apply the lessons learned from one of your readings to a real-world communications issue.

For this assignment, you will apply the lessons learned from one of your readings to a real-world communications issue. The problem could be one you have experienced or one you are familiar with. Your paper should:

•Describe the problem-

Workplace Barriers of Communication

•Summarize the communications text/reading / source

Interpersonal Communication Skills in the Workplace (Vol. 2nd ed).

•Explain how the essential communications informs the problem either explaining why it happened or how it can be improved. You may even combine it with other readings and even argue for your own methodology citing ample evidence.

•You may most certainly bring in other communication theories you have explored or come across.

•Your paper should be between APA format, 8-10 pages long with a 12-point font. I prioritize quality over quantity so write a paper you are proud of. A paper that meets the page requirements but full of superfluous comments or a series of “cut and paste” arguments is not a paper expected of a doctoral candidate. Use at least 10 academic cited sources

Learning Objectives By the end of this chapter you should be able to:

• Define “communication barrier.” • List eight communication barriers typi-

cally found in the workplace. • Learn how to identify typical communi-

cation barriers in action. • Explain how the eight barriers can be

overcome.

WHAT ARE COMMUNICATION BARRIERS? Communication barriers in the workplace are factors that keep people from fully understanding one another. The degree of misunderstanding can range from minor to complete.

How often have you felt that another person has prejudged the matter on which you are conferring, making it difficult to get your point across? How many times have you told yourself, “I just can’t get through to her. She’s on an entirely different wavelength”? Or, “When the CEO is in the room, every- one clams up”? Each of these is an example of a communication barrier at work.

This chapter aims to help you by describing eight of the most common workplace barriers to effective communication:

1. Framing differences 2. Defensiveness 3. Physical distance 4. Group size and status differences

Barriers to Communication— and How to Overcome Them

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Al l ri gh ts r es er ve d. M ay n ot b e re pr od uc ed i n an y fo rm w it ho ut p er mi ss io n fr om t he p ub li sh er , ex ce pt f ai r us es p er mi tt ed u nd er U .S . or a pp li ca bl e co py ri gh t la w.

EBSCO : eBook Community College Collection (EBSCOhost) – printed on 11/19/2018 1:14 PM via ARGOSY EDUCATION GROUP AN: 387643 ; McIntosh, Perry, Davis, Jeffery H., Luecke, Richard, American Management Association.; Interpersonal Communication Skills in the Workplace Account: s5351102.main.eds

5. Internal conflict 6. Groupthink 7. Prejudgments 8. Language issues

Chances are you’ve encountered each of these barriers in the course of your work, but, with the exception of language issues, didn’t recognize them as communication barriers. Merely recognizing them as barriers will help you overcome them—as will the suggestions we provide in each section of the chapter.

FRAMING PROBLEMS A frame is the mental window through which we view the world or a partic- ular problem or issue (Luecke, 2005, 154). A frame influences how we see, hear, and interpret the world around us. Have you ever heard the expression, “If you’re a hammer, everything looks like a nail”? Well, that’s an example of framing in action. So is the following:

Sarah and Bart are standing on a high ridge overlooking a valley. In the distance, a small river runs between two forested hills. There’s not a house, or road, or other man-made feature anywhere in sight. Sarah, a wildlife manager, sees an unspoiled mini-ecosystem. “This would be an ideal place to study prey-predator interactions,” she thinks. Bart, who works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sees something very different. Where the river runs between the two hills he envisions a dam, and in the valley behind an artificial lake that could be tapped for farmland irrigation and hydroelectric power generation.

As a consequence of their training, work, and outlooks, Sarah and Bart bring two very different frames to the same experience. Each sees the same valley, but through very different eyes. Can you imagine the communication barrier these two would encounter if they sat down to discuss the future of the river valley?

Sarah and Bart may seem like an extreme case, but you’re bound to encounter similar situations in your workplace whenever people with dif- ferent interests or backgrounds are brought together. For example, with the widespread use of cross-functional teams, people with marketing back- grounds often find themselves in discussions with finance personnel. The marketing people live in a world of customer perceptions, sales opportuni- ties, and competitive constraints. As natural optimists, they are eager to try things. Many marketing people think of their finance colleagues as risk- avoiding “bean counters” with limited commercial imaginations. Finance people, on the other hand, are trained to see the world in terms of rev- enues, costs, and financial risks. They are analytical, cautious people charged with safeguarding company assets. To them, many sales and marketing

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folks are “loose cannons” who must to be watched carefully. “They almost always overestimate revenues and underestimate costs,” complain the finance people. Needless to say, these two very different sets of people bring very different mental frames to any communication. The marketing team will frame the issue around how to give the best offer to customers. To them “the problem” is how to pack the most irresistible feature set onto the product. The financial types will want to frame the discussion around cost-benefit analysis, overall financial goals, and tradeoffs with other demands on cash and capital.

