CHAPTER 5 Flashcards
Interpersonal Communications
The ability to communicate ________ is the most important single skill of the supervisor because it is basic to understanding ________ and passing on to them the ________.
Yet, among supervisors, communication is commonly ________ and the one most neglected.
- clearly and concisely
- the subordinate’s point of view
- objectives of the enterprise
- the greatest area of weakness
Burrow, Everard, and Kleindl report that the number one problem of management, and the number one complaint of workers, is ________. Without ________, there can be no coordination of effort; without coordination, there can be no ________.
- communication difficulties
- understandable communication
- constructive organization
“actions speak louder than words.” A gesture, the display of an attitude, or an inflection in the voice ____________.
- will often convey more meaning than the spoken word.
Communications between persons and groups are very delicate, complex processes involving many factors—.
The connotations of certain words can be highly ________.
- cultural, environmental, and psychological
- offensive and provocative
They realize that the meaning of the message lies in ________. They should avoid ________, which are everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate ____messages.
- the mind of the receiver
- microaggressions
- hostile, derogatory, or negative
supervisors should refrain from criticizing subordinates ____, whether outsiders or peers. Likewise, a patrol officer should address their superior ____ in public, regardless of the closeness of their acquaintance.
- in the presence of others
- by title
In today’s increasingly mixed-gender workplace, supervisors are wise to consider that the differences in how men and women communicate have been compared to ________.
- “cross-cultural communication.”
Processes of Communications
Symbols and signs are the means a speaker uses ________. Word symbols are used to ____. Words in themselves mean nothing; they are merely arbitrary ________.
- to translate ideas to his listener
- express thoughts
- symbolic representations of something
Barriers to Effective Communications
- Failure to listen
A principal obstacle to good communications is the failure to listen ____. Some of these are lack of interest in what is being said, personal problems causing mental preoccupation, egocentricity, or some other psychological condition that causes ________. Mostly, however, failure to listen results purely from ________.
- to what others are saying
- inattention or inability to concentrate
- a lack of effort to engage actively in this process
Status Differences
The greater the difference in status or rank is, the greater the difficulty in achieving effective communications.
the greater the prestige of the communicator, the greater is the likelihood that their communications will be effective.
Psychological Size
Naming all appearances of superiority, inferiority, or personal inadequacy as complexes has become a common practice, set up obstacles to interpersonal relations. These feelings often cause a bad “climate” between supervisor and subordinate and adversely affect their capacity to communicate effectively.
Noise
- referred to by theorists as the static that interferes with the transmission of messages.
- Psychological stress from the outside or inside, failure to listen actively, environmental distractors, and even abstractions can be considered noises that hinder communication.
Language Barriers
The ability of supervisors to express themselves not only clearly, concisely, and simply but also understandably will largely determine their effectiveness.
Language Barriers
In the interests of effective communication, words must be put together so that they mean ________. Distortion of meaning or the garbling of communication is usually brought about by a failure to use language that ________ to others. This failure may be overcome by projecting oneself into another’s viewpoint, which is called ________.
- the same to the listener as the speaker
- has a precise meaning
- empathy
Language Barriers
Samovar, Porter, and McDaniel state that the ____ in our language have about ____, an average of ____.
It is thus obvious that a great need exists for ____________ if communication between individuals in an organization is to be effective.
- 500 most used words
- 14,000 meanings
- 28 meanings per word
- clarity and precision of expression
Fear of Criticism
Many individuals avoid making positive declarations because they fear ________. They often feel so ____ that they dislike giving others occasion to attack their observations. As a result, they too often couch their expressions in ________, always leaving ________ through which they can retreat if their statements are challenged.
- being criticized for what they say or think
- insecure
- vagueness and abstraction
- “an open back door”
Jumping to Conclusions
No action of the supervisor will cause more ____ than the failure to allow a subordinate to have their “day in court” before their case is judged.
- resentment
Fear of Criticism
Many individuals avoid making positive declarations because they fear being ________.
- criticized for what they say or think
Filtering
As information is passed from individual to individual, usually ________, which is called filtering. It is a natural occurrence resulting from the tendency of individuals to ________that part of what they have heard or otherwise learned that has had the most impact on them.
- a distortion or dilution of content occurs
- repeat or remember
