Human Relations

Improving Personal and

Organizational Communication
Before Class Starts
Who Am I? and Chapter 4 and 5 Quiz to
folder on front table
Take Learning Style Inventory When
you are finished sign in on the board
under your preference.
Show me your 3 ring binder for 5 points
during attendance.
Today in class
Learning Styles (discuss)
Chapter 4 info
Impersonal vs Inter Activity
Communication Filters
Scientific Method
Questions?
Ticket Out the Door
Homework
Get into groups based on your learning
style.
What do you all have in common
regarding your ways of learning?
Which strategies have you tried before?
Now answer these questions:
Imagine that you are attending a party
with a group of friends, and you are
invited to play a board game with which
you are not familiar. How do you go
about learning to play?
You are facing a major exam in
Chemistry. You need to memorize a long
list of formulas and steps in order to
solve a number of chemical equations.
How will you go about studying for this
exam?
Think about your favorite learning
experience from high school or college.
What was your teachers teaching style?
How do you go about learning when you
are not comfortable with the teachers
style?
Highlights from
Chapter 4!
(notes or highlight in book?)
The Communication Process
All organizational communication is on a
continuum
Impersonal
Interpersonal
Impersonal Communication
One-way information giving process
Transmit or transfer of information
Used to give basic information:
company policies, instructions, facts
Methods include:
memos, letters, e-mail, voice mail,
manuals, bulletin boards
Impersonal Communication
Advantage:
easy ways to get the word out
Limitations:
limited feedback from receiver
understanding of message not known
timing of message not controlled
Interpersonal Communication
Two-way communication
Verbal exchange of thoughts or
information between two or more people
Descriptions include:
share, discuss, argue, interact
Formats include:
meetings, interviews, phone calls,
traditional classes
Response from receiver necessary for
effectiveness
Interpersonal Communication
Advantages:
builds stronger, more personal
relationships
sender can be sure the message was
understood
Limitations:
takes time, often not feasible
Rules to Live By
Make a list of careers where workers
work as a team
Make a list of careers where workers
work alone
Which list has more?
There are very few jobs where workers
work alone.
Rules to Live By
Discuss the rules that are necessary for
members of a team to follow in order for
the team to be successful
Draw a picture of what this looks like
No words!
Effective communication is
composed of 3 basic elements:
Sender
Message
Receiver
Figure 2.1
Figure 4.1
Diagram of Simple
Communication Process
Complex Communication
Most communications are more
complicated
Messages travel through filters which
can alter the way your message is
understood
Need to be aware of possible distortions
so miscommunication can be
interpreted
Figure 4.2
Diagram of More Complex
Communication Process
Communication Filters
Semantics
Emotions
Attitudes
Language/Culture differences
Role expectations
Gender-specific focus
Nonverbal messages
Semantics
Study of relationship between words and their
meaning(s)
We often assume that the words we use mean
the same things to others, but this assumption
can create problems.
Abstract terms are subject to more
interpretations of meaning
Example: Some words have imprecise
meanings and can be interpreted in different
ways: job satisfaction, downsizing, and
word processingothers?
Emotions
http://www.collegeslackers.com/video/angry_ford_customer
Powerful communication filter
Receivers may think with their emotions
Strong emotions can prevent reception,
or distort the strength of a message
May shift attention from the message
content to feelings
Example: An angry client can easily
ruin effective communication.
Attitudes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykCwSWmkeiQ
Negative and positive attitudes can
create resistance or bias to a message
Attitude may be based on: voice,
accent, gesture, dress, delivery,
mannerisms and/or speakers topic
For example: The listener may not
like the speakers voice and have a
hard time listening to the intended
message, therefore breaking down
communication.
Language and Cultural
Barriers
Language
English is the dominant language in the
global marketplace, however.
Accommodate the needs of those whose
first language is not English.
