The importance of Effective communication

• Age of electronic communication – messages

via electronic technology
• Domination of email - enhance information flow,
share knowledge, communication consistency,
feedback, speed or cycle time
• Technology is ahead of people’s ability to cope
and use it; it’s becoming part of the problem, not
part of the solution
• Face to face communication - remains the most
problematic
• To make the most of electronic communication
requires learning to communicate better face to
face (Surveys, 1964-2002; Rosen, 1998)
• For most managers it is face to face, one on one
communication that dominates all other types in
predicting managerial success
• Incompetence in interpersonal communication is
very damaging personally, relationally and
socially.
• Over communication with employees is more a
virtue than a vice
• A manager’s number one problem can be
summed up in one word : Communication
• Why might this be ?
• Most individuals feel that they are very
effective communicators. They feel that
communication problem are a product of
others’ weaknesses, not their own. Most
individuals don’t seem to feel a strong
need to improve their own skill level
(Spitzberg, 1994).
Scholars have written on
• Communicology
• Semantics
• Rhetoric
• Linguistics
• Cybernetics
• Syntactics
• Pragmatics
• Proxemics
• Canalization
Physics of communication process
• Encoding
• Decoding
• Transmission
• Media
• Perception
• Reception
• Noise
• Effective public speaking techniques
• Making formal presentations
• Processes of organizational
communication
 Focus on Accuracy
• Accuracy of information being
communicated is important.
• Communication skill of most concern is the
ability to transmit clear, precise messages.

• Danger of miscommunication in English

Inconsistent pronunciations
• We polish Polish furniture
• A farm can produce produce
• The dump was so full it had to refuse refuse

A billion
• UK : one million million
• USA, Canada : one thousand million

• UK : table a subject ; postpone its discussion

• USA : table a subject : to discuss it now
• Those who speak do not know. Those who
know, do not speak (a Confucian proverb)
• When accuracy is the primary concern : improve
communication through improving mechanics :
transmitters and receivers, encoding and
decoding, sources and destinations, and noise.
• Sound decisions and competitive advantage
depend on such accuracy.
• The interpersonal aspect of communication
involves the nature of the relationship between
the communicators.
• Who says what, to whom, what is said, why it is said,
and how it is said all have an effect on the relationships
between people.
• It has important implications for the effectiveness of the
communication, aside from the accuracy of the
statement
• Ineffective communication may lead individuals to dislike
each other,
• Refuse to listen to each other and
• Disagree with each other, as well as
• Cause a host of other interpersonal problems
• These interpersonal problems, in turn generally lead to
restricted communication flow,
• Inaccurate messages and
• Misinterpretation of meanings
 Relationships between Unskillful Communication and
Interpersonal Relationships

Abrasive, Distant, Restricted,

insensitive, distrustful, inaccurate
unskillful uncaring, information and
message delivery interpersonal defective
relationships communication flow
 Supportive communication
• A kind of interpersonal communication - to communicate accurately
and honestly without jeopardizing interpersonal relationships

• To preserve a positive relationship between the communicators

while still addressing the problem at hand.

• It allows an individual to provide negative feedback, or to resolve a

difficult issue with another person and, as a result, strengthen your
relationship.

• SC helps not only to deliver a message accurately, but the

relationship between the two communicating parties are supported,
even enhanced, by the interchange. Positive interpersonal
relationships result..
• Positive interpersonal relationships have practical
instrumental value in organizations. Organizations
fostering this kind of relationships enjoy higher
productivity, faster problem solving, higher quality
outputs and fewer conflicts and subversive activities than
do groups and organizations in which relationships are
less positive.
• Presence of good IPR between managers and
subordinates – 3 times more powerful in predicting
profitability than the four next most powerful variables –
market share, capital intensity, firm size, sales growth
rate – combined.
• SC is not only just a “nice person technique” but a
“proven competitive advantage” for both managers
and organizations
 Coaching and Counseling
• In coaching managers pass along advice and
information or set standards to help subordinates
improve their work skills. Subordinates must be advised
on how to do their jobs better and to be coached to
better performance. Coaching problems are caused by
lack of ability, insufficient information or understanding,
or incompetence on the part of subordinates

