Sundown bakery case study answers

Discussion Board

Communicating at Work

Strategies for Success in Business and the Professions

Twelfth Edition

Ronald B. Adler Santa Barbara City College, Emeritus

Michelle M. Maresh-Fuehrer Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi

Jeanne Elmhorst Central New Mexico Community College

Kristen Lucas University of Louisville

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COMMUNICATING AT WORK: STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS IN BUSINESS

AND THE PROFESSIONS, TWELFTH EDITION

Published by McGraw-Hill Education, 2 Penn Plaza, New York, NY, 10021. Copyright ©

2019 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of

America. Previous editions © 2013, 2010, and 2008. No part of this publication may be

reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval

system, without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education, including, but not

limited to, in any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for

distance learning.

Some ancillaries, including electronic and print components, may not be available to

customers outside the United States.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 LWI/LWI 21 20 19 18

ISBN: 978-0-07-803696-5

MHID: 0-07-803696-8

Portfolio Manager: Sarah Remington

Product Developer: Elizabeth Murphy

Marketing Manager: Laura Young

Content Project Manager: Lisa Bruflodt

Buyer: Sandy Ludovissy

Designer: Egzon Shaqiri

Content Licensing Specialist: DeAnna Dausener

Cover Image: © Ola Dusegard/Getty Images

Compositor: Lumina Datamatics

All credits appearing at the end of the book are considered to be an extension of the copyright

page.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Adler, Ronald B. (Ronald Brian), 1946- author.

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Title: Communicating at work : strategies for success in business and the professions /

Ronald B. Adler [and three others].

Description: Twelfth edition. | New York, NY : McGraw-Hill Education, [2019]

Identifiers: LCCN 2017045185 (print) | LCCN 2017050012 (ebook) | ISBN

9781260154030 (Online) | ISBN 9780078036965 (looseleaf) | ISBN

9781260154054 (softcover)

Subjects: LCSH: Business communication. | Interpersonal communication.

Classification: LCC HF5718 (ebook) | LCC HF5718 .A33 2019 (print) | DDC

658.4/5—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017045185

The Internet addresses listed in the text were accurate at the time of publication. The

inclusion of a website does not indicate an endorsement by the authors or McGraw-Hill

Education, and McGraw-Hill Education does not guarantee the accuracy of the information

presented at these sites.

mheducation.com/highered

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https://lccn.loc.gov/2017045185
http://mheducation.com/highered
about the authors

Courtesy of Ronald B. Adler

Ronald B. Adler is professor emeritus at Santa Barbara City College. Throughout his career, he has specialized in the study of organizational and interpersonal communication. He is the author of Confidence in Communication: A Guide to Assertive and Social Skills and coauthor of Understanding Human Communication, Interplay: The Process of Interpersonal Communication, as well as the widely used text Looking Out/Looking In. Professor Adler is a consultant for a number of corporate, professional, and government clients and leads workshops in such areas as conflict resolution, presentational speaking, team building, and interviewing.

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Courtesy of Michelle M. Maresh-Fuehrer

Michelle M. Maresh-Fuehrer is Associate Professor of Public Relations at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, where she specializes in the areas of crisis communication, public relations, and social media. She is the author of Creating Organizational Crisis Plans and coauthor of Public Relations Principles: Strategies for Professional Success. Her work has also appeared in Persuasion in Your Life, The Handbook of Crisis Communication, Computers in Human Behavior, Communication Teacher, Communication Education, and the American Communication Journal. Professor Maresh-Fuehrer also works as a consultant for a variety of business and nonprofit organizations.

Courtesy of Jeanne Elmhorst

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Jeanne Elmhorst is an instructor in communication studies at Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her courses reflect the variety in the communication discipline: business and professional, public speaking, listening, intercultural, and interpersonal. Ms. Elmhorst lived and taught in Asia for three years, and she continues to find opportunities to travel, study, and volunteer in other countries. She enjoys designing and presenting communication training for business and not-for-profit clients.

Courtesy of Kristen Lucas

Kristen Lucas is an assistant professor in the Department of Management at University of Louisville, where she directs the business communication program. She teaches courses, conducts research, and facilitates management training sessions on organizational communication, workplace dignity, and careers. Her research has appeared in Journal of Business Ethics, Management Communication Quarterly, and Journal of Applied Communication Research.

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McGraw-Hill Connect: An Overview

McGraw-Hill Connect offers full-semester access to comprehensive, reliable content and learning resources for the Business Communication course. Connect’s deep integration with most learning management systems (LMS), including Blackboard and Desire2Learn (D2L), offers single sign-on and deep gradebook synchronization. Data from Assignment Results reports synchronize directly with many LMS, allowing scores to flow automatically from Connect into school-specific gradebooks, if required.

The following tools and services are available as part of Connect for the Business Communication course:

Tool Instructional Context Description SmartBook SmartBook is an

engaging and interactive reading experience for mastering fundamental Communication content. The metacognitive component confirms students’ understanding of the material. Instructors can actively connect SmartBook assignments and results to higher- order classroom

SmartBook is an adaptive reading experience designed to change the way students read and learn. It creates a personalized reading experience by highlighting the most impactful concepts a student needs to learn at that moment in time. SmartBook creates personalized learning plans based on student responses to content question probes and confidence scales, identifying the topics students are struggling with and providing learning

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work and one-on- one student conferences. Students can track their own understanding and mastery of course concepts and identify gaps in their knowledge.

resources to create personalized learning moments. SmartBook includes a variety of learning resources tied directly to key content areas to provide students with additional instruction and context. These resources include video and media clips, interactive slide content, mini-lectures, and image analyses. SmartBook Reports provide instructors with data to quantify success and identify problem areas that require attention in and out of the classroom. Students can access their own progress and concept mastery reports.

Connect Insight for Instructors

Connect Insight for Instructors is an analytics resource that produces quick feedback related to learner performance and learner engagement. It is designed as a dashboard for both quick check-ins and detailed performance and engagement views.

Connect Insight for Instructors offers a series of visual data displays that provide analysis on five key insights:

How are my students doing? How is this one student doing? How is my section doing? How is this assignment doing? How are my assignments doing?

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Connect Insight for Students

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Connect Insight for Students is a powerful data analytics tool that provides at-a-glance visualizations to help students understand their performance on Connect assignments.

Connect Insight for Students offers details on each Connect assignment to students. When possible, it offers suggestions for the students on how they can improve scores. The data from this tool can help guide students to behaviors that will lead to better scores in the future.

Video Speech Assignment

Video Speech Assignment provides instructors with a comprehensive and efficient way of managing in-class and online speech assignments, including student self-reviews, peer reviews, and instructor grading.

The Video Speech Assignment tool allows instructors to easily and efficiently set up speech assignments for their course that can easily be shared and repurposed, as needed, throughout their use of Connect. Customizable rubrics and settings can be saved and shared, saving time and streamlining the speech assignment process from creation to assessment. Video Speech Assignment allows users—both students and instructors—to view videos during the assessment process. Feedback can be left within a customized rubric or as time-stamped comments within the video playback itself.

