Chapter 16: Promoting Effective Communication PDF

Chapter 16: Promoting E3ective Communication Communication and Management Communication is the sharing of information between two or more individuals or groups to reach a common understanding. The Importance of Good Communication o We described how an organization can gain a comp...

Chapter 16: Promoting E3ective Communication Communication and Management Communication is the sharing of information between two or more individuals or groups to reach a common understanding. The Importance of Good Communication o We described how an organization can gain a competitive advantage when managers strive to increase e3iciency, quality, responsiveness to customers, and innovation. Good communication is essential for attaining each of these four goals and, thus, is a necessity for gaining a competitive advantage. o Managers can increase e3iciency by updating the production process to take advantage of new and more e3icient technologies and by training workers to operate the new technologies and to expand their skills. The Communication Process o The communication process consists of two phases. o The transmission phase, information is shared between two or more individuals or groups o In the feedback phase, a common understanding is endured o In both phases, a number of distinct stages must occur for communication to take place The Role of Perception in Communication o Perception plays a central role in communication and a3ects both transmission and feedback o Perception id the process through which people select, organize, and interpret sensory input to give meaning and order to the world around them. The Dangers of Ine3ective Communication o E3ective communication is so important that managers cannot just be concerned that they themselves are e3ective communicators; they also have to help their employees be e3ective communicators. When all members of an organization can communicate e3ectively with one another and with people outside the organization, the organization is much more likely to perform highly and gain a competitive advantage. o When managers and other members of an organization are ine3ective communicators, organizational performance su3ers, and any competitive advantage the organization might have is likely to be lost. Moreover, poor communication can be downright dangerous and even lead to tragic and unnecessary loss of human life. For example, a recent study by Harvard University researchers found that changing how doctors communicate during shift changes reduced the risk of adverse events in patients by 30%. In addition, researchers found that improving communication methods could also reduce the rate of medical errors by almost 25%. Information Richness and Communication Media  To be e3ective communicators, managers need to select an appropriate communication medium for each message they send. Face to Face communication o Face-to-face communication is the medium that is highest in information richness. When managers communicate face-to-face, they not only can take advantage of verbal communication but also can interpret each other's nonverbal signals such as facial expressions and body language. A look of concern or puzzlement can sometimes say more than a thousand words, and managers can respond to such nonverbal signals on the spot. Face-to-face communication also enables managers to receive instant feedback. Spoken Communication Electronically Transmitted o After face-to-face communication, spoken communication electronically transmitted over phone lines or via the Internet is second highest in information richness). o Although managers communicating over the telephone do not see body language and facial expressions, they do have access to the tone of voice in which a message is delivered, the parts of the message the sender emphasizes, and the general manner in which the message is spoken, in addition to the words themselves. o Thus, telephone conversations can convey extensive amounts of information. Managers can ensure mutual understanding because they can get quick feedback over the phone and answer questions. Personally Addressed Written Communication o Lower in information richness than electronically transmitted verbal communication is personally addressed written communication. One advantage of face-to-face communication and electronically transmitted verbal communication is that they both tend to demand attention, which helps ensure that receivers pay attention. Personally addressed written communications, such as memos and letters, also have this advantage. Because they are addressed to a particular person, the chances are good that the person will pay attention to (and read) them. Moreover, the sender can write the message in a way that the receiver is most likely to understand. However, unlike spoken communication electronically transmitted, receivers of personally addressed written communication do not have access to the sender's tone of voice, parts of the message the sender emphasizes, and the general manner in which the message is spoken. Impersonal Written Communication o Impersonal written communication is lowest in information richness but is well suited for messages that need to reach many receivers. Technology and Communication Advances in technology have dramatically increased managers' abilities to communicate with others as well as to quickly access information to make decisions.  Advances that are having major impacts on managerial communication include the Internet, intranets, and collaboration software. However, managers must not forget that communication is essentially a human endeavor, no matter how much it may be facilitated by technology. The Internet o The Internet is a global system of computer networks that is easy to join and is used by employees of organizations around the world to communicate inside and outside their companies. Intranets These managers use this technology to share information within their own companies through company networks called intranets. Intranets allow employees to have many kinds of information at their fingertips. Directories, manuals, inventory figures, product specifications, information about customers, biographies of top managers and the board of directors, global sales figures, meeting minutes, annual reports, delivery schedules, and up-to-the-minute revenue, cost, and profit figures are just a few examples of the information that can be shared through intranets. Intranets can be accessed with di3erent kinds of computers so that all members of an organization can be linked together. Intranets are protected from unwanted intrusions-of hackers or competitors-by firewall security systems that ask users to provide passwords and other identification before they are allowed access. Collaboration Software o Collaboration software aims to promote collaborative, highly interdependent interactions among members of a team and to provide the team with an electronic meeting site for communication. o Collaboration software gives team members an online work site where they can post, share, and save data, reports, sketches, and other documents; keep calendars; have team-based online conferences; and send and receive messages. The software can also keep and update progress reports, survey team members about various issues, forward documents to managers, and let users know which of their team members are also online and at the site. Communication Skills for Managers o Some of the barriers to e3ective communication in organizations have their origins in senders. o Communication su3ers when messages are unclear, incomplete, or di3icult to understand; when they are sent over an inappropriate medium; or when no provision for feedback is made Communication Skills for Managers As Senders o Organizational e3ectiveness depends on the ability of managers (as well as other organizational members) to e3ectively send messages to people both inside and outside the organization. o Seven communication skills that help ensure that when managers send messages, they are properly understood and the transmission phase of the communication process is e3ective. Send messages that are clear and complete.  Encode messages in symbols that the receiver understands. Select a medium that is appropriate for the message. Select a medium that the receiver monitors. Avoid filtering and information distortion. Ensure that a feedback mechanism is built into messages. Provide accurate information to ensure that misleading rumors are not spread. Communication Skills for Managers as Receivers o Managers receive as many messages as they send. Thus, managers must possess or develop communication skills that allow them to be e3ective receivers. o Three of these important skills, which we examine here in greater detail. Pay attention. Be a good listener. Be empathetic. Understanding Linguistic Styles o Send messages that are clear and complete. Encode messages in symbols that the receiver understands. Select a medium that is appropriate for the message. Select a medium that the receiver monitors. Avoid filtering and information distortion. Ensure that a feedback mechanism is built into messages. Provide accurate information to ensure that misleading rumors are not spread.