1. Management and Processes
Communication
Management and Processes

2. Communication and Management
Topics Covered
The Importance of Good Communication
The Communication Process
The Role of Perception in Communication
The Dangers of Ineffective Communication
Information Richness and Communication Media
Face-to-Face Communication
Spoken Communication Electronically Communicated
Personally Addressed Written Communication

3. Communication and Management
Topics Covered (cont’d)
Impersonal Written Communication
Communication Networks
Communication Networks in Groups and Teams
Organizational Communication Networks
External Networks
Technological Advances in Communication
The Internet
Intranets
Groupware

4. Communication and Management
Topics Covered
Communication Skills for Managers
Communication Skills for Managers as Senders
Communication Skills for Managers as Receivers
Understanding Linguistic Styles

5. Communication
Communication - the evoking of a shared or common meaning in another person
Interpersonal Communication - communication between two or more people in an organization
Communicator - the person originating the message
Receiver - the person receiving a message
Perceptual Screen - a window through which we interact with people that influences the quality, accuracy, and clarity of the communication 2

6. Communication
Message - the thoughts and feelings that the communicator is attempting to elicit in the receiver
Feedback Loop - the pathway that completes two-way communication
Language - the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used & understood by a group of people 4

7. Communication Data - uninterpreted and unanalyzed facts
Information - data that have been interpreted, analyzed, & and have meaning to some user
Richness - the ability of a medium or channel to elicit or evoke meaning in the receiver 4

8. Communication and Management
Communication - Definition
The sharing of information between two or more individuals or groups to reach a common understanding.
Importance of Good Communication
Increased efficiency in new technologies and skills
Learning, Implementing, Training
Expands workers skills

9. Communication and Management
Importance of Good Communication
Improved quality of products and services
Meaning and importance of quality
How to attain quality
Subordinates communicate problems and solutions for increasing quality to superiors

10. Communication and Management
Importance of Good Communication
Increased responsiveness to customers
Empowered workers lower response time to satisfy customer wants and needs

11. Communication and Management
Importance of Good Communication
More innovation through communication
Cross-functional teams communicating effectively produce higher quality products more efficiently

12. The Communication Process
Phases of the Communication Process:
Transmission phase in which information is shared by two or more people.
Feedback phase in which a common understanding is assured.

13. The Communication Process
Phases of the Communication Process:
Transmission phase in which information is shared by two or more people.
The process starts with a sender (an individual or group) who wants to share information.
Senders must decide what information to share and puts the message into symbols or language (encoding).
Noise: anything harming the communication process
Once encoded the message is sent through a medium to a receiver

14. The Communication Process
Phases of the Communication Process:
The receiver interprets or decodes the message

15. The Communication Process
Phases of the Communication Process:
Feedback phase in which a common understanding is assured.
The receiver decides what the message means and communicates it back to the sender.
The original sender decodes the message and makes sure that a common understanding has been reached.

16. The Communication Process

17. The Communication Process (cont’d)
Messages are transmitted over a medium to a receiver.
Medium: the pathway over which the message is transmitted (e.g., telephone, written note, ).
Receiver: the person getting the message.
The receiver decodes (interprets) the message, allowing the receiver to understand the message.
This is a critical point: failure to properly decode the message can lead to a misunderstanding.
Feedback by receiver informs the sender that the message is understood or that it must be re-sent.

18. Communication Issues Verbal Communication Nonverbal
The encoding of messages into words, either written or spoken
Nonverbal
The encoding of messages by means of facial expressions, body language, and styles of dress.

19. The Role of Perception in Communication
Senders and receivers communicate based on their subjective perceptions.
Subjective perception can lead to biases and stereotypes that can interfere with effective communication.
Effective managers avoid communications based on biases and stereotypes.

20. The Role of Perception in Communication
Communication relates to senders and receivers personality, perceptions, and motivations.
Example: A recently promoted manager communicates with a rival for the same promotion. The rival feels that the assignment is beneath them and was given as a power play by the newly promoted manager.
The newly promoted manager feels that the rival is the only one capable of carrying out the project.