Speech Preparation Tools

Speech Preparation Tools provide students with additional support and include Topic Helper, Outline

Speech Preparation Tools provide students with additional resources to help with the preparation and

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Tool, and access to third-party Internet sites such as EasyBib (for formatting citations) and Survey Monkey (to create audience- analysis questionnaires and surveys).

outlining of speeches, as well as with audience- analysis surveys. Instructors have the ability to make tools either available or unavailable to students.

Instructor Reports Instructor Reports provide data that may be useful for assessing programs or courses as part of the accreditation process.

Connect generates a number of powerful reports and charts that allow instructors to quickly review the performance of a given learner or an entire section. Instructors can run reports that span multiple sections and instructors, making this tool an ideal solution for individual professors, course coordinators, and department chairs.

Student Reports Student Reports allow students to review their performance for specific assignments or for the course.

Students can keep track of their performance and identify areas in which they are struggling.

Pre- and Post-Tests Instructors can generate their own pre- and post-tests from the test bank. Pre- and post-tests demonstrate what students already know before class begins and what they have learned by the end of class.

Instructors have access to two sets of pre- and post- tests (at two levels). Instructors can use these tests to create diagnostic and post-diagnostic exams via Connect.

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Tegrity Tegrity allows instructors to capture course material or lectures on video. Students can watch videos recorded by their instructor and learn course material at their own pace.

Instructors can keep track of which students have watched the videos they post. Students can watch and review lectures by their instructor. Students can search each lecture for specific bites of information.

Simple LMS Integration Connect seamlessly integrates with every learning management system.

Students have automatic single sign-on. Connect assignment results sync to the LMS’s gradebook.

• Instructor’s Guide to Connect for Communicating at Work When you assign Connect, you can be confident—and have data to demonstrate—that your students, however diverse, are acquiring the skills, principles, and critical processes that are necessary for effective communication. This process allows you to focus on your highest course expectations.

Tailored to You Connect offers on-demand, single sign-on access to students—wherever they are and whenever they have time. With a single, one-time registration, students receive access to McGraw-Hill’s trusted content.

Easy to Use Connect seamlessly supports all major learning management systems with content, assignments, performance data, and LearnSmart, the leading adaptive learning system. With these tools you can quickly make

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assignments, produce reports, focus discussions, intervene on problem topics, and help at-risk students—as you need to and when you need to.

• Communicating at Work SmartBook A Personalized and Adaptive Learning Experience SmartBook with Learning Resources is the first and only adaptive reading and study experience designed to change the way students read and master key course concepts. As a student engages with SmartBook, the program creates a personalized learning path by highlighting the most impactful concepts the student needs to learn at that moment in time and by delivering a wealth of learning resources—videos, animations, and other interactive content. These rich, dynamic resources help students learn the material, retain more knowledge, and get better grades.

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Enhanced for the New Edition! With a suite of new learning resources and question probes, as well as highlighting of key chapter concepts, SmartBook’s intuitive technology optimizes students’ study time by creating a personalized learning path for improved course performance and overall student success.

eBook Alongside SmartBook, the Connect eBook offers simple and easy access to reading materials on smartphones and tablets. Students can study on the go even when they do not have an Internet connection, highlight important sections, take notes, search for materials quickly, and read in class. Offline reading is available by downloading the eBook app on smartphones and tablets. Any notes and highlights created by students will subsequently be synced between devices when they reconnect. Unlike with SmartBook, there is no pre-highlighting, practice of key concepts, or reports on usage and performance available with the eBook.

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Hundreds of Interactive Learning Resources Presented in a range of interactive styles, Communicating at Work Learning Resources support students who may be struggling to master, or simply wish to review, the most important communication concepts. Designed to reinforce the most important chapter concepts, every Learning Resource is presented at the precise moment when it is needed. Whether it takes the form of a video, audio clip, or interactive mini-lesson, each of the 100-plus Learning Resources was designed to give students a lifelong foundation in strong communication skills.

SmartBook highlights the key concepts of every chapter, offering the student a high-impact

learning experience (left). Here, highlighted text and an illustration together explain the

interviewing process. Highlights change color (right) when a student has demonstrated his or

her understanding of the concept.

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More Than 1,000 Targeted Question Probes Class-tested at colleges and universities nationwide, a collection of engaging question probes—new and revised, more than 1,000 in all—give students the information on the introductory communication concepts they

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need to know, at every stage of the learning process, so that they can thrive in the course. Designed to gauge students’ comprehension of the most important Communicating at Work chapter concepts, and presented in a variety of interactive styles to facilitate student engagement, targeted question probes give students immediate feedback on their understanding of the text. Each question probe identifies a student’s familiarity with the instruction and points to areas where additional remediation is needed.

Focus on Practical Applications A new Appendix V focuses on the types of crises businesses today often face and how communication plays a role in recovering from such crises. Special emphasis is placed on crisis prevention, including strategies for responding to specific types of conflicts, and on templates for writing. This edition also includes new coverage of effective leadership strategies. For example, in Chapter 7 a new case study profiles effective servant leadership, and all chapters feature Career Tip boxes advising students how to succeed and emerge as leaders in their chosen careers.

Strong Emphasis on Ethical Communication and Cultural Diversity This edition features updated coverage of cultural diversity, with a new emphasis on intergenerational communication and supporting colleagues with disabilities in the workplace. New topics include strategies to handle racial discrimination in the

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workplace and a detailed discussion of problematic coworkers, workplace bullying, incivility on social media, and boundary enforcement. Culture at Work and Ethical Challenge boxes appear in every chapter, engaging students in thinking critically about topics of diversity and ethics in the workplace.

Updated and Expanded Coverage of Evolving Communication Technologies

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Integrated throughout the program, Communicating at Work offers instruction on using the latest mobile technologies to effectively conduct and participate in meetings and updated coverage of social media tools and the accepted etiquette for their use. This edition also includes enhanced and updated coverage of Internet job searches and applications, as well as online résumés and interviews.

Boxed Features The twelfth edition of Communicating at Work includes a variety of boxed features to support students’ learning and enhance their business communication skills.

Culture at Work boxes highlight the ways in which culture applies to every aspect of business and professional communication. Topics covered include how teamwork differs in individualistic and collectivistic cultures and how presentations can be adapted for culturally diverse audiences. Case Study boxes present cases from the world of business and the professions and offer compelling examples of how the principles in the book operate in everyday life. Career Tip boxes give practical advice on how to be more successful in work-related situations. Topics include getting recognized by your bosses, practicing cubical etiquette, and seeing difference as advantage. Technology Tip boxes demonstrate how students can use a variety of communication tools to achieve their goals. Topics include how to make use of professional networking services, when it can be best to go offline, and how to work effectively in virtual teams. Self-Assessment boxes help students see how well they are applying communication concepts and identify their own strengths and weaknesses as communicators. Ethical Challenge boxes invite students to consider ways of incorporating ethical considerations into day-to-day work contexts.

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• Video Speech Assignment Designed for use in face-to-face, real-time classrooms, as well as online courses, Video Speech Assignment allows you to evaluate your students’ speeches using fully customizable rubrics. You can also create and manage peer review assignments and upload videos on behalf of students for optimal flexibility.

