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CHAPTER 12 - COMMUNICATION and INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

LEARNING OUTCOMES

After reading this chapter students should be able to:

1. Describe what managers need to know about communicating effectively.

2. Explain how technology affects managerial communication.

3. Discuss the interpersonal skills that every manager needs.

Opening Vignette—Gossip Girls

SUMMARY

Sixty percent of respondents in a recent employee survey who said that gossip was their biggest pet peeve about their jobs. Most gossip centers around the workplace and the personal lives of coworkers. Workplace gossip can have some pretty serious consequences. First, spreading rumors can damage morale and increase anxiety. Secondly, it can hamper productivity and impact performance. Four former employees of the town of Hooksett, New Hampshire were fired by the city council for gossiping about their boss. They learned the hard way that gossip can cost you your job. Despite an appeal of their dismissal by the four employees, the Hooksett council didn’t budge and stated, “These employees do not represent the best interests of the town of Hooksett and the false rumors, gossip and derogatory statements have contributed to a negative working environment and malcontent among their fellow employees

Although the four women represented nearly 50 years of combined service to the city and all had positive performance reviews, the town council believed that the women’s actions were “insubordinate” and “dishonest.” All four received a settlement for being fired, which cost the town a total of $330,000. The settlement agreement also stipulated, however, that two of the women can never apply for a job with the town again.

Teaching notes

1. Was the firing warranted?2. If you had were involved in the action, would you have agreed with the settlement, reinstated the

women or mad another choice? Explain your answer.3. Describe a scenario at work where gossiping was prevalent.

12-1Copyright ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

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I. HOW DO MANAGERS COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY?

A. Introduction

1. Everything a manager does involves communicating.

2. A manager can’t formulate a strategy or make a decision without information, which has to be communicated.

3. Once a decision is made, communication must again take place.

4. Good communication skills alone do not make a successful manager but ineffective communication skills can lead to a continuous stream of problems for the manager.

B. How Does the Communication Process Work?

1. Communication can be thought of as a process or flow.

a) Problems occur when there are deviations or blockages in that flow.

2. Communication requires a purpose, expressed as a message conveyed between a source (the sender) and a receiver. It is encoded and is passed by some medium to the receiver, who re-translates the message initiated by the sender. The result is a transference of meaning from one person to another.

a) Exhibit 12-1 depicts the communication process.

3. Four conditions affect the encoded message: skill, attitudes, knowledge, and the social-cultural system.

4. One’s total communicative success includes speaking, reading, listening, and reasoning skills.

5. Our attitudes influence our behavior. We hold predisposed ideas on numerous topics, and our communications are affected by these attitudes.

6. We are restricted in our communicative activity by the extent of our knowledge of the particular topic.

7. Finally, just as attitudes influence our behavior, so does our position in the social-cultural system in which we exist.

a) Your beliefs and values, all part of your culture, act to influence you as a communicative source.

8. The message is the actual physical product from the source that conveys some purpose.

9. Our message is affected by the code or group of symbols we use to transfer meaning, the content of the message itself, and the decisions that we make in selecting and arranging both codes and content.

10. The channel is the medium through which the message travels. It is selected by the source.

a) Formal channels are established by the organization and transmit messages that pertain to the job-related activities of members.

b) Other forms of messages, such as personal or social, follow the informal channels in the organization.

11. The receiver is the person to whom the message is directed.

Copyright ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall12-2

Chapter 12 - Communication and Interpersonal Skills

12. The message must be translated into a form that can be understood by the receiver. This is the decoding of the message.

a) Just as the encoder was limited by his or her skills, attitudes, knowledge, and social-cultural system, the receiver is equally restricted.

13. The final link in the communication process is a feedback loop.

a) Feedback is the check on how successful we have been in transferring our messages as originally intended. It determines whether or not understanding has been achieved.

C. Are Written Communications More Effective Than Verbal Ones?

1. Written communications are tangible, verifiable, and more permanent than the oral variety.

a) Typically, both sender and receiver have a record of the communication.

b) The message can be stored for an indefinite period of time.

c) If there are questions about the content of the message, it is available for later reference.

d) A final benefit of written communication comes from the process itself.

(1) More care is taken with the written word than with the spoken word.

2. Written messages have their drawbacks.

a) Writing consumes a great deal of time.

b) Lack of feedback.

D. Is the Grapevine an Effective Way to Communicate?

1. The grapevine is the unofficial way that communications take place in an organization.

2. Information is spread by word of mouth—and even through electronic means today.

a) Ironically this is a two-way process—good information passes between us rapidly; bad information even faster.

3. The biggest question focuses on the accuracy of the rumors.

4. Research on this topic has been somewhat mixed.

a) But even then, although the information flowing is inaccurate, it still contains some element of truth.

E. How Do Nonverbal Cues Affect Communications? (PPT 12-5)

1. Some of the most meaningful communications are neither spoken nor written. These are nonverbal communications.

2. Body language refers to gestures, facial configurations, and other movements of the body.

3. Verbal intonation refers to the emphasis someone gives to words or phrases.

4. The nonverbal component is likely to carry the greatest impact.

a) Research indicates that from 65-90 percent of the message of every face-to-face conversation is interpreted through body language.


