CHAPTER 17: COMMUNICATION AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

The Communication Process

Communication: the process of sending and receiving symbols with meaning attached

The sender converts the intended message into symbols of significance which are both verbal and non verbal

The message is sent through a communication channel (forms of communication) to a receiver who interprets the meaning

The message might be misinterpreted by the receiver

Feedback is when the receiver responds to the sender

Effective Communication Effective Communication: The

receiver fully understands the intended meaning of the messageEfficient Communication: occurs at minimum cost, however is not always affective due to

messages that are interpreted incorrectly

According to scholar, Jay Conger “many managers confuse persuasion with taking bold stands and aggressive arguing”.

This often leads to counter persuasion resulting in employees doubting the manager’s credibility

Credibility: trust, respect and integrity in the eyes of others

To build credibility through expertise one must be knowledgeable and have experience on the topic at hand

Iron Rule: It is easier to get someone to do what you want if they like you

Persuasion and Credibility in Communication Communication often includes one person

influencing another in a desired manner Persuasion is presenting a motivational

message, causing others to support it. This is one of the most important purposes of communication

Managers get tasks completed by persuading employees rather than giving orders

Managers must be able to persuade others repeatedly in the workplace

Communication Barriers

Communication is a two-way process that requires effort from the sender and the receiver to

Noise: any obstacle in the communication process

Communication Channels and Non verbal Signals A communication channel is a

medium in which a sender conveys a message to a receiver

Non verbal communication is gestures and body language

Mixed Message is when one’s words do not match their body language

Filtering is when one has to edit information to make it more favourable to the recipient

Improving Communication

Barriers can be overcome by:1. Active listening2. Making constructive use of feedback3. Opening upward communication

channels4. Understanding proxemics and use of

space5. Utilizing technology6. Valuing diversity

Use of Communication Channels Channel Richness is the capacity of

a communication channel to carry out information in an effective manner

Face to face communication is high in richness while reports and memos are low in richness

Interactive Management Management by wandering around

(MBWA) is when managers spend time with employees at all levels to meet and talk with them

The objectives of this is to break down status barriers and increase interpersonal contact

360 Degree Feedback includes feedback from bosses, peers and subordinates about one’s performance

Proxemics and Space Design The distance between people

conveys various intentions in terms of intimacy, openness and status

The physical layout of an office is a form of non verbal communication

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CHAPTER 17: COMMUNICATION AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Technology Utilization Knowing how and when to use e-mail

is the biggest communication problem for people in organizations today

Purpose and privacy are two concerns, to help you should:

1. Find out the employer’s policy on personal e-mails and follow it

2. Remember that there is no e-mail privacy at work

Valuing Culture and Diversity Ethnocentrism is the tendency to consider

one’s culture to be superior to any other This can affect communication in many ways:1. Can cause one to not listen to what others

have to say2. Can cause one to speak with others in ways

that will alienate them 3. Can cause one to use inappropriate

stereotypes when dealing with people from a different culture

The Perception Process Perception is the process through

which people receive, organize and interpret information from the environment

Our perception is the way we process information that guide our actions and how we form impressions about ourselves, others and daily life experiences

Perception and Attribution Attribution is the process of

developing explanations for events that occur

A fundamental attribution error is when an internal factor is being judged rather than an external factor, like one’s performance

Self Serving Bias is when an individuals blame their personal failures on external causes rather than internal causes

Perceptual Tendencies and Distortions Stereotypes occurs when a group or person

is singled out by their gender, age or race Halo Effects is when one factor of a person

or situation results into an assumption of their over all impression

Selective Perception is the tendency to define a problem from ones point of view

Projection is when one assumes that everyone shares the same value, needs and desires

Conflict Conflict is a disagreement between

people on different issues Substantive Conflicts disagreements

over goals and tasks Emotional Conflict disagreements over

feelings Functional Conflict is constructive and

helps task performance Dysfunctional Conflict is deconstructive

and hurts task performance

How to Deal with Conflicts When a conflict arises a manager

can either resolve it or suppress it. Suppress conflicts tend to linger and occur at a later time

Conflict Resolution eliminates emotional reasons for a conflict

Conflict Management Styles Avoidance when one pretends that

conflict does not exist Accommodation is to smooth over

differences to maintain harmony Competition being assertive and working

against the wishes of the competitors Compromise being cooperative and

assertive by finding acceptable solutions Collaboration attempting to satisfy

everyone's concerns and solving problems so that everyone's benefits

Negotiation Negotiation is making joint decisions

when individuals have different preferences

Distributive Negotiation “claims” made by each individual for certain preferred outcomes

Principled/Integrative Negotiation is a “win, win” orientation that both sides find acceptable

Gaining Integrative Agreements Roger Fisher and William Ury’s Four

Negotiation Rules:1. Separate people from the problem2. Focus on interests, not positions3. Generate many alternatives before

deciding what to do4. Insist that results be based on some

objective standard

Dispute Revolution Mediation involves a neutral third

party who attempts to improve communication and keep both parties focused on the issue

Arbitration is a neutral third party making decisions that resolve disputes

Anyone involved in the negotiation process should think ethically

The desire to behave unethically sometimes arises but one should remain rational when faced with challenging situations

CHAPTER 17: COMMUNICATION AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS