Effective Communication
Presented for
EDAD 8043
Advanced Organizational Theory
and Inquiry
Dr. Daniel Cline
By
Ed Rayburn, Cohort 9
Resources:
Hoy W. and Miskel C. (1996). Educational
administration, theory, research, and practice, (5th
ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
Lunenburg F. and Ornstein C. (1999). Educational
administration concepts and practices, (3rd
Ed.).Belmont, CA:Wadsworth
Owens, R. (1991). Organizational behavior in
education (6th ed.). Portland, OR: Alyn & Bacon.
Important Questions:
Why is communication important in school
organizations?
What are the steps in the communication
process?
Why is it difficult to obtain accurate
information from upward and downward
communication flows?
What symbol systems do humans use in their
efforts to communicate?
What role does non-verbal communication
play in the process?
What are the barriers to effective
communication?
What are some techniques we can use to
overcome these barriers?
What influence has technology had on
communication?
Importance of Communication
Communication is the life blood of the school
organization, just a walk through a typical
school and one can observe numerous
communication activities.
Secretaries are typing memos, reports and
letters, and communicating with the public
on the telephone.
Principals are in conference with teachers or
students, or members of the community, as
well as with school board members
Teachers are communicating with students,
exchanging information
Dieticians are exchanging ideas with the
lunchroom staff and on and on and on…
Today’s school administrator has a complex
job and effective communication is vital for
their survival
The steps involved in the
communication Process:
Ideating – developing an idea or message –
information to be transmitted
Encoding – symbols, words, non verbal cues,
pictures or diagrams
Transmitting – memos, letters, telephone, e-
mail, policies, face to face verbal
communication
Receiving- listening, reading, observing
Decoding – translating a received
transmission into an interpreted meaning
Acting – the final step- the receiver has a
choice at this point to either ignore the
transmission, save it for a later response, or
do something else with it.
STEPS IN THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS
SENDER MESSAGE RECEIVER
DEVELOPS
ENCODES TRANSMITS BARRIER RECIEVES BARRIER DECODES ACTS
IDEA
FACULTY
ADMIN PICTURES
STUDENTS VOCAL
INFLECTION WORDS
FED. SENDER ENCODING
GOVT. BOARD
MEMBERS
STATE CHARTS NON
GOVT. PARENTS DIAGRAMS VERBAL
ORAL MESSAGE
REQUIRES GOOD
MEMOS LISTENEING
BODY PHONE
LANG. SKILLS
FACE
TO TRANSMITTING LETTERS RECEIVING
FACE
POLICY
CLOSED EMAIL
STATEMENTS WRITTEN MESSAGES
CIRCUT REQUIRE ATTENTION
TO
STATED AND IMPLIED
MEANINGS
DECODING
MEANING CANNOT BE
TRANSMITTED
RECEIVER MUST TRANSLATE
TO:
PERCEIVED OR INTERPRETED
MEANING
BARIERS CAN OCCUR ANYWHERE BUT MOST LIKELY IN DECODING
ACTING
THE FINAL STEP
IN COMMUNICATION
SENDER
STORE
CAN
FOR
IGNOR
LATER
OR DO
SOMETHING ELSE
WITH IT
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
HOW WE
STAND FACIAL
EXPRESSIONS
KINESIS
POSTURE
USE
OF
HANDS
USE
OF USE
LEGS OF
ARMS
YAWNING
VOICE
QUALITY
LAUGHING
PARALANGUAGE
PITCH
SPEECH
VOLUME
RATE
MUST KNOW THEM INTIMATELY WELL ACQUAINTED
INTIMATE ZONE PERSONAL ZONE
ZERO –TWO FEET TWO-FOUR FEET
PROXEMICS
(PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT)
SOCIAL ZONE
FOUR-TWELVE PUBLIC ZONE
FEET MORE THAN
TWELVE FEET
ACQUAINTANCE WITH A PURPOSE USUALLY TREAT THEM AS IF THEY DON’T EXIST
PHYSICAL SPACE
CONSIDER THIS:
EMPLOYEES OF HIGHER STATUS HAVE
BIGGER, BETTER, OFFICES, BETTER
FURNITURE, MORE WINDOWS ECT.