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From the Past to the Present

One of the most famous studies of the grapevine was conducted by management researcher Keith Davis who investigated the communication patterns among 67 managerial personnel. The approach he used was to learn from each communication recipient how he or she first received a given piece of information and then trace it back to its source. It was found that, while the grapevine was an important source of information, only 10 percent of the executives acted as liaison individuals (that is, passed the information on to more than one other person). For example, when one executive decided to resign to enter the insurance business, 81 percent of the executives knew about it, but only 11 percent transmitted this information to others. Recent research by IBM and Massachusetts Institute of Technology using a similar type of analysis focused more on people’s social networks of contacts at work rather than on how information flowed through the organizational grapevine. However, what was noticeably interesting about this study was that it found that employees who have strong communication ties with their managers tend to bring in more money than those who steer clear of the boss.

1. What can managers learn from these studies?2. How can managers tap into employee networks?3. How are the key contacts identified and what purpose can they serve?

F. What Barriers Keep Communication from Being Effective?

1. A number of interpersonal and intrapersonal barriers affect the decoding of a message.

a) Exhibit 12-2 summarizes the more prominent barriers.

2. Filtering refers to manipulating information so that it will be seen more favorably by the receiver.

a) As information is passed up to senior executives, the personal interests and perceptions of what is important to those doing the synthesizing are going to cause filtering.

b) The extent of filtering tends to be a function of the number of vertical levels in the organization and the organization culture.

c) The ever-increasing use of e-mail to communicate in organizations reduces filtering because communication is more direct as intermediaries are bypassed.

d) The organizational culture encourages or discourages filtering by the type of behavior it rewards.

3. With selective perception, receivers see and hear based on their needs, motivations, experience, background, and other personal characteristics.

4. Information overload happens when individuals have more information than they can sort out and use; they tend to select out, ignore, pass over, or forget information, etc.

5. Emotions—How a receiver feels when a message is received influences how he or she interprets it.

6. Language—The meanings of words are not in the words; they are in us.

a) Employees come from diverse backgrounds and have different patterns of speech.

b) Grouping of employees into departments creates specialists who develop their own jargon or technical language.



7. While we may speak the same language, English, our use of that language is far from uniform.

a) Knowing how each of us modifies the language would help minimize barriers.

8. Do men and women communicate in the same way?

a) No. The differences may lead to significant misunderstandings and misperceptions.

b) Deborah Tannen found that when men talk, they do so to emphasize status and independence; whereas women talk to create connections and intimacy.

(1) Men frequently complain that women talk on and on about their problems.

(2) Women criticize men for not listening.

(3) When a man hears a woman talking about a problem, he frequently asserts his desire for independence and control by providing solutions.

(4) Many women, in contrast, view conversing about a problem as a means of promoting closeness—not to get the man’s advice.

c) Effective communication between the sexes is important for meeting organizational goals.

(1) To keep gender differences from becoming persistent barriers to effective communication requires acceptance, understanding, and a commitment to communicate adaptively.

d) Communication differences can also arise from the different languages that individuals use to communicate and the national culture of which they are a part.

e) Owing to the emphasis on the individual in countries such as the United States, communication patterns there are individual oriented and rather clearly spelled out.

(1) For instance, U.S. managers rely heavily on memoranda, announcements, position papers, and other formal forms of communication to state their positions on issues.

f) In collectivist countries such as Japan, there is more interaction for its own sake and a more informal manner of interpersonal contact.

(1) The Japanese manager, in contrast to U.S. managers, engages in extensive verbal consultation with employees over an issue first and only later will draw up a formal document.

(2) Face-to-face communication is encouraged.


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MANAGING DIVERSITY | The Communication Styles of Men and Women

Men and women communicate differently. Deborah Tannen has studied the ways that men and women communicate and the essence of her research is that men use talk to emphasize status, while women use it to create connection.

Women speak and hear a language of connection and intimacy. Men hear and speak a language of status and independence.

Men frequently complain that women talk on and on about their problems. Women, however, criticize men for not listening. What’s happening is that when a man hears a woman talking about a problem, he frequently asserts his desire for independence and control by offering solutions. Many women, in contrast, view conversing about a problem as a way to promote closeness. The woman talks about a problem to gain support and connection, not to get the male’s advice.

1. How can these differences in communication styles be managed?2. Is one style better than the other? Explain with male and females in each group.

G. How Can Managers Overcome Communication Barriers?

1. See Exhibit 12-3.

2. Why use feedback?

a) Many communication problems can be directly attributed to misunderstandings and inaccuracies.

b) These problems are minimized if the manager uses the feedback loop.

c) Feedback can be verbal or nonverbal.

d) Feedback should include more than yes-or-no answers.

(1) The manager can ask a set of questions.

(2) The manager can ask the receiver to restate the message in his or her own words.

(3) General comments can give a manager a sense of the receiver’s reaction to a message.

