Communicating in the Workplace

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14 Inter-Act, 13th Edition
Workplace
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Adults Spend 50 of Their Waking Hours at Work
All other activities
Work
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Locating Jobs

• Job openings
• Campus career center
• Online job posting sites
• Networking
• Uncover the hidden job market.
• Reach out to people you know and tell them you
  are in the job market.
• Network at community events.

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The Cover Letter (should be tailored to each
job posting)

• Short no longer than four paragraphs
• Express your interest in a position.
• Include how you learned of the opening.
• Tell why you are interested in the company.
• Highlight skills and experiences.
• Ask directly for an interview.

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Professional Résumé

• Contact information
• name, address, telephone number, e-mail
• Career objective
• Education
• Employment history
• Military background

• Relevant professional affiliations
• Community service
• Personal information
• Special skills
• References

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Cover Letters and Résumés

• List information clearly.
• Use a consistent format, including margins,
  indention, spacing, etc.
• Proofread so that they are error-free.
• Use good-quality paper (or, if you are sending
  via e-mail, use a simple, clear format).

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Applying Electronically

• Third-party résumé services are becoming
  increasingly popular.
• E-résumés should use plain text and limited
  formatting.
• E-résumés should contain a list of key words.
• Online portfolios may include
• Résumé
• Examples of your work video clips, photos
• Links to your work

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Preparing for the Interview

• 1. Do your homework.
• 2. Based on your research, prepare a list of
  questions.
• 3. Rehearse the interview.
• 4. Dress appropriately and conservatively.
• Plan to arrive early.
• Bring materials.

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The Interview

1. Listen actively.
2. Think before responding.
3. Provide specific examples that highlight your
   qualifications.
4. Be enthusiastic.
5. Ask questions.
6. Avoid discussing salary and benefits.
7. Thank interviewer.

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After the Interview

• Send a thank-you note.
• Self-assess your performance.
• Contact the interviewer for feedback.

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Communicating with Supervisors and Subordinates

• Managers should
• Communicate expectations
• Provide useful feedback

• Employees should
• Do more than is expected of them
• Develop the relationship to the point of mutual
  trust

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Communicating with a Manager

• Identify how you can help your manager.
• Volunteer for specific assignments.
• Clarify assignments.
• Ask for feedback.
• Adapt to your managers communication
  preferences.
• Develop a mentoring relationship.

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Work Relationships
Informational Talk about work topics Collegial Work friends Talk about families and work Do not share personal, private information Special Best friends Meet socially outside of work Share personal, private information
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Communicating in Co-worker Relationships

• Co-worker relationships
• Develop mutual trust
• Use interpersonal skills listening,
  collaboration, empathizing, and supporting
• Work teams
• Formal group established with a clear purpose and
  appropriate structure
• Members work together to achieve goals
• Can be short-lived or ongoing

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Characteristics of Effective Work Teams

• Clear group goal that all can embrace
• Clear member roles
• Feedback about performance
• Team members use their skills to help
• Commitment to the team and success
• Collaborative climate
• Standards of excellence
• Strong leadership

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Task Roles in Teams
Behaviors that help a group make a decision

• Information or opinion giver
• Information or opinion seeker
• Analyzer

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Maintenance Roles in Teams
Behaviors that improve interaction in a group

• Gatekeeper
• Encourager
• Harmonizer

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How can this groups communication become more
effective?
Microsoft Photo
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Romance at Work

• Organizational romance sexual or romantic
  involvement between people who work for same
  organization
• Most organizations forbid romantic relationships
  between supervisors and subordinates.

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Communication Technologies for Teamwork

• Electronic newsletters
• E-calendars
• Blogs
• Podcasts
• E-surveys
• Wikis

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Digital Communication Etiquette at Work

• Match your purpose with the social media device.
• Respond to ideas, not to people.
• Use social media to add value to a conversation.
• Respond appropriately and efficiently.
• Give praise where appropriate.

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Social Media at Work

• Check company guidelines prohibiting social
  networking sites on company computers.
• Be careful what you Tweet to your followers.
• Messages could get back to supervisors.
• Consider using a professional networking site
  such as LinkedIn.
• Regularly Google your own name.
• Think twice before posting questionable photos or
  links.

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Boundary Spanning

• Boundary spanning communicating with people
  outside your organization in a mutually
  beneficial relationship
• Customers and clients people, groups, or
  organizations that use your organizations goods
  or services
• Vendors people, groups, or organizations that
  supply your organization with necessary raw
  materials or other goods and services

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Communicating in a Diverse Workplace

• Culture-Based Work Styles
• Results-oriented values results of work over
  building relationships at work
• Relationship-oriented prioritizes building
  relationships at work over the results of work
• Sequential task completion prefers to break
  larger tasks down into separate parts and
  complete one part at a time, in order
• Holistic task completion prefers to work on an
  entire task at once

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Gender Differences

• Feminine Linguistic Style

• Masculine Linguistic Style

• Rapport talk
• Meets face needs of others
• Uses indirect language when giving orders to
  employee
• Acknowledges mistakes directly
• Uses pronouns we, our, ours

• Report talk
• One-upping
• Assertive statements
• Direct language when giving orders
• Indirect language when acknowledging a mistake
• Uses pronouns I, he, she, they

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Gendered Conversation Rituals
Women Men
Apologies see apologies as comfort see apologies as one-down
Feedback praise, then constructive criticism direct criticism without praise
Compliments expect compliment in return may not recognize returning a compliment as important
Argument arguments considered breach of relationship argue vigorously as a ritual, no damage done to relationships
Relationship with manager to appear self-effacing, not likely to brag seek opportunity for networking with top managers and brag about accomplishments
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Generational Diversity

• Intergenerational differences
• Views of authority
• Approaches to rules
• Work vs. leisure
• Technological competence

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The Dark Side

• Workplace aggression any counterproductive
  behavior at work intended to hurt someone else
• Verbal aggression sending verbal messages
  intended to hurt someone
• Behavioral aggression nonverbal acts intended to
  hurt someone
• Physical aggression nonverbal acts of violence
  against another person with the intent to do
  bodily harm
• Bullying habitual use of aggression and the
  repeated use of aggression against one target
  individual

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The Dark Side

• Sexual harassment
• Unwanted verbal or physical sexual behavior that
  interferes with work
• Violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• To cope with sexual harassment
• Tell person the conduct is unwelcome.
• Keep private, written notes.
• After informal methods fail, file formal
  complaint with employer.