Workplace Communication: Building Relationships and Getting Things Done, Study notes of Communication and Development studies

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Communic

ation and

the

workplace

Where communication

Drives relationships to get

things done

**_1. General observations

2. Working together …_**

being friends

3. Romance in the

workplace

**_4. Sexual harassment

5. Hierarchy vs. social_**

networks

6. Working on teams

Today’s agenda

Non-voluntary

Makes great material for movies

What makes these movies

good is not the task to be

accomplished…

It’s the relationship that will be

built

Friendships with

coworkers

Based largely on shared workplace

experiences

No superior-subordinate relationship

Affects job satisfaction

Can be challenging because the task/social

dimensions can conflict at times

Calls for balance between the social and

professional dimensions from both persons

With

superiors/subordinates

• Power difference adds 3d dimension to the

friendship (in addition to task and social

dimension)

• Friendship with boss adds to job satisfaction
• Pressured by fact the boss’s goals not always

the employee’s

• Both sides need to be open, adaptable
• Otherwise friendship is doomed sooner or later

Workplace romantic

relationships

miscellaneous

observations

• Survey: nearly 60% had an office romance
• 40% dated; of those, 30% got married
• Canadian results: 31% had office

romance; 10% dated – What do they

know that we don’t?

• Mixed opinions – is it a good thing or bad

thing?

• Can end ugly – especially if a secret affair

with one or both already married

• My experience – none … workplace affairs

took place at every job I’ve held – except

Public Library

• Without fail, I was ALWAYS last in office to

know

Workplace

harassment

relationships

One of the things that keeps

Human Resources and Legal

staffs up at night

• Not the only form of harassment
• Often about power, not sex
• Can involve any combination of

the sexes

• Sometimes hard (sometimes

easy!) to know if you’ve been

harassed

Prevention

• Seminars to

inform, warn

employees

• Regular tutorials

(UMSL)

Workplace

harassment and the

law

• Originated with Civil Rights Act, 1964
• Two general definitions: - “this for that” - hostile environment
• Did it occur? - Is it real – did it actually carry the meaning you drew? - Does it/will it influence your job performance? -

Did you reject the behavior in ways clear to the person?

Has the behavior persisted?

• Go to person … your supervisor … HR … a lawyer

… Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

A workplace systems

perspective:

When it’s not “all

about me”

Scales of networks

• Personal networks -- Each individual has own

network

• Group networks – people communicate more

with certain people than others … leads to

clustering in groups.

• Organizational networks – between individuals

in a group network and the rest of the org

A workplace systems

perspective:

When it’s not “all

about me”

Two types of communication networks:

• Formal network – the one prescribed by the org

chart

• Usually hierarchical
• Related to the table of organization (known as the T-O)

Emergent or informal network

Determines real character and culture of organization

Shows the true connections people make every day.

Like what you did above.

Compare/contrast the

two kinds of social

networks

Formal network

• Management makes decisions
• Command and control
• Top-down
• Little lateral info flow
• One-way info flow (down)
• Turn-of-

th

century Scientific

Management concept

• Employees assumed to be

trainable, but have no knowledge

to offer

Emergent/informal network

Hidden social architecture

• Employees knowledge-based,

geographically spread

Project team-oriented

• Who’s really trusted
• Who real opinion leaders are
• Most decisions made on the

basis of personal expertise and

influence

Survey questions for

the typical social

network analysis

1. Who do you typically turn to for help in thinking through a new or challenging

problem at work?

2. Who are you likely to turn to in order to discuss a new or innovative idea?
3. Who do you typically give work-related information?
4. Who do you turn to for input prior to making an important decision?
5. Who do you feel has contributed to your professional growth and development?
6. Who do you trust to keep your best interests in mind?
7. Who do you share personal information with?
8. Who do you ask to find out what’s really going on in the organization?
9. When a new organizational policy is announced, who do you ask in order to find

out “what does this really mean?”

Why organizations

commission

SNA’s

• Can make organization more productive, efficient
• Tells management who the real performers, opinion

leaders are

• Reveals poor supervisors
• Reveals communication problems between

individuals, units

• Helps management determine what information

employees want

• Can align management more closely with

employees

Why organizations

DON’T

commission

SNA’s

• Fears it will be too critical of management

communication

• Concerns that it will build employee expectations for

changes in communication practices

• Simply do not want to know and would not change
• Sees value in things staying as they are