Communication in the Workplace

1. Communication in the Workplace Ma. Lourdes V. Rodriguez, MBA MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

2. SEMINAR Objectives: • To be able to define Communication. • To be able to identify the two types of Communication (verbal and non-verbal). • To be able to give suggestions and tips on how to communicate in the workplace. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

3. Good communication is a key part of success in the workplace. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

4. Without communication skills we are unable to let others know what we think, feel, or want to accomplish. We are unable to build partnerships, motivate others, or resolve conflict.  MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

5. ACTIVITY • GROUP YOURSELVES • GIVE A NAME FOR YOUR GROUP – NAME SHOULD RELATE TO COMMUNICATION. Example: Bloggers • WRITE DOWN THE DIFFERENT WORKPLACES THAT YOU CAN THINK OF IN YOUR SCHOOL/COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

6. What is a workplace? Dictionary definition - A place, such as an office or factory, where people are employed. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

7. Administration office Accounting office Human Resources Office Bookstore Maintenance office Engineering office General Services Clinic Registrar Security Guard office Student Services Discipline office Campus Ministry office Others What is our workplace? MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

8. Communication • The exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, writing, or behavior. • The art and technique of using words effectively to impart information or ideas. • Acceptable communication differs from company to company, but many aspects are universal. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

9. Tips to help us communicate effectively in the workplace Listen - When you listen to others attentively it makes them feel good. It also makes for a deeper and more positive connection with others. In turn, you form an understanding and they will listen to you when it’s your turn to speak. Poor listening happens often and resultsin misunderstandings andmiscommunications. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

10. ACTIVITY • HOW GOOD A LISTENER ARE YOU? MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

11.      A well-liked college teacher had just completed making up the final examinations and had turned off the lights in the office.  Just then a tall, dark, broad figure appeared and demanded the examination.  The professor opened the drawer.   Everything in the drawer was picked up and the individual ran down the corridor.  The Dean was notified immediately. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

12. Answer the Questions • 1.  The thief was tall, dark, and broad.                • 2.  The professor turned off the lights.           • 3.  A tall figure demanded the examination.          • 4.  The examination was picked up by someone           • 5.  The examination was picked up by the professor.      MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

13. Answer True or False • 6.   A tall, dark figure appeared after the professor • turned off the lights in the office.                           • 7.  The man who opened the drawer was the professor.     • 8.  The professor ran down the corridor.              • 9.  The drawer was never actually opened.          • 10. In this report three persons are referred to. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

14. T T T T F 6. F 7. T 8. F 9. F 10. T ANSWERS MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

15. INTERPRETATION OF SCORES • 8PTS – 10 PTS - ACTIVE LISTENER • 5 PTS- 7 PTS – AVERAGE • BELOW 5 PTS – NEEDS TO BE MORE ATTENTIVE. • 1 POINT PER CORRECT ANSWER MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

16. WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE? • Have Intention - Ask yourself what your intention is before starting a project, going to a meeting, or speaking to someone. • You can also ask others what their intentionsare in similar situations. Knowing your intention will help you be more conscious of what you’re doing or saying. • which means you’ll be able to be moreeffective and skillful. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

17. Speak Clearly - Take a deepbreath and remain positive whentalking to people. Try to cut outthe “ums,” “uh-hmms” and “ahhs;”these make it difficult for peopleto understand what you’re tryingto communicate. Try to keep yourvoice steady and don’t talk tooquickly or too quietly. Be confident in what you’re sayingand others will feel yourconfidence too. SPEAK CLEARLY MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

18. BE GENUINE • Be Genuine - Being genuine can includespeaking honestly, expressing excitementor sadness when you feel like it, and beingfriendly. • There is nothing wrong withsaying, “no, I don’t really agree with that,”or “you know, I think you’ve changed mymind!” However, don’t be rude. “I wasjust being honest” is not a good excusefor being harsh. • Being genuine builds yourconfidence. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

19. Be Receptive • Be open to whatothers are saying or offering. • Often, people restrict the flow ofideas or communication becausethey’re making too manyassumptions or are being too quickto judge and criticize. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

20. GROUP ACTIVITY • LOOK AT THE LIST OF WORKPLACES IN YOUR SCHOOL. RATE THEM FROM THE LEAST TO THE MOST NUMBER OF TIMES IN A DAY THAT YOU COMMUNICATE WITH THAT DEPARTMENT. • EX: VPA- 2X, ACCTG- 5X, HR- 4 X, ETC. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

21. CommunicationFlow MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

22. Downward communication, Upward communication, Lateral communication, and the Grapevine. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

23. Downward Workplace Communication: Enabling • Let's focus first on downward communication in the workplace, and a couple of its important characteristics. Consider these common, downward forms of workplace communication: • A manager explains a task to an employee • A customer gives an order to a supplier • Shareholders instruct management. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

24. Enabling • These forms have more than direction in common. Each one also provides enabling information in the workplace. When a manager instructs an employee, she enables the employee to do his job, and makes it possible for him to earn a living by doing something that has value for the employer. • Another example: senior management finds out from shareholders, or the board of directors, how owners want to apply the money they've invested. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

25. And, as information moves downward in the workplace, it grows increasingly detailed. Make a Budget report Make a Budget report for the month to include the following Make sure the report includes the exact amount and the qty. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

26. All organizations of more than one person must use workplace communication in one way or another. • One person must give another instructions before any activity can occur. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

27. At each stage in the downward flow of communication, people in the organization receive information to help them do their jobs. And, at each stage the information become less abstract, more specific, and more detailed. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

28. GROUP ACTIVITY • ILLUSTRATE AN EXAMPLE OF A DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION THAT YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED. • SHOW THAT IT BECOMES MORE DETAILED AS IT GOES DOWN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

