MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION

(ORAL)

SELECTED READINGS

PREPARED BY FR A C JESURAJAN, SJ

XLRI JAMSHEDPUR

(For Private Circulation only)

Part 1 INTRODUCTION

CONTENTS
PART i. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. PART ii : 6. 7. 8. 9 10 11 12 INTRODUCTION Communication variables in Organizations Managerial communication : Creating understanding in an organized world Overview of Business Communication What is Business and Managerial Communication ? The First Four Minutes NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION Nonverbal Communication in the Organization Clothing as a Sign System Success Begins with the way you Dress Perfecting Your Personal Style The Lady as a Luxury Item The Body is the Message Kinesics and the Silent Command 63 65 81 85 91 99 103 Pages 5 7 18 44 55

ORAL COMMUNICATION LISTENING PART III:

13. Listening and Understanding the Other 14. Listening 15. Creative and Effective Listening 16. Conversational Seduction and how to Manage it 17. The Key Rules of Conversation Control SPEECHES 18. An introduction to Public Speaking '
19.

109 116 119 126 133

139 156 157 158

Beating the "ho hum...-.So What?" Blues

20. Building your Speaking Skills 21. How to Research and Build your Speech

Page
22. How to Give Confide; it Speeches on Social Occasions 23. Delivering your Speech 24 Delivery 160 162 185

INTERVIEW 25. Interviews 26. A Positive Approach to the Interview 27. Interviewing and Leading Conferences 28. Twenty Ways to Successful Interviewing 29. Manhunt : The Selection Interview 30. How am I Doing ? The Appraisal Interview 31. I Would like a Word With You : The Discipline Interview MEETINGS 32. Principle Driven : The Seven Imperatives 33. Implementing Excellent Meetings 34. The Meeting : Lore and Legend 35. The Group Discussion Process 36. Meetings and Conferences 37. Making the Most of Meetings PRESENTATION SKILLS 38. The Principles of Persuasion 39. Galvanizing your Communications 40. Nine Clues to Effective Presentation 41. Putting it Together 42. Show and Tell Visual Aids 43. Presentation Aids 44. Designing Visuals BIBLIOGRAPHY 291 301 302 306 310 316 247 252 257 273 278 288 217 221 226 233 235 239 244

COMMUNICATION VARIABLES IN ORGANIZATIONS

SUMMARY Communication is the flow of messages. A message is information to which receivers attach meaning. Messages can be classified according to relationship (dyadic, small group, or public), network (formal or Informal), purpose (task. maintenance, human), receiver (internal or external), language mode (verbal or nonverbal), and diffusion method (hardware or software). We view communication as a dynamic process which is transactional, personal, and serial. As a transactional process, communication involves the simultaneous and mutual sending and receiving of messages. This perspective carries the belief that no communication event is identical, relived, isolated from its environment, or static. As a personal process, communication admits to the uniqueness of people. Because of different nervous systems and environments, our perceptions will be different. With different perceptions, our behaviour rind 11 lie rp relation of messages will also differ. Thus, at best, communication is an approximate process where the communicators attempt to approach a commonality of understanding. As a serial process, communication involves a step-by-step sequence of replicating meapages. One or more people send and receive messages to one or more people which are reproduced through one or more channels until they reach their final destination. Because of its serial nature, communication carries with it the possibility of message distortion and change. In complex organizations, messages are diffused via hard (mechanical or electrically powered) or soft (oral/written) methods. We are limiting our discussion to oral software methods, such as meetings, conversations, interviews, grapevine, social functions, etc. These communication activities or behaviors can be analyzed according to such criteria as the message content, timing, interaction conditions, initiation and participation, feedback, etc. Most messages in organizations can be classified according to three purposes : task (related to products, services, outputs); maintenance (related to policies and regulations); and human (related to attitudes, morale and fulfillment). When messages follow official paths dictated by the organizational hierarchy or by job function, they are flowing in accordance with formal network relationships- These messages flow up, down, and across the organization. Downward communication refers to messages (usually task or maintenance) which flow from superiors to subordinates. Upward communication refers to messages which flow subordinates to superiors, usually for the purpose of asking questions, providing feedback, or making suggestions. Horizontal communication is the lateral exchange of messages among people on the same organizational level of authority. Such messages usually relate lo coordination, problem- solving, conflict resolution or information sharing. GOLDHA BER, G. M. Organizational Communication, Chapter 4: Summary, pp. 125-126 5

When messages deviate from such traditional networks, we call them informal messages. A synonym for informal, message behaviour Is the "grapevine'. Research findings indicate that the grapevine Is fast, accurate, carries much information and travels by 'cluster'. Besides providing a channel for emotional and non-job-related messages, the grapevine can provide management with some important feedback about employee's attitude and morale. Unfortunately, the grapevine also carries rumors which can be highly destructive to an organization. When faced with rumor spread, the besi approach is to provide a clear, fast explanation of the facts.

MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION: CREATING UNDERSTANDING IN AN ORGANISED WORLD

WHAT IS MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION ? Since the subject matter of this book is managerial communication, we begin by discussing these terms. Managerial, of course, is the adjectival form of the verb to manage. Managing is a process of working with and through other people to accomplish certain tasks, usually within organizations. Let's look first at the kinds of task, managers typically do. (We'll then look at the meaning of communication.)

SOME KEY MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS Key Management functions The idea that the manager's job involves certain key have long been recognized functions was articulated early In the twentieth century by a French mining executive and an early management theorist, Henrl Fayol- He classified these functions as I planning, organizing, commanding cooidinating, and controlling. Remarkably, his list has endured through the years with only minor changes in wording by later writers.
1 , Planning is a thinking process - a sort of internal

Communication within one's mind the manager looks Planning is an internal ahead to what must be done to maintain and improve Communication activity performance, to solve problems, and to develop personal competence. To plan, a manager sets objectives in each area that is to be pursued this week, this month, this year. Having set these objectives, the manager then thinks through such questions as What has to be done to reach these objectives? How will these activities be carried out? Who will do them? When will these activities take place ? Where will this work be done ? How much and what kind of resources will be needed? 2. Organizing involves arranging the work sequence and assigning areas of responsibility and authority. Having decided the objectives and activities of the work unit, the manager must.. Assign these responsibilities to unit staff. Ensure that ail responsibilities and supporting authorities are assigned, that none are "uncovered" and that there is no overlapping of responsibilities.

TIMM, R. P. Managerial Communication : A Finger on the Pulse. 7

Command and control are essentially leading

3. Fayois principles of commanding and coordinating are often summed up in the term leading, an area where the manager has several functions to enable the unit to achieve its objectives:

To indicate the direction in which subordinates must go, To generate the energy (motivation) that subordinates must feel. To provide the needed resources, 4. Controlling is the function ensuring that the manager and the work-group are working toward the selected objectives- It involves comparing actual tasks to expected 01 planned - for results so as to identify any deviation from plan. Typically, any deviation from plan leads to a replanning of activities so as to close the gap, although sometimes the objectives themselves are changed so as to be more realisticEach of Fayes functions involves people. Herein lies the universal characteristic of the manager's job .It always includes working with other people. Only when managers accomplish work through other people they are doing the job correctly. How do we convey to the "other people", what needs to be done or how a task should be done? (I'm glad you asked.) We do this through communication-through managerial communication. Yet, before we discuss communication, one other factor is involved in managerial communication: It takes place within or in association with organizations. To fully understand the nature of managerial communication, we should understand some things about the nature of organizations, Each management function involves people. Managers accomplish work through others.

Let's Get. Organized Here

In our modern world we all spend most of our fives in some sort of organized activity. At birth we are introduced to an organization called the hospital staff. Within a few days we actively join an organization called a family. For the rest of our days our needs and wants are fulfilled directly or indirectly by organizations. Manufacturing, farming, mining, and distribution organizations bring us products to satisfy our material needs. Schools, churches, clubs and informal social groups serve our needs for information, understanding, personal growth and affiliation. Governments are organized to provide essential services for the public good, Ninety percent of us work in organizations. Its been estimated that 90 per cent of us who work for a, living do so in organizations. In a contemporary society there are very few legitimate hermits. Being a recluse from organizational like is becoming ever more difficult. When we think about organizations, we tend to picture the physical aspects like buildings, office space, machines and tools or capital assets as described in an annual report. But organizations can exist without any of these things so long as we have people assembled (physically or figuratively) for some purpose. The key ingredient is that we have some sustained patterns of coordinated action among people. These sustained patterns lead to (lie development of relationships so long as there is communication.

Leader? In an organization can have a tremendous impact on communication effectiveness-Indeed the role of managers-those who get things done through the efforts of others-is essentially one of organizing and communicating. The communicating breathes life into the organizing.

Why Do We Have So Many Organizations?

Organizations permit us to Accomplish things we Cannot do alone There are long and short answers to that question. I'll give |; You a short one. People who study such things seem to agree That of Organizations emerges when people need to get something Done that they cannot do walking alone from early pioneers

Who enlisted the help of their neighbors to build a cabin, to the Massive team of experts directing a space shot, organizations serve people's needs to .build and
Accomplish.

. We also organize to enjoy social relationships and gain psychological satisfaction. Bridge clubs, service organizations, and churches serve such needs.

Can We Have Effective Organizations Without Effective Communication?

I think not. When people coordinate their activities to accomplish a common goal. they must communicate. The better they communicate, the better the organization works. Organizational failures occur when Too little communication takes place. Too much communication is attempted. Ineffective communication is widespread. Let's look at a few examples- The movie "Ordinary People" depicted the tragedy of a family in which communication among members failed. In that film, a son who had attempted suicide could not reconcile or communicate with his mother. She seemed to resent the fact that he had survived a boating accident that took the life of his older brother. She was incapable of communicating her love to her surviving son. Although the psychological pressures at work in the family were very complex, the organization-that familyfailed ultimately because of communication problems. Countless numbers of marriages fail primarily because insufficient or ineffective communication. People who cannot . express feelings to each other in marriage, seldom succeed as a family organization. The problem of over communication is perhaps less commonplace but can be equally serious. Managers who find themselves bombarded with enormous amounts of Information may 'snap' under the load. Many a nervous breakdown has occurred when people fell Inundated by communicated "demands". Executives who lake home bulging briefcases full of 'task to-do'' work each night feel a lot of stress. Their organizations may fail if that stress readies a breaking point. Other examples of organizational failure are more humorous but no less perplexing. See if you can figure out how to handle the problems expressed in the following excerpts from letters written to a county welfare office. How could an agency do the job that the organization exists to do? Organizations fall because 0f communication problems

Unless I receive my husband's money soon, I will be forced to live an immortal life. Please send my money at once as I have fallen into error with my landlord. I have no children yet. My husband is a bus driver and works day and night In accordance with your instructions, I have given birth to twins in the enclosed envelope. I am happy to report that my husband, who was reported missing, now is dead. I am forwarding my marriage certificate and three children, one of which is a mistake, as you can see. Lest we conclude that only welfare clients have trouble communicating, here are some examples from explanations given on auto insurance claim forms Coming home, I drove into the wrong house and collided with a tree I dont have. The guy was al! Over the road: 1 had to swerve a number of times before I hit him. I was on my way to the doctor's with rear end trouble when my universal Joint Gave way causing me to have an accident. I told the police that I was not injured, but on removing my hat I found that I had a skull fracture, The pedestrian had no idea what direction to go, so I ran over him. I saw the slow moving, sad faced old gentleman as he bounced off my car. The indirect cause of this accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth. The telephone pole was approaching fast- I was attempting to swerve out of its path when it struck my front end.

Although businesses can do little about the ineffective communications they receive, they must do a great deal about the messages they send. Ultimately, the organization's profitability and very existence are at slaking.

People Prefer to Do Business with Organizations That Communicates Well

Think for a moment about the places where you regularly do business. Perhaps a supermarket, restaurant, convenience store or station comes to mind. Now think further about, why you continue to patronize that place of business. I've asked hundreds of people at training sessions to think this way and then asked for specific reasons why they kept going back to the organization they were thinking of. In every group I'd get responses like these: The waitresses (or proprietors or clerks) are really friendly. They call me by my name and seem genuinely interested in me. Old Phil at the gas station waves when I drive by. Mike, the butcher listens to me when I ask for a special cut of meat. Sarah's so friendly-she's always willing to help. Doc Peterson's nurses are really nice. They seem to take real Interest in the kids

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The words are different, but the theme is almost always The same- The organization communicates a sense of Caring.

Successful organizations communicate a sense of caring

The converse also holds. What organizations do you hate to do business with? Often respondents cite government | agencies or departments within a company whose people communicate another type of message : "We really don't care about you"... "I hate my job and it's partly your fault".-. "I can't be bothered with you now". Manager must be sensitive to An obvious and significant challenge for managers is Organizational communication. to be sensitive to the ways their organizations (companies, divisions, work groups and individual representatives) communicate. Be alert to problems, and be willing to correct and improve communication as an ongoing management activity.

