© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 1

Communicating Communicating in Teams and Mastering in Teams and Mastering

Listening and Listening and Nonverbal Nonverbal

Communication SkillsCommunication Skills

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 2

Improving Your Improving Your Performance in TeamsPerformance in Teams

• Team– Two or more people

– Share mission/responsibility

– Working toward a goal

• Formal– Committees

• Informal– Task forces and problem-solving teams

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 3

Overview of TeamsOverview of Teams

AdvantagesAdvantages

•Increased information Increased information

•Diversity of viewsDiversity of views

•Accepting solutionsAccepting solutions

•Performance levelsPerformance levels

DisadvantagesDisadvantages

•GroupthinkGroupthink

•Hidden agendasHidden agendas

•Free ridersFree riders

•High costsHigh costs

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 4

Characteristics of Effective Characteristics of Effective TeamsTeams

• Clear objective

• Sense of purpose

• Open communication

• Consensus decision making

• Creative thinking

• Conflict resolution

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 5

Collaborative Writing Collaborative Writing GuidelinesGuidelines

• Select members carefully

• Agree on project goals

• Take time to bond

• Clarify individual responsibilities

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 6

Collaborative Writing Collaborative Writing GuidelinesGuidelines

• Set clear processes

• Avoid group writing

• Ensure compatibility

• Check progress often

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 7

Collaborative Writing Collaborative Writing TechnologiesTechnologies

• Websites more control– Organization– Workflow– Content

• Wikis more flexibility– Organization– Workflow– Content

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 8

Group DynamicsGroup Dynamics

• Roles that team members assume

• Phase of team development

• Success in resolving conflict

• Success in overcoming resistance

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 9

Assuming Team RolesAssuming Team Roles

• Self-oriented– Controlling, withdrawing, diverting, seeking attention

• Team-maintenance– Encouraging, harmonizing, compromising

• Task-oriented– Initiating, information giving or seeking, coordinating,

procedure setting

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 10

Allowing for Team Allowing for Team EvolutionEvolution

• Orientation

• Conflict

• Brainstorming

• Emergence

• Reinforcement

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 11

Sources of Team ConflictSources of Team Conflict

• Scarce resources

• Task responsibilities

• Incompatible ideas

• Poor communication

• Attitudes and values

• Power struggles

• Conflicting goals

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 12

Types of Team ConflictTypes of Team Conflict

• Constructive (win-win)

– Exposes issues

– Boosts involvement

– Generates ideas

• Destructive (win-lose, or lose-lose)

– Diverts energy

– Destroys morale

– Divides the team

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 13

Resolving Team ConflictResolving Team Conflict

• Proaction

• Communication

• Openness

• Research

• Flexibility

• Fair play

• Alliance

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 14

Overcoming ResistanceOvercoming Resistance

• Express understanding

• Bring resistance into the open

• Evaluate objections fairly

• Withhold arguments

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 15

Productive MeetingsProductive Meetings

• Preparation

• Efficiency

• Technology

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 16

Preparing for MeetingsPreparing for Meetings

• Decide on the purpose

• Select participants

• Choose the location

• Set and follow an agenda

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 17

Leading and Leading and ParticipatingParticipating

• Stay on track

• Follow the rules

• Promote participation

• Participate actively

• Close effectively

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 18

Meeting TechnologiesMeeting Technologies

• Virtual teams

• Virtual meetings

• Groupware

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 19

Improving Listening Improving Listening

SkillsSkills• Strengthen relationships

• Expedite product delivery

• Highlight opportunities

• Support workplace diversity

• Build foundation for trust

• Enhance performance

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 20

Types of ListeningTypes of Listening

• Content listening

• Critical listening

• Empathetic listening

• Active listening

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 21

The Listening ProcessThe Listening Process

• Receiving

• Decoding

• Remembering

• Evaluating

• Responding

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 22

Barriers to ListeningBarriers to Listening

• Physical elements

• Selective listening

• Short attention span

• Prejudgment and defensiveness

• Little common ground

• Memory barriers

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 23

Nonverbal Nonverbal CommunicationCommunication

• Complement verbal communication

• Reveal the truth

• Convey information efficiently

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 24

Recognizing Nonverbal Recognizing Nonverbal CommunicationCommunication

• Facial expressions

• Gestures and posture

• Vocal characteristics

• Personal appearance

• Touching behavior

• Use of time and space

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 25

Maximizing Nonverbal Maximizing Nonverbal Communication SkillsCommunication Skills

• Note facial expressions

• Watch gestures and postures

• Listen for vocal characteristics

• Recognize physical appearance

• Be careful with physical contact

• Observe use of time and space

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 26

Etiquette in Team Etiquette in Team SettingsSettings

• In the workplace

• In social settings

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 27

Workplace EtiquetteWorkplace Etiquette

• First impressions

• Personal appearance

• A genuine smile

• Telephone skills

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2 - 28

Etiquette in Social Etiquette in Social

SettingsSettings• First impressions

• Personal introductions

• Dining etiquette

• Misuse of mobile phones

• Inappropriate topics