(4) Actions may speak louder than words.

e) The sales manager example.

3. Why should simplified language be used?

a) Because language can be a barrier, managers should choose words and structure their messages in ways that will make those messages clear and understandable to the receiver.

b) Effective communication is achieved when a message is both received and understood.

c) Jargon can facilitate understanding when it is used within a group of those who know what it means, but it can cause innumerable problems when used outside that group.

4. Why must we listen actively?

a) Listening is an active search for meaning, whereas hearing is passive.

b) In listening, two people are thinking—the receiver and the sender.



c) Many of us are poor listeners because listening is difficult, and it’s usually more satisfying to be the talker.

d) Listening—it is often more tiring than talking.

e) Active listening is enhanced by developing empathy with the sender—that is, by placing yourself in the sender’s position.

5. Why must we constrain emotions?

a) They can severely cloud and distort the transference of meaning.

6. Why the emphasis on nonverbal cues?

a) Actions speak louder than words.

b) Nonverbal messages carry a great deal of weight.

Developing Your Active-Listening Skill

About the Skill

Active listening requires you to concentrate on what is being said. It involves a concerted effort to understand and interpret the speaker’s message.

Steps in Practicing the Skill

1. Make eye contact. 2. Exhibit affirmative nods and appropriate facial expressions.3. Avoid distracting actions or gestures that suggest boredom.4. Ask questions. 5. Paraphrase using your own words.6. Avoid interrupting the speaker. 7. Don’t overtalk.8. Make smooth transitions between the roles of speaker and listener.

Practicing the Skill

1. Ask a friend to tell you about his or her day and listen without interrupting. When your friend has finished speaking, ask two or three questions if needed to obtain more clarity and detail. Listen carefully to the answers. Now summarize your friend’s day in no more than 5 sentences.

2. How well did you do? 3. Let your friend rate the accuracy of your paraphrase (and try not to interrupt).

Teaching tips

Consider having two students “fish bowl” the exercise and have the class evaluate the accuracy of the paraphrase.

The differences that will be reported from the class will point out the difficulty of active listening.


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Right or Wrong?

How honest should managers be with employees about a company’s worsening financial condition?24 When one business owner who owns a legal services firm mentioned to his employees that the business was not doing well, it ended up scaring them. “People started crying. One person gave notice and left for a job at another company.

1. What do you think? 2. What would be achieved by telling them? 3. Is not telling them unethical? Why or why not?

Teaching Notes _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

II. HOW IS TECHNOLOGY AFFECTING MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION?

A. Information technology has radically changed the way organizational members communicate.

1. Significantly improved a manager’s ability to monitor individual and team performance.

2. Allowed employees to have more complete information to make faster decisions.

3. Provided employees more opportunities to collaborate and share information.

4. Made it possible for people in organizations to be fully accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

B. What are the Networked Communications Capabilities?

1. An organization links its computers together through compatible hardware and software, creating an integrated organizational network.

2. E-mail is the instantaneous transmission of messages on computers that are linked together.

3. Instant messaging (IM)—interactive, real-time communication that takes place among computer users who are logged on to the computer network at the same time.

a) Information can be communicated instantaneously.

4. A voice-mail system digitizes a spoken message, transmits it over the network, and stores the message on a disk for the receiver to retrieve later.

5. Facsimile or fax machines allow the transmission of documents containing both text and graphics over ordinary telephone lines.

6. Electronic data interchange (EDI) is a way for organizations to exchange business transaction documents such as invoices or purchase orders, using direct, computer-to-computer networks.

7. Teleconferencing allows a group of people to confer simultaneously using telephone or e-mail group communications software; videoconferencing allows for meeting participants to see each other over video screens.



8. Networked computer systems have allowed the development of organizational intranets and extranets.

a) An intranet is an organizational communication network that uses Internet technology but is accessible only to organizational employees.

b) An extranet is an organizational communication network that uses Internet technology and allows authorized users inside the organization to communicate with certain outsiders such as customers or vendors.

9. Finally, the Internet is now being used for voice communication.

C. How Have Wireless Capabilities Affected Communication?

1. Wireless communication relies on signals sent through air or space without any physical connection, using such devices as microwave signals, satellites, radio waves and radio antennas, or infrared light rays.

2. Employees no longer have to be at their desks with their computers plugged in and turned on in order to communicate with others in the organization.

D. How Does Knowledge Management Affect Communications?

1. Part of a manager’s responsibility in fostering an environment conducive to learning and effective communications is to create learning capabilities throughout the organization.

2. An important step is understanding the value of knowledge as a major resource, just like cash, raw materials, or office equipment.

3. Knowledge management involves cultivating a learning culture in which organizational members systematically gather knowledge and share it with others in the organization so as to achieve better performance.

Technology and the Manager's JobFYEO—Decoding Communication Jargon

Summary

How do you know what BTW and FYEO means when reading a text or writing a tweet? . Netlingo.com provides those answers. This net shorthand is prevalent and a working knowledge of this form of communication is now important.

