CHAPTER 3:

COMMUNICATION: THE
KEY TO EFFECTIVE
SUPERVISORY
MANAGEMENT
LEONARD: SUPERVISION 12E

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.
AFTER STUDYING THIS CHAPTER,
YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:

1. Define communication and explain its importance in today’s

culture.
2. Discuss the implications of the new communications age.
3. Analyze the channels of communication available to the
supervisor.
4. Identify and discuss barriers to effective communication.
5. Describe ways to overcome communication barriers.
6. Explain how supervisors can better manage meetings with
their own managers.

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COMMUNICATION HAS CHANGED
IN THE TWENTY-FIRST
• Communication
CENTURY
– The process of transmitting information and understanding.
– The process of imparting ideas and making oneself understood to others.
• Effective Communication Requires Two-Way Exchange
– Effective communication means that there is a successful transfer of
information, meaning, and understanding from a sender to a receiver.

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 COMMUNICATION HAS CHANGED
IN THE TWENTY-FIRST
• Effective Communication Means Better Supervision
CENTURY(CONT’D)
– More than half the workday involves giving and receiving information.
– A supervisor’s effectiveness depends on the ability to create an environment
that fosters communication.
• Employees must understand their supervisor’s instructions to achieve their
objectives.
• The supervisor must know how to receive information and understand the
messages sent by employees, other supervisors, and high-level managers.

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 CHANNELS OF THE
COMMUNICATION NETWORK
• Formal Channels
– Vertical channels established primarily by an organization’s structure that
follow the lines of authority from the top-level executive down through
the organization to supervisors and employees.
• Types of Formal Channels
– Downward communication
• Upper-level management issues instructions or disseminates information
that managers or supervisors at the next lower level receive and pass to
their subordinates, and so on down the line.

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CHANNELS OF THE
COMMUNICATION NETWORK
(CONT’D)
• Types of Formal Channels (cont’d)
– Upward communication
• The actions of lower-level managers and employees in providing relevant, timely
and complete information to higher-level managers.
– Horizontal communication
• The flow of information between departments or people at the same levels but in
charge of different functions that facilitates coordination of functions among
departments.

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CHANNELS OF THE
COMMUNICATION NETWORK
(CONT’D)
• Informal Channels—Grapevine
– The informal, unofficial communication channel in all organizations that is the
outgrowth of informal and casual groupings of people on the job, of their
social interactions, and their desire to communicate.
• Understanding the Grapevine
• It can carry both accurate and inaccurate information.
• Its path through the organization varies constantly.
• Employees believe strongly in the grapevine.
• Supervisors should accept the grapevine’s existence, yet take action to correct
any rumors and misinformation it conveys.

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 THE WEB AND SOCIAL
NETWORKS
• Americans are More Connected Than Ever
– Just not in person
• 93% have cellphone/wireless.
• 29.7% have smartphones.
• 1.8 trillion text messages were sent in past twelve months.
• 90% of global population has access to mobile networks.
• Can have different meanings to different persons and in different
cultures.

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 METHODS OF
COMMUNICATION
• Behavior Is Communication
– Body language
• Is all observable actions of the sender or receiver.
• Communicates something to others, whether it is
intended or not.
• Can have different meanings to different persons and
in different cultures.
– Unexplained actions (or inaction) may communicate
a meaning that was not intended.

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 METHODS OF
COMMUNICATION (CONT’D)
• Oral and Written Communication
– Spoken and written words are the most widely used forms of communication
in an organization.
– A well-balanced communication system uses both written and oral media.
– Oral communication:
• Advantage: facilitates understanding by allowing for immediate questioning and
feedback, and takes less time.
• Disadvantage: there is no permanent record of the conversation for comparison
should its meaning be misinterpreted or become distorted.

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 BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
• Noise
– Obstacles that distort messages between people and lead to
misunderstandings, confusion, and conflicts.
• Language and Vocabulary Differences
– People vary greatly in their ability to convey meaning.

• Jargon: words that are specific to an occupation

or a specialty.
• Semantics: the multiple meanings of words.

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BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION (CONT’D)
• Differences in Listening Styles and Attention Spans
– Today’s audiences want to be part of the process, contributing their own
experience while demanding constant visual stimuli.
• Too Much Information (TMI)
– Information overload: giving employees too much information, causing them
to complain of being overwhelmed with irrelevant and redundant messages.

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BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION (CONT’D)
• The Internet and TMI
– Internet use on the job can become time-consuming for employees and result
in lost productivity.
– Effective control of Internet communications:
• Encourage everyone to ask questions and gather essential information through
proper use of the Internet.
• Keep messages short and simple.
• Provide employees with timely and complete information to do their jobs.

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BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION (CONT’D)
• Status and Position
– Status
• Attitudes toward a person based on the person’s position.
– Filtering
• The process of omitting or softening unpleasant details.

• Resistance to Change or New Ideas

– If a message is intended to convey a change or a new idea—something that
will upset work assignments, positions, or the daily routine—employees are
inclined to resist the message.

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BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION (CONT’D)
• Perceptual Barriers
– Stereotyping
• Is the perception that all people in a group share attitudes, values, and beliefs
• Influences how people respond to others.
• Can become a barrier to effective communication.

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BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION (CONT’D)
• Insensitive Words and Poor Timing
– Insensitive, offensive language or impetuous responses can make
understanding difficult.
– When other issues demand attention, attentiveness and responsiveness to
work information will fail to meet the other party’s expectations.

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BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION (CONT’D)
• Inability to Create Meaning
– Communication begins when the sender encodes an idea or a thought.
– The receiver’s interpretation of a message may differ from what the sender
intended.
– Meaning is shared understanding of the message.
– Say what you mean and mean what you say.

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 OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION

Preparation and
Planning

Reinforcing Words
Using Feedback
with Actions

Effective
Repetition of Communications Direct and Clear
Messages Language

Taking time to
Calm Atmosphere
listen

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KEY TERMS
• Body Language
• Communication
• Feedback
• Filtering
• Grapevine
• Jargon
• “Kiss” Technique
• Management by Wandering Around (MBWA)
• Noise
• Semantics
• Status
• Stereotyping

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