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Chapter 15
Managing Communication
MGMT
Chuck Williams
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B-books, Ltd.
1
What Is Communication?
After reading these sections,
you should be able to:
1. explain the role that perception plays in
communication and communication problems.
2. describe the communication process and the
various kinds of communication in
organizations.
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Perception and
Communication Problems
Basic Perception
Process
Perception
Problems
Perceptions
of Others
Self-Perception
1
3
Basic Perception Process
Perception
The process by which individuals attend to,
organize, interpret, and retain information from
their environments.
Perception Filters
The personality-, psychology-, or experiencebased differences that influence people to
ignore or pay attention to particular stimuli.
1.1
4
Basic Perception Process
Stimulus
1.1
Stimulus
Stimulus
Perceptual
Attention
Filter
Perceptual
Organization
Filter
Perceptual
Interpretation
Filter
Perceptual
Retention
Filter
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Perception Problems
 Selective perception
•
•
notice and accept stimuli which are consistent
with our values and beliefs
ignore inconsistent stimuli
 Closure
•
•
tendency to fill in the gaps when information is
missing
we assume that what we don’t know is
consistent with what we do know
1.2
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Perception of Others
• Attribution Theory
– we have a need to understand and explain the
causes of other people’s behavior
• General reasons to explain behavior
– Internal attribution
• the behavior was voluntary or under their control
– External attribution
• the behavior was involuntary and beyond their control
1.3
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Attribution Bias and Error
Defensive
Bias
The tendency for people to
perceive themselves as personally and
situationally similar to someone who is
having difficulty.
Fundamental
Attribution
Error
The tendency to ignore external causes
of behavior and to attribute other
people’s actions to internal causes.
1.3
8
Attribution Bias and Error
1.3
9
Self-Perception
Self-Serving Bias
The tendency to overestimate our value by
attributing successes to ourselves (internal
causes) and attributing failures to others or the
environment (external causes).
1.4
10
Kinds of Communication
Communication
Process
Formal
Communication
Channels
Nonverbal
Communication
2
Informal
Communication
Channels
Coaching and
Counseling
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The Interpersonal Communication Process
Sender
Message
to be
Conveyed
Encode
Message
2.1
Transmit
Message
Receiver
Feedback to Sender
N
o
i
s
e
N
o
i
s
e
N
o
i
s
e
N
o
i
s
e
Communication Channel
Message
that was
Understood
Decode
Message
Receive
Message
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The Communication Process
Noise occurs if:
1. The sender is unsure what message
to communicate
2. The message is not clearly encoded
3. The wrong channel is chosen
4. The message is improperly decoded
5. The receiver lacks experience
or time
2.1
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The Communication Process
Meanings of the Word Fine
1. Penalty
2. Excellence
3. Tight
4. Small
5. Pure
6. Flimsy
2.1
7. Okay
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Formal Communication Channels
The system of formal
communication
channels includes:
• Downward communication
– top down
• Upward communication
– bottom up
• Horizontal
– within a level
2.2
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Improving Formal Communication
1. Decrease reliance on downward communication
2. Increase chances for upward communication
3. Encourage much greater use of horizontal
communication
4. Be aware of communication problems
2.2
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Common Problems with Downward,
Upward, and Horizontal Communication
Downward
•
•
•
•
Sending too many messages
Issuing contradictory messages
Hurriedly communicating vague, unclear messages
Issuing messages indicating management’s low regard
for lower-level workers
Upward
• Risk of telling upper management about problems
• Managers reacting angrily and defensively to problems
• Few opportunities for workers to contact upper levels of
management
Horizontal
• Management discouraging or punishing horizontal
communication
• Managers and workers not given time or opportunity for
horizontal communication
• Not enough opportunities or channels for lower-level
workers to engage in horizontal communication
2.2
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Informal Communication
Channels
• Transmitting messages