Teaching Notes _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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III. WHAT INTERPERSONAL SKILLS DO MANAGERS NEED?

A. The Importance of Interpersonal Skills

1. A survey of top executives at Fortune 500 companies found that interpersonal skills were the most important consideration in hiring senior-level employees.

2. Because managers ultimately get things done through others, competencies in leadership, communication, and other interpersonal skills are prerequisites to managerial effectiveness.

B. Why Are Active Listening Skills Important?

1. Listening requires paying attention, interpreting, and remembering sound stimuli.

2. Effective listening is active rather than passive.

a) Active listening requires you to get inside the speaker’s mind so you can understand the communication from his or her point of view.

b) You have to concentrate, and you have to want to fully understand what a speaker is saying.

3. There are four essential requirements for active listening: (1) intensity, (2) empathy, (3) acceptance, and (4) a willingness to take responsibility for completeness.

4. The human brain is capable of handling a speaking rate that is about six times as fast that of the average speaker.

5. Intensity

a) The active listener concentrates intensely on what the speaker is saying.

b) They summarize and integrate what has been said.

c) They put each new bit of information into the context of what preceded it!

6. Empathy requires you to put yourself in the speaker’s shoes.

a) It demands both knowledge of the speaker and flexibility on your part.

b) You suspend your own thoughts and feelings and adjust to your speaker’s world.

7. An active listener demonstrates acceptance.

a) Absorb what’s being said and withhold judgment on content until the speaker is finished.

8. The final ingredient is taking responsibility for completeness.

a) The listener does whatever is necessary to get the full-intended meaning from the speaker’s communication.

b) Listening for feeling as well as for content and asking questions to ensure understanding.

9. Just how, though, can you develop effective listening skills? (See Developing Your Active Listening Skill.)

C. Why Are Feedback Skills Important?

1. If the feedback is positive, it’s likely to be given promptly and enthusiastically.

2. Negative feedback is often avoided, delayed, or substantially distorted.



3. What is the difference between positive and negative feedback?

a) Managers treat positive and negative feedback differently. So, too, do receivers.

b) Positive feedback is more readily and accurately perceived than negative feedback.

c) Negative feedback often meets resistance.

(1) People want to hear good news and block out the rest.

(2) Positive feedback fits what people wish to hear and already believe about themselves.

d) You need to be aware of potential resistance and learn to use negative feedback in situations in which it’s most likely to be accepted.

e) Research indicates that negative feedback is most likely to be accepted when it comes from a credible source or if it’s objective in form.

(1) Subjective impressions carry weight only when they come from a person with high status and credibility.

4. How do you give effective feedback?

a) Focus on specific behaviors.

b) Keep feedback impersonal.

c) Keep feedback goal oriented.

d) Make feedback well timed.

e) Ensure understanding.

f) Direct negative feedback toward behavior that the receiver can control.

D. What Are Empowerment Skills?

1. Millions of employees and teams of employees are making key operating decisions that directly affect their work.

2. The increased use of empowerment is being driven by two forces.

a) The need for quick decisions by those who are most knowledgeable about the issue.

b) The reality that the downsizing of organizations during the last two decades left many managers with considerably larger spans of control than they had previously.

3. Delegation is the assignment of authority to another person to carry out specific activities.

a) It is a shift of decision-making authority from one organizational level to a lower one.

b) See Exhibit 12-4.

4. In participative decision making, there is a sharing of authority. With delegation, employees make decisions on their own.

5. Don’t managers abdicate their responsibility when they delegate?

a) When done properly, delegation is not abdication.

b) It is not possible for you to do everything yourself.

c) You need to learn to delegate if you are going to be effective in your job.

(1) You should expect and accept some mistakes by your employees.


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(2) Ensure that the costs of mistakes don’t exceed the value of the learning, by putting adequate controls in place.

6. How much authority should a manager delegate?

a) Exhibit 12-5 presents the most widely cited contingency factors to provide some guidance in making those determinations.

b) How do you delegate effectively?

c) Clarify the assignment.

d) Specify employees’ range of discretion.

e) Allow employees to participate.

f) Inform others that delegation has occurred.

g) Establish feedback controls.

E. How Do You Manage Conflict?

1. The ability to manage conflict is undoubtedly one of the most important skills a manager needs to possess.

2. A study revealed that the average manager spends approximately 20 percent of his or her time dealing with conflict.

3. What is conflict management?

a) Conflict—perceived differences resulting in some form of interference or opposition.

(1) Whether the differences are real is irrelevant—if people perceive differences, then a conflict state exists.

b) This definition includes the extremes, from subtle, indirect, and highly controlled forms of interference to overt acts such as strikes, riots, and wars.

4. Over the years, three differing views have evolved toward conflict in organizations.

a) See Exhibit 12-6.

b) The traditional view—conflict must be avoided; it indicates a malfunctioning within the organization.

c) The human relations view—conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome in any organization and rather, has the potential to be a positive force.

d) The most recent perspective—the interactionist view—proposes not only that conflict can be a positive force in an organization but also that some conflict is absolutely necessary for an organization to perform effectively.

