Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace

1. Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace Based on Chapter 7, Goodall and Goodall Lynne Dahmen COM 2301: Advanced Speech

2. How do we make first impressions? • Perceptions (appearance, voice, language use) • Schemata • Person Prototypes • Personql Constructs • Scripts/phatic communication

3. Making Positive Impressions • Eye contact, smile, handshake • Clear speech • Proper titles/names • Make efforts to remember names (and use the name) • Respond clearly • Be positive • Be pleasant • Be aware of appropriate social distance • Don’t prolong conversations

4. Types of Peer Relationships • Information peers • Collegial peers • Special peers

5. What limits work relationships? • Rules • Policies • Cultures

6. Trust Respect Value the individual Keep your word Honesty Integrity Open to change Take risks Be creative N. American Ethical Standards

7. Self-Disclosure • Is it socially/culturally appropriate? • Is there an expectation of reciprocity? • Is this person trustworthy? • Is this information ok for public consumption? • Is it about/involve a third party?

8. Rules for Giving Feedback • Own your opinions • Don’t apologize • Be specific • Target behaviors • Non verbal should reinforce the verbal • Avoid offering unsolicited feedback

9. Dialectics for Communication • Autonomy-togetherness • Novelty—predictability • Expressive-protective

10. Ways to Promote Dialogue • Focus on mutuality • Discover rather than disclose • Be more interested in access than in domination Kellett (1999)

11. Approaches to Avoiding Conflict • Withdrawing • Accommodating • Compromising • Avoiding/postponing

12. Win-lose methods Competition Withdrawal Avoidance Lose-lose methods Compromise Smoothing Accommodation Win-win method Confrontation--problem solving Collaboration Partial win-partial lose Compromise Strategies for Managing Conflict

13. Questions to Ask About Conflict • Where does the conflict come from? • How is it being managed? • How are other people reacting? • How does it affect the organization? • Does it appear in other places in the organization? (Kellett and Dalton, 2001)

14. Sample Progression of Conflict • First meeting: We could always get along without a leader. • Second meeting: Absences in meetings • Third meeting: Lateness • Fourth meeting: Tension • Group divides…. • What next?

15. Myths about Conflict • Conflict is harmful • Conflict should be avoided • Conflict represents a misunderstanding or breakdown in communication • Conflicts can be resolved through discussion

16. Functions of Conflict • Increases involvement • Provides an outlet for hostility • Promotes cohesiveness • Increases group productivity • Increases the chance of genuine commitment

17. Conflict can avoid groupthink… • Overestimation of power and/or morality of group • Group becomes close-minded • Group experiences pressure to conform

18. Substantive conflict Opposition of ideas Focus on content ‘opinion deviates’ Increases interaction Affective conflict Emotional Interpersonal Often over personal needs or perceptions Minimizes interaction Types of Conflict

19. What are some examples of affective versus substantive conflicts?

20. Dysfunctional Management Strategies • Do not say “communicate more” • Do not say “cooperate more.” • Do not blame the other person or the group. • Do not be too general • Do not attack the other person or persons • Do not avoid conflict • Do not extend conversation

21. Managing Interpersonal Conflict • Talk with other members of the group to confirm your perceptions and conclusions. • Make a list of the specific behaviors you have observed as being disruptive. • Have some tentative suggestions in mind to present if needed. • Be prepared to listen carefully to the other person’s view. • Be prepared to use supportive communication behaviors. • Attempt to integrate the view of others when possible.

22. Confrontation in Groups • Be sure you want to confront • Put some time between the conflict moment and your decision making. • Examine the situation from all relevant points of view • Determine whether or not confrontation is appropriate for a commonsense perspective. • Set your goals • Select the right channel • Set the time of the confrontation carefully • Choose the location and setting carefully • Stay in the present tense • Personalize the confrontation • Be supportive

23. Reaching Conclusions • Compromise • Pseudo-consensus • Seek commitment to goal • Majority vote • Consider extending time • Can lead to resentment • Make sure minority view is heard • Arbitration • Seek neutral party, better outside group

24. Culture in the Communication Process • Language Differences • Social rules for communication patterns • Process of thought • Non-verbal behaviors • Concepts of time

25. Cultural Influences on Decoding • Cultural filters- ways we see the world through our own culture influences our interpretation of messages • Ethnocentrism—influences how we judge or accept others as either similar or like ourselves • Stereotypes--generalizations about people, particularly about their underlying psychological characteristics or personality traits

26. Characteristics of Intracultural Communication • Communicators share the same ground rules • Share cultural and NV codes • Implies judgments about the ‘proper’ socialization of the other person • Similar processes in encoding & decoding messages • Can lead to negative stereotypes

27. Characteristics of Intercultural Communication • Dissimilar encoding/decoding practices • Ambiguity concerning ground rules for communication • Miscommunication can occur on nonverbal level • Increased conflict

28. Meaning in message Speaker responsibility for comprehension Explicit Details in message Meaning in context Listener responsibility for comprehension Implicit Details in context Cultural Divides: Low vs. High Context Cultures

29. Cross-cultural Stumbling Blocks • Assumptions of similarities • Language differences • Nonverbal misinterpretations • Preconceptions and stereotypes • Tendency to evaluate • High anxiety or tension

30. Skills to Improve Communication • Assume difference until similarity is proven • Take responsibility for communication • Withhold judgment • Show respect • Empathize • Tolerate ambiguity • Look beyond the superficial • Be flexible in your conclusions

31. Skills (continued) • Be patient and persistent • Recognize your own cultural biases • Be flexible • Emphasize common ground • Send clear messages • Increase your cultural sensitivity • Deal with the individual • Learn when to be direct

32. Intercultural Communication Competence • Describes ability to communicate effectively in intercultural contexts • Can be associated with various factors

33. Other Differences to Consider in Business: • Recognition of time • Decision making strategies • Ethical and legal behavior • Corporate Cultural difference • Personal space • Relationship between social and professional lives

34. Tips for Oral Communication • Look for feedback • Eliminate ambient distractions • Rephrase ideas as needed • Use repetition and examples • Don’t ‘talk down’ to the other person • Use accurate language • Listen carefully and patiently • Clarify expectations post-discussion