CommunicationCommunication

Important for: 1) vertical and horizontal Important for: 1) vertical and horizontal information movement; 2) atmosphere of information movement; 2) atmosphere of openness; 3) concern for the opinions of othersopenness; 3) concern for the opinions of others

A banking executive said most managers A banking executive said most managers “cannot write a letter, make a compelling “cannot write a letter, make a compelling presentation, or put together a speech that presentation, or put together a speech that doesn’t have half the audience looking at their doesn’t have half the audience looking at their watches.”watches.”

It’s both oral and written!It’s both oral and written!

I. Communication Process ModelI. Communication Process Model

A. Sender needs skill and knowledgeA. Sender needs skill and knowledge

B. Encoding – some are more effective at using B. Encoding – some are more effective at using language symbols than others (e.g. syllabus)language symbols than others (e.g. syllabus)

C. Message – may have more than 1 meaningC. Message – may have more than 1 meaning

D. Channel is medium – medium should match D. Channel is medium – medium should match message. Face-to-face enables feedback, message. Face-to-face enables feedback, facial expression, and the intended message to facial expression, and the intended message to be more accurately sent.be more accurately sent.

I. Communication Process Model I. Communication Process Model (cont’d)(cont’d)

E. Decoding – receiver “translates” E. Decoding – receiver “translates” message. What you attend to, encode, message. What you attend to, encode, store, and retrieve influences how you store, and retrieve influences how you perceive the message. Perception may not perceive the message. Perception may not be reality!be reality!

F. Feedback – comprehension check. Was F. Feedback – comprehension check. Was the intended message communicated?the intended message communicated?

G. Noise – interferes with the messageG. Noise – interferes with the message

II. Choosing mediaII. Choosing media

A. Is it rich? Does the medium allow the A. Is it rich? Does the medium allow the intended message to be communicated? intended message to be communicated? (face to face [2-way] is richest). Each (face to face [2-way] is richest). Each medium has “information carrying medium has “information carrying capacity.”capacity.”B. Which medium is right? The message B. Which medium is right? The message complexity suggests a medium with a complexity suggests a medium with a particular richness. Use medium particular richness. Use medium contingent upon the message complexity.contingent upon the message complexity.

RichnessOf Communication Medium

Problem Complexity

III. Nonverbal CommunicationIII. Nonverbal Communication

What does it look like?What does it look like?

How much is communicated?How much is communicated?

IV. Barriers to Effective IV. Barriers to Effective CommunicationCommunication

Filtering – information reduction by senderFiltering – information reduction by sender

Selective perception – what you attend toSelective perception – what you attend to

Judging messageJudging message

Not listening with understanding (Covey)Not listening with understanding (Covey)

Information overloadInformation overload

Etc.Etc.

V. Overcoming BarriersV. Overcoming Barriers

A. Solicit feedback – request information A. Solicit feedback – request information of message, restate in own words, of message, restate in own words, performance appraisals, look for nonverbal performance appraisals, look for nonverbal cuescues

B. Simplified languageB. Simplified language

C. Active listening – including empathyC. Active listening – including empathy

VI. Developing interpersonal skillsVI. Developing interpersonal skills

Biggest reason for job failure is interpersonal Biggest reason for job failure is interpersonal skills. Study showed graduates are most skills. Study showed graduates are most deficient in leadership and interpersonal skills.deficient in leadership and interpersonal skills.– Active listeningActive listening

Listen intensely – eyes, head nods, avoid distractions, Listen intensely – eyes, head nods, avoid distractions, show interest, don’t interruptshow interest, don’t interrupt

Use empathy – adjust to your speaker’s worldUse empathy – adjust to your speaker’s world

Acceptance – don’t formulate response in mid-speakAcceptance – don’t formulate response in mid-speak

Responsibility for completeness – paraphraseResponsibility for completeness – paraphrase

VII. FeedbackVII. Feedback

A. Must establish culture of trust and respect A. Must establish culture of trust and respect before constructive feedback is acceptedbefore constructive feedback is accepted– Effective feedbackEffective feedback

Focus on behaviorFocus on behavior

ImpersonalImpersonal

Goal orientedGoal oriented

Timely – more than 1 time each yearTimely – more than 1 time each year

Controllable (Deming?)Controllable (Deming?)