Students can access rubrics and leave comments when preparing self- reviews and peer reviews. They can easily upload a video of their speech from their hard drive or use Connect’s built-in video recorder. Students can even attach and upload additional files or documents, such as a works- cited page or a PowerPoint presentation.

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Peer Review Peer review assignments are easier than ever to create and manage with Video Speech Assignment. You can also customize privacy settings. Speech Assignment Connect Video Speech Assignment lets you customize the assignments, including self-reviews and peer reviews. Feedback Connect saves your frequently used comments, simplifying your efforts to provide feedback.

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• Data Analytics Connect Insight provides at-a-glance analysis of five key insights, available at a moment’s notice. The first and only analytics tool of its kind, Insight will tell you, in real time, how individual students or sections are doing (or how well your assignments have been received) so that you can take action early and keep struggling students from falling further behind.

LearnSmart Instructor Reports allow instructors to quickly monitor students’ activity, making it easy to identify which students are struggling and allowing you to provide immediate help to ensure those students stay enrolled in the course and improve their performance. The Instructor Reports also highlight the concepts and learning objectives that the class as a whole is having difficulty grasping. This essential information lets you know exactly which areas you should target for review during your limited class time.

Some key LearnSmart reports are listed here.

Progress Overview report. View data on student progress for all LearnSmart modules, including how long students have spent working in the module, which modules they have used outside of any that were assigned, and how individual students are progressing through LearnSmart.

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Missed Questions report. Identify specific LearnSmart probes, organized by chapter, that are problematic for students.

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Most Challenging Learning Objectives report. Identify the specific topic areas that are challenging for your students. These reports are organized by chapter and include specific page references. Use this information to tailor your lecture time and assignments to cover areas that require additional remediation and practice. Metacognitive Skills report. View statistics showing how knowledgeable your students are about their own comprehension and learning.

• Classroom Preparation Tools Whether they are used before, during, or after class, a suite of products is available to help instructors plan their lessons and to keep students building upon the foundations of the course.

PowerPoint Slides The PowerPoint presentations for Communicating at Work provide chapter highlights that help instructors create focused yet individualized lesson plans. Test Bank The Communicating at Work Test Bank is a collection of more than 1,000 examination questions based on the most important mass-communication concepts explored in the text; more than 100 of the questions are new or revised for this edition. Instructor’s Manual Written by the author, this comprehensive guide to teaching from Communicating at Work contains lecture suggestions and resources for each chapter.

• Support to Ensure Success Digital Success Academy. The Digital Success Academy on Connect offers a wealth of training and course creation guidance for instructors and students alike. Instructor support is presented in easy-to-navigate, easy-to-complete sections. It includes the popular Connect video shorts, step-by-step Click-Through Guides, and First Day of Class materials that explain how to use both the Connect platform and its course-specific tools and features.

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Implementation Team. Our team of Implementation Consultants are dedicated to working online with instructors—one-on-one—to demonstrate how

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the Connect platform works and to help incorporate Connect into a customer’s specific course design and syllabus. Contact your Digital Learning Specialist to learn more. Learning Specialists. Learning Specialists are local resources who work closely with your McGraw-Hill learning technology consultants. They can provide face-to-face faculty support and training. Digital Faculty Consultants. Digital Faculty Consultants are experienced instructors who use Connect in their classrooms. These instructors are available to offer suggestions, advice, and training about how best to use Connect in your class. To request a Digital Faculty Consultant to speak with, please e-mail your McGraw-Hill learning technology consultant. National Training Webinars. McGraw-Hill offers an ongoing series of webinars for instructors to learn and master the Connect platform as well as its course-specific tools and features. We hope you will refer to our online schedule of national training webinars and sign up to learn more about Connect!

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Contact Our Customer Support Team McGraw-Hill is dedicated to supporting instructors and students. To contact our customer support team, please call us at 800-331-5094 or visit us online at http://mpss.mhhe.com/contact.php

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• Changes to the Twelfth Edition: Highlights

Chapter 1 Coverage of formal communication networks has been updated, including downward, upward, and horizontal communication. New Career Tips explain how to recover from a communication blunder and how to use LinkedIn effectively. A new Technology Tip helps students improve their LinkedIn profiles and manage their professional identities.

Chapter 2 In the “Communication in a Diverse Society” section, two entirely new subsections cover the topics of sex and gender and military veterans. A revised and updated section covers the topic of disabilities in the workplace. A new Culture at Work box addresses the issue of race discrimination. New Career Tips help students build intergenerational relationships and provide guidance on disclosing disability status during an interview.

Chapter 3 An updated section on analytical listening explains the role of an on-staff ombud to investigate and resolve workplace complaints. A new Ethical Challenge box broaches the issue of monitoring employees’ emotions. A revised Culture at Work box addresses cultural differences in listening. An updated Technology Tip explains best practices for listening to voice mail.

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Chapter 4 The section on assumptions about listening has been revised. Updated examples describe high-level versus low-level abstraction. The updated discussion of ethnocentrism as a psychological barrier to listening includes a new Self-Assessment that helps students to identify and recognize their biases. A new Case Study describes the cost of miscommunication. New Career Tips offer advice on reading nonverbal cues and practicing cubicle etiquette.

Chapter 5 The revised discussion of building positive relationships considers the importance of fostering intergenerational relationships. A new Case Study covers the “holocracy” model, as applied by Zappos. A new section on using social media to praise employees and show appreciation includes a new Culture at Work box that explains how expectations for praise can vary by culture. New material describes when to adopt and when not to adopt multicommunicating behaviors. A new Technology Tip addresses ways to minimize cyber incivility in the workplace, and two new Case Studies illustrate the costs of such behavior. A revised discussion considers causes of conflict and ways to practice boundary enforcement.

Chapter 6 The chapter now opens with coverage of types of interviews, including a new section on performance appraisal interviews. A new Technology Tip offers useful advice on conducting Internet job and internship searches. The discussion of pre-interview steps has been updated, including who to contact when you are interested in a field, how to clean up your online identity, and how to conduct background research on prospective employers. There is also updated coverage of reaching out to potential

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employers, including an explanation of computer screening techniques and scannable résumés, as well as two new Career Tips on making a résumé that stands out and conducting research on a company’s culture. Coverage of different interview formats has been revised, including a new section on

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preparing for the possibility of a video interview. The revised Table 6-1 covers the most common interviewee mistakes, and a new Ethical Challenge addresses ways to demonstrate ethical standards.

Chapter 7 This chapter includes updated coverage of the nature of teams, including what makes a group a team and best practices for working in virtual teams; the situational leadership model, previously termed life-cycle theory; and power and influence in groups. The section on transformational leadership has been completely revised. A new Case Study on servant leadership profiles the CEO of Popeyes, Cheryl Bachelder. A new Technology Tip describes the use of apps to facilitate teamwork. A new Career Tip summarizes the hazards of sleep deprivation.

