Transcript Chapter 6 - HCC Learning Web

Chapter 6
Overcoming Obstacles to
Communication in the Electronic Age
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Communication Technology
• Technology is changing so rapidly it is easy to feel
overwhelmed
– Internet is catalyst for most of these changes
• It is how and when people now use the Internet
– Blogs
– Email
– Social media
– Twitter.com
– Instant messaging
– Smart phone
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Communicator Anxiety
• Can be an obstacle to effective communication in
work environment
– Technology age playing conflicting role in
communication anxiety
• When online people feel less anxiety about
sharing personal information
• So much online communicating is giving
people less practice communicating face-toface
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Communicator Anxiety
• The higher a supervisor’s anxiety, the less potentially
important information employees receive
• People who experience high level of communication
anxiety are at a disadvantage when compared with
more talkative, outgoing employees
• Hearing-impaired people experience
communication anxiety
• Not all cultures express same levels of
communicator anxiety
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Communicator Anxiety
• There are two types of communication anxiety
– Situational anxiety/state anxiety
• Caused by factors in specific situation
– Trait anxiety
• Internal anxiety individual brings to speaking
situation
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Situational Anxiety
• Feeling nervous prior to new communication situation is
normal
– Our body’s nervous system prepares us for action
with shot of adrenaline
• We should be grateful for this boost from our
nervous system
– People who view increase as normal
excitement necessary for dynamic job of
communicating find their anxiety becomes
manageable
– Poor communicators who view physical
reactions with fear often find anxiety becomes
worse
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Situational Anxiety
• The following advice will help you stay in control
during situational anxiety:
– Prepare and practice
– Warm up
– Use deep breathing
– Use an introduction that will relax you
– Concentrate on communicating your meaning
– Use visual aids
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Trait Anxiety
• Fewer people experience trait anxiety, known as
communication apprehension
– Trait anxiety is both learned and inborn
• If anxiety is learned, may:
– Feel that you are different from and less
effective than most other speakers
– Have history of negative speaking
experiences
– Consider yourself inferior to others
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Trait Anxiety
• Trait anxiety may be inborn trait for some people
– Communibiology
• Some feel biology is only one of several factors
causing anxiety and anxious individuals can
learn to control their anxiety
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Trait Anxiety
• There are many techniques used to manage trait
anxiety
– Most of them require professional assistance
• Positive imagery
– Visualization
» To become confident speakers, we must
think of ourselves as confident
• Courses or workshops
• Relaxation with deep breathing
• Cognitive restructuring self-talk
• Skills training
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Trait Anxiety
• The widest possible combination of methods is
often most effective in reducing communication
apprehension
– When using positive imagery also add at least one
of other methods for reducing anxiety
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Vague Instructions
• Giving and receiving instructions is weakness in
many organizations
– With so many different technologies to use,
communicating skill in giving instructions even
more important
– Many of us give vague instructions, easily
misunderstood due to lack of preparation
– In some cases, we give confusing instructions
even when we prepare instructions ahead of time
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Vague Instructions
• Principles for giving instructions:
– Rule 1: Begin with an overall picture
– Rule 2: Use a minimum number of words
– Rule 3: Use simple, easily understood words
– Rule 4: Be specific
– Rule 5: Use simple comparisons
– Rule 6: Use repetition
– Rule 7: Number or “signpost” objects or steps
– Rule 8: Use good delivery techniques
– Rule 9: End with a summary
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Jumping to Conclusions
• When we fail to distinguish between what we
observed firsthand and what we only inferred or
assumed, inference-observation confusion has
occurred
– With short messages sent by text messaging and
social media, jumping to conclusions happens
fairly often
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Jumping to Conclusions
• We all make assumptions
– It is possible your job requires you to make a
certain number of inferences or assumptions
• In such cases, you are aware that you are
making an inference
– Problems more likely to arise when people are
unaware they have made any inferences
• Communication breakdown is likely to occur
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Bypassing
• Bypassing happens when we assume a word has
same meaning for other people that it does for us
– Managers and employees often have different
meanings for same words
– Cultural differences also cause bypassing
problems
– Another way bypassing happens is when people
have different words for same meaning
• To prevent bypassing, managers and employees
should ask for feedback from one another to
determine what each really means
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Sexual Harassment Defined
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for
sexual favors, and other verbal or physical
conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual
harassment when this conduct explicitly or
implicitly affects an individual’s employment,
unreasonably interferes with an individual’s
work performance, or creates an intimidating,
hostile, or offensive work environment. (U.S.
EEOC, 2009)
Copyright Cengage © 2011
17
Sexual Harassment
• In technology age, sexual harassment has moved
online as well
• Definition of sexual harassment includes two basic
concepts:
– Quid pro quo
• Something for something
– Hostile work environment
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Sexual Harassment
• Since Civil Rights Act of 1964, has been unlawful in
United States to discriminate in hiring on basis of
sex
• In 1980, sexual harassment became violation of Title
VII of Civil Rights Act
• In 1991, an amendment to Title VII entitled
employees to monetary damages
• In 1998, U.S. Supreme Court ruled same-sex
harassment also governed by Title VII
• In 2000, educational institutions became liable for
sexual harassment of students
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Sexual Harassment
• Sexual harassment can occur in many
circumstances:
– Victim, as well as harasser may be a man or a
woman
– The harasser can be victim’s supervisor, an agent
of employer, a supervisor in another area, a
coworker, or a nonemployee
– Victim does not have to be the person harassed
– Unlawful sexual harassment may occur without
economic injury to or discharge of victim
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Sexual Harassment
• Harassment judged by its effects on recipient, not by
intentions of harasser
– Courts use reasonable person rule
• There has been a gender problem in applying
this rule to sexual harassment
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Sexual Harassment and E-mail
• E-mail harassment
– Organizations need to prepare themselves for
potential problems by developing strong policies
and procedures regarding use of e-mail and the
Internet, as well as dealing with sexual
harassment
• It is responsibility of employer to provide safe
workplace, free of sexual harassment
– Having procedures in place isn’t always
enough
Communicating for Results, 10th edition
Sexual Harassment – E-mail and
Online
• If you become aware of sexual harassment or you
believe you are a victim:
– Review organization’s policies on harassment
– Project a friendly but professional image of a
person who won’t put up with harassment
– Confront your harasser in an assertive manner
– Document incidents of harassment
– Report the incident to an immediate supervisor or
human resources department
– Weigh consequences of further action
Communicating for Results, 10th edition