•Lecture note Individual assignment On

Subject Area Methods Topic Business Communicating at Work

Chapter 1

Lecture note Individual Assignment On Subject Area Methods

• Lecture note Individual Assignment On Subject Area Methods

• Module Title pedagogy Module code CTPD 601

• By Berhanu Tadesse • Submitted to: Instructors Girma

Zewede Associate Professor

•

Learning Objectives/ Learning Outcome:• Identify changes in the workplace and the importance of

communication skills• Describe the process of communication• Discuss barriers to interpersonal communication and the

means of overcoming those barriers• Analyze the functions and procedures of communication in

organizations• Assess the flow of communication in organizations

including barriers and methods of overcoming those barriers

• List the goals of ethical business communication and describe important tools for doing the right thing

COMMUNICATION

Definition of Communication. Communication is a complex process often involvingreading, writing, speaking and listening. It may be verbal and non-verbal (or a mixture ofboth), and it uses a variety of media (language, mass media, digital technology, etc.).Broadly speaking, communication is a transfer and reconstruction of information. Morespecifically, we may define communication as the transmission and reception of ideas,feelings and attitudes – verbal and non-verbal – that produce a response.

You cannot not communicate!

You cannot un-communicate!

HUMAN COMMUNICATION: ACTION

HUMAN COMMUNICATION: INTERACTION

HUMAN COMMUNICATION: TRANSACTION

The Communication ProcessBasic Model

2.Sender encodes idea in message

2.Sender encodes idea in message

3.Message travels over channel

3.Message travels over channel

1.Sender has idea

1.Sender has idea

4.Receiver decodes message

4.Receiver decodes message

6.Possible additional feedback to receiver

6.Possible additional feedback to receiver

5.Feedback travelsto sender

5.Feedback travelsto sender

The Communication ProcessExpanded Model

Barriers to Interpersonal Communication

• Bypassing

• Limited frame of reference

• Lack of language skills

• Lack of listening skills

• Emotional interference

• Physical distractions

• Communication climate

• Context and setting

• Background, experiences

• Knowledge, mood

• Values, beliefs, culture

Understanding is shaped by

Barriers That Block the Flow of Information in Organizations

• Closed communication climate• Top-heavy organizational structure• Long lines of communication• Lack of trust between management and

employees• Competition for power, status, rewards

Additional Communication Barriers • Fear of reprisal for honest communication• Differing frames of reference among

communicators• Lack of communication skills• Ego involvement• Turf wars

A Classic Case of Miscommunication

In Center Harbor, Maine, local legend recalls the day when Walter Cronkite steered his boat into port. The avid sailor was amused to see in the distance a small crowd on shore waving their arms to greet him. He could barely make out their excited shouts: “Hello Walter, Hello Walter!”

A Classic Case of MiscommunicationAs his boat came closer, the crowd grew

larger, still yelling. Pleased at the reception, Cronkite tipped his white captain's hat, waved back, even took a bow. But before reaching dockside, Cronkite's boat abruptly jammed aground. The crowd stood silent. The veteran news anchor suddenly realized what they'd been shouting: “Low water, low water!”

Analysis of Flawed Communication Process

Sender has idea

Warn boater

Sender has idea

Warn boater

Sender encodes message

“Low water!”

Sender encodes message

“Low water!”

Channel carries message

Message distorted

Channel carries message

Message distorted

Receiver decodes message

“Hello Walter!”

Receiver decodes message

“Hello Walter!”

Barriers That CausedCronkite Miscommunication

• Frame of reference

• Language skills

• Listening skills

• Receiver accustomed to acclaim and appreciative crowds.

• Main accent makes "water" and "Walter" sound similar.

• Receiver more accustomed to speaking than to listening.

Barriers That CausedCronkite Miscommunication

• Emotional interference

• Physical barriers

• Ego prompted receiver to believe crowd was responding to his celebrity status.

• Noise from boat, distance between senders and receivers.

Which of these barriers could be overcome through improved

communication skills?

Overcoming Communication Barriers

• Realize that communication is imperfect.• Adapt the message to the receiver.• Improve your language and listening skills.• Question your preconceptions.• Plan for feedback.

Changes Affecting the Workplace• Heightened global

competition• Flattened management

hierarchies• Expanded team-based

management• Innovative

communication technologies

• New work environments• Increasingly diverse

workforce

Changes Affecting the Workplace• Heightened global

competition

Changes Affecting the Workplace

• Flattened management hierarchies

Changes Affecting the Workplace

Expanded team-based management

Changes Affecting the Workplace

Innovative communication technologies

Changes Affecting the Workplace

tehnical environments

Changes Affecting the Workplace

Increasingly diverse workforce

The Age of Knowledge

Success for YOU in the new global and diverse

workplace requires excellent communication skills!

