MBA Trimester II

Managerial Communication

A good CONVERSATIONALIST is not the one who remembers what was said, but says what someone wants to remember.
COMMUNICATION works for those who work at it.

Contents
1. Communication 2. Introduction to Managerial Communication 3. Types & Ways of Managerial Communication 4. Direction of Communication Flow 5. Importance at the workplace 6. Barriers to Effective Managerial Communication 7. Skills required for effective Managerial Communication 8. Communication for Managers 9. Verbal and Non- verbal Communication

Communication
The exchange of information between two or more people.

There are many different models of the communication process, but here are some of the key elements:
the sender or communicator: the person who initiates a message.

the receiver or interpreter : the person to whom a message is directed)

the message : the verbal and/or nonverbal content (ideas, thoughts, information) encoded by the sender and decoded by the receiver. Encode: formulate words to transmit message. the channel : the medium by which the message is delivered and received; mode used to transmit message.

Cont.
Decode : receiver listens or reads message clearly. the Receiver : person processes and reacts to message.

the context (the setting and situation in which communication takes place; physical, social, cultural context).

Noise (anything that interferes with the accurate expression or reception of a message; physical or psychological).
Feedback (a response from the receiver indicating whether a message has been received in its intended form). Effective communication takes place when a sender's message is fully understood by the receiver.

Communication Process
Sender Encoding Channel (Message) Receiver Decoding

Noise

Feedback

Response Context

Co-orientation in the Communication Process

An interesting manifestation of the attention paid to the receiver in the study of the communication process is the concept of 'co-orientation. The idea behind this concept is that two persons can have similar perceptions and interpretations of the same object, and the greater the similarity (co-orientation), the more efficient will be the flow of communication between the persons. Conversely, an intense flow of communication may increase coorientation." (Juan Diaz Bordenave, "Communication Theory and Rural Development." Communication for Social Change Anthology, ed. by Alfonso GumucioDagron and Thomas Tufte. CFSC Consortium, 2006)

Managerial Communication - Intro

A function which helps managers communicate with each other as well as with employees within the organization. Helps in the smooth flow of information among managers working towards a common goal. The message has to be clear and well understood in effective communication. Enables the information to flow in its desired form among managers, team leaders and their respective teams. The objective may be to inform, to persuade, to train, to motivate, to educate, to relate, to rectify , to entertain etc. Communication facilitates all the functions of management including planning, organising, instructing, coordinating and controlling.

Cont.
Represents the decisive means by which the manager fulfils his/her tasks and duties and employs the competences and skills pertaining to his/her role in the company and in the relations with the business partners. The manager sends information to the members of the organization and the business partners, and their response influences his/her decisions and behaviour. This system needs to be conceived as a dynamic organism, capable of adapting to the information needs of the company at any moment, at all the levels and in all senses, laying the stress on the problems that influence and condition its normal functioning.

Types
Interpersonal Communication - Interpersonal communication generally takes place between two or more individuals at the workplace. Organizational Communication - Communication taking place at all levels in the organization refers to organizational communication. a) Formal b) Informal

Ways of Managerial Communication

It is really essential for managers to express their views clearly for the team members to understand what exactly is expected out of them. i. Verbal Communication: done with the help of words written or spoken; right words should be used clearly and precisely. It consist of speaking, listening, writing, reading and thinking. One of the most reliable modes of communication. Non- Verbal Communication: includes use of pictures, signs, gestures and facial expressions for exchanging information. Wordless message conveyed through signs, movements etc.

ii.

Direction of Communication Flow

Upward Communication: Flow of information from employees to managers is called upward communication. Upward communication takes place when employees share their views with their managers on their nature of work, job responsibilities and how they feel about the organization on the whole. Communication with the higher ups Solutions please!! Time is important Appointment &Agenda Be Precise Give Accurate Information Clarify your point of view Dont Assume Filtering problem, distortion etc.