Chapter 8 This chapter has been heavily revised to include an expanded section on virtual meetings and new information on applicable business presentations, such as webinars, press conferences, media interviews, and panel presentations. It also includes coverage of planning, conducting, and following up after a meeting; updated data and statistics on meetings, their costs, and their purpose; and coverage of information-sharing meetings and enrichment-based meetings. Two new Culture at Work boxes discuss collaboration in cyberspace and international business etiquette. Two new Career Tips focus on how to handle “time waster” meetings and how to take meeting minutes. A new Ethical Challenge addresses the issue of dealing with opposing viewpoints.

Chapter 9 A new Career Tip advises students to connect with an audience through storytelling. The chapter also offers increased coverage of speaking to nonexperts. A new example illustrates the process of analyzing your knowledge on the subject on which you will speak.

Chapter 10

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A new Culture at Work box discusses the concept of universal design. There is also new coverage of the use of infographics as visual aids, including an example of an effective infographic in Figure 10.1.

Chapter 11 A new Career Tip suggests ways to anticipate customers’ questions. A new section focuses on answering premature questions later in a presentation. A new Ethical Challenge addresses the proper etiquette for walking out of a presentation.

Chapter 12 A new Case Study illustrates the use of training to retain employees. A new Career Tip offers advice on persevering through presentations after mistakes or unexpected issues occur. A new section on webinars explains how to organize, design, and conduct these presentations effectively. The section on press conferences is entirely new to this edition.

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Appendix II This appendix includes new sections on writing news releases and media advisories, with templates provided for each type of document.

Appendix III This completely new appendix covers problem-solving communication in the workplace.

Appendix V This completely new appendix on crisis communication covers the various types of crises that businesses today often face, focusing on how communication plays a role in recovering from such crises. The appendix includes an example of a statement from a spokesperson, highlighting effective crisis response strategies.

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acknowledgments

We are grateful for the suggestions from colleagues whose thoughts helped guide us in preparing this new edition:

Gretchen Arthur, Lansing Community College Allen R. Bean, Southeast Community College Graham D. Bodie, Louisiana State University Carol Brennan, South Plains College Robert N. Burns, Salt Lake Community College Katherine M. Castle, University of Nebraska–Lincoln Carolyn Clark, Salt Lake Community College Kandice N. Diaz, El Paso Community College Cyndi Dunn, Sierra Community College Brandy Fair, Grayson College Richard I. Falvo, El Paso Community College Stacy Gresell, Lone Star College–CyFair Daria S. Heinemann, Florida State College at Jacksonville Pamela Hopkins, East Carolina University Mary S. Lynch, Waukesha County Technical College Gordon McLean, Florida State College at Jacksonville Jorge D. Mota, San Jacinto College, Central Campus Angela Niedermyer, Austin Community College Denise Oles-Acevedo, Iowa State University Jan Poppenga, Southeast Community College Christina Ross, Tarrant County College Northwest Michael J. Scrivens, Finger Lakes Community College Leonard Semas, Western Nevada College Katherine Taylor, University of Louisville Blair Thompson, Western Kentucky University

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C. Erik Timmerman, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Susan Tomasovic, George Mason University J. D. Wallace, Abilene Christian University Robert Zetocha, Southeast Community College

We would like to express our gratitude to the McGraw-Hill team whose suggestions, feedback, and encouragement helped shape this edition of Communicating at Work: Elizabeth Murphy, Lisa Bruflodt, DeAnna Dausener, Betty Chen, and Sarah Remington.

A special thanks also to Vicki Rowland and Jill Hobbs, the talented copyeditors whom we were fortunate to have contribute to this edition. We are also appreciative of Nancy Huebner and Lisa Pinto for their assistance early in the development of this edition.

Finally, we thank our colleagues, students, families, and friends for their support. We would like to express a special note of gratitude to Mariela K. Navarro for her contributions to the research-gathering process.

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brief contents

part one Basics of Business and Professional Communication Strategic Case: Sundown Bakery

1 Communicating at Work 2 Communication, Culture, and Work

part two Personal Skills Strategic Case: Omnicom Marketing

3 Listening 4 Verbal and Nonverbal Messages 5 Interpersonal Skills and Success 6 Principles of Interviewing

part three Working in Groups Strategic Case: Museum of Springfield

7 Leading and Working in Teams 8 Effective Meetings

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part four Making Effective Presentations Strategic Case: Fresh Air Sports

9 Developing and Organizing the Presentation 10 Verbal and Visual Support in Presentations 11 Delivering the Presentation 12 Types of Business Presentations

Appendix I: Interviewing Materials Appendix II: Business Writing Appendix III: Problem-Solving Communication Appendix IV: Sample Presentations Appendix V: Crisis Communication Glossary Index

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contents

part one

Basics of Business and Professional Communication Strategic Case: Sundown Bakery

1 Communicating at Work

©PhotoAlto/James Hardy/Alamy Stock Photo

Communication and Career Success The Nature of Communication

Communication Principles Basics of the Communication Model Communication Channels

Communicating in and beyond Organizations Formal Communication Networks Informal Communication Networks Personal Networking

Ethical Dimensions of Communication Master the Chapter

Review Points

Key Terms

Activities

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References

2 Communication, Culture, and Work

©cybrain/Shutterstock.com RF

The Nature of Culture Communication in a Diverse Society

Race and Ethnicity Social Class Generational Differences Regional Differences Disabilities Sex and Gender Military Veterans

Cultural Differences in International Business Customs and Behavior Fundamental Dimensions of Cultural Diversity

Diversity and Ethical Issues Communicating across Diversity

Become Culturally Literate Develop Constructive Attitudes Adapt Your Behavior

Master the Chapter

Review Points

Key Terms

Activities

References

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part two

Personal Skills Strategic Case: Omnicom Marketing

3 Listening

©Mark Dierker, Photographer/McGraw-Hill Education

Listening at Work The Importance of Listening Assumptions about Listening

Barriers to Effective Listening xx

Environmental Barriers Physiological Barriers Psychological Barriers

Listening Styles Relational Listening Analytical Listening Task-Oriented Listening Critical Listening

Listening More Effectively Listening to Understand Listening to Evaluate

Master the Chapter

Review Points

Key Terms

Activities

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References

4 Verbal and Nonverbal Messages

©Wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock.com RF

Verbal Messages Clarity and Ambiguity Inflammatory Language Language and Identity Management Feminine and Masculine Language Use

Nonverbal Communication Characteristics of Nonverbal Communication Types of Nonverbal Communication Improving Nonverbal Effectiveness

Master the Chapter

Review Points

Key Terms

Activities

References

5 Interpersonal Skills and Success

©Dean Drobot/Shutterstock.com RF

Interpersonal Skills and Success Building Positive Relationships

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Affirming Dignity Enhancing Organizational Climate

Sharing Feedback Giving Praise Raising Difficult Issues Offering and Responding to Criticism

Dealing with Difficult People and Situations Incivility Workplace Bullying Sexual Harassment Problematic Communication

Managing Conflict Causes of Conflict Approaches to Conflict Handling Conflicts Constructively