Organizational Communication

• Functions: internal and external• Form: oral and written• Form: channel selection dependent on

• Message content• Need for immediate response• Audience size and distance• Audience reaction• Need to show empathy, friendliness, formality

• Flow:• Formal: down, up, horizontal• Informal: grapevine

Communication Flowing Through Formal Channels

DownwardManagement directives

Job plans, policies

Company goals

Mission statements

HorizontalTask coordination

Information sharing

Problem solving

Conflict resolution

UpwardEmployee feedback

Progress reports

Reports of customer

interaction, feedback

Suggestions for

improvement

Anonymous hotline

Forms of Communication Flowing Through Formal Channels

WrittenExecutive memos, lettersAnnual reportCompany newsletterBulletin board postingsOrientation manual

Electronic E-mail Voicemail Instant Messaging Intranet Videoconferencing

OralTelephoneFace-to-face conversationCompany meetings

Team meetings

Message DistortionDownward CommunicationThrough Five Levels of Management

Message Amount of message

written by board of directors 100%

Message DistortionDownward CommunicationThrough Five Levels of Management

Message Amount of message

written by board of directors 100%

received by vice-president 63%

Message DistortionDownward CommunicationThrough Five Levels of Management

Message Amount of message

written by board of directors 100%

received by vice-president 63%

received by general supervisor 56%

Message DistortionDownward CommunicationThrough Five Levels of Management

Message Amount of message

written by board of directors 100%

received by vice-president 63%

received by general supervisor 56%

received by plant manager 40%

Message DistortionDownward CommunicationThrough Five Levels of Management

Message Amount of message

written by board of directors 100%

received by vice-president 63%

received by general supervisor 56%

received by plant manager 40%

received by team leader 30%

Message DistortionDownward CommunicationThrough Five Levels of Management

Message Amount of message

written by board of directors 100%

received by vice-president 63%

received by general supervisor 56%

received by plant manager 40%

received by team leader 30%

received by worker 20%

Communication goes badVP to Deans:By order of the President, next Thursday Halley’s comet will appear over the athletic field. If it rains, cancel classes and report to the gym with your professors and students where you will be shown a film, a phenomena which occurs only once every 75 years.

Communication goes badPresident to VP:Next Thursday, Halley’s Comet will appear over this area.

This is an event that occurs only once every 75 years. Call the division heads and have them assemble their professors and students on the athletic field and explain this phenomena to them. If it rains, cancel the observation and have the classes meet in the gym to see a film about the comet.

Communication goes bad

Deans to Professors:By order of the Phenomenal President, next Thursday Halley’s Comet will appear in the gym. In case of rain over the athletic field, the President will give another order, something which occurs once every 75 years.

Communications goes bad

Professors to Students:Next Thursday, the President will appear in the

gym with Halley’s Comet, something which occurs every 75 years. If it rains, the President will cancel the comet and order us all to our phenomenal athletic field.

Communications goes bad

Student writing to parents:When it rains next Thursday over the school

athletic field, the phenomenal 75 year-old President will cancel all classes and appear before the whole school in the gym accompanied by Bill Halley and the Comets.

Surmounting Organizational Barriers• Encourage open environment for interaction

and feedback.• Flatten the organizational structure.• Promote horizontal communication.• Provide hotline for anonymous feedback. • Provide sufficient information through formal

channels.

ETHICAL CHALLENGES

• Ethical Practices make good business sense.

• 80’s era – Greed is good… NO MORE

• 500 fortune companies + Many small Businesses

Pressure felt by employees to act unethically - 56%

Those who admitted to conducting unethical behavior – 48%

Common ethical violations:• Cutting corners on quality• Covering up incidents• Abusing or lying about sick days• Deceiving customers• Lying to supervisor or underling• Taking credit for a colleague’s idea

4 COMPONENTS of ETHICAL BEHAVIUR

• Honesty• Integrity• Fairness• Concern for others.

“ Doing the Right Thing Given the Circumstances”

Five Common Ethical Traps

• The false-necessity trap(convincing yourself that no other choice exists)

“I know its wrong but I don’t have a choice “

• The doctrine-of-relative-filth trap(comparing your unethical behavior with someone else’s even more unethical behavior)

“What I am doing is nothing compared to what others are doing”

Five Common Ethical Traps

• The rationalization trap(justifying unethical actions with excuses)

“I’ll be in working late anyways, I deserve a longer lunch break now.”

• The self-deception trap(persuading yourself, for example, that a lie is not really a lie)

“I was running the whole show, without me the company would have collapsed”

• The ends-justify-the-means trap(using unethical methods to accomplish a desirable goal)

“So what if I had to bribe the supplier… I saved the company money in the long run!”

Goals of Ethical Business Communication

• Telling the truth

• Labeling opinions

• Being objective

• Communicating clearly

• Giving credit

Accomplishing These Goals

• Think before you act• Being in other person’s shoe• There must be a different solution• Discuss your dilemma with a trust worthy or

an experienced person• Imagine the shame if your friends and family

found out about what you had been upto!!

STRENGTHENING YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS

• Know how to figure out a solution• Realize what the problem is• Communication skills are not inherent, they

must be learnt• Therefore BE WILLING TO LEARN• Tips, techniques, models and exercises in

this book will help us.• Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Risk & Issue Management

Sponsor Management

Communication Management

Initiate Prepare Execute & Control

Close

StartupStartupDefinition / Scope /

Requirements

Definition / Scope /

Requirements

Planning and

Resource Allocation

Planning and

Resource Allocation

Track & Control

Track & Control

ReportingReporting

ReviewReview

Completion &Assessment

Completion &Assessment

•Scope Management

•Workplan Management

•Resource Manageme

nt (Time, Cost, People)

• Deliverable Mgmt

• Quality Management

• Transition Plan

• Int/Ext Vendor Management

EndEndEndEnd

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