Chapter 13: Communicating and Delegating

• Good communications & their importance

• Obstacles to good communication

• Listening• Directing people at work• Business• Meetings

Chapter 13 Communicating & Delegating

• Delegating

• What Delegation Means

• Essentials of Delegation

• Benefits of Delegation

• Why People Resist Delegation

• How to Delegate Successfully

Good Communications& Their Importance

• Communications is a term that sums up the sending & receiving of messages.

• It can make or break a company.

Types of Communications

• Interpersonal communication

• Organizational communication

• Two-way or open communication

• Interviewing communication

• Small group communication

• Mass communication

The Communication Process

Thinksmeaning of

message

Expresses meaning inwords or symbols

TransmitsMessage

Receives Message

Sender

Translateswords or symbols

Understands&

accepts meaning

Receiver

Importance of Communication

• The major function of a leader is to send messages.

• Poor communication = problems.

• Good leaders talk to their people informally to build working relationships, a positive climate, & a sense of belonging.

Obstacles to Good Communication

• Communicators Affect the Message

• Symbols Can Obscure the Meaning

• Problems in Sending the Message

• Problems in Receiving the Message

Communicators Affect the Message• Differences in background, education, past

experiences, & intelligence.

• Differences in attitude, opinions, & values.

• Prejudices.

• Differences in perception.

• Assumptions & expectations.

• Emotions.

• Trust/Distrust.

• Verbal, listening, & reading skills.

• Hearing ability.

Symbols Can Obscure the Meaning

• Symbols can be words, pictures, or body language.

• Words are often misinterpreted due to vagueness & language barriers.

• Body language or facial expressions may not match the speakers words.

I want to goHOME!!

Sure I’ll work overtime!

Problems in Sending the Message

• Bad timing

• Not having receivers attention

• Message is sent to the wrong person

• Message sent with wrong means

• Forgot to send message

Problems in Receiving Messages

• Assumptions, attitudes, phrasing, etc. may obscure the meaning.

• Receiver is preoccupied or not interested.

• Message or delivery triggers emotions.

Removing Obstacles• Build a climate of trust & respect.• Send your messages clearly & explicitly, use language the

receiver can understand, don’t assume anything.• Send your message at the best time, make sure you have

the receiver’s attention.• Send your message to the right person(s).• Choose the best means of sending your message. • Check that your message has been understood, accepted,

& acted upon.• Listen, listen, listen!• Be as objective as possible. • Avoid using slang.• Never communicate with someone when you are angry.

Listening

• Paying complete attention to what people have to say & hearing them out.

• The most neglected part of the communication process & sometimes the most important!

Bad Listening Practices

• Going off on tangents.

• Reacting emotionally.

• Cutting off the flow of the message.

• Probing, interrogating, assigning blame, or analyzing motives only complicates matters.

How to Listen

• Give the other person your undivided attention.

• Hear the person out.

• Look for the real message.

• Keep your emotions out of the communication.

• Maintain your role.

Communication at Work

• Send a clear message: explicit, specific, & complete.

• Get your message accepted: build trust, get the interest of the receiver, make sure the message is reasonable.

• Make a positive impact: put yourself on the employees level, talk to them person to person.

• Follow the steps for giving instructions (see next slide).

Steps for Giving Instructions

• Step 1: Plan what your going to say, to whom, when, & where.

• Step 2: Establish a climate of acceptance.

• Step 3: Deliver instructions calmly & confidently.

• Step 4: Verify understanding.• Step 5: Follow up: observe, check,

assist, & evaluate your instructions.

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

• Often measured as EI Quotient (EQ).• EI is defined as “the ability to manage ourselves &

our relationships effectively.”• Critical components include:

– Self-awareness – Self-regulation – Motivation – Empathy – Social skill

Computer & Telephone-Aided Communication

• Today, vital information can be communicated far more quickly.

• Networked computer systems link corporate & independent hospitality businesses to one another, the supply chain, & various information sources via the World Wide Web.

• Now there is communication through:– Email– Instant Messaging– Voice-mail– Intranets– Extranets

Business Writing

• Some common problems include:– Too long, too wordy– Too vague– Too much jargon– Poorly organized– Purpose not clear– Sloppy: misspelling, incorrect

grammar– Too negative– Indirect

Better Business Writing• Pay attention to who the reader will be,

write from their perspective.• Organize your thoughts.• Use simple words.• Get to the point quickly.• Be positive.• Be natural, write as if you were talking.• Write clearly.• Show benefits.• Keep it short.• Always check your document for mistakes.

Meetings

• Make them effective:– Be prepared: use an agenda.– Start on time: review agenda.– Summarize & move on.– Keep discussion focused.– Keep meeting minutes.– Have some rules of order.– Handle differences of opinion

with respect.

Delegating

• Delegation: – Giving a portion of

one’s responsibility & authority to a subordinate.

• 3 Aspects of Delegation:

– Responsibility

– Authority

– Accountability

As a Leader:

• You have been given the responsibility for certain activities & the results they are expected to produce.

• You have been given the authority (rights & powers) to carry out your responsibilities.

• You have been given the accountability (obligation to your boss) to produce these results.

Lines of Responsibility & Authority

• Chain of command: – The lines of responsibility & authority in an organization

that provide the anatomy of its organization chart.

– This shows who is responsible at each level for everything that happens or fails to happen.

• Channels of communication: – The organizational lines (corresponding with the chain of

command) along which messages are passed from one level to another.

Benefits of Delegation

• More time for managing

• More & better work from happier people

• Development of promising people

• Greater efficiency

• Improved leadership skills

Delegating

• Some leaders have trouble delegating because they: – Don’t believe it will work.

– Are unable to let go.

– Feel that without them everything will fall apart

– Cannot shift from doing the work to managing people.

– Do not want to take responsibility for the mistakes of others.

– Find it quicker & easier to do themselves.

– Are reluctant to lose touch.

– Have no willing & qualified workers.

Why Some Associates Won’t Accept Responsibility

• Some associates:– Are unable, unwilling, or both.

– Fear failure.

– Fear the consequences of making mistakes.

– Fear rejection by other workers.

– See added responsibility as meaningless extra work (job loading).

– Like their job as it is/do not want more.

How to Delegate Successfully

• Conditions for success include:– Advance planning– A positive attitude toward your

people– Trust on both sides– Ability to let go & take risks– Good communication– Commitment

Steps in Delegation• Plan:

– Decide what you can delegate & to whom.

• Develop the task in detail.

• Delegate: – Give the responsibility & authority,

establish accountability, that the worker accepts it (“the contract”), & set up checkpoints.

• Follow up.

• Don’t accept reverse delegation.

Adapting to Your Situation

• It makes sense to:– Delegate time-consuming routine tasks others can

& are willing to do.– Train others to take over tasks & responsibilities

that must continue when you are not there. – Delegate tasks & responsibilities that motivate &

develop your people. – Plan such growth for people of high potential.

© 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.