Effective Communication and Miscommunication

            To ensure effective communications we have to be conscious of the steps in the communications process.  These steps include sender/receiver, receiver/decoder, message, and channel or medium.  In the sender/receiver message the sender communicates a message.  The sender “bears the burden in this process, communicating not only the content of the message, but information about history and attitude toward the receiver” (Roebuck, 2006, p. 10).  In the receiver/decoder step the receiver encodes the message the way that they interpreted it based on their frame of reference, not necessarily the way the message was given. 

The message step “contains ideas expressed to other individuals” (Roebuck, 2006, p. 10).  It needs to be expressed in a way that it can be easily understood.  In the final step of channel/medium is when the message is relayed to the receiver.  There are several ways to do this including verbally or in other technical fashions (phone, e-mail, video meetings, etc.) but it is important to choose the best way to ensure the message is understood.

            Miscommunication can happen for a number of different reasons.  One is interference; this is when we draw a conclusion based on something that we observed although our conclusion may not have been the actual fact.  Another is nonverbal message that we my send.  Although we may be saying one thing, our actions may be saying another. 

Personality differences can also have a major impact on miscommunication.  Everyone has different personalities and different ways that they communicate.  It is important to realize that we cannot communicate to everyone in the same way and they we may need to adjust the way we communicate based on different personalities.

References

Roebuck, D. B. (2006). Improving Business Communication Skills. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall.

The Art of Persuasion

Managers have to use persuasion every day.  It is important to know that different persuasion techniques work for different employees and that every manager has their own management style.  Here is my own “best practices” approach to persuading employees;

·         I use relationship closeness with my employees.  Although we are not “friends”, I treat them with respect and they treat me with respect.  We have an open relationship were we can talk freely about issues, ideas, and changes that need to take place.  Having a good relationship with the employees makes it easier when it comes to persuading them to do something.

·         In order to persuade my employees, I have to know them.  What I can do to persuade one employee, will not necessarily work with another.  Knowing and understanding how each is motivated will help with the persuasion.

·         I also use humor to persuade my employees.  For example, when I walked into the stockroom at my store there was a group of three employees talking.  I made the comment “I didn’t know we were having a party back here.  Should I invite all of the customers back?”  It was a joking comment to persuade them to get back to work.  They laughed and dispersed back to their areas.

·         There are also times when I have to use the “rationale” approach, “involving the use of explanation or justification” (Seiter & Gass, 2004, p. 340).  Some employees are best persuaded by reason.

References

Seiter, J. S., & Gass, R. H. (2004). Perspectives on Persuasion, Social Influence, and Compliance Gaining. Boston: Pearson Education.

The Manager as a Speech Writer

            Managers often have to give speeches; both the formal and informal kind.  Most managers have the ability to know what message they need to get across to their audience and how they want to convey that message.  What they may not be great at is giving the speech in front of a large group of people.  In these cases, managers may help to write the speech and allow a true speaker to persuade the crowd.   

Writing a great speech is about having the right tools to aide in the process.  Content creation of a speech involves knowing five things; the purpose, the audience, the speaker, the time frame, and the setting.  The purpose of the speech is about finding the main point of the speech.  The writer must work with the speaker to ensure that they understand the strategic message. 

Knowing the audience is very important; the audience needs to be informed of the strategic message in an appropriate manner.  When writing the speech, it is very important for the writer to understand that they are not writing the speech for themselves but for the speaker.  The time frame is important to understand the amount of time that the speech should take up.  You do not want it to go on for too long or too short.  The last is the setting; the place to where the speech would take place. (Marsh, Guth, & Short, 2009, p. 93).

References

Marsh, C., Guth, D. W., & Short, B. P. (2009). Strategic Writing. Boston: Pearson .

The Art of Motivation

     As a manger, I have to motivate my employees to do certain things.  Corporate sends down many objectives and it is my job to ensure that my employees are doing them.  This is where the motivation comes in; it is not just about telling them to do it, I have to motivate them to do it.  I sometimes motivate them with rewards of monetary value, other times with allowing them to leave early, and sometimes simple praise in front of the other employees.  I have found that even though I am asking them to do the same things, different forms of motivation work for different employees.  “The research shows that qualitatively different approaches to processing the message can lead to difference in attitude strength even when the extent of the message elaboration appears to be constant” (Seiter & Gass, 2004, p. 84). 

    With these objectives, it is easy to see that certain employees are good at certain things but they are not all great at all of them.   Some are good at up selling, others have great people skills, some are great at multi-tasking, etc.   In order to run a good business, I have to find which abilities each of my employees have and encourage them to use them.

References

Seiter, J. S., & Gass, R. H. (2004). Perspectives on Persuasion, Social Influence, and Compliance Gaining. Boston: Pearson Education.

A Short Look at Ethics

     Maintaining personal ethical standards can sometime be hard in the workplace when employees are dealing with delicate situations that they believe may cost them their job or their positions.  Business ethics is “coming to know what it right or wrong in the workplace and doing what's right -- this is in regard to effects of products/services and in relationships with stakeholders” (McNamara).  Employees have to learn to do what is right for the company, although it may not be easy.

  
     Ethical behavior plays a part in every aspect of our lives; at work, at home, at school, at church, in every decision that we make.  It is important to understand how to behave ethically when trying to persuade someone to do something; especially in the workplace.  Listening to others, knowing their sides, and respecting it is imperative to ethical behavior.   

References

McNamara, C. (n.d.). Complete Guide to Ethics Management: An Ethics Toolkit for Managers. Retrieved October 3, 2010, from http://managementhelp.org: http://managementhelp.org/ethics/ethxgde.htm