29. Upward Communication: Compliance • A second major flow of communication is upward, from employee to supervisor, supervisor to department head, department head to vice president, and so on. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

30. Less detail • Now, turning to upward communication, we know that the staff at the registrar or accounting department will report back to the section head on their number of enrolees. • The college account, in turn, will report, in less detail, to the VPAA about enrollment figures. • Finally, VPAA will report to the President on how well the College is doing for SY 2008-2009. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

31. Group activity • ILLUSTRATE AN EXAMPLE OF UPWARD COMMUNICATION THAT YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED. • SHOW THAT IT BECOMES LESS DETAILED AS IT GOES UP THE CHAIN OF COMMAND. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

32. Lateral communication: Coordination • Now, think of the information that flows back and forth between you and your peers, whether you're a front-line worker, a manager, or a member of the board of directors. This is lateral communication. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

33. Characteristics • First, no superior/subordinate relationship exists here; it's strictly a case of two people with roughly equal amounts of power and prestige. That makes this form of communication voluntary and discretionary. • Yes, the boss may tell us to communicate with each other, but unless we both want to do it, we're not going to exchange much information of value. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

34. That takes us to the second aspect, the idea of reciprocating. • The quality and quantity of information we provide to our peers generally reflects what we get back from them. I may provide good information to you when we start working together, but I won't continue to provide it unless you reciprocate in kind. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

35. Team Communication • Team communication is a special form of lateral communication, and an essential one. • For teamwork in the workplace, members must not only communicate with each other, but will often need to communicate with peers outside their immediate group. • Leaders will need to keep these communication flows in mind, as well as the upward and downward flows that connect them directly to their co-employees. • Communication for team building and just plain teamwork and is many-faceted and requires consistent attention. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

36. The Grapevine: Filling the Gaps • It’s Tuesday morning, and John down the hall just emptied out his desk and left the building. Apparently for good. • Everyone wants an answer to the same question: "Why?" If there's no official answer, and sometimes even if there is one, the people around him begin speculating about possible reasons. • This is a communication channel that no one owns and no one controls. And while we might complain about gossips and busybodies, we all use it sooner or later. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

37. It has a function • Despite its many faults, though, the grapevine does have a place, a function, in all organizations. It fills in gaps left behind by conventional and official communication. • As I've said, downward communication delivers enabling information from superior to subordinate, while upward communication involves compliance information reported back to the superior by the subordinate. And, lateral communication takes place between peers, helping us coordinate with each other. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

38. New tools • Traditionally, the grapevine revolved around mouth-to-mouth communication, with only occasional bits of information written down or put on paper. • But, new technologies mean change. The Internet opened up all kinds of new opportunities for unofficial communication. Email, it's true, may be monitored, but that's easily circumvented. For example, free, anonymous email accounts offered all over the Net. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

39. Then, there are photocopiers and fax machines, both of which can be used to surreptitiously maintain the grapevine. And how about cell phones, which provide an alternate means of mouth-to-mouth communication, even when you're at the office. • While technologies enabling the grapevine may change, the same human traits continue to fuel this communication channel. They include our natural curiosity and our desire to influence the way others think and behave. Don't forget, either, about the need to get even or to belittle, which fuel many rumors that course through grapevines. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

40. Speed • Where downward, upward, and lateral communication are structured and flow formally through specific channels, the grapevine goes through multiple channels and even multiple versions. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

41. Communication Flow • downward, or enabling, communication that moves instructions and other directive information down or through a hierarchy • upward, or compliance, communication that provides feedback to the people who originate downward communication • lateral, or coordinating, communication that moves between peers to maintain or improve operational efficiency • the grapevine, which fills in gaps in official communication and provides answers to unaddressed questions. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

42. Why is effective communication essential in the workplace? • Communication: we are constantly bombarded by it. It may be in the form of spoken or written words, pictures, gestures, symbols and (for an interesting few) telepathic messages from a variety of intriguing sources. But in the workplace, effective communication is essential to our progress and well being. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

43. What is your communicating style? • Good communication skills require a high level of self-awareness. Understanding your personal style of communicating will go a long way toward helping you to create good and lasting impressions on others MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

44. By becoming more aware of how others perceive you, you can adapt more readily to their styles of communicating. MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

45. Three basic communication styles: • Aggressive • Passive • Assertive MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

46. Beliefs "Everyone should be like me." "I am never wrong." "I've got rights, but you don't." Communication Style Close minded Poor listener Has difficulty seeing the other person's point of view Interrupts Monopolizing Elements of the Aggressive Style MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

47. Characteristics Achieves goals, often at others' expense Domineering, bullying Patronizing Condescending, sarcastic Behavior Puts others down Doesn't ever think they are wrong Bossy Moves into people's space, overpowers Jumps on others, pushes people around Know-it-all attitude Doesn't show appreciation MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

48. Nonverbal Cues Points, shakes finger Frowns Squints eyes critically Glares Stares Rigid posture Critical, loud, yelling tone of voice Fast, clipped speech Verbal Cues "You must (should, ought better)." "Don't ask why. Just do it." Verbal abuse Confrontation and Problem Solving Must win arguments, threatens, attacks Operates from win/lose position MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

49. Feelings Felt Anger Hostility Frustration Impatience Effects Provokes counteraggression, alienation from others, ill health Wastes time and energy oversupervising others Pays high price in human relationships Fosters resistance, defiance, sabotaging, striking back, forming alliances, lying, covering up Forces compliance with resentment MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008

50. Elements of the Passive Style • Beliefs • "Don't express your true feelings." • "Don't make waves." • "Don't disagree." • "Others have more rights than I do." • Communication Style • Indirect • Always agrees • Doesn't speak up - Hesitant MLVR-OCTOBER 24, 2008