CHAPTER 12 Communication in Families and at Work, continued… Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

Section 5 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION AT WORK Interplay Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

How important is communication at work?  400 HR Managers:  Interpersonal/human relations at the top of the list.  Communication skills ranked higher than GPA, specific degree held and technical skills.  Public Forum Institute: “Participants responded that soft skills, such as interpersonal relations, critical thinking, and problem solving, were more sought after in candidates than were hard skills, such as computer literacy, writing, and technical skills.” Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

Advancing Your Career: Networking  Interpersonal communication skills help you network.  Networking: Process of deliberately meeting people and maintaining contacts to get career information, advice, and leads.  Identifying your networks  Face to face or mediated i.e., Facebook, MySpace.  Consider immediate and distant contacts  Join networks of strangers to seek job leads through career networking or community. Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

Interviewing for Employment  Interviews are a conversation, but without social chats  Interviews are:  Purposeful  Structured  Controlled  Balanced in participation Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

Before the Interview  Clarify the interviewer’s goals  Education and training most important? Initiative? Experience?  Discover hidden goals  Come prepared  Extra resumes  Take notes  Copies of past work  References  Advance research of the organization Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

During the Interview  Make a good first impression  Arrive minutes early  Consider clothing  Research: First exchange can shape success or failure: First four minutes!  Get off to a good start  Greeting  Informal conversation  Establish common ground  Give clear, detailed answers  Think: “General theme, then specifics.”  Come with brief stories, illustrations, examples that highlight your abilities and skills. Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

During the Interview  Keep your answers focused  Beware of rattling on; employ turn-taking.  Answers shouldn’t run over a minute or two.  First four minutes!  Follow the interviewer’s lead  Interviewer sets the emotional tone  Tone doesn’t fit? Job may not fit.  Come prepared to answer the interviewer’s questions.  Come prepared to ask the interviewer questions  Interview the company as much as they are interviewing you.  Good questions show you’ve done your homework, but avoid salary/ benefit questions. Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

After the Interview  Note of thanks—be one of the few!  Express appreciation  Identify specific information learned during the interview  Show how what you learned makes you a good match for the job  Confirm the next steps. Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

Section 6 COMMUNICATING IN ORGANIZATIONS Interplay Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

Formal and Informal Relationships  Formal communication: Interaction that follows officially established channels.  Upward communication: Subordinates communicate with their bosses—sometimes in a way that distorts negative information and puts it in a positive light.  What subordinates are doing  Unsolved work problems  Suggestions for improvement  How subordinates are feeling Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

Formal and Informal Relationships  Downward communication: Managers address message to subordinates  Job instructions  Job rationale  Feedback  Horizontal communication: Occurs between people who don’t have direct supervisor-subordinate relationships.  Task coordination  Sharing information  Conflict resolution Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

Formal and Informal Relationships  Informal communication: Friendships, shared personal or career interests, proximity.  Informal messages supplement formal messages:  Confirmation  Often more efficient and accurate Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

Face-to-Face and Mediated Relationships  Virtual teams  Groups that operate electronically can communicate in ways that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.  Communication medium has advantages and drawbacks. Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

Section 7 RELATIONSHIPS IN WORK GROUPS Interplay Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

Personal Skills in Work Groups  Relational skills as important as task-related skills  Relational roles (Benne & Sheats)  Encouraging participation  Harmonizing  Relieving tension  Evaluating the group’s emotional climate  Giving praise  Listening thoughtfully to the concerns of others  Best teams struggle on the path to consensus  Orientation: harmony/politeness  Conflict  Emergence: members enthusiastically or reluctantly accept team’s decision.  Reinforcement Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

Group Cultures  Organizational cultures  Relatively stable, shared rules about how to behave and set of values about what is important  “The way things are around here.”  Dimensions of communication  Sociability  Distribution of power  Tolerance for new ideas  Ways of managing conflict  Emotional support Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

Leadership, Power, and Influence in Working Groups  Designated leader  Person (people) with official titles that indicate authority.  Every member of a working team has at least one resource of power that affects the group.  Expert power: Designated leaders aren’t always the best or only experts.  Reward power: Members can bestow their own rewards.  Coercive power: Anyone can “punish.”  Referent power: Influence that comes from members’ mutual liking and respect. Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

END OF SECTION Interplay Interplay, Eleventh Edition, Adler/Rosenfeld/Proctor Copyright © 2010 by Oxford University Press, Inc.