Chapter 1 Effective and Ethical Communication at Work

1. Chapter 1 Effective and Ethical Communication at Work

2. Topics in This Chapter

3. Why You Need to Build Career Skills Necessary for hiring A top skill set sought by employers Critical for promotion Essential for effective job performance More important now as a result of technology Learned through instruction and practice

4. Expectations of Workers inToday’s Information Age Work with words, figures, and data. Generate, process, and exchange information. Think critically. Make decisions. Take charge of your career. Continue learning all your life.

5. Critical Thinking, Decision Making and Problem Solving – Get Ready! Identify and clarify Gather information Evaluate evidence Consider options Problem Choose best option and test it

6. Trends Affecting You in Today’s Workplace Heightened global competition Flattened management hierarchies Expanded team-based management Innovative communication technology New work environments Increasingly diverse workforce Renewed emphasis on ethics

7. Success in the Workplace Success for you in the new global and diverse workplace requires excellent communication skills!

8. Noise Noise Feedback travels to sender 5 Noise Noise 4 Sender encodes idea in message Possible additional feedback to receiver Receiver decodes message Message travels over channel Sender has idea 1 3 2 6 Noise Noise Noise Noise The Communication Process – Basic Model

9. Stimulus Encoding Understanding Understanding Decoding Person A Person B The Communication Process – Expanded Model Sending Channel Encoding BARRIERS Decoding Feedback Channel

10. Factors That Shape Understanding • Communication climate • Context and setting • Background, experiences • Knowledge, mood • Values, beliefs, culture

11. Barriers That Create Misunderstandings Bypassing Differing frames of reference Lack of language skills Poor listening skills Emotional interference Physical distractions

12. A Classic Case of Miscommunication

13. A Classic Case of Miscommunication In Center Harbor, Maine, local legend recalls the day when Walter Cronkite steered his boat into port. The avid sailor was amused to see in the distance a small crowd on shore waving their arms to greet him. He could barely make out their excited shouts: “Hello Walter, Hello Walter!”

14. A Classic Case of Miscommunication As his boat came closer, the crowd grew larger, still yelling. Pleased at the reception, Cronkite tipped his white captain's hat, waved back, even took a bow. But before reaching dockside, Cronkite's boat abruptly jammed aground. The crowd stood silent. The veteran news anchor suddenly realized what they'd been shouting: “Low water, low water!”

15. Analysis of Flawed Communication Process

16. Analysis of Flawed Communication Process Sender has idea Warn boater

17. Analysis of Flawed Communication Process Sender has idea Warn boater Sender encodes message “Low water!”

18. Analysis of Flawed Communication Process Sender has idea Warn boater Sender encodes message “Low water!” Channel carries message Message distorted

19. Analysis of Flawed Communication Process Sender has idea Warn boater Sender encodes message “Low water!” Channel carries message Message distorted Receiver decodes message “Hello Walter!”

20. Frame of reference Language skills Listening skills Receiver accustomed to acclaim and appreciative crowds. Maine accent makes "water" and "Walter" sound similar. Receiver more accustomed to speaking than to listening. Barriers That CausedCronkite Miscommunication

21. Emotional interference Physical barriers Ego prompted receiver to believe crowd was responding to his celebrity status. Noise from boat, distance between senders and receivers. Barriers That CausedCronkite Miscommunication

22. Overcoming Barriers ThatCause Misunderstandings Realize that communication is imperfect. Adapt the message to the receiver. Improve your language and listening skills. Question your preconceptions. Encourage feedback.

23. Organizational Communication • Functions • Internal • External • New emphasis • Interactive • Mobile • Instant • Forms • Oral • Written • Delivery • Electronic • Hard copy

24. Communication and Formal Channels • Written channels • Memos, letters • Annual report • Company newsletter • Bulletin board postings • Orientation manual

25. Communication and Formal Channels • Oral channels • Telephone • Face-to-face conversation • Company meetings • Team meetings

26. Communication and Formal Channels • Electronic channels • E-mail • Instant/text messaging • Voicemail • Videoconferencing • Blogging • Social networks • Wikis • Web chat

27. Managers Supervisors Upward flow Horizontalflow Coworkers Coworkers Downward flow Subordinates Formal Channels of Information Flow

28. Managers Supervisors Policies Procedures Directives Goals and Motivation Flows from decision makers to workers Subordinates Formal Channels of Information Flow

29. Managers Supervisors Feedback Progress Problems Suggestions Flows from employees to decision makers Subordinates Formal Channels of Information Flow

30. Task coordination, problem solving, conflict resolution, idea generation, team building, goals clarificationFlows among workers at the same level Coworkers Coworkers Formal Channels of Information Flow

31. The Informal Organization Channel of Information Flow: The Grapevine Carries unofficial messages Flows haphazardly Can be remarkably accurate Is mostly disliked bymanagement Thrives where officialinformation is limited

32. Informal Channels of Information Flow:The Grapevine Carry unofficial messages Flows haphazardly Can be remarkably accurate Is mostly disliked bymanagement Thrives where officialinformation is limited

33. Obstacles to the Flowof Organizational Information Lack of trust, turf wars, fear of reprisal Uneven reward systems Closed communication climate Little official communication

34. Obstacles to the Flowof Organizational Information Long lines of communication Filtering, prejudice, ego involvement Poor communication skills

35. Surmounting Obstacles toEffective Communication Encourage open, trusting environment for interaction and feedback. Flatten the organizational structure. Provide more information through formal channels.

36. Surmounting Obstacles toEffective Communication Train managers and employees to improve communication skills. Establish hotline and ombudsman programs. Establish fair reward system for individual and team achievement. Encourage full participation in teams.

37. Message Distortion Downward Communication Through Five Levels of Management

38. Understanding Ethical Behavior on the Job

39. Understanding Ethical Behavior on the Job What is ethical behavior? Doing the right thing given the circumstances

40. Common Ethical Traps to Avoid on the Job The false necessity trap - convincing yourself that no other choice exists The doctrine of relative filth - comparing your unethical behavior with someone else’s even more unethical behavior

41. Common Ethical Traps to Avoid on the Job The rationalization trap - justifying unethical actions with excuses The self-deception trap - persuading yourself, for example, that a lie is not really a lie The ends-justify-the-means trap - using unethical methods to accomplish a goal

42. Goals of Ethical Business Communicators Abide by the law. Tell the truth. Label opinions. Be objective. Communicate clearly. Use inclusive language. Give credit.

43. Tools for Doing the Right Thing Is the action you are considering legal? How would you see the problem if you were on the opposite side? What are alternate solutions? Can you discuss the problem with someone you trust? How would you feel if people you care about learned of your action?

44. How to Respond Ethically to Gossip

45. End