5. Can conflict be positive and negative?

a) Functional conflicts support the goals of the organization.

b) Dysfunctional conflicts prevent an organization from achieving its goals.

6. How does a manager tell whether a conflict is functional or dysfunctional?

a) Research indicates that you need to look at the type of conflict.

b) Task conflict relates to the content and goals of the work.

c) Relationship conflict focuses on interpersonal relationships.



d) Process conflict refers to how the work gets done.

e) Research shows that relationship conflicts are almost always dysfunctional because the interpersonal hostilities increase personality clashes and decrease mutual understanding and the tasks don’t get done.

7. Which conflicts do you handle?

a) See Exhibit 12-7.

b) Not every conflict justifies your attention.

c) Choose your battles judiciously, saving your efforts for the ones that count.

d) Some conflicts are unmanageable.

(1) When antagonisms are deeply rooted.

(2) When one or both parties wish to prolong a conflict.

(3) When emotions run so high that constructive interaction is impossible.

(4) Some aren’t worth the effort.

(5) Some are outside your realm of influence.

(6) Still others may be functional and, as such, are best left alone.

8. How does a manager stimulate conflict?

a) The notion of stimulating conflict is often difficult to accept.

b) The evidence demonstrates that there are situations in which an increase in conflict is constructive.

c) Although there is no definitive method for assessing the need for more conflict, an affirmative answer to one or more of the following questions may suggest a need for conflict.

(1) Are you surrounded by “yes people”?

(2) Are employees afraid to admit ignorance and uncertainties to you?

(3) Is there so much concentration by decision makers on reaching a compromise that they lose sight of values, long-term objectives, or the organization’s welfare?

(4) Do managers believe that it is in their best interest to maintain the impression of peace and cooperation in their unit, regardless of the price?

(5) Is there an excessive concern by decision makers for not hurting the feelings of others?

(6) Do managers believe that popularity is more important for obtaining organizational rewards than competence and high performance?

(7) Are managers unduly enamored with obtaining consensus for their decisions?

(8) Do employees show unusually high resistance to change?

(9) Is there a lack of new ideas?

9. There is a dearth of ideas on conflict-stimulation techniques.

10. The following are some preliminary suggestions that managers might want to use.


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a) The initial step in stimulating functional conflict is for managers to convey to employees the message, supported by actions, that conflict has its legitimate place.

(1) This step may require changing the culture of the organization.

b) Use communication to stimulate conflict.

c) Ambiguous or threatening messages also encourage conflict.

d) Another widely used method for shaking up a stagnant unit or organization is to bring in outsiders—either by hiring from outside or by internal transfer—whose backgrounds, values, attitudes, or managerial styles differ from those of present members.

e) Structural variables are a source of conflict.

(1) Centralizing decisions, realigning work groups, increasing formalization, and increasing interdependencies between units are all structural devices that disrupt the status quo and act to increase conflict levels.

f) Finally, one can appoint a devil’s advocate.

(1) A devil’s advocate is a person who purposely presents arguments that run counter to those proposed by the majority or against current practices.

(2) He or she plays the role of the critic, even to the point of arguing against positions with which he or she actually agrees.

F. What Are Negotiation Skills?

1. Negotiation—a process in which two or more parties who have different preferences must make a joint decision and come to an agreement.

2. To achieve this goal, both parties typically use a bargaining strategy.

3. How do bargaining strategies differ?

a) Distributive bargaining.

b) Integrative bargaining.

c) Used car negotiation example.

4. Distributive bargaining

a) Operates under zero-sum conditions.

b) Any gain you make is at the expense of the other person, and vice versa.

c) The essence of distributive bargaining is negotiating over who gets what share of a fixed pie.

d) Probably the most widely cited example of distributive bargaining is in traditional labor-management negotiations over wages and benefits.

e) In distributive bargaining, each party has a target point that defines what he or she would like to achieve.

f) Each also has a resistance point that marks the lowest outcome that’s acceptable.

(1) See Exhibit 12-8.



g) The area between their resistance points is the settlement range.

(1) As long as there is some overlap in their aspiration ranges, there exists a settlement area in which each one’s aspirations can be met.

h) When engaged in distributive bargaining, your tactics should focus on trying to get your opponent to agree to your specific target point or to get as close to it as possible.

5. A sales representative for a women’s sportswear manufacturer example.

a) The sales-credit negotiation is an example of integrative bargaining.

6. Integrative problem solving operates under the assumption that there is at least one settlement that can create a win-win solution.

a) In general, integrative bargaining is preferable to distributive bargaining because it builds long-term relationships and facilitates working together in the future.

b) Distributive bargaining leaves one party a loser.

c) It tends to build animosities and deepen divisions between people.

7. Why don’t we see more integrative bargaining in organizations? Because of the conditions necessary for this type of negotiation to succeed.

a) Openness with information and frankness between parties, a sensitivity by each party to the other’s needs, the ability to trust one another, and a willingness by both parties to maintain flexibility.

b) Because many organizational cultures and intra-organizational relationships are not characterized by openness, trust, and flexibility, it isn’t surprising that negotiations often take on a win-at-any-cost dynamic.