Some Troublesome Misconceptions About Managerial Communication

A number of popular misconceptions about managerial communication can be attributed to a failure, to see the broader definition I've been describing. Managers who view problems In organizational communication in terms of faulty message-sending techniques without recognizing the broader view, cannot realistically expect to bring about long-range, enduring improvement in the ways they communicate. MISCONCEPTION 1 COMMUNICATION IS A FRINGE BENEFIT Too frequently managers consider Communication with employee is more than a worker ,

effective communication as some sort of fringe benefit for employees. They Benefit it is the process by which organizations see it as a way to keep workers are created. happy or to boost their morale. In reality, communication is the essence of the manager's job. It we accept management as a process of accomplishing tasks through people under the most economical conditions with the most profitable results, we must accept the notion that the people we manage must be communicated with. This involves instructing, guiding and motivating. Our effectiveness depends upon our sensitivity to the perceptions, the expectations and the degree of involvement of those we manage. Such communication also involves creating conditions in which the development of mutual, two-way understanding can flourish. The employee who, for whatever reasons, fails to be adequately involved in an organization's communication is not just missing out on a nice corporate perquisite. In a very real sense, the Individual is not a part of the sustained patterns of coordinated action and the development of relationships which constitutes the organization. Involvement In communication cannot ho viewed as some special gift awarded to employees by beneficent leaders. It Is instead the very process by which people become organized. MISCONCEPTION 2: COMMUNICATION IS MESSAGE SENDING Probably the most common view of communication is, as an activity whereby an individual transmits Information to another Individual or group. This more accurately describes purposeful communication events or activities rather than the overall process. Here we are taking an "i" attitude (as opposed to a "you" orientation) and are primarily concerned with what happens when I purposefully construct a message and transmit it to others. A simple model describes the steps in this process.

Encoding \ Transmitting ^ Receiving \ Decoding via a medium (Sender) (Receiver)

As message senders, we put thoughts and feelings or perceptions into some form of language through the encoding process. We then send off that coded message via oral or written media to someone else. Our receiver, in turn, decodes or attempts to make sense; out of the message he or she gets from us. Often our receiver goes through the same process and responds to us. This is, of course, an oversimplified explanation of what happens. If we accept this at lace value we might 1 conclude that the only way ; to improve; our communication are, to Improve our message preparation skills and/or the integrity of the transmitting A sender oriented view of communication is in complete |

medium. If we extract an isolated communication event from all that is going on in the organization. we can typically identity the activities described in the sender-to-receiver model. From a commonsense viewpoint, the approach seems satisfactory. If, however, we accept this as the definitive model of communication, we are likely to run into problems. Many communication processes going on in organizations cannot De realistically nor accurately diagnosed from this sender -oriented approach.

MISCONCEPTION 3: MANAGERS CONTROL COMMUNICATION IN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS

Communication consultant Walter Wiesman has said.
Whether management likes it or not. it must face the fact that action , by all l people . on all level, in all function is of 1110 oiganiziilion, constantly communicate, inapt ail inclines ac, lit; impressions in employees, judged by each employee from his peculiar frame of reference. It makes little difference whether he employee interpretation is correct'-this is "his world" and he looks out of "his window." What he wants to son and cal is the impression he gains from the words and actions around him. The more diversified a workforce, the greater the challenge to reach all people with the maximum degree of effectiveness. We cannot always control when communication will occur.

Not only do we have relatively little control over what

People pay attention to and draw muaninqs rom, but . we also cannot determine exactly when communication will occur. Again quoting Walter Wiseman, Communication takes place every lime human beings use their natural facilities to listen, think, observe, be impressed (for better or worse), have doubts, feel neglected, etc. This common trouble occurs when management lakes the rather naive stand that "this is not the time to talk." Another complicating factor that precludes absolute control over Messages can have ripple communication is the ever-present "ripple effect". Even the simplest effects unforeseen impact. memo, announcement or directive may have unforeseen Impact on the organization. Here is an example.

One day a sales manager, Bob Tremont, distributed a memo with what appeared to be a simple message : 12

/ am happy to announce that a member of our sales team. Jim Hawk. has been promoted to Sales Training instructor. Jim will start his new duties at the Corporate Training Center on August 7. I'm sure you all join me in congratulating Jim. If we accept a sender-receiver viewpoint, we have a clear message and effective communication. There are a few simple points of information. Jim Hawk was promoted. His new title is Sales Training Instructor. He'll work at Corporate Training Centre.

He starts August 1.
memo was generally insensitive to ripple effect --his audience's potential reactions. If that manager had Dune a banes of man-in-the-street interviews following this announcement, he would have been shockedHere are some reactions: ^ Alan Travis, Sales Representative: "I can't believe what I just read! Hawk is the biggest Donkey in the entire team. He's a loudmouth backslapper who''! Stop al nothing to peddle equipmentwhether the customer needs it or not! He takes the same approach of; every prospect: sells them the most expensive machine whether or not they need it and can afford it. He never does customer surveys to see what they would really benefit from Sure. Hes had impressive sales results, but he has a goldmine territory. Look, I don't want to sound like sour grape? Hut this promotion is a joke. Jim Hawk represents everything we are taught not to do. There are half dozen other people that should have beer. Promoted first - or at least been given an opportunity to compete for the opening," 4= James Wilson, Sales Representative: "I'd heard that there might be an opening al Corporate Training and (frankly, I thought I had a qood shot at it. When Tremont just dropped that memo on us, I was really upset. Hawk has always been one of his buys. But you'd think he'd at least talk to a few of us who should have been considered. I'll put my sales abilities up against Hawk's any day. And I know I'm more effective at customer care, I don't believe in Hawk's sell-'em-und-forget-'em approach. To make him a trainer of new sales reps is ludicrous." ^ Barbara Anderson, Sales Manager: Its really none of my business. Bob Tremont doesn't have to check with me when ho promotes someone. But I have been a sales manager a lot longer than he has and I've seen situation like [his before. The other folks in his team are fighting mad. It's not that they dislike Jim Hawk-it's just that he seems to represent the Opposite of the professionalism the company is always stressing When I face a decision' like this one, I spend a lot of lime aiding; o each of the people cuff my team. You can't just suddenly drop an announcement memo like that and expect that everyone wilt understand. The promotion situations are always laugh bill there's a lot you can do to smooth ruffled feathers. I think Bob Has to learn about managing and-communications." 4= Leroy Puckett, Sales Trainee: "I've got to be honest with you, I'm not positive I want to be a salesman in the first place, I've only been on board two months, but already I'm getting a little bit down. The company spends thousands of dollars sending me to the Corporate Training Center and stressing how important it is to be a professional representative. Then I come back here to my home office and the first guy-who gets promoted, is probably tile least professional of them all. Frankly, I'm confused I've seen this guy at work. He lakes every shortcut (ethical or not), he spends half the time flirting with the secretaries and then feeds the customer the biggest line of baloney you've ever heard. I don't want to be like him, but I do want to get ahead. What do I do now?"
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But there was much more lo this message than meets the eye. The manager who sent this

What initially appears to be a routine communication event has some very complex outcomes. For most members of the organization, Hawk's promotion was seen as a cruel joke. While the manager's memo was perfectly clear, the ripple effect was totally unpredicted. A more sensitive communicator could do much to take the sting out of such an announcement through use of different media, allowing for more adequate explanation of management's decision criteria and through being more "in tune" with the message resolves' expectations and attitudes. Although a manager cannot anticipate and control the outcome of such messages, he or she can and must be sensitive to them.

Three Rules for Better Understanding

As we seek to develop conditions for effective communication, perhaps the three most important things we can keep in mind are as follows; * We must expect to be misunderstood by at least some of our listeners and readers. * We must expect to misunderstand others. * We can strive to reduce the degree of such misunderstanding, but we can never totally eliminate it nor anticipate ail possible outcomes. When we expect to be misunderstood, we are likely to respond by considering ways to make the message-sending circumstances more conducive to understanding. When we expect to misunderstand others, we will be more conscientious about seeking out needed clarification. And when we recognize that we never absolutely eliminate misunderstanding or anticipate ail outcomes, we are acknowledging reality. Human Communication will never be Foolproff. While in the military service, I was trained to be an air traffic

controller. It strikes me now as interesting that precise language and procedures used by air traffic controllers are clearly aimed at overcoming such problems in communication. Controllers often restate important instructions given to pilots in an attempt to reduce misunderstanding; they also request that some message's received by pilots be repeated to check for accuracy. Nevertheless, even with meticulous language and procedures, occasional accidents due to communication breakdown do occur. Communications will never be foolproof. We improve conditions for understanding by doing the following * Committing ourselves to ongoing self-analysis: We can increase our awareness of our own predispositions and expectations, and we can constantly reexamine them. * Continually evaluating the way our personality characteristics filter and distort the ways we see others. * Learning to anticipate what our recipients expect to see and hear from us: Only then can we know whether we should communicate so as to utilize their expectations or whether we need to shock them with an "awakening" that breaks through those expectations. A FEW WORDS ABOUT LISTENER EXPECTATIONS ] Expectations play an important role In Communication One important implication of the receiverOriented viewpoint is that

need make careful guesses about receiver's I expectations- We need to anticipate receiver's reactions to our messages. We are very quick to perk up our ears any time we hear something that confirms our beliefs. 14

We also tend to literally tune out conflicting information that does not confirm to what we expect. A friend of mine used to test this proposition at parties he would attend. Upon saying goodnight to the host and hostess he would shake their hands, smile and nod, telling them in a very serious tone that this was absolutely the worst party he had ever attended. They, in return, would smile, nod, and thank him for the compliment. While there are a number of factors that account for this confusion, the social expectations of the host and hostess play an important part in tuning out the actual language of that message. When messages are consistent with existing expectations or when the expectations are clarified before the message is sent, communication will be more accurate. I'll talk more about the importance of expectations later in the book.

The Message Receiver Determines Communication Success

Effective managerial communication results from receiver-oriented attempts to create clear understanding coupled with the awareness that we really can't control communication. Vote we can, and must, seek to Influence it. This is a frustrating state of affairs for the manager who wants to be abettor director, persuader or motivator. We all want to get our subordinates to produce more, our peers to accept our point of view and our bosses to be impressed with us. Lout trial's the old sender-oriented view. The broader and more realistic perspective tells us that communication is a lot more than just getting someone to say they agree, Real communication improvement means real sacrifices. H means developing more understanding. It means looking at the world through the eyes of others, walking the proverbial mile in another's moccasins. Most of us are hesitant to do this. Perhaps it is because, as business communication professor Richard Hatch said," it's a little bit scary to think about other people's points of view too carefully; you may begin to think it makes sense!" But it is exactly through this kind of empathizing that meaningful Improvement of communication occurs. All types of human communication are enhanced by more concern for "you" and less for "I". In my books on organizational communication, the distinction is made between "upward" (from subordinates to superiors) and "downward" (vice versa) communication. That distinction assumes again that the message source does the communicating, a notion of little value when we assume a receiver orientation. What we have traditionally done is try to make the "manager as message sender" a better "communicator." But the only kind of messages one can communicate downward are simple commands. We cannot "send" motivation or expectation -- or understanding., these require interactive sharing between those who perceive our messages and us- When we reach out to better understand others we become the recipients, the real communicators. Creation of a climate for understanding begins with self-analysis. It matures Understanding begins with selfanalysis

as we develop empathy for others. The ongoing process of creating a climate for understanding is no small task. It requires extensive effort, and it Involves giving of ourselves to an extent that many are unwilling and perhaps unable to do. The hard reality is that life is and will contlnue.to be full of failures to communicate effectively. That is, people are assigning inappropriate meanings to what they perceive and managers are unrealistically assuming that accurate meanings are being created in the minds of the people they talk and write to. We tend to expect too much from communication attempts.

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One final point: good communication beats the heck out of poor communication but it is not ;i cure for every organizational problem. As one writer has expressed It, with tongue in cheek,

Although important, communication cannot solve every organizational problem.

An ailment called "lack of communication" has taken place of original sin as an explanation for the ills of the world, while "better communication" is trotted out on every occasion as a universal panacea. It is guaranteed to appear at least once, and usually several times, on any TV panel discussion. Usually it is offered with the mock of modest air of one who is making a substantial contribution which Is bound to be well received, while the correct response is solemn nods all around, strongly reminiscent of the amens In church, indeed, rituaiization of the whole sequence is far advanced. Good internal communication in itself will not guarantee that your organization will profit. Internal communication is a cost of doing business. Profitability is affected to the extent that efficient and effective communication saves the organization time, effort, and resources. What ever efforts are expended to better comprehend the communication process are likely to be worthwhile if grounded in good theory and if tempered with realistic expectations. JUST HOW IMPORTANT IS MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION? This question could be answered in several ways. I've already suggested that organizational success often depends upon good communication. People won't continue to do business with poor communicators. Communication scholar Gerald Goldhaber says, "....... we are told by management and communication consultants that more than 1 0 per cent of U.S. business enterprise fail every year primarily due to bad management and ineffective communications," Raymond L. Hilgert, a professor of management austrial relations with extensive consulting experience has said, , . In every organization that I have come into contact | with, communication is usually the number one problem, Communication is often an or it is at (east associated with virtually organization faces, organization's #1 problem. This ranges from basic problems of human Mis understanding, all the way to major financial, marketing, and production problems associated with the inability of people to properly communicate with one another. But there is another way of looking at the importance of managerial communication-"Importance" to the practicing manager may be defined In terms of how much time or effort one expends on a daily basis. Henry Mintzberg's book, the Nature of Managerial Work, | reveals that managers are almost constantly Managers almost constantly communicating. Based on systematic observations of chief communicate. executives' work, Mintzberg calculated that verbal interaction accounted for 78 percent of manager's time and 67 percent of their activities. Although Mintzberg sees desk work as separate from communication, experience tells me that most desk work is writing and reading. The media are different, but it's still communication to me.