The two groups even operate with different professional vocabularies, as shown in Exhibit 3–1.

Other conflicting frames typically found in the workplace include the “suits” and the “lab coats”—that is, the business managers (suits) who run the company and the scientists and engineers (lab coats) who develop the company’s new technologies and products. These people often have trouble communicating because they frame things differently. The business man- agers look to the bottom line, perhaps hoping for quick or easy fixes to problems. The scientists and technologists look for elegant solutions and well-built applications.

How can you deal with the framing problem? We recommend two steps: Step 1: Recognize the problem and discuss it with the other party. “I can’t help

but notice that I’m coming at this issue from one direction, and you’re com- ing at it from a very different direction. Let’s talk about this.”

Step 2: Seek agreement on the problem or the main issue. “So, you’re seeing this from a business perspective and we engineering people are tied up with the technical aspects of the problem. Could we begin by agreeing that the real problem here is that our key product line is becoming technically obsolete?” Once you get agreement on the problem or main issue, everyone will be approaching it with the same mental frame, making communication easier, more direct, and more effective.

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION—AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM 31

xhibit 3–1 Two Different VocabulariesE

The Language of Marketing The Language of Finance

• Market share

• Share of customer wallet

• Customer loyalty

• Brand extensions

• Purchase frequency

• Features and benefits

• Perceived value

• Working capital

• Inventory turnover time

• Days receivable

• Cash flow

• Cost of capital

• Gross and net margins

• Fixed and variable costs

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32 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN THE WORKPLACE

Frame It Yourself If your communication task is to persuade—a frequent goal of workplace communication—you can use the framing concept to your advantage by get- ting the other person to adopt your frame. This is sometimes effective when the other party does not approach the discussion with a strongly held frame of her own. Consider the following scenario:

Your department plans to launch a new product, and you’ve been asked to propose a pricing scheme. In a meeting with Susan, a col- league from Finance, you explain, “This new product will fill a big hole in our product line and meet the needs of some customers who would otherwise turn to the competition. We’ve got to price it competitively.”

“But the costs of producing this product will be very high dur- ing the first year,” Susan replies, “at least until sales reach 15,000 units. That will hurt profitability the first year.”

“That’s true,” you reply, ”but long-term profitability—not first-year profits—is our goal as a company. Great product lines that endure for many years are the consequence of representing real value to customer, not short-term profits. But if we don’t price com- petitively, we’ll never get beyond the first year with this product.”

By framing the pricing conversation around the competitive situation and long-term interest, you may be able to make cost a less important part of the discussion.

Exercise 3–1. Framing Barrier

Identify a framing barrier you’ve observed in your workplace. List two of the people involved (A and B), then add your thoughts about how that might be overcome.

Who’s involved? A._________________________________________________

B._________________________________________________

What mental frame does each bring to the conflict? A._________________________________________________

B._________________________________________________

What could be done to over- come the framing barrier? __________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

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DEFENSIVENESS Since earliest recorded history, we have evidence of how people respond when they are under attack or feeling vulnerable. As they marched through hostile territory, for example, Roman legions would protect their overnight encampments with moats and wooden palisades. Medieval cities such as Carcassonne in France and Avila in Spain encircled themselves with thick stone walls. Today, developed countries use high-tech radar and missile sys- tems to detect and intercept threatening intruders before they can penetrate their territory.

People in the workplace also create defenses whenever they feel threat- ened or under attack. Have you ever been verbally criticized by your boss— “chewed out,” “called on the carpet,” “raked over the coals?” If you have, think about your reaction. Did you relax and open your mind to what the boss was saying? Did you listen carefully to every point she made as she criticized you? Did you leave her office with a positive attitude, a feeling of well-being, and a sense that you two had really communicated? If you did, you may be from another planet! Few of us would relax and listen in that situation. Our subconscious minds would be screaming, “Red alert! Assume defensive mode! Prepare to counterattack!” We are wired to fight or flee when attacked.

