Principles of Management - Communication PDF

Principles of Management Communication Module Learning Outcomes Describe typical business communication, and explain barriers to effective communication 14.1: Recognize the role of communication in the management function 14.2: Differentiate between typical communication flows wit...

Principles of Management Communication Module Learning Outcomes Describe typical business communication, and explain barriers to effective communication 14.1: Recognize the role of communication in the management function 14.2: Differentiate between typical communication flows within an organization 14.3: Explain barriers to effective communication 14.4: Differentiate between typical channels of business communication Communication and Management Learning Outcomes: Communication and Management 14.1: Recognize the role of communication in the management function 14.1.1: Describe the components of the communication-process model 14.1.2: Recognize common missteps in communication 14.1.3: Differentiate between formal and informal communication networks Communication and Management Introduction Communication and management are closely linked Communication: process by which information is exchanged between two or more people Management roles depends on effective communication Managers must be able to receive accurate information to determine plans The Role of Communication in Management Role is to accomplish the goals of an organization- managers create plan that defines what needs to be done, when, and how Benefits: Provides clarity- confusion makes people uncooperative Builds relationships- reduces tension between hierarchical levels Creates commitment- everyone feels like they are valued Defines expectations- people who are uncertain don’t perform jobs well Practice Question 1 The five defined roles of management in business are: planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling. What important role is left off of this list? 1. Communicating. 2. Hiring/firing. 3. Authorizing checks. 4. Selecting vendors. Formal and Informal Communication Systems Formal Informal Methods used to convey Connect almost anyone in information necessary for organization to anyone else conducting business of Skip over hierarchical levels and organization between departments Conform to rules and regulations Not necessarily disruptive given by profession or law Social Network- system of personal relationships Grapevine- how gossip is spread through organization Typical Communication Flows Learning Outcomes: Typical Communication Flows 14.2: Differentiate between typical communication flows within an organization 14.2.1: Differentiate between downward, upward, horizontal, diagonal, and external communication flows Organizational Communication Flows Four directions: Downward Upward Horizontally Diagonally In established and traditional organizations, communication flows in vertical direction In informal firms such as tech start-ups information flows horizontally and diagonally Upward vs Downward Communication Upward Communication Downward Communication Information from lower-level to Company leaders and managers high-level employees share information with lower-level when workers report to supervisor or employees team leaders Senders don’t usually expect to get a Examples: progress reports, proposals for projects, budget response estimates, etc. Forms include speeches, blogs, Important goal of many managers podcasts, and videos is to encourage spontaneous or Most common types are everyday voluntary upward communication directives of department managers Must trust that management will Delivers information that helps to recognize their contributions understand workforce about key changes, new goals, or strategies, etc. Horizontal and Diagonal Communication Horizontal Communication Diagonal Communication Exchange of information across Cross-functional communication departments at same level between employees at different Purpose is to request support and levels of the organization coordinate activities Advantages: Can work together to solve problems Building relationships between or issues senior-level and lower-level Problems can arise if one manager is employees unwilling to share information Encouraging informal flow of information in organization Reducing chance of a message being distorted by going through additional filters Reducing workloads of senior-level managers External Communication Flows Focuses on audiences outside organization Senior management almost always controls communications that relate to public image First-level and middle-level management generally handle operational business communications such as purchasing, hiring, and marketing Important for employees to behave professionally Practice Question 2 What communication flow do you think is most effective in developing meaningful feedback? 1. Downward. 2. Upward. 3. Sideways. 4. Diagonal. Barriers to Effective Communication Learning Outcomes: Barriers to Effective Communication 14.3: Explain barriers to effective communication 14.3.1: Differentiate between filtering, selective perception, and information overload 14.3.2: Differentiate between emotional disconnects, lack of source credibility, and semantics 14.3.3: Explain active listening Understanding Barriers to Effective Communication 1. Physical Conditions 2. Filtering 3. Selective Perception 4. Information Overload 5. Semantics 6. Denotation and Connotation 7. Emotional Disconnects 8. Credibility Practice Question 3 This excerpt from an internal memo confused several employees: “The salary we are offering is commensurate with remuneration for other managers.” Which barrier to communication would account for the confusion? 