Master the Chapter

Review Points

Key Terms

Activities

References

6 Principles of Interviewing

©LWA/Larry Williams/Blend Images RF

Types of Interviews The Information-Gathering Interview The Career Research Interview

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The Employment Interview The Performance Appraisal Interview

Interviewing Strategies Planning the Interview Conducting the Interview

The Ethics of Interviewing Obligations of the Interviewer Obligations of the Respondent

Master the Chapter

Review Points

Key Terms

Activities

References

part three

Working in Groups Strategic Case: Museum of Springfield

7 Leading and Working in Teams

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The Nature of Teams Characteristics of Workgroups What Makes a Group a Team? Virtual Teams

Leadership and Influence in Teams

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Perspectives on Leadership Leader–Member Exchange Becoming a Leader Power and Influence of Members

Effective Communication in Teams Fill Functional Roles Recognize Both Team and Personal Goals Promote Desirable Norms Promote an Optimal Level of Cohesiveness Avoid Excessive Conformity

Master the Chapter

Review Points

Key Terms

Activities

References

8 Effective Meetings

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Types of Meetings Information-Sharing Meetings Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Meetings Ritual Activities

Virtual Meetings Conference Calls Web Conferences Video Conferences Collaborative Technologies

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Planning a Meeting When to Hold a Meeting Setting an Agenda Pre-Meeting Work

Conducting the Meeting Setting the Tone Conducting Business Concluding the Meeting Following Up the Meeting

Master the Chapter

Review Points

Key Terms

Activities

References

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part four

Making Effective Presentations Strategic Case: Fresh Air Sports

9 Developing and Organizing the Presentation

©Stockbyte/Getty Images RF

Analyzing the Situation Analyzing the Audience Analyzing Yourself as the Speaker

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Analyzing the Occasion Setting Your Goal and Developing the Thesis

General and Specific Goals Developing the Thesis

Organizing the Body Brainstorming Ideas Basic Organizational Plan Identify Main Points and Subpoints Choose the Best Organizational Pattern Rules for Main Points

Planning the Introduction and the Conclusion Functions of the Introduction Types of Opening Statements Functions of the Conclusion Types of Closing Statements

Adding Transitions Functions of Transitions Characteristics of Effective Transitions

Master the Chapter

Review Points

Key Terms

Activities

References

10 Verbal and Visual Support in Presentations

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Functions of Supporting Material

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Clarity Interest Proof

Verbal Support Definitions Examples Stories Statistics Comparisons Quotations Citing Your Sources

Visual Aids Types of Visual Aids Media for Presenting Visual Aids Presentation Software Guidelines for Using Visual Aids

Master the Chapter

Review Points

Key Terms

Activities

References

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11 Delivering the Presentation

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Types of Delivery Manuscript Presentations

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Memorized Presentations Extemporaneous Presentations Impromptu Presentations

Guidelines for Delivery Visual Elements Verbal Elements Vocal Elements

Question-and-Answer Sessions When to Answer Questions How to Manage Questions

Speaking with Confidence Accept a Moderate Amount of Nervousness Speak More Often Rehearse Your Presentation Focus on Your Topic and the Audience Think Rationally about Your Presentation

Master the Chapter

Review Points

Key Terms

Activities

References

12 Types of Business Presentations

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Informative Presentations Briefings Reports

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http://Halfpoint/Shutterstock.com
Training Webinars Press Conferences

Persuasive Presentations Types of Persuasive Presentations Strategies for Ethical Persuasion

Group Presentations Approaches to Organizing a Group Presentation Introductions, Conclusions, and Transitions in Group Presentations Delivering a Group Presentation

Special-Occasion Speaking Welcoming a Guest or Group Introducing Another Speaker Honoring a Person or an Institution Giving a Toast Presenting an Award Accepting an Award

Master the Chapter

Review Points

Key Terms

Activities

References

Appendix I: Interviewing Materials

Appendix II: Business Writing

Appendix III: Problem-Solving Communication

Appendix IV: Sample Presentations

Appendix V: Crisis Communication

Glossary

Index

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Communicating at Work

Strategies for Success in Business and the Professions

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PART ONE Basics of Business and Professional Communication

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STRATEGIC CASE

Sundown Bakery When Carol Teinchek and Bruce Marshall first started Sundown Bakery, the business was

fairly simple: Carol ran the shop up front, while Bruce ran the bakery and ordered supplies.

When the business began to grow, Carol hired two part-time clerks to help out in the shop.

Marina had moved to the country two years earlier from El Salvador, and Kim was a newly

arrived Korean working his way through college. Bruce hired Maurice, a French Canadian, as

an assistant.

The ovens were soon running 24 hours a day, supervised by Maurice, who was now

master baker, and two assistants on each of three shifts. Marina and Kim supervised the shop

because Carol was usually too busy managing general sales distribution to spend much time

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with customers. Bruce still spent 3 or 4 hours a day in the bakery whenever he could get out

of his office, but he devoted most of that time to coordinating production and solving

problems with Maurice.

Over the next year, Sundown expanded from its original location, adding two new shops

as well as two kiosks in local malls. Carol and Bruce hired an operations manager, Hans

Mikelson, formerly a regional manager of a national chain of coffee shops. Hans had plenty

of new ideas about how to operate an expanding business: He launched a website, added an

extensive range of drinks and meal items to the menu, and instituted two dress codes—one

for all counter help and another for kitchen employees. He also put together an employee

manual to streamline the process of orienting new employees. Hans announced all of these

changes by memos, which store managers distributed to the employees.

Sundown’s expanding size led to a change in the company. The “family feeling” that had

been so strong when Sundown was a small operation became less noticeable. The new

employees barely knew Bruce and Carol; as a result, there was less give-and-take of ideas

between the owners and workers.

Hans’s memos on the dress code and the employee manual created a crisis. Old-time

employees were furious about receiving orders from “the bureaucrats,” as management came

to be called. Bruce and Carol recognized the problem and wanted to keep the lines of

communication open, but they weren’t sure how to do so. “I’m just a baker,” Bruce confessed

in exasperation. “I don’t know how to run a big company.”

Another set of challenges grew out of the changing character of the employees. In the

original location alone, Sundown now employed workers from seven different countries.

José, who was born in Brazil, confessed to Bruce that he felt uncomfortable being managed

by Carol. “It’s nothing personal,” he said, “but where I come from, a man doesn’t take orders

from a woman.” The Sundown employees profile was different in other ways as well: Two of

the assistant bakers were openly gay; one of the sales clerks got around by wheelchair.

Carol, Bruce, and Hans know that good products alone aren’t enough to guarantee

Sundown Bakery’s continuing success. They need to improve the quality of communication

among the growing team who make and sell their products.

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As you read the chapters in this unit, consider the following questions:

chapter 1

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1. Apply the Communication Model (see Figure 1.1) to analyze Hans’s communication to employees regarding the employee manual and uniforms. Consider the impact of the sender, message, decoding, feedback, context, and probable sources of noise. Which elements seem to contribute most to the apparent lack of shared understanding?