Considerations when using English with
non-native speakers
speak slowly, clearly
avoid slang
ask if clarification is needed
Language and Cultural
Barriers
Culture
An accumulation of values, forms of
expression, beliefs, and language
Shapes one's interpretations of what
events mean
Communication problems can be
caused by conflicting cultural
assumptions
Language and Cultural
Barriers
Cultures have different standards for
how fast you should talk
how much you should talk
how long you should pause between
ideas
how long you should wait after
someone finishes talking before you
say something
Loud voice indicates strength- soft voice
weakness
Prolonged eye-contact shows interest and
shows truthfulness
Body odor is considered normal
Behaviors considered unclean include
showing the soles of feet or shoes, or using
your left hand for any public function
Bow or nod when greeting others
Do not use direct eye contact
Public displays of affection are rare
No personal space close talkers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWUcGgSolw4&feature=related
Greet with a bow
Rude to stare
Silence is a sign of politeness
OK gesture is request for money
Remove shoes when entering a home or
restaurant
Bow when greeting
Direct eye contact is impolite
Elderly are given respect
Men have priority go through doors first, women help
men put their coats on
Spitting and burping is acceptable except by
young women
Hug and kiss when meeting one another
Impolite to toss things to each other
Hand gesture we use for come here shows
romantic interest
The thumbs-up means the same as the
middle finger in America
Shake hands or raise eye brows a few times
when greeting
Direct eye contact is impolite
No pointing use eyes or mouth to point
Hand gesture we use for come here is
punishable by arrest and to prevent you from
committing the same crime, your index finger
will be broken
1. The Wanker
2. The Thumbs-Up
3. The Moutza
4. The Dog Call
5. The A-OK
6. The Cutis
7. The V-Sign
8. The Fig
9. The Corna
10. The Finger
The sooner Westerners can acquaint
themselves with some of the gestures,
mannerisms, and taboos of the world,
the less likely negative social
situations will arise.
Role Expectations
Influences how people expect themselves,
and others, to act
Two ways they can distort communication
People may identify others too closely with
their roles (example: Its just the boss
again saying the same old thing.)
People use their roles to alter the way they
relate to others or position power (example:
managers expecting employees to accept
what they say simply because of their
authority.)
Gender-Specific Focus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxtUH_bHBxs
Learned gender roles can influence the way
men and women communicate
Genders conditioned to approach
communication in different ways
Males: take charge
Females: facilitative and cooperative
Maybe you have a biased about women in
charge or maybe you are a man hater and
do not want to be told what to do by another
male in your life.
Contrary to the comedian..most recent
research finds the communication styles of
men and women to be more alike than
different.
Nonverbal Messages
Messages without words or silent
messages
Not spoken or written
Include:
posture facial expressions
voice tone gestures
appearances eye contact
Nonverbal Messages
More impact than verbal message
Being more conscious of nonverbal
messages improves communication
Make sure verbal and nonverbal
messages are consistent:
message clarity
builds trust
The Impact of Nonverbal Messages
Impersonal.Interpersonal
Communication Activity
Need a volunteer to give out verbal
directions for drawing a picture
Need everyone else to get out a blank
piece of paper
Get ready to create a picture
No questions allowed, not even for
clarification
Watch and listen for communication
filters that may be getting in the way
Impersonal.Interpersonal
Communication Activity
Lets try it again.
You can ask questions this time around.
Turn your paper over and get ready to
draw the picture again.
Which version of the picture was better
(using impersonal communication or
interpersonal communication?)
Hopefully the picture using interpersonal
communication!
Personal Space/Comfort Zones
used to define relationships
Edward Hall identified zones of comfortable distances
distances vary across cultures
Intimate Distance
Touching to 18 inches
Personal Distance
From 18 inches to 4 feet
Social Distance
From 4 feet to 12 feet
Public Distance
From 12 feet to 15 feet
Senders and Receivers Share
Equal Responsibility for Effective
Communication
Senders for sending a clear and
concise message
Receivers for receiving the message
that the sender intended
Use of feedback to ensure accurate
message
Active Listening Skills
page 88
Table 4.1
Develop a listening attitude
Eye contact, lean slightly forward, be patient
Give the speaker your full attention
Stay focused, do not let your mind wander
Clarify by asking questions
Clarify for explanation, or for expansion
Feed back your understanding of the
speakers message
In your own words, paraphrase your
understanding of the speaker
Active Listening Skills
page 88
Get into groups of three
1st person - explain your favorite hobbies
2nd person - follow the guidelines for active
listening
3rd person - rate the listener
Switch roles
Active Listening Skills
page 88
Rate the listener on a scale of 1- 5 with
1 = excellent and 5 = needs improvement
Attitude
Attention
Ask questions
Understanding
Discuss your responses with your group
Awayofobservingrealitythat
seekstodeterminetheHOWand
theWHAT ofwhatweobserve
Thescientificmethodinvolvesthree
basicsteps
Hypotheses
Theory
Law
Inaddition,weneedtodiscussthe
preliminarystepsthatmustbetaken
tostartthisprocess.
UntilthetimeofIsaacNewton,the
modernscientificmethodwasnotusedin
scientificinquiry
Peoplewouldobservethingsaboutthem
andmakeguessesabouthowtheycould
havehappened
Oneveryimportantstepwasmissing,
theydidnotexperimenttoseeiftheir
guesseswerecorrect
Lookandobservecarefully
Anobservationisanyinformationthat
isobtainedeitherdirectlyorindirectly
throughthesenses
Anobservationmustbereproducible
andpubliclyobservabletobereliable.
