Questions Chapter 2 INCO 3005-05Group C

  1. What is meant by stroking? How does it affect interpersonal communication in the workplace?
  2. Stroking comes from the word stroke, which, in this case, is the effect, whether positive or negative, that we receive from the actions towards us from others. Like receiving a congratulatory telephone call or letter, which has a positive effect on the person who receives it, or receiving a hurtful comment, which has a negative effect. By paying attention to the importance of strokes, managers can greatly improve communication and people’s feeling about their work, that way interpersonal communication in the workplace isn’t negatively affected.
  3. When a manager says to the sales staff, “Let’s try to make the budget this year”, what are some of the possible metacommunications?
  4. A couple of possible metacommunications:
  5. “Let’s not waste too much money this year”.
  6. “We have to cut back some expenses”.
  7. What roles do culture and gender play in nonverbal communication?
  8. They can play the role of communication barriers. Nonverbal messages have different meanings in each culture, and if you’re not familiar with the different meanings of nonverbal communications it can affect the communication process.
  9. How is the activity of listening impacted by the particular situation?
  10. Listening depends on your abilities to receive and decode both verbal and nonverbal messages. The best-devised messages and sophisticated communication systems will not work unless people on the receiving end of spoken messages actually listen. Senders of spoken messages must assume their receivers can and will listen, just as senders of written messages must assume their receivers can and will read.
  11. Discuss six bad listening habits. Which do you think is the biggest challenge for you personally?
  12. Faking attention- When we pretend that we are listening, we can look directly at a person, nod, smile, but we are only faking attention.
  13. Allow interruptions- When we welcome disruptions of almost any sort when we are engaged in somewhat difficult listening.
  14. Overlistening- Occurs when listeners attempt to record in writing or in memory so many details that they miss the speaker’s major points.
  15. Stereotyping- When people use their prejudice and perceptions of others to determine whether or not they’re going to listen the speaker.
  16. Dismissing subjects as uninteresting- when people decide a subject is uninteresting as a rationale for not listening. Unfortunately, the decision is usually made before the topic is ever introduced.
  17. Failing to observe nonverbal aids- when people don’t watch the speaker, his facial expressions, body motions, you may miss the meaning of the message brought by the speaker.

The biggest challenge for me is allowing interruptions.

  1. What is a possible cause of most conflict between or among groups?
  2. A possible cause of most conflict between or among groups is having bad communication skills, not having common goals, etc.
  3. How are a group and a team different?
  4. The major distinction between a group and a team is in members’ attitudes and level of commitment. A team is typified by a clear identity and a high level of commitment on the part of the members.
  5. Discuss how a flat organizational structure affects communication.
  6. In a flat organizational structure, communicating across the organization chart (among the cross-disciplinary teams) becomes more important than communicating up and down in the hierarchy. Much of the communication involves face-to-face meetings with team members rather than numerous, time-consuming “handoffs” as the product moves methodically from one department to another.
  7. What are some factors to consider in deciding whether to hold a face-to-face meeting or an electronic meeting?
  8. You should consider a face- to-face meeting if:
  9. You need the richest nonverbal cues, including body, voice, proximity, and touch.
  10. The issues are especially sensitive.
  11. Establishing group rapport and relationships is crucial.
  12. The participants can be in the same place at the same time.
  13. You should consider an electronic meeting if:
  14. The group members are dispersed geographically, and they can’t meet everyone personally.
  15. You need to speed up meeting follow-up activities, because decisions and action items may be recorded electronically.
  16. Why are records such as agendas and minutes important to group success?
  17. Having the agenda prior to the meeting allows participants to know what is expected of them. Minutes provide a concise record of meeting actions, ensure the tracking and follow-up of issues from previous meetings, and assist the implementation of previously reached decisions.