Lecture notes Training for Trainers in General Wingate Technical Vocational Education and Training Cluster College

1. •Lecture note
Individual assignment On
Subject Area Methods Topic
Business Communicating at Work
Chapter 1

2. • Lecture note
Lecture note
Individual Assignment On Subject Area
Individual Assignment On Subject
Methods
Area Methods
• Module Title pedagogy Module code CTPD 601
• By Berhanu Tadesse
• Submitted to: Instructors Girma Zewede
Associate Professor
•

3. Learning Objectives/ Learning Outcome:
• Identify changes in the workplace and the
importance of communication skills
• Describe the process of communication
• Discuss barriers to interpersonal communication and
the means of overcoming those barriers
• Analyze the functions and procedures of
communication in organizations
• Assess the flow of communication in organizations
including barriers and methods of overcoming those
barriers
• List the goals of ethical business communication and
describe important tools for doing the right thing

4. COMMUNICATION

5. Definition of Communication. Communication is a
complex process often involving
reading, writing, speaking and listening. It may be
verbal and non-verbal (or a mixture of
both), and it uses a variety of media (language, mass
media, digital technology, etc.).
Broadly speaking, communication is a transfer and
reconstruction of information. More
specifically, we may define communication as the
transmission and reception of ideas,
feelings and attitudes – verbal and non-verbal – that
produce a response.

6. You cannot not
communicate!
You cannot
un-communicate!

7. HUMAN COMMUNICATION:
ACTION

8. HUMAN COMMUNICATION:
INTERACTION

9. HUMAN COMMUNICATION:
TRANSACTION

11. The Communication Process
Basic Model
5.
Feedback travels
to sender
1.
Sender
has idea
2.
Sender
encodes
idea in
message
3.
Message
travels
over
channel
6.
Possible additional
feedback to receiver
4.
Receiver
decodes
message

13. The Communication Process
Expanded Model

15. Barriers to Interpersonal
Communication
• Bypassing
• Limited frame of reference
• Lack of language skills
• Lack of listening skills
• Emotional interference
• Physical distractions

16. Understanding is shaped by
•
Communication climate
•
Context and setting
•
Background, experiences
•
Knowledge, mood
•
Values, beliefs, culture

17. Barriers That Block the Flow of
Information in Organizations
•
•
•
•
•
Closed communication climate
Top-heavy organizational structure
Long lines of communication
Lack of trust between management and employees
Competition for power, status, rewards

18. Additional Communication
Barriers
•
•
•
•
•
Fear of reprisal for honest communication
Differing frames of reference among communicators
Lack of communication skills
Ego involvement
Turf wars

19. A Classic Case of Miscommunication
In Center Harbor, Maine, local legend recalls the day
when Walter Cronkite steered his boat into port. The
avid sailor was amused to see in the distance a small
crowd on shore waving their arms to greet him. He
could barely make out their excited shouts: “Hello
Walter, Hello Walter!”

20. A Classic Case of Miscommunication
As his boat came closer, the crowd grew larger, still
yelling. Pleased at the reception, Cronkite tipped his
white captain's hat, waved back, even took a bow.
But before reaching dockside, Cronkite's boat
abruptly jammed aground. The crowd stood silent.
The veteran news anchor suddenly realized what
they'd been shouting: “Low water, low water!”

21. Analysis of Flawed Communication
Process
Sender
has
idea
Sender
encodes
message
Channel
carries
message
Receiver
decodes
message
Warn
boater
“Low
water!”
Message
distorted
“Hello
Walter!”

22. Barriers That Caused
Cronkite Miscommunication
• Frame of reference
• Receiver accustomed to
acclaim and appreciative
crowds.
• Language skills
• Main accent makes "water"
and "Walter" sound similar.
• Listening skills
• Receiver more accustomed
to speaking than to listening.

23. Barriers That Caused
Cronkite Miscommunication
• Emotional interference
• Physical barriers
• Ego prompted receiver to
believe crowd was
responding to his celebrity
status.
• Noise from boat, distance
between senders and
receivers.
Which of these barriers could be
overcome through improved
communication skills?

24. Overcoming Communication Barriers
•
•
•
•
•
Realize that communication is imperfect.
Adapt the message to the receiver.
Improve your language and listening skills.
Question your preconceptions.
Plan for feedback.

26. Changes Affecting the Workplace
• Heightened global
competition
• Flattened management
hierarchies
• Expanded team-based
management
• Innovative communication
technologies
• New work environments
• Increasingly diverse
workforce

27. Changes Affecting the Workplace
• Heightened global
competition

28. Changes Affecting the Workplace
• Flattened management
hierarchies

29. Changes Affecting the Workplace
Expanded teambased management

30. Changes Affecting the Workplace
Innovative communication
technologies

31. Changes Affecting the Workplace
tehnical
environments

32. Changes Affecting the Workplace
Increasingly diverse
workforce

33. The Age of Knowledge

34. Success for YOU in the new global and
diverse
workplace requires excellent
communication skills!

35. Organizational Communication
• Functions: internal and external
• Form: oral and written
• Form: channel selection dependent on
•
•
•
•
•
Message content
Need for immediate response
Audience size and distance
Audience reaction
Need to show empathy, friendliness, formality
• Flow:
• Formal: down, up, horizontal
• Informal: grapevine

36. Communication Flowing Through
Formal Channels
Downward
Horizontal
Upward
Management directives
Job plans, policies
Company goals
Mission statements
Task coordination
Information sharing
Problem solving
Conflict resolution
Employee feedback
Progress reports
Reports of customer
interaction, feedback
Suggestions for
improvement
Anonymous hotline

