Chapter 1 Communication in the workplace

Editor's Notes

• #7: Interference in the communication process is called noise which can be caused by a variety of communication barriers. Each person has a unique mental map that represents his perception of reality. Senders use selective perception to choose the details that seem important to them. Receivers can distort details that do not fit into their perception patterns. Language is an arbitrary code that depends on shared definitions. There is a limit to how completely any two people share the same meaning for a word. A restrictive environment can be a formal communication network that limits the flow of information, so communication becomes fragmented. Also, a directive and authoritarian leadership style, can block the flow of information. Physical distractions such as bad connections, poor acoustics, or illegible copy can block an otherwise effective message. Emotional distractions can also get in the way of your message. Deceptive communicators may exaggerate benefits, quote inaccurate statistics, or hide negative information. Unscrupulous communicators may seek personal gain by making others look better or worse than they are. People constantly receive messages via e-mail, express couriers, fax machines, voice mail, websites, regular mail, pagers, and cell phones. Information overload caused by the sheer number of messages can be distracting, making it hard to discriminate between useful and useless information.
• #8: 1-6 This slide lists the three main categories of communication in business. The screenshot of the intranet at Deere & Co. provides a talking point for operational communication.
• #9: Internal communication refers to the exchange of information and ideas within an organization. Internal communication helps employees do their jobs, develop a clear sense of the organization’s mission, and identify and react quickly to potential problems. The official structure (formal communication network) is typically shown as an organization chart that summarizes the lines of authority; each box represents a link in the chain of command; each line represents a formal channel for the transmission of official messages. Information can flow in three directions. Downward flow. Organizational decisions are usually made at the top and then flow down to the people who will carry them out. Upward flow. To solve problems and make intelligent decisions, managers must learn what’s going on in the organization. Horizontal flow. Communication also flows from one department to another, either laterally or diagonally. The grapevine (informal communication network) supplements official channels. People have casual conversations at work. Most deal with personal matters, but about 80 percent of the information on the grapevine pertains to business. Some executives are wary of the grapevine, possibly because it threatens their power to control the flow of information. Savvy managers tap into the grapevine, using it to spread and receive informal messages.
• #10: External communication carries information into and out of the organization. Formal communication is the first step in creating a favorable impression. Carefully constructed letters, reports, memos, oral presentations, and websites convey an important message about the quality of your organization. Messages such as statements to the press, letters to investors, advertisements, price increase announcements, and litigation updates require special care because of their delicate nature. Such documents are often drafted by a marketing or public relations team—a group of individuals whose sole job is creating and managing the flow of formal messages to outsiders. Informal contacts with outsiders are important for learning about customer needs. As a member of an organization, you are an important informal conduit for communicating with the outside world. Many outsiders may form their impression of your organization on the basis of the subtle clues you transmit through your tone of voice, facial expression, and general appearance. Top managers rely heavily on informal contacts with outsiders to gather information that might be useful to their companies, either by networking with fellow executives or talking with customers and frontline employees.
• #12: 1-7 This outline emphasizes the points in your review of networks.
• #14: 1-8 This illustration from the text can aid your description of the structure of communication in one organization.
• #15: 1-9 You can use this outline to emphasize the factors affecting how much and what kind of communication goes on in an organization.
• #16: 1-11 This slide enables you to highlight the different contextual factors that need to be taken into account when planning an act of communication in business. Here again, a sample scenario, such as the one described on the previous slide (an employee composing a request to a supervisor for company-sponsored training), can help you explain the importance of each factor.
• #17: 1-11 This slide enables you to highlight the different contextual factors that need to be taken into account when planning an act of communication in business. Here again, a sample scenario, such as the one described on the previous slide (an employee composing a request to a supervisor for company-sponsored training), can help you explain the importance of each factor.
• #18: 1-10 This model guides your discussion of the 10 steps in the business communication process. You can point out that the communication process here is viewed as part of a larger problem-solving process, in which the two communicators work together to achieve business-related goals. You might want to go through the 10 steps by using a sample scenario—for example, an employee who decides that he or she needs a certain kind of training and wants to ask his or her supervisor for permission to take an online course at the company’s expense.
• #21: 1-12 This slide can help you help your students understand the nature of business communication as a problem-solving activity requiring careful analyzing of the facts, creative generating of possible solutions, and judging among various alternatives to pick the solution most likely to succeed.
• #22: 1-13 Use this outline to emphasize basic truths about communication.