People who feel under attack spend less time listening and processing information and more time thinking about how they will deflect criticism and possibly deliver a counterpunch. They are particularly defensive when they feel the attack is personal—that it aims to diminish their ego and sense of self-worth. For example, if the sales manager says, “I’m not happy with the results from your territory this quarter. Sales are 20 percent under the quar- terly goal,” he hasn’t criticized you as a person. He hasn’t called you an inef- fectual person or a slacker. Instead, he has complained about sales from your territory—a subtle but important difference. In attacking the problem, he has left plenty of room for discussion and communication about what’s going on in your territory to account for disappointing sales. You may be a little defensive, but not to the point where communication is impossible.

Think how different the situation would be if this sales manager had said, “What’s wrong with you? Everyone else in this division has exceeded his quarterly goal. Everyone but you. Don’t you know how to do your job?” You’d be more than a little defensive; you’d be hunkering down in your psy- chic bunker. The barrier to rational, effective communication between you and this manager would instantly go way, way up.

The best way to avoid defensiveness as a communication barrier is to avoid approaches to communication that threaten another person’s sense of self-worth. This doesn’t mean that people should say nothing about work- place problems. It doesn’t imply that managers and supervisors should not point out the shortcomings of their subordinates. Both are necessary. However, they should criticize the problems they see, not the motivations or value of others. This important issue is covered in greater detail in Chapter 7 under the heading of “Giving and Receiving Feedback.”

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION—AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM 33

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PHYSICAL DISTANCE Twenty-first-century telecommunications and the Internet have made it possible for people to work collaboratively over great distances. Many busi- nesspeople routinely use these technologies to work with clients and collab- orators in Asia, Europe, and various cities in the United States. In many cases, they never meet those individuals face-to-face.

The previous chapter described how these technologies are being used and how you can make the most of them. Despite their usefulness, however, these technologies are often an imperfect substitute for the face-to-face

The First Telecommuting U.S. Supreme Court Justice Justice John Paul Stevens is the first of the Court’s elite members to do a substantial amount of his work away from the confines of Washington. Justice Stevens, a licensed pilot, regularly escapes the hubbub of the U.S. capital for his Florida retreat, where he is known to study legal briefs at poolside or on the beach. Physical distance, however, has not stopped Stevens from becoming recognized as one of the most active and influen- tial members of the Court. In the old days (pre-Internet), Stevens would communicate with his fellow Justices via FedEx. Today, like millions of other professionals, he relies on e-mail.

34 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN THE WORKPLACE

Think About It . . .

When was the last time you received criticism? Did your supervisor send back a marked-up copy of your report with “This is terrible!” scrawled across the front page? Did someone rudely dismiss your opinion during a meeting? How did you respond? How could this situation have been changed to avoid defensive feelings? Describe briefly.

Have you ever had to criticize or disagree with someone? How did you handle it—by criticizing the person, or by addressing the problem? How could your approach have been improved to avoid creating defensiveness in the other person but still give you the results you needed?

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communication that occurs when people work in physical proximity to one another. The weakness of technological communication links is that they only deliver value when people use them—for example, when Carlos says, “I should tell Cleo about this,” and gives her a call or sends an e-mail message. People who work in the same physical space, in contrast, are continually receiving informal, nondeliberate communications in the coffee room, when they go out for lunch together, when someone drops into their office to chat, through overheard conversations, and so forth. They also pick up body lan- guage and facial expressions that no phone call or text message can reveal. And, as you’ll learn in a later chapter, nonverbal communication often con- veys more than words.

Communication Decreases with Physical Separation Physical distance between people also reduces the frequency with which they communicate. A study done at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology confirmed this. That study mapped the frequency of commu- nication between coworkers in the same office building. It found, as one would expect, that the frequency of communication depended heavily on the physical distance between people. Moving someone from next door to her coworker to an office further down the hall reduced communications between them, often significantly. Moving that same person to another floor in the building cut even more deeply into their communications and interactions.

Physical proximity also has the hard-to-measure effect of increasing trust between people. People who interact frequently and face-to-face get to know their coworkers on a personal level. When they share a pizza for lunch they talk about their families and hobbies, and build bonds of friendship and trust by sharing other dimensions of their lives. Trust, in turn, makes communication easier and more effective. Think about it: If you had an idea for a new way to get a particular job done, and if you were unsure of how well it would be received, would you share it with someone you personally knew and trusted or with someone you knew only through phone conversations and e-mail?

