Haslina/Topic 11 INTRODUCTION : COMMUNICATION FOR MANAGERS Meeting 1/Session 1 Saturday, 20 February 2010

Haslina/Topic 12 SUBORDINATECLIENT THIRD PARTY

Haslina/Topic 13 Overview Survey on 1000 personnel managers in the US Survey on 1000 personnel managers in the US Top 3 skills for job performance as involving communication Top 3 skills for job performance as involving communication Other important attributes—technical competence, work experience, academic b/ground & recommendations (all lagged behind). Other important attributes—technical competence, work experience, academic b/ground & recommendations (all lagged behind).

Haslina/Topic 14 Other surveys support the importance of comm. Other surveys support the importance of comm. Related skills include working on teams, teaching others, serving customers, leading, negotiating, working with cultural diversity, interviewing, listening, conducting meetings and resolving conflicts. Related skills include working on teams, teaching others, serving customers, leading, negotiating, working with cultural diversity, interviewing, listening, conducting meetings and resolving conflicts.

Haslina/Topic 15 Subscribers of Harvard Business Review rated “the ability to communicate” as the most important factor in making an executive “promotable” more important than ambition, education and capacity for hard work. Subscribers of Harvard Business Review rated “the ability to communicate” as the most important factor in making an executive “promotable” more important than ambition, education and capacity for hard work.

Haslina/Topic 16 Why Studying Comm. is Important? Globalization? Globalization? How does the two—communication and globalization relate? How does the two—communication and globalization relate? How do the changes in the business world affect employees? What is the primary effect? How do the changes in the business world affect employees? What is the primary effect?

Haslina/Topic 17 Kanter (1989) notes that the work of a manager was particularly affected by the changes in the business environment. Kanter (1989) notes that the work of a manager was particularly affected by the changes in the business environment. Instead of an emphasis on planning, organizing and coordinating, the focus move to communication Instead of an emphasis on planning, organizing and coordinating, the focus move to communication

Haslina/Topic 1 8 Understanding Communication Proposition 1: Communication Can Best Be Described in Terms of Possibilities - Communication and languages inherently ambiguous.

Haslina/Topic 1 9 Understanding Communication Proposition 2: Context Shapes the Probabilities by Creating Default Assumptions - The context either freezes or predisposes certain probable interpretations

Haslina/Topic 1 10 Understanding Communication Proposition 3: Context Building is a Dynamic Process - A unique context emerges as people interact, regardless of the culture

Haslina/Topic 1 11 Understanding Communication Proposition 4: The Context May Act Like Black Hole - Context can exert such a strong force that the probable interpretations can become severely warped.

Haslina/Topic 1 12 Understanding Communication Proposition 5: Context Construction is Uniquely Sensitive to Time Sequencing - Each message forms the context for the next message

Haslina/Topic 1 13 Understanding Communication Proposition 6: There are Multiple Messages in Each Communication Event - For any primary message, there are countless other messages that can be alter the context and change the interpretations.

Haslina/Topic 1 14 Understanding Communication Proposition 7: Content and Context Interact to Produce Meaning Content consists of the actual words, gestures, or behaviors of senders.

Haslina/Topic 1 15 Implications for Managers Explore the employee’s context Carefully manage employee expectation Carefully frame messages Sculpt the proper context Anticipate possible interpretations and misinterpretations of messages, events and symbols Beware of the Law of Large Numbers Use the Blackout tactic to clarify potentially ambiguous messages Pay attention to secondary messages Recognize the utility of credible sources

Haslina/Topic 1 16 Examining Communication Approaches If managers can communicate perfectly, how would organizations change? Would the organization be more productive? Would employees be more satisfied? Managers know their success is largely a function of their communication skills. However, they are unclear about what constitutes perfect communication?

Haslina/Topic 1 17 Facts 60% of employees are satisfied with communication from their supervisor 55% of managers are unfit for their job 33% of highly effective companies give employees the opportunity to provide meaningful input to decisions 45% of employees have confidence in the job done by senior management 70% of communication metaphors describe the communication process as a conduit

Haslina/Topic 1 18 The Arrow Approach

Haslina/Topic Judging Effectiveness Meaning of effective communication? Focus accurately encoding their thoughts in to language Select, aim and firing a target One-way activity

Haslina/Topic 120 Communication Effectiveness Communication Effectiveness Being able to clearly and precisely put thoughts into words Being able to clearly and precisely put thoughts into words Speaking with credibility and authority Speaking with credibility and authority Getting the results desired by talking to employees Getting the results desired by talking to employees Underlying Assumptions Underlying Assumptions What is clear and precise to one person is clear and precise to another Credibility is something speaker possesses and not something given to the speaker by the audience Communication is a primarily one-way activity

Haslina/Topic Explaining Communication Breakdowns Communication breakdowns are always the fault of the sender or receiver Responsibility should be mutual Manager fail to recognize that effective communication is a shared commitment between sender and receivers

Haslina/Topic Origins Most of the time communication in workplace is not the result of a conscious decision Based on experiences and unconscious pattern Three major factors: Technical training reinforce a stimulus/response orientation Speech teacher – implies a one-way communication People may have personality predispositions to communicate this way.

Haslina/Topic Evaluation Effective expression = Effective communication Managers assumes that: Receivers are passive information processors Words are containers of meaning Encourage clear thinking, lucid expression and organized speaking Link communication behavior and actions

Haslina/Topic 1 24 The Circuit Approach

Haslina/Topic Judging Effectiveness Actively listening Showing sensitivity Making employees feel included

Haslina/Topic Explaining Communication Breakdowns People don’t connect People are poor listeners Fail develop communication climate

Haslina/Topic Origins Human Relations School of Management – Hawthorne studies People have natural affinity

Haslina/Topic Evaluation Understanding = Effective Communication Problems is with understanding

Haslina/Topic 129 Why Communication is Important to Managers? To delegate task/job To inform To persuade To increased satisfaction To increased productivity To get feedback

Haslina/Topic 130 Conclusion What have you made up from this topic? What have you made up from this topic?