Management Is Communication
Communication is what managers do. It is the essence of managerial work. All levels of management must be involved in optimizing organizational communication. Staff expertise, either in. house of consultant, should be used when necessary, but ultimately success will lie with increased understanding, commitment, and effort on the part of working members of the organization. -16

Anything and everything that happens in the organization has potential communicative effect on everybody. 'Some companies have attempted to deal with communication via a single staff element or des gnated managers who were giver', -sole responsibility for a complete communication program. You cannot transfer communication into one office- What does make sense is to "take inventory of all identifiable actions contributing the total communication program, to phase these actions into the overall goal of the organization to stimulate and as a at segments and individuals responsible for such actions and to have as a result a balanced, effective and timely program." Like any managerial program, communication improvement must be planned. Specific soft areas should be identifies target-led rind established for improvement. Then we must follow up, follow up, and follow up. An effective communication program is an ongoing effort. We can't apply a series of "quick fixes" and expect effective communication to run on perpetually. Improvement in communication Must be planned and followed up.

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Overview of Business Communication

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES Communication is the lifeblood of every business. Information must be conveyed, received, understood, and acted upon in a proper manner. When there is a breakdown in this process, organizational efficiency suffers. The ob)active of this chapter is to examine the process of communication and to help you focus attention on yourself as a communicator Particular attention Is given to communication barriers and ways of overcoming them, When you have finished studying the material in this chapter, you will be able to: 1. Define the term communication. 2. Describe three of the major goals of communication. 3. Explain how the communication process works. 4. Relate four of the major barriers to communication. 5. Explain some of the most important steps in dealing with communication barriers.

Jan@ W. Gibson. Business Communication. PP.5-30. 18

Something to Think About

The Promotion Request
Pedro Sanchez is one of the company's leading salespeople and has been with the company for 11 years- When he learned that one of the regional sales managers was leaving the firm, he decided to apply for the job. Barney Hawkes, who was heading the search committee for the new regional sales manager, is an old friend of Pedio's. Reclaiming that Barney was often away from the office on business, Pedro sent his friend Barney a brief note, it read, "I'd be interested in the regional sales manager's job." When Rainey and The committee met to review the files of applicants, his .read Pedro's note to the group and had the secretary pull Pedro's file, Ali of the other candidates had written extensive letters to accompany their resumes. However, none of them had Pedro's experience with the firm nor were any of their sales records of the same caliber as Pedro's- The committee discussed Pedro's qualifications and included him in the list of five finalists. The final choice was a sales manager from another firm. "He has had experience in this position, and while his company is a lot smaller than ours I think he'll do an excellent job for us," Barney told the senior vice-president. The announcement was published in the company newsletter the following Monday. When Pedro heard the news. He was quite upset. He called to talk with Barney about II but could soon tell that he was wasting his time- Barney seemed unable to understand what Pedro was angry about. "You've got a great job that pays more than the sales manager is making, and you're our number one salesperson in the east. What do you need a job like this for?" he asked- "Besides, you really didn't seem to want it that badly. All you did was sent me a one-line memo. I'd hardly call that strong interest- Believe me when 1 tell you that not getting this job is probably the best thing that will happen to you this year." Pedro listened but did not say any more. After he and Barney concluded their call, he quietly left the office and went for a walk. Yesterday Pedro announced that he was leaving the company at the end of next week. Barney learned about it in a memo from the president. Attached to a photocopy of Pedro's letter of resignation was a handwritten note from the chief executive. It said, "What went wrong? I thought you told me Pedro was happy in his present job. Please make an appointment to see me." Questions to consider: Write down your ideas and put them aside. We will return to this case during the chapter. 1. Which one of the three communication goals did the committee fail to consider in its decision? 2. What mistake did Pedro make when he communicated his desire for the job? . -. 3. In what way did the committee contribute lo the problem? 4. What lessons should Pedro learn from this communication experience?

INTRODUCTION
Comunication is the process of transferring meanings. In a business setting or profit and loss. This fact is now being recognized not just by the corporate community hut by business schools as well, and the focus of business Communication is not being confined to the undergraduate level. For example, a Harvard Business Review poll of practitioners and academicians asked both groups how satisfied They were with the skills of their MBAs (those holding master's degrees in business administration). As Table 1-1 reports, the two groups felt that the written skills of these people needed a great deal of improvement. Since only the brightest students pursue an MBA, It is quite clear that undergraduate business students also need to Improve their written skills. Today business communication has become so important that many nationally accredited colleges and universities require the course for graduation, and many others are moving to do so. It is becoming clear that business communication Is critical to the effective operation of modern enterprise-;, and every student of business must understand the fundamentals of this subject. TABLE 1-1 Satisfaction with MBA Communication Skills Oral Percentage Satisfied With Written Communication Skills Communication Skills what is?

this process sometimes accounts for the difference between success and failure communication

Fortune "500" presidents 48% Fortune "500" personnel 56 directors 978 MBA alumni from a 44 variety of nationally accredited schools Faculty from nationally 29 accredited business schools Deans of nationally accredited 25 business schools

47% 40 37 20 9

Source ; Repnnl yd by permission of Hazard Business Review, An exhibit from "Report Cards on Ihe MBA" by Hoger L Juiiiiiiia HididM C Hc-:7e!!stsin rind I- G Rorlgfirs, (SIO l984i Copyngh! @ 1984 by the President and Fellows ot Harvard College, all ngnts reserved.

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GOALS OF COMMUNICATION
There are many reasons why business communication is important modern organizations, One is that it helps enterprises .attain three major goals: cost containment, productivity growth . and morale maintenance.

Cost Containment
Most people do not give a great deal of thought to the cost of sending a business letter or making a telephone call. They assume that a letter costs approximately 5 cents for the paper and envelope and approximately 25 cents for the postage. They view a local phone call as costing virtually nothing because the company pays a monthly charge for the phone and, in most areas of the country, local calls are free. What they fail to consider is the time it takes to write (or dictate)and type the letter 0'' complete the phone call. When calculated on a per-letter or per- call basis, the cost is extremely high. One study of the cost of business communication was carried out by the Commission 1 on Federal Paperwork. This commission found that the federal government was spending $43 billion annually on paperwork. Private industry's expenditures were estimated at S2fa to $3^ billion, and state and local government costs were placed at $5 to $9 billion. Written communications are very expensive. How much does it Cost to send a firstClass letter? how much does it cost to send a first-class letter? Over the past 60 ears the cost has continued to rise. In 1930 a letter dedicated personally cost around 30 cents. By 1973 this had risen to approximately $3.30, and by 1986 it was up to S8 90 . By 1990; the cost will \w in the range of $10 per letter. An average business letter dictated on a machine and transcribed by a secretary currently costs around $5.50 and will be in the range of $6.50 to $7,00 by the early 1990s Those staggering costs help point out the Importance of controlling business communication. expenses. There are a number of ways to control these costs. One is through the use of modern communication technology. A second Is by learning how to dictate effectively. A third is by learning how to write letter that achieve the desired. These topics are covered throughout this text.

Productivity Growth Productivity is measured as the ratio of output to input. Research shows that in recent years American firms have been increasing their overall productivity. Robots have been introduced on the factory floor, and new techniques have been developed for handling goods more efficiently

, Commission on Federal Papenront, Final Summary Report (OCTobef 3. 1977):5. 3. Dartne" Inslllula o1 Business Reseaich Targe/Survey (Chicago; The Dannell Corporation, 1986).

23

Similar steps have been taken to Improve communication productivity, One is the use of up-to-date communication technology that helps managers get more work done. For example, dictating machines, electronic mail and improved telephone technology are helping to reduce the amount of time required In communicating with others. The microcomputer is also helping typists generate more work per hour(See the Technology in Action box on Improving productivity with office technology.) Another development is the use o* formal training in writing business letters and reports and in presentation techniques. This training is helping managers communicate faster and more accurately. As a result, management productivity is also increasing.

How has productivity been increased?

Morale Maintenance
communication can help an organization maintain high morale One way is by keeping people informed about what is going on. A second is by involving personnel in decisions and getting feedback from them regarding their opinions, attitudes and suggestions. When employee feel Involved in operating decisions, their morale tends to be high and they are more willing to assume responsibility and support management efforts. Many organizations attempt to focus simultaneously on all three major objectives of communication-cost, productivity, and morale- through the use ol suggestion box programs and quality control circles. In a suggestion box program, the employees are encouraged to offer money-saving, efficiency oriented ideas. If the idea is implemented and proves successful, the employee is given a monetary reward, A quality control circle Is a group of workers whose main objective is to identify and resolve work-related problems. Quite often, the group, working under the leadership of a supervisor, is trained to identify and resolve productivity problems. For example, the group may focus its attention on how to reduce a production bottleneck. Members of the quality control circle will suggest steps that can be taken and then work to Implement them. Workers enjoy the opportunity to participate, and management finds that these circles often result In higher work output and cost ?av.ngs. Most important, this approach shows that management trusts the workers to assume responsibility and to Implement their ideas. The Japanese have had great success with quality control circles, and American firms are finding that they can emulate this success if they take two Important communication steps: I rain the workers and then give them the authority to do the job. William Ouchi, an expert on Japanese management practices, puts it this way;
... a firm can realize the full potential of its employees only if it both invests in their training and then shares with them the power to influence decisions. Without training, the invitation to participate in decision making will lead only to Of what value is communication to morale?

22

[Technology in Action______________
Improving Productivity with Modern Office Technology
Most organization? we finding that modern office technology can help them improve their business communication efficiency. Through the use of modem machines, letters can be written faster and more accurately, messages can be delivered directly to other people, and personnel who are out of the office can remain in continual contact. Here are (our specific examples. Microcomputers and Printers A large percentage of business communication takes the form of typewritten material such as letters, memos, and reports. Many firms use a microcomputer and printer to handle this work, because these two machines, working in tandem, are faster and more flexible than a typewriter. A secretary can enter material into the computer, correct typing errors, rearrange sentences and paragraphs, and reformat the document while it is still on the screen. If she or he wants to check the document for spelling accuracy, this too is possible. Some software programs even make it simple to compute the level of reading difficulty, and if this level is too low or too high, the writer can use a built-in thesaurus to make the necessary changes. The material can then be printed, reviewed and if more changes are desired quickly modified. Printers and Photocopiers If multiple "original" copies of a message are needed, laser printers can produce six to ten letter-quality pages a minute- If many copies are needed and they do not have to be of the same quality as an original, a copier can be used. Some of the latest models can produce 20 copies a minute, in multiple colors, printed on both sides, collated and stapled. Electronic Mail When one person wants to contact another, it is common to place a phone call and leave a message with the person (or machine) who answers if the other party is unavailable. In organizations where most of the personnel have microcomputers, electronic mail is proving to be more efficient. A message can be sent by computer and left in the receiver's "electronic mailbox." The response can be sent in the same way, thus eliminating the time spent placing phone calls. Cellular Phones Executives and others are finding that they can save a great deal of time by having cellular phones installed in their cars. They can place and receive calls just as they do in the office whether they are speeding along a freeway or stuck in a midtown traffic jam. Salespeople find these phones Invaluable for arranging meetings with clients and keeping in contact with the home office. Cellular phones are proving 1o be highly cost-effective for many firms, and over the next decade there will be a dramatic increase in their use. '

23

Frustration and conflict. Without a sharing of decision-making power, an investment in training will be both frustrating and wasteful. Trial . . . firm that hopes to learn more from the Japanese example need only do [hat which the Japanese have done. Just as they have studied the United States industrial system and have blended together the best aspects of both, so we must do the same^

Review your answer to Question I: Which one of the three Communication did the committee to consider in its decision? The committee failed to consider morale maintenance. The group was so interested in choosing the best person for the job that it overlooked the effect the decision would have on Pedro,

COMMUINICATION PROCESS
Figure 1 -1 illustrates the communication process in action. The main variables in this process are: 1. Sender 2. Message 3. Channel 4. Receiver 5. Perception 6. Feedback

Sender
The sender is the individual who initiates the communication. This person is Sometimes known as the "encoder." Encoding is the process of selecting and formulating the information to be conveyed. The sender should mentally visualize the communication from the receiver's point of view. For example, if the sender must! Convey both good news and bad news, it often is best to relate the good news first. If he must convey both a simple and a complex message, it is best to start with the simple one. This order of priority improves the chances of effective communication. If the message is being delivered verbally, the sender should also look and listen for clues that can help provide additional information.

Message
The message is the information being transmitted. This includes both verbal and nonverbal data. Verbal information, is the part of the message that is heard,
William G. Auction, Theory Z. How American Business Can Meet the Japanese Challenge (Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1981), p. 268.

