Chapter 11 - Communication Flashcards
What’s the Importance of Communication?
Communication is important because it is the glue that holds organizations together. It is the way we share information, ideas, and expectations as well as display emotions to coordinate action.
What is Communication?
Communication is a process of sending and receiving messages with attached meanings.
What are the key elements of Communication?
Source = encodes intended message. Receiver = decodes message into a perceived meaning
Who is the sender (information source)?
A sender is a person or group trying to communicate with someone else. The source seeks to communicate, in part, to change the attitudes, knowledge, or behavior of the receiver.
Encoding
The process of translating an idea or thought into a message consisting of verbal, written, or non-verbal symbols (such as gestures), or some combination of these.
How are messages transmitted?
Messages are transmitted through a Communication Channel.
What are the many types of Communication Channels?
Face-to-Face, Meetings, E-mail, Texts, Videoconferencing, Skype, Blogs, and Newsletters
Who is the Receiver?
A receiver is the individual or group of individuals to whom a message is directed. In order for meaning to be assigned to any received message, its contents must be interpreted through decoding.
What factors can complicate decoding for the receiver?
Knowledge and Experience of the receiver and his or her relationship with the sender. A message may also be interpreted with the added influence of other points of view, such as those offered by co-workers, colleagues, or family members. Problems can occur in receiving when the decoding results in the message being interpreted differently from what was originally intended.
What is Feedback?
Feedback is the process through which the receiver communicates with the sender by returning another message.
what does Feedback represent?
Feedback represents two-way communication, going from sender to receiver and back again. Two-way communication is more accurate and effective but can be more costly and time-consuming.
What form of Feedback is used more frequently in a work setting?
Because of their efficiency, one-way forms of communication - mass emails, reports, newsletters, division-wide meetings, and the like - are frequently used in work settings.
One Caveat about one-way communication
Although one-way messages are easy for the sender, they might be more time-consuming in the long run when receivers are unsure what the sender means or wants done.
What factors can inhibit effective transmission of a message?
Noise, which is the disturbance that disrupts communication and interferes with the transference of messages within the communication process. Ex. Stomach growling, mental distractions, negative emotions or interpersonal conflicts that trigger a voice in your head that you can’t turn off and impeded listening effectively, etc.
What are some of the common forms of Nonverbal Communication?
Facial expressions, body position, eye contact and other physical gestures. Studies show that when verbal and nonverbal communication do not match, receivers pay more attention to the nonverbal.
Why do receivers pay more attention to nonverbal communication than verbal communication?
Because nonverbal communication often holds the key to what someone is really thinking or meaning. Because of this, we should pay careful attention to both the verbal and nonverbal aspects of our communication, including dress, timeliness, and demeanor.
What are some other forms of nonverbal communication?
The way we chose to design or arrange physical space also has powerful effects on how we interpret one another. Presence is also used in nonverbal communication. This is the act of speaking without words. Ex. Hitler mastered the effect of presence. He didn’t have to say anything but his presence spoke volumes. Ex. Steve Jobs used the power of “presence” during product demonstrations.
What are the most common communication barriers in the workplace?
Interpersonal issues, physical distractions, meaning (semantic) barriers, and cultural barriers.
What are interpersonal barriers?
Interpersonal barriers occur when individuals are not able to objectively listen to the sender due to things such as lack of trust, personality clashes, a bad reputation or stereotypes/prejudices.
What problems are indicative of Interpersonal barriers?
Selective Listening, Filtering and Avoidance
What is selective listening?
Individuals block out information or only hear things that match preconceived notions. Ex. Someone who does not trust will assume that the other is not telling the truth, or may “hear” things in the communication that are not accurate. Individuals may also filter information by conveying only some of the information. Ex. If we don’t like a co-worker, we may decide to leave out critical details or pointers that would help him or her to be more successful in getting things done.
What is filtering?
Filtering happens when an individual chooses to convey only some of the information. Ex. If we don’t like a co-worker, we may decide to leave out critical details or pointers that would help him or her to be more successful in getting things done.
What is avoidance?
Avoidance occurs when individuals chose to ignore or deny a problem or issue, rather than confront it. It is the major barrier to openness and honesty in communication.
Why does avoidance occur?
Avoidance occurs because individuals fear the conversation will be uncomfortable or worry that trying to talk about the problem will only make it worse. This fear often comes with a lack of understanding about how to approach difficult conversations.
How can someone overcome avoidance?
Avoidance can be overcome by learning to use supportive communication principles
Physical barriers can cause physical distractions. So what are physical distractions?
A barrier that can interfere with the effectiveness of a communication attempt. Ex. A phone ringing during a meeting, drop-in visitors, etc.
What are semantic barriers?
It involves a poor choice of words and mixed messages. that can cause the receiver to become confused
What are cultural barriers?
Ethnocentrism is a cultural barrier. It is the tendency to believe one’s culture and its values are superior to those of others. It is often accompanied by an unwillingness to try to understand alternative points of view and to take the values they represent seriously.
What’s another cultural barrier
Another cultural barrier is parochialism - assuming that the ways of your culture are the only ways of doing things.
What are low context cultures?
Where members are very explicit in using the spoken and written word. In these cultures such as those of Australia, Canada, and the United States, the message is largely conveyed by the words someone uses, and not particularly by the context in which they are spoken.
What are high context cultures?
Where members use words to convey only a limited part of the message. The rest must be inferred or interpreted from the context, which includes body language, the physical setting, and past relationships-all of which add meaning to what is being said.
What are the two communication channels?
Formal and Informal Channels
Formal Channels
Formal channels follow the chain of command established by an organization’s hierarchy of authority. E
Informal Channels
Informal channels do not adhere to the organization’s hierarchy of authority. They coexist with the formal channels but frequently diverge from them skipping levels in the hierarchy or cutting across divisional lines. Informal channels help to create open communications in organizations and ensure that the right people are in contact with one another.
