978-1337116848 Chapter 2 Lecture Notes

Unlock access to all the studying documents.

View Full Document

2 Focusing on Interpersonal and Group

Communication

IN THIS CHAPTER YOU WILL FIND:

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

KEY CONCEPTS

KEY TERMS

CHAPTER OUTLINE

TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

REVIEW QUESTIONS & SUGGESTED ANSWERS

FEATURED ASSIGNMENTS

ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS

CASE ASSIGNMENTS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1Explain how behavioral theories about human needs, trust and disclosure, and motivation relate

to business communication.

2Describe the role of nonverbal messages in communication.

3Identify aspects of effective listening.

4Identify factors affecting group and team communication.

5Discuss aspects of effective meeting management.

KEY CONCEPTS

Behavioral theories form the conceptual basis for business communication. Nonverbal

communication, listening, and group communication are essential interpersonal skills for success in

today’s organizations. A team is a group with a clear identity and a high level of member

publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

commitment. Groups and teams communicate via both traditional and electronic meetings, which

must be managed successfully to insure that organizational goals are met.

KEY TERMS

TERM PAGE TERM PAGE

Agenda 33 Norming 31

Brainstorming 33 Performing 31

Casual listening 25 Product development team 30

Consensus 33 Quality assurance team 30

Cross-functional team 30 Role 27

Directive behavior 22 Status 27

Empathetic listening 26 Storming 30

Forming 30 Stroke 21

Intensive listening 26 Supportive behavior 22

Interpersonal intelligence 21 Task force 30

Listening for information 26 Total Quality Management 23

Metacommunication 23 Visual kinesic communication 23

Norm 29 Vocal kinesic communication 23

CHAPTER OUTLINE

2-1 Behavioral Theories That Impact Communication 21

2-1a Recognizing Human Needs 21

2-1b Stroking 21

2-1c Exploring the Johari Window 21

2-1d Contrasting Management Styles 22

2-2 Nonverbal Communication 23

2-2a Metacommunication 23

2-2b Kinesic Messages 23

2-2c Understanding Nonverbal Messages 24

2-3 Listening as a Communication Skill 25

2-3a Listening for a Specific Purpose 25

2-3b Bad Listening Habits 26

2-4 Group Communication 27

2-4a Increasing Focus on Groups 27

2-4b Characteristics of Effective Groups 29

2-4c Group Roles 30

2-4d From Groups to Teams 30

2-5 Meeting Management 32

2-5a Face-to-Face Meetings 32

2-5b Electronics Meetings 32

2-5c Suggestions for Effective Meetings 33

publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

LEARNING OBJECTIVE 1

Explain how behavioral theories about human needs, trust and disclosure, and motivation relate to

business communication

Behavioral Theories and Communication

To communicate effective with others, you must understand them, what motives them, and what

can facilitate better communication. Theories from the fields of psychology and sociology provide

understanding of human needs and motivations with insight into achieving more effective

workplace communication.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need. A hierarchy of needs through which people progress. Higher

needs generally cannot be met if lower ones are not. Communication targeted to specific

needs can appeal to receiver’s if the receiver’s need is identified.

Stroking. The emotional response that occurs in communication interaction, either positive

or negative on feelings about one’s self or others.

Johari Window. A matrix that can help determine what is known or unknown to self and

others. Promotes the idea of increased trust and openness that leads to better

communication.

Management Styles. Various management styles, such as Theory X and Theory Y, directive

and supportive behavior, and Total Quality Management, suggest various communication

practices impact leadership and management effectiveness.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE 2

Describe the role of nonverbal messages in communication.

Nonverbal Communication

Illustrate the different components of nonverbal communication. Remind students that

nonverbal includes everything except the actual words that occur in an interaction.

Ask students to watch an interaction from a distance, involving people they do not know. Have

them analyze the kind of interaction they viewed based only on what they could see from a

distance (they could not hear the words). How much could they decipher? Emphasize that what

they learn about the people and the situation is based only on nonverbal behaviors.

Have students complete Additional Assignment 1 and discuss in class.