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Sender (encoder)

perception attitudes beliefs experiences communication ability

Message (verbal, nonverbal) Channel downward upward lateral informal

Receiver (decoder)

perception attitudes beliefs experiences

communicalion ability

Feedback (verbal, nonverbal)

FIGURE 1.1 The communication process Nonverbal information entails such things as body language and the surrounding environment. For example, if a manager calls in a subordinate and says, "You did an excellent job in closing that sale to the McGuire group," this comment would generally be interpreted as one of praise However, if the manager continues to look at some reports on the desk while she speaks, It may be interpreted as an obligatory statement-part of her "standard operating procedure, If the manager stands up, walks around the desk, and shakes the subordinate's hand while delivering the message, It is more apt to be interpreted as high praise. The nonverbal part o (the message often expands what is being said by providing additional meaning.

Channel
The channel is the means used to convey the message. In the previous example, the manager used the face-to-face channel- Other common channels Include the telephone and a variety of written of-ms such as metros, letters, and repeals. Sometimes face-to-lack up telephone communication is superior to the written form: at other times a written message is preferable. Here are some examples: 1. When immediate feedback is necessary, oral communication channels Are more effective. 2. If there Is a reasonable chance that the other party will not understand the message, verbal channels are the preferred choice. 3. If there is likely to be reluctance on the part of the receiver to comply with the message, verbal channels are usually more effective.

25

4. If there is a need to document the communication, written channels are the best choice. 5. If the message should have detailed accuracy, written channels are best. 6. If the message must be delivered to more than a handful of people, written channels are often more efficient. In many cases both oral and written channels should be used, for one supplements the other. For example, it is common to find managers giving Their subordinates assignments over the phone and then saying, "I'll follow this up with a written memo to confirm our conversation." This provides the receiver an opportunity to review the assignment and, if the written message is not in accord with the oral one, to contact the superior and seek further clarification, In deciding which channel(s) to use. 't is important to weigh benefits and costs. As noted earlier in the chapter, business communication is a major organizational expense. To the extent that the time spent on communication can be reduced without sacrificing accuracy and completeness, overall productivity can be increased, It also is important to realize that there are various types of channels within the organization that are used to convey messages. The four most common are: downward, upward, lateral and informal.

When Is a verbal channel preferable? When is a written channel preferable?

Downward Channels Downward channels are used to pass information from superior to subordinate There are five basic purposes for these communications: (1) to give job instructions; (2) to bring about understanding of thr- work and its are relationship to other organizational tasks; (3) to provide information about procedures When downward and pracliccs; (4) to provide subordinates feedback on their performance; and (5) to channels used? instill a sense of mission by Indoctrinating the workers as to organizational goals." One of the major problems will the overuse; of downward channels that there often is loss of information. One researcher has reported the following loss between six hierarchical levels.

Level
Board Vice presidents General supervisors Plant managers General foremen Workers

Percentage of Information 5 Received

63 56 40 30 20

4 Daniel Katz and Robert L. Kahn, The Social Psychology ol Organizations (New York; John WlleyS Sons. 1978), p. .140. 5 Ralph G.Nictiols, "Listening is Good Business, 'Management of Personnel Quarterly (Winter 1962): 4.

26

When are upward channels used ?

Upward Channels Upward channels are used to provide subordinates a means for conveying information to their superiors. These channels are extremely effective in gaining feedback and learning about problems and roadblocks that are affecting efficiency. They are also an excellent source of help in evaluating employee attitudes and perceptions. Unfortunately, research reveals that while most managers report that they encourage upward communication, subordinates disagree. They feel 6 that their superiors are not as open and willing to receive feedback as they report. Lateral Channels Lateral communication channels are used to convey information between individuals and units on the same hierarchical level. These channels are employed for such purposes as (1) coordination of tasks, (2) sharing of information, (3) problem solving, and (4) conflict resolution. These forms of communication, because they occur among employees of similar authority, tend to be persuasive and suggestive in nature rather than directive or authoritative. Informal Channels Informal channels are those formed by the employees in an effort to circumvent or complement formal channels. Informal channels are often collectively referred to as the grapevine. Many people believe that these channels carry inaccurate Information. However, research shows that 75 to 90 percent of this 7 information is accurate.

When p.rp. Lateral channels; used?

What is the grapevine?

There are four basic types of informal channels: single-strand, gossip, probability, and cluster (see Figure 1-2). In the single-strand channel, each person What are the four basic types of receives information from one person and passes it on to one more. In the gossip channel, one Individual passes the knows to all of the others. In the probability informal channels? channel, information is passed on randomly. In the cluster channel, which is the predominant type, channel members selectively choose their informal communication links- Informal channels often increase communication effectiveness, although they can prove to be communication barriers when they carry rumor, gossip, or inaccurate information.

Receiver
What factors influence receiver comprehension?

The receiver is the individual to whom the message is directed. The extent to which this person comprehends the message will depend on a number of factors, including (1) how much the individual knows about the topic, (2) his to her receptivity to the message, (3) the relationship and trust that exists between sender and receiver, and (4) the receiver's understanding and perception of the information being conveyed-

6 Rgnsis Likert, NewPatterm ofmanagement (New York: McGraw-HiH Book Company. 1961), p. 47. 7 KeittiDavis, "Care andCultivation otthe Corporation Grapevine," Dunk fleiflew(Ju]y1973):46.

27

FIGURE 1-2 Informal communication channels

Source Reprinted by Permission of Harvard Business Review. An exhibit from "Management communication and t'liiGi.-ipi'vine'by Ki'lthL),iris, {9-10/53). Copyright 1953 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College; all rights reserved.

Perception
Perception is an Individual's view of reality. Perception is a result of many factors, including past experience, attitude toward the message and the sander, mental abilities such as intelligence, and communication skills such as speaking and listening-It is important to realize that a person's perception is not always accurate. For example, Likert reports a study in which al! Of the top staff said they always or nearly always told their subordinates in advance about change, but only 63 percent of the foremen agreed flint the top managers communicated in advance about change. Similarly, while 92 percent of the foremen said that they communicated in advance about change, only 47 percent of their subordinate agreed Quite clearly, one group's perception of its communication style can be radically different from another's, and this perception will Influence the way the group both sends and receives messages, For example. If personnel at one level were to begin asking questions about future changes, their superiors might shrug them off with the explanation, "Oh, you don't need any more information. You've already been fully informed about the change."
Why is perception important to the communication process ?

"RensisLlkert, New Patterns ol Management (New York McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1961, p.52, 28

Feedback
What is feedback? Feedback is the receiver's response to a message. Feedback can take a number of verbal and nonverbal forms. In verbal form, some of the most common responses are designed to obtain more information or to provide closure by letting the sender know that the message has been received and will be acted upon accordingly. Here are some examples. Getting More Information Could you tell me more about how this reorganization plan wilt affect my department? Your idea sounds good, but how will it help increase work productivity? When you said that the monies are immediately available, did you mean we could draw on the funds today? You said that there were four steps in your new promotion plan, but I noted only three- Could you briefly review the four for me? Providing Closure I understand, and you can count on my support. I'll get started on this right away and have the report on your desk by next Wednesday1 agree with your approach to the problem, and I look forward to hearing how things turn out. Thanks for bringing me up to date on the program's progress; keep up the good work. In nonverbal form, some of the most common examples of feedback are nodding one's head, shrugging, grimacing, smiling, winking, rolling one's eyes, looking the other person directly in the eye, and looking away from the other person.

Review your answer to Question 2; what mistake did Pedro make in communicating his desire for the job?
Pedro failed to make a strong case for his selection. He should have realized that the committee would be looking at many factors including desire for the job. Pedro did not submit a resume to the committee, nor did he provide any support for his application. This undoubtedly led the group to conclude that Pedro was not seriously interested in the position.

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
There are many types of communication barriers. For purposes of analysis, they can be placed into four categories, barriers related to the sender, message traiiainlssion, message reception, or the receiver.

29

A seventh barrier is a lack of experience in speaking or writing. When senders have limited education or training in communication, they often have difficulty expressing their ideas. Their vocabulary is limited, their word choice Is poor, there are punctuation and spelling errors, and the overall presentation style is ineffective. Problems in Transmission Communication can also break down because of probfems in transmission. These problems go beyond the obvious static on the telephone line or noise in the background that making; it difficult for the listener to hear- One of the most common is illegible material that is a result of poor handwriting, poor typing, or poor photocopying. A second problem is poor acoustics that prevent the audience from hearing the speaker. This is particularly troublesome when a large number of people are gathered in a room and the sound system does not carry the message to all of them. A third problem is the use of too many transmission links. This occurs when a verbal message is transmitted through three or four different people before getting to Its final source, and the message is altered or changed In the process. The earlier example that showed the amount of information loss that occurs when messages move through hierarchical channels is a good illustration. A fourth problem is the transmission of conflicting messages. When a message contains two conflicting parts, the receiver may have trouble dealing with the communication. Consider, for example, a memo to the head of the shipping department that directs him to immediately reduce shipping costs by 20 percent while ensuring that all deliveries are made in an expeditious manner. The message appears to be contradictory. How can the manager cut costs and still ensure that all deliveries are made quickly? After all, a reduction in shipping costs is likely to result in goods being sent by a slower route. To which part of the message should the department respond? Or should the manager try to address both messages by reducing the shipping costs for those goods that do not have to arrive quickly while continuing to send "rush" items by overnight delivery? Problems in Reception Sometimes there are communication problems because of problems in reception. One common problem is the surrounding environment. If there is a great deal of noise or the lighting is poor, the receiver may have trouble hearing the speaker or reading the message. A second problem is the receiver's physical condition. The individual may have poor hearing or eyesight, a headache or a severe cold. These can affect whether the message is received completely and accurately.

What are some major reasons for problems in transmission?

What causes problems in reception?

31

A third problem is the receiver's failure to pay attention to the message. There are a number of reasons for this. One is the simultaneous receipt of two or more messages. The individual will often hear onto message and miss the other or only partially hear both. A common example is that of someone listening to directions over the phone when a co-worker comes by and says something. The listener Is likely to "tune out" one of the senders so that the other can be heard, A second reason for failing to pay attention is that the receiver is bored and begins to daydream and thus tunes out the sender.

Problems in Receiver Comprehension

Sometimes the receiver will have a problem comprehending the message. There are a number of reasons for this. One is that he or she may not understand some of the words that are being used. This is a common problem when a company or industry uses technical terms that have special meanings for them. For example, in engineering firms the term "burn" often means "make a photocopy"; in the medical sciences "OB" rotors to obstetrics, while In the social sciences it refers to "organizational behavior." In most parts of the country, "take the next right" means to turn right at the corner; In some parts often country il means to go one more block and then turn right. To get the individual to make a right turn at The coined, the sender would say, "take this right." Similarly, if today is Wednesday, "We're having a party next Saturday" will be interpreted differently by people in different parts of the country. A second problem is a result of personal interests. For example, a message from top management that announces that there will be a wage freeze this year may conclude with the statement, "While this decision was a difficult one to make, It will be good for the entire company." Management may believe this, but many of the lower-level employees may not. Their interpretation is that management is making them suffer the most because a top executive making $ 150,000 annually is going to be able to forgo an annual salary raise much more easily than a worker earning $20,000. A third problem is emotional responses. An individual who is usually quite calm may become overly excited when a particular topic is discussed because he simply does not want to hear about the subject. Or an individual may regard the sender as untrustworthy and allow this judgment to affect the way in which she interprets the message.

What factors influence a receiver's comprehension?

Review your answer to Question 3: In what way did the committee contribute to the problem?
The committee did not realize that Pedro had a strong interest in the job. In fact, because Pedro did not submit an extensive application letter and a resume the group assumed there was a lack of interest on his part. The committee may also have noted Pedro's current salary and concluded that he would be unwilling to take a pay cut. These assumptions could have led them to reject Pedro's application.
32

DEALING WITH COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

A number of important steps can be taken to deal with communication barriers, while the specific step will depend on the situation, in this section we examine five that are of major importance. The box "Effective Communication: Six Useful Guidelines" provides others.

Why is it useful to focus on the objective ?

Focus on the Objective What is the purpose of the message? What is it designed to accomplish? The answer to these two questions helps identify the objective of the communication and direct the writer's effort. For example, read the following message and identify its purpose.
A number of people are going to be attending a series of management seminars this month. My objective at the present time is to try to pull all of this together, There is no doubt that with so many people in the agency, many of whom would like to attend the seminars, that getting alt of this taken care of is not going to he an easy matter. Do you have any interest in attending these seminars? Let me hear from you.

What is the purpose of the memo? It is difficult to say, because the message is wordy and lacks general direction. It appears that the sender wants to find out if the receiver would like to attend a management training seminar. The message needs to be more clearly focused on its objective: Find out if the reader wants to attend the management training seminars this month. Would you like to attend this month's management seminar series? If so, let me know by noon, Thursday, June 5.

