VIII. DEALING WITH EMOTIONS AND CRITICISM
A. Emotions, Emotional Labor, and Global Differences.
1. Understanding feelings. We should realize that feelings are subjective. They are often stated as facts;
2. Emotional Labor . KT- Emotional labor requires the expression of feeling through
3. Global differences. Emotional labor expectations vary culturally.
WA-17. How well do you hide your feelings from others, such as being disappointed or
upset, while using emotional labor?
SA- I’m not very good at hiding my emotions, as I let people know how I’m feeling.
B. Dealing With Emotional People
1. Don’t Argue, Return Negative Behavior, or Belittle the Emotional Person
These behaviors tend to make the situation worse.
2. Be Empathic and Use Reflecting Statements
KT- Empathic listening is the ability to understand and relate to another’s situation and
feelings.
KT- Re)ecting statements paraphrase feelings back to the person.
LO 7. Discuss what should and should not be done to calm an emotional person.
First, don’t use behavior that gets people emotional so you don’t have to calm them down. Don’t argue, return
WA- 18. Recall a situation in which a manager had to handle an emotional employee (which can be you).
Did the manager follow the guidelines for calming an emotional person?
SA- I once had an argument with a fellow worker. We were yelling at each other and the boss came over
C. Getting and Giving Criticism
1. Getting Criticism See Exhibit 5.9 for a list of does and don’ts for getting criticism from your boss.
LO 8. Describe how to get criticism effectively.
First one needs to accept the fact that the only way to improve our behavior, human relations, and performance is to
WA- 19. How would you rate yourself on your ability to accept criticism without getting emotional and defensive?
How could you improve your ability to accept criticism?
SA- I’m not very good at accepting criticism without getting defensive. I tend to take it personally. So to improve, I
2. Giving Criticism In our personal lives, and if we not managers at work, we don’t have the authority to tell
people that they need to change their behavior through criticism. However, if we want to help people improve their
behavior on or off the job, we need to give criticism.
LEARNING OUTCOMES ANSWERS
NOTE: Below are recommend answers to the learning objectives. The learning objectives with answers also appear
in the test bank so that you can test students on them as short answer/essay questions.
You may also want to limit the number of learning objectives that you expect students to know for the exams. For
example, you could select say 2-5 from each chapter that you believe are the most important things that students
should know. Assume you have a total of 10 for an exam. You could tell students to know the answers to all 10 and
that you will select say 3 of them for the exam.
After completing this chapter you should be able to:
LO 1. Describe how communication flows through organizations.
Formal communication )ows through communication networks in vertical and
LO 2. List and explain the four steps in the communication process.
The four steps in the communication process are: (1) The sender encodes the message and
selects the transmission channel; (2) the sender transmits the message; (3) the receiver
LO 3. List the ve steps in the message-sending process.
The steps in the message-sending process are: (1) develop rapport, (2) state the
LO 4. Describe how to get feedback.
To get feedback, one must be open to feedback, be aware of nonverbal communication, ask
LO 5. List the three steps in the message-receiving process.
The first step is to listen to the message; the second step is to analyze what has been
LO 6. De ne ve response styles.
(1) Advising responses provide evaluation, opinion, direction, or instructions. (2) Diverting
responses switch the message; change the subject. (3) Probing responses ask for more
LO 7. Discuss what should and should not be done to calm an emotional person.
First, don’t use behavior that gets people emotional so you don’t have to calm them down. Don’t argue, return
LO 8. Describe how to get criticism effectively.
First one needs to accept the fact that the only way to improve our behavior, human relations, and performance is to
accept criticism and change our behavior accordingly. To this end, realizing that criticism is painful but without pain
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
The following critical thinking questions can be used for class discussion and/or as written assignments to develop
communication skills. The questions can also be used for exams.
Note: The questions are based on opinions and personal experiences, so there are no correct answers.
1. Which two barriers to communications do you believe are the most common in organizations today? What can
firms do to help eliminate these two barriers?
2. Do males and females really converse differently? Do you speak about different things with your male and
female friends and co-workers? If so, what do you talk about with males vs. females?
