Effective Communication in Organizations: Overcoming Barriers and Encoding Messages, Slides of Business Management and Analysis

Download Effective Communication in Organizations: Overcoming Barriers and Encoding Messages and more Slides Business Management and Analysis in PDF only on Docsity! Communications Docsity.com CHAPTER OVER VIEW • One of the important human relations skills supervisors need is the ability to communicate effectively. • The communication process occurs when people send and receive information. Docsity.com • Effective communication is most likely to occur – when the parties communicate from the receivers viewpoint, learn from feedback, – use strategies for effective listening, and – overcome barriers to communication. Docsity.com • Barriers to communication include – information overload, – misunderstandings, – perceptions and prejudices, and – biases in paying attention to messages. Docsity.com • Ways to avoid these barriers include – encoding messages carefully and simply – observing feedback, – avoiding name-calling, – being aware of inferences and prejudices, and – phrasing messages to appeal to the receiver. Docsity.com • Verbal messages are also transmitted in written form. – Letters, memos, and reports take longer to encode and transmit, but they have the advantage of leaving a record for the file. • This is important for taking disciplinary action and ordering materials. – Written communications also reduce the potential misunderstanding of complex messages. Docsity.com • Nonverbal messages include things like – looks, – gestures, – body position, – laughter. – body position, and – noises such as laughter Docsity.com • The combination of verbal and nonverbal messages provides a clearer message than either type used separately. Docsity.com • Coordination of the organization takes cooperation among departments, which is accomplished by lateral communication. Docsity.com • Organizations have both formal and informal channels of communication. – Formal communication is work related. • It usually follows the chain of command. • Policies, procedures, and directives follow the formal communication lines. – Docsity.com – Informal communication is directed toward personal needs and interests. • It is not necessarily work related. • Informal communication includes gossip, rumors, and personal information. • It is transmitted by the organization’s grapevine. Docsity.com 2. Noise: Anything that can distort a message by interfering with the communication process. – Includes distractions such as • having a headache, • feeling too cold or too hot, • sitting in an uncomfortable chair; • ambiguous words; and • worn equipment to transmit message. Docsity.com 3. Feedback: The way the receiver of a message responds to the message. – Feedback may take the form of words or behavior. – Failure to respond is also a feedback response. Docsity.com • Communication is at the heart of the supervisor’s job. – Supervisors must communicate in order to work with • their boss, • employees, and • other supervisors – by • sending and receiving ideas, • giving instructions, • submitting progress reports, and • processing many kinds of information. Docsity.com • The sender then transmits or sends the encoded message by writing, speaking, or other personal contact. – Transmitting the message may include either written or spoken words or gestures. Docsity.com • The intended audience receives the message. – The receiver can hear the words, read lips, read the signing, hear the tone of voice, hear the emphasis on specific words, and see facial expressions and gestures. Docsity.com • The message is decoded, or interpreted as intended. – The message will be interpreted by the receiver. – Interpretation depends on what the receiver has heard and previous experience, perceptions, biases, and so forth. Docsity.com Communicating Effectively • Active Listening: Hearing what the speaker is saying, seeking to understand the facts and feelings the speaker is trying to convey, and stating what the listener understands that message to be. Docsity.com • Effective communication is most likely to occur when the parties – communicate from the receiver’s viewpoint, – learn from feedback, – use strategies for effective listening, and – overcome barriers to communications. Docsity.com The Receiver’s Viewpoint • Communicate from the receiver’s viewpoint. – People do not share • experiences, • views, • priorities, and • interests Docsity.com • The supervisor should ask what the message means – to himself or herself, and – to the employee. • The supervisor should try to imagine the message from the employee’s experience and interest. Docsity.com Learn from Feedback • Feedback can help the supervisor communicate effectively. • When a message is sent, a certain kind of response is usually expected. – One type of response is what the receiver says or facial expressions. – Another type of response comes from employees’ behavior later on. Docsity.com For Example • When the supervisor says the lunch break is between 11:00 and 1:00, the employee may – respond “OK,” – shake his head “yes,” – look puzzled at getting two hours for a one-hour lunch period, and – return to the work station at 1:15. • All of these are examples of possible feedback to the supervisor’s lunch break definition. Docsity.com • When an employee complains often about seemingly petty matters, the complaints may hide a broader concern the employee has not stated directly. – If there is no time to listen when someone wants to talk, a time should be scheduled later to continue the conversation. Docsity.com • The supervisor should be aware of the context of the comments, and the urgency or frustration an employee may display at the time. – The employee may feel that the supervisor is not interested or is trying to put him or her off if the talk is to be continued later. – Later may be too late if the employee makes a decision based on the comment. Docsity.com • If the speaker uses words or phrases that stir an emotional reaction, – control the emotions and – don’t let them interfere with the understanding. Docsity.com • To communicate effectively, the supervisor must actively listen with genuine respect for employees and believe in their ability to take responsibility. Docsity.com Be Prepared for Cultural Differences • Effective communications with limited people who have limited understanding of English may require – sticking to simple and basic words, – talking slowly and pronouncing words carefully, – seeking feedback, – learning about the communication styles used by people from different cultures and trying to match them when appropriate. Docsity.com Barriers to Communication • Communications may fail because – the sender fails to encode the message properly, – the transmission is poor, or – the receiver misinterprets the message. Docsity.com Misunderstandings • To avoid misunderstandings, messages should be simple. • Supervisors should make sure that they understand what they are going to say before they create the message. Docsity.com • When the supervisor is the receiver of a message, he or she needs to be careful to understand the true meaning of that message, asking questions about unclear points when necessary. Docsity.com • The supervisor must also keep in mind