Promoting Effective

Communication

chapter sixteen

BADM 310

Management and Organizational

Behavior

Some slides drawn from The McGraw-Hill Copyrighted material.

Communications - Learning Objectives

1. Explain why effective communication helps an organization gain a competitive advantage.

2. Describe the communication process, and explain the role of perception in communication.

3. Define information richness, and describe the information richness of communication media available to managers.

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Communications - Learning Objectives (cont.)

4. Describe the communication networks that exist in groups and teams.

5. Explain how advances in technology have given managers new options for managing communications.

6. Describe important communication skills that managers need as senders and receivers of messages and why it is important to understand differences in linguistic styles

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Communication and Management

Communication└ The sharing of

information between two or more individuals or groups to reach a common understanding.

Seems simple, but often is not as simple or as natural as it seems.

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Benefits of Good Communication

Increased efficiency in new technologies and skills

Improved quality of products and services Increased responsiveness to customers More innovation through communication

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Dangers of Ineffective Communication

Tenerife, 1977: “Report when runway clear”

Communications in organizations is full of “land mines”

• Communications failures abound• Airline crashes as tragic examples• Less dramatic or visible communication failures are

common and costly.

• We communicate constantly. What makes effective communication hard? For example:– We take it for granted rather than viewing it as an important

challenge.– We assume others will see things the same way that we do.– Communications are highly interpreted yet those others’

interpretations are often not visible.

The Communication Process

Figure 16.1 16-8

The Communication Process

Verbal Communication- The encoding of messages into words, either written or spoken

Sender – person wishing to share information with some other person

Message – what information to communicate Encoding – sender translates the message into symbols or

language Noise – refers to anything that hampers any stage of the

communication process Receiver – person or group for which the message is intended Medium – pathway through which an encoded message is

transmitted to a receiver Decoding - critical point where the receiver interprets and tries

to make sense of the message16-9

The Communication Process

Figure 16.1 16-10

The Role of Perception in Communication

Perception └ Subjective process through which people select,

organize, and interpret sensory input to give meaning and order to the world around them

└ None of us sees “reality”; individuals actively interpret sensory input and treat the result as reality

└ People often differ in their perceptions of situations└ Encoding and decoding are centrally influenced by

perception

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Perception Challenge: What do you see?

The old saw: Perception is reality. Inmanagement situations this is doubly true.

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What influences perceptions?

Characteristics of Perceiver: People’s personalities, values, attitudes and moods as well as their experience and knowledge

• (Perceptual) Biases: tendencies to use information about others in ways that can result in inaccurate perceptions– can interfere with the encoding and decoding of messages

• Examples of Biases:– Stereotypes: simplified and often inaccurate beliefs about

the characteristics of particular groups of people– Selective perception (not in text) – attending to some

aspects of stimuli & ignoring others.– Perceptual set (not in text) = perceptions are shaped by

expectations of perceiver. We see what we expect to see (also confirmation bias).

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Dec 7, 1941. What was the radar “blip?”

Confirmation bias andPerceptual set.

Perceptual Biases - Example

Give a Harvard Business School case on a troubled company to a factory manager, a CFO, a marketing VP, and the head of research. How will their interpretations of the problem differ and why? Selective perception

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The old saw: Perception is reality.

Effective communications relies on avoiding misperceptions and on understanding other’s perceptions.

Old saw = A proverb or maxim such as “haste makes waste”

The Communication Process

Figure 16.1 16-16

Information Richness and Communication Media

Managers and their subordinates can become effective communicators by selecting an appropriate medium for each message.

There is no one “best” medium. Criteria for choice:└ Information Richness└ Time required└ Paper trail for later referencing

Information richness└ The amount of information that a communication medium

can carry└ The extent to which the medium enables the sender and

receiver to reach a common understanding 16-17

Figure 16.2

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Information Richness of Communi-

cation Media

Verbal Communication

Face-to-Face└ Has highest information richness.└ Can take advantage of verbal and nonverbal signals.└ Management by wandering around

• face-to-face communication technique in which a manager walks around a work area and talks informally with employees about issues and concerns.

Spoken Communication Electronically Transmitted└ Telephone conversations are information rich with tone

of voice, sender’s emphasis, and quick feedback, but provide no visual nonverbal cues.

└ Has the second highest information richness. 16-19

Verbal & Non-verbal Communication – which is richer?

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Nonverbal Communication: The encoding of messages by means of facial expressions, body language, and styles of dress.└ Can send MORE

information than verbal commun-ication itself!

WrittenCommunication

Personally Addressed Written Communication└ Has a lower richness than the verbal forms of

communication, but still is directed at a given person.└ Personal addressing helps ensure receiver actually

reads the message—personal letters and e-mail are common forms.

Impersonal Written Communication└ Has the lowest information richness.└ Includes blogs & social networking sites└ Good for messages to many receivers where little or feedback is expected (e.g., newsletters, reports) 16-21

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Choosing the right medium

• Why not choose high information richness mediums all the time? Because they: – Tend to have higher cost /time– Tend to lack a paper trail.

• Choose high information richness when message is:– Important– Sensitive – (For example, Evaluative, critical,

disappointing or otherwise emotionally laden).– Complex (likely to be misunderstood; requires

interaction to come to understanding).

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What communication medium would you use?

• A valued, highly experienced member of your management team consistently tends to open up issues with a negative spin while you, the CEO, are trying to build positive momentum and move on. You want them to stop doing that.

• You need to inform your group of a new, somewhat more restrictive travel expense reimbursement policy.