3. Is a high-context culture or low-context culture better?
4. How often do you use paraphrasing, and ask others to paraphrase, to ensure mutual understanding? How
affective are you at paraphrasing, and asking others to paraphrase, and how can you improve your paraphrasing
skills?
5. Select a few friends and/or co-workers. Do you spend more time talking, listening, or equal time when you are
with them? Write down each person’s name and the percentage of time talking and listening. For example, 25
percent talking and 75 percent listening, 50-50, 35-65. After recording the percentage, ask each person what
percentage they believe you talk and listen. How accurate was your perception? Should you change the amount
of time you spend talking vs. listening, and if so, how will you change?
6. Which response style do you believe is the most commonly used response at work? Should the most commonly
used response style be reflecting? Why or why not?
WORK APPLICATION SAMPLE ANSWERS
You may give these student answers below as part of your lecture before, after, or in place of
getting student answers. You may have students write out their answers and pass them in to be
graded. Another option is to use them on the exams.
All the work application questions appear in the test bank so that you can assess students’
ability to apply the concepts to their work world. However, because student answers will vary,
there are no answers in the test bank.
You may also want to limit the number of work applications that you expect students to pass in for grading and/or to
know for the exams. For example testing, you could select 2-5 from each chapter that you believe are the most
important things that students should be able to apply to their jobs. Assume you have a total of 10 for an exam. You
could tell students to have prepared answers to all 10 and that you will select 3 of them for the exam.
WA 1- Give reasons why communication skills are important in organizations. Do not give reasons stated in the
text.
SA- They help an operation run smoothly. With good communication there is no confusion as to what is to be done,
WA 2 – Select an organization for which you work or have worked. Is the division of labor specialized? Identify the
chain of command from your job to the top of the organization. How many people are in your boss’s span of
management? Is authority centralized or decentralized? How is work coordinated?
SA- I worked for a tree cutting service. There was the owner boss and three helpers. Tree cutting is very
WA 3- Draw an organization chart illustrating the departments where you work or have worked.
SA- Owner/Boss (does the marketing to get the business and cuts the trees)
WA 4 – Give a specific example of when you used vertical communication. Identify it as upward or downward.
SA- Over the phone I used to tell my boss how many people were working, who was on, if we were busy, and how
WA 5- Give a specific example of when you used horizontal communication.
SA- There was no boss when the owner was not around, which was several hours each day, so we worked as a team.
WA 6- Give a specific example of a message you heard through the grapevine. How accurate was it? Was it the exact
same message management sent?
SA- One day I was walking to class in the snow and a group of students told me that classes were canceled for the
rest of the day. I wasn’t sure if they were right so I kept walking to class. Before I got to class people were walking
WA 7- Give specific examples of how you use digital information technology to communicate.
SA I use the Internet and email regularly and I’m constantly texting with my wireless cell phone, and I have bought
WA 8- Which message transmission channels do you use most often at work?
SA- As a cashier, I spend most of my time in oral communication talking face-to-face with customers. I also use
WA 9- Give at least two different barriers to communication you experienced at work. Explain the situation and how
the barrier could have been overcome.
SA- Not listening. I have a person at work I have to give instruction to on a regular basis. At times he does not listen.
SA- Noise. Once I was talking to a friend on the telephone and she told me what time she would be coming to pick
WA 10- Describe gender communication difference you have observed at work.
WA 11- Give a cross-cultural barrier to communication you experienced. Explain the situation and how the barrier
could have been overcome.
SA- When I called an overseas business, the person who answered the phone did not speak English. I kept saying the
WA 12- Recall a present or past boss. How well did the boss send messages, which steps in the message sending
process were followed and which were not commonly followed by the boss?
SA- My boss was not good at giving instructions. He did not (1) develop rapport or (2) clearly state the objective.
WA 13- Describe how your present/past boss used feedback. How could his or her feedback skills be improved?
