1. Improving Communication Unit 3: Management Challenges

2. Active Listening  Active Listener - A person who listens with undivided attention and demonstrates the skills essential for listening effectively  Great managers are also great listeners  Active listeners will often paraphrase and restate what you think you are hearing  Active listeners control their emotions and avoid jumping to conclusions  To be an effective active listener, you must have a sincere interest in the speaker

3. An Active Listener Must: 1. Listen for Total Meaning Most messages have two components: the content of the message and the feeling or attitude underlying the content 2. Respond to Feelings In some instances, the content is far less important than the feeling which underlies it 3. Note All Cues Remember, non-verbal communication is a big part of every message

4. Constructive Feedback  Feedback - is the process of giving evaluative or corrective information to an employee about their work  Good managers provide their employees with both frequent informal feedback and formal feedback in the form of an annual evaluation or performance appraisal  When providing constructive feedback, managers should concentrate on three areas: 1. Ensure that the feedback is specific (give examples) 2. Choose a time to give feedback when the receiver will be willing and able to accept it 3. Give only as much feedback as the receiver can handle at one time

5. Perception  Perception - is the way that we organize and interpret information  The perceptions of both the sender and the receiver can be a very significant type of distortion or noise in the communication process  Perceptions are influenced by cultural backgrounds, values, and other circumstances  People often perceive the same information or situations very differently

6. Perception  Here are four common perceptual tendencies and distortions which can occur in the workplace: 1. Stereotypes - A stereotype occurs when attributes commonly associated with a group are assigned to an individual 2. Halo effects - A halo effect occurs when one attribute of a person is used to develop an overall impression 3. Selective perception - Selective perception is the tendency to perceive things according to our beliefs and values more than reality 4. Projection - Projection means that you assign your own attributes to other individuals (ie. A Manager believes satisfying their own needs will satisfy their employees)