1. Physical conditions. 2. Credibility. 3. Semantics. 4. Information overload. Active Listening Communication technique that has been around for many years Important in parenting classes, marital relationships, public schools, counseling, and tutoring Focus on listening rather than talking Takes practice—look at speaker in the eye, note body language, don’t interrupt, ask questions Able to convey that you care about speaker and their opinions Channels of Business Communication Learning Outcomes: Channels of Business Communication 14.4: Differentiate between typical channels of business communication 14.4.1: Differentiate between face-to-face, written oral, web-based, and other typical channels of business communication 14.4.2: Explain the importance of tailoring the message to the audience Understanding Channels of Business Communication Medium, mean, manner, or method through which message is sent to receiver Basic channels are written, oral/spoken, and electronic/multimedia Can be informal, formal, or unofficial Can be rich or lean - refers to amount of information transmitted Oral Communications Depend on spoken word - richest mediums and are face-to-face, in- person, phone conferences, lectures etc. Deliver low-distortion messages because body language and voice provides meaning Most labor intensive channels Used when high likelihood of creating confusion or anxiety Useful when organization wants to introduce key official followed by detailed explanation Written Communications E-mails, texts, memos, letters, reports, spreadsheets, etc. Leaner business communications- writer must provide enough context for message to make sense Receiver should be alert of confusion and ask for clarification if needed Effective in transmitting large messages and can be studied overtime Electronic (Multimedia) Communications TV broadcasts, social media, interactive blogs, public internet company pages, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Allow messages to be sent immediately and globally Can also be risky- private communications of large corporations have been hacked and their data stolen Putting Together the Types of Communications Type of Channel Advantages Disadvantages Oral Communications Build relationships and To spontaneous- may lead to trust; accelerate decision unwise statements; people are making unable to refer back to information Written Message can be revised Message is static; sender doesn’t Communications and studied; perfect for receive immediate feedback; hard legal and formal for sender to maker sure message is business functions understood Multimedia Instant, global, and Technical difficulties and hack adaptable to multiple attacks threaten security of targets organizations and customers Which Channel is Best? Best channel is one that most effectively delivers the message so that it is understood as sender wanted Nuanced or emotional messages require rich medium while simple messages don’t The more emotional the context, the richer the medium should be Tailoring a Message to an Audience Which channel suits the content best? What do you want to achieve by sending the message? Does the message require interaction from the audience or is it more of throwing out information? Will visual aids help the message or distract from it? Do you have to establish your credibility? Ask yourself why the audience should care about topic Know the Audience Can’t tailor information to sender if you don’t know the audience Must know: How big is audience? What is the status of the audience? Can you establish empathy with the audience? Class Discussion: The Right Channel A good rule of thumb regarding communication channel is to select the richest channel available for the job. Which channel would you choose to send the following communication? 1. You are an event planner and need to let management know the site of the celebrity tennis tournament you have selected. 2. You are a sales manager and need to know if you field reps are available for a quick conference call. 3. You need to convince your manager to give you a raise. 4. You need to know if Jolene in the mail room can add additional copies for the end-of-week stand up. 5. You are the CEO who needs to respond to the IRS for an underpayment penalty. Practice Question 4 What is the most important factor leading to effective communication? 1. Selecting the right channel. 2. Crafting the message. 3. Listening for feedback. 4. Tailoring to the audience. Quick Review Can you describe the components of the communication-process model? Can you recognize common missteps in communication? Are you able to differentiate between formal and informal communication networks? Are you able to differentiate between downward, upward, horizontal, diagonal, and external communication flows? Can you differentiate between face-to-face, written, oral, web-based, and other typical channels of business communication Please explain the importance of tailoring the message to the audience