Understand the Other Party

Receivers are unique and need to be treated as individuals. This can be done by answering the question, "How will [name of receiver] reacttothis message?" For example, If the manager must announce a 10 percent reduction in the work force, a union representative will interpret this message differently from a supervisor. The union representative will view it negatively; the supervisor will view it neutrally or positively The union member will see it as an attempt by management to improve profitability, the supervisor will se it as a necessary step to ensure the survival of the enterprise.
Why is it helpful to understand the oilier party?

By examining the message from the other person's point of view, the sender can identify some of the problems likely to, be encountered and can work to

33

Effective Communication Six Useful Guidelines

There are many useful guidelines for sidestepping communication barriers and ensuring comprehension of your message Some are of most value in oral communication; others arc particularly useful in .'.Written communication. The following are of value In conveying both oral and written messages, 1. Get the receiver's attention there are a number of ways to do this One of The moat effective is to convey something of value or interest to ten other person. 2. Use specific language. Tell the Demon precisely what you want him or her to know Avoid !he use of vague sentences 01 words For example, Instead o( saying, "Please submit this report as soon as possible," say, "Please submit this report by the close of business on Wednesday June 5." Let people know what you want and when you want it. Unless the situation requires an Indirect approach (as in the case of bad news), be as specific as possible 3. Bo positive- Look on the bright side of things, and encourage the receiver to do the same- If you are telling someone that they are to be transferred to a sales territory that you know they do not want, discuss the sales potential of that area and the effect that a good job will have on the person's career. If you must turn down someone's request for a line of credit, focus on the benefits of paying cash for the goods rather than conveying the message "You are a bad risk, so we are saying no." 4. Be brief Get to the point as soon as possible. In a good news message, do this immediately. "I am happy to tell you that your loan request has been granted," In a bad news message, start with a neutral statement and then lead into the bad news "One of the major reasons for business failure is being financially overextended." No one would disagree with this statement- Then the bad news can be conveyed: "Your loan application has been turned down." 5. Bo completes- Give sufficient details, a brief memo that reads, "Would you please send me a copy of the report that we discussed last month during the sales meeting. may be too vague the render may not remember the specific repon. A more complete memo would be, ' Would you please send me a copy of the sales report for microprocessor sales In the New England region." 6- Keep the communication channel open. Let the receiver know that you are available to answer questions or provide additional information. Examples include "If you have any questions, I can be reached a! Ext. 4762; "My secretary will be happy to provide you with any additional materials you require"; "If I can be of further assistance, please let me know." In some cases you should strive to keen the channel open for the future but not for the pre-ion. !n turning someone for a bank loan, you want to let him know that this decision is final. At the same time, you want to let him know that when his financial status improves you will be happy to consider the loan.

34

Side step or minimize them. For example, in the above message the sender .could explain the reason for the cutback in economic terms: "A small cutback Now can ensure that no large reductions will be needed in the future."

Review your answer to Question 4: What communication lesson can Pedro learn from this experience?
Pedro needs to realize that communication is a two-way process. Messages that are to be transmitted need to be examined from the receiver's point of view Will the receiver interprets them the way the sender intends? If not, changes must be made. In this case, Pedro should have provided support documentation and should have visited with Barney before the communication decision and related how much he wanted the job-

Be Organized
Of what value is a single paragraph- 11 it is more; than one page long; an introduction body-close well-organized format should be used. For example, if the company is offering free physiology message?

A message should be well organize/Ed If it is short, it can be organized within a

exams to all personnel as piir1 of a wellness program, the memo might have a pa:<] graph devoted to each of the following (1) introduce and briefly discuss the value of a wellness program; (2) explain the nature of the physical exams and where and when it will be offered; and (3) encourage the individual to call. and schedule an appointment. If the message is detailed or difficult to follow, it should be broken into Segments so that it is easier to understand. For example, if the writer finds that each of the three paragraphs is overly detailed, the use of subheadings, underlining, and numbering [1, 2, 3 or (a), (b), (c); can often help. If material can be presented in a checklist format, this too can be useful in ensuring that the message is logical, complete, and understandable.

Seek Feedback
Feedback is important because it gives the other party an opportunity to provide Additional information. The sender of the message can seek feedback by encouraging the receiver to ask questions or make comments. The receiver thus becomes the sender, and the person who initiated the communication now becomes the receiver. As these roles are continually reversed, feedback flows hack and forth In providing or encouraging feedback there are a number of things the communicator should do, including the following.

1. Ask for specific information. Request any additional data that are needed to clarify the message and put this information In proper perspective.

35

2. Be descriptive rather than evaluative. Tell the person the type of information needed rather than commenting on the fact that the message you received was vague or inaccurate. Evaluative comments arc likely to make the other person angry and often have no positive feedback value 3. Time the request. Get feedback as quickly as possible but keep in mind the time demands facing the other person. It may be better to wait until after the Fencelike Committee meeting this afternoon to ask the manager for a clarification of the vacation schedule medico. 4. Keep two-way channels open. After giving feedback, allow the other person to respond. Take time to listen, and then answer questions. 5. Keep ;in open mind. After giving the other person feedback, again become The listener and focus objectively UN '/'.hat the oldie person has to say. Know Yourself It is important for you to understand the type of communicator you are and How you are likely to respond to different situations. This ^help? You healer know the changes you may have to make in adapting your communication style. There are four basic types of communicators: Directive This individual tends \o tell others what to do by making decisions for them or providing a detailed structure within which they are to respond. Noncommittal This person tends to let others work things out for themselves and seldom gets involved in the process, Humanistic This person uses a strong human relations approach and tends to keep the personal interests of the receiver in mind during a commune action, Participative This person exhibits concern for the situation and the receiver in formulating the communication. A participative individual often me ploys a combination of the directive and humanistic styles. To gain some insights regarding the type of communicator you are, take SelfAssessment Quiz 1-1. Business communication is critical to the success of every enterprise. It should be of concern to every student of business. So come with us now as we begin our study of the subject. We start by examining one of the most important environmental areas of business communication: office technology.

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Self-Assessment Quiz 1-1

Identifying Your Communication Style

In each of the following situations, there are four responses- Place a 4 next to the one you would be most likely to make, a 1 next to the response you would be least likely to make. and number the others accordingly. 1. A subordinate has failed to file his monthly cost control report a- Call him in and tell him to complete the form and submit it immediately ^ b- Let it go; these reports are not important to overall unit efficiency anyway. c. Discuss with him the benefits of filing these reports on time. d. Talk with him about why the report was not filed and make sure he files it as soon as possible. 2. A subordinate has asked you for help in developing her career plan. a- Help her describe her career goals and jointly determine what steps she should now take. b. Encourage her to develop her talents to the fullest. c, Send her to the company's training and development department. d. Evaluate her strengths and recommend Thai she pursue them. 3. Your manager has sent you a memo telling you that work productivity in your unit has to be increased in order to meet unit goals. a. Discuss with members of your unit the benefits of meeting assigned work goals. b. Review everyone's work schedule and let those who are not meeting their work. quotas know that their performance is unacceptable, c. Meet with the subordinates and discuss ways of overcoming roadblocks to Increasing output in the work unit. d. Distribute copies of the memo to everyone in your work unit. 4. You have been asked to choose one of your subordinates to attend a special training program. a. Ask the subordinates if any of them would like to attend, and if more than one respond have them choose among themselves. b. Determine who could benefit from the training, and discuss the matter with those people before you make a choice.

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 c. Pick the one you think would benefit most, and tell this individual to attend. d. Discuss the benefits of the training with the group of large, and let them decide who to send5. During a meeting of fellow managers, one of the managers says that your work group Is responsible for most oil the work bottlenecks that are occurring. a. Tell the person he's wrong, and cite some statistics to back it up. b- Say nothing. The fellow obviously does not know what he is talking about. c. Focus attention back on the individual by making a comment such as, "Gosh. I'm as interested in resolving bottlenecks as you are. What have you been doing to handle these problems?" d. Ask the individual why he feels that way, and try to Identify specific steps that can be taken to deal with the problem. Instructions Copy you' responses onto the answer sheet below by matching the number and letter of etui. Foil example, in Situation I, if you placed a 3 next to the "a" choice, a 2 new;<t to the "b", a 4 next to the "c" choice, and a 1 next to the "d" choice enter 3, 2, 4, 1, respectively, across Row 1. Use this same approach to enter all other answers.

Situation 1. (a)

(b) (c) - (d)

Situation 2. (d) (c) (b) (a) Situation 3, (b) (d). (c) Situation 4. (c) Situations. Total (a) (b) -(d) (a)

(a) (b) (c) (d) '

Interpretation . Column i represents the directive style. Columns ii, iii and iV represent the noncommittal, humanistic, and participative styles, respectively. The higher your column total, the stronger your preference for that style. Although these five situations are not sufficient to provide you an In-depth look at your communication style, preferences, they do offer some initial insights into the way you communication with others. Most managers find that the participative style is the most effective and tend to use it more than any of! The others. However, any oil the four can be useful, depending on the situation.

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POINTS TO REMEMBER
1. Communication is the process of transferring meaning. There are three goals of communication' cost containment, productivity growth, and mo real maintenance. Business communication is extremely expensive: the cost of a first-class letter will be in the range of $10 by the mid-1990s. Productivity can be enhanced through effective communication, and technology is one of the key factors in this process Morale can be improved through business communication that keeps personnel apprised of what Is going on, Involves them in decision making, and provides a basis for feedback from them. 2. The communication process has six major variables: sender, message. Channel, receiver, perception, and feedback. Some of the most important considerations in ensuring proper encoding and decoding of messages include attitudes, beliefs experiences, and communication abilities. Messages can follow both formal and Informal channels. Formal channels include downward, upward, and lateral channels. Informal channels include9'a;'r:";'iiii^ channels such as the single-strand, gossip, probability, and cluster chums. 3. There are many types of communication barriers. These can be placed into four categories: sender, transmission. Reception. and receiver. The ways of dealing witti these burners include: locus on the objective, undersland the other party, be organized, seek feedback, and know yourself.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW

1. In your own words, what is meant by the term communication? 2. How expensive is it to send a business letter? What will happen to this cost over the next live years? 3. How can effective business communication help an organization control its expenses? Explain. 4. How can effective communication help an organizations increase ifs productivity how can u effective commuication help an organization maintain high morale? Explain. 5. "The sender is the message encoder." What is meant by this statement? 6. In the communication process, how does the message differ from the channel? 7. What is the purpose of downward communication? Upward communication? Lateral communication? 8. How do informal communication channels work? Identify and describe each of the four major types of informal channels. 9. Upon which factors will a receiver's comprehension of the message depend?

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10- How does perception impact on the communication process? 11. How can feedback be achieved? Offer at least three recommendations. 12.' in what way is the senders barrier to communication? Provide at least four examples. 13. How can problems in transmission cause communication breakdown? Cite and describe three examples. 14. What are some of the most common problems in reception? Identify and describe two. 15. What are some of the most common problems in receiver comprehension? Identify and describe two. 16. How can communication barriers be reduced? State and describe four steps. 17. What are the four basic types of communicators? Discuss each 18. How can knowledge of your communication style help you be a more effective communicator? Explain your reasoning.

EXERCISES
Goals of Communication 1. Stale the primary and secondary business communication goals in each of the following: a. A manufacturing firm is going to introduce a "zero defects" program. b. A bank is in the process of announcing that it will hire ten more people to Reduce the heavy workload of the bank tellers. c. A university committee has decided to increase the average class size From 22 to 26 students and will make this announcement at next week's Faculty Senate meeting. d. A computer firm's newsletter has just printed the names of this year's five top salespeople-e. A retail store has just agreed to acquire its nearby competitor. f. A large insurance company has just announced that it intends to hire more women and promote more women into management positions. \ Communication Process 2. Write a paragraph describing an interesting verbal communication you have had within the last week. Use Figure 1-1 to describe the six communication variables in this message. 3. Choose a major story from the local newspaper. Use Figure 1-1 to describe the communication variables In this message.

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4. What communication channel would you use in handling each of the following? a. You would like to find out how satisfied your employees are with the new medical insurance program. b. There has been a change in work procedures, and everyone who works for you is to follow these new procedures effective next Monday. c. You and the head of another unit are to coordinate your efforts in implementing a new quality control program. 5. Get together with four of your classmates. Whisper a message of approximate mate 50 words to the person on your right. Have this individual whisper the message to the person on his or her right. Continue passing the mess sage until the last person has received it. Have this individual relate the message to the entire group. What conclusions can you draw from this exorcize? 6. Think of the last rumor you heard and passed on. Using Figure 1-2 as your guide, which channel best reflects the way in which your message was transmitted? What conclusions can you draw from your answer? 7. Read the following and relate what is going wrong in terms of the corn medication process. Why is the problem occurring? Be complete in your answer. TOM... Harry, the No, 3 line is down again. I want you to go out there, check things out. And get rid of the problem. HARRY; it's probably the automatic control unit. We've been having trouble with it for almost three months. Tom-Whatever it is, get rid of it-but don't do anything to stop the line. Fix things without slowing up production. HARRY: But if we pull the automatic control unit, we'll have to stop the line for at least half a day-Tom: Well, don't do that- Fix things without touching the automatic control unit, HARY: What if the problem is coming from the unit? What should I do then? Tom: Fix it any way you want just as long as you don't lose any production. Well, I've got to get going. Check back with me tomorrow and let me know how things are going.