Tackling the Distance Barrier What can you do about the communication barrier caused by physical dis- tance? The first antidote is to recognize when distance is a problem, then take steps to reduce it. Here are a few strategies that many organizations have adopted to address this issue:

• Locate people who need to communicate frequently in close proximity to one another.

• Don’t isolate people in closed offices; adopt an open office plan. • Create opportunities for people to cross paths in the course of the work-

day: a coffee/soft drink bar, a hallway alcove with a white-board where people can share ideas, brown bag lunches for work team members, and so forth.

• Bring people face-to-face when the issues are serious.

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION—AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM 35

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36 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN THE WORKPLACE

As an individual, you can address the distance barrier by reaching out to colleagues who are physically separated from you, spending a moment to chat when you call with work-related information or taking every opportu- nity to attend meetings at which they will be present.

GROUP SIZE AND STATUS DIFFERENCES The next time you’re in a meeting with your workgroup, notice how many individuals are verbally participating and how many are not. If your group is like most, the person with the greatest organizational authority, the manager or supervisor, will be talking quite a bit. One or two others will weigh in, and several others will be listening but contributing nothing unless pointedly asked a question. That’s group dynamics at work.

Some people do not add their voices to group meetings for one reason or another: they are naturally shy, they lack confidence, or they defer to others with more experience or authority. This is unfortunate; it limits communication and may rob the group of valuable information or ideas. The situation is made worse when:

• The number of people in the group increases. Employees who will speak up when sitting at a conference table with three coworkers are less likely to say anything when the size of the group expands to eight, twelve, or more. Paradoxically, the greater the number of people in the group, the fewer the percentage of people who will take “air time.”

• The difference in organizational status increases. There’s usually lots of ban- ter when a supervisor and her five subordinates meet to discuss their work. Communications are easy and direct. The subordinates are used to

Exercise 3–2. Physical Distance and Your Workplace

Does the current physical layout of your office area provide opportunities for contact and com- munication between coworkers? Make a list of the three people with whom you have the great- est need to communicate. For each one, indicate if physical distance is a barrier (Yes or No). Then comment on what practical steps you might take to overcome any barrier.

Key Communicators

Is Distance a Barrier? (Y/N)

Practical Steps for Overcoming Barrier

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working with their supervisor and, since she’s only one step higher on the ladder of authority, her status isn’t intimidating. Bring the CEO into the same meeting, however, and most people will clam up. They are intimi- dated by the CEO’s organizational status relative to theirs.

Fortunately, the communication barriers caused by group size and sta- tus differences are not insurmountable. You can minimize them by:

• Keeping meeting size to a manageable number. That might be six or fewer. Many authorities believe that ten is the maximum number of participants for an effective meeting where opinions and information need to be shared by all.

• Drawing people out if they are holding back and not communicating. Example: “Harold, you’ve been working with those customers for a while. What’s your impression?”

• Taking deliberate steps to bridge the status gap if your organizational status is greater than the people with whom you’re meeting. If they are casually dressed, dress the same way or take off your suit coat and tie. Create a relaxed atmosphere by making small talk before you get down to serious business.

In Chapter 9, Techniques that Elicit New Ideas and Solutions, you’ll be introduced to nominal group technique, a method of drawing out people who would otherwise not contribute to a group discussion.

INTERNAL CONFLICT Every organization has some level of interpersonal conflict brewing—in an operating unit, in a branch office, or even in the executive suite. The causes of these conflicts are theoretically infinite, but here are a few of the more common ones:

• Cutthroat competition between two managers or employees for an important promotion

• Personal slights (“He deliberately ridiculed my proposal in front of the CEO.”)

• Turf warfare between departments (“Corporate marketing is trying to take control of publicity for all of our division’s newly launched products. We will fight tooth and nail to keep control of our own publicity.”)

• Diversity of outlooks and skills (as described earlier under Framing Problems)

Whatever the cause, internal conflict generally presents a barrier to communication. Contrary to what many think, however, conflict within organizations is not necessarily a bad thing. Some writers refer to “creative conflict” and the friction it creates as a source of new ideas and organiza- tional vitality. To be helpful, however, conflict must not get out of control

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION—AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM 37

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38 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN THE WORKPLACE

and it must not be personal. Here are some tips to reduce the potential that conflict will impede communication between people.

