INTRODUCTION to COMMUNICATION

Plato once said,

Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.

A survey by Robert Half International of 1 400 chief financial officers identified interpersonal skills such as communication and listening as critical for professional success. A survey by the American Management Association of nearly 300 U.S. administrators identified written and oral communication skills as the highest ranked performance skills for professional success.
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Professionals who communicate effectively, whether technical communicators or technical experts, usually achieve more career success and have greater job satisfaction than those without the skills to communicate their technical knowledge.
Rebecca E. Burnett University Professor Rhetoric & Professional Communication Department of English Iowa State University

To initiate some action.

To establish or maintain links or relations with other people.

To impart information, ideas, attitudes, beliefs or feelings.

The process of transmitting & receiving of information through verbal or nonverbal behaviour with the intention of conveying a message. Communication is
Dynamic Irreversible Proactive Interactive Contextual

Psychological context,
needs, desires, values, personality that influence communication

Situational context
the psycho-social "where" you are communicating. Classroom vs bar interaction

Environmental context
the physical "where" you are communicating. Furniture, location, noise level, temperature, season, time of day are examples of factors in the environmental context.

Cultural context
the learned behaviors and rules that affect the interaction. If you come from a culture (foreign or within your own country) where it is considered rude to make long, direct eye contact, you will out of politeness avoid eye contact. If the other person comes from a culture where long, direct eye contact signals trustworthiness, then we have in the cultural context a basis for misunderstanding.
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Intrapersonal communication: Communication with oneself. Reminding yourself to do something.. Interpersonal communication: Communication between two individuals, or between a number of individuals on a personal level. Impersonal/ Mass communication: Communication where the message is directed to large audience, with no direct contact between sender and receiver.
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In 1989, Exxon Corp. caused one of the worst

environmental disasters ever. On March 24, the

Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground, spilling 250,000 barrels, an amount equal to more than 10 million gallons, of oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound. Efforts to contain the spill were slow and Exxon's response was even slower.

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The incident would go down in crisis management history as a textbook case of how not to respond during a crisis, and "by

the time the media was finished, the Exxon

name was synonymous with environmental catastrophe."

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Time is a major factor in any crisis, and it is one that severely crippled Exxon. Since the Johnson and Johnson crisis in 1982, two things were expected from a company in crisis. "The company must do well solving the actual problem - in this case, cleaning up 10 million gallons of spilled oil. And the company must create a positive perception of how the problem is handled."

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Exxon was not successful in either attempt. In regards to addressing the actual problem, which Exxon claimed was its first priority, it took company officials nearly 10 hours after the accident to deploy booms to contain the spill.

In addition, Exxon was criticized for refusing to acknowledge the extent of the problem, which was due, in part, to the advice of the company's legal counsel. To further stonewall, company executives refused to comment on the accident for almost a week.

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The biggest criticism the company received was the fact that CEO, Lawrence Rawl waited six days to make a statement to the media and that he did not visit the scene of the accident until nearly three weeks after the spill. Combined, these actions left the public with the impression that the Exxon Corporation did not take this accident seriously.

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The media can be an important tool for a company in crisis. They can help an organization disseminate information to the public. After the Exxon Valdez ran aground, Exxon conducted all of its communications from the small town of Valdez, Alaska. This remote location proved inadequate, having only limited communication capabilities, and Exxon seemed unwilling to disseminate its information using any other method or location. Instead, it told reporters "it was Valdez or nothing."
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In addition, statements made to the press by high-ranking executives were often inconsistent and contained contradictory information, leading the press to question the credibility and truthfulness of Exxon.

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In addition to its slow response and insufficient communication, the company's attempts to remedy its damaged reputation fell short of their intended goals. Initially, Exxon blamed state and federal officials for the delays in containing the spill. When asked how Exxon intended to pay the massive cleanup costs, one Exxon executive responded by saying it would raise gas prices to pay for the incident. These attempts to evade responsibility and defer blame angered consumers.
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Ten days after the spill, Exxon spent $1.8 million to take out full-page ad in 166 papers. In the ad, the company apologized for the spill but still refused to accept responsibility. Many saw this approach as insincere and inadequate.