SA- My boss did a lousy job of using feedback. The only time I heard from him was when things went wrong. I
never got any praise for all the good things I did. When giving tasks to be completed he have poor directions. He
WA 14- Do you use paraphrasing now? Will you use it with more, less, or the same frequency in the future? Why
SA- I do occasionally use paraphrasing now. If I don’t repeat to someone what they want me to do sometimes there
is confusion. An example is the time my mother told me to put the chicken in the oven at 5:00 o’clock and the rice
WA 15- Refer back to Self-Assessment Exercise 5.1, what is your weakest listening skill? How will you improve
your listening ability?
SA- I’d say it’s the fact that I don’t ask questions when I don’t understand something. To improve I’ll have to ask
WA 16- Give situations in which any two of the five response styles would be appropriate. Give the senders’
message and your response, identity its response style.
SA- Advising–Sender: “I want this report in by five o’clock tonight.” Response: “You should give me more time. It
says on the instructions that the due date is tomorrow at five o’clock, not tonight.”
WA-17. How well do you hide your feelings from others, such as being disappointed or upset, while using emotional
labor?
SA- I’m not very good at hiding my emotions, as I let people know how I’m feeling. However, I am pretty good at
WA- 18. Recall a situation in which a manager had to handle an emotional employee (which can be you). Did the
manager follow the guidelines for calming an emotional person?
SA- I once had an argument with a fellow worker. We were yelling at each other and the boss came over and told us
WA- 19. How would you rate yourself on your ability to accept criticism without getting emotional and defensive?
How could you improve your ability to accept criticism?
SA- I’m not very good at accepting criticism without getting defensive. I tend to take it personally. So to improve, I
APPLICATION SITUATION ANSWERS
NOTE: There are multiple choice test questions in the test bank that are similar to the AS in
the text to assess application ability.
Communication Flow, AS-5.1
1. B. Vertical-upward. The subordinate is going back to Juan with the completed report he requested.
2. C. Horizontal. Jackson is in the production department and the speaker is a salesperson. They are colleagues communicating.
Channel Selection, AS-5.2
6. A. One-on-one. This is a discipline situation, which should be done one-on-one, face-to-face.
7. C. Meeting. Meetings are appropriate for conveying information to a group.
Communication Barriers, AS-5.3
11. A. Perception. There seems to be a perception problem as to how long a little while is. A set time would be better.
12. E. Trust and Credibility. The person doesn’t want to believe because the sender has no credibility with him or her.
13. J. Language. Asking for an explanation in Spanish is a language barrier.
14. F. Not listening. Asking to repeat the message is a sign of not listening or understanding the message.
15. K. Culture. Nonverbal communications are interpreted differently in various cultures.
Listening AS- 5.4
21. 6. Ask questions. How long . . . is a question.
22. 4. Do not assume and interrupt. The listener has stopped the speaker.
23. 10. Evaluate after listening. The listener made sure the speaker was done before evaluating the suggestion.
24. 8. Convey meaning. Saying uh huh and I get it gives verbal clues of listening.
25. 11. Evaluate facts presented. Supporting information of facts are missing, and now asked for.
Identifying Response Styles, AS-5.5
31. A. Advising. He gave advice to ignore it.
32. B. Diverting. He changed the subject.
36. E. Reflecting. She is dealing with Jim’s emotions.
37. C. Probing. She asked for more information.
The reflective style is appropriate for both situations as it is early in the conversation
CASE—ANSWERS
Ed Catmull and Pixar
1. Briey discuss Ed Catmull’s idea on communication ow at Pixar.
Ed believes in a very informal network of communication. Employees are allowed to freely
2. How does the interpersonal communication skills of Mr. Catmull a&ect behavior, human
relations, and performance at Pixar?
Mr. Catmull’s informal style helps to develop the creative environment whereby the employees
3. Do you think as President of Pixar, Ed Catmull should be spending more time sending or
receiving messages, or spend an equal amount of time doing both?