Metacommunication

 Discuss how what someone says may not be what is interpreted by the receiver. Ask students

what they think might influence different interpretations by different people who receive the

same verbal message.

Have students discuss similar metacommunication situations in their academic, work, and/or

personal experiences.

Kinesic Messages

Discuss messages sent and perceived through nonverbal behavior.

publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Discuss how different kinesics messages can have different meanings to different people, based

on culture, background, gender, age, etc. Ask students for examples of situations where they

have misread body language or where their body language has been misunderstood.

Understanding Nonverbal Messages

Demonstrate several nonverbal signals and have students write down what they perceive to be

their meanings.

You might include some of the following: folded arms, raised eyebrows, scratching the head,

hands on hips, shrug of shoulders, etc.

Have students share their perceptions. Were there differences in what students perceived?

Explain. How might those signals be interpreted differently when accompanied with various

word messages?

Cultural Differences in Nonverbal Communication

Ask students to consider how other cultures might react to nonverbal messages. Discuss the

possible reactions and encourage students to share other examples.

Nonverbal Communication and Gender

Discuss the differences between the communication styles of men and women. For instance in

the United States

The male approach to tasks is confrontational and results oriented

The female method of working is collaborative and oriented toward concern for

individuals

LEARNING OBJECTIVE 3

Identify aspects of effective listening.

Listening as a Communication Skill

Because of its pervasive nature, listening should be a concern of other disciplines in addition to

business communication. In the business communication course, listening instruction should be

related to interpersonal and group communication and interviewing practices.

To emphasize that people may not listen as effectively as they think they do, administer the

following listening test: (Test reprinted with permission of South Central Bell.)

Directions: Listen carefully because I will read each question only once. Use a pencil and paper to

record the answer after each question has been read.

In the series of numbers “5–8–4–1–6,” the second number is 8. Yes.

In the list of words “by-of-in-at-on,” the word beginning with “a” is “at”. Yes.

In the list of names “Adam, Meredith, Timothy, Jack, Suzette,” which begins with a

“J”? Jack

In the series of numbers “8–1–9–5–3,” the third number is 9. Yes.

Answer true or false to the following: In the list of words

“below-go-snow-throw-flow,” the third word mentioned is “throw.” False.

Multiply the number 9 by 2, subtract 3, add 10, and divide by 5. The answer is 5.

Yes.

publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Listen carefully to this statement: “Send five box tops with your name and address

and 25 cents to Box 45, Denver, Colorado 80200, to receive the special gift offer.” The

number of cents to be enclosed is 25. Yes.

Listening for a Specific Purpose

Discuss the different types of listening.

Discuss and give examples of the different reasons for listening:

To interact socially, such as talking with your colleagues about weekend plans.

To receive information, such as calling a vendor to obtain a price for an item.

To solve problems, such as discussing with your team members why work must be

completed earlier than you had planned.

To share feelings with others, such as hearing how a co-worker is tired of the

two-hour commute to work every day.

Poor Listening Habits

Discuss poor listening habits.

Ask students to work in small groups to discuss a situation they have faced that provides

evidence of bad listening habits. Ask each group what specific suggestions they could provide

that would improve listening in this situation.

Ask a member of each group to share the listening suggestions with the class. Use these

presentations to lead into a class discussion of speaker and listener responsibilities.

Lead students in a discussion of how to overcome bad listening habits.

Suggestions for Effective Listening

Discuss effective listening guidelines. Help students identify listening weaknesses and develop

a plan for improvement.

Emphasize the role Kinesics play in active listening. Remind students to pay attention to

nonverbal messages, both as a sender and a receiver of a message and to stay physically and

mentally involved.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE 4

Identify factors affecting group and team communication.

Increasing Focus on Groups

Lead students in a discussion of how communication in flat organizations differs from that in

traditional organizations. Emphasize the need for more lateral (horizontal) communication and

how that can be accomplished.

Flat Organizational Structure

Discuss the barriers that include role vs. status, excessive competition, flat organizational

structures that pose new requirements for communication flow.

When mid-level positions are eliminated, communication must be redirected.