21. The Role of Perception in Communication
What is sent
What is sent
Communication method/media
Motivation
Motivation
Perception
Perception

22. The Dangers of Ineffective Communication
Managers and their subordinates can become effective communicators by:
Selecting an appropriate medium for each message—there is no one “best” medium.
Considering information richness (the amount of information a medium can carry).
A medium with high richness can carry much more information to aid understanding.
Is there a need for a paper path or electronic trail to provide documentation of the communication?

23. Information Richness of Communication Media

24. Communication Media Face-to-Face Has highest information richness.
Can take advantage of verbal and nonverbal signals.
Provides for instant feedback.
Management by wandering around takes advantage of this with informal talks to workers.
Video conferences provide much of this richness and reduce travel costs and meeting times.

25. Communication Media (cont’d)
Spoken Communication Electronically Transmitted
Has the second highest information richness.
Telephone conversations are information rich with tone of voice, sender’s emphasis, and quick feedback, but provide no visual nonverbal cues.

26. Communication Media (cont’d)
Personally Addressed Written Communication
Has a lower richness than the verbal forms of communication, but still is directed at a given person.
Personal addressing helps ensure receiver actually reads the message—personal letters and are common forms.
Does not provide instant feedback to the sender although sender may get feedback later.
Excellent media for complex messages requesting follow-up actions by receiver.

27. Dos and Don’ts
allows telecommuting employees to work from home and keep in contact.
The use of is growing rapidly and etiquette is expected:
Typing messages in all CAPITALS is seen as “screaming” at the receiver.
Punctuate your messages for easy reading and don’t ramble on.
Pay attention to spelling and treat the message like a written letter.

28. Communication Media (cont’d)
Impersonal Written Communication
Has the lowest information richness.
Good for messages to many receivers where little or feedback is expected (e.g., newsletters, reports)

29. Ten Commandments of Email
Don’t use your inbox as a catcall for everything you need to work on. Read items once, answer them immediately, delete them if possible or move them to another folder.
Set up a five weeks folder that deletes automatically.
Use common acronyms to identify important items
Send group mail only when it is important to all recipients

30. Ten Commandments of Email
Ask to be removed from distribution lists you do not need to be on.
To cut down on pile up, use out of office
Send messages that use only the subject line using EOM to signify end of message
Use graphics sparingly
Attachments over 5mb to groups are better put on company website
Specify important parts of the attachment Pg 17 and 20

31. Communication Networks
The pathways along which information flows in groups and teams and throughout the organization.
Choice of communication network depends on:
The nature of the group’s tasks
The extent to which group members need to communicate with each other to achieve group goals.

32. Communication Networks
Pathways
Vertical
Manager to upper level managers
Manager to subordinates (direct reports)
Lateral
Manager to other managers

33. Communication Networks in Groups and Teams

34. Communication Networks in Groups and Teams
Figure 15.3

35. Organization Communication Networks
Organization Chart
A pictorial representation of formal reporting channels in an organization.
Communication in an organization flows through formal and informal pathways
Vertical communications flow up and down the corporate hierarchy.
Horizontal communications flow between employees of the same level.
Informal communications can span levels and departments—the grapevine is an informal network carrying unofficial information throughout the firm.

36. Formal and Informal Communication Networks in An Organization
Figure 0.4

37. Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal Communication - all elements of communication that do not involve words
Four basic types
Proxemics - an individual’s perception & use of space
Kinesics - study of body movements, including posture
Facial & Eye Behavior - movements that add cues for the receiver
Paralanguage - variations in speech, such as pitch, loudness, tempo, tone, duration, laughing, & crying 18

38. Proxemics: Territorial Space
Territorial Space - bands of space extending outward from the body; territorial space differs from culture to culture c
c = social 4-12’ a
a = intimate <1.5’ b
b = personal 1.5-4’ d
d = public >12’ 19

39. Proxemics: Seating Dynamics
Seating Dynamics - seating people in certain positions according to the person’s purpose in communication
Cooperation
X O X
Communication O
Competition X O
Non-
Communication
O X O 20

