Communication in organizations
With regard to sender skills we can make a distinction between regulating skills (influence the
structure and direction) and assertive skills (reveal what ones thinks and wants).
Chapter 1. Regulating skills
Purpose of regulating skills protecting the order and clarity of the conversation.
Opening the conversation, setting goals. In order to create a relaxed atmosphere, one often
begins a conversation by discussing generalities. Whether you start formally or informally, in
both cases clarity of your intentions promotes the smooth progression of the conversation. A
clear conversational structure, upon which the conversational partners have agreed at the
beginning, promotes efficiency.
Goal evaluation. In order to check that you are still busy with the goals which were originally
set, it is useful to ask goal evaluating questions.
Closing the conversation. It is wise to make known the time available at the beginning of the
conversation. If the goals are reached, a summary can be introduced. After this summary you
can discuss with your conversational partner how you will continue.
Chapter 2. Listening skills
Listening to the conversation partner is stimulating and it can avoid the problems that occur when
one does not listen well. It is described as the forgotten skill, indicating that a lot of people tend to
speak too quickly without having paid careful attention to another.
Non-selective listening skills
The listener has only little influence on the conversation responding by giving attention. These skill
are necessary to stimulate the conversation partner into talking.
Nonverbal behavior:
o Facial expression (smiling, frowning)
o Eye contact
o Body posture
o Encouraging gestures (nodding, hand gestures)
Verbal following:
o Minimal encouragers (short verbal reactions) stimulate speaker
Selective listening skills
Used by the listener to find out and select certain aspects of the conversation that he finds important.
Selectivity determines your immediate reactions to the conversation and the choice of subthemes
being discussed.
Asking questions:
o Open-ended questions.
o Closed (directing) questions (see if the other understands it correctly)
Paraphrasing of content. Briefly stating in your own words what the speaker has said (factual
information) to check if you understood it correctly in a questioning way.
Reflection of feelings. Mirroring of feelings statements in the interviewer’s own words that
encapsulate and re-present the essence of the interviewee’s pervious message. The goal is to
show that you are trying to understand how the speaker feels.
Concreteness. Let speakers tell their story as concretely and precisely as possible achieve
this by non-selective and selective skills.
, Summarizing. Giving structure to the conversation by ordering the main points. By
summarizing of contents the accent lies on cognitive aspects of the story. Summarizing of
emotions focuses on the aspects of feelings. The basic difference between summarizing
contents and paraphrasing/ reflection of feelings is that the summarizing covers a longer time
span in the conversation. Summary should be made in a questioning tone.
Chapter 3. Sender skills
Initiative sender skills
Giving information.
o Structure. The clarity and orderliness of an amount of information. Different points
and transitions.
o Simplicity of style. Using short sentences, clear wording, calm tempo.
o Conciseness. A restriction in the amount of information given. What is essential for
the conversation should be set apart.
o Attractiveness. To enliven the content (by giving examples) of the conversation and to
strengthen the relationship between the speaker and the conversational partners
(watch reactions).
Making requests and giving instructions. Consider in advance which request you wish to
make, choose a good moment, make it known that you want to ask something.
o Sub-assertive. Not assertive enough (shy)
o Assertive. Being outspoken, you decide if what you do is good or bad.
o Aggressive. Standing up for yourself in an irritating way.
Giving criticism. Giving criticism could be difficult because you can be afraid the relationship
will be altered. The other person may react indignantly or aggressively. Someone one is afraid
of not being taken seriously.
o Giving criticism of an opinion. Challenge the other party’s mind. Being clear, fairly and
self-confident.
o Giving criticism of someone’s behavior. Not generalizing.
Situation clarification. The skill of perceiving emerging problems or misunderstanding in
time, realizing their importance and discussing them. Apply it when there is a conversation
about the conversation (meta-communication).
Reactive sender skills
Refusing.
o Sub assertive: you fulfil the request even if you do not see the reasonableness for it
o Assertive: in a friendly but resolute way you say that you do not wish to fulfil the
request and why.
o Aggressive: you indicate in an unfriendly tone what you think of the request and you
refuse to do it.
Reacting to criticism. When there is a difference of opinion it is better to establish that there
is indeed a difference than endlessly bickering about who is right (meta-conversation).
Chapter 7. Performance evaluation interview
The performance evaluation interview within the framework of personnel
management
In the performance evaluation both the interests of the company and de individual employee play are
role
With regard to sender skills we can make a distinction between regulating skills (influence the
structure and direction) and assertive skills (reveal what ones thinks and wants).
