Communication and Interpersonal Skills

Question 1

What are some important organisational transitions and changes?

Answer 1

Pre-eminence of technology.
Demise of command and control.
Focus on speed.
Embrace networking.
Belief in empowerment.
Emphasis on teamwork.
New workforce expectations.
Concern for work-life balance.

Question 2

Why is communication a critical skill for managerial success? C&IS - (Communication and Interpersonal Skills)

Answer 2

Communicating strategies and building support for organisational goals requires good C&IS.
The ability to communicate well, verbally, in writing and electronically is a valid managerial skill and the foundation of leadership.
No manager can handle conflict, negotiate successfully and succeed at leadership without having good C&IS.

Question 3

What is Communication?

Answer 3

An interpersonal process of sending and receiving symbols with messages attached.

Question 4

What is the Communication Process?

Answer 4

'Who' (Sender)
'Says what?' (Message)
'In what way' (Channel)
'To whom' (Receiver)
'With what result' (Interpreted meaning)

Question 5

What is Effective Communication?

Answer 5

When the intended message of the sender and the interpreted meaning of the receiver are one and the same.

Question 6

What is Efficient Communication?

Answer 6

Occurs at minimum cost in terms of resources expanded (for e.g. time). Not always effective, but effective communication may not always be efficient.

Question 7

What are the barriers to Effective Communication?

Answer 7

Noise.
Semantic barriers.
Communication channel.
Jargon.
Mixed messages.
Physical distractions.
Filtering.
Non-verbal communication.

Question 8

Barriers to Effective Communication: What is Noise?

Answer 8

Anything that interferes with the effectiveness of the communication process. Examples:
Semantic problems.
Absence of feedback.
Improper channels
Physical distractions.
Status effect.
Cultural differences.

Question 9

Barriers to Effective Communication: What is a Communication Channel?

Answer 9

The medium through which a message is conveyed from sender to receiver. E.g. Writing Channels are acceptable for simple messages that are easy to convey, whereas Oral Channels work best for messages that are complex and difficult to convey, where immediate feedback to the sender is valuable.

Question 10

Barriers to Effective Communication: What is non-verbal communication?

Answer 10

Takes places through such things as hand movements, facial expressions, body posture, eye contact and the use of interpersonal space.

Question 11

Barriers to Effective Communication: What is a mixed message?

Answer 11

This results when words communicate one message as actions, body language or appearance communicates something else.

Question 12

Barriers to Effective Communication: What is Filtering?

Answer 12

The intentional distortion of information to make it appear more favourable to the receiver.

Question 13

Ways a manager can overcome barriers and improve the process of communication?

Answer 13

Communication transparency.
Open-book management.
Careful use of communication channels.
Consider proxemics and space design.
Careful use of technology.
Careful choice of words and phrases.
Valuing culture and diversity.
Active listening.
Body language.
Constructive language.

Question 14

What is Active Listening?

Answer 14

The process of taking action to help the source of a message say exactly what he or she really means.

Question 15

What are the five rules for being an active listener?

Answer 15

1. Listen for message content - Hear exactly what’s being said.
2. Listen for feelings - Identify how the source feels about the content.
3. Respond to feelings - Let the source know that the feelings are being recognised.
4. Notes all cues - Be sensitive to non-verbal and verbal messages, be alert for mixed messages.
5. Paraphrase and restate - State back to the source what you think you are hearing.

Question 16

What is Perception?

Answer 16

The process through which people receive, organise and interpret information from the environment.

Question 17

What is Attribution?

Answer 17

The process of developing explanations for events.

Question 18

What is the Fundamental Attribution Error?

Answer 18

Overestimates internal factors and underestimates external factors as influences on someone’s’ behaviour.

Question 19

What is Self-Serving Bias?

Answer 19

This explains personal success by internal causes and personal failures by external causes.

Question 20

What are the four Perception tendencies and Distortions?

Answer 20

1. Stereotypes
2. Halo Effect
3. Selective perception
4. Projection

Question 21

What is conflict?

Answer 21

A disagreement over issues of substance and/or an emotional antagonism.

Question 22

What are Substantive Conflicts?

Answer 22

Involve disagreements over goals, resources, rewards, policies, procedures and job assignments.

Question 23

What are Emotional Conflicts?

Answer 23

These result from feelings of anger, distrust, dislike, fear and resentment as well as from personality clashes.

Question 24

5 Interpersonal styles of Conflict Management.

Answer 24

1. Avoidance.
2. Accommodation or Smoothing.
3. Competition or Authoritative Command.
4. Compromise.
5. Collaboration or Problem-solving.

Question 25

What is negotiation?

Answer 25

The process of making joint decisions when the parties involved have different preferences.

Question 26

What is Distributive negotiation?

Answer 26

Focuses on ‘win-lose’ claims made by each party for certain preferred outcomes.

Question 27

What is Principled/Integrative integration?

Answer 27

Uses a ‘win-win’ orientation to reach solutions acceptable to each party.

Question 28

What is the Bargaining Zone?

Answer 28

The zone between one party’s minimum reservation point and the other’s maximum reservation point. Where there is a positive bargaining zone, there can be real negotiation.