40. Examples of Decoding Nonverbal Cues
He’s
unapproachable!
He’s angry! I’ll
stay out of his way!
Boss breathes heavily & waves arms
Boss fails to acknowledge employee’s greeting
My opinion
doesn’t count
I wonder what
he’s hiding?
No eye contact while communicating
Manager sighs deeply 21

41. New Technologies for Communication
Informational databases
Electronic mail systems
Voice mail systems
Fax machine systems
Cellular phone systems 22

42. Technological Advances in Communication
Internet
Global system of computer networks used by many firms use it to communicate with their suppliers.
World Wide Web (WWW)
Provides multimedia access to the Internet.
Intranets
A company-wide system of computer networks for information sharing by employees inside the firm.

43. Technological Advances in Communication
Groupware
Computer software that enables members of groups and teams to share information with each other and improve communication.
Best used to support team-oriented working environments.

44. How Do New Technologies Affect Behavior?
Fast, immediate access to information
Immediate access to people in power
Instant information exchange across distance
Makes schedules & office hours irrelevant
May equalize group power
May equalize group participation 23

45. How Do New Technologies Affect Behavior?
Communication can become more impersonal--interaction with a machine
Interpersonal skills may diminish--less tact, less graciousness
Non-verbal cues lacking
Alters social context
Easy to become overwhelmed with information
Encourages polyphasic activity 24

46. Communication Skills for Managers
Barriers to Effective Communication
Perceptual and attribution biases
Conflicting assumptions
Inadequate information
Semantics
Emotional Blocks
Nonverbal communication barriers
Cultural barriers
Inadequate communication media
Technological barriers

47. Communication Skills for Managers
Barriers to Effective Communication
Perceptual and attribution biases
Experience is different and causes wrong interpretation – Common experiences gives common meaning
Conflicting assumptions
Sender assumes receiver will use the same code to decode as intended
Receiver decodes based on wrong assumptions due to inadequate background information and creates a misunderstanding

48. Communication Skills for Managers
Barriers to Effective Communication
Codes of past experience
Facts
Knowledge
Beliefs
Attitudes
Social Roles
Values
Language
Memories
All blended with feelings and emotions
How many of these should overlap to decode the message

49. Communication Skills for Managers
Barriers to Effective Communication
Inadequate information
Managers do not provide enough info to decode

50. Communication Skills for Managers
Barriers to Effective Communication
Semantics – Word usage
You charge someone a fee for service.
You charge something you purchase to pay later.
You charge a battery.
You charge an official with duties to perform.
You charge a horse into battle.
You get a charge out of something funny.
You charge a criminal for crimes committed.
The navy uses a depth charge.

51. Communication Skills for Managers
Barriers to Effective Communication
Emotional Blocks
Experiences have an emotional / feeling component.
A concert
Wedding Day
Movie

52. Barriers to Communication
Communication Barriers -
factors that block or significantly distort successful communication
Physical separation
Status differences
Gender differences
Cultural diversity
Language 23 12 23

53. Communication Skills for Managers
Barriers to Effective Communication
Nonverbal communication barriers
Body motion – gestures, facial expressions, eye behavior, touching, and so forth
Physical characteristics – body shape, physique, posture, height,weight,hair, and skin color
Paralanguage – voice quality, volume, speech rate, pitch, nonfluencies such as yaa, ah or um, laughing.
Proxemics – ways people use and perceive space
Environment – building and room design, furniture, decorations
Time – being late or early, keeping others waiting, time v. status

54. Communication Skills for Managers
Barriers to Effective Communication
Cultural barriers
Language, native customs, religious customs
Inadequate communication media
Use of wrong media to convey message completely
Technological barriers
Receiver does not have the ability or technological capability to decode message

55. Communication Skills for Managers
Barriers to Effective Communication
Messages that are unclear, incomplete, difficult to understand
Messages sent over the an inappropriate medium
Messages with no provision for feedback
Messages that are received but ignored
Messages that are misunderstood
Messages delivered through automated systems that lack the human element

56. Communication Skills for Managers
Managers as Senders
Send clear and complete messages.
Encode messages in symbols the receiver understands.
Select a medium appropriate for the message and, importantly, one that is monitored by the receiver.
Avoid filtering (holding back information) and distortion as the message passes through other workers.
Ensure a feedback mechanism is included in the message.
Provide accurate information to avoid rumors.