OFFICES OF HIGHER STATUS EMPLOYEES
ARE BETTER PROTECTED
SUPERIORS FEEL FREE TO WALK IN ON
SUBORDINATES
SUBORDINATES HESITATE TO WALK IN ON
SUPERIORS
DIRECTION OF COMMUNICATION
DOWNWARD UPWARD
DIAGIONAL
HORIZONTAL
Downward Communication
Used by most large schools that are hierarchical in
nature
Flows from Superintendent to Assistant
Superintendent to Principal to Assistant Principals to
Faculty to students
Necessary to clarify district’s goals, provide a sense
of mission, assist in indoctrinating new employees,
inform employees about educational changes that
impact the district and to provide subordinates with
data regarding their performance
PROBLEMS WITH DOWNWARD
COMMUNICATION
SUBORDINATES SELECT AND PRIORITIZE MESSAGES IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR PERCEPTION OF THEIR
BOSS’S CHARACTER, PERSONALITY, AND MOTIVATION
SENDER DOES NOT DEVOTE ENOUGH TIME TO LEARN
WHETHER MESSAGES HAVE BEEN RECEIVED AND
UNDERSTOOD
THOSE AT THE TOP MAY SHUT OFF THIS CHANNEL AT
CERTAIN TIMES AND ON CERTAIN SUBJECTS OR
WITHHOLD INFORMATION ON A NEED TO KNOW BASIS
DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION TENDS TO BE
DOMINATE IN MECHANISTIC ORGANIZATIONS, AS
OPPOSED TO ORGANIC SYSTEMS WHICH ARE MORE
OPEN AND UNIDIRECTIONAL IN FLOWS OF
INFORMATION.
WAYS TO IMPROVE DOWNWARD
COMMUNICATION
ADOPT TRAINING SESSIONS FOR
ADMINISTRATORS TO HELP THEM LEARN
BETTER WAYS TO COMMUNICATE
GET OUT OF THE OFFICE AND WALK
AROUND, TALK TO EMPLOYEES ON “THE
FIRING LINE”
CONDUCT REGULAR SUPERVISORY-
SUBORDINATE DISCUSSION SESSIONS,
WHICH WILL HELP IDENTIFY, ANALYZE, AND
SOLVE PROBLEMS IN COLLABORATION WITH
SUBORDINATES
UPWARD COMMUNICATION
SUPERINTENDENTS
ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS
PRINCIPALS
ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS
FACULTY
BENEFITS
PROVIDES FEEDBACK TO ADMINISTRATORS
FROM DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION
HELPS MONITOR DECISION MAKING
EFFECTIVENESS
HELPS GAUGE ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE
DEALS WITH PROBLEM AREAS QUICKLY
PROVIDES NEEDED INFORMATION TO
ADMINISTRATORS
PROBLEMS WITH UPWARD
COMMUNICATION
SUBJECT TO FILTERING AND DISTORTION BECAUSE
SUBORDINATES DO NOT WANT SUPERIORS TO
GAIN INFORMATION THAT COULD BE DAMAGING
TO THE SUBORDINATES
HIGHLY COHESIVE GROUPS TEND TO WITHHOLD
INFORMATION THAT MIGHT BE DAMAGING TO THE
GROUP AS A WHOLE
LOWER LEVEL SUBORDINATES SHOW LESS
OPENNESS TO UPWARD COMMUNICATION THAN
THOSE WHO ARE AT HIGHER LEVELS IN THE
ORGANIZATION
WAYS TO IMPROVE UPWARD COMMUNICATION
EMPLOYEE OPEN DOOR
MEETINGS POLICY
SOCIAL
EMPLOYEE GROUPS
LETTERS
EMPLOYEE MEETINGS
MEETINGS TO PROBE JOB PROBLEMS, AND
NEEDS
DETERMINE WHAT ADMINISTRATIVE
PRACTICES HELP OR HINDER SUBORDINATE
JOB PERFORMANCE
PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO ADMINISTRATORS
AND ENCOURAGE SUBORDINATES TO OFFER
IDEAS
HELP SUBORDINATES FEEL SELF WORTH AND
IMPORTANCE
STUDIES SHOW THESE MEETINGS REDUCE
TURNOVER AND IMPROVE SUBORDINATES
ATTITUDES
OPEN DOOR POLICY
ENCOURAGES SUBORDINATES TO WALK IN
AND TALK TO ADMINISTRATORS MANY
LEVELS UP
THEY ARE ENCOURAGED TO TALK WITH
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISORS FIRST TO
ELIMINATE RESENTMENT AMONG
ADMINISTRATORS WHO ARE BYPASSED
SOME BARRIERS EXIST SUCH AS
SUBORDINATES WHO DO NOT WANT TO BE
IDENTIFIED AS HAVING A PROBLEM
EMPLOYEE LETTERS
SUBORDINATES CAN SUBMIT LETTERS TO
ADMINISTRATORS OR SUGGESTIONS
ALL LETTERS ARE ANONYMOUS
ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE ANSWERED
WITHOUT DELAY
REPLIES CAN BE DELIVERED TO THE
APPROPRIATE LOWER LEVEL
ADMINISTRATORS IN CASES WHERE THE