that sometimes the sender prefers that the receiver not understand the message. – The supervisor needs to recognize when people have reason to be intentionally vague or misleading. • On those occasions, the supervisor should interpret messages with particular care. Docsity.com • Avoid using words that attribute characteristics to another person. – Instead, describe specific behaviors and your own feelings, such as, • “That is the second time this week you’ve made that mistake. I get annoyed when I have to explain the same procedure more than once or twice.” Docsity.com Cultural differences • The supervisor must be familiar with the communication styles of the various cultures of people with whom he or she works. Docsity.com • Text examples include: – (1) The Japanese. – In Japan, harmony is a key value. The Japanese say “yes (hai, pronounced hi) as a way of signaling that they hear what the speaker is saying. – Americans generally say “yes” to mean they agree with the speaker. Docsity.com Inferences versus Facts • Inference: A conclusion drawn from the facts available. – It is an assumption made based on the facts on hand. – An inference may be true or false. Docsity.com • Inferences often go beyond the actual data. – That is, a decision may be made or the the interpretation is generalized to a more complex situation from a very small amount of factual information Docsity.com • Or the facts may be too skimpy to make a specific inference. – For example, because you know several people with a specific habit or behavior does not mean that all people have the behavior. Docsity.com • Based on experiences and values, the sender and receiver of a message make assump-tions about each other. – When these perceptions are false, the message may get distorted. Docsity.com • Prejudices are broad generalizations about a category of people. – It is common, in our culture to attribute certain characteristics to • women, • African-Americans, • Asians, • blue-collar workers, and • many other groups. Docsity.com • In order to overcome communication barriers due to perceptions and prejudices, the supervisor must be aware of the assumptions made about people. – Is the supervisor responding to what a person is saying or to his assumptions about that person or category of persons? Docsity.com Nonverbal messages • The major types of nonverbal messages are: – gestures, – posture, – tone of voice, – facial expressions, and – even silences. Docsity.com • Nonverbal communications are culture- specific. – A look or gesture will give a specific kind of message in one culture and an entirely different message in another culture. Docsity.com • They will also have different meanings or interpretation depending on the gender of the person. – Looking down for a woman in the Anglo-American culture may be interpreted as a sign of modesty; – for a man, the behavior may be interpreted as a sign of dishonesty or guilt. – In another culture, looking down may show a sign of respect. Docsity.com • Dressing conservatively signals that the supervisor commands respect and has self- control. Docsity.com Verbal messages • Verbal messages are sent by speaking or by writing. • Supervisors usually depend on oral communication. – This type of communication gives the supervisor the opportunity to send and receive many nonverbal cues along with the verbal ones. Docsity.com • Most oral communications occur face-to-face. • They can also take place – on the telephone, – at meetings, and – at formal presentations. Docsity.com • The following steps can help the supervisor prepare: • (1) Learn about the audience. – What are their values and interests and what do they already know about the topic? – If you are unaware of this information before the presentation starts, spend the first few minutes talking with the audience about their interests, expectations, and knowledge base. Docsity.com • (2) Start the presentation with a summary of the main points or the objective of the meeting. – If the presentation is formal or includes people from areas outside the work unit, it may be useful to present a written outline of main points or objectives on a flip chart. • (3) Have a clear plan for what to say. – Use note cards or an outline. » Avoid having a script that is read to the audience. » It is much more effective to speak naturally to a group. Docsity.com • (4) Finally, practice the speech until it is easy to deliver. – It is useful to get feedback, if possible, from a mirror, tape recorder, video camera, or friend. Docsity.com • A supervisor may be required to submit written reports. – A report may be necessary • to describe a department need or problem, • to summanze a meeting, • and to inform upper management about information learned on a business trip or other tasks performed by a supervisor. Docsity.com • Reports should begin with a summary of the contents. – Charts may be used to summarize data and to make a point through visual impact. • For example, a line graph can be used to illustrate an increase in productivity following the purchase of new equipment Docsity.com • Bulletin board messages can be used to reach a large number of people. – These messages can include the need-to-know-type messages such as – the overtime work schedule, – safety advisories, and – the nice-to-know-type messages • the progress of a quality improvement team or • the investigation of a new-equipment purchase. Docsity.com • Supervisors must be aware of potential problems when written information may not be understood by all employees. – Supervisors need to be sure all employees have the information necessary to do a good job. – Since people who have difficulty reading may be embarrassed by the problem, they may try to hide it. Docsity.com • Supervisors need to be sensitive to the feelings of employees while trying to assure good quality and productivity of the department. Docsity.com • Downward Communication: Organizational communication that involves sending a message to someone at a lower level on the organizational chart. – The supervisor is receiving a downward communication when he or she receives instructions or an evaluation from the boss, or a message describing the company policy. – The supervisor sends a downward communication when he or she discusses a problem with or instructs an employee. Docsity.com • Supervisors should be aware that suggestion boxes can be problematic. – Employees who make suggestions have expectations of seeing their suggestions implemented. – There must be resources devoted to the review and implementation of suggestions and feedback to the employees, or they will stop making suggestions. Docsity.com • In some companies, for example General Motors Corporation, suggestions have been rewarded with a portion of the saving that results from the suggestion. • When teamwork is expected, rewarding individuals for suggestions may undermine the team effort. Docsity.com • Lateral Communication: Organizational communication that involves sending a message to a person at the same level on the organizational chart. – Supervisors send and receive lateral communication when • they discuss their needs with coworkers in other departments, • coordinate their group’s work with that of other supervisors, and • socialize with their peers at the company. Docsity.com