Direction Contd.
Downward communication: information flows from managers to the subordinates.
a) Policies and decisions, c) Value the input e) Convince or activate g) Targets and feed back! i) Last word yours! b)Seek clarification d)Be empathetic f) Listen to people h) Dont be Rude

Crosswise Communication: includes the horizontal flow of information, used to speed information flow, to improve understanding, and to coordinate efforts but may create difficulties. Include informal meetings, lunch hours, task teams across departments etc.
a) Develop Relations b) Give Feedback c) Share Information d) Avoid Arguments e)No loose talk f) Neither less nor more g) Rumors will spread

Barriers in General
1. Encoding Barriers Lack of sensitivity to receiver Lack of Basic Communication Skills. Insufficient Knowledge of the Subject. Information Overload. Emotional Interference.

2. Transmitting Barriers Physical Distractions Conflicting Messages. Channel Barriers. Long Communication Chain.

Cont.
3. Decoding Barriers: Lack of Interest Lack of Knowledge Lack of Communication Skills. Emotional Distractions. Physical Distractions

4. Responding Barriers: No provision of feedback Inadequate feedback

Barriers to Effective Managerial Communication

As responsible managers, one must stay away from nasty politics at workplace. Listen carefully what the other person has to say before jumping to conclusions. Do not address your team members just for the sake of it. Take care of your pitch and tone. Do not address employees during lunch hours or when they are about to leave for the day. Prefer not to interact verbally. Do not communicate separately with your team members as information might not reach in its desired form.

Skills Required for Effective Managerial Communication

Body Language and overall personality of an individual play an essential role in effective communication. People generally like to communicate with someone who is nicely dressed and presentable. Take care of your facial expressions and gestures. Express your thoughts in positive way. Be Honest and Speak Relevant. Be a good listener Be Focused and Confident. The pitch and the tone need to be taken care of. As a good manager, you ought to be impartial towards all your team members. Communicate on a common platform. Know when to communicate.

Cont.
Mangers should address the following barriers in communication environment : Noise and distractions: External distractions range from poor acoustics to uncomfortable meeting rooms to crowded computer screens with instant messages and reminders popping up all over the place. Competing messages: Having your audiences undivided attention is a rare luxury. In many cases, you must compete with other messages that are trying to reach your audience at the same time. Too many messages can result in information overload, which not only makes it difficult to discriminate between useful and useless information but also amplifies workplace stress. Filters: Messages can be blocked or distorted by filters, which are any human or technology intervention between the sender and the receiver. Filtering can be both intentional or unintentional (such as an overly aggressive SPAM filter that deletes legitimate e-mail). Channel breakdowns: Sometimes the channel simply breaks down and fails to deliver your message at all.

Communication for Managers

1. Analyzing the Situation

CONTEXT Purpose Audience Communicator

2. Deciding on the Communication Strategy

Content

Structure

Managerial Style

Channel

Cont.
Developing a Communications Strategy
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Statement of Purpose: why you have developed a communications

strategy and what you hope to achieve with it. Current Position: PEST, SWOT & Competitors Analysis: How can threats be turned into opportunities, how can you play on your strengths through effective communications? Organizational objectives and Communication Objectives: communications strategy should closely reflect your overall organizational plan. Identifying Stakeholders: both external and internal Messages: break down your objectives into relevant messages for each of those audiences. Key Communication Methods: e-bulletin, conference, workshop, leaflet, press release, event or broader methods such as media and your website. Work plan : indicates the key communications activities, budget and resources allocated to delivering the strategy. Success Evaluation: a must