37. Forms of Communication Flowing Through
Formal Channels
Written
Oral
Electronic
Executive memos, letters
Annual report
Company newsletter
Bulletin board postings
Orientation manual
Telephone
Face-to-face conversation
Company meetings
Team meetings
E-mail
Voicemail
Instant Messaging
Intranet
Videoconferencing

38. Message Distortion
Downward Communication
Through Five Levels of Management
Message
written by board of directors
Amount of message
100%

39. Message Distortion
Downward Communication
Through Five Levels of Management
Message
written by board of directors
received by vice-president
Amount of message
100%
63%

40. Message Distortion
Downward Communication
Through Five Levels of Management
Message
written by board of directors
Amount of message
100%
received by vice-president
63%
received by general supervisor
56%

41. Message Distortion
Downward Communication
Through Five Levels of Management
Message
written by board of directors
Amount of message
100%
received by vice-president
63%
received by general supervisor
56%
received by plant manager
40%

42. Message Distortion
Downward Communication
Through Five Levels of Management
Message
written by board of directors
Amount of message
100%
received by vice-president
63%
received by general supervisor
56%
received by plant manager
40%
received by team leader
30%

43. Message Distortion
Downward Communication
Through Five Levels of Management
Message
written by board of directors
Amount of message
100%
received by vice-president
63%
received by general supervisor
56%
received by plant manager
40%
received by team leader
30%
received by worker
20%

44. Communication goes bad
VP to Deans:
By order of the President, next
Thursday Halley’s comet will appear
over the athletic field. If it rains,
cancel classes and report to the gym
with your professors and students
where you will be shown a film, a
phenomena which occurs only once
every 75 years.

45. Communication goes bad
President to VP:
Next Thursday, Halley’s Comet will appear over this area. This is
an event that occurs only once every 75 years. Call the
division heads and have them assemble their professors and
students on the athletic field and explain this phenomena to
them. If it rains, cancel the observation and have the classes
meet in the gym to see a film about the comet.

46. Communication goes bad
Deans to Professors:
By order of the Phenomenal President, next
Thursday Halley’s Comet will appear in the gym. In
case of rain over the athletic field, the President will
give another order, something which occurs once
every 75 years.

47. Communications goes bad
Professors to Students:
Next Thursday, the President will appear in the gym
with Halley’s Comet, something which occurs every
75 years. If it rains, the President will cancel the
comet and order us all to our phenomenal athletic
field.

48. Communications goes bad
Student writing to parents:
When it rains next Thursday over the school athletic
field, the phenomenal 75 year-old President will
cancel all classes and appear before the whole
school in the gym accompanied by Bill Halley and
the Comets.

49. Surmounting Organizational Barriers
• Encourage open environment for interaction and
feedback.
• Flatten the organizational structure.
• Promote horizontal communication.
• Provide hotline for anonymous feedback.
• Provide sufficient information through formal
channels.

51. ETHICAL CHALLENGES
• Ethical Practices make good business sense.
• 80’s era – Greed is good… NO MORE
• 500 fortune companies + Many small Businesses

52. Pressure felt by employees to act unethically 56%
Those who admitted to conducting unethical
behavior – 48%
Common ethical violations:
• Cutting corners on quality
• Covering up incidents
• Abusing or lying about sick days
• Deceiving customers
• Lying to supervisor or underling
• Taking credit for a colleague’s idea

53. 4 COMPONENTS of ETHICAL BEHAVIUR
•
•
•
•
Honesty
Integrity
Fairness
Concern for others.
“ Doing the Right Thing Given the
Circumstances”

54. Five Common Ethical Traps
• The false-necessity trap
(convincing yourself that no other
choice exists)
“I know its wrong but I don’t have a
choice “
• The doctrine-ofrelative-filth trap
(comparing your unethical
behavior with someone
else’s even more
unethical behavior)
“What I am doing is nothing
compared to what others are
doing”

55. Five Common Ethical Traps
• The rationalization trap
(justifying unethical actions with excuses)
“I’ll be in working late anyways, I deserve a longer lunch
break now.”
• The self-deception trap
(persuading yourself, for example, that a lie is not really a lie)
“I was running the whole show, without me the
company would have collapsed”
• The ends-justify-the-means trap
(using unethical methods to accomplish a desirable goal)
“So what if I had to bribe the supplier… I saved
the company money in the long run!”

56. Goals of Ethical Business Communication
• Telling the truth
• Labeling opinions
• Being objective
• Communicating clearly
• Giving credit

57. Accomplishing These Goals
•
•
•
•
Think before you act
Being in other person’s shoe
There must be a different solution
Discuss your dilemma with a trust worthy or an
experienced person
• Imagine the shame if your friends and family found
out about what you had been upto!!

58. STRENGTHENING YOUR
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
• Know how to figure out a solution
• Realize what the problem is
• Communication skills are not inherent, they must be
learnt
• Therefore BE WILLING TO LEARN
• Tips, techniques, models and exercises in this book
will help us.
• Sit back and enjoy the ride.

59. Initiate
Prepare
Execute &
Control
Close
Track
& Control
Startup
Definition /
Scope /
Requirements
Planning
and
Resource
Allocation
•Scope
Managem
ent
•Workplan
Managem
ent
• Resource
Manageme
Review
nt (Time, Cost,
People)
• Deliverable
Mgmt
Risk & Issue• Management
Quality
Management
Sponsor Management
• Transition Plan
Reporting
Completion &
Assessment

60. End

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