Barriers to Communication
8. In the conversation in Exercise 7, how was the sender a barrier to communication? Explain. 9. In Exercise 7, how was the receiver a barrier to communication? Explain.

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10- Attend a talk or presentation given in a large lecture hall. Were there any problems in transmission? Why or why not? Explain, 11. Mary Rodgers is a student in Accounting I. Mary has been receiving A's on her hoecake assignments and she; got a C on her midterm exam-Usually IPO homework assignments and Ice exams (midterm and final) are each worth 50 percent old the final grade, but yesterday the professor announced that he was going 1o make a change In how this grade is determined. Here is what he said:
I have decided that since all of you have turned in a great deal of homework and have done very well! on these assignments, I am going to give you a chance for a higher grade. Here is how your final grade will be computed. I am going to average vow grades on all 10 homework assignments and then add to this number your highest exam grade, whether it is lord the middlemen or the final. I will use these scores in arriving at your final grade.

Here is what Mary told one of her friends who was absent from [he class that day.
The professor has decided to change the grading method and give us more credit for our homework assignments. He is going to take our scores on Vallejo homework assignments and add to them our highest exam score from either the mid term or the final. He will then average His in arriving at a final grade.

What mistake did Mary make In interpreting the professor's message? How might perception have helped cause this problem9 what ether barriers to communication might have helped account for the mistake? Explain.

Dealing with Communication Barriers 12. What is wrong with this memo? How can it be corrected?
Have you given any thought to our retirement program? With inflation continually eroding the purchasing power of the dollar, who can't 'i.e. what tots lustier will hold for us when we reach 6' t(I 70 yeti;. of age'-' I imp [hiking that the program ought to retie less on fixed-interest investments and more on stocks and bonds 01 course, this is only a general comment. I am not recombining any specific course of action. In any event, what do you think about all of this?

13. If you had received the Exercise 12 memo and were going to respond With a telephone call, what questions would you have for the other person? What information would you like to receive in order to clarify the memo? Explain. 14. Write a one-page essay (no more than 250 words) entitled "What Every Manager Need to know About Feedback." compare apery volt those old other students. What points di0 they emphasize list you did not? Rewrite your one1 page paper and incorporate as many new, important points a ' possible without losing the general flow and interest Of your nominal c-&say,

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15. Read each of the following situations and determine the type of communication slyer you would use. Then explain the reason(s) torn your choice. a. A work associate has come by to talk to you about his favorite aunt, who is very sick. The family doctor has operating privileges at three local hospitals, and your friend must choose one. b. Your best worker has come in late for the third day in a row. The company has a very strict rule about tardiness- Anyone who is late three days in a single week must be sent home without pay. C. You have been asked to coordinate your efforts with those of a fellow Manager in getting the company's annual United Way campaign started. d. One of your subordinates applied for tuition reimbursement from the Company and has been told that the course she is taking is not job Related, so the firm will not pay for it. She is irate and looking to let off steam.

FUTTIING IT ALL TOGETHER

Write a 300-word essay describing the type of communication style that should be used by a professor of business communication. Be sure to include in your paper a discussion of the communication process and how your recommended style would help promote this process. Be as complete as possible.

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YOUR SUCCESS DEPENDS OIN LEARNING TO COMMUNICATE

This book has been written through the collaboration of sixteen authors who are experts in different areas of business, most of whom also are professors in various business fields- The students In our communications and management courses over the years have come from diverse backgrounds and have had a wide variety of career goals. One thing they have had In common, high hopes for a successful career. Regardless of their majors or concentrations, our students realize that their ability to communicate their ideas and knowledge to others affects their opportunities and achievements. We assume that you, too, have set your sights ambitiously- To reach your goals, you will need skill in communication, because at every stage of the career ladder, communication is essential.

What Is Business and Managerial Communication?

Business and managerial communication may be defined as the use of language or graphics in business. Such communication includes telephone conversations, Interviews, meetings, oral presentations, speeches, letters, memos. electronic mail, press releases, proposals, reports, studies, videotaped podiums, video conferences, and films. Almost all business situations involve communication. Advertising new jobs; soliciting bids from vendors and suppliers; applying for licenses; consulting with lawyers, financial institutions, or advertising media, selling products and spikes, announcing a company picnic, or recommending a change in the accounting treatment of an expense-all involve communication. Language interprets the numbers of the accountant's spreadsheets, embodies agreements in contracts, describes products, conveys lies in real estate deals, interprets and compares risk and reward possibilities, explains the significance of customers' responses in marketing surveys, details union grievances, and presents the results of scientific or engineering work. Furthermore, language organizes business life. Language creates shared interpretations of what people will do and how they will do it, which is what we mean by "being organized," You must learn both oral and written communication skills. Although you sometimes can handle business communication tasks simply by talking "one-on-one," you will face many situations in which you cannot meet with the people who will use your Information. You will have to write a memorandum or a report, and that document will remain in the company tiles as legal evidence that you hired and reviewed people fairly, evaluated the hazards of products 'with concern for human safety, negotiated honestly, or proposed specific types of work. Likewise, you cannot hide behind your word processor; there will be times when speaking on your feet or participating in meetings Is the only way you can convey your message. You must be ready to meet both kinds of circumstances-.

Linda Distill, Business & ManagesaLCommunicatiw. PP.4-14.

AA

How Business and Managerial Communication May Affect Your Career Your communication skills may win your first job for you. Many personnel managers use applicants' performance in a communication course to select job candidates from otherwise academically qualified students. Once hired, your communication skill may determine whether you are promoted In a survey of Harvard Business Review readers and other executives, 98.7 percent of respondents gave "the ability to communicate" as the top-ranked criterion for manager's. In an entry-level job, communication skills associated with a company's fundamental transactions will be important. For example, if you are an engineer, your ability to explain technical problems and write persuasive reports will determine whether the company's engineering problems are sol '.'ed. If you are in retail sales, your skills in sizing up customers and using oral persuasion will affect your sales recordLater on. As you move on management positions. You will need communication skills to direct new employees to do the tasks you and others used to do: conduct meetings; negotiate among departments; Write plans, proposals, and progress reports; and resolve conflicts. As a top_level manager you will be perceived as a company spokesperson for outside audiences, you. may representing company s products on television you will affirm and motivate others to follow the central tenets of the company culture, and you -will need to articulate plans and goals with great clarity Ronald J. Naples, Chief Executive Officer for Hunt Foods, told business college deans and other executives that the primary Job of business leaders is "to communicate a vision and get people 3 to share it and contribute to the vision."

Studying Communication: It's the Right Thing to Do:

Everywhere, the message is the same. Managers, researchers, and students who are already employed say communication is important- perhaps even the single most import; skill you can acquired The presidents and chief executive officers of major corporations such as Chrysler, Coca Cola, and Nabisco have gone on record to recommend that students prepare for a career in business by studying 3 communication. They are not alone. Over 1000 executives ranked business communication than any other course taught in the business school curriculum." If you're enrolled in a communication course, you're in the right place.

How the Challenges of Communication Have Changed

While people have consistently ranked the value of communication skills extremely highly over the last thirty years, the challenges of communicating in business have changed dramatically. As companies have grown larger, expanding to serve international ;is well as national markets, and as communication technologies have become more sophisticated, new aspects of communication have become important. In addition to writing, listening, and speaking, people have had to learn to use telecommunicntions and graphics. Negotiation, persuasion, and other "people skills" nave turned out to be critical in a service economy. Everywhere, the legal context for communication has become more complex.

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Understanding intercultural and international communications is now mandatory; as you look around your classrooms today, you see people from other cultures and nations. As people change careers more frequently and now hires are given less time to become productive, knowing how to adapt to new communication environments has become a crucial survival skill. "A new employee coming here has to pick up on how the whole place works, fast. They're not here to write term papers," one audit supervisor remarked.

How These Changes Affect You

These changes have several implications: Whatever means you have used to obtain Information and prepare Communications In the past, you now must learn to work with electronic media, because these systems will become increasingly prevalent in the future. Electronic media include telephones, facsimile (FAX) machines, and photocopiers. Video, and spreadsheets, graphics, databases, and word processing software for computers. These electronic media will continue to change rapidly.For example, entering words into a computer by speaking aloud probably will be one of the most important changes in communication to occur by the turn of [he century. You must undeistand how to learn about technology, because keeping up with technological change is an ongoing process. Your first word processing program will not be your last. You must accept the Idea that you will do your own writing, because these systems tend to eliminate people who used to serve others by answering phones, sending out routine memos, and entering or key stroking messages and documents. By the turn of the century, a larger proportion of this drudgery will be handled by machines You will communicate with many people from other cultures and nations. The unification of the European Common Market and the political revolution in central European countries will accelerate the creation of global markets and iriternatlonall business, You will have to rely less on communication rules and more on your own analysis of situations, because no professor can tell you, any more than Polish professors in 1985 could have told European students, exactly what situations and problems will arise In careers a decade from now. You must learn to adapt lo new business communication situations because businesses will no longer tolerate employees who are not productive. You must be able to communicate lhr' results of your work to compete effectively. The trend toward changing jobs more frequently will Intensify the importance of adaptation skills.

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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION

DIFFERS

FROM

ACADEMIC

'New graduates need to understand the difference between the purposes of, business communication and academic communication. They must be able to. analyze and respond to new situations. In college, students write primarily to demonstrate their mastery of academic subjects such as political science or economics, to interpret literary works, and to express their feelings about personal experiences. Students sometimes are asked to advocate an idea and support it with reasons and information, but they seldom write to cause action. After reading students' papers, professors rarely use or act upon the information students have presented. ; When students take positions in business, the purpose of their communication must change. In business, people seek to create meanings that serve business purposes-produce sales, cooperation, approval, compliance, or agreement; their communication is instruments!. Business people may draw on academic knowledge as they write or speak, but their effectiveness depends largely on how they shape their knowledge to the demands of particular situations-on the results they produce. To fulfill your responsibilities in the organization, you have to understand what your fellow employee", expect you to do and how they Interpret situations. Individuals represent situations and their transactions to themselves as scenarios: abstract stories about who will be involved, when, and in what way. Employees' scenarios prescribe the roles of the people Involved; the sequence of steps in the situation; the types of documents, meetings, or presentations that are part of the situation; and the values, preferences, rules of etiquette, technological considerations, and criteria pertinent to the interactions. They use phrases such as "This is one of those situations where ..." or "In this kind of situation ..." that describe recurring events in terms of the company's goats or their department's routines. Figure 1-1 illustrates the relationship among the situation, the scenario, and the communications required, You already understand many experiences according to this model. For example, if you walked into a restaurant and a waiter immediately presented you with a bill. you would probably say, "Walt a minute, I haven I even ordered yet." You expect particular people in a restaurant to do particular things in a specific order. This common understanding of how people behave in restaurants can be called "the restaurant scenario." Business people have similar scenarios that insiders know. As a customer, you have certain expectations about employees and they have expectations about you. If you walk up to the teller's window in a bank, the teller expects you to present a check for deposit or to request that a check be cashed. If you want to make a loan, the teller will send you to a loan officer, because that's how loans are made (the loan scenario) in a bank. As a college student, you probably are familiar with the check-cashing scenario, but you may or may not have applied for a bank loan. In order to encourage people to apply for loans, one bank posted brochures about how to come in to apply for a loan and how to tell in advance whether the application was likely to be approved. In

d7

Situation
Conditions that create a need for information, services, products, or decisions.

