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CHAPTER 13
Effective Communication and
Feedback
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
INTRODUCTION
If employees are tickled to see the boss, I know that he
or she is a great hands-on manager.
- J.W. Marriott, Jr.
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
TALES FROM THE FIELD
The dishwasher takes a night off…
What message will this owner’s actions send to
the dishwasher, the sous chef, and the other
restaurant employees?
 Was this an appropriate way for the restaurant’s
owner to communicate to his employees the
behaviors that he values?

Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
TALES FROM THE FIELD
Fire in the hotel kitchen…
If the employee’s perceptions of events are true
and accurate, do you agree or disagree with the
manager’s decision to fire him?
 When he fired the employee, what message did
the hotel’s general manager send to the rest of
the hotel employees?
 What message did the corporate office send
when it terminated the general manager and
offered the night auditor his job back?

Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
CHAPTER OVERVIEW

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
Communication and its
importance as a
management tool
Formal and informal
methods of
communication
Common forms of upward
and downward
communication





Verbal, written, and
electronic means of
communication
Common barriers to
effective communication
Overcoming barriers
Active and passive
listening
Positive and negative
feedback
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
 Communication
is the process of sending
and receiving information
 Information enables hospitality managers
and supervisors to make sound business
decisions
 Without effective communication,
important decisions about the organization
are made in a vacuum
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
INFORMATION MATTERS TO
EMPLOYEES

A lack of sufficient
information will often
lead to high stress
levels and low morale
among workers
 These are two
primary causes of
employee turnover
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
FORMAL AND INFORMAL
COMMUNICATION METHODS
Informal Methods

Management by
walking around
(MBWA)
 Open-door policies
 Employee grapevine
 E-mail
Formal Methods

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Memos
Reports
Employee suggestion
box
Employee newsletter
Bulletin boards
E-mail
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
WHICH IS BEST?
The extent to which management needs
to convey or receive information as well
as the type of information that needs
conveying will best determine the optimal
form of communication
Clearly, matters affecting policy,
procedures, and other issues of
importance will require more formal
methods of delivery
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
FORMAL COMMUNICATION
Often addresses task-related issues and tends to span the
organization’s chain of command


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A supervisor gives directions to an employee
about how to greet a guest
An employee offers advice to a work team in
his/her department
An employee suggest a way to improve
productivity to his supervisor
A supervisor interacts with other supervisors at a
weekly staff meeting
An employee responds in writing to a request
made by his/her supervisor
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
INFORMAL COMMUNICATION
Informal communication
may or may not follow
the chain of command; it
may move in any
direction, and it is as
likely to satisfy social
needs as it is to facilitate
the functions of
business
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
EMPLOYEE GRAPEVINE

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Some managers see this as a
positive source of informal
communication
It can provide useful, off-therecord feedback from
employees, if managers are
prepared to listen,
understand, and interpret the
information
Managers who keep their employees in the dark about company concerns
have the potential to breed anxiety and fuel gossip and rumors, a generally
less positive form of grapevine communication
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION
Information that begins at some point in the organizational structure and
cascades down the chain of command to inform or influence others
This type of communication is necessary to execute decisions and to give
employees information about the organization

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Company and department newsletters
Bulletin boards
E-mail and recorded messages
Reports
Booklets
Meetings
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
UPWARD COMMUNICATION
Information originates within the
organization’s lower levels and filters to
its higher levels.
This sort of communication is initiated by
employees who seek to inform or
influence those who are higher up in the
organization’s hierarchy.
In many hospitality businesses, there is probably no area of
communication that is more in need of improvement than
upward communication
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
BENEFITS OF VERBAL
COMMUNICATION

Large amounts of information can be conveyed
with ease and speed
 Facial expressions, body language, and tone of
voice adds depth to the information being
delivered
 Due to the evolution of e-mail and other
electronic means of communication, verbal
communication provides a more personal
interaction and fosters feelings of trust and good
will
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
VERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Managers and supervisors must constantly rely on
their verbal communication skills

Meeting with an employee
 Training a new-hire
 Instructing staff members
 Soothing the ruffled feathers
of a disgruntled guest
Excellent communication skills are essential in order for managers
and supervisors to work effectively with their employees as well as
their guests
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
The lengthier and more involved the
message, the greater the need for
presenting information
in written form.
This method also provides an official
record or other such documentation,
which may be Important in the future
for substantiating facts and
information.
Providing communication in writing
also helps to eliminate confusion and
ambiguity over the message that is
being sent.
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved

Memos
 Reports
 Presentations
E-MAIL COMMUNICATION

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Encourages informal
communication
Enhances our ability to
communicate, regardless
of geography
A powerful and efficient
way to communicate
Ease of use and informality may create problems, so it is necessary to use
judgment, restraint, and thoughtfulness when communicating by e-mail
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
COMMUNICATION BARRIERS
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CULTURAL DIFFERENCES: affect attitudes, opinions,
and values
DIFFERENCES IN BACKGROUND: include education,
past experiences, and intelligence
PREJUDICES AND PERCEPTIONS: can influence
meaning given to words
ASSUMPTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS: some
employees may be reluctant to tell you if they
do not understand something
EMOTIONS: have no real place in effective
communication at work
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
OVERCOMING BARRIERS
Being aware of these obstacles is the first step to overcoming them

Think about what you are going
to say

Keep your emotions under
control

Be a good listener

Actions speak louder than words

Provide and ask for feedback
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
ACTIVE LISTENING
ACTIVE LISTENING
requires effort and
concentration!
1.
2.
3.
4.
ACTIVE LISTENERS
Listen with intensity
Listen with empathy
Listen with acceptance
Take responsibility for
the message
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
PASSIVE LISTENING
 Passive
listening is simply hearing, in
other words, you are not really processing
the entire message.
 You may get bits and pieces, but more
likely than not, you will not process the
information that was sent.
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
PROVIDING POSITIVE FEEDBACK
Spend time trying to catch
employees doing things
right…
When this occurs, and it will
occur often if the manager
is truly doing his job, it
presents an opportunity to
provide some positive
feedback and thus
reinforce positive behavior.
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
PROVIDING NEGATIVE FEEDBACK

The ultimate goal of negative feedback is to
change incorrect behavior or performance, so it
is best used when the supervisor is dealing with
absolutes such as hard numbers, data, and
other specifics
 Negative feedback should not be avoided, even
if you know that it will be met with resistance by
your employees
 Simply rework negative feedback in such a way
that it becomes an effective management tool
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
FEEDBACK GUIDELINES
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Be specific: so that employees know what
behaviors to repeat (or not repeat)
It’s not personal: don’t attack the person; attack
the behavior
Be in the moment: both positive and negative
feedback must be delivered in a timely manner
Keep the goal in mind: Only offer negative
feedback when doing so can change behavior
Only direct negative feedback at something over
which the employee has control
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved
SUMMARY



Communication and its
importance as a
management tool
Formal and informal
methods of
communication
Common forms of upward
and downward
communication





Verbal, written, and
electronic means of
communication
Common barriers to
effective communication
Overcoming barriers
Active and passive
listening
Positive and negative
feedback
Copyright © 2008 by John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. All rights reserved