outside the formal
communication channels
• The Grapevine
• Highly accurate
– information is timely
– senders seek feedback
– accuracy can be verified
2.3
18
Informal Communication
Channels
2.3
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Managing Organizational
Grapevines
• Don’t withhold information from it
• Don’t punish those who use it
• Embrace the grapevine and keep
employees informed
• Use it as a source of information
2.3
20
Coaching and Counseling
• Coaching
– communicating with someone for the direct
purpose of improving the person’s performance
• Counseling
– communicating with someone about non-job
related issues
– issues may be affecting a person’s performance
2.4
21
A troubled employee may have…
1. excessive absenteeism patterns
2. poor judgment and bad decisions
3. unusual on-the-job accidents
4. involvements with the law
5. deteriorating personal appearance
6. problems relating to other people
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Employee Assistance Programs
Counseling
Financial
Services
Pet Care
Child Care
Employee
Assistance
Programs
Health
Lifestyles
Senior Care
Legal
Services
2.4
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Nonverbal Communication
• Any communication
that doesn’t involve
words
• Kinesics
– movements of the
body and face
• Paralanguage
2.5
– the pitch, tone, rate,
volume, and speaking
pattern of a person’s
voice
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How to Improve
Communication
After reading these sections,
you should be able to:
3. explain how managers can manage effective
one-on-one communication.
4. describe how managers can manage effective
organization-wide communication.
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How to Improve Communication
Choosing the Right Communication Medium
Being a good listener
Giving effective feedback
3
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Choosing the Right
Communication Medium
Communication Medium
The method used to deliver an oral or
written message.
•
Oral communication
• Written communication
3.1
27
Listening
Hearing
versus
Listening
Active
Listening
Empathetic
Listening
3.2
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Becoming an Active Listener
1. Clarify responses
• Ask questions to clear up ambiguities
2. Paraphrase responses
• Restate the speaker’s comments
in your own words
3. Summarize responses
• Review the speaker’s main points
3.2
29
Clarifying, Paraphrasing,
and Summarizing
Responses
Clarifying
•
•
•
•
Could you explain that again?
I don’t understand what you mean.
I’m confused. Would you run through that again?
I’m not sure how ….
I understand you correctly ….
Paraphrasing •• If
So your perspective is that ….
• In other words ….
• Tell me if I’m wrong, but what you’re saying is ….
Summarizing
•
•
•
•
Let me summarize ….
Okay, your main concerns are ….
Thus far, you’ve discussed ….
To recap what you’ve said ….
3.2
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Becoming an Empathetic
Listener
1. Show your desire to understand
• Listen first
• Talk about what’s important to the other
2. Reflect feelings
• Focus on the emotional part of the message
• More than just restating words
3.2
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Giving Feedback
Two types of feedback:
Constructive
Destructive
3.3
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Making Feedback Constructive
• Give immediate feedback
– Don’t delay feedback
– Discuss performance while the memory is vivid
• Make feedback specific
– Focus on definite behavior and time-frame
– Make sure behavior was controllable
• Make feedback problem-oriented
– Focus on behavior not personality
3.3
33
Managing Organization-Wide
Communication
Improving
Transmission:
Getting the
Message Out
Improving
Reception
4
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Improving Transmission
Getting the Message Out
email
online discussion forums
televised / videotaped
speeches and conferences
corporate talk shows
broadcast voice mail
4.1
35
Email Ettiquette
Beyond the Book
• E-mail is the vehicle for any number
of communication faux pas: being
abusive, “cc”ing the wrong people,
discussing sensitive topics.
• How to use it well? (1) Think about
tone and don’t respond when you’re
angry. (2) Send only to the appropriate
people. (3) Assume anyone can read
what you write. (4) Review what you
wrote before you send.
Source: G. A. Olson, “E-Mails are Forever,” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 15 December 2008.
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Improving Reception
• Company hotlines
• Survey feedback
• Informal meetings
• Surprise visits
4.2
• Blogs
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