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Chapter 10
Communicating for Results
Communication
Communication is the process of transmitting information
and meaning.
Organizational communication takes place between
organizations and among an organization’s divisions,
departments, projects, and teams. Interpersonal
communication takes place between individuals.
Vertical and Horizontal
Vertical communication is the downward and upward
flow of information through the organization. It is formal
communication because it is officially sanctioned
transmission of information.
Horizontal communication is information shared between
peers. It is the coordination that goes on within a
department, among team members, and among
departments.
Horizontal Communication
Mike and his cohosts “chewing the fat” is horizontal
communication with the listener (the audience),
which is why their fans love the show so much.
Grapevine
The grapevine is the flow of information through
informal channels. It is informal communication because
it isn’t official or sanctioned communication.
Unlike many talk show hosts, Mike and his staff on the
Mike & the Mad Dog show carefully verify the
information they receive, and this has paid off
handsomely. One reason they are so highly regarded is
that fans know they aren’t dishing out unsubstantiated
rumors.
Communication Process
1. The sender (the person doing the communicating)
encodes the message (puts it into a form the
receiver of the message will understand).
2. The sender transmits the message (by talking,
phoning, e-mailing, etc.) to the person or group
receiving it.
3. The receiver decodes the message (interprets it).
4. The receiver may (or may not) give feedback.
Figure 10.1
Encoding
Mike basically encodes the content (message) of his
show in typical New York working-class speech, accent,
and slang. This creates the ambience (two guys
shooting the breeze in a bar) the producers want
listeners to imagine, and it clinches a broad listenership.
New Yorkers, from Wall Street power brokers to taxi
drivers, have great affection for this accent; it is part of
the mystique, and they are very comfortable with it.
Decoding
Emotions color how we decode messages. When we’re
angry, sad, or irrationally attached to an idea, concept,
or person, we find it difficult to be objective and to hear
the real message. The fans who call the Mike & the
Mad Dog show are not objective about their favorite
teams and favorite players or teams and players they
love to hate and hate to love. They hear an honest but
negative appraisal as an attack or an untruthful
statement.
Table 10.1
Multiple Channels
Mike uses multiple channels to distribute his show.
The daily radio broadcast is on WFAN; the
television broadcast is on the YES network. The
show is simultaneously broadcast using both
mediums to enrich the experience for viewers.
Media Richness
Media richness is the amount of information and meaning
that the channel can convey. The more information and
meaning, the richer the channel. Face-to-face talk is
therefore the richest channel because the full range of
oral and nonverbal communication is used. Phone calls
are less rich than face-to-face meetings because many
nonverbal cues are lost. Written messages can be rich,
but they must be very well written to qualify. Television
is rich because body language is back in the picture.
Feedback
• Feedback literally feeds back to the sender the
original information, meaning, and intent
transmitted in the message.
• Questioning, paraphrasing, and soliciting
comments and suggestions are all ways senders
can check understanding through feedback.
• Requiring feedback from receivers motivates
them to achieve high levels of performance and
improves their attention and their retention.
Message-Receiving Process
• The message-receiving process involves
listening, analyzing, and checking
understanding.
• To receive the real message the sender is
transmitting, you have to do all three.
• Receiving doesn’t end with good listening.
Listening is just the beginning.
Figure 10.3
Barriers That Block Communication
The words we choose
Information overload
Logic and order
The channel “shoe”
doesn’t fit
Trust and credibility
Failure to listen
Emotions
Distortion
Figure 10.4
Criticism
You’re going to get some, so you might as well take
it well. In fact, if you are wise, you will want it. (How
else are you going to realize your potential?)
Eli Manning learned from criticism and eventually
led the New York Giants to spectacular victories in
Super Bowls XLII and XLVI.