COMMUNICATION AND HUMAN RELATIONS:Process of communication, Improving gender barriers to communication

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Human Relations MGMT611

Lesson 12

COMMUNICATION AND HUMAN RELATIONS

Communication

Communication is a critical tool for holding people together in families and in organizations. Most job and

family disputes are the result of communication problems.

Process of communication

There are three technical steps for any communication to occur:

(1) Encoding (putting ideas into symbols)

The source initiates a message by encoding the idea (or a thought) in words or symbols send to the

receiver.

(2) Communication media

The channel in the communication process is the medium that the sender uses to transmit the message

to the receiver. Although the message could be in either an oral or written form, the oral medium most

likely will be more effective because of the immediacy, if required.

(3) Decoding (understanding the message)

It is the act of understanding message (words or symbols).When the sound waves are translated into

ideas; we are taking them out of the ode they are in, hence decoding. Thus reader or listeners are often

regarded as decoders.

If decoding is successful, it leads to action.

Noise, or unwanted interference, can occur at any step in the communication process.

Difference between noise and voice

Nonverbal communication is used primarily to convey the feeling behind a message.

A substantial amount of communication on and off the job is nonverbal.

Factors of communication

A. Environment or Setting

The setting of the message often communicates something about the sender, such as seriousness of

purpose.

B. Distance from the Other Person

The physical distance the sender places between himself or herself and the receiver may communicate a

message, such as the degree of liking or warmth.

C.Posture

Receivers generally note the sender's posture even without realizing it Good posture sends out positive

messages. Offing is less Intimate and inviting than standing.

D.Hand Gestures

Hand gestures are universally recognized as conveying specific information to others. An example is

that open-palm gestures toward the other person typically convey positive attitudes.

E.Facial Expression and Eye Contact

The most reliable nonverbal signals are emitted by the head, face, and eyes, as is well known;

maintaining eye contact with another person improves communication with him or her. A person's

current state of happiness is often reflected in his or her face.

F.Voice Quality

How things are said exerts a heavy influence on how the message is received, As a consequence, voice

training is important A forceful voice, which includes a consistent tone without vocalized pauses,

connotes power and control. Gesturing can be used to improve a monotonous voice quality because it

leads to a more forceful exhale.

Human Relations MGMT611

G. Personal Appearance

Among the many reasons that personal appearance is important is that people pay more respect and

grant more privileges to people they perceive as being well dressed and attractive. The meaning of being

well dressed depends heavily on the situation. Being perceived favorable, and as physically attractive.

H. Lying as Revealed by Nonverbal Communication

A person's nonverbal behavior is often used to gauge whether he or she is telling the truth. Highly

practiced liars are less revealing. Key facial clues of lying included a crocked smile, failure to look you in

the e forced eye contact, and frequent nose rubbing.

Interpersonal communication and IT

Advances in information technology had both positive and negative impacts on interpersonal

communicative- E-mail and tele-comrnunication are two key domains for changes in communication

created by information technology.

A. E-Mail and Communication among People

· E-mail has replaced many telephone and In-person exchanges. E-mail is likely to expand and

include photographs, audio, video, and chunks of voice mail.

· Instant Messaging (I. M.) is a fast-growing variety of e-mail. Instead of picking up messages at times

you choose, you are exposed to them whenever at the computer.

· E-mail encourages indiscriminate sanding of messages, including spamming, or flooding someone

with unwanted messages.

· Other problems include using e-mail fur political purposes, managers avoiding contact with group

members, and using e-mail to reprimand others impersonally.

· A recent study with 2,500 workers suggests that e-mail is being used wisely and is under control.

B. Telecommuting

A telecommuting is an employee who works at home full-time, and send out put or part-lime, and

sends output electronically to a central office. Nearly eight percent of the workforce telecommutes.

Telecommuters miss out on the face-to-face interactions so vital for dealing with complex problems.

Limited face-time can also limit promote-ability. Another communications problem with

telecommuting is that it lacks a solid human connection.

Barriers to communication:

Communication rarely proceeds as effectively as we would like. Barriers are most likely to occur when a

message is complex, emotionally arousing, or clashes with the receiver's mental set. If you are aware of

barriers, you will be better able to overcome them.

A. Limited Understanding of People

Communication will often break down if you misread people and their needs. Limited understanding

can also take the form of making false assumptions about the receiver, thus creating a communication

roadblock.

· Different Interpretation of Words

If the receiver makes another interpretation of a key word than intended, the message may not get

through.

B. Creditability of the Sender and Mixed Signals

The more the sender of the message, the greater the probability that the message will get through

clearly. A disconnect can also occur from mixed signals--sending different messages about the same

topic to different audiences. A mixed signal also refers to sending one message to a person about

desired behavior, yet behaving in another way yourself.

C. One-Way Communication

Effective communication proceeds back and forth. Face-to-face communication helps to clarify

meanings. Instant messaging helps overcome the one-way barrier because the receiver reacts

immediately to your message.

Human Relations MGMT611

D. Emotions and Attitudes

When people are emotionally aroused they are not likely to receive messages clearly, and they may say

things they would not say if they were calm. It is best to calm down when sending and receiving

messages.

· Communication Overload

Being bombarded with information is a major communication barrier. Communication overload occurs

when people are so overloaded with information that they cannot respond effectively to messages. As a

result, they experience work stress.

