Communication – it’s much easier said that done

 

By Glare Gascoigne

 

Trust is key in an open organization.

Getting staff to talk to each other ought to be the least of your problems, but internal communication can be one of the hardest nuts to crack in business. “Communication comes up in every department. The repercussions of not communicating are vast,” says Theo Theobald, co-author of “Shut up and Listen!

The Truth About How to Communicate at Work.”

Poor communication can be a purely practical problem. Gearbulk, a global shipping business with branches around the world, faced language and geographical difficulties, as well as a huge amount of paperwork.

Installing an automated system means data is now entered only once but can be accessed by anyone in the company, whenever they are.

Given today’s variety of communication tools, it seems strange that we still have a problem communicating. But the brave new world of high-tech can create barriers – senior managers hide behind their computers, staff use voice mails to screen calls, and employees sitting next to each other will send e-mails rather than

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speak. “Managers should get up, walk round the office and talk to people,” says Matt Rogan, Head of Marketing at Lane4, a leadership and communications consultancy. “Face-to-face communication can’t be beaten.

Another problem is simply hitting the “reply all” button, bombarding people with information. “We had unstructured data coming at staff from left, right and centre, leaving it up to individuals to sort out,” says Ramon Ferrer, Vice President

of Global IT AT Gearbulk. “Our new system has reduced e-mails and changed the way people work.”

Information overload also means people stop listening. But there may be a deeper reason why a message fails to get through, according to Alex Haslam, Professor of Psychology at Exeter University.

“Everyone thinks a failure to communicate is just an individual’s error of judgment, but it’s not about the person; it’s about the group a group dynamics,” he says. “Just training people to be good communicators isn’t the issue.”

The problem is that employees develop common loyalties that are far stronger that the need to share information. This can even extend to questions of safety.

In the mid-1990s there were a lot of light air crashes in Australia because the two government departments responsible for air safety weren’t communicating. The government was trying to save money and both groups felt threatened.The individuals were highly identified with their own organization and unwilling to communicate with other department,” says Haslam.

A company is particularly at risk when cost-cutting is in the air. Individuals withdraw into departmental loyalties out of fear. Sending such people on yet another “how to communicate” course will be pointless. Instead, Haslam believes that identifying the subgroups within an organization and making sure each group feels valued and respected can do far more to encourage the sharing of information. The key to communication is trust’ he says.

 

Task 1. Complete the chart below.

 

Communication problems.

 

A. High Tech B. Information overload C. Common loyalties

consequences consequence consequence

 

1…………………. 4……………………. 5……………………

2………………….

3…………………..

 

Task 2. Read the article again and answer the questions.

1. What communication problems did Gearbulk have?

2. How did Gearbulk overcome the problems?

3. What solutions does Theobald recommend for the above problems?

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4. According to the author, why does staff often receive too many e-mails?

5. Why weren’t the two government departments (responsible for air safety) communicating?

6. What does the author think about sending people on communication

courses?

 

VOCABULARY.

 

1. Which word in each group does not form a word partnership with the first word?

1. waste time resources information

2. face trouble problems difficulties

3. duplicate information time work

4. install systems factories equipment

5. save money time experience

6. develop truth loyalty motivation

7. share support information resources

8. allocate time ideas resources

9. interrupt e-mails conversations meetings

 

LANGUAGE REVIEW. (optional)

Idioms.

 

A. Complete these idioms with the missing words from the box.

Use a dictionary to know the words.

point	bush	grapevine	stick	wavelength
	wires	nutshell	picture	tail	purposes

 

1) to put it in a ………………………………

2) to get straight to the ………………………

3) to hear it on the ………………………..….

4) to put you in the ……………………….….

5) to get the wrong end of the …………….…

6) to be on the same ………………………....

7) can’t make head or …………………….of it

8) to talk at cross……………………………..

9) to beat about the …………………………..

10) to get our …………………….……crossed

 

B. Which of the idioms in Ex. A mean the following?

 

a. to fail to understand anything …….

b. to share similar opinions and ideas ……

c. to summarize briefly ……

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d. to misunderstand ….....

e. to delay talking about something ……

f. to give the latest information …….

g. to talk about the most important thing …….

h. to hear about something passed from one person to

another …….

 

C. Complete the sentences with the idioms from Ex. A.

 

1. Ok, I’ll …………….……………. I’m afraid we’re going to have to let you go.

2. “You and your boss seem to agree on most things.”

