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Section II Basic Management/ Personal Skills. Chapter 4 Communication: A Critical Management Skill. Communication: An Overview. The key to effective interpersonal communication: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.
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Section IIBasic Management/Personal Skills Chapter 4 Communication: A Critical Management Skill
Communication: An Overview • The key to effective interpersonal communication: Seek first to understand, then to be understood. • Think before you speak; select words that nurture rather than destroy. • Words are meant to richly bless and empower. Words are not merely to inform but to transform. • The art of listening well and speaking in appropriate ways are essential to effective leadership. • Effective communication is about a variety of media, not just talking.
The Communication Process • Involves • A message • A sender • A channel • May include • Feedback
Conveying Effective Messages • Communication skills of the sender • Clarity of purpose • Effectiveness of the message itself • Appropriateness of the channel used • Receptivity and communication skills of the receiver • Feedback • Life experience and preexisting biases in either the sender or receiver
E-mail and Text Messages • Quality reflects professionalism. • Take time to read before pressing Send. • Beware of “reply to all.”
Nonverbal Messages and Body Language • Nonverbal communication • How messages are transferred without words • Body language • The mannerisms of people, including • Eye contact (or lack of it) • Facial expressions • Leg and arm movements
Listening • The weakest link in the communication process • Obstacles: • Gap between speaking and listening rates • Preoccupation • Active listening includes concentration, full attention and thought.
Feedback • The process by which the sender knows whether the receiver has understood the message. • Without feedback, communication is one way.
Barriers to Communication • Noise • Time • Volume of information • Tendency to say what we think others want to hear • Certainty • Failure to select the best word • Prejudices (sender and/or receiver) • Strained sender-receiver relationships
The Gender Barrier • Men • Want to project credibility and authority • Downplay doubts • Women • Often use qualifiers • More likely to downplay certainty
The Language Barrier • America will become more racially and ethnically diverse during the next half century. • Gestures can also be misinterpreted. • Bridging the barrier: • Hiring more bilingual officers • Employing interpreters or translators
Communication Enhancers • Send clear messages. • Select the best communication channel. • Be open.
Internal Communication • Downward communication • Upward communication • Vertical communication • Lateral or horizontal communication
Subordinate Communication • Essential to managerial responsibility • The grapevine • Aka the rumor mill • Informal channels that hinder cooperation and teamwork
Improving Internal Communication • Newsletters • Intranet
Communication at Meetings • A carefully prepared agenda is one key to a successful meeting. • Types of meetings • Informational • Opinion seeking • Problem solving • New-idea seeking
Keys for Effective Meetings • Prepare in advance—have an agenda. • Start and stop on time. • Stick to the agenda. • Facilitate open communication and participation.
Technology and Communication in the Field • Data is a mission-critical necessity. • Mobile technology empowers agencies to • Increase productivity • Increase officer morale • Increase community safety
Tactical Communications • Not all tactical communications depend on technology. • Depends on leadership and management skills of the first officer on the scene. • Law enforcement must rely on solid people doing good police work.
External Communication • Communicating with other agencies • Interoperability • Communicating with the media • What the mainstream media report and what the public believe as a whole are not the same. • Public information officers
Communicating with the Community • Emergency notification systems • Every contact is a public relations contact. • Annual reports • The Internet
Information Sharing through N-DEx, OneDOJ and LEO • N-Dex • Used to solve crimes and fight terrorism • OneDOJ • Allows agencies to get information from all of the Department of Justice’s investigative components • LEO • Gives officers access to a variety of information-sharing services
Obstacles to Information Sharing • Technical • Logistic • Political • Ethical