Communication What is transmitted? Information Information Feelings about Information Feelings about Information Feelings about Other Person Feelings about Other Person Feelings about Self Feelings about Self

organization’s policies, practicesorganization’s policies, practices performance appraisals performance appraisals Vertical: Downward Vertical: Upward reports on work, progress reports on work, progress unsolved problems requiring managerial assistance unsolved problems requiring managerial assistance Suggestions and ideas Suggestions and ideas Formal Communication Channels Horizontal task coordination task coordination information sharing information sharing conflict resolution conflict resolution

Informal Communication Channels u Also called the “Grapevine” u Transmitting messages outside the formal communication channels u Highly accurate u Use it as a source of information u Feed information to it

Nonverbal Communication u “Kinesics” –body and face movements u “Paralanguage” –the pitch, tone, rate, volume, and speaking pattern of a person’s voice

Improving Nonverbal Communication Skills As Speaker: Maintain eye contact.Maintain eye contact. Use a tone of voice, etc. that matches your message Use a tone of voice, etc. that matches your message As Listener: Maintain eye contact.Maintain eye contact. Lean forward and smile to show you are interested.Lean forward and smile to show you are interested. Nod your head to convey that you are listening or that you agree.Nod your head to convey that you are listening or that you agree. Positive Nonverbal Actions Include:

Becoming an Active Listener u Positive Nonverbal Feedback u Verbal Feedback –Clarifying »asking questions to clear up ambiguities –Paraphrasing »restating speaker’s comments in your own words –Summarizing »reviewing the speaker’s main points

Choosing the Right Communication Medium u Oral Communication –provides more immediate feedback –contains more nonverbal cues u Written Communication –good for conveying high quantities of information –can reach more people

Oversimplified Zone (Transmission not Adequate) Overloaded Zone (Waste of Resources) Nonroutine/Ambiguous Rich MediaRichness Appropriate Situation (Message Contents) Hierarchy of Media Richness Lean Routine/clear

Why People Have Difficulty Communicating u Sending Problems –Medium not Appropriate –Language Not Understood by Receiver »e.g., Imprecise, Ambiguous, or Foreign to Receiver »May be due to Culture, Education, etc. –Mixed messages »Inconsistencies among verbal and nonverbal cues –Sender does not solicit Feedback

Why People Have Difficulty Communicating u Receiving Problems –Poor Attention (Listening, Reading, etc.) »Selective Perception »Closure »Due to motivation, emotions, past experience, culture, etc. –Receiver does not give Feedback