2. Identify the changes that have occurred in the communication channels between employees and management as Sundown Bakery has grown. Suggest alternative communication strategies that might have reduced employee resentment. Explain why these channels could help improve management’s communication about workplace changes. How might an organization’s culture affect its choice of communication channels?

3. Identify the instrumental, relational, and identity messages that employees seem to have received from management as Sundown’s business grew. Which functions of downward communication do you notice? Can you find examples of upward and horizontal communication in this case study? How could Sundown improve its upward communication flow?

4. How have Sundown’s formal and informal communication networks changed as the company expanded? In which ways have both the formal and informal networks contributed to Sundown’s growing pains? In which ways can these networks be used to improve the relationships between management and employees?

chapter 2 1. How do the changes in the demographic makeup of Sundown Bakery reflect

transformation of the larger workforce as described in Communication in a Diverse Society on pp. 33–41?

2. Reflect on the six parts of the Customs and Behavior section, pp. 41–45. Cite a specific instance or predict the impact of three of these customs and behaviors in this workplace.

3. Consider the following hidden dimensions of culture as you describe the impact of culture on communication within the company: high- and low- context styles, individualism and collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity/femininity, and long-term orientation.

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4. Using the guidelines on pp. 50–52 (Communicating across Diversity), which specific advice would you give to Sundown’s management team about how to communicate most effectively in the face of the company’s growth?

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Chapter One Communicating at Work

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©PhotoAlto/James Hardy/Alamy Stock Photo RF

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chapter outline Communication and Career Success

The Nature of Communication Communication Principles Basics of the Communication Model Communication Channels

Communicating in and beyond Organizations Formal Communication Networks Informal Communication Networks

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Personal Networking

Ethical Dimensions of Communication

chapter objectives After reading this chapter you should be able to:

1. Explain the role of communication in career success, providing examples to support your claims.

2. Apply the key principles of communication, knowledge of the basic elements of the communication model, and considerations of effective communication channel use to a specific situation, showing how each one affects the outcome of the interaction.

3. Describe how formal and informal communication networks operate in a given situation in your career field; then create a strategic plan of personal networking to accomplish your goals within an organization.

4. Apply the concepts of ethical communication discussed here to one or more ethically challenging situations.

• Communication and Career Success The next time you look for job postings online, read the help wanted section of the newspaper, or check out internship opportunities at your college’s career services office, look a little closer. No matter which type of position you are seeking—from an entry-level job to a highly technical professional position—chances are you will see “excellent communication skills” listed as a job requirement.

Regardless of which occupations they pursue, people spend a staggering amount of time communicating on the job. Engineers spend most of their professional lives speaking and listening, mostly in one-to- one and small group settings.1 Accountants may crunch numbers, but they also need to communicate effectively to serve their clients. That is why certified public accountants (CPAs) and the firms that hire them consistently cite effective communication as essential for career success.2

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One study, based on responses from more than 1,000 employees at Fortune 1000 companies, found that workers send and receive an average of 178 messages each day via telephone, e-mail, faxes, text messages, blogs, instant messages, and face-to-face communication.3 Some experts have estimated that the average business executive spends 75 to 80 percent of his or her time communicating—more than 45 minutes of every hour.4

When it comes to communication, quality matters in almost every career5—not just those traditionally regarded as people oriented. On-the- job communication skills can even make the difference between life and death. The Los Angeles Police Department cited “bad communication” as one of the most common reasons for errors in shooting by its officers.6

Communication skills are also essential for doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals.7 In one study, “poor communication” was identified as the root of more than 60 percent of reported medical errors—including errors leading to death, serious physical injury, and psychological trauma.8

A survey by a major hospital accreditation group found communication woes to be among the leading sources of medical errors, causing as many as 98,000 deaths each year.9 Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and elsewhere suggests there is a significant difference between the communication skills of physicians who have no malpractice claims against them and doctors with previous claims.10

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CAREER tip Recovering from a Communication Blunder Communication plays an important role in business. Miscommunication in the workplace is stressful and costly. The results of a study conducted by Joseph Grenny and David Maxfield, authors of Crucial Conversations and cofounders of VitalSmarts, a Twenty-Eighty, Inc. company, indicate

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that 83% of employees have witnessed their colleagues say something that has had a catastrophic impact on their careers, reputations, and businesses.

To recover from most common blunders: acknowledge how others feel, admit when you have made a mistake, and express sincere regret.

Source: Adapted from “The Top Five One-Sentence Career Killers” VitalSmarts. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.vitalsmarts.com

Communication skills are essential to personal career success. Employees in technical careers who have effective communication skills earn more money than their counterparts who are weak communicators.11

A survey of corporate recruiters revealed that effective communication skills and the ability to work with others are the main factors contributing to job success. People with MBAs reported that the skills they valued most were the ability to work with others, listening, the ability to influence others, and communicating with diplomacy and tact.12 William Schaffer, an international business development manager for computer giant Sun Microsystems, made this point most emphatically: “If there’s one skill that’s required for success in this industry, it’s communication skills.”13

Executive coach and pharmaceutical recruiter Jim Richman echoed this sentiment: “If I give any advice, it is that you can never do enough training around your overall communication skills.”14 Table 1-1 summarizes the results of one annual survey in which employers list the skills and qualities for their ideal candidate. Communication skills always are near the top of the list.15

Table 1-1 Top Qualities/Skills Employers Seek on a Candidate’s Résumé

1. Leadership

2. Ability to work in a team

3. Communication skills (written)

4. Problem-solving skills

5. Communication skills (verbal)

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https://www.vitalsmarts.com
Source: Job Outlook 2016, National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Many people fail to realize the full extent of the role of communication in career success. One survey revealed that students were half as likely as employers to recognize the key role that communication skills play in becoming an effective professional.16 Just as disturbing was the finding that students are more likely than employers to believe they are good communicators. In other words, many students underestimate the importance of good communication while overstating their own abilities. That is not a recipe for success.

Because communication skills are an essential ingredient in professional and organizational accomplishment, this book is dedicated to helping you hone your talents in this important area.

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• The Nature of Communication Communication looks simple and almost effortless, especially when it goes smoothly. But every communicative exchange is affected by principles that are not always apparent. Understanding this process better can help you make strategic choices that help achieve both personal and organizational goals.

Communication Principles A more sophisticated understanding of how communication operates begins with some fundamental principles.

Communication Is Unavoidable A fundamental axiom of communication is “One cannot not communicate.”17 As you will learn in Chapter 4, facial expression, posture, gesture, clothing, and a host of other behaviors offer cues about our attitudes. The notion that we are always communicating means we send messages even by our absence. Failing to show up at an event or leaving the room suggests meaning to others. Because communication is unavoidable, it is essential to consider the unintentional messages you send.

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Communication Is Strategic Almost all communication is aimed at achieving goals. On the job, the most obvious type is instrumental communication, or messages aimed at accomplishing the task at hand. Your manager is communicating instrumentally when she says, “I need that report by noon,” and you are pursuing instrumental goals when you ask, “How long does the report need to be?” People are not always direct in their communication about instrumental goals. Saying, “Wow—look at the time!” could be an implicit message designed to accomplish the task of ending a conversation. Furthermore, in a negotiation, your “final offer” may actually be a bargaining ploy to get a better deal.

