 inches0 to 18 inches– close relationshipsclose relationships

• Personal distance zonePersonal distance zone– 18 inches to 4 feet18 inches to 4 feet– friends and acquaintancesfriends and acquaintances

• Social distance zoneSocial distance zone– 4 to 12 feet4 to 12 feet– business contacts and business contacts and

strangersstrangers

• Public distance zonePublic distance zone– 12 to 25 feet12 to 25 feet

1515

Use of TimeUse of Time

• Being lateBeing late

• Leaving a meeting Leaving a meeting earlyearly

• Setting aside time Setting aside time for a meetingfor a meeting

• Multi-tasking Multi-tasking (working while (working while talking)talking)

1616

Basic Assumptions About Basic Assumptions About Nonverbal Cues & Nonverbal Cues & ParalanguageParalanguage• People are different in People are different in

their use of nonverbal their use of nonverbal cues and paralanguagecues and paralanguage

• Standard differences Standard differences among people reveal among people reveal information about the information about the personperson

• Changes in a person’s Changes in a person’s style reveal new style reveal new messagesmessages

1717

ParalanguageParalanguage

• Rate of speechRate of speech

• LoudnessLoudness

• IntonationIntonation

• Amount of talkingAmount of talking

• Voice pitchVoice pitch

• PausesPauses

1818

The Importance of InflectionThe Importance of Inflection

• II did not say Bill stole your car. did not say Bill stole your car.

• I I did notdid not say Bill store your car. say Bill store your car.

• I did not I did not saysay Bill stole your car. Bill stole your car.

• I did not say I did not say BillBill stole your car. stole your car.

• I did not say Bill I did not say Bill stolestole your car. your car.

• I did not say Bill stoleI did not say Bill stole youryour car. car.

• I did not say Bill stole yourI did not say Bill stole your carcar..

1919

ArtifactsArtifacts

• Our officeOur office– décordécor– desk placementdesk placement

• What we wearWhat we wear– clothingclothing– accessoriesaccessories– hair styleshair styles– tattoostattoos

• The car we driveThe car we drive

• The house we live The house we live inin

2020

The Amount of The Amount of InformationInformationWhen we have too much When we have too much information, we tend to:information, we tend to:

• AssimilateAssimilate

• SharpenSharpen

• LevelLevel

2121

The Amount of The Amount of InformationInformationReactions to Information Reactions to Information OverloadOverload• OmissionOmission

• ErrorError

• QueuingQueuing

• EscapeEscape

• Use of a gatekeeperUse of a gatekeeper

• Use of multiple Use of multiple channelschannels

2222

Problem Area IIIProblem Area IIIMessage Received Versus Message Received Versus Message InterpretedMessage Interpreted

• Listening SkillsListening Skills

• Listening StyleListening Style

• Emotional StateEmotional State

• Cognitive AbilityCognitive Ability

• BiasBias

2323

The Importance of ListeningThe Importance of Listening

• 70% of a manager’s 70% of a manager’s job is spent job is spent communicatingcommunicating

• Of that timeOf that time– 9% is spent writing9% is spent writing– 16% is spent reading16% is spent reading– 30% is spent speaking30% is spent speaking– 45% is spent listening45% is spent listening

2424

Listening SkillsListening Skills

• Stop talking and Stop talking and listenlisten

• Show the speaker Show the speaker you want to listenyou want to listen

• Empathize with the Empathize with the speakerspeaker

• Don’t ask excessive Don’t ask excessive questionsquestions

• Remove distractionsRemove distractions

• Keep an open mindKeep an open mind

• Use appropriate Use appropriate nonverbal cuesnonverbal cues

• Let the other person Let the other person finish speakingfinish speaking

• Try to understand what Try to understand what the other person meansthe other person means

2525

Listening StylesListening Styles(Geier & Downey, 1980)(Geier & Downey, 1980)

• Leisure Leisure

• Inclusive Inclusive

• Stylistic Stylistic

• Technical Technical

• Empathic Empathic

• NonconformingNonconforming

2626

Other FactorsOther Factors

• Emotional StateEmotional State– AngerAnger– FearFear– AnxietyAnxiety– ExcitementExcitement– LoveLove

• BiasBias

• Cognitive AbilityCognitive Ability

• Drugs and AlcoholDrugs and Alcohol

2727

Writing is easiest to read Writing is easiest to read when it:when it:

• has short sentenceshas short sentences

• uses simple rather uses simple rather than complicated than complicated wordswords

• uses common uses common rather than unusual rather than unusual wordswords