Lookandobservecarefully
Defineaproblem
Wenowmustaskaquestionaboutthe
observation.
Thequestionmustberelevantand
testable
Lookandobservecarefully
Defineaproblem
Formahypothesis
FormaHypothesis
Ahypothesisisanuntestedguess
explainingsomethingyouhaveobserved
Oftenmorethanonehypothesisis
proposedtoexplainanobservation
Whenallthehypotheseshave
undergonescrutiny,andcompeting
hypotheseshavebeeneliminated,an
hypothesismaygetthestatusoftheory
Lookandobservecarefully
Defineaproblem
Formahypothesis
Executeanexperiment
Executeanexperiment
Weexecuteanexperimenttotest
thevalidityofthehypothesis.
Experimentsmustinclude
acontrolandbereplicated
Ifwehaveexecutedanexperiment
totestthevalidityofthehypothesis.
Whenourexperimentshave
includedacontrolandhavebeen
replicatedmanytimeswithout
deviationsinthepredicted
outcomes
WecanderiveaTheory
Lookandobservecarefully
Defineaproblem
Formahypothesis
Executeanexperiment
Deriveatheory...Youmayormay
nothavetherightanswer!
Observation
Problem Theory
Hypothesis Experiment
The Cycle of Science
Lookandobservecarefully
Defineaproblem
Formanhypothesis
Executeanexperiment
Deriveatheory...Youmayhave
therightanswer!
Anobservationisanyinformation
thatisobtainedeitherdirectlyor
indirectlythroughthesenses
Anobservationmustbe
reproducibleandpublicly
observabletobereliable.
Observation:greenplantslivein
sunlithabitats
Wenowmustaskaquestionabout
theobservation.
Thequestionmustberelevantand
testable
Observation:greenplantslivein
sunlithabitats
Problem:Issunlightessentialforthe
vitalityofgreenplants?
Weguesswhattheanswertothe
problemmightbe.
Observation:greenplantslivein
sunlithabitats
Problem:Issunlightessentialforthe
vitalityofgreenplants
Hypothesis:Yes,sunlightis
essentialforthevitalityofgreen
plants
Weexecuteanexperimenttotest
thevalidityofthehypothesis.
Experiments
mustinclude
acontroland
bereplicated
Observation:greenplantslivein
sunlithabitats
Problem:Issunlightessentialforthe
vitalityofgreenplants
Hypothesis:Yes,sunlightis
essentialforthelifeofgreenplants
Results:Theplantthatwas
deprivedofsunlightdied
Observation:greenplantslivein
sunlithabitats
Problem:Issunlightessentialforthe
vitalityofgreenplants
Hypothesis:Yes,sunlightis
essentialforthelifeofgreenplants
ResultsofReplications:Theplants
thatweredeprivedofsunlightdied
Atheoryisatestedguess.
Ifyourhypothesishasundergone
enoughtestinganditseemstobe
correct,thehypothesisbecomesa
theory
Atheoryisastatement,basedon
experimentalevidence,thatpredicts
thelikelihoodoffutureobservations
Observation
Problem Theory
Hypothesis Experiment
The Cycle of Science
Review
Theoriesareprovincial
Ifnewdataprovesthemwrong,they
mustgivewaytonewtheories
Theoriescanonlyexplain
observationstothebestoftheir
ability,withtheexistingsetofdata
atthetime
Therefore,scientifictheoriesdonot
giveabsolutetruth
Theycananddochangeovertime.
Theoriesmustundergopeer
review
Otherexpertsinthesamefield
reviewandtestthehypothesis
Thehypothesisbecomesatheory
onlyafterpeerreviewhasalso
successfullytestedthedata
Ascientificlaw isageneralization
aboutthebehaviorofnaturefrom
whichtherehavebeennoknown
deviationsafternumerous
observationsorexperiments.
Fewtheoriesareelevatedtothe
leveloflaw
Oneexampleisthelawofgravity
Review
Awayofobservingrealitythat
seekstodeterminetheHOWand
theWHAT ofwhatweobserve
Youhavenoticedthatsaltisoften
includedinrecipesthatcallfor
cookingsomethinginboilingwater
Whatareyourhypotheses
concerningtheneedfortheadded
salt?Whatdoesthesaltdo?
Whatareyourhypotheses?
Howwillyoutesttheseideas?
Homework for Class Session # :
Marketplace Jobs Write Up
Summary of Inventories Paper: Get started -
write (type) a summary paragraph of results
for Learning Style
Ticket Out the Door
What is a potential filter/s that may be
getting in the way of your
communication with others.
Please include your name on your note
card.