• In counseling, managers help subordinates recognize

and address problems involving their state of mind,
emotions, or personalities.
 Coaching and Counseling
• Coaching focuses on abilities, Counseling
focuses on attitude.
• Coaching and counseling are needed for
motivating others, handling customer
complaints, passing critical or negative
information upward, handling conflicts
between other parties, negotiating for a
certain position and so on. They are
universal managerial activities.
• They are important for rewarding positive performance
and correcting problem behaviors and attitudes.
• They are difficult to be implemented effectively when
employees are not performing up to expectations, when
their attitudes are negative, when their behaviors are
disruptive or when their personalities clash with others in
the organization.
• Whenever managers have to help their subordinates
change their attitudes or behaviors, coaching or
counseling is required.
• Managers must criticize and correct subordinates, but in
a way that facilitates positive work outcomes, positive
feelings, and positive relationships.
• Risk of offending or alienating subordinates makes
coaching and counseling so challenging.
• Coaching and counseling are also needed when negative feedback
is not involved, when subordinates ask for advice, needs someone
to listen to their problems, or want to register complaints

• Sometimes just listening is the most effective form of coaching or

counseling.

• A mismatch of problem with communication approach can

aggravate, rather than resolve a problem giving direction or advice
(coaching) in a counseling situation often increases defensiveness
or resistance to change

• Counseling in a situation that calls for coaching simply sidesteps the

problem and don’t resolve it.

• Both coaching and counseling rely on same set of key supportive

communication principles.
• Defensiveness is an emotional and physical state in
which one is agitated, estranged, confused and inclined
to strike out. It arises when one of the parties feels
threatened or punished by the communication. For that
person, self protection becomes more important than
listening, so defensiveness blocks both the message and
the interpersonal relationships.

• Disconfirmation occurs when one of the communicating

parties feels put down, ineffectual, or insignificant
because of the communication. Recipients of the
communication feel that their self worth is being
questioned, so they focus more on building themselves
up rather than listening. Reactions are often self
aggrandizing or show off behaviors, loss of motivation,
withdrawal, and loss of respect for the offending
communicator.
Principles of supportive Communication
• Supportive communication is based on congruence, not
on incongruence : the best interpersonal communications,
and the best relationships, are based on congruence. That is,
what is communicated, verbally and nonverbally, matches
exactly what the individual is thinking and feeling.

• Supportive communication is descriptive not evaluative :

Evaluative communication makes a judgment or places a label
on other individuals or on their behavior. You are doing it
wrong or you are incompetent. Such evaluation generally
makes other people feel under attack and, consequently,
respond defensively. They see the communicator as
judgmental. Examples of probable responses are “ I am not
doing wrong” or “I am more capable than you are.” Arguments,
bad feelings, and a deterioration in the interpersonal
relationship result.
Principles of Supportive Communication
1 Supportive communication is based on congruence, not on
incongruence
A focus on honest messages in which verbal statements match thoughts
and feelings
Example :
Your behavior really upset me Not Do I seem upset ? No everything
is fine

2 Supportive communication is descriptive not evaluative

A focus on describing an objective occurrence, describing your reaction to
it, and offering a suggested alternative
Example :
Here is what happened, here Not You are wrong for doing
is my reaction; Here is a what you did
suggestion that would be

most acceptable
Principles of supportive Communication
• Supportive communication is problem oriented, not
person oriented : Problem oriented communication focuses
on problems and solutions rather than on personal traits.
Person oriented communication focuses on the characteristics
of the individual, not the event. “This is the problem” rather
than “You are the problem”. It illustrates the difference
between problem and person orientation.

• Supportive communication validates rather than

invalidates individuals : Validating communication helps
people feel recognized, understood, accepted, and valued.
Communication that is invalidating arouses negative feelings
about self worth, identity, and relatedness to others. It denies
the presence, uniqueness, or importance or other individuals.
Principles of Supportive Communication

3 Supportive communication is problem oriented, not person oriented

A focus on problems and issues that can be changed rather than people and
their characteristics.
Example :
How can we solve this problem Not Because of you problem exists

4 Supportive communication validates rather than invalidates

individuals
A focus on statements that communicate respect, flexibility, collaboration,
and areas of agreement
Example :
I have some ideas, but do you Not You wouldn’t understand, so have
any suggestion ? we’ll do it my way
Principles of supportive Communication

• Supportive communication is specific (useful), not

global (nonuseful) : Specific statements are supportive
because they identify something that can be easily
understood and acted upon. In general, the more
specific a statement is, the more effective it is in
motivating improvement.