Tip 1: Know Yourself How can we keep internal conflict, whatever its source, from becoming a barrier to communication? A good place to begin is with yourself. Ask, “How do I handle conflict?” Some people are conflict avoiders; they are so uncom- fortable with conflict that they will alter their behavior or their position in order to avoid any unpleasantness. Other people, a small number, actually thrive on conflict. It gets all their systems going. Rather than avoiding con- flict, they eagerly dive in. You’ll be able to communicate better if you know whether you’re a conflict avoider or seeker.

Tip 2: Identify the Emotion Conflict often produces one or more of these emotions: anger, fear, hostility, envy, or suspicion. As a next step, try to identify the emotion that surrounds the conflict you are experiencing. Identifying the specific emotion may help you avoid raising a communication barrier. For example, anger may cause you to communicate in a way that will only make matters worse. “If you weren’t so stubborn you would have organized that report the way I showed you, which is . . .” The part of that statement you want the other person to hear—how the report should be organized—will be lost under the angry personal attack. By recognizing your anger, you can take steps to eliminate it from your communications.

Exercise 3–3. Are You a Conflict Avoider?

This exercise will help you answer that question. Write down two memorable experiences you’ve had with conflict—at home or at work. Then describe how you dealt with each. Did you confront it directly? Did you withdraw? Did you soften your position to appease the other party? Your answers will reveal a lot about your personal approach to conflict.

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Tip 3: Gain Control Once you’ve identified the emotion, the next step is to gain control over it. If you’re angry, taking a “time out” can help. If the situation is charged with hostility, consider communicating by memo rather than in person, so that any hostile body language or vocal intonation will not be seen by the other person. But be careful: If you use written communication, consider asking a trusted third party to review your message before it’s sent. That person should eliminate any unintended hostility from your communiqué.

Tip 4: Force Yourself to Listen Emotions impair our ability and willingness to listen. One remedy is to actively force yourself to listen. Tell yourself, “I may not like doing this, but I’m going to keep my mouth shut and listen to what she has to say—even if it kills me.” In listening, make it very clear that you’re giving the other party your full attention by nodding at appropriate intervals. Don’t interrupt or challenge what the other person is saying until she’s had an opportunity to make a complete statement. You can, however, periodically interject some- thing that indicates that you’re listening: “So you think our schedule is unre- alistic, is that right?”

Listening will usually calm a tense situation. It will give the other party the satisfaction of getting whatever is bothering him off his chest. That per- son will likely appreciate your consideration and return the favor, giving you an opportunity to make your case.

GROUPTHINK Groupthink is another serious barrier to effective communication. It is an organizational malady that enforces agreement of outlook and interpretation of the working environment. In other words, all members of the group are subtly encouraged by social pressure to think alike; opposing views are dis- couraged or suppressed.

Groupthink is generally found within highly cohesive groups—often among people who share the same backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, educa- tions, and so forth. In many cases, members of these groups are selected because they share these common factors. A U.S. President, for example, typ- ically surrounds himself, in his Cabinet and advisory staff, with people from his own party who share the same political outlook and philosophy, and who generally agree on how the nation’s problems should be solved. This is a per- fect prescription for groupthink.

Workplaces afflicted by groupthink are at risk of being blindsided by competitors and the changing business environment. Group members are so in agreement that they are doing the right thing that they don’t examine or challenge their basic assumptions; nor do they consider alternative courses of action.

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION—AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM 39

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Communication within a groupthink workplace is deceptively easy. There is no conflict on assumptions and goals. Everyone speaks the same language and shares the same ideas. However, anyone who challenges the group’s assumptions, or who “thinks differently” will find effective commu- nication an uphill battle. Members of the group are likely to dismiss facts, ideas, and suggestions that don’t fit with their accepted beliefs. Worse, any- one who challenges the accepted wisdom may be dismissed or marginalized. “She just doesn’t fit in.” “He’s not a team player.”

If you are a lower-level employee in a groupthink organization, you’re probably not in a position to fix it. Only the people in charge can do that. But if you’re a unit manager or supervisor, there are things you can do to reduce groupthink within your small unit. Here are a few:

• As a first step, check for the existence of groupthink. Look for these symptoms: there is never disagreement on goals or how the unit should pursue them; people who challenge assumptions or offer ideas for doing things differ- ently are routinely ignored or put down.

