Communication & Leadership
- Written exam (50%)
- Team assignment (30%)
- Individual report (20%)
WEEK 1
5 axioms of human communication:
Watzlawick et al. (1967): Pragmatics of human communication
- Syntactics – transmitting information
- Semantics – meaning of communication
- Pragmatics – behavioural effects of communication (= psychology)
5 AXIOMS:
1) One cannot not communicate
Thus the problem is not ‘to communicate or not to communicate’, but ‘to
communicate effectively or not to communicate effectively’.
2) Every communication has a content and a relationship aspect such as
the latter classifies the former and is therefore a metacommunication.
For example the way you say something. There is always a relationship aspect
between the communications.
3) The nature of a relationship is contingent upon the punctuation of the
communicational sequences between the communicants
The communicants can interpret a situation differently.
4) Human beings communicate both digitally (= verbal communication) and
analogically (= non-verbal communication)
Addressing content digital communication
Addressing relationship analogical communication
5) All communicational interchanges are either symmetrical or
complementary, depending on whether they are based on equality or
difference.
Dominant – dominant (symmetrical)
,Dominant – submissive (complementary)
In short…
5 AXIOMS:
1. We cannot not communicate
2. Content and relationship level
3. Punctuation
4. Digital and analogic
5. Symmetrical or complementary
Mindset
Fixed Mindset (Entity theory) Growth Mindset (Incremental
theory)
Intelligence (or ability) is a fixed trait Intelligence is a malleable quality, a
potential that can be developed
Students adopt performance goals Students adopt learning goals
Effort is negative; it should come Effort is positive; work hard, effort is
naturally key
Anticipating failure Anticipating failure
Self-handicapping (external cause for Assume they have ‘not yet’ mastered
failure) or feedback avoidance the relevant skill and keep going
After failure After failure
Helplessness, self-serving bias, Resilient, mastery-oriented, upward
downward comparison comparison
Study 1: on students making a transition to 7 th grade
Students with a fixed mindsets do not improve in their math grades, but
students with growth mindsets do improve in their grades.
The type of mindset you got, is predictive of your success. Positive effort
beliefs learning goals positive strategies
Study on how mindsets are communicated
Effects of intelligence praise VS effort praise
, Children with intelligence praise rather select performance goals while children
with effort praise rather select learning goals.
After a difficult trial;
(fixed) Children with intelligence praise: confidence low, motivation low,
performance decreased
(growth) Children with effort praise: confidence high, motivation high,
performance increased
After failure: children with effort praise did better, and children with
intelligence praise did worse.
After they completed the test: children with intelligence praise wanted
performance information and children with effort praise wanted strategy
information.
Lying: children with intelligence praise misrepresented their scores (lied about
doing better)
Study 2: on students making a transition to 7 th grade
Can we manipulate mindset more directly?
Gave students information about intelligence.
After the intervention:
- The growth mindset group increased their math grades, and the control group
decreased their math grades.
- The growth mindset group had a higher percentage of persons that increased
their motivation.
So… mindset seems to do something, and it is changeable.
A study of mindset and management decisions
Growth mindset: Self-efficacy remains high, kept setting goals for themselves,
efficient use of strategies increased, organisation productivity remains stable
Fixed mindset: Self-efficacy goes down, did not set goals as much as growth
mindset, use of strategies remains the same, organisation productivity went
down
, Take home message:
- Adopt a growth mindset
- And improve your abilities in communication, leadership & reflection
WEEK 2
What is nonverbal communication?
Verbal versus nonverbal
Digital versus analogue
Vocal versus nonvocal
It is not exactly the same as verbal vs nonverbal.
Some vocal communication can be nonverbal.
Explicit versus implicit
It is not exactly the same as verbal vs nonverbal.
Some explicit communication can be nonverbal, and some implicit
communication can be verbal.
Symbols versus signs (expressive)
Verbal communication uses symbols, and nonverbal communication uses
signs.
Controlled versus automatic
Content versus relationship, or cognitive/propositional versus
emotional/relational
Types of nonverbal communication
- Vocalics (paralanguage)
Characteristics of voice
- Kinesics (movement)
- Haptics (touch)
Hugging, slapping, giving hands
- Proxemics (space)
Distance to each other
- Physical characteristics (appearance and adornment)
- Environmental factors
The importance of nonverbal communication
Albert Mehrabian: Mehrabian & Ferris (1967); Mehrabian & Wiener (1967)
- Written exam (50%)
- Team assignment (30%)
- Individual report (20%)
WEEK 1
5 axioms of human communication:
Watzlawick et al. (1967): Pragmatics of human communication
- Syntactics – transmitting information
- Semantics – meaning of communication
- Pragmatics – behavioural effects of communication (= psychology)
5 AXIOMS:
1) One cannot not communicate
Thus the problem is not ‘to communicate or not to communicate’, but ‘to
communicate effectively or not to communicate effectively’.