8. How do you develop effective negotiation skills?

9. The essence of effective negotiation can be summarized in the following seven recommendations.

a) Research the individual with whom you’ll be negotiating—Acquire as much information as you can about the person’s interests and goals.

b) Begin with a positive overture—Research shows that concessions tend to be reciprocated and lead to agreements.

c) Address problems, not personalities—Concentrate on the negotiation issues, not on the personal characteristics of your opponent.

d) Pay little attention to initial offers—Treat an initial offer as merely a point of departure.

e) Emphasize win-win solutions—Frame options in terms of your opponent’s interests.

f) Create an open and trusting climate—Skilled negotiators are better listeners, ask more questions, focus on their arguments more directly, are less defensive, and have learned to avoid words or phrases that can irritate the person with whom they’re negotiating (such as a “generous offer,” “fair price,” or “reasonable arrangement”).

g) If needed, be open to accepting third-party assistance—When stalemates are reached, consider the use of a neutral third party—a mediator, an arbitrator, or a conciliator.

(1) Mediators can help parties come to an agreement, but they don’t impose a settlement.


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(2) Arbitrators hear both sides of the dispute, then impose a solution.

(3) Conciliators are more informal and act as a communication conduit, passing information between the parties, interpreting messages, and clarifying misunderstandings.

Teaching Notes _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

REVIEW AND APPLICATIONSCHAPTER SUMMARY

12.1 Describe what managers need to know about communicating effectively. Communication is the transfer and understanding of meaning. There are seven elements in the communication process. First there is a sender or source who has a message. A message is a purpose to be conveyed. Encoding is converting a message into symbols. A channel is the medium a message travels along. Decoding is when the receiver retranslates a sender’s message. Finally, there is feedback. The barriers to effective communication include filtering, emotions, information overload, defensiveness, language, and national culture. Managers can overcome these barriers by using feedback, simplifying language, listening actively, constraining emotions, and watching for nonverbal clues.

12.2 Explain how technology affects managerial communication. Technology has radically changed the way organizational members communicate. It improves a manager’s ability to monitor performance; it gives employees more complete information to make faster decisions; it has provided employees more opportunities to collaborate and share information; and it has made it possible for people to be fully accessible, anytime anywhere. IT has affected managerial communication through the use of networked computer systems, wireless capabilities, and knowledge management systems.

12.3 Discuss the interpersonal skills that every manager needs. Behaviors related to effective active listening are making eye contact, exhibiting affirmative nods and appropriate facial expressions, avoiding distracting actions or gestures, asking questions, paraphrasing, avoiding interruption of the speaker, not overtalking, and making smooth transitions between the roles of speaker and listener. In order to provide effective feedback, you must focus on specific behaviors; keep feedback impersonal, goal oriented, and direct negative feedback toward behavior that the recipient can control. Contingency factors guide managers in determining the degree to which authority should be delegated. These factors include the size of the organization (larger organizations are associated with increased delegation); the importance of the duty or decision (the more important a duty or decision is, the less likely it is to be delegated); task complexity (the more complex the task is, the more likely it is that decisions about the task will be delegated); organizational culture (confidence and trust in subordinates are associated with delegation); and qualities of subordinates (delegation requires subordinates with the skills, abilities, and motivation to accept authority and act on it). Behaviors related to effective delegating are clarifying the assignment, specifying the employee’s range of discretion, allowing the employee to participate, informing others that delegation has occurred, and establishing feedback controls. The steps to be followed in analyzing and resolving conflict situations begin by identifying your underlying conflict-handling style. Second, select only conflicts that are worth the effort and that can be managed. Third, evaluate the conflict players. Fourth, assess the source of the conflict. Finally, choose the conflict resolution option that best reflects your style and the situation. Effective negotiation skills require researching the individual



with whom you’ll be negotiating; beginning with a positive overture; addressing problems, not personalities; paying little attention to the first offer; emphasizing win-win solutions; creating an open and trusting climate; and being open to third-party assistance, if needed. Behavior related to effective active listening are making eye contact, exhibiting affirmative nods and appropriate facial expressions, avoiding distracting actions or gestures, asking questions, paraphrasing, avoiding interruption of the speaker, not overtalking, and making smooth transitions between the roles of speaker and listener.

To check your understanding of outcomes 12.1 – 12.3, go to mymanagementlab.com and try the chapter questions.

UNDERSTANDING THE CHAPTER

1. Which type of communication do you think is most effective in a work setting? Why?

Answer: Each communication method has its own benefits and drawbacks. No one method is appropriate in all circumstances. For example, written communications are tangible, verifiable, and more permanent than the oral variety. Typically, both sender and receiver have a record of the communication. The message can be stored for an indefinite period of time. If there are questions about the content of the message, it is available for later reference. A final benefit of written communication comes from the process itself. More care is taken with the written word than with the oral word. Writing consumes a great deal of time.