Scenario
Actions that enable the information, services, or products to be transferred or the decision to be made

Communication
Documents presentations Meeting ;), and electronic Interaction that Initiate, Conduct, or Interpret The transaction or Decision

FIGURE 1-1. Relationship ol situations, Scenarios and Communication

addition, the employees of the bank would have had an even more detailed version of this scenario than the one customers knew.7 Business situations often involvef1 familiar sceneries, but at the heart of a business situation is a problem trial must be solved. the Transaction is the solution to the situational problem. For example, a manufacturer uses up raw materials in producing goods. When the supply of a particular raw material decreases new; quantities must be obtained. A manufacturer will be this as a routine situation and routine purchase procedures will be used to solve the problem unless something such as an unusual shortage of raw material forces additional. Nonroutine problem solving. Communication helps determine what transaction will occur and it may be part of carrying out and interpreting the transaction by means of reports, memoranda, and accounting records. The word "problem," used in a business sense, does not necessarily mean something dreadful or emotionally distressing. If customers are wildly enthusiastic about your chocolate pecan ice cream and the stores want more than you are currently producing , you acluaily have an opportunity, not some^ing to worry about. Nonetheless, in business terms, your company will have to solve the "demand problem" by ordering more chocolate and more pecans, reorganizing the production schedule w that more chocolate pecan ice cream is manufactured, and calculating the increased profits. From the plant manager's perspective your company has a Deduction problem: from the purchasing manager's perspective, there is an inventory draw-down problem, and from the accountant's perspective, the company may have a tax problem. In business, the word "problem" usually means the kind of business challenges everyone faces. There are limes, however, when "problem means "crisis," just as it does in everyday life. Problem-solving processes are used to tackle both sorts of circumstances-

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PROBLEM SOLVIING AND COMMUNICATION How Problem Solving and Communication Are Related
It is common to talk about the relationship between problem solving and communication with metaphors such as managers wear two hats, one for business activities and one for communication activities; or communication is a tool that can be used to distribute the results of problem solving to others. The "hat" metaphor tests on the Idea tin-it people behave according to their dress. The metaphor doesn't explain why there's a difference just that the difference occurs. The "tool" metaphor makes communication sound Inert, as unlikely to influence what it delivers as a shovel is to Interact with the dirt it carries. These metaphors disguise something much more exciting and fundamental. Language habits are deeply embedded in every professional group's ways of thinking and acting. Language influences how a group or specially defines its members, what it studies, what is possible in situations, and how lo resolve differences among specialists- To see what we mean, think back to a time when your parents still referred to you as "a boy" or "a girl," even though you had begun to think of yourself as "a man" or "a woman." Surely there were moments in your conversations when they spoke of what was proper "for a boy your age." The words they used affected what they perceived, their reasoning about the situation, and the course of action they would consider. So long as they perceived you as a juvenile, certain actions were impossible and certain solutions couldn't be tried. You will be intellectually rewarded for studying how language functions In all of the specialties you study and all of the situations you encounter on the job. For example, watch how Individuals represent themselves in documents. The financial accountant strives for an utter impersonality in tone that implies, "I have no vested interest in this matter; I'm simply showing you how these Standards or rules apply to this transaction." The financial analyst, on The other hand, must deal with future events and must convince the reader that he or she is trustworthy reasonable, and likely to make good predictions in several areas: future Interest rates, the competence of management, and the future of the industry. The financial analyst must display his or her character in order to generate trust. The differences between other specialties hinge on other factors, but all of them are fascinating, and the chapters at the end of the book will explore some of them. This is the first text, so far as we know, that brings together a variety of specialists to felt you how language works in their specialties and the critical factors to consider when dealing with situations in these areas.

Problem Solving and Communication: Combined Steps

Communication and problem-solving functions, which are discussed in the final part of this chapter, are closelyeven inextricably-linked. Problem solving involves communication in defining the problem, summarizing and analyzing information, generating alternatives, and negotiating the evaluation of these 49

Alternatives. Furthermore, communication Is an essential part of developing support for any solution. Communication also Involves problem solving; analyzing the need lor communication and the audience that must be addressed, generating alternatives, and making choices. Because problem solving and communicating are so closely linked in business situations, many chapters in this book refer to problem solving and communication steps in combination. You should, therefore, become familiar with these steps, The steps used to solve a particular problem depend on the nature of the problem and the training of those solving it. Some company problems are routine and well-defined; others are unanticipated and ill- defined. The processes used to address routine problems and select a transaction are often a compressed subset of the processes that should be used to handle nonroutine problems. However, both compressed and Full-scale process breaks down into understanding and solving phases.'' Keep in mind that any list of atop describing a process is a simplified version of something complex and variable. When solving a complex problem, typical successful problem solvers use the following steps:

UMDEKSTAMD THE PKOBLEM

1. State the problem 2. Obtain and review necessary information 3. Perform the appropriate analysis or task 4. Scrutinize the problem from additional perspectives 5. Redirect the focus from symptoms to causes of the problem SOLVE THE PROBLEM 6. Generate alternative courses of action 7. Define objective criteria 8. Select a course of action 9. Communicate the plan and motivate others 10. Carry out and interpret the transaction We will review a full set of problem-solving steps, mentioning in the discussion how these steps may be collapsed when the problem is routine. The discussion will stress both the communication and problem-solving functions of the process, 1. State the Problem Identifying the problem at the outset may not seem necessary in a routine situation However; it is always a good exercise to name your task. If you are addressing what appears to be a no routine situation, then problem definition is necessary. Giving a name to the problem will help you be aware of your perceptual biases and their effect on problem definition obviously, you can only solve the problem you define, so appropriate definition is essential-Some of the problems that must be solved are communication problems: How to inform clients, how to build goodwill for the firm, how to attract media attention, how to explain the asks or hazards associated with the company's 50

Business to the surrounding community, how to persuade employees to work safely, how to reduce sexism or racism in the workplace, how to train everyone in the use of a new system, or how to announce company decisions to employees scattered around the globe. In addressing these problems, communication and problem solving can scarcely be separated. Your perception that a problem needs to be solved and the statement of the problem usually derives from the scenario. The scenario determines whether circumstances are typical, and if they are typical, what comes next.

2. Obtain and Review Necessary Information

The sources of information pertinent to routine problems may be well known; however, for no routine problems, research may be necessary. For most routine problems, well-defined scenarios exist; no routine situations may elicit a wide range of definitions. When confronted with something unusual, do not be surprised if other people offer you what appears to be extraneous information about apparently separate issues. What appears to be one type of problem to you may have another character altogether to someone else because of his or her technical background position in the company, or personal or departmental objectives. You can learn about research strategies for retrieving published information in print or electronic form in Chapter 12.

3. Perform the Appropriate Analysis or Task

Once you have sufficient data or resources, begin your analysis the method you use will depend on the type of technical or professional problem you have identified in step 1. Step 3, the analysis, is where the procedures of different business specialties vary. Marketing-specialists will use one type of analysis, accountants, another. If stop 2 has produced additional information that seems unfit for the appropriate analysis or tasks, Include step 4 in the process.

4. Scrutinize the Problem from Additional Perspectives

Before concluding that the results of your analysis are unequivocally correct, consider other external and internal factors that may affect the situation and reanalyze the data with other methods. For example what appears to be a labor problem may have multiple definitions. Looked at from a financial perspective, labor's demands for higher wages may affect the profitability of the company and investors' willingness to invest, looked at as a product pricing problem, prospective increases in labor costs may drive up prices and affect the company's ability to compete Looked at from a labor relations perspective, labor's demands may reflect employees' need to contribute to decision making and a broader need for more participative management. Additional information from these other fields may offer new ways to solve the original problem and account for other issues that have been uncovered.

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5. Redirect the Focus from Symptoms to Causes Before moving on to the solution of the problem, review the original problem
Definition. A prohlom incorrectly dofinorl at the outset may noon to ho restated after some analysis has been performed the most common discovery is that the problem as first stated described a symptom rather than a root cause. The redefinition of a problem 13 often necessary, because at the outset you simply do not know enough about the situation.

6. Generate Alternative Courses of Action

When using a full-blown problem-solving process, invent as many alternative solutions as possible without stopping to criticize or evaluate any of them. Creativity and criticism flourish separately, not together. Keep telling yourself (and others) that at this stage, there are no bud ideas. Try to invent options fur mutual gain- Each solution should attempt to provide benefits to all parties affected by the course of action. In routine situations, the alternatives may be well known, but do not accept them too quickly. Many examples can be cited in which people too quickly accepted the idea That a routine situation lay ahead and proposed a traditional (and inappropriate) solution. In the early 1970s, the Swiss watch industry expected to continue dominating the market with traditional mechanical watches and failed to develop electronic watches and sophisticated marketing strategies. As a result. Swiss watch manufacturers lost much of their market share to Japanese companies.

7. Define Objective Criteria

How will you recognize a good solution when it is offered? Define a set of criteria that can be applied within objective measures. Unless the options can be tested against specific criteria, people may evaluate options with different standards and reaching a consensus will be hard. One university department announced a position for an economics scholar, but the members found them deadlocked between two prominent candidates. Half of the voting members preferred a candidate with an excellent leaching record who would be appealing to undergraduate students that is other half interested in the graduate program and the department's national reputation, favored a scholar with an acceptable but rather mediocre teaching record but an outstanding record of research and publication. Debate over the "quality" of each candidate was fruitless because of the underlying disagreement about criteria without defining objective criteria, the members could not move forward in their problem-solving process. In al! Organizations, problem solvers must adopt criteria that take Implementation and the company environment into account Models a 10 widely used in generating business options. People sometimes expect the real world to act as a model does. And they ignore Implementation problems. Any change to a model implies that people perform tasks different and respond differently! O standard business situations, before accepting any single option produced by a 52

Model, you should analyze whether people can or will change their behavior to conform to the model. The process of communicating often helps you to discover solutions. For some people, saying whatever comes to mind causes fresh ideas to bubble up. For others, writing brings about the bright ideas. Researcher Lee Odell comments that insight occurs while a person writes because some of the mental processes that enable the person to understand a subject also enable him or her to formulate and support the assertions In writing'' During planning or drafting, you may come to see the problem In a different light and redefine the problem and its solutions. The writing and problem-solving processes work together, as the act of articulating perceptions creates new connections among pieces of evidence or modifies routine habits of thinking, Specialists frequently solve problems during the report writing or communication phase, because much of the data-gathering and analysis go On under condition? That allow little time for reflection. Thinking about communication often forces closure on a problem. The creative part of your work may begin as you sit down to interpret data in light of the audience and the situation.

8. Select a Course of Action

There may be no clearly superior course of action, although something must be done. One of the alternatives that appears to be superior in one respect May be accepted as the culminant alternative if it is not clearly inferior in another respect, he objective at this stage is to develop a consensus, either by moans of a document or through presentations and meetings. Even if the decision is to be made by one person, It Is almost certain that many other people will in some way is affected. The course of action may involve one transaction or many, depending on the size and importance of the problem.

9. Communicate the Plan and Motivate Others

Once a solution has been chosen, one or more people must communicate the Decision to others and motivate them to cooperate. This stage of the process may be more important than all the others, because unless people are motivated to cooperate, the solution may not be implemented. If those who must implement the decision were involved in the earlier stages of problem solving, it may be easier to convince them to cooperate and to implement the decision.

10. Carry Out and Interpret the Transaction

This phase almost always involves communication, as the transaction must be completed to solve the problem. Even if the transaction is electronic (sale of shares) or mechanical (production of 2000 units of a product), the transaction must be recorded in someway. Later, the usefulness or value of the transaction will be interpreted in an operations report, accounting report, briefing, and closure

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report, or some other form of communication. This interpretation will, in turn, affect the organization's perception and definition of other situations in the future Communication and problem solving are not identical, for all of their Interconnections. Some studies of problem solving show that people may use nonlinguistic cognitive processes in analyzing problems 01 in generating solutions. Visual thinking (such as the perception of shapes or three-dimensional spatial perception), musical perception, or calculation can be used to interpret information ordering" solutions Even these analyses and solutions must usually be explained. In language, lo other people on the; other hand, some language processes do not seem aimed at resolving differences. People use language to entertain one another. To provide emotional solidarity, and to create works of art. Some of the components may be the same, but the purposes differ. Because business focuses on dealing with situations and attaining goals. ; A great deal of time is spent preparing for carrying cut? And evaluating transactions to solve problems, therefore the language of business is dedicated, in large part, to problem solving, as well.

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THE FIRST FOUR MINUTES

The fortune cookie is right. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. You make first impressions every day. They are the life-blood of business and professional people. You succeed or fall by the Impressions you create in briefings interviews, phone calls, sales meetings, conflict resolutions and the myriad encounters of everyday business life. In the fast pace of a workday, deals can be won or lost, careers made or destroyed, relationships established or broken - all in a matter of minutes in fact, in face-to-face encounters, you get only two to four minutes. On the telephone you have just seconds. First impressions are made of the things people notice about you during those crucial first minutes. They include your appearance, facial expressions, movement and tone of voice as well as your words" a rich lode of data with which to form a profile, a picture and an impression of you. If that first impression is positive, it is like putting money in a bull market: your investment will pay big dividends. But a negative Impression may be difficult, perhaps impossible, to change. Power and credibility go to those who make good impressions, from a lawyer making opening arguments to a salesperson making a closing pitch, from an executive talking to the press to a politician talking to the voters, from a manager appraising an employee to an applicant interviewing for a job. ' The pages that follow offer a step-by-step description of exactly what happens when you meet someone for the first time. This information is based upon solid research by experts in many fields and upon more than a decade of my experience as a communications consultant to business and Industry, a professor of speech communication and a business owner with officers on both coasts. This book can help you manage the impression you want lo make and will show you how to "read" other people. It will help you find answers lo the four key questions that define a successful communicator: * What do I LOOK like ? * What do I SOUND like? * What do I SAY ? * How well do I LISTEN? By answering these questions, you will have a great deal of valuable information about how well or how ineffectively you communicate. In this book, we will go beyond mere answers to give you immediate help on how to change or fine-tune your body language, tone of voice, choice and arrangement of words and style of listening. This book has a flexible format. You can work your way through each chapter in sequence or you can skip around, zeroing in on specific subjects. Knowing what kind of communicator you are is critical to success, for communication is what we people - especially business people - do most: As much as eighty-five per cent of your day may be spent in some form of communication -most of 11 speaking with and listening to others, according to a survey of business people conducted at Arizona Slate University's College of Business Administration.