• Ask a respected member of the team to play the role of “devil’s advocate.” Ask that person to challenge the basic assumptions of the team and to argue on behalf of an opposing point of view. This will get discussion going and demonstrate to everyone that it’s “safe” to communicate ideas that are at odds with those of the group.

• Select people with different backgrounds or from different departments to participate on teams and projects. Varying points of view can provide new framing to old problems.

• Encourage new points of view when they emerge in the group.

PREJUDGMENTS To function and maintain some sense of order in our work lives, we make judgments based on what we know and on available information, even when it’s incomplete. Over time, most of us develop trust in our judgment. However, it’s tempting to take shortcuts in the exercise of judgment—by prejudging situations—especially when we’re pressed for time or just plain lazy. A prejudgment is an assessment or conclusion made without hearing or examining relevant facts. Prejudgments come from a combination of what we have experienced in the past, what someone else has told us, and what we may have picked up from observation or inference.

Consider the car alarm. We’ve all set them off accidentally at one time or another. We’ve all heard one go off in a nearby parking lot—again, set off by accident. When car alarms first appeared, people took them seriously. On hearing that annoying beep-beep-beep, they would run to the window or take some other action to see if a crime was in progress. Today, however, most people are so accustomed to alarms going off that they seldom respond. Based on experience, they prejudge the situation as yet another false alarm.

Prejudgments in the workplace can be a detriment to communications. Because of the rapid pace of work, we sometimes make prejudgments to save

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BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION—AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM 41

time. It is simply easier to prejudge a situation rather than to seek more information. Consider this example:

In a series of brainstorming sessions at an advertising firm, an ad campaign proposal was being put together for a client—a footwear company. Ravi, the manager, noticed that the newest member of the team, Daisy, a graphic artist with a computer software background, had introduced several ideas that, in his view, were off the mark. Daisy later admitted this to several others on the team, though Ravi didn’t hear that comment. “I hadn’t thought that footware case through,” she told them.

A week later, a similar team brainstorming session was in ses- sion, this one on behalf of a computer software company. Again, Daisy had some ideas. Based on his previous experience with Daisy, however, Ravi was dismissive of her contribution. Instead of allow- ing her to give a full presentation, he cut her off and asked others to talk. Other team members protested and urged Daisy to complete her presentation. Her ideas for this account were, to Ravi’s surprise, inspiring and were eventually included in client proposal.

In this example, Ravi had prejudged Daisy’s ability based on a single first impression. As a result, he closed off an important communication channel to her and almost lost the benefit of her good ideas on the software company account.

Exercise 3–4. Prejudgment in Your Workplace

Recall a recent workplace situation where good, clear communication was necessary. Now divide a sheet of paper into two columns. In the left column list the elements (good or bad) of that situation that resembled those of previous similar workplace encounters. In the right col- umn list the elements that were unique to the situation. Noticing what is the same and what is different can become a mental habit when you sense, or when it is pointed out to you, that you are prejudging a situation. Once you identify the unique elements in the situation, you can focus on them, think more clearly, and thus bring a cleaner slate to the situation and improve your effectiveness.

Describe the situation:

Elements that resemble previous workplace situations:

Unique elements:

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LANGUAGE ISSUES Language, written and spoken, is a primary means of effective communica- tion. Failure to use language properly creates communication barriers. This section focuses on three aspects of language and language use that cause a barrier: vagueness and verbosity, jargon, and linguistic differences.

Vagueness and Verbosity Vagueness and verbosity are two conditions that hinder effective communi- cation. Vagueness refers to information that is not clearly or precisely expressed. “Harold was definite about the importance of this job, but vague—not clear or precise—about how and when it should be done.” Vague communications impart some information, but not enough to create a clear picture in the minds of listeners or readers. Here’s an example:

Police detective: Did you see the getaway car used by the robbers? Witness: Yeah, but I don’t want to get involved. Those guys

might come looking for me. Police detective: You’re involved already. So describe the get-

away car to me. Witness: Okay, I’ll describe the car if you insist. It was bigger

than a loaf of bread, but smaller than the Empire State Building! So what else do you wanna know?