E-mail is one of the most widely used methods for organizational members to communicate. E-mail is fast, convenient, cheap, and can be used to send the same message to dozens of people at the same time. But it’s also public information, and as such should not be used to discuss sensitive issues like performance appraisals, disciplinary issues, or other confidential topics

2. Why isn’t effective communication synonymous with agreement?

Answer: Communication and agreement are two different things. The former means that what we are saying is clear and understood. The latter means that we are in accord. One can understand another yet not agree with them.

3. Which do you think is more important for a manager: speaking accurately or listening actively? Why?

Answer: Active listening is more important, although both are necessary. Active listening requires four essential elements: (1) intensity, (2) empathy, (3) acceptance, and (4) a willingness to take responsibility for completeness. The idea by Stephen Covey to seek first to understand then to be understood is a good motto.

4. “Ineffective communication is the fault of the sender.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Discuss.

Answer: Students’ responses will vary but the perspective of the text lays most of the responsibility on the sender. While both sender and receiver are affected by their own bias, experience, etc., the sender is responsible for adapting the message for maximum fidelity in its transmission and interpretation.


Part 4 - Leading

5. Is information technology helping managers be more efficient and effective? Explain your answer.

Answer: - Yes, it has significantly improved a manager’s ability to monitor individual and team performance, allowed employees to have more complete information to make faster decisions; provided employees more opportunities to collaborate and share information; and made it possible for people in organizations to be fully accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

6. Why are effective interpersonal skills so important to a manager’s success?

Answer: A comprehensive study of people who hire students with undergraduate business degrees and depend on these hires to fill future management vacancies found that the area in which the graduates were most deficient was in leadership and interpersonal skills. A survey of 191 top executives at six Fortune 500 companies found that the single biggest reason for failure was poor interpersonal skills. The Center for Creative Leadership in North Carolina estimates that half of all managers and 30 percent of all senior managers have some type of difficulty with people. A majority of problems that managers face daily involve employees and some perceived challenge or conflict. Interpersonal skills are difficult to teach, but imperative for today's managers.

7. How might a manager use the grapevine to his or her advantage? Support your response.

Answer: The grapevine is the unofficial way that communications take place in an organization. Information is spread by word of mouth—and even through electronic means today. Although the information flowing is inaccurate, it still contains some element of truth. So, a manager can find out what the employees know or are talking about, i.e., what is important to them.

8. Research the characteristics of a good communicator. Write up your findings in a bulleted list report. Be sure to cite your sources.

Answer: Student answers will vary, although clarity, active listening, seeking feedback, etc. are all essential elements.



UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF

How Good Are My Listening Skills?

Effective communicators have developed good listening skills. This instrument is designed to provide you with some insights into your listening skills.

INSTRUMENT Respond to each of the 15 statements using the following scale:

1 = Strongly agree2 = Agree3 = Neither agree or disagree4 = Disagree5 = Strongly disagree

1. I frequently attempt to listen to several conversations at the same time. 1 2 3 4 5

2. I like people to give me only the facts and then let me make my own interpretation. 1 2 3 4 5

3. I sometimes pretend to pay attention to people. 1 2 3 4 5

4. I consider myself a good judge of nonverbal communications. 1 2 3 4 5

5. I usually know what another person is going to say before he or she says it. 1 2 3 4 5

6. I usually end conversations that don’t interest me by diverting my attention from the speaker. 1 2 3 4 5

7. I frequently nod, frown, or provide other nonverbal cues to let the speaker know how I feel about what he or she is saying. 1 2 3 4 5

8. I usually respond immediately when someone has finished talking. 1 2 3 4 5

9. I evaluate what is being said while it is being said. 1 2 3 4 5

10. I usually formulate a response while the other person is still talking. 1 2 3 4 5

11. The speaker’s “delivery” style frequently keeps me from listening to content. 1 2 3 4 5

12. I usually ask people to clarify what they have said rather than guess at the meaning. 1 2 3 4 5

13. I make a concerted effort to understand other people’s points of view. 1 2 3 4 5

14. I frequently hear what I expect to hear rather than what is said. 1 2 3 4 5

15. Most people feel that I have understood their point of view when we disagree. 1 2 3 4 5


Part 4 - Leading

SCORING KEY You score this instrument by adding up your responses for all items; however, you need to reverse your scores (5 becomes 1, 4 becomes 2, etc.) for statements 4, 12, 13, and 15.

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Scores range from 15 to 75. The higher your score, the better listener you are. While any cutoffs are essentially arbitrary, if you score 60 or above, your listening skills are fairly good. Scores of 40 or less indicate you need to make a serious effort at improving your listening skills. You might want to start by looking at the “Developing Your ACTIVE-LISTENING Skill” box included in this chapter.

Overview

One could argue that for most of the 20th century management was expected to talk but not necessarily listen. Now with changing times, organizational structures, and employee expectations, management must listen much more. Think of self-managed teams where the manager merely acts as a coach or facilitator rather than a leader. Active listening is essential here. Some people seem to be naturally good listeners and others not. However, it is a skill that can be easily acquired and one that all managers need in this new century.

