Ch. 14 Mind Map

Ch. 14 The Business Of Change and Conflict

This chapter is about change, from the business perspective, and the conflicts that may come from it within an organization and how to deal with them. Change in the business world can mean a lot of different things. A company might change what it sells or how they manufacture it or procedures and services. Of course these big decisions are made by the CEO and high level managers and it is their job to facilitate the change down the ladder. Why do organizations change? It might be because of competition, corporate mergers or acquisitions, globalization, technology and changing consumer demands. Change is always accompanied with fear and apprehension, even in the business world. This fear and not knowing what is going on can lead to resistance by employees to the changes the company wants to enact. If the employees believe they are not receiving enough information about what is going on, there is a communication vacuum which only adds more resistance. Resistance can be reduced and or eliminated through change communication. This is sending many messages in a multidirectional and multimedia way. Multidirectional means the message goes up and down the hierarchy to all employees and multimedia communication is sending messages through different transits. Resistance will also be reduced if your messages clearly state the reasons for the changes and a vision for the future through well times messages. Now not everyone may want to go along with the change. This can lead to conflicts. But there doesn’t need to be a massive company wide change to lead to conflicts in the workplace. They can happen anytime due to pressures and the fact that people have different views and backgrounds. There a few skills to have to deal with conflicts more effectively. One of them is to be an active listener. Another is having the ability to be diplomatic in verbal style, tone and wording. Having a flexible interpersonal style can also help in conflict situations. This allows you to communicate appropriately with different individuals and increases message fidelity. The chapter teaches us a specific way of resolving conflicts and this technique is called dialogue transformation. This is a relationship-dialogue process that may help in conflict situations. It consists of three parts. The first part is exploring interests and emotions. This is listening actively, avoiding interrupting and focusing on the problem and not the other party. The next part is reframing and replacing expectations. This is where the parties discuss points of disagreement, develop a wide range of options, and brainstorm for different words and terms. The final part is converting and resolving. This is focusing on common ground, narrowing issues down and reframing them, and collaborating to develop solutions using the new words and terms. I’ve been in the situation where the company I worked for was in the process of merging with another company and the higher ups did not do a good job of communicating which lead to a communication vacuum. Everyone was confused and not sure about what the changes meant for us. Morale went down and work performance went down because of that. Companies would do themselves a favor by having a better communication system set up for situations like that because in the end, they are the ones who have the most to lose.

Ch. 13 Mind Map

Ch. 13 Interpersonal and Collaborative Messages

Ch. 13 is about communicating interpersonally and how communication works in small groups. Interpersonal communication is interaction between at least two people engaged in the co-creation of a relationship. Intrapersonal thinking, patterns of behavior, actions, verbal statements and events make up interpersonal communication. Relationships are important in the business context. A relationship is defined as a dynamic system of interaction coordinated through communication between two or more people. Developing good business relationships can be helpful because they can increase productivity and morale of a company. They can also help a person individually later on because that relationship might be a gateway to other opportunities. Communication involves writing and of course verbal communication, but non-verbal communication can also play a role in a conversation. Non-verbal communication is body language and vocal variations that can communicate without words. There are six different types of non-verbal communication discussed in this chapter. The first is Kinesic behaviors, the body movements that can expression emotion or illustrate verbal points. The next type is eye behavior. This can also express emotion but also facilitate and regulate conversation and monitors reactions. The third type of non-verbal behavior is paralanguage. This is how you say something rather then the exact words. This might be the tone you use, the speed of your talking, volume and rhythm. The fourth type is called chronemics. This involves time and how it is perceived. The fifth type is proxemics. This is the study of our use of space and distance. Different cultures have different rules about what distances to maintain. The last type of non-verbal behavior is called haptics. This is touching behavior such as handshakes and informal pats. In the business world, communicating in small groups is essential because significant time is spent in small groups. A small group is defined as two or more interdependent people who are aware of their group membership and who communicate to accomplish common goals. In business, small groups are used for planning, organizing, negotiating, evaluating, problem solving, research, development and implementation. So pretty much for everything, which is why its important to be a good group communicator. The four C’s of small groups should make you a more effective communicator. The first C is for commitment. This means consistent participation and dedication. The next C is for cohesion, compatibility and harmony among group members. The third C is for collaboration. A shared purpose and equality among members is essential to co-create and share a vision. And finally, the last C is for Conflict modification strategies. Dialogue must be used to overcome differences and disputes among the group. When in groups, there might be a designated leader or a leader may emerge from the group. Leadership is the ability to influence others and see the big picture to push the group forward in a productive manner. They can create an agenda, which establishes goals and timelines. A leader is usually a good interpersonal communicator. To be successful in the business world, it is essential to have interpersonal communication and group communication well understood and practiced.