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Exxon paid the price for its actions in several different ways. The cleanup effort cost the company $2.5 billion alone, and Exxon was forced to pay out $1.1 billion in various settlements. A 1994 federal jury also fined Exxon an additional $5 billion for its "recklessness," which Exxon later appealed. In addition to the upfront costs of the disaster, Exxon's image was permanently tarnished.
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Angered customers cut up their Exxon credit cards and mailed them to Rawl, while others boycotted Exxon products. According to a study by Porter/Novelli several years after the accident, 54 percent of the people surveyed said they were still less likely to buy Exxon products

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The Communication Cycle Message

SENDER

CONTENT

RECEIVER

FEEDBACK

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SENDERS ACTIVITY Conceives the Message Encodes the Message Relays the Message (Identifying Channel and Medium)

RECEIVERS ACTIVITY Decodes the Message Gives feedback

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Deciding to communicate & what to communicate. Message is put into words, gestures & expressions. Message is sent via a channel of communication. (eg. notice board, letter) using a medium.

Conceives the Message

SENDERS ACTIVITY

Encodes the message

Relays the message

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RECEIVERS ACTIVITY

Interpreting, inferring and understanding what the message says. Feedback is given to indicate if the message has (or has not) been successfully received, understood and interpreted.

Decodes the Message

Gives feedback

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The reaction of the receiver which indicates that the message has (or has not) been successfully received, understood and interpreted. There are 2 types of feedback positive & negative.

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Action taken as requested Letter/memo/note sent confirming receipt of message, or replying to question/ invitation etc. Smile, nod, thumbs up.

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No action, or wrong action taken No written response at all or written request for more information, repetition etc. Silence, blank look, shrug.

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Types of medium:

1)

Written Communication
Oral Communication

eg. a letter, memorandum, note, report or list.

2)

includes both face-to-face and remote communication eg. by telephone or television.

3)

Visual/Non-verbal Communication

eg. gestures, facial expressions, body movements, charts, pictures or screen displays.
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Choosing a medium depends on factors such as: Time Complexity Distance Need for a written record Need for interaction Need for confidentiality (or conversely) Sensitivity Cost
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwaLTpn ozP4

Discussion question:
What causes the misunderstanding? How do you resolve the problem/s?

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Distortion The way in which the meaning of a message is lost during the encoding and decoding stages of communication. Noise Distractions and interference in the environment in which communication takes place, obstructing the process of communication by affecting the accuracy, clarity or arrival of the message.

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Different meanings, concepts and ideas

1.

Chinese wedding in a British hotel:

Hotel management felt insulted and sued the Chinese merchant

I am sorry the food and drink were not very fine.

DAHLIA/ PWC 1010/2012

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Types of Noise

1) 2) 3) 4)

5)

Physical noise (Traffic, conversation) Technical noise (bad handwriting) Social noise (differences in personality/culture/experience/) Psychological noise( emotions/feelings) Language (poor articulation/pronunciation/intonation)

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Personal differences An individuals personality, mentality, experience and environment can cause distortion or noise in the communication process. E.g.

1) 2) 3)

Racial, ethnic or regional origins: Religious beliefs and traditions. Social class and socio-economic

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Personal differences (cont.)

4) 5) 6) 7)
8) 9)

Education and training. Occupation Intelligence Personality traits and types

Age Sex/Gender

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Men need the bottom line first and foremost. Then they will decide if they need more details. Eg: I need to

borrow some money

Women need to build up to the bottom line by giving as much detail as possible so that you can connect the dots and see the broader picture. This story telling that women tend to do often frustrates men and leads to disagreements. On average, women use 25,500 words in a day while men use only about 12,500. The easiest way to communicate with men is to give them the bottom line first and then deal with the extra details and story telling.and vice versa

PWC 1010/ 2011

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Objective: to maintain independence Talk more in public Talk to establish status Use conflict to gain status Talk about sports, money and business Precise but less descriptive

Objective: to maintain intimacy Talk more in private Talk to build rapport Generally avoid conflict to ensure closeness Talk about people, feelings and relationships Very detailed but vague

MEN

WOMEN
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Non-verbal communication relates to conveying a message without using words or symbols. It may be linked to words (eg. a tone of voice), or it may be independent of any verbal message.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40DykbPa4Lc

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TYPICAL MESSAGE CONTENT

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1)

Non-verbal communication linked to verbal communication, which adds meaning over and above what the speaker is saying in the words themselves/ between the lines of a message. Non-verbal communication can also be independent of any verbal message, so that meaning is conveyed by non-verbal cues.