3. Deciding on Managerial Style

Communicators Control Audience Involvement

Join Consult

Join Consult Sell

Sell
Tell

Tell

4. Deciding on Structure
Direct
Informative

Indirect

Main points followed by Subsidiary points subsidiary points preceding main point

Persuasive

Recommendations backed by arguments

Direct

Arguments leading to recommendations

Indirect
High Negative Low

Audience Involvement Audience Bias Your Credibility

Low Positive High

Communication Style
The Interpersonal Attitude Instrument that each of us has a default communication style. These are not better or worse --just different. Type A: Analyst Data Focus: Analytical, realistic, Quantitative, problem solver, Rational, Likes numbers, technical, Understands money, Mathematical, Logical, Critical Type B: Innovator Creative Focus (This is the hardest one to learn): Imaginative, Visionary, Holistic, Artistic, Intuitive, Integrating, Synthesizing, Conceptual, Speculative, Innovative, Impetuous (impulsive), Curious, Playful, Takes risks, Breaks rules, Likes surprises, Asks Why? Type C: Producer Results Focus : Organized, Planned, Detailed , Punctual, Reliable, Stable, Careful, Consistent, Practical, Neat, Administrative, Establishes procedures , Takes preventative action, Gets things done, Interested in bottom line, Asks How? Type D: Diplomat People Focus: Emotional, Sharing, Interpersonal, Team players, non verbal, Sensitive to others, Supportive, Likes to teach, Expressive, Loquacious (talkative), Asks who?

Communication Style
Style Positive
Industrious, Realistic, Problem Solver Imaginative, Visionary, Intuitive Organized, Planned, Reliable Supportive, Team Player

Negative
Critical, Picky, in the weeds out of touch with reality Rigid, stuck in the rut

Analyst

Innovator

Producer

Diplomat

Pliable, no backbone

Communication Style in General

Any communication style should take care of these basic aspects: 1. Use simple words and Phrases. 2. Use short and familiar words. 3. Give illustration and examples. 4. Use short sentence and paragraphs. Forceful Style: The tone is be polite but firm. This is to be used when writer has a power. Passive Style: This is to be used when writer in the position lower than that of recipient of the message. Personal Style: This is to be used for communicating good news and making persuasive request for action. Lively/Colorful Style: This is to be used for good-news items, advertisement and sales letter. Less Colorful Style: This is appropriate for common business writing.

Verbal Communication
Requires the use of words, vocabulary, numbers and symbols and is organized in sentences using language. Words spoken, listened to or written affect your life as well as others. They have the power to create emotions and move people to take action. When verbal communication is delivered accurately and clearly, you activate the mind and encourage creativity.

Verbal Communication through a) Questions: challenge beliefs. Audience saying "Yes" to your suggestions and opinions indicate that you were able to influence and change their beliefs and thoughts from your spoken or written persuasion. b) Stories: carries power to induce the person to relate to what you are saying or suggesting. c) Jokes: usually helps people relax more and is opened to listen to you.
Unnecessary arguments are reduced when you are able to express yourself with great command of your language skills.

Non Verbal Communication

The most important thing in COMMUNICATION is to hear what isn't being said. Peter Drucker

Consists of all the messages other than words that are used in communication.

These symbolic messages are transferred by means of intonation, tone of voice; vocally produced noises, body posture, body gestures, facial expressions or pauses.
Individuals normally do not confine themselves to the mere emission of words. In other words, a spoken message is always sent on two levels simultaneously, verbal and non-verbal. Are trustable because they are mostly unconscious and part of every-day behaviour. People assume that non-verbal actions do not lie and therefore they tend to believe the non-verbal message when a verbal message contradicts it. Means to persuade or to control others, to clarify or embellish things, to stress, complement, regulate and repeat verbal expressions.

Cont.
Emotionally expressive and so any discourse appealing to the receivers emotions has a persuasive impact.

Although many non-verbal means are innate and universal, the contribution of non-verbal communication to the total meaning of a discourse can be culturally determined and differ in different countries.
Non-verbal communication is not only crucial in a plain daily communication situation but also for the interpreter. Not only intelligence but also emotional intelligence is needed for interpreting non-verbal elements. Much of the emotional meaning we take from other people is found in the persons facial expressions and tone of voice, comparatively little is taken from what the person actually says. Nonverbal communication is the act of imparting or interchanging thoughts, posture, opinions or information without the use of words, using gestures, sign language, facial expressions and body language instead.