• Supportive communication is conjunctive not

disjunctive : Conjunctive communication is joined to
previous messages in some way. It flows smoothly.
Disjunctive communication is disconnected from what
was stated before.
Principles of Supportive Communication

5 Supportive communication is specific (useful), not global (nonuseful)

A focus on specific events or behaviors, avoiding general extreme or
either or statements.
Example :
You interrupted me three times Not You are always trying to get
during the meeting attention

6 Supportive communication is conjunctive not disjunctive

A focus on statements that flow from what has been said previously and
facilitating interaction.
Example :
Relating to what you just said, Not I want to say something
I’d like to raise another point (regardless of what you
just
said)
Principles of supportive Communication
• Supportive communication is owned not disowned :
Taking responsibility for one’s statements and acknowledging
that the source of the ideas is oneself and not another person
or group is owning communication. Using first person words,
such as “I”, “me”, “mine”, indicates owning communication.
Disowning communication is suggested by use of third person
or first person – plural words: “We think,” “They said,” or “One
might say.” Disowned communication is attributed to an
unknown person, group, or to some external source.

• Supportive communication requires listening, not one-

way message delivery : The previous seven attributes of
supportive communication all focus on message delivery,
where a message is initiated by the coach or counselor. But
another aspect of supportive communication – that is listening
and responding effectively to someone else’s statements – is
at least as important as delivering supportive messages.
Principles of Supportive Communication

7 Supportive communication is owned not disowned

A focus on taking responsibility for your own statements by using personal
(“I”) words.
Example :
I have decided to turn down your Not You have a pretty good idea, but
request because ………. it wouldn’t get approved

8 Supportive communication requires listening, not one-way message

delivery
A focus on using a variety of appropriate responses, with a bias toward
reflective responses.
Example :
What do think are the obstacles Not As I said before, you make too
standing in the way of many mistakes. You’re just not
improvement ? performing
• Advising : An advising response provides
direction, evaluation, personal opinion, or
instructions
• Deflecting : A deflecting response
switches the focus from the
communicator’s problem to one selected
by the listener. They deflect attention away
from the original problem or the original
statement.
• Probing : A probing response asks a
question about what the communicator
just said or about a topic selected by the
listener.
• Reflecting : The primary purpose of the
reflecting response is to mirror back to the
communicator the message that was
heard and to communicate understanding
and acceptance of the person.
 Two major obstacles to Effective Interpersonal
Communication
Supportive communication engenders feelings of support, understanding, and
helpfulness. It helps overcome the two main obstacles resulting from poor
interpersonal communication
Defensiveness
One individual feels threatened or attacked as a result of the communication
Self-protection becomes paramount
Energy is spent on constructing a defense rather than on listening
Aggression, anger, competitiveness, and avoidance are common reactions

Disconfirmation
One individual feels incompetent, unworthy, or insignificant as a result of the
communication
Attempts to reestablish self-worth take precedence
Energy is spent trying to portray self-importance rather than on listening
Showing off, self-centered behavior, withdrawal, and loss of motivation are
common reactions
 Descriptive Communication
Step 1 : Describe objectively the event, behavior, or circumstance
Avoid accusations
Present data or evidence
Example : three clients have complained to me this month that you have not
responded to their requests
Step 2 : Focus on the behavior and your reaction, not on the other person’s
attributes
Describe your reactions and feelings
Describe the objective consequences that have resulted or will result
Example : I’m worried because each client has threatened to go elsewhere if we
aren’t more responsive
Step 3 : Focus on solutions
Avoid discussing who is right or wrong
Suggest an acceptable alternative
Be open to other alternatives
Example : We need to win back their confidence and to show them are
responsive. I suggest you offer to do a free analysis of their systems
 Four Types of Probing responses
Type of Probe Explanation
Elaboration probe Use when more information is needed
(Can you tell me more about that ?)

Clarification probe Use when the message is unclear or ambiguous (What

do you mean by that ?)

Repetition probe Use when topic drift occurs or statements are unclear
(Once again, what do you think about this ?)

Reflection probe Use to encourage more in-depth pursuit of the same

topic (You say you are having difficulty ?)