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Chapter 9

Leadership Communication

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Communication

•A process by which information and understanding are transferred between a sender and a receiver•The evoking of a shared or common meaning in another person

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Ex. 9.1 A Basic Model of the Communication Process

Leader encodes message

Receiver decodes messageChannel

Return message encoded and sent

Feedback Loop

Potential noise and distortion

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Ex. 9.2 The Leader as Communication Champion

Internal and external sources

Strategic ConversationOpen climate ListeningDiscernmentDialogue

Purpose DirectedDirect attention to vision/values, desired outcomes; use persuasion

MethodsUse rich channels Stories and metaphorsInformal communication

Leader as

Communication Champion

Communication Champion: believes that communication is essential to building trust and gaining commitment to vision

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Ex. 9.3 Why Open the Communication Channels?

An open climate is essential for cascading vision, andcascading is essential because:Natural Law 1: You Get What You talk about

1b: You get what you pay attention to and reward A vision must have ample ‘air time’ in an organization. A vision must be

shared and practiced by leaders at every opportunity.

Natural Law 2: The Climate of an Organization is aReflection of the Leader

A leader who doesn’t embody the vision and values doesn’t have an organization that does.

Natural Law 3: You Can’t Walk Faster Than One Step at aTime

A vision is neither understood nor accepted overnight. Communicating must be built into continuous, daily interaction so that over time followers will internalize it.

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Ex. 9.4 Ten Keys to Effective Listening

Keys Poor Listener Good Listener

1. Listen actively Is passive, laid back Asks questions; paraphrases what is said

2. Find areas of interest Tunes out dry subjects Looks for opportunities, new learning

3. Resist distractions Is easily distracted Fights distractions; tolerates bad habits; knows how to concentrate

4. Capitalize on the fact that thought is faster than speech

Tends to daydream with slow speakers

Challenges, anticipates, summarizes; listens between lines to tone of voice

5. Be responsive Is minimally involved Nods; shows interest, positive feedback

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Ex. 9.4 (contd.)

Keys Poor Listener Good Listener

6. Judge content, not delivery (or style)

Tunes out if delivery is poor

Judges content; skips over delivery errors

7. Hold one’s fire Has preconceptions; argues

Does not judge until comprehension is complete

8. Listen for ideas Listens for facts Listens to central themes

9. Work at listening No energy output; faked attention

Works hard; exhibits active body state, eye contact

10. Exercise one’s mind Resists difficult material in favor of light, recreational material

Uses heavier material as exercise for the mind

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Discernment Listening to detect unarticulated messages

hidden below the surface of spoken interaction

Action memo: focus your total attention on what the other person is saying. Work hard to listen – use eye contact; ask questions and paraphrase the message; and offer positive feedback. Pay attention to body language, patterns of interaction, and other clues to discern what followers really think, feel, or want.

Ex. 9.5 Dialogue and Discussion: The Differences

Reveal feelingsExplore assumptionsSuspend convictionsBuild common ground

Long-term, innovative solutionsUnified groupShared meaningTransformed mind-sets

State positionsAdvocate convictionsConvince othersBuild oppositions

Short-term resolutionAgreement by logicOpposition beaten downMind-sets held onto

Result Result

Dialogue Discussion

Conversation

Lack of understanding, disagreement, divergent points of

view, evaluate others

ONLY wayto changemental models

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The leader as communication champion Establish credibility Build goals on common ground Make your position compelling to others Connect emotionally

•Strong relationships are built on Strong relationships are built on mutualmutual understanding. understanding. Leadership is a dialogueLeadership is a dialogue, , not a monologuenot a monologue

•Dialogue requires listening to others Dialogue requires listening to others and sharing of yourselfand sharing of yourself

•Personal credibilityPersonal credibility: DWYSYWD – do : DWYSYWD – do what you say you will dowhat you say you will do

•Necessary but not sufficient. Even a Necessary but not sufficient. Even a despot can have this.despot can have this.

•Leadership credibilityLeadership credibility: DWWSWWD – : DWWSWWD – do what do what wewe say say wewe will do will do

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Credibility (cont.)

Forgetting the we has derailed many managers. Their actions may have been consistent only with their own wishes, not with those of the people they wanted to lead. When managers resort to the use of power and position, to compliance and command to get things done, they are not leading, they are dictating.

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Credibility (cont.)

“The true test of moral legitimacy is grounded in conscious choice among real alternatives. One way to recognize moral leaders and to guard against immoral ones is to observe if they engage in learning the true needs and values of their constituents. If they are more intent on telling than on listening, it is likely that they are up to no good.” (James MacGregor Burns, 1978)

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Ex. 9.6 A Continuum of Channel Richness

Low channel richness

High channel richness

DisadvantagesImpersonalOne-waySlow feedback

AdvantagesProvides recordPremeditatedEasily disseminated

AdvantagesPersonalTwo-wayFast feedback

DisadvantagesNo recordSpontaneousDissemination hard

Formal report

Memos, letters

Electronic mail, IM,

Web, intranet Face-to-face verbal

Telephone

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Ex. 9.7 Dos and Don’ts of Electronic Mail (abridged)

Do Use e-mail to set up meetings, to recap spoken conversations, or

to follow up on information already discussed face-to-face. Keep e-mail messages short and to-the-point. Many people read

e-mail on handheld devices, which have small screens. Use e-mail to prepare a group of people for a meeting. For

example, it is convenient to send the same documents to a number of people and ask them to review the materials before the meeting.

Use e-mail to transmit standard reports. Act like a newspaper reporter. Use the subject line to quickly

grab the reader’s attention.

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Ex. 9.7 (contd.)

Don’t Use e-mail to discuss something with a colleague who sits across

the aisle or down the hall from you. Take the old-fashioned approach of speaking to each other.

Lambaste a friend or colleague via e-mail – and especially don’t copy others on the message.

Use e-mail to start or perpetuate a feud. Write anything in an e-mail you wouldn’t want published in a

newspaper. E-mail with sensitive or potentially embarrassing information has an uncanny way of leaking out.

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Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal Communication - all elements of communication that do not involve words

Four basic types Proxemics - an individual’s perception & use of space Kinesics - study of body movements, including posture Facial & Eye Behavior - movements that add cues for

the receiver Paralanguage - variations in speech, such as pitch,

loudness, tempo, tone, duration, laughing, & crying

Proxemics: Seating Dynamics

Seating Dynamics - seating people in certain positions according to the person’s purpose in communication

Cooperation

X O

Non-Communication

O X O

Competition

X

O

X

CommunicationO

Examples of Decoding Nonverbal Cues

Boss fails to acknowledge employee’s greeting

No eye contact while

communicatingManager sighs deeply

Boss breathes heavily &

waves arms

He’s unapproachable!

My opinion doesn’t count

I wonder whathe’s hiding?

He’s angry! I’llstay out of

his way!

Communicating concerns about performance

Why? The purpose is to improve performance of the employee. Watch your motives.

What? Behaviors. Find good ones first, then focus on behavior not meeting standards. Make sure they (and you) understand why their behavior does not meet standards and how to correct it.

How do you arrange the meeting? Sends a message before the actual counseling session. In person, e-mail, letter, secretary?

Communicating concerns about performance

Where? Your place or theirs? Power symbols (e.g. seating) depend on severity of problem and if punishment is involved.

When? As close to the discrepancy as possible. Time of day considerations?

How do you express your concerns? In person? Written? (memo, e-mail, letter, note). Consider speaking to them in person and follow-up in writing.

What next? Your behavior following counseling is key. Need to establish normal relations, follow-up but still be supportive. Build efficacy. Remember procedural justice – everyone is watching you.