1)

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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Kinesics Haptics Physical/ Personal Appearance Artifacts Paralanguage Proxemics Chronemics Silence

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Body position, motion & facial expression Communication through face and body movements

Example: Smile, thumbs up for goodjob, nodding when listening to a friend speaking , doodling etc
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Women tend to be more expressive than men

Eyes may be the most revealing In some cultures , lack of eye contact signifies rudeness, indifference, nervousness, or dishonesty Eye contact influences interaction in small groups. Seating in circles aid group interaction

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Facial expression Freedom of expression Display of emotion

dahlia

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First impressions are lasting impressions . We draw conclusions about others based on attractiveness, gender, age, health, culture, social class, and personality Clothing, piercings, and body art also convey information to others

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Communication via objects made by hands. Thus:

a. b. c. d.

Colour Communication Clothing and Body Adornment Jewelry Decoration of Space

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Green: Creates balance of energy. Heals the heart. Helps us overcome a fear of giving, and sharing. Assists adaptability. Promotes reconciliation, harmony, and balance. Peaceful thoughts. Renewal. A symbol of fertility and growth. Represents abundance, vitality, nature, success, good luck, and beauty. The most restful colour for the human eye. Grey : Indicates a lack of commitment, Depression. Colour of neutrality. Creates confusion. Balance, or stalemate. Light Yellow : High wisdom and intellect. Red : Increases Energy levels, Gives confidence and courage. Brings Joy. Promotes Sexuality, Passion. A representation of love within a relationship. A symbol of love. Career and goals. Power, and willpower. A warning of danger.

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 The way you say a word rather than the word itself Pitch, volume, rate, and word stress (the degree of prominence given to a syllable within a word or a word within a phrase or sentence) all influence meaning
Is that the report you want me to read? Is that the report you want me to read? Is that the report you want me to read?

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Touch communicates a wide range of messages. There are five major types of messages that illustrates this: Positive feeling support, appreciation Intention to play, either affectionately or aggresively Control behaviours, attitudes or feelings of others. Ritualistic touching greetings and departures Task related touching checking someone forehead for fever

a. b. c. d. e.

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Greetings

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The study of how we perceive and use Personal space is proxemics

Two important proxemic variables are
a. Territoriality b. Interpersonal Space

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The sense of personal ownership that is attached to a particular space Your seat in class

Ownership of space is often designated by objects acting as markers of territory Individuals who fail to respect the territory of others are violating an important group norm

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 Can be thought of as an invisible, psychological bubble surrounding each person that expands or contract according to our needs and the situation. DEMO ON PERSONAL BUBBLE

Intimate Distance: Touching to 18 inches Personal Distance: 18 inches to 4 feet Social Distance: 4 to 8 feet Public Distance: 8 or more feet

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This concerns the use of time how you organise it, react to it, and communicate messages to it. Consider, for example your psychological time orientation; the emphasis that you place on the past, present and future.

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Two distinct approaches to time Monochronic: Time is Money. Time is scheduled, managed, and arranged. Set deadlines and work to schedule (US and N. Europe) Polychronic: It Gets Done When It Gets Done. Completion of task is individualistic. Deadlines less important than group interaction and roles. Appointments are frequently broken (Mediterranean, Latin America, Pacific Islands, Middle East)

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Like words and gestures, silence too communicates important meanings and serves important functions. Allows the speaker time to think. A weapon to hurt others Used as a response to personal anxiety, shyness or threats
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Cues for Success I am running for office in a class election, and I want to know what I can do nonverbally to make myself more likeable and more credible and hence more likely to be elected. Any suggestions?

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Physical Appearance Facial Expressions Paralanguage slightly faster speech rate Gestures

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http://ohioline.osu.edu/flm02/pdf/fs04.pdf

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