©Yellow Dog Productions/The Image Bank/Getty Images

A second set of goals involves relational communication, or messages that shape and reflect the way people regard one another. Building positive relationships is not just about being sociable; a positive climate in the workplace also helps us accomplish instrumental goals. Conversely, a negative relationship can make it difficult, or even impossible, to accomplish the task at hand.

Virtually all messages contain both instrumental and relational dimensions. When a customer service representative asks, “How can I help you?” the instrumental nature of this question is obvious. But the way the question is asked shapes the tenor of the relationship between the rep and the customer—rushed or deliberate, sincere or phony, friendly or unfriendly.18

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A third, less obvious reason we communicate involves identity management, which is the practice of presenting yourself in ways that produce a preferred image and distinctive sense of self. To understand this concept, list 10 words or phrases that describe the way you would like others to see you on the job. Your list probably includes terms such as competent, trustworthy, and efficient. (Be sure to complete your own list before reading on.) Taken together, the attributes on this list (and many others) make up the professional identity you want to create. Next, think about the ways you communicate, both verbally and nonverbally, to get others to accept your identity. If being calm under pressure is part

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of your preferred identity, what do you say or do to project that quality? If you want others to see you as knowledgeable, how do you communicate to create that impression?

As these examples show, communication is often strategic; in other words, we intentionally craft messages for the purpose of achieving instrumental, relational, and identity goals. However, we do not always realize that we are being strategic in our communication. Think about the last time you met a new person. You probably did not have the following thoughts running through your mind: “Must look confident and friendly! Firm handshake! Direct eye contact! Remember to smile!” While many of these behaviors are performed subconsciously, crafting a thoughtful strategy to achieve your goals can boost the odds you will succeed.

The authors of this book suggest a variety of communication strategies you can use to achieve your goals and the goals of the organizations with which you are involved. Many of these strategies focus on specific work- related contexts, such as interviews, meetings, and presentations. Others will be useful in almost every professional context where you want to enhance your professional identity, manage relationships, and get the job done most effectively.

At first, the notion of strategic communication might seem unethical. In reality, communicating purposefully is not necessarily dishonest. For example, organizational spokespersons must be strategic in how they phrase their messages when communicating with the public during a crisis event. If family members are grieving over the loss of a loved one due to a

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workplace accident, a spokesperson may strategically choose to acknowledge that they are hurting, rather than saying, “I know how you feel.” The guidelines on pp. 22–24 show that it is possible to be strategic while still respecting others’ rights and needs.

Communication Is Irreversible At one time or another, everyone has wished they could take back words they regretted uttering. Unfortunately, this is not possible. Our words and deeds are recorded in others’ memories, and we cannot erase them. As the old saying goes, people may forgive, but they do not forget. In fact, the more vigorously you try to erase an act, the more vividly it may stand out.

Communication Is a Process It is not accurate to talk about an “act” of communication, as if sending or receiving a message were an isolated event. Rather, every communication event needs to be examined as part of its communication context. As an example, suppose your boss responds to your request for a raise by saying, “I was going to ask you to take a cut in pay!” How would you react? The answer probably depends on several factors: Is your boss a joker or a serious person? How does the comment fit into the history of your relationship—have your boss’s remarks been critical or supportive in the past? How does the message fit with ones you have received from other people? What kind of mood are you in today? All these questions show that the meaning of a message depends in part on what has happened before the message. Each message is part of a process: It does not occur in isolation.

Communication Is Not a Panacea Panacea comes from the Greek word panakeia, meaning “all-healing.” Just as alchemists during the Renaissance believed there was an elixir that would give eternal life, some individuals today believe that communication is a cure-all for all problems. Although communication can certainly smooth out the bumps and straighten the road to success, misunderstandings and ill feelings may still occur.19 Even effective communication cannot solve all problems. In some situations, the parties may understand one another perfectly yet still disagree. These limitations are important to understand as you begin to

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study communication on the job. Boosting your communication skills may increase your effectiveness, but improvements in those skills will not be a remedy for every situation that you encounter.

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case STUDY Derogatory E-mails Lead to Firings Three employees of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission learned the hard way that digital gossip can be costly. They were fired after supervisors found they had used the state’s e-mail system to disparage and ridicule coworkers. The culprits referred to colleagues by offensive nicknames, such as Monster, Psycho, Stoned Intern, Roid Rage, Extreme Makeover, Where’s My Car?, and Albino. A representative message read, “Where’s My Car and Psycho are talking about food—a match made in stoner/fatty heaven!”

The workers called their e-mails harmless office chatter. “It was just talk, water cooler chat,” one protested. An administrative law judge disagreed, characterizing their messages as “misconduct” that disqualified them for unemployment insurance benefits.

Source: Foley, R. J., “Email Exchanges Gets Three Iowa Civil Rights Investigators Fired,” Cedar Rapids Gazette, August 22, 2011.

Basics of the Communication Model No matter what the setting is or how many people are involved, all communication consists of the same elements. Understanding those elements can help explain what happens when one person tries to express an idea to others. It can also offer clues about why some of these attempts succeed and others fail.

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The communication process begins with a sender, the person who transmits a message.20 Some messages are deliberate, whereas others (such as sighs and yawns) may be unintentional. The sender must choose specific words or nonverbal methods to send an intentional message. This activity is called encoding. The channel (sometimes called the medium) is the method used to deliver a message. You will read much more about channels in the next section.

Even when a message reaches its intended receiver intact, there is no guarantee it will be understood as the sender intended it to be.21 The receiver must still attach meaning to the words or behavior. Receivers actively interpret and respond to the messages they have received, both unintentionally and intentionally. The process of a receiver attaching meaning to a message—such as when a teacher interprets a student’s yawn as meaning the student is bored by the lecture—is called decoding.

Misunderstandings often arise because messages can be decoded, or interpreted, in more than one way. Consider a situation when a customer responds to a slip-up by saying, “Don’t worry about it.” Perhaps the literal statement is accurate: “There’s absolutely no need to worry.” Or perhaps the customer means, “It isn’t perfect, but I can tolerate the mistake.” The customer could also be annoyed yet not want to say bluntly, “I’m really unhappy.” In the coming chapters, you will learn a variety of strategies for reaching a shared understanding in these situations.

The receiver’s discernible response to a sender’s message is called feedback. Some feedback is nonverbal—smiles, sighs, frowns, and so on. Sometimes it is verbal, as when you react to a colleague’s ideas with questions or comments. Feedback can also be written, as when you respond by writing an e-mail to your coworker. In many cases, the lack of a message is a type of feedback. Failure to answer a letter or to return a phone call, for example, can suggest how a receiver feels about the sender.

Even though we have described sending and receiving as discrete roles, communication is actually a two-way process. Especially when communication is instantaneous—in face-to-face settings, phone conversations, and online chat—people are simultaneously senders and receivers. Imagine pitching an idea (sending a message) to your manager

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(receiver). While listening to your idea, your manager frowns (sending feedback), and you immediately attempt to adjust your communication (receiver). Both of you are sending and

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receiving messages at the same time. Because sending and receiving are simultaneous and connected, these two roles are combined into the “communicator” positions represented on both sides of the model pictured in Figure 1.1.

