In Mixed Company Chapter One

1. In Mixed CompanyChapter One Communication Competence in Groups Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

2. Chapter Objectives • To correct some common misconceptions regarding the human communication process • To explain what communication is and isn’t • To identify broadly what constitutes competent communication • To discuss general ways to achieve communication competence Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

3. Myth 1 Communication is a Panacea • Sometimes more communication aggravates difference between people an exposes qualities in others we may find appealing. • Sometimes groups dismantle, not because the communication is poor, but because members have personalities or values that severely clash or because they have contradictory visions for the group. • Communication, however, is not an end but merely a means to an end. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

4. Myth 2: Communication Can Break Down • Human beings continue to communicate even when they may wish not to do so. Behaviors such as not showing up for a group meeting, remaining silent during group discussions, or walking out in the middle of a group discussion with out saying a word don’t stop communication. • The view that communication can break down comes partly from the recognition that we do not always achieve our goals through communication; the group may disband in failure. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

5. Myth 3: Effective Communication is Merely Skill Building • The skills orientation to communication assumes that if you learn a few magical communication skills, you will become a much better communicator. • Assertiveness with your boss or team leader may get you fired or demoted. One skill doesn’t fit all circumstances. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

6. Myth 4: Effective Communication is Just Common Sense • Hindsight bias- “I-knew-it-already” effect. We tend to overestimate our prior knowledge once we have been told the correct answer. • Learning requires a degree of humility, a willingness to recognize and address our shortcomings. • This improvement comes not just from knowing the right answers on tests of your knowledge of group communication, but also from demonstrating an ability to put this knowledge into skillful practice in a wide variety of challenging group situations. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

7. Communication is Transactional • Each person communicating is both a sender and a receiver simultaneously, not merely a sender or a receiver. (As you speak, you receive feedback, mostly nonverbal, from listeners; this, in turn, influences the messages that you continue to send.) • All parties influence each other. You don’t communicate in quite the same manner with your parents as you do with your close friends. The content dimension refers to the information transmitted, and the relationship dimension refers to how messages define or redefine the relationship between group members. • Communication is a process because changes in events and relationships are part of a continuous flow. We cannot freeze relationships in time, each new experience affects future transactions, human communication is a process. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

8. Verbal Communication: Telling it Liking It Isn’t • Language is a structured system of symbols for sharing meaning. • Symbols are representations of referents- whatever the symbol refers to. • The meaning of words depends on common agreement, but doesn’t always avoid misunderstanding because words can be ambiguous; they can have multiple common meanings. • When we assume that everyone has the same meaning for a word, it is called bypassing. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

9. Nonverbal Communication: Wordless Meaning • Nonverbal communication is sharing meaning with others without using words. Our facial expressions, eye contact, personal appearance, and use of time all have the potential to communicate messages to group members. • Nonverbal communication is continuous, while verbal communication have clear beginnings and endings. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

10. Verbal and Nonverbal Interconnectedness • A mixed message occurs when there is positive verbal and negative nonverbal communication, or vice versa. • One of the difficulties with communicating in virtual groups is the absence of nonverbal cues that typically accompany verbal messages. • Emoticons-typed icons or combinations of punctuation marks meant to indicate emotional tone-help but are still limited, and using them often can interrupt the flow of messages. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

11. Context: The Communication Environment • Context-an environment in which meaning emerges. • Context consists of who (sender) communicates what (message) to whom (receiver), why (purpose) the communicator does it, where (setting), when (time), and how (way) it is done. • Context is a central element of verbal communication. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

12. Effectiveness: Achieving Goals • Communication competence is engaging in communication with others that is both effective and appropriate. • Communication effectiveness is defined as how well we have progressed toward the achievement of goals. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

13. A Matter of Degree: From Deficiency to Proficiency • The label “competent communicator” is a judgment of an individual’s degree of proficiency in achieving goals in a particular context, not an inherent characteristic of any individual. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

14. We (Not Me) Oriented: Primacy of Groups • In groups, our primary attention is on the group (we), not the individual (me). • A “We” orientation requires concern for others, not merely concern for self. • Consequently, communication competence in groups necessitates behavior that is both effective and appropriate. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

15. Appropriateness: Following the Rules • Appropriateness means complying with rules and their accompanying expectations. • A rule is a prescription that indicates what you should or shouldn’t do In specific contexts. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

16. Achieving Communication Competence • There are five general ways to improve your effectiveness and appropriateness in groups: • You can acquire knowledge • Hone communication skills • Improve your sensitivity • Redouble you commitment • Apply ethical standards to your communication choices Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

17. Knowledge: Learning the Rules • Knowledge means learning the rules and understanding what is required to be appropriate and effective in your communication. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

18. Skills: Showing, Not Just Knowing • The key is learning many skills and using them flexibly, with the proper knowledge of what’s appropriate for a given context. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

19. Sensitivity: Receptive Accuracy • Sensitivity is receptive accuracy whereby you can detect, decode, and comprehend signals sent within groups. • Failure to attend to and comprehend signals can severely affect our relationships with group members. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

20. Commitment: A Passion for Excellence • Commitment is the conscious decision to invest time, energy, thought, and feeling to improve yourself or your relationships with others. • The predominant motivation of the competent communicator is the desire to avoid previous mistakes and to find better ways of communicating with group members. • Commitment to improving you communication effectiveness requires self-monitoring. When you interact in groups you have to be a participant-observer. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

21. Ethics: The Right and Wrong of Communication • Appropriateness and the We-oriented make ethics important. Competent communicators concern themselves with more than what works for them personally. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

22. Ethics • Ethics is a set of standards for judging the moral correctness of our behavior. • Honesty • Respect- Relationships in groups fall apart, and groups can't function effectively when members show disrespect for each other. • Fairness- Prejudice treats people unfairly. • Choice- Coercion prevents choice. There is no real option presented. Choice goes hand in hand with honesty. If you fear reprisals for telling the truth, then your freedom to choose truthfulness instead of deceit is compromised. • Responsibility- Every group member and the group as a whole have a responsibility, duty, to be concerned about more than merely what works to achieve personal or even group goals. How goals are achieved is also vital consideration. Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups

23. Definition of a Group • A group is a human communication system composed of three or more individuals, interacting for the achievement of some common goal (s), who influence and are influenced by each other. • A group is different from the mere collection of individuals call an aggregation. • To be called a group, a collection of individuals must succeed or fail as a unit in a quest to achieve a common goal (s). Speech 140 Chapter 1 Communication Comptetence in Groups