Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions (Cheryl Hamilton)
Define the terms situational anxiety and trait anxiety, identify which type anxiety gives
you the most problems, and list several specific tips for managing each type of anxiety
and which ones seem best for you
Identify specific ways that technology has changed the way we communicate and list tips
for successfully communicating using different types of technology
Briefly describe each of the following obstacles to communication and list at least two
practical tips to correct each obstacle: vague instructions, jumping to conclusions,
bypassing, and sexual harassment
I. Opening
A. Regardless of business or professional position, most people have a few poor habits that
create obstacles to communication.
B. The recent surge in technology has altered things dramatically.
1. Obstacles have changed and are more difficult to recognize.
2. The way to manage and avoid obstacles has changed in some cases.
C. Communication anxiety has not changed much, but technology offers new ways to
manage anxiety.
II. Anxiety as a Communication Obstacle
A. Communicator anxiety (butterflies or sick feeling in the stomach) can prevent effective
participation in business activities.
1. Some experts estimate 95 percent of us experience some degree of anxiety some of
the time in some situations.
2. Managing anxiety is important for communicating information and succeeding in
the workplace.
3. People with high anxiety are perceived as less competent, are less likely to get an
Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions (Cheryl Hamilton)
B. Situational anxiety (state anxiety) is caused by factors in a specific or new situation.
1. Feeling nervous before a new communication event is normal.
2. The body sends adrenaline when we become anxious, afraid, or excited.
a. Such adrenaline can enhance performance.
3. Managing situational anxiety (nervousness) is possible.
a. Prepare and practice (e.g., write speech, make simple notes, practice speech out
loud and time it, get feedback) to lower anxiety by as much as 75 percent.
b. Warm up your body and voice to relax (e.g., like singers and athletes).
f. Use visual aids to help you with gestures and with remembering your speech.
g. Use positive imagery (visualization) to see yourself as a confident speaker.
C. Trait anxiety (communication apprehension) stems from internal feelings that a person
brings to a communication situation.
1. Trait anxiety is not as common as state anxiety.
2. Trait anxiety is both learned and inborn.
a. Characteristics include feeling different and less effective than other speakers, a
history of negative speaking experiences, and a feeling of inferiority.
e. To become a confident speaker, think of yourself as a confident speaker.
4. Videoconferences benefit from online tools (e.g., NetMeeting, Google+, Skype).
5. Follow-up memos might strengthen videoconferencing as a tool.
IV. Other Communication Obstacles
A. Many other obstacles affect the success of employee and manager communication.
B. Vague instructions are a weakness in many organizations.
1. Good instructions are even more important with so many technologies.
2. People who give effective instructions follow basic rules.
a. Begin with an overall picture and overall summary of relevant information.
b. Use a minimum number of words.
3. Encouraging listeners to summarize the instructions can clarify confusing points.
4. Supplying a written copy of instructions offers further clarification.
1. Short messages in IMs and social media lead to jumping to conclusions.
2. Problems occur if you are unaware you made inferences and assume they are facts.
D. Bypassing occurs when people assume that a word has the same meaning for everyone.
1. Managers and employees often have different meanings for the same words.
a. Vague phrases are sure to have different meanings for different people.
2. Asking for feedback can help correct bypassing problems.
E. Sexual harassment in person or online is one of the surest obstacles to communication.
1. Face-to-face sexual harassment is a serious problem (and not a rare one).
a. As defined, sexual harassment includes two concepts: quid pro quo (something
for something) and hostile work environment (interference with performance).
3″ x 3″ in size), the drawings should be exact. At the end of each presentation,
the speaker shows the original to the audience and then collects all the drawings,
6.3 This exercise is similar to 6.2; drawings are given to students one class period
prior to the scheduled exercise and students are instructed to practice their
drawings until all problems have been identified and corrected. However, on the
scheduled day, arrange the chairs in a large circle with desks facing each other.
