Chapter 1

Communicating in
Today’s Workplace

Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e

Mary Ellen Guffey
Copyright © 2008
Factors that Affect You in the New Workplace
 Heightened global competition
 Flattened management hierarchies
 Expanded team-based management
 Innovative communication technology
 New work environments
 Increasingly diverse workforce
 Renewed emphasis on ethics
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 1, Slide 2
 The Communication Process – Basic Model
Noise Feedback Noise
5 travels to
sender
Noise Noise
4
Sender Message
Sender encodes travels Receiver
has idea 1 idea in 2 over 3 decodes
message channel message

Noise Possible Noise

additional
feedback 6
Noise to receiver Noise
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 1, Slide 3
Example of a miscommunication
 Walter Cronkite

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 1, Slide 4
Analysis of Flawed Communication Process

Sender
has
idea

Warn
boater

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 1, Slide 5
Analysis of Flawed Communication Process

Sender Sender
has encodes
idea message

Warn “Low
boater water!”

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 1, Slide 6
Analysis of Flawed Communication Process

Sender Sender Channel

has encodes carries
idea message message

Warn “Low Message

boater water!” distorted

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 1, Slide 7
Analysis of Flawed Communication Process

Sender Sender Channel Receiver

has encodes carries decodes
idea message message message

Warn “Low Message “Hello

boater water!” distorted Walter!”

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 1, Slide 8
Barriers That Create Misunderstandings
 Bypassing
 Differing frames of
reference
 Lack of language
skills
 Distractions

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 1, Slide 9
Overcoming Barriers That Cause
Misunderstandings
 Realize that communication is imperfect.
 Adapt the message to the receiver.
 Improve your language and listening skills.
 Question your preconceptions.
 Encourage feedback.

© Pixland / Jupiterimages

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 1, Slide 10
 Almost all of us, even as children, learn to
speak so that we can be understood.

But very few of us accomplish, even in a

lifetime, the ability that we can speak so
that we cannot be misunderstood.

Larry Heikkinen

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 1, Slide 11
Exercise on Miscommunication

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 1, Slide 12
Communication and Formal Channels
Written
Oral
Memos, letters
Telephone
Annual report
Face-to-face conversation
Company newsletter
Company meetings
Bulletin board postings
Team meetings
Orientation manual

Electronic
E-mail, Instant messaging
Voicemail, Videoconferencing
Intranet

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 1, Slide 13
Information Flow in Organizations - Formal
Channels Managers Supervisors

Upward flow
Coworkers

Coworkers
Horizontal flow

Downward flow

Subordinates Supervisees
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 1, Slide 14
Information Flow in Organizations - Formal
Channels Managers Supervisors

Flows from
decision makers
to workers

Downward
Subordinates Supervisees
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 1, Slide 15
Information Flow in Organizations - Formal
Channels Managers Supervisors

Upward

Flows from
employees to
decision makers

Subordinates Supervisees
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 1, Slide 16
Information Flow in Organizations - Formal
Channels

Horizontal flow

Coworkers
Coworkers

Flows among workers

at the same level

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 1, Slide 17
Information Flows in Organizations - Informal
Channels
The grapevine, gossip from the
break room to the water cooler
 Carries unofficial messages
 Flows haphazardly
 Can be remarkably accurate
 Is mostly disliked by management
 Thrives where official information
is limited
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 1, Slide 18
Overcoming Barriers to Effective Communication
 Encourage open, trusting environment for
interaction and feedback.
 Provide more information through formal
channels.
 Train managers and employees to improve
communication skills.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 1, Slide 19