CHAPTER 13: MANAGING COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
– Communication:
A transfer of understanding and meaning from one person to another.
– Communication Process:
The seven-part process of transferring and understanding of meaning.
Sender: The communication source
Encoding: Converting intended message into meaningful symbols (verbal,
visual and/or nonverbal).
Message: Points to be conveyed.
Channel: The medium by which a message travels (email, memo, letter, fax,
website, meetings).
Decoding: Receiver interprets a received message.
Receiver: The person to whom the message is directed.
Feedback: Checking to see how successfully a message has been transferred.
Written Communications
– memos, letters, e-mail, organizational periodicals, bulletin boards, etc.
– tangible, verifiable, and more permanent
Oral Communications
– allow receivers to respond to what they hear.
– presents feedback evidence that the message has been received and
understood.
Grapevine:
An unofficial channel of communication that take place in an organization.
Word of mount, emails etc
Nonverbal communication
Body Language: Nonverbal communication cues such as facial expressions,
gestures, and other body movements.
Verbal Intonation: An emphasis given to words or phrases.
Barriers to Effective Communication
Filtering: A sender manipulates information to make it appear more favorable
to the receiver.
Selective Perception: Selectively perceiving/hearing a communication based on
your own needs, motivations, experiences, or other personal characteristics.
Information Overload: Information exceeds processing capacity.
Emotions: How a receiver feels when a message is received influences how
he/she interprets it.
Language (Jargon): Words may have different meaning to different people,
Senders and receivers may not share similar interpretation.
Gender: How male and female react to communication may be different, and
they each have a different communication style.
National culture: Communication differences arising from the different
languages that individuals use to communicate and the national culture of
which they are apart.
Overcoming Communication Barriers
– Use Feedback: Many problems are attributable to misunderstanding.
– Use Simplified Language: communicate in clear, easily understood terms.
– Listen Actively: Listening is an active search for meaning, whereas hearing
is passive.
Constrain emotions
– Emotions can cloud and distort communication.
– Need to recognize when your emotions are running high. When they are,
do not communicate until you have calmed down.
Emphasis on non-verbal cues
– Actions speak louder that words.
– Important to make sure action and words are aligned.
– Effective communicator watches his/her non-verbal clues.
Technology and Communication
• Instant messaging
• Voice Mail System
• Fax machines
• Teleconferencing
• Videoconferencing
• Intranet/internet