Lesson 4 – Improving Communication



Lesson 4 – Improving Communication

Active Listening

Great managers are also great listeners. Active listeners help the person communicating a message say exactly what they want to say. If you are an active listener, you will often paraphrase and restate what you think you are hearing. Active listeners control their emotions and avoid jumping to conclusions. To be an effective active listener, you must have a sincere interest in the speaker. If you are only pretending to be interested in the speaker, he/she will quickly pick up on the inattentiveness and no longer freely express him/herself.

Carl R. Rogers and Richard E. Farson identify three important things an active listener must do:

1. Listen for Total Meaning 

Most messages have two components: the content of the message and the feeling or attitude underlying the content.

2. Respond to Feelings 

In some instances, the content is far less important than the feeling which underlies it.

3. Note All Cues 

Remember, non-verbal communication is a big part of every message.

Read the "Active Listening" article by Carl R. Rogers and Richard E. Farson for excellent examples of active listening in the workplace.

Constructive Feedback

Feedback is the process of giving evaluative or corrective information to an employee about their work. Good managers provide their employees with both frequent informal feedback and formal feedback in the form of an annual evaluation or performance appraisal.

Managers should make sure that any feedback is understandable and useful. When providing constructive feedback, managers should concentrate on three areas.

1. Ensure that the feedback is specific rather than general and make use of examples.

2. Choose a time to give feedback when the receiver will be willing and able to accept it.

3. Give only as much feedback as the receiver can handle at one time.

Read the following articles about constructive feedback:

• Giving Constructive Feedback

• Taking Constructive Feedback like a Champ

Use of Technological Tools

In today’s workplace, there are many technological tools that business uses to communicate with its employees, customers, and suppliers. Email, voice-mail, cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), e.g., Blackberry or Apple iPhone, and video conferencing are some examples of communication technology that are commonly used in the business world.

Managers should ensure these electronic communication channels are used effectively. In many cases, face-to-face communication is still the best means of communication in business.

Perception

Here is the diagram of the communication process introduced in the last activity.

The perceptions of both the sender and the receiver can be a very significant type of distortion or noise in the communication process. Perception is the way that we organize and interpret information. Perceptions are influenced by cultural backgrounds, values, and other circumstances. People often perceive the same information or situations very differently. Here are four common perceptual tendencies and distortions which can occur in the workplace.

(1) Stereotypes - A stereotype occurs when attributes commonly associated with a group are assigned to an individual. Stereotypes about gender, age, race, and disability can bias the perceptions of people in work settings.

(2) Halo effects - A halo effect occurs when one attribute of a person is used to develop an overall impression. This effect can be a positive or negative. For example, consider a manager who is upset since an employee is frequently late for work. When completing the employee’s performance appraisal, the manager might rate the employee poorly in all categories even though the rating may only be deserved in the punctuality category. The opposite could also happen where a manager thinks highly of an employee and, as a result, inflates the ratings. Managers need to be aware of this possible bias and to make sure they are objective when providing feedback.

(3) Selective perception - Selective perception is the tendency to perceive things according to our beliefs and values more than as they really are. Information that the receiver does not understand or appreciate is filtered out and ignored. Sometimes, individuals within an organization who work in different departments have difficulty communicating with each other due to selective perception. This difficulty can lead to a bias that prevents the receiver from having sufficient or correct information to make decisions.

(4) Projection - Projection means that you assign your own attributes to other individuals. A manager might assume that employees share his/her needs and values. Instead of designing jobs that fit the employees’ needs, he/she may assume that his/her staff would enjoy any job or task that he/she enjoys. It is essential that a good manager can empathize with his/her staff and see things through their eyes.

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