“Yes, we are …………………………………………………………..……….

3. I think we are …………………………..… I mean next month, not this month.

4. Some important decisions were taken at yesterday’s meeting. Let me …………

…………………………………………………………………………………..

5. He never gives you a straight answer. He’s always ……………………….…...

6. I ………………………………………………… that he’s been fired, is it true?

7. It’s a very complicated system, but to ………………………………………….. it works exactly like a big kettle.

8. If you think our biggest problem is market share then you have …………….…

………………………………………………………………………………..…

9. This report makes no sense at all. I ………………………………..…………....

10. Everyone arrived for the meeting at different times. We must have ……………..………………………………………………………………………………….

 

D. Ask your partner the following questions.

 

1. What have you heard on the grapevine recently?

2. When was the last time you got the wrong end of the stick?

3. When is it necessary to put someone in the picture?

4. In what situations is it good to get straight to the point?

5. In what situations is it good to beat about bush?

6. Can you give an example of when you were talking at cross purposes?

7. Is there anything you can’t make head or tail of?

 

UNIT 3.

CROSS – CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING.

 

TEXT 1. Read the text below. Identify the basic message implied by the text.

 

Internet

Research EYE CONTACT.

Search for the In many Western societies, including the United

keywords “NVC” States, a person who does not maintain “good eye non-verbal com- contact” is regarded as being slightly suspicious,

munication) to learn or a “shifty” character. Americans unconsciously

more about this associate people who avoid eye contact as unfriendly

subject. insecure, untrustworthy, inattentive and impersonal.

However, in contrast, Japanese children are taught in school to direct their gaze at the region of their teacher’s Adam’s apple or tie knot, and, as adults, Japanese lower their eyes when speaking to a superior, a gesture of respect.

Latin American cultures, as well as some of African cultures, such as Nigeria, have longer looking time, but prolonged time contact from an individual of lower status is considered disrespectful. In the US, it is considered rude to stare- regardless of who is looking at whom. In contract, the polite Englishman is taught to pay strict attention to a speaker, to listen carefully, and to blink his eyes to let the speaker know he or she has been understood as well as heard. Americans signal interest and comprehension by bobbing their heads or grunting.

A widening of the eyes can also be interpreted differently, depending on circumstances and culture. Take, for example, the case of an American and a Chinese discussing the terms of a proposed contract. Regardless of the language in which the proposed contract is carried out, the US negotiator may interpret a Chinese person’s widened eyes as an expression of astonishment instead of as a danger signal (its true meaning) of politely expressed anger.

 

Ex.1. If necessary, read the text again. Then comment on the following:

(the Russian language is possible).

1. observations about many people from the US

2. observations about the English

3. an observation about Japanese children

4. the meaning of lowering one’s eyes in Japan

5. why looking at someone for a long time may be considered disrespectful

6. the meaning of widened eyes in Chinese culture.

 

Ex.2. Suggest some basic research that you should do before receiving your visitor or before traveling. What issues should you think about?

1. ……………………………………………………………

2. ……………………………………………………………

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3. ……………………………………………………………

4. ……………………………………………………………

5. ……………………………………………………………

6. …………………………………………………….……..

 

Ex.3. Compare your ideas from Ex.2 with the ideas given in the Checklist below.

 

SKILLS CHECKLIST

 

A. Before meeting business partners and fellow professionals from other countries, you could find out about their country:

a) the actual political situation

b) cultural and regional differences

c) religion(s)

d) the role of women in business and in society as a whole

e) transportation and telecommunications systems

f) the economy

g) the main companies

h) the main exports and imports

i) the market for the business sector which interests you

j) competitors

 

You might also want to find out:

a) which topics are safe for small talk

b) which topics are best avoid

 

B. If you are going to visit another country, find out about:

a) the conventions regarding socializing

b) attitudes towards foreigners

c) the extent to which public, business and private lives are missed or are kept

separate

d) conventions regarding food and drink

e) attitudes towards gifts

 

C. You might also like to find out about:

a) the weather

b) public holidays

c) the conventions regarding working hours

d) leisure interests

e) dress

f) body language

g) language

 

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WRITING.

Make recommendations to your staff (in a written form) about cultural issues that may affect the communication.

 

TEXT 2.

1. The following text is about cultural diversity. Read it through once and decide which of the three statements (A, B or C) given below the extract offers the most accurate summary.