Whatever the goal and whatever the context, business and professional communication
involves both verbal and nonverbal messages. Verbal messages are clearest when
they contain unequivocal and nonabstract language and a minimum of unfamiliar
jargon. While clarity is usually the goal, ambiguous messages are sometimes
useful ways of promoting harmony, facilitating change, and softening the blow
of difficult messages. Language can sometimes communicate and generate undesirable emotions. Biased
terms seem to be objective but actually convey the speaker's attitudes. Trigger
words arouse strong emotional reactions in a listener. Effective communicators
avoid unintentionally biased language and trigger words. Social scientists have discovered that men and women typically use speech for
different purposes and in different ways. Feminine language emphasizes rapport,
the creation and maintenance of relationships, to a greater degree than masculine
speech, which is focused more on the report function of communication: accomplishing
the task at hand and asserting control over the situation. Sexual harassment is a combination of verbal and nonverbal behavior that has
been recognized as illegal and inappropriate in the workplace. What counts as
harassment depends in great part on the perceptions of the person who sees himself
or herself as the target. This means that communicators must be sensitive to
others' reactions, since their good intentions are not enough to avoid accusations
of harassment. People who perceive themselves as targets of harassment in the
workplace have a number of options available, ranging from informal to formal. Nonverbal communication also carries a great deal of meaning, but where words
normally express ideas, nonverbal behavior conveys attitudes and emotions. Nonverbal
messages are always available, since it is impossible to avoid communicating
nonverbally. These messages should be interpreted with caution, however, since
they are usually ambiguous and are often culture-bound. Nonverbal messages can
be expressed vocally, through appearance (physical stature and clothing), and
through the face, eyes, posture, gesture, distance, and time. The physical environment in which an organization operates also has an important
effect on communication, both internal and external. The location and design
of a building often make a statement to employees and the public about the organization's
philosophy and power structure. In addition, the spatial arrangement of units
can make interaction between them easy or difficult, and it can also indicate
their relative perceived importance. The type and arrangement of space and objects
within a given area also have a strong effect on communication, affecting who
talks with whom, the amount of interaction, and the quality of that interaction. |