Chapter 1. Regulating skills
Purpose of regulating skills protecting the order and clarity of the conversation.
Opening the conversation, setting goals. In order to create a relaxed atmosphere, one often
begins a conversation by discussing generalities. Whether you start formally or informally, in
both cases clarity of your intentions promotes the smooth progression of the conversation. A
clear conversational structure, upon which the conversational partners have agreed at the
beginning, promotes efficiency.
Goal evaluation. In order to check that you are still busy with the goals which were originally
set, it is useful to ask goal evaluating questions.
Closing the conversation. It is wise to make known the time available at the beginning of the
conversation. If the goals are reached, a summary can be introduced. After this summary you
can discuss with your conversational partner how you will continue.
Chapter 2. Listening skills
Listening to the conversation partner is stimulating and it can avoid the problems that occur when
one does not listen well. It is described as the forgotten skill, indicating that a lot of people tend to
speak too quickly without having paid careful attention to another.
Non-selective listening skills
The listener has only little influence on the conversation responding by giving attention. These skill
are necessary to stimulate the conversation partner into talking.
Nonverbal behavior:
o Facial expression (smiling, frowning)
o Eye contact
o Body posture
o Encouraging gestures (nodding, hand gestures)
Verbal following:
o Minimal encouragers (short verbal reactions) stimulate speaker
Selective listening skills
Used by the listener to find out and select certain aspects of the conversation that he finds important.
Selectivity determines your immediate reactions to the conversation and the choice of subthemes
being discussed.
Asking questions:
o Open-ended questions.
o Closed (directing) questions (see if the other understands it correctly)
Paraphrasing of content. Briefly stating in your own words what the speaker has said (factual
information) to check if you understood it correctly in a questioning way.
Reflection of feelings. Mirroring of feelings statements in the interviewer’s own words that
encapsulate and re-present the essence of the interviewee’s pervious message. The goal is to
show that you are trying to understand how the speaker feels.
Concreteness. Let speakers tell their story as concretely and precisely as possible achieve
this by non-selective and selective skills.
, Summarizing. Giving structure to the conversation by ordering the main points. By
summarizing of contents the accent lies on cognitive aspects of the story. Summarizing of
emotions focuses on the aspects of feelings. The basic difference between summarizing
contents and paraphrasing/ reflection of feelings is that the summarizing covers a longer time
span in the conversation. Summary should be made in a questioning tone.
Chapter 3. Sender skills
Initiative sender skills
Giving information.
o Structure. The clarity and orderliness of an amount of information. Different points
and transitions.
o Simplicity of style. Using short sentences, clear wording, calm tempo.
o Conciseness. A restriction in the amount of information given. What is essential for
the conversation should be set apart.
o Attractiveness. To enliven the content (by giving examples) of the conversation and to
strengthen the relationship between the speaker and the conversational partners
(watch reactions).
Making requests and giving instructions. Consider in advance which request you wish to
make, choose a good moment, make it known that you want to ask something.
o Sub-assertive. Not assertive enough (shy)
o Assertive. Being outspoken, you decide if what you do is good or bad.
o Aggressive. Standing up for yourself in an irritating way.
Giving criticism. Giving criticism could be difficult because you can be afraid the relationship
will be altered. The other person may react indignantly or aggressively. Someone one is afraid
of not being taken seriously.
o Giving criticism of an opinion. Challenge the other party’s mind. Being clear, fairly and
self-confident.
o Giving criticism of someone’s behavior. Not generalizing.
Situation clarification. The skill of perceiving emerging problems or misunderstanding in
time, realizing their importance and discussing them. Apply it when there is a conversation
about the conversation (meta-communication).
Reactive sender skills
Refusing.
o Sub assertive: you fulfil the request even if you do not see the reasonableness for it
o Assertive: in a friendly but resolute way you say that you do not wish to fulfil the
request and why.
o Aggressive: you indicate in an unfriendly tone what you think of the request and you
refuse to do it.
Reacting to criticism. When there is a difference of opinion it is better to establish that there
is indeed a difference than endlessly bickering about who is right (meta-conversation).
Chapter 7. Performance evaluation interview
The performance evaluation interview within the framework of personnel
management
In the performance evaluation both the interests of the company and de individual employee play are
role