Teaching Notes

If you have read anything by Deborah Tannen, you know that men and women have different listening skills. A man tends to listen to a woman for a time and then solve the woman’s problem or simply tune her out, nodding as if he is listening. A man’s attention can be limited because of his attitudes toward women or because of his socialization in our somewhat patriarchic society. A woman may merely want to share her life with the man or she may just want to talk to hear herself organize her thoughts and does not even want a response. Women generally communicate to share information, while men converse to achieve a goal.

This listening situation does not make one gender better than is the other, even if there seems to be very great differences. This difference may be due to men having been socialized differently from women. Men learn hierarchical relationships and see themselves as natural decision-makers and leaders, where women have been taught to see the whole picture of the relationships of those around them. The former does not require many listening skills, while the latter does. Women, as the traditional caregivers of children, have learned to listen very carefully as kids are not always clear in their language.

Exercises

1. Gender v. Gender. Divide the class up by gender and have them do some research on communication styles of women and men. Have them present their findings, then debate the issue.

Learning Objective(s): To illustrate the differences in listening styles of men and women.

Preparation/Time Allotment: They should have at least a week to research. Allow about 15 minutes for each group to present their findings. You might want to prepare some of the research for them. Hand out articles by Deborah Tannen or other appropriate authors. This initial step may keep them focused and on track in their research efforts.

Advantages/Disadvantages/Potential Problems: Make sure students understand that these are style differences; not attributes that can be labeled as right or wrong. Be prepared for some controversial class discussions on this topic. Also, make sure that they do not stereotype, or assume that all men or all women engage in certain listening styles.



2. Do We Communicate Differently? Divide the class in groups equally made up of men and women. Select a few participant observers. Discuss some topical and sensitive issue such as women in the Marines, the viability of a female President, the place of women in our society, the “need” for universal healthcare, how well the President is doing, or the war in Iraq. Have the participant observers record the communication patterns based on gender and see if there are differences.

Learning Objective(s): To illustrate the differences in communication patterns between men and women.

Preparation/Time Allotment: Allow about 30-minutes for the class discussion, and about 20 minutes for the participant observers to present their results to the class. You may wish to separate the observers initially and provide them some idea of what to look for during the conversation.

Advantages/Disadvantages/Potential Problems: By picking controversial political topics, you are assuring that you will get a lively class discussion going. On the other hand, be careful not to lose control of the class, as many people are quite passionate about these issues. As with all exercises involving different genders as variables, you may or may not see too many differences by gender.

FYIA (For Your Immediate Action)Stone, Hartwick, and Mueller Talent Management Associates

To: Chris RichardsFrom: Dana GibsonSubject: Office gossip

I need some advice, Chris. As you know, my department and all its employees are being transferred from Los Angeles to Dallas. We’ve had to keep the information “under wraps” for competitive reasons. However, one of my employees asked me point blank yesterday about a rumor she’s heard that this move is in the works. I didn’t answer her question directly. But I’m afraid that the office grapevine is going to start spreading inaccurate information and then affect morale and productivity.

1. What should Dana do?2. How can the grapevine be used productively?


Part 4 - Leading

Case ApplicationOut with E-Mail

Summary

During 2008, each corporate user of e-mail sent or received over 150 messages per day. By 2011, that number is estimated to be well over 225. U.S. Cellular’s Chief Operating Officer Jay Ellison imposed a “no e-mail Friday” rule, a move that a growing number of companies are taking. Although most bans typically allow e-mailing clients and customers or responding to urgent matters, the intent is to slow down the routine internal e-mails that take up time and clog the organization’s computer network.

Discussion Questions

1. What advantages and disadvantages are there to e-mail as a form of communication? In addition to your own personal experience with e-mail, do some research before answering this question?

Answer: Student responses may vary. E-mail is a time saving communication device that is convenient and easily accessible. The downside is misinterpretation and information overload. Managers must also oversee the use of e-mail for personal reasons.

2. Why do you think the employees rebelled?

Answer: Employees get accustomed to the technology and often resist change. E-mail has become a standard operating procedure for doing business and communicating with internal and external customers.

3. What’s your opinion about Ellison’s actions? Was he right or wrong? Be sure to look at this from the perspective of both the organization and the employees.

Answer: This answer may be different based on perspective. For the organization, it may simplify the workload for the day and some employees would agree. On the other hand, employees may not buy into the procedural change and therefore not see the benefits of controlled information. In any event, it may reduce the employees' stress level as they adjust to the change and utilize other vehicles to remain productive.

4. What other approaches might Ellison have taken to address this issue of out-of-control e-mail

Answer: He could have limited the computer or e-mail time. Another suggestion would be to emphasize the importance of face-to-face or personal interaction and dialogue or more phone work, depending on the employee's position. Since e-mail can be impersonal, this edict may not only reduce stress, but minimize misinterpretation of the message, especially in the case of one-on one conversations where nonverbal communication can also be measured.


chapter 12 - piimt.us · web viewone could argue that for most of the 20th century management was...

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