Chapter 2

Effective Communication
Supervision in the Hospitality Industry
Fourth Edition
(250T or 250)

© 2007, Educational Institute

 Competencies for
Effective Communication
1. Identify common misconceptions, barriers,
and biases that interfere with effective
communication.
2. Explain the steps that supervisors can take to
speak effectively on the job.
3. Identify ways that supervisors can improve
their listening skills.

© 2007, Educational Institute

(continued)
2
 Competencies for
Effective Communication
(continued)

4. Identify active listening skills and apply them in

supervisory situations.
5. Describe nonverbal communication and explain how
knowledge of it can help you on the job.
6. Explain the importance of good writing, and identify
how you can make your business writing more
effective.
7. Identify techniques for communicating by e-mail.
© 2007, Educational Institute 3
 Communication Myths
• “We communicate only when we want to
communicate.”
• “Words mean the same to me and to you.”
• “We communicate chiefly with words.”
• “Nonverbal communication is silent
communication.”

© 2007, Educational Institute

(continued)
4
 Communication Myths
(continued)

• “The best communication is a one-way

message—from me to you.”
• “The message I communicate is the
message that you receive.”
• “There is no such thing as too much
information.”

© 2007, Educational Institute 5

 Barriers to Effective
Communication
• Distractions
• Differences in background
• Poor timing
• Emotions
• Personality differences
• Prejudice
• Differences in knowledge and assumptions
• Stress

© 2007, Educational Institute 6

 Biases Affecting Communication
• First impressions
• Stereotypes
• Just-like-me
• Halo or pitchfork effect
• Contrast effect
• Leniency/severity effect

© 2007, Educational Institute 7

 Obstacles to Listening
• Mind wanders
• Tuning out
• Distractions
• Prejudices
• Too many notes

© 2007, Educational Institute 8

 Four Stages in Active Listening
1. Focusing
2. Interpreting
3. Evaluating
4. Responding

© 2007, Educational Institute 9

 Active Listening—Focusing
• Decide to listen.
• Create the proper atmosphere.
• Focus on the speaker.
• Show that you are paying attention.

© 2007, Educational Institute 10

 Active Listening—Interpreting
• Keep from judging.
• Determine the speaker’s meaning.
• Confirm that you understand the
meaning.
• Show that you understand.
• Reach a common understanding.

© 2007, Educational Institute 11

 Active Listening—Evaluating
• Gather more information.
• Decide whether the information is genuine.
• Evaluate the information.
• Communicate your evaluation.

© 2007, Educational Institute 12

 Active Listening—Responding
• Learn what the speaker expects.
• Consider your own time and energy.
• Decide what to do.

© 2007, Educational Institute 13

 Active Listening Skills
• Mirroring—repeating exactly some of the
speaker’s key words
• Paraphrasing—using your own words to
restate the speaker’s feelings or meaning
• Summarizing—condensing and stressing
the speaker’s important points

© 2007, Educational Institute

(continued)
14
 Active Listening Skills
(continued)

• Self-disclosure—showing how you feel

about what the speaker said
• Questioning/Clarifying—asking questions
to ensure understanding

© 2007, Educational Institute 15

 Open-Ended Questions
Ask open-ended questions to:
• Begin a discussion—“What do you think about
…”
• Understand the speaker’s ideas—“Can you tell
me …”
• Examine a touchy subject—“How do you feel
about …”
• Avoid influencing an answer—“Tell me more
about …”

© 2007, Educational Institute 16

 Specific Questions
Ask specific (or closed-ended)
questions to get details:
• Who
• What
• Where
• When
• Why
• Which
• How many
© 2007, Educational Institute 17
 Keeping the Speaker Speaking
• “I understand.”
• “Tell me more.”
• “Let’s talk about it.”
• “I see.”
• “This seems very important to you.”
• “I’d like to hear your point of view.”
• “Really.”
© 2007, Educational Institute 18
 Non-Verbal Communication
• Facial expression
• Eyes
• Posture
• Gestures
• Body movement

© 2007, Educational Institute 19

 Writing Tips
• Plain English
• Short sentences
• Inverted pyramid
• Topic sentence
• Clear, concise, to the point

© 2007, Educational Institute 20