FIGURE 1.1 Communication Model

Once you understand that receiving and sending are simultaneous and connected, you start to recognize that successful communication is not something active senders do to passive receivers. Rather, it is a collaborative process in which the participants create a shared understanding through the exchange of messages. In other words, communication is not something we do to others, but rather a process we do with them. An effective way to build shared meaning is to practice other-orientation—that is, to try to understand the other person’s viewpoint, whether or not we agree with it. Feedback helps us in this process of building shared meaning.

One of the greatest barriers to effective communication is noise— factors that interfere with the exchange of messages. The most obvious type of noise is environmental, or based on the communicators’

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surroundings. The babble of voices in the next room, the annoying ring of someone’s cell phone in a meeting, and a smelly cigar are all examples of environmental noise. A second type of noise is physiological—physical issues such as hearing disorders, illnesses, disabilities, and other factors that make it difficult to send or receive messages. To appreciate the impact of physiological noise, recall how tough it is to process messages when you are recovering from a late-night study session or have a headache. The third type of noise is psychological—forces within the sender or the receiver that interfere with understanding, such as egotism, defensiveness, assumptions, stereotypes, biases, prejudices, hostility, preoccupation, and fear. If you were thinking strategically about communicating with someone at work, what steps could you take to reduce the amount of noise in your environment before delivering your message?

Communication Channels As a business communicator, the channel you choose to deliver your message can have a big influence on your effectiveness. Should you express your ideas in a phone call? Put them into a text message or e-mail? Send them via fax or in hard copy? Or should you express yourself in person? Deciding which communication channel to use is not a trivial matter; communication researchers have extensively studied which factors lead to

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good channel choice.22 To select the best channel, you should consider several aspects related to the communication.

Consider Channel Characteristics New technologies have given businesspeople a wider range of choices for communication than ever before. It was not that long ago when the choices were in-person communication, telephone call, fax, pager message, or written memo. Today, other options include e-mail message, voice mail, instant messaging, video conferencing, web conferencing, social media, cell phone call, texting, and more. One way to start evaluating these choices is to consider each how channel’s different characteristics match up with your communication goals.

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Richness. Richness refers to the amount of information that can be transmitted using a given channel. Three aspects determine the richness of a channel: (1) whether it can handle many types of cues at once, (2) whether it allows for quick feedback from both senders and receivers, and (3) whether it allows for a personal focus.23 Ideally, when announcing an important decision that may affect employees (e.g., the acquisition of another company), you would select a rich channel to convey this information. Face-to-face communication would likely be preferred in such a situation because it allows for the communication and decoding of verbal and nonverbal cues, simultaneous feedback, and a personal focus. In contrast, lean channels carry much less information. While a lean e-mail channel is a good choice for exchanging information efficiently, it is not as effective when factors such as tone and emotion are important. Even the inclusion of emoticons such as “smiley faces” may not prevent e-mail misunderstandings.24

Speed. Speed of the channel refers to how quickly the exchange of messages occurs. High-speed or instantaneous channels support synchronous communication; they include face-to-face conversations, video chat, and telephone conversations. A key benefit of synchronous channels is that no time lag separates the transmission and reception of messages, so immediate feedback is possible. That is, you can respond to questions as soon as they arise and rephrase or elaborate as necessary. If you need a price quote now, or if you need to discuss a complex idea that will need elaboration, a high-speed channel is probably the best choice. Nevertheless, high-speed, synchronous communication is not always desirable. Another option is asynchronous communication, which occurs through channels such as e-mail, interoffice memos, and voice mail. In these “low-speed” channels, there is a lag between the transmission and reception of messages. These channels can be effective for less urgent requests. In addition, if you want to avoid a knee-jerk reaction and encourage careful thought, you might be better off choosing an asynchronous method to deliver your message.

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Control. Control refers to the degree to which you can manage the communication process. Of course, because communication is a two- way process, you can never have complete control over it. Even so, different channels offer different types of control. In written channels (such as e-mail and social media posts), you can exert more control over how you encode a message because you will be able to write, proofread, and edit it as many times as you need until you get it exactly the way you want. If you have something highly sensitive to say, this might be a good channel to choose. But there are also some trade-offs to this kind of channel. Even though you might spend hours drafting a memo, letter, or report, the recipient may scan it superficially or not read it at all. In contrast, in a face-to-face channel, you have much more control over the receiver’s attention. You can reduce noise, interpret nonverbal signals of understanding, or even explicitly ask the sender to pay more attention to your message.

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Consider the Desired Tone of Your Message In general, channels that utilize oral communication—face-to-face, telephone, video conference —are best for communicating messages that have a personal dimension. One corporate manager, whose company spends more than $4 million annually on employee travel, makes the case for face-to-face contact: “Nothing takes the place of a handshake, going to lunch, seeing their eyes.”25 These types of channels are also best for ideas that have a strong need for visual support, in the form of a demonstration, photos or slides, and so on. Spoken communication is also especially useful when immediate feedback is needed, such as in question-and-answer sessions or as a quick reply to your ideas.

Written communication works well when you want your message to have a relatively formal tone. Writing is almost always the best medium when you must choose your words carefully. Writing is also better than speaking when you want to convey complicated ideas that are likely to require much study and thought on the part of the receiver. Likewise, it is smart to put your message in writing when you want it to be the final word, with no feedback or discussion. Finally, writing is the best option

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for any message if you want a record of that communication. In business and the professions, sending confirming letters and e-mails is common practice, as is keeping meeting minutes. These steps guarantee that what is said will be a matter of record, with the documentation being useful in case of later misunderstandings or disputes and in case anyone wants to review the history of an issue. Handwritten notes of thanks or sympathy also express thoughtfulness and add a personal touch that is lost in many electronic messages.

Consider the Organization’s Culture Besides message-related considerations, the culture of the organization in which you work may favor some communication channels over others.26 For example, Microsoft Corporation is so e-mail intensive that some voice mail greetings include the directive, “If you’re from Microsoft, please try to send electronic mail.” In other organizations, voice mail is the preferred channel. Kirk Froggatt, a vice president at Silicon Graphics, offers one explanation: “There’s something fundamentally more personal about voice mail. You can get the tone of voice, the passion. People like that.”27 A recent study even indicated that employees who followed corporate norms for e-mail and instant messaging received higher performance evaluations.28 Along with an organization’s overall preference for certain channels, it is important to consider the preferences of particular departments or even individuals. For example, the computer support staff members in some organizations respond to e-mails, while in other companies a phone call to the help desk is the best way to get a quick response. If you know a coworker or your boss responds only to face-to-face reminders, your best bet is to use that approach.

Consider Using Multiple Channels In some cases, it is wise to send a message using more than one channel. For example, you could:

Distribute a written text or outline that parallels your presentation. Follow a letter, fax, or e-mail message with a phone call, or call first and then write. Send a report or proposal, and then make appointments with your readers to discuss it.