· Improper timing

Many messages do not get through to people because they are poorly timed. You have to know how to

deliver a message, but you must also know when to deliver it.

E. Poor Communication Skills

Poor communication skills in both sending and receiving messages are a substantial communication

roadblock. A common deficiency in sending messages is to communicate with low conviction by suing

wimpy words, backpedaling, and qualifying. For example, "I think I might be able to finish this project

by the end of the week. A strong regional accent can create communication problems.

Improving communication skills

With determination and awareness that communication barriers exist, people can become more effective

communicators.

A. Appeal to Human Needs and Time Your Messages

Effective communicators target their audiences by appealing to their needs. If your deliver a message at

the right time, you are taking into account the person's mental conditions at the moment. Wait for the

person to be in the right frame of mind to listen.

B. Repeat Your Message, Using More Than One channel

Repeating the message several times, but not necessarily in the same way, improves the chances of it

being received accurately. A generally effective way of repeating a message is to use more than one

communication channel.

C. Have an Empowered Attitude and Be Persuasive

A person's communication effectiveness is directly proportional to his or her attitude. Empowerment is

involved here because the person takes charge of his or her own attitude.

· Discuss Differences in Perspectives

A paradigm is a model, framework, viewpoint, or perspective. When two people look at a situation with

different perspectives, a communication problem may occur. Discussing the perspectives helps because

it may lead to an understanding of why and how people view the problem differently.

D. Check for Comprehension and Feelings

Ask receivers there understanding or interpretation of what you said. Also use nonverbal indicators to

gauge how well your message has been delivered. Another consideration is to check for feelings in

addition to conveying the facts.

E. Minimize Defensive Communication

· Defensive communication is used to receive messages in such a way that our self-esteem is

protected. It is also used to send message to make one feel good.

· Denial, the suppression of information we find uncomfortable, is behind defensive

communication.

Human Relations MGMT611

F. Combat Info Overload

You can decrease the chances of suffering from communication overload by such measures as carefully

organized and sorting information before plunging ahead with reading. Being selective about your e-

mail and Internet reading is a good technique.

G. Establishing Rapport

To build rapport you need to empathize and think from the mind of the other person.

H. Engage in Small Talk and constructive Gossip

The effective use of small talk and gossip can help a person melt communication barriers. Small talk

helps build rapport. A new perspective on gossip is that being a source of positive gossip brings a

person power and credibility. Workmates are eager to communicate with a person who is a sower of

not-yet-verified developments.

J. Improve Your Telephone and Voice-Mail and Speakerphone Communication Skills

A direct way of overcoming communication barriers is to use effective telephone and voice-mail

communication skills because these two communication media often create communication problems.

Many businesses attract and hold onto customers because their representatives interact positively with

people through the telephone and voice mail.

K. Use Presentation Technology to Your Advantage

· The communication challenge with presentation technology is that during an oral presentation the

predominant means of connection-between sender and receiver is eye contact. One of the biggest

challenges is to learn how to handle equipment and maintain frequent eye and voice contact at all

times. One suggestion is to talk to the audience and not the screen.

· Improving one's receiving of messages is another part of developing better communication skills.

Unless you receive messages as intended, you cannot perform your job properly or be a good

companion. Listening is a major communication activity. Insufficient listening is extraordinarily

costly, leading to such problems as re-shipping orders and recalling defective products. A major

component of effective listening is to be an active listener. The active listener listens intensely, with

the goal of empathizing with the speaker.

· Empathy simply understands another person's point of view. By listening actively, the listener can

feed back to the speaker what he or she thinks the speaker meant.

· To be an active listener, it is also important to paraphrase, or repeat in your own words what the

sender says, feels, and means.

· To help become an active listener, keep papers and your computer screen out of sight when

listening to somebody else. Be sure to let others speak until they have finished.

Improving gender barriers to communication

Another strategy for overcoming communication barriers is to deal effectively with cultural differences.

Two areas of cultural differences are those related to gender and geography. Gender differences in

communication style have amused considerable interest, but they must be regarded as cultural stereotypes.

Individual differences in communication style are usually more important than group (men versus women).

The major gender differences in communication patterns are as follows:

Women prefer to use conversation for rapport building.

Men prefer to use talk primarily as a means to preserve independence and status by displaying

knowledge and skill.

Women want empathy, not solutions when discussing problems.

Men prefer to work out their problems by themselves, whereas women prefer to talk out solutions

with another person.

Men tend to be more directive and less apologetic in their conversation, whereas women are more

polite and apologetic.

Human Relations MGMT611

Women tend to be more conciliatory when facing differences, whereas men become more

intimidating.

Men are more interested than women in calling attention to their accomplishments and hogging

recognition.

Men and women interrupt others for different reasons. (Men want to introduce a new topic

whereas women want clarification.)

During casual conversation, women focus more on other people, whereas men emphasize sports

and leisure activities.

10. Women are more likely to use a gentle expletive, whereas men tend to be harsher.

Understanding these differences will help you interpret the communication behavior of people.As noted in

the chapter, how you combine verbal and nonverbal communication becomes part of your personal

communication style, or your unique approach to sending and receiving information. Hundreds of styles are

possible.

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