Communication at work
You need to transmit a message in a form that assures the recipients understand what it means and is not open to different interpretations.
On occasions, what people do not say is as important as what they do say and sometimes we communicate more by the way in which something is said.
Language Terms:
\- locution: the set of words arranged in some order. E.g.: “this is a long meeting.
\- Illocution: can be hidden within the literal meaning of the words. E.g.: “Tom is very thorough� might mean “Tim is very slow, I would have finished this hours ago.�
Deaux et al. (1993) said that we use words for five things :
\- describe something
\- trying to influence someone
\- expressing feelings or attitudes
\- making a commitment
\- trying to accomplish something directly
Language Terms
\- meta language: words take on a specific but non-literal meaning
\- para language: how something is said (pitch, rhythm, intensity, pauses, non-verbal vocalisation)
The extend to which people can control and interpret non-verbal behaviour undoubtedly influences their success in communication. Things you need to control would include: body posture, waving, facial expression, eye contact – gaze, body contact, orientation, personal space, …
Electronic communication develops its own jargon (meta-language) and its own hidden meanings (para-language).
There are several approaches to visualise the communication process and Shannon and Weaver (1949) said that there are 4 necessary components (source, transmitter, receiver, destination).
Information source -> message -> transmitter (encoding) -> signal -> noise source (message interference) -> signal -> receiver (decoding) -> message -> destination
This visualises that there can be a lot of problems along the road.
Deaux et al. (1993) improved upon this model:
\- both parties are sending and receiving (one talks, other one smiles).
\- both bring in expectations and understandings of “self� and “context�
\- individuals needs to share some common ground
In this model, which was also used by Clark (1985), the emphasis is on the importance of context and the shared set of rules and beliefs.
We are often unaware of this and how we sound until we hear ourselves retrospectively.
In terms of your communication needs you need first of all to stay informed and keep people informed.
Understanding (sharing of the believes) your audience is critical to any form of communication and a key aspect of any presentation.
In terms of communication climate you can have:
\- Open and Supportive
o Descriptive
o Solution-oriented
o Open and honest
o Egalitarian
o Forgiving
o Feedback
\- Closed
o Judgemental
o Controlling
o Deceptive
o Non-caring
o Superior
o Dogmatic
o Hostile
Obviously the open ones are much more pleasant to work with.
Listening is another important part of communication and there are three types.
\- Support listening: your role is to show that you understand without deterring the other person from continuing
\- Responding listening: relationship building. The sharing aspect of the communication is more important than the information-gathering aspect.
\- Retention listening: listening for facts and hard information
Skills for active listening include the following:
\- listening for message content
\- recognising barriers, seeking clarification
\- identify the purpose
\- respond with facial expressions and gestures
\- check (do verbal and non-verbal cues fit?)
\- encourage
\- reflect