ELSEA. J. The Four Minutes Sell pp.7-19. 55

 The typical working American gives about a dozen "speeches" a year- oral presentations to staff, clients, community groups, labor unions and professional associations. You spend two to four times as much time talking on the telephone as you do using any other technology, including computers and word-processors ]f you aie an executive, you upend about fourteen per cent of your day on the phone. Communication skills rate second only to Job knowledge as important factors in a businessperson's success, according to one study of five hundred executives. Although nearly every waking moment is spent, listening or speaking to someone or something, the truth is most of us havent the faintest notion of what we look like, how we sound, what we say or whether we are good listeners And yet scientific research verifies that when meeting someone for the first time, how you say something and what you look like when you say it are much more important than the words you actually speak. If people aren't quickly attracted to you or don't like what they see and hear in those first two Lo four minutes, chances are they won't pay attention to all those words you believe are demonstrating your knowledge and authority. They will find your client guilty, seek another doctor, buy another product, vote for your opponent or hire someone else. During your first few minutes of interaction with others, their attention span is at its greatest and their powers of retention highest- their eyes and ears FOCUS on you and tell their brains what they sec and hear. That process of creating first impressions is intriguing but somewhat predictable. Depending on the other person's background and expectations, as well as the context of the interaction, here Is what experts tell us .typically happens when you meet someone for the, first time, . , . , First, people tend to focus on what they can see. In fact, there is a specific order by which others process Information about you. While social scientists disagree on the precise sequence. that order generally appears to be : Color of skin gender age appearance facial expressions eye contact movement personal space touch So much meaning is conveyed by these nine components of nonverbal communication that a number of communication experts believe "what you look like" constitutes more than half the total message. An astonishing fifty-five per cent of the meaning is conveyed by facial expressions and body language alone. And you haven't yet opened your mouth. Next, people focus on what they can hear. When you speak, out comes a voice with additional characteristics, among them rate of speech, loudness, pitch, tone and articulation. These give the other person more information about you. Your voice-not including your actual 56

words-may transmit as much as thirty-eight percent of the meaning in face-to- face conversations; it conveys a great deal more Information on the telephone, because the other person is deprived of your body language-facial expressions, gestures, eye contact and all the rest. Last, and certainly least in terms of those first few moments, the other person gels around to your words, which contribute a mere seven per cent to the meaning. It's not that your words are unimportant. But if others do not like what they see, or if they get past your body language only to be stopped by something in your voice, they may not care at all about what you say. Their minds already may be made up, their first impressions indelibly formed-

WHAT DO 1 LOOK LIKE ? What happens in this process is akin to programming a computer: your audience takes in a number of "bits" of Information about you, forming a composite, or pattern, of you. If not slopped by one variable, such as race or gender, it moves down the list to the next one, and so on- until all of you have been "read" and "processed." If you walk into a meeting of people you don't know and you are the only one not wearing a suit, for example, you likely will stand out. As research by psychologist Nancy Henley points out, if you are the only man in a meeting of women, you will continue attention because your gender has more Initial power and authority. (The opposite would likely not happen: one woman in a roomful of men might be ignored.) But if you are a black sales rep assigned to a territory of predominantly white clients, your skin color will be noticed, and negative stereotypes may afflict the reception you are given. If your skin color, gender or appearance aren't "unexpected" or unusual, the perceiver then looks to your face, posture, gestures and the amount of persona] space you occupy for further clues informing an Impression, All of this takes mere seconds, predictably in the sequence outlined earlier. It might be useful at this point to recall the psychological notion of "figure and ground." Sometimes, what people notice about you stands out above everything else and becomes figure (such as race. gender and perhaps appearance); at other times, these very characteristics blend in and become ground. Thus, depending on the background and experience of the perceiver, significance may be given to a "part" of you that has little to do with your skills or expertise-your handshake, for example, or how quickly you speakrather than to your qualifications or your verbal message. With so much of the meaning garnered from body language alone, the question, and What do I LOOK like? takes on special significance, as Chapter Two points out While the weak grip in your handshake, the accent In your voice, or the frown on your face may have nothing whatever to do with the "real' you or the purpose of the interaction, the other person may never get beyond those characteristics to what you are saying.

WHAT DO I SOUND LIKE? Having processed the nonverbal information about you, the person seeing you for the first time now turns to the next source of information: your voice. Here again, as psychologists, speech therapists and others confirm, a great deal of information becomes available. Your voice tolls a lot about your personality, attitude and anxiety level -it is a touchstone against which to relate and compare your words. 57

Experts in productivity and worker morale, for example, have uncovered fascinating evidence that supervisors voices can affect employee performance. The intriguing work by Industrial psychologist sagar Seagull shows that the communication effectiveness and management style of executives can be determined - with a high degree of reliability -- by studying their vocal attributes. In her system which has some empirical verification, locus is on auditory cues. Especially pitch levels and rates of speech. By listening to vocal cues, Seagull can. With surprising accuracy, describe a person's "mental focus, precision, collaborative skills flexibility endurance ask-taking abilities and performance levels". So, by monitoring their own voices and those of others, managers and executives can focus attention on making improvements, Answering the question, "What do I SOUND like?" Can have big payoffs in formal situations, such as job Interviews, press conferences, oral presentations or questioning witnesses. It also helps In more powerful ways' you can learn to recognize signs of tension and stress in your own voice and in the voices of others, as well as to use one of several vocal characteristics - such as rate or loudness - to energize an audience, client or jury. Chapter Three examines this remarkable and irreplaceable instrument, discussing each vocal variable and how you can make changes and refinements. It suggests how to keep your voice along and healthy and recommends techniques for monitoring your voice as you talk. Among other things, the Information you'll learn should dispel old myths about deep. Loud, low-pitched voices being the only way to sound powerful through analysis of your own voice, you will [earn which aspects you want to work on and which ones you should leave alone. The advisers to one recent candidate for the U.S. Senate did exactly that, because their client had a high-pitched voice accompanied by a slight lisp. Despite work with a voice coach, he made little progress. But he passed visual inspection easily and did well in small-group interactions. So, his advisers kept him as quiet possible for as long as they could. They used a narrator with a deep voice for the candidate's campaign commercials, relied extensively on print for ads and avoided debates, press conferences and broadcast interviews. He won handily.

WHAT DO I SAY?
If nonverbal and vocal communication constitutes more than ninety per cent of the message during the fusty few moments, why bother with language at all because you want to enhance and exploit that initial positive impression to communicate effectively the matter al hand. To do this, you must know what to say. That's why verbal skills as you will see in Chapter Four must be suited to audience. Situation And topic, and must support and balance the nonverbal and vocal messages already conveyed, Let's take a brief look at a communicator who has put it all together - body language, voice and words. He's Arthur Bergman, fictional chief executive officer of Consolidated Brands. Consolidated Brands' Image was built around its personal relationship with customers. Arthur Bergman personally made it a point to further that image Even so. The -''angry consumer gathered in a knot outside his door were surprised when his secretary ushered them into his office. Bergman stood up, came around his desk and shook hands within each, asking names and giving his as he moved among them- He motioned for them to sit and, as they began taking their places, he perched on the edge of his desk.

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He wailed patiently, looking directly at each person; one hand rested on his desk, the other on his leg. Finally, Bergman opened his suit jacket and began speaking in a friendly but strong voice: "I understand you have some concerns about one of our new products. I'd like to hear them." Bergman's style is a good example of a balance between what is said and how it is said. On A higher level it also mirrors the style of his company open, reasonable and accessible - but in control and powerful- From the hospitability of his secretary to his skills in using the trappings of his position. Cragsman created an atmosphere of openness; and calm. Ho disarmed the angry consumers by recognizing the legitimacy of then concerns and listening to them, Yet Bergman admitted nothing. Nor did he allow the group to control the confrontation. His every movement commanded respect, from his seemingly casual position overlooking them to his Direct eye contact, from his strong but warm voice to his clear, straightforward language .Even this choice of words conveyed recognition of the issue without dofending his company or discussing solutions. Productive discussions can come later on.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSISTENCY Bergman provides testimony to the need for all three channels of information - body, voice and words to work together to support one another: what he said was reflected by how he said it. This matter of balance between language and delivery is critical in making positive first impressions. When one channel is" "out of sync" with another, a double message may be Communicated the other person is left to figure out which to believe - what you said or how you said it. Studies show that most people tend to believe your body; language and your tone of voice over what you say. Your actions truly do speak louder than your words. People believe what they can measure, and that is what their eyes and cars tell them. Let me illustrate the importance of consistency by telling of client referred I to me by his company. This fast-track executive feared his career was being derailed by those he knew didn't like or trust him. He confessed to not knowing why they felt that way because, as he put it, "I get results,' During the first few minutes in my office, he invaded my personal and professional space by dragging his chair up to my desk and patting me on the shoulder, calling me by the first name on my business card (although only my Mom uses it) and frequently interrupting me. He spoke, however, of "teamwork," of sensitivity to his employees feelings and of the need for ongoing, two-way communication with his staff, The disparity between what he said and the way he acted was so great that I questioned his Desire to change his behavior, given his tendency to dominate in the presence of a stranger and an assertive one at that - one could imagine 'ii,-, domineering behavior imagine his domineering behavior among fellow workers. This executive's insensitivity, clearly manifested in his poor listening skills and intimidating Body language, could spell! The end of his rise to the top, unless he is willing to change. A study by the Center for Creative Leadership, a nonprofit research and educational institution, found that "insensitivity to others was cited as a cause for derailment more than any other flaw" in the man (no women were studied) who fell short of ultimate success. There may be times, of course, when you want to risk a discrepancy between what you say and how you say It - when summarizing an opposing client's actions before a jury, for example 59

when concealing your position in delicate negotiations, or perhaps when you are furious at your boss. The point is to know-when your communication channels are Inappropriate and inconsistent and to underhand the problems such dissonance may create. Let me say it again, for it cannot be overstressed; in interpersonal communication, there must be an ongoing and perceived consistency between what you say and how you say it. Trust and, ultimately success are built upon such consistency. Understanding the nature of consistent. communication can be a powerful tool. You can intensify something you wish to communicate, for example, by giving the same message in two or more channels Telling new employees how glad you are to have them abroad will help build an even greatci level of trust if you smile while you say those words; and speak with sincerity and warmth. Being visible and accessible to your staff and customers gives power and meaning to statements about "open communications" and "participatory management." Such power can extend beyond your own ability to communicate. By understanding how Appearance, voice, words and other verbal and nonverbal characteristics reflect personality, attitude and feelings, you gain a valuable tool for "reading" other people - Intends and foes alike. You gain powerful advantage over those with whom you do business. In addition to the interpersonal benefits from consistent, positive first impressions, there are important economic considerations. Think about this next time you overhear an employee being curt to a disgruntled customer or a supervisor chewing out a colleague in front of a client... it costs five times more to create a new customer lhan to keep an existing one. According to a 1983 study by the Direct Selling Foundation. Moreover, an unhappy customer will tell nearly a dozen others about a bad experience and thirteen per cent of them will tell twenty others. And on and on.

HOW WELL DO I LISTEN? Some top executives in ;) large New York bank neglected to consider the impact of first impressions when they decided tellers would wait only on customers with five thousand dollars or more in their accounts; others were relegated to automated teller machines. Perhaps one reason So many customers labeled and took their business elsewhere was that machines can't listen. This bank happened to be one with a solid reputation for attempting, us it quickly rescinded that policy. Listening is the final component in making positive first impression- it is the other half of the communication process. How many of us forget it takes two to communicate? Recall your own experiences where others have been such poor listeners you've not bought their products, not hired them, not believed them or simply not warned to talk to them We may louk good, sound fine and even say the right things, but still biow It by not listening, or by listening in an Inappropriate manner. Chapter Five helps you answer the question, "How well does I LISTEN?" Consider the importance Of the listening process the higher you go in your precession the more of your working day is spent listening to others. Moreover, some styles of listening are more appropriate to cerium kinds of messages than others. Listening is a skill that can be learned and practiced. And, as you'll see, it can make you a more powerful communicator. 60

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER By now you may be asking yourself, 'How can I be my natural self if! Have to worry about what I look like and how fast I talk when it's all I can do to put together two consecutive intelligent Sentences under the pressure of meeting somebody for the first time. You're right Such moments are too important to be worrying about body language or tone of voice, or even choice' of words. But just like the briefing papers you review before an important meeting, these matters of communication phonic! Be studied before the interview, before the performance appraisal before the make-or-break presentation. Without such preparation, all of the salient facts and key selling points you have memorized may be for naught, That is why you might want to take each communication channel in sequence, choosing which now behaviors yon want to practice along The way lo help make them part of yon automatic response' system Chapter Six can help you pull it altogether. .it offers a guide to resources, people and training programs available lo help you solve specific problems, even if you're on a limited budgetPerhaps you are saying to yourself what a participant in one of my workshops once said, hands on hips, BROW FURROWED AND VOICE STERN. I don't believe that nay quid:' its so unimportant; People just have to listen to what I say and take me for what I am." And I dld-1 took him to be an angry, threatened Individual and moved on to another person's question, asked in a manner I took To be (air less thistle. There is a saying that "You cannot communicate." Everything you do or say, don't do or don't say communicates something. The following pages offer Information and advice on how to change things about you that you can (and wail to^ change You will learn bow to undcisland and accommodate- such thing that can't change- My goal is help you communication more effectively and to understand better those who communicate with you. As Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote, "To be what we are, and to be what we are capable of becoming, is the only end in life."

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