Ch. 12 Mind Map - Culture

Ch. 12 Summary - Culture

This chapter is about culture and how it affects the workplace. The chapter defines culture as a communally produced and shared model or reality that communicates how a group is expected to behave, think, and feel as a society. It is the collection of beliefs, norms and customs of any particular group of people. Culture is learned, from the time we are infants. As we grow, our experiences with others in society give us a social knowledge that allow us to be members of a culture. When communicating with people from other cultures in the workplace, one should realize that they may communicate in slightly different styles and we should be aware of this or this may lead to misunderstandings. Fifty years ago, the workplace in America was much less diverse from what it is today. Up to seventy percent of the labor market today is women and minorities. There are several variables in workplace diversity. Some of these are age, race, socioeconomics, sexual preference, gender, and physical disability. It is important to be inclusive of all people who may fit in to any one of these categories because our world is so much more globally connected in the 21st century. Now all companies aren’t the same. Each has its own corporate culture, the way it is structured and its expectations of its workers. A companies deep culture is the companies identity, its beliefs and perceptions. Now a companies observable organizational culture is the parts that can be seen or heard. These involve performance interactions, such as norms, rites and rituals, heroes and organizational lore. Norms are the behavior codes that are accepted. Rites and rituals of companies can be very important to them. These may be ceremonies, celebrations and company activities that everyone at the company may believe is an integral part of being part of their corporate family. All companies have a corporate culture and the better you integrate yourself into it, the better off you will be. Our class, and our school, is very diverse and I feel good to be a part of it. I think this is a very good experience for all of the students, because it will give us the skills and knowledge to be able to communicate with people from all backgrounds and I believe communication, in all aspects of life, is the key to success.

Ch. 11 Mind Map

Ch. 11 Summary

Chapter 11 teaches us strategies for our reports and proposals in the business world. We already learned about direct and indirect strategies for the overall report but these strategies are also applied to individual sections of reports or proposals. Now the thing that should be first considered in any communication activity is the audience. How your report is structured and how it sounds depends largely on the audience. Then you must think of the respond you want and tailor your strategy to that. You should use direct strategy if you need nothing from the audience but you should use an indirect strategy if you want some kind of investment from the audience. The strategy used also depends on what type of document is being created and for what purpose. Informative reports are usually delivered using the direct strategy. Indirect strategy is better with persuasive pieces and analytical reports should use a mixture of both. The chapter also says that the most important things to remember when writing any document are how to write clearly, how to be concise and how to organize and format the information. So with any piece of writing, you must have an introduction. The introduction should set the tone for the entire writing. Depending on the audience and reasons for the document, decide on either a formal tone, informal, or conversational. The introduction should try to capture the reader’s attention. Then there is the background of the report. This is where the reader encounters any essential and vital information that is needed for any analysis later or conclusions reached. Background should be delivered directly chronologically or through a situational approach. Statistics can also be used during this part of the report to give better understanding to the audience. Next are the problem and topic statements. These are the ones your report is focused on and why you gave background information and details. Next is the goals and objectives. This should always be delivered using a direct strategy. You want your audience to understand the goals of the report. You cannot be vague or ambiguous. Of course the reason you’ve written the report is not just to point out the problem, but the solutions for it. This is the final part of your report and it should also be direct. You may revisit some earlier points and tie them together with your recommendations. Ending your report on a positive note is a must. You don’t want the last thing your audience to read to be a negative point because that will leave a negative impression on them in general.