. s will move a total of three times; thereby giving
each person four chances to give instructions. At the end of the exercise, ask how many
people received four perfect drawings; three perfect drawings; and so on. If time permits,
ask for class observations; if not, process the exercise the next class period by having
6.4 employees, and instruct two of them to leave the
remains. Bring one of the two who are outside the room back into the room and
6.5 The instructor should have an identical set of Tinker Toys for each group of
students (use at least two groups). With one set of Tinker Toys, make a complex
design and hide it from view. Have a responsible student give all the groups
instructions on how to recreate the original design, or you may wish to prepare a
6.6 Lead class in preparing a list of possible sexual harassment categories. Using this
list to stimulate ideas, have same-gender groups compile their own lists and rank
order the items from most serious to least serious. Have each group read their list
to the class. Ask students to observe whether the men‘s lists tend to differ from
the women’s lists. Conduct a discussion on frame of reference differences and the
court’s use of the reasonable person rule (see Hamilton text, pp. 166 167).
MindTap support materials for Chapter 6 include the following:
Warm-up question activity that introduces chapter topics and concepts
Notetaking capability that enables students to read the chapter, highlight text, and take
notes online
Chapter 6 text, including the Awareness Check Questionnaires
Video
obstacles experienced during electronic meetings so that they can reflect on, personalize,
and apply the concepts learned in the chapter
Flashcards to practice defining key terms
A number of useful webpages and online activities can be employed in conjunction with
Chapter 6:
Chapter 1 discusses the three codes and the fact that using all three codes generally
improves communication. One of the downfalls of Internet communication, of course, is
the fact that in most cases only the verbal code is involved. Internet users, however, have
Assign students to pick one of the topics discussed in this chapter (communication
anxiety, technology or other communication obstacles, etc.). Their task should be to
(1) research the topic, (2) pick minimum of two credible websites, (3) write an abstract of
each, and (4) post it on the Discussion Board. Participation points can also be offered for
responding to the postings.
http://www.jamescmccroskey.com/measures/prca24.htm
In addition, online sites provide a number of useful videos that support Chapter 6 topics:
Sexual Harassment: A Commonsense Approach, 2006. This program was developed to
help the audience understand both the gray areas and the obvious areas dealing with
sexual harassment. This program will ensure that managers understand the legal
is 32 minutes. There is a version for an employee that is 25 minutes and the final version
is for California managers and it is 35 minutes.
Harassment and Diversity: Respecting Differences, 2005, 20 minutes. This program
highlights policies that keep a workplace free of harassment; this program delineates how
Collateral websites also offer supplemental support for Chapter 6 topics:
by Steve Eggleston about overcoming his fear of speaking.
https://www.tseggleston.com/fear-of-speaking/
. Equal Employee Opportunity
Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions (Cheryl Hamilton)
1. Workers are better at communicating in a virtual environment than they are in a traditional
office space.
2. Social media is becoming less commonly used than it once was by recruiters as part of the
hiring process.
3. Whether a behavior is considered sexual harassment depends on the intentions of the
harasser.
4. Trait anxiety is also known as communication apprehension.
5. One reason why so many speakers start their speech with humor is that it tends to relax
them as well as their listeners.
Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions (Cheryl Hamilton)
1. According to your text, which of the following is an indication of learned trait anxiety?
a. You feel you are more nervous than
anyone else in your group.
c. You watched someone else get really
anxious before their speech and now
you’re really nervous, too.
b. You feel you know more about your
topic than your audience.
d.
You feel prepared, but you worry that
you will mess up in front of the
group.
2. All of these stories are true stories shared in your text about people who were fired from
their job because of something they posted on social media. Which of these stories is not
true?
a. An administrative assistant who
complained on his personal blog that
he was asked to contribute to a
birthday card for a manager he
disliked.
c. An Amazon employee commented on
Facebook that their holiday toy prices
were inflated in November and
December.
b. A new Google employee commented
online about G s health benefits
and compared them unfavorably to
Microsoft.
d. A high-level executive commented
about company matters on his
Facebook profile.
14. Which of the following is not true of telecommuting and videoconferencing?
a.
Ironically, telecommuters have a worse
work-life balance.
c. Telecommuters need a sense of
involvement in the company.
b. Occasional face-to-face meetings will
help the telecommuter be better at their
job.
d. Participation in videoconferencing is
more organized and orderly as
compared with face-to-face meetings.
15. What is the formula the text suggests for positive imagery?
a. Words + Feelings + Commitment =
Confidence
c. Words + Vivid Mental Pictures +
Feelings = Confidence
b. Words + Practice + Feedback =
Confidence
d. Words + Delivery + Repetition =
Confidence
1. How can you use social media to find a job? What advice would you give the job seeker?
ANS:
Use social media to turn contacts into relationships that produce referrals. More jobs are a result