Now, that’s a vague description. Vague instructions given by supervisors to their subordinates often lead

to costly mistakes and wasted time. One of the authors recalls working for a manager whose directives were often vague. “I want each of you to develop a report about the new products you’re working on,” he told his subordinates just after lunch. “I want to know when those products will be ready for mar- ket, and how much revenue you expect each will produce in the first twelve months after launch. Have those reports on my desk by tomorrow morning.”

Each of this manager’s five direct reports spent the entire afternoon on the requested report. Several stayed late to complete their tasks. Later the next day, after he’d looked through the reports, the manager called everyone together in his office to complain that, “This isn’t how I wanted the reports written. I wanted each of you to follow the same format, with a text section about each of your upcoming products, and another section with all the numerical data arranged by month.”

Everyone grumbled to himself, “Why wasn’t he more specific about the reports he wanted.” Making a quick mental calculation, the author estimated that the manager’s vague instructions had cost the company about $2,000 in wasted salaries and benefits.

Don’t be like that manager. Instead of being vague, unclear, fuzzy, puz- zling, or unspecific in your communications, be just the opposite: clear, specific, definite, unambiguous!

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The term verbosity describes a related communication weakness. The term derives from “verbose”—the practice of using more words than neces- sary. Verbosity is not the greatest communication sin, but piling on more words than necessary buries the words that really matter. Talking or saying too much while answering a question or providing information may cause the essential message to get lost. Listeners may tune out, perhaps missing the important message that is buried under all those extra words. Or the blizzard of words may confuse them.

Some people believe that a wordy answer impresses the listener and makes the speaker look like he knows what he’s talking about. Just the oppo- site is true. Verbosity often makes listeners suspect that the speaker doesn’t know the answer and is trying to bluff his way through the discussion.

Reporter: Tell us, Senator Bullmoose, what’s your view on arms sales to Taiwan? Will these sales damage our relations with China?

Senator Bullmoose: That’s an excellent question, and one that goes to the heart of my concerns about the foreign policy of this country, which my party is dedicated to strengthening, not just now but in the future and all of the years in between. You know, back in Kentucky, where I grew up, people used to say, ‘Never give a sucker an even break.’ And I’ve always abided by that folksy wisdom, espe- cially when the best interests of our country are involved, as they are in this arms sale business. Which is why I have doubts about the merits of the deal. You know, China is a big, big country. Over a bil- lion people and growing more people every day. That’s a lotta peo- ple. So if we sell arms to Taiwan, we’re likely to upset the Chinese. So there’s your answer.

Senator Bullmoose eventually answered the reporter’s question, but in doing so he managed to be both verbose and vague.

Don’t be like the senator in your communications:

• Where he was long-winded, state your message in as few words as needed. • Where he wandered around the subject, be direct and on subject. • Where he packed unrelated messages into his communication, stick to the

point you want to make.

Giving too many details is also a feature of verbosity. Communicators must learn to give only as much information as is appropriate to the situa- tion. If, for example, you are updating others in your department about a procedural change in a documentation function, it is not necessary to give a history of the documentation changes that have occurred over the past several years, but it is crucial that you tell them why the present change is taking place along with how to perform the new function.

Jargon Jargon is a specialized language used by members of a trade, profession, or similar group. It is a “sub-language” that develops in industries and

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION—AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM 43

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44 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN THE WORKPLACE

departments as a means of communication for workers in that environment. Many jargon terms have entered the professional vocabulary. At its best, jar- gon provides a time-saving shorthand for the people who understand it. “We need to work on our CRM.” That statement is more concise than “We need to work on our customer relationship management.” At its worst, jargon is pretentious, confusing, vague, and annoying to anyone who isn’t familiar with it or who respects language.

Exhibit 3–2 provides some examples of business jargon—or “buzz words.” Many are the inventions of management consultants, who have done more damage to straightforward communication than any other group. Don’t let your high school English teacher ever hear you using these terms. (Surf over to www.johnsmurf.com/jargon2.htm for an entertaining list of business buzz words.)

With many organizations requiring greater collaboration between departments now than in the past, it is essential that the jargon used in your department doesn’t block communication with other departments, or vice versa. You can remedy jargon barriers by asking if instructions or documents from your department need to be explained or clarified. Conversely, always ask for a working definition of any term from another department’s jargon that you do not understand. This will save time and frustration for everyone and contribute to positive relations between departments.

xhibit 3–2 Workplace JargonE

Term Meaning (although most are used without clear meaning)

Bandwidth The capacity to do something. “I don’t have the bandwidth to handle it.” Capacity would do.

