Spring 2007 Communications 1

Communications

Spring 2007 Communications 2

Communications

• Why communicate?

• The communications process and characteristics

• Barriers to effective communications

• Improving communications

Spring 2007 Communications 3

Why Communicate?

• 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

Noise

The Communications Process

Receiver

Sender

Message

Barriers

Barriers

Feedback

Spring 2007 Communications 5

Encoding Issues

• Standardized encoding procedure• Financial reporting

• Encoding to deceive• Deliberate deception / fraud• “Spin”

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Spin in the Want-Ad

"IMMEDIATE OPENING" The person who used to have this job gave notice a month ago. We're just now running the ad."

SALES POSITION REQUIRING MOTIVATED SELF-STARTER

"We're not going to supply you with leads; there's no base salary; you'll wait 30 days for your first commission check.

COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT

"We have a lot of turnover."

MUST BE DEADLINE ORIENTED

"You'll be six months behind schedule on your first day."

DUTIES WILL VARY "Anyone in the office can boss you around."

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE

"We've filled the job; our call for resumes is just a legal formality."

Spring 2007 Communications 7

Types of Communications

• Forms of communication• Verbal• Written • Non-verbal

• To Whom• Immediate coworkers• Supervisor / subordinates• Others within own organization• Customers and clients• Suppliers / vendors

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Communications Channels

• Face-to-face

• Telephone

• Grapevine

• E-mail

• Memos, letters

• Formal reports

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Channel Richness

• Channel Richness• 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?• More cues (i.e., words, tone of voice, and non-verbals)

allow more information to be transmitted• Feedback ensures that listener has opportunity to obtain

additional information or clarify any uncertainties• Personal focus permits customizing message and

encourages listener attention

Spring 2007 Communications 10

HighChannelRichness

LowChannelRichness

Face toface

E-mail,voicemail

FormalReport

Phonecall

Memos,Letters

Channel Richness: Specific Channels

Spring 2007 Communications 11

Non-Verbal Communications

• Voice

• Appearance

• Face and eyes

• Posture and movement

• Personal space and distance

• Time

• Physical environment

Spring 2007 Communications 12

Barriers to Communications

• Information overload

• Noise

• Language

• Filtering

• Selective perception

• Defensiveness

Spring 2007 Communications 13

Information Overload

• Multiple communications• Phone and voicemail• Email• Pager• Cellphone• Reports and memos

• What price peace and quiet ??

Spring 2007 Communications 14

Noise

• Physical noise and distractions

• Environment (cold, heat, dust)

• Preoccupations

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Language Issues

• Actual language

• Accents, etc.

• Volume and speed

• Jargon

Spring 2007 Communications 16

Filtering

• Sending on the news you think your audience wants to hear

• Impression management

• What happens to the messenger bringing bad news…...

Spring 2007 Communications 17

Perception

Spring 2007 Communications 18

Selective Perception

• Stereotypes• Women are fluffy, Asians good with math, etc.

• Halo Effect• Generalizing from one aspect of the person to

another; she’s sloppily dressed, therefore, she’s not too bright

• Projection• Assuming one’s own motives apply to others; he’s

not too honest, so he assumes others will not be, either.

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More Perceptual Errors

• Primacy and Recency Effects• Bad / good first impressions or most recent

perceptions

• Perceptual Readiness• We hear what we expect or want to hear or what

we’re told to hear. For example, if you're told the professor is good, you’ll perceive her favorably.

• Perceptual Defense• We ignore threatening information.

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Attribution

• I’m creative• You’re disorganized• He’s a slob.

• Also, external and internal attributions for success and failure• I failed because of circumstances; you failed

because you didn't try

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Defensiveness

• A response to perceived threat or criticism

• What is it?• Personal attacks• Sarcasm• Questioning motives

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Supportive and Defensive Climates

SUPPORTIVE

• Description• Problem Orientation• Spontaneity• Empathy• Equality• Provisionalism

DEFENSIVE

• Evaluation• Control• Strategy• Neutrality• Superiority• Certainty

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I Don’tKnow

I WasWrong

I NeedHelp

The Three Hardest Things to Say

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Improving Communications

• Listening

• Openness

• Feedback

Level 1: Unrelated

Response

Level 2:

Tangential Response

Level 3:

Furthering Response

Level 4: Feeling Response

The Levels of Listening

“I had a bad accident yesterday, but nobody was hurt”

“Did you hear that Ed and Mary are getting married?”

“Cars are a pain; my air is out.”

“Were you on Nonconnah when it happened?”

“I know you must be relieved to be safe”

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How to Listen

• 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.

Spring 2007 Communications 27

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.

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.

Listening requires two ears, one for meaning and one for feeling.

Decision makers who do not listen have less information for making sound decisions.

Decision makers who do not listen have less information for making sound decisions.

Spring 2007 Communications 28

Giving Effective Feedback

WEAKNESSES

• Evaluative• Do it indifferently• General• Uncontrollable• Late• Analyze• Negative only• Punish

STRENGTHS

• Descriptive• Feelings evoked• Specific• Controllable• Timely• Effect• Positive and negative• Help

Spring 2007 Communications 29

Receiving Effective Feedback

STRENGTHS

• Elicit• Listen• Check• Clarify• Ask others

WEAKNESSES

• Wait• Wonder• Assume• Justify• Discount