Professional Communication at Work This text prepares future professionals for success in the workplace through identifying interpersonal communication skills and strategies and exploring when, how, and why to use them. Informed by academic research, professional literature, and author Joseph L. Chesebro’s own experiences, the text explores and demonstrates the skills that have facilitated Chesebro’s own students to fi nd work and to succeed in their professional lives. Offering a very practical focus on such topics as handling conflict and giving dynamic presentations, Professional Communication at Work also covers essential interpersonal communication skills that are often not discussed, such as: (cid:129) Using networking when job hunting; (cid:129) Earning a good reputation as a new employee; (cid:129) Using storytelling and questions more often; (cid:129) Developing coaching relationships with the best senior employees in our workplace; (cid:129) Practicing and developing new skills on our own; and (cid:129) Using workplace politics in a positive and constructive way to accomplish our goals. Utilizing the approach of a supportive communication coach, Professional Com- munication at Work will help readers gain a variety of practical communication strategies they can apply to contribute to success in their own careers. Joseph L. Chesebro is Associate Professor of Communication at The College at Brock- port, New York. Joe has taught for 19 years in the areas of interpersonal and organi- zational communication, including courses in workplace communication and training and development. During his 14 years at The College at Brockport he has served as department chair and been awarded the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching as well as the Academic Advisement Award. This page intentionally left blank Professional Communication at Work Interpersonal Strategies for Career Success Joseph L. Chesebro First published 2014 by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 and by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2014 Taylor & Francis The right of Joseph L. Chesebro to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him/her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Chesebro, Joseph L. Professional communication at work : interpersonal communication for a better workplace / by Joseph L. Chesebro. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Communication in organizations. 2. Interpersonal communication. 3. Business communication. 4. Interpersonal relations. I. Title. HD30.3.C457 2014 650.101ʹ4—dc23 2013050274 ISBN: 978-1-13-801419-0 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-13-801418-3 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-77273-8 (ebk) Typeset in Sabon by Apex CoVantage, LLC Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments xi 1 Communication and Organizations 1 Why Does Communication “Go Wrong” So Often? 1 A Model of Communication (and All That Can Go Wrong When We Communicate!) 3 The Workplace as Our Communication Context 8 How Organizational Life Is Different From the Way We Are Taught in School 12 So What Are We Covering in This Book, and Why? 16 Getting the Most Out of This Book 17 2 Individuals in Organizations 20 Personality and Traits 20 Individual Differences We Display 22 Bridging the Gap Between External and Internal 29 Individual Differences in Our Internal Focus 30 Can Our Personality Change? 35 3 Networking 40 What Do We Know About Networks? 40 Why Don’t More People Network More Often? 48 Networking Strategies 50 4 Adjusting to the Culture Shock 61 Why Do They Do It Like This, It Doesn’t Make Sense? 61 Levels of Organizational Cultures 62 How Cultures Form 66 How Are We Socialized into a Culture? 68 vi Contents What Can New Employees Do to Get a Feel for the Culture? 72 How to Change an Organization’s Culture 75 5 Credibility 80 How Do We Establish Ourselves in Our New Workplace? 80 So What Should New Employees Do? 84 Levels of Infl uence 90 Infl uence, Power, and Credibility 92 Credibility 94 Earning Credibility 96 Credibility and Electronic Communication 100 6 Workplace Relationships 103 Investment Model of Relationships 103 A Model for Successful Communication Interactions 104 What About Charisma? 109 Relational Coordination 110 Subordinate-Superior Relationships 112 Leader Member Exchange Relationships 117 Concluding Summary Points 121 7 Nonverbal Communication 123 Evolution and Emotional Experience and Expression 123 Socialization and Emotional Experience and Expression 124 Nonverbal Cues 126 Functions of Nonverbal Messages 130 Adapting to Others’ Nonverbal Behaviors 135 Manipulating Our Expressions: Surface Acting Versus Deep Acting 137 8 Using Words Skillfully 143 Message Framing 143 Stories 148 Questions 156 Conclusions 162 9 Listening Carefully to Verbal and Nonverbal Messages 164 Why Do People Often Listen Poorly? 164 What Kinds of Things Can We “Catch” When We Listen Carefully? 165 Summary on Listening 177 Getting Others to Listen to Us 178 Contents vii 10 Handling Disagreements 184 Confl ict 185 Groupthink 185 Disagreement 188 Negotiation 189 The “Camp” System 193 11 Skillful Navigation of Conflict Situations 199 What Happens When We Experience Confl ict? 200 What All of This Means 206 Handling Confl ict Situations More Effectively: Prevent, Depart, Distract, or Defuse 207 12 Coaching and Being Coached 217 How Experts See What Others Miss 219 What Does It Take to Become an Expert? 223 How Might We Learn From Others in the Workplace? 224 Getting Coached 226 Coaching Others 228 13 Navigating Organizational Politics 233 How to Alienate Others, Damage Our Reputation, and Compromise Our Integrity 234 How Do Ideas Diffuse Through Large Groups? 236 Pfeffer’s Steps for Navigating Organizational Politics and Getting Things Done 239 14 Giving Good Presentations 251 How Do People Undermine Their Presentations Before They Even Begin Speaking? 252 What Can We Do During the Presentation to Better Reach Our Audience? 259 Putting It All Together 262 Index 265 This page intentionally left blank Preface I wrote this book as if I were sitting beside the reader and acting as a supportive communication coach. I chose content based on what I thought would be most useful in helping you (1) get jobs, (2) establish yourselves well in a new workplace, (3) better understand how to analyze problems that occur in the workplace, (4) appreciate a wider array of communication skills and strategies you may use to address workplace challenges, (5) accomplish something meaningful, even if there are obstacles in your place, and (6) improve your interpersonal communication skills and apply them to various types of workplace situations. I’ve tried to keep things conversational to make the reading more enjoyable. And while I certainly apply theory and research, I’ve done it with a very practical focus, always mindful of addressing the question of “so why is this important and how can it help me in the workplace?” I hope you find this book to be no-nonsense, realistic, and a sourced with helpful advice for communicating more effectively with others in your workplace.