Barriers to Effective Communication

Sending Messages:└ Messages that are unclear, incomplete, difficult to

understand└ Messages sent over the an inappropriate medium└ Messages with no provision for feedback└ Messages where information is filtered or distorted└ Messages that are received but ignored

Receiving Messages:└ Prematurely judging or interpreting└ Lack of empathy with sender 16-24

Listen actively

Barriers to Effective Communication, continued

Filtering └ Withholding part of a message because of the mistaken

belief that the receiver does not need or will not want the information.

└ Why else would you filter the information? Information distortion

└ Changes in the meaning of a message as the message passes through a series of senders and receivers.

Information overload └ The potential for important information to be ignored or

overlooked while tangential information receives attention. 16-25

Barriers to Effective Communication, continued

Jargon └ specialized language that members of an

occupation, group, or organization develop to facilitate communication among themselves

└ Can be a barrier to effective communication with people outside the occupation, group, or organization • Example – We review our KPI’s every quarter.

└ Jargon can also be a power move, so don’t just think about communication clarity

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Examples of Communications Barriers

• A manufacturing manager believes the company’s sales force is incompetent. When the sales VP (accurately) reports missed sales targets are due to a new product’s unreliability, the manufacturing VP hears him deflecting blame from sales force incompetence.

• You don’t believe that your product development group is going to meet an important target or deadline. If they don’t, your job, or at least your bonus, is on the line. Why tell your manager before you are sure? So you don’t mention it.

• The CEO and the communications professor example

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Active Listening Self-Assessment:

1. I attempt to listen to several conversations at the same time.

2. I know what another person is going to say before he or she says it.

3. I end conversations that don't interest me by diverting my attention from the speaker.

4. I formulate a response while the other person is still talking.

5. I hear what I expect to hear rather than what is said.

Source: Reprinted from Supervisory Management, January 1989. 0 1989 American Management Association, New York. http://www.amanet.org. All rights reserved

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Key Techniques to Listen Actively

ParaphraseDon’t overtalk

Be empathetic Make eye contact

Head nods andappropriate

facial expressions

ActiveListening

No distractingactions orgestures

Avoid interruptingthe speaker

Ask questions

Linguistic Style

Linguistic Style – A person’s characteristic way of speaking└ Compare across regions (New York vs. Midwest)└ Compare across cultures (next slide)

└ Compare women and men• Gina shares an innovative idea with other members of her

self-managed team. Harry, another team member, enthusiastically supports her idea. Gina is quietly pleased by Harry’s reaction. The group implements “Harry’s” suggestion and it is written up as such in the company newsletter.

• What’s going on here? (Tannen Clip)16-30

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• When visiting Southern France, you are asked by the concierge whether the meeting room is satisfactory. You give the “OK” sign of thumb and fore finger touching. To the concierge, this probably means:– A. Screw you!– B. How much does it cost?– C. It’s worthless– D. It’s OK, just fine, thanks– E. This gesture has no meaning

in Southern France

If you are speaking to an audience in Japan and you see several people with their eyes closed, it probably means:

└ A. You better liven up the talk

└ B. They had a late night last night

└ C. They are doing this to focus on your message

Linguistic Styles: Cross-Cultural Differences

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Linguistic Styles in more depth: Gender Differences (Tannen)

• View clip• Men and women are socialized to communicating

differently• (many) Men use language of status and independence

– Talk about solutions to problems to demonstrate control• (many) Women use language of connection and support

– Talk about problems to promote closeness, gain support• We should communicate adaptively – that is:

– Acknowledge viability of each style and their differences– Exercise effort to communicate more effectively

Reprise: Barriers to Effective Communication

Sending Messages:└ Messages that are unclear, incomplete, difficult to

understand└ Messages sent over the an inappropriate medium└ Messages with no provision for feedback└ Messages where information is filtered or distorted└ Messages that are received but ignored

Receiving Messages:└ Prematurely judging or interpreting└ Lack of empathy with sender 16-33

Listen actively

Communication Networks

Communication Networks└ The pathways along which information flows in

groups and teams and throughout the organization. Type of communication network depends on:

└ The nature of the group’s tasks└ The extent to which group members need to

communicate with each other to achieve group goals.

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Communication Networks in Groups and Teams

Figure 16.3

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Organization Communication Networks

Communication in an organization flows through formal and informal pathways (next slide)

└ Vertical communications flow up and down the corporate hierarchy.• Why do managers need to pay particular attention to

getting feedback from employees?└ Horizontal communications flow between

employees of the same level.└ Informal communications can span levels and

departments• Grapevine - an informal network carrying unofficial

information throughout the firm.16-36

Formal and Informal Communication Networks in an Organization

Figure 16.4 16-37

Organization ChartSummarizes the formal reporting channels in an organization (solid lines between boxes).

Information Technology andCommunication

Intranets└ A company-wide system of computer networks for

information sharing by employees• Versatile, usable without information tech. expertise

Groupware └ Computer software that enables members of groups and

teams to share information with each other to improve communication and performance.

└ Collaboration software - groupware that promotes and facilitates collaborative, highly interdependent interactions and provides an electronic meeting site for communication among team members (Google docs, Wikis).

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How to Be Successful Using Groupware (or change in general)

1. Work is team-based and members are rewarded for group performance

└ People who work and are rewarded primarily on their own may not be motivated by group-level benefits

└ People may be reluctant to share information if they feel they are in competitive situation, or if top management or culture does not support it.

2. Groupware has full support of top management3. Culture of the organization stresses flexibility4. Groupware is being used for a specific purpose

└ Avoid the “solution in search of a problem” syndrome

5. Employees receive adequate training 16-39