Forms of Non Verbal Communication

A social and cultural environment, rather than our genetic heritage, determines the non-verbal communication system that we use. Kinesics: or body language, refers to the body movements in communication, such as facial expressions, eye contact, hand gestures and touch. Proxemics: refers to the study of the use of space in non-verbal communication, meaning anything from architecture and furniture to the distance between people who interact in a given situation. Usually, people keep a "social distance" between themselves and the person to whom they speak. Paralanguage : makes up all the sounds people produce with their voices that are not words, including laughter, tone and pace of voice, and empty words and phrases such as um and you know. Through paralanguage, people communicate their emotional state, veracity, and sincerity. Chronemics: is the study of the use of time in non-verbal communication, including people's understanding of present, past and future, their status and punctuality.

Prominent Forms
1. Intonation: The way that the senders pitch of voice rises and falls when speaking. Indicates the end of an entity of information, which in written communication is shown by means of a comma, semicolon, point, exclamation mark or question mark. To lay emphasis on a particular word or idea, a detail that the interpreter must not fail to be aware of. 2. Tone of Voice: A means by which the speaker implies his or her attitude to the message and also seeks a reaction from the listener. Aggressive, critical, nervous, disappointed, monotonous, friendly, enthusiastic, vivid, persuasive, rousing, factual tone (news)etc.

Cont.
3. Vocally produced noises Spoken discourse can be accompanied by vocally produced noises that are not regarded as part of language, though they help in communication for the expression of attitude or feeling. In contrast to the great diversity of language, non-lexical expressions are much more similar in form and meaning. Vocally produced noises include laughter, shouts, screams of joy, fear, pain, as well as conventional expressions of disgust, triumph, etc. 4. Body posture It is the bearing or the position of the speakers body. Body posture can be characteristic and assumed for a special purpose or it can correspond to the normal expectations in the context of a particular situation. Sitting, lying down, standing are not the elements of postures. When the speaker is slouched or erect, his or her legs crossed or arms folded, such postures convey a degree of formality or relaxation.

Cont.
5. Body Gestures A body gesture is a movement made with a limb, especially the hands, to express, confirm, emphasize or back up the speakers attitude or intention Regularly used in oral discourse. If a body act requires no verbal accompaniment, it is called an emblem. Examples are: hand signals such as waving good-bye, the V for victory sign or the high five signaling victory. While some emblems, for example a clenched fist, have universal meaning, there are others that are idiosyncratic or culturally conditioned. The use of the zero shape made by the fingers, for instance, does not mean the same thing in different cultures. Standing for OK in the UK, it may be a vulgar expression in South American cultures, sometimes embarrassingly so. Body gestures are always perceived and interpreted together with facial expressions.

Cont.
6. Facial expressions and eye movement Dynamic features which communicate the speakers attitude, emotions, intentions, and so on. The face is the primary source of emotions. During oral communication, facial expressions change continually and are constantly monitored and interpreted by the receiver. Examples are: a smile, frown, raised eyebrow, yawn or sneer. Eye movement is a key part of facial behaviour because the eyes are invariably involved in facial displays. The different forms are observed to be cross-cultural. The frequency of eye contact may suggest either interest or boredom or may even betray dishonesty. The direct stare of the speaker can show candor or openness.

Cont.
7. Pause A pause can have two different functions: a. It can be a brief suspension of the voice to indicate the limits and relations of sentences and their parts. A pause, then. assumes a similar function in oral discourse to intonation. b. It can consist of a temporary vocal inaction revealing the speakers uncertainty, hesitation, tension or uneasiness. In this context, a pause can also be judgmental by indicating favour or disfavour, agreement or disagreement. Consequently, the non-verbal cue of a pause can give rise to problems when interpreting it because its meaning can vary considerably. It can have a positive or negative influence on the process of communication.

Assignment No 1
Explain following definitions of communication with suitable examples.
Communication is the sum of all the things one person does when s/he wants to create understanding in the minds of another. It is a bridge of meaning. It involves a systematic and continuous process of telling, listening, and understanding.