Answers should vary. However, the President of the company will most likely be receiving and
sending many emails. The president should send out some messages to inform the employees of
4. Which of the 13 listening tips do you think are most relevant for Ed Catmull?
As President, Ed would be most interesting in the “Analyzing” and “Checking Understanding”
tips. Ed should Think by actively organizing, summarizing, reviewing, and interpreting the
5. Assess Ed Catmull’s use of feedback?
Ed seems to be more interested in developing free and open communication then being worried
6. Which response style do you think Ed Catmull uses most o8en?
Answers can vary. However, as President it will be important for Ed to provide reection and
Cumulative Questions
7. Assess Ed Catmull’s personality in relation to which one of the Big Five Dimensions he most
utilizes (Chapter 2)?
Mr. Catmull most exhibits the Openess to Experience. His idea to allow communication to ow in
8. Assess Ed Catmull’s a?tude, self-concept, values, and ethics (Chapter 3)?
As President of Pixar, Mr. Catmull has shown he has a high self-concept and belief that he can do
Case Exercise and Role-Play
Hint: A potential solution could be found that Pixar would use less animation, instead of totally eliminating such a
key aspect of their movies. Pixar could blend animation with live-action such as was done in Who Framed Roger
OBJECTIVE CASE 5 ANSWERS
Communication?
NOTE: There are no cases in the test bank. However, there are multiple choice test questions
in the test bank that are similar to case question 1-10 to assess application ability.
1. B. False. They did not have mutual understanding.
4. B. Receiver/decoder. See Exhibit 5.1.
5. D. Mixed. He told Sandy verbally but when ever you communicate one-on-one, face-to-face you use
6. E. None of these. Simply saying “any questions” is not considered asking questions. Sandy responded “I
7. B+C. Steps 2 + 3. Chris did not develop rapport (step 1.). S/he did state the objective in the first
statement (step 2.). Chris did transmit a message, poorly; his or her second statement (step 3.). As stated in
8. B. False. Sandy did not question or paraphrase.
Role Play. You may have students role play giving instructions to Sandy.
VIDEOS
Hot Seat Videos and Behavior Model Videos are available to be used with this chapter. See separate Instructor
Resources Guide for each type of video.
SKILL BUILDING EXERCISE SB-5.1
Giving Instructions
Total Time (30-50 minutes)
To keep the exercise to 30 minutes do not do procedure 4. Have each student be either the sender or
receiver only.
Instructor preparation for this exercise:
1. You or an assistant will have to make copies of the two drawings on the IA pages 49 + 50. You need at
least the total equal to the number in the class. I make lots of extras and collect them at the end of the
exercise, the ones not written on, for reuse. Pass out drawing one first.
2. If there is an odd number in the class use one observer, or do what I do. Be a participant, be an employee,
but go by the directions given.
3. If you’re not a participant, watch them. Some of my students don’t understand, or ignore, the rules. Be a
time keeper.
Recommended approximate time for a 50 minute period
8:00 Procedure 1.+2. 8 minutes
8:08 ” 3. 20 ” 15-draw, 5-integration
8:28 ” 4. 20 ” ” “
8:48 Application 2 ‘
8:50
You may find, as I usually do, that students are faster than the recommended time. My students usually take
35 – 40 minutes. I just use the time for a conclusion and/or have a sharing. Occasionally I let them out early,
but not regularly because they will get in the habit of rushing to get out early.
Skills Assessment of SB 5-2 (Question and Answers also in Test Bank)
If you plan to test students on SB 5-2, it is a good idea to go over the directions below for testing when
doing the exercise.
Giving Instructions. For this question, use the drawing you gave instructions for during the in-class
skill-building exercise 5-2.
Instructions: Start by stating which drawing (1 or 2) you are giving instructions for and the object
shapes. List the first step in the face-to-face message-sending process model, followed by what you would
say to the employee for this step. List Step 2 of the model, followed by what you would say. List Step 3 of
the model, only give instructions for object 1. List Steps 4 and 5, followed by what you would say for each
step.
Answer –
Step 1. Develop rapport.
Step 2. State your communication objective.
Step 3. Transmit your message.
Step 4. Check understanding.
Step 5. Get a commitment and follow up.