Heightened Focus on Cooperation

publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Competition has been a characteristic way of life in U.S. companies, both externally and

internally. What are the reasons for competition? What are the benefits to competition? How

does excessive competition diminish, if not eliminate, the success of communication?

Ask students to share their experiences with competition in their academic and professional

lives.

Discuss the win/lose philosophy of competition and the win/win philosophy of cooperation.

Characteristics of Effective Groups

Discuss characteristics of effective groups. To illustrate the importance of common goals, ask

students what happens in a team project in which two members want to make an “A” and the

other two members are satisfied with a “C.”

Ask students what size team they prefer for completing school projects, giving reasons for their

preference.

Ask students to recall a negative team experience they may have had at school or work. Which

of the characteristics were lacking in that situation?

Group Roles

Discuss group roles. Which roles are positive? Which are negative? Can an individual group

member play more than one role?

Ask students to think of a group of which they are members (school, work, family, club, church,

etc.) and to identify persons in that group who play each of the discussed roles.

Does their role change in different groups? Does a group member always choose their role?

Explain.

Reiterate the communication styles of men and women discussed in Chapter 2. How can these

differences affect the team dynamic?

Give a small group of students a topic for a meeting. Have the men in the group be

stereotypical “male” communicators and have the women be stereotypical “female”

communicators. Have them act out a meeting on the topic you choose. Ask the remaining

students to analyze where the breakdowns occur in the meeting process and discuss how to

remedy those breakdowns.

From Groups to Teams

Lead a discussion of different types of teams. Remind students that becoming a team is a

process that does not occur simply because a group is put together by a manager or supervisor.

For a group to become a team, it must go through a development process with four distinct

phases—forming, storming, norming, and performing. All teams will not reach their optimum

performance level but will settle for the acceptable performance that comes in the norming

stage.

Discuss how corporate team-building has changed and how companies are using off-site

physical and mental activities to make on-site teamwork more effective.

In small groups, have students brainstorm a list of recommendations for using teams effectively.

As each team reports its list, record the recommendations on the chalkboard or overhead.

Discuss team behaviors. Newly formed groups often find it helpful to set aside time to define

their purpose, expectations, and roles.

How can groups experience conformity without sacrificing individual expression?

Group Conflict

publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Deliver an overall perspective on the three types of group conflict: personal, substantive, and

procedural.

Discuss the other factors, competition within a group and social dilemmas, which groups create

for members.

Remind students that cultural differences among group members may be an underlying cause of

conflict and can also affect the resolution process.

Discuss the five basic tactics used to deal with conflict. Which conflict resolution technique is

most likely to promote group unity?

Groupthink

Lead a discussion of the value of conflict in the group process. Stress the following points:

Groupthink is a destructive phenomenon that results when a group develops a single

mindset rather than exploring alternative solutions.

Groupthink can result because of pressure to conform and to present a unified front.

The space shuttle Challenger disaster was a prime example of groupthink at work. After

the tragedy, numerous persons involved with the project indicated that they had indeed

had reservations about the launch, yet the pressure to not further delay the mission

influenced them to say nothing to the contrary.

Conflict is a healthy process that counteracts groupthink.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE 5

Discuss aspects of effective meeting management.

Meeting Management

Have you ever heard someone say “I have been in meetings all week, and we haven’t

accomplished anything!” Managers often spend up to 60 percent of their time in meetings that

can sometimes turn into a free-for-all. Effective meetings don’t just happen; they occur because

the organizer engages in careful planning and attention to specific guidelines.

Discuss the relative advantages and limitations of face-to-face and electronic meetings.

Suggestions for Effective Meetings

Brainstorm with students to identify characteristics of ineffective meetings they have been in.

Reviewing characteristics of ineffective meetings, ask students for suggestions for making

meetings more productive.

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

1. Identifying Appropriate Listening Styles: Identify a situation you have experienced that would

be appropriate for each of the following listening styles: casual listening, listening for

information, intensive listening, and empathetic listening. Describe how you could maximize

your listening experience in each case.

After reading student responses, summarize their suggestions for maximizing their own listening.