2) Every communication has a content and a relationship aspect such as
the latter classifies the former and is therefore a metacommunication.
For example the way you say something. There is always a relationship aspect
between the communications.
3) The nature of a relationship is contingent upon the punctuation of the
communicational sequences between the communicants
The communicants can interpret a situation differently.
4) Human beings communicate both digitally (= verbal communication) and
analogically (= non-verbal communication)
Addressing content digital communication
Addressing relationship analogical communication
5) All communicational interchanges are either symmetrical or
complementary, depending on whether they are based on equality or
difference.
Dominant – dominant (symmetrical)
,Dominant – submissive (complementary)
In short…
5 AXIOMS:
1. We cannot not communicate
2. Content and relationship level
3. Punctuation
4. Digital and analogic
5. Symmetrical or complementary
Mindset
Fixed Mindset (Entity theory) Growth Mindset (Incremental
theory)
Intelligence (or ability) is a fixed trait Intelligence is a malleable quality, a
potential that can be developed
Students adopt performance goals Students adopt learning goals
Effort is negative; it should come Effort is positive; work hard, effort is
naturally key
Anticipating failure Anticipating failure
Self-handicapping (external cause for Assume they have ‘not yet’ mastered
failure) or feedback avoidance the relevant skill and keep going
After failure After failure
Helplessness, self-serving bias, Resilient, mastery-oriented, upward
downward comparison comparison
Study 1: on students making a transition to 7 th grade
Students with a fixed mindsets do not improve in their math grades, but
students with growth mindsets do improve in their grades.
The type of mindset you got, is predictive of your success. Positive effort
beliefs learning goals positive strategies
Study on how mindsets are communicated
Effects of intelligence praise VS effort praise
, Children with intelligence praise rather select performance goals while children
with effort praise rather select learning goals.
After a difficult trial;
(fixed) Children with intelligence praise: confidence low, motivation low,
performance decreased
(growth) Children with effort praise: confidence high, motivation high,
performance increased
After failure: children with effort praise did better, and children with
intelligence praise did worse.
After they completed the test: children with intelligence praise wanted
performance information and children with effort praise wanted strategy
information.
Lying: children with intelligence praise misrepresented their scores (lied about
doing better)
Study 2: on students making a transition to 7 th grade
Can we manipulate mindset more directly?
Gave students information about intelligence.
After the intervention:
- The growth mindset group increased their math grades, and the control group
decreased their math grades.
- The growth mindset group had a higher percentage of persons that increased
their motivation.
So… mindset seems to do something, and it is changeable.
A study of mindset and management decisions
Growth mindset: Self-efficacy remains high, kept setting goals for themselves,
efficient use of strategies increased, organisation productivity remains stable
Fixed mindset: Self-efficacy goes down, did not set goals as much as growth
mindset, use of strategies remains the same, organisation productivity went
down
, Take home message:
- Adopt a growth mindset
- And improve your abilities in communication, leadership & reflection
WEEK 2
What is nonverbal communication?
Verbal versus nonverbal
Digital versus analogue
Vocal versus nonvocal
It is not exactly the same as verbal vs nonverbal.
Some vocal communication can be nonverbal.
Explicit versus implicit
It is not exactly the same as verbal vs nonverbal.
Some explicit communication can be nonverbal, and some implicit
communication can be verbal.
Symbols versus signs (expressive)
Verbal communication uses symbols, and nonverbal communication uses
signs.
Controlled versus automatic
Content versus relationship, or cognitive/propositional versus
emotional/relational
Types of nonverbal communication
- Vocalics (paralanguage)
Characteristics of voice
- Kinesics (movement)
- Haptics (touch)
Hugging, slapping, giving hands
- Proxemics (space)
Distance to each other
- Physical characteristics (appearance and adornment)
- Environmental factors
The importance of nonverbal communication
Albert Mehrabian: Mehrabian & Ferris (1967); Mehrabian & Wiener (1967)