Actionable Something that can be put into practice. Worst when used as a noun: “Do you have a list of actionables?”

Deliverables What you’re supposed to get done. “I want to get you into the loop on our client deliverables.”

Business model An overworked term for how a company makes money.

Cycle time The time it takes to do something once. The term “cycle” is usually mean- ingless in this context.

Enabler Something that makes another thing possible. A favorite consultant word. “We found six enablers.”

Incentivize To motivate someone to do what you want. “We’ve incentivized the sales force.”

Multitasking Doing more than one thing at a time.

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Language Differences North American companies, both large and small, are experiencing an influx of employees for whom English is a second language. In the United States, almost one in seven members of the workforce is Hispanic, and many of these are recent immigrants with limited English language skills. This situa- tion creates enormous communication challenges for all involved. Instructions must be given to these workers in ways that are clear and under- standable. These workers, in turn, must find ways to ask for instructions and give feedback.

The problems caused by workplace language barriers are many. Language differences have led to workplace mistrust and conflict in some cases. The language issue is treated at length in Chapter 11 of this book.

This chapter has defined the concept of communications barriers and described eight of them: framing differences, defensiveness, physical dis- tance, group size and status differences, internal conflict, groupthink, pre- judgments, and language issues. It has also provided ways to recognize these barriers, as well as practical approaches to overcoming them. With a little practice, you should be able to recognize these barriers in your own work- place and find ways to eliminate or work around them as you communicate with others.

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION—AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM 45

Think About It . . .

Take a moment to think about words and phrases used in your department or organization that could be considered jargon and confusing to outsiders. Remember, jargon includes words and phrases a worker needs to know to communicate in a given environment. Write a few of these down here. Abbreviations and initials can also be included.

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46 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN THE WORKPLACE

Mental frames influence how we see, hear, and interpret the world around us. People with very different frames may have trouble communicating. They’re “on a different wavelength.” Defensiveness is another barrier that communicators must avoid or work to overcome; people who feel under attack concentrate more on defending than on listening to what’s said. Physical distance also undermines communication unless steps are taken to provide opportunities to meet and

share ideas and information. Even gathering people around a conference table, however, will not assure good communication if the group is overly large or if major status differences make people reluctant to share their thoughts and opinions.

Conflict within a department or between departments can also under- mine effective communication. The same can be said of “groupthink,” an organizational malady that enforces agreement of outlook and interpretation of the working environment. Workplaces afflicted with this malady may think they are communicating, but their communication is narrow, suppress- ing or avoiding discussion that goes against the views of group. Prejudgment imposes a similar barrier to communication. A prejudgment is an assessment or conclusion made without hearing or examining relevant facts.

Language issues—vagueness and verbosity, jargon, and linguistic differ- ences—represent the last communication barrier covered in this chapter. The first two are readily overcome when people use precise language, use only enough words to get their meaning across, and take care to use terms that listeners will readily understand. Language differences are much harder to deal with. They are addressed more fully in Chapter 11.

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Review Questions

1. Communication barriers were defined in the chapter as: 1. (b) (a) things that enter into virtually every conversation. (b) workplace factors that keep us from fully understanding

other or being fully understood. (c) cubicle walls and other physical impediments to moving

around in the workplace. (d) personal problems between subordinates and managers.

2. Which of the following is a barrier to communication as 2. (c) discussed in this chapter? (a) Sex (b) Stress (c) Defensiveness (d) Age

3. Highly cohesive groups are sometimes subject to the 3. (c) problem of: (a) self-fulfilling prophecies. (b) prejudgments. (c) groupthink. (d) unspoken expectations.

4. Jargon is a barrier because: 4. (c) (a) it cannot be translated to different languages. (b) it is always changing. (c) it is a sub-language that others may not know or under-

stand. (d) it is mainly a technical language.

5. In order to overcome vagueness, it is important to: 5. (d) (a) give the information both verbally and in written form. (b) always give more detail than requested in order to be

clear. (c) assume the other person will ask for clarification if

needed. (d) give as much information as is appropriate.

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION—AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM 47

Do you have questions? Comments? Need clarification? Call Educational Services at 1-800-225-3215, ext. 600,

or email at ed_svcs@amanet.org.

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apply the lessons learned from one of your readings to a real-world communications issue.

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