Challenge each student to target several of the suggestions for personal implementation.

publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

2. Gestures: Separate into groups of three to five and take turns using particular gestures, facial

expressions, and other body language. Members of the group not delivering the nonverbal

communication should try to identify as many possible interpretations of the gesture as they

can. Once all group members have had at least one turn, discuss which interpretations you

found most surprising and how your individual perspective might be influencing your

interpretation of someone else’s body language.

After small group discussions, have each group present one or two of their most surprising

interpretations and how those might reflect individual perspective. Below are some further

examples and their possible interpretations:

Nonverbal Possible Meaning Misinterpretation

Steeping hands propping

arms on the table because tired

I am better than you. Covering mouth with hand

when talking

I think I have bad breath. I am lying; I have no

confidence.

Not making eye contact.

The sun is in my eyes. I am lying; I am not confident. Being the only one standing.

I need to stretch. I have authority over you

3. Performing as a Group: Group Contracts: One way to ensure that a group has the discussion

that is necessary to begin on the path of performing is to create a group contract. Creating a

group contract can help to ensure that you discuss your expectations of each other, assigned

task responsibilities, deadlines for project milestones and the final product, and group member

roles. A group contract may also specify a procedure for dealing with problems in the group,

such as a failure to meet group expectations, follow procedures, and meet deadlines. To

complete a group contract, follow the steps below:

a. You and your group members should discuss and identify your expectations of each other

regarding the completion of your team project. These expectations generally include

concerns about participation, meeting attendance, meeting deadlines, following procedures

and revising individual contributions to the group project. Discussion of group standards

regarding the quality of the work expected or the graded desired are also helpful in

clarifying expectations and setting goals. A final area of discussion might identify

individual assignments or group member roles.

b. If desired, you and your group members should identify the consequences for not fulfilling

these expectations. Specifying consequences can be helpful for two reasons 1) it provides

an opportunity to empower group members to deal with problems in a proactive way and 2)

it mitigates against the enabling of free-riding and social loafing. Examples of

consequences might include percentage reductions in an individual’s group grade if

deadlines are not met or revisions are not made to meet agreed upon standards. Another

example of a consequence might be the termination of a group member after a series of

group expectations are not met.

c. After discussing group expectations and consequences, each group should detail these in a

document that each member signs to show his or her understanding and agreement. The

contract should be as specific as possible so that expectations are clear to all group

members. For example, you might specify what constitutes poor attendance, inadequate

participation, and unacceptable work quality. Ideally, your contract will also provide a list

of project milestones and a schedule of project deadlines.

publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Depending upon the group, contract contents may differ. All contracts should include a discussion

of group member expectations. This discussion might specify expectations in the following areas:

participation, meeting attendance, meeting deadlines, following procedures, revising individual

contributions to the group project, quality of work, and individual assignments and/or group

member roles. If addressed, a consequences section would specify the results of not complying with

each of the identified team expectations. Ideally, the contract would include a schedule for the

project with milestones and signatures of each team member.

4. Analyze a Team Meeting: After you and your team hold a planned meeting, you may wish to

analyze its effectiveness by discussing what you observed, including the communication

behaviors and roles each team member played. In performing the assessment, try to consider

the issues discussed in the chapter and identify them in your analysis. You might consider the

following:

a. What did we do in this meeting that worked well?

b. What happened that we might not wish to repeat? Are there bad habits into which we might

fall?

c. What roles did each team member play? How did you determine these roles? Where the

roles helpful in achieving group goals? Why or why not?

d. What types of communication behaviors did team members display? For example, was it

common for team members to ask questions to clarify understanding (active listening) or

did they assume understanding?

e. How well did members attend to both task and socioemotional functions? Were you able to

follow and stick to your plan for the meeting? Were the goals of the meeting met? On the

socio-emotional side, did members feel valued and supported in their contributions? Were

individualistic behaviors avoided?

Responses will vary depending upon the team. Responses should indicate an understanding of the

key group roles—task, socio-emotional or individualistic—and the communication behaviors

associated with each.

publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.