Chapter 3

Communication

Objectives

• Effective communication

• Inhibitors of communication

• Communication networks

• Communicating by listening

• Nonverbal communication

• Feedback

• Improve communication

Communication Defined

• Communication is the transfer of information that is received and fully understood from one source to another.

• A message can be sent by one person and received by another, but until the message is fully understood, there is no communication.

• This applies to spoken, written, and nonverbal messages.

Communication Versus Effective Communication

• When information conveyed is received and understood, there is communication.

• However understanding by itself does not necessarily mean effective communication.

• Effective communication occurs when the information that is received and understood is acted on in the desired manner (fig.3.1, page 24).

• This means effective communication will require persuasion, motivation, monitoring, and leadership.

Communication as a Process

• Communication is a process that requires several components.

• These components are sender, receiver, the medium, and the message itself.

• The message is the information to be conveyed, understood, accepted, and acted on.

• There are three categories of mediums: verbal, nonverbal, and written.

Inhibitors of Communication• Supervisors should be familiar with the inhibitors of communication

in order to be able to avoid or overcome them.• The most common inhibitors are:• Differences in meaning.• Insufficient trust.• Information overload.• Interference.• Condescending tones.• Listening problems.• Premature judgments.• Inaccurate assumptions.• Technological glitches.

Communication Networks

• A network is a group of senders linked by some means with a group of receivers.

• A formal network may consist of all supervisors in a company linked electronically to each other and to higher management.

• Formal networks are used for communicating official company messages.

• An informal network would be the gossip circle, water cooler crowd, or grape vine.

• Informal networks are used to convey unofficial and often inaccurate messages (fig 3-3, page 28).

Communication by Listening

• Listening is receiving the message, correctly decoding it, and accurately perceiving what it meant.

Inhibitors to Effective Listening

• Listening breaks down when the receiver does not accurately perceive the message.

• Several inhibitors can cause this to happen:• Lack of concentration• Preconceived ideas• Thinking ahead• Interruptions• Tuning out

Communicating Nonverbally

• Often non verbal messages are more honest and telling than verbal messages provided the receiver is attentive and able to read nonverbal clues.

• It has become popular to call nonverbal communication body language.

• There are actually 3 components:• Body factors• Voice Factors• Proximity Factors

Congruence

• One of the keys to understanding nonverbal cues lies in the concept of congruence.

• Are the spoken message and non verbal message congruent?

• They should be.• An effective way to deal with incongruence is to

gently but frankly confront it.• A simple statement such as “ Cindy, your words

agree with me, but your eyes disagree” can help draw an employee out so the supervisor gets the real message.

Communicating Corrective Feedback

• In dealing with employees, it is important for supervisors to give corrective feedback.

• This is information that will help them improve their performance.

• However, to be effective, corrective feedback must be communicated properly.

• Be positive: Feedback is more likely to be accepted and acted on by the employee if it is delivered in a positive manner.

• Be prepared: Focus on facts. Give specific examples of the behavior you would like to see corrected.

• Be realistic: Give the employee the necessary corrective feedback, but don’t focus on the negative.

Electronic Communication• Electronic communication is doing for written communication what

the telephone did for verbal communication.• Advantages:• Messages can be transmitted rapidly.• Messages can be transmitted simultaneously to more than one

person• Messages can be printed if a hard copy is needed• Messages can be stored for future reference• Messages can be acknowledged electronically and recipients can

be prompted.• Disadvantages:• Inability to transmit body language• Inability to transmit voice tone• Inability to transmit facial language• Inability to make eye contact

Terms Summary

• Communication• Congruence• Corrective Feedback• Effective Communication• Electronic Communication• Grapevine• Listening• Network• Nonverbal Communication• Verbal Communication• Written Communication

Home Work

• Answer questions 2, 4, 7, 9 and 10 on pages 39 and 40 of your text book.

• 2. Distinguish between communication and effective communication.

• 4. List 5 communication inhibitors.• 7. List 5 inhibitors of effective listening.• 9. Explain the concept of congruence.• 10. Explain how to be more effective in

communicating corrective feedback.