57. Communication Skills For Managers
Managers as Receivers
Pay attention to what is sent as a message.
Be a good listener: don’t interrupt.
Ask questions to clarify your understanding.
Be empathetic: try to understand what the sender feels.
Understand linguistic styles: different people speak differently.
Speed, tone, pausing all impact communication.
This is particularly true across cultures and managers should expect and plan for this.

58. Basic Interpersonal Communication Model
Perceptual screens /
Communicator
Receiver
Event X
Message
Context
Affect
Influence message quality, accuracy, clarity Include age, gender, values, beliefs, culture, experiences, needs 3

59. This complex process needs to be divided to be understood
Reflective Listening
Reflective Listening - the skill of listening carefully to another person and repeating back to the speaker the heard message to correct any inaccuracies or misunderstandings
This complex process needs to be divided to be understood
What I heard you say was we will understand the process better if we break it into steps 6

60. Reflective Listening Emphasizes receiver’s role
Helps the receiver & communicator clearly & fully understand the message sent
Useful in problem solving 7

61. Reflective Listening Reflective listening emphasizes
the personal elements of the communication process
the feelings communicated in the message
responding to the communicator, not leading the communicator
the role or receiver or audience
understanding people by reducing perceptual distortions and interpersonal barriers 8

62. Reflective Listening: 4 Levels of Verbal Response
Affirm contact
Paraphrase the expressed
Clarify the implicit
Reflect “core” feelings 9

63. One-way vs. Two-way Communications
One-Way Communication - a person sends a message to another person and no questions, feedback, or interaction follow
Good for giving simple directions
Fast but often less accurate than 2-way communication
Two-Way Communication - the communicator & receiver interact
Good for problem solving 10

64. Five Keys to Effective Supervisory Communication
Expressive speaking
Empathetic listening
Persuasive leadership
Sensitivity to feelings
Informative management 11

65. Defensive Communication
Defensive Communication - communication that can be aggressive, attacking & angry, or passive & withdrawing
Leads to
injured feelings
communication breakdowns
alienation
retaliatory behaviors
nonproductive efforts
problem solving failures 13

66. Non-defensive Communication
Non-defensive Communication - communication that is assertive, direct, & powerful
Provides
basis for defense when attacked
restores order, balance, and effectiveness 14

67. Two Defensiveness Patterns
Subordinate Defensiveness - characterized by passive, submissive, withdrawing behavior
Dominant Defensiveness - characterized by active, aggressive, attacking behavior 15

68. Defensive Tactics Defensive Tactic Speaker Example Power Play Boss
“Finish this report by month’s end or lose your promotion.”
Put-Down
“A capable manager would already be done with this report.”
Labeling
“You must be a slow learner. Your report is still not done?”
Raising Doubts
“How can I trust you, Chris, if you can’t finish an easy report?” 16

69. Defensive Tactics Defensive Tactic Speaker Example
Misleading Information
Employee
“Morgan has not gone over with me the information I need for the report.” [Morgan left Chris with a copy of the report.]
Scapegoating
“Morgan did not give me input until just today.”
Hostile Jokes
“You can’t be serious! The report isn’t that important.”
Deception
“I gave it to the secretary. Did she lose it?” 16

70. Non-defensive Communication: A Powerful Tool
Speaker seen as centered, assertive, controlled, informative, realistic, and honest
Speaker exhibits self-control & self possession
Listener feels accepted rather than rejected
Catherine Crier’s rules to nondefensive communication
Define the situation
Clarify the person’s position
Acknowledge the person’s feelings
Bring the focus back to the facts 17

71. Tips for Effective Communication
Provide
social
interaction
opportunities
Is the
message
really
necessary?
Regularly
disconnect
from the
technology
Provide
social
interaction
opportunities
Don’t
assume
immediate
response
Strive for
message
completeness
Build in
feedback
opportunities 25

72. Communication Techniques

73. Communication Techniques

74. Communication Techniques

75. Communication Techniques

76. End