COMMUNICATOR IS ANONYMOUS
PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL GROUPS
ACT AS UNPLANNED UPWARD
COMMUNICATION
EXAMPLES ARE:
PARTIES, PICNICS, GOLF OUTINGS,
COOKOUTS, RETREATS, AND OTHER
EMPLOYER-SPONSORED EVENTS
MAIN BARRIER CAN SOMETIMES BE A LACK OF
ATTENDANCE
HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION
ASSISTANT ASSISTANT
PRINCIPAL PRINCIPAL
FACULTY FACULTY
MEMBER MEMBER
OFTEN FACILITATE ACHIEVED FURNISHES
OVERLOOKED COORDINATION THROUGH EMOTIONAL
AS BETWEEN CROSS-FUNCTIONAL SUPPORT
UNIMPORTANT UNITS COMMITTEES AMONG PEERS
DIAGIONAL COMMUNICATION
SUPERINTENDENT
ASSIST. SUPT. ASST. SUPT. FOR ASST. SUPT.FOR
FOR PERSONNEL INSTRUCTION BUSINESS
DIRECTOR OF CHIEF ELEM. ED. SECONDARY ED. ACCOUNTANTS
PERSONNEL NEGOTIATOR COORDINATOR COORDINATOR
ELEMENTARY SECONDARY
PRINCIPAL PRINCIPAL
I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE
USED WHEN EMPLOYEES FEEL THE
ORGANIZATIONAL FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
HAVE FAILED
EXISTS IN ALL ORGANIZATIONS
NEARLY FIVE OUT OF SIX MESSAGES ARE CARRIED
THIS WAY RATHER THAN FORMAL METHODS OF
COMMUNICATION
THIS FORM OF COMMUNICATION IS VERY RAPID
IT HAS BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE FEATURES
POSITIVE FEATURES INCLUDE:
KEEPS SUBORDINATES INFORMED ABOUT
IMPORTANT ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS
GIVES SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS INSIGHT ABOUT
SUBORDINATES ATTITUDES
PROVIDES SUBORDINATES A RELIEF VALVE TO
VENT EMOTIONS
PROVIDES A TEST OF SUBORDINATES FEELINGS
ABOUT A NEW PROCEDURE OR POLICY WITHOUT
MAKING FORMAL COMMITMENTS
HELPS BUILD MORALE BY PASSING POSITIVE
COMMENTS REGARDING THE ORGANIZATION
RUMOR- IS THE ONE ITEM THAT GIVES THE
GRAPEVINE ITS BAD REPUTATION
BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
FRAMES
OF FILTERING STRUCTURE
REFERENCE
INFORMATION STATUS
SEMANTICS DIFFERENCES
OVERLOAD
FRAMES OF REFRENCE
PEOPLE INTREPRET COMMUNICATIONS DIFFERENTLY DUE TO:
LEARNING CULTURE EXPERIENCES
IF PARTICIPANTS IF FRAMES OF
HAVE A REFERENCE ARE
COMMON FRAME DIFFERENT
OF REFERENCE COMMUNICATION
EFFECTIVE MAY BE
COMMUNICATION DISTORTED
FILTERING
CAN BE OR
INTENTIONAL UNINTENTIONAL
ADMINISTRATORS
WITHHOLD ERRORS IN
NEGATIVE ENCODING
INFORMATION AND DECODING
DUE TO
DIFFERENT
EMPLOYEES FRAMES OF
MANIPULATE INFORMAITON REFERENCE
IN ORDER TO AVOID
THE APPEARANCE
OF HAVING A PROBLEM EXPERIENCE
LEARNING CULTURE
STRUCTURE
NEW YORK
CITY SCHOOLS
MANY LEVELS
OF
AUTHORITY
MESSAGES OFTEN
MODIFIED
SHORTENED
AMMENDED
MIS-
INTREPRETED
UNCERTAINTY INCREASED
DUE TO SPECIALIZATION
LEARNING DISABILITIES
EXTERNAL EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED
TURBULANCE EDUCABLE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED
PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED
INFORMATION OVERLOAD
ADVANCES IN COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATORS SELECT PARTS
OF INFORMATION IN ORDER
COMPUTERS
TO MAKE DECISIONS
THE INTERNET WHICH RESULT
MORE INFORMATION IN BAD DECISIONS
THAN SCHOOLS CAN ABSORB
SEMANTICS
DIFFERENT SENDER CANNOT CONCRETE WORDS
WORDS TRANSMIT HAVE LITTLE
HAVE DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENCE FROM
MEANING TO OR SENDER TO
DIFFERENT PEOPLE MEANING RECIEVER
ABSTRACT WORDS COMPUTER
LOVE
MAY TYPEWRITER
HAPPINESS
CAUSE BOOK
LIBERAL
DECODING PROBLEMS OFFICE
CONSERVATIVE
(SEMANTICS)
STATUS DIFFERENCES
THOSE WITH HIGHER
CREATED BY:
STATUS HAVE MORE
TITLES
COMMUNICATION
OFFICE SIZE
DEMANDS ON THEM
FURNISHINGS
CARPET STYLE
NECESSITATES
STATIONARY
LIMITING
PRIVATE SECRETARY
COMMUNICATION
RESERVED PARKING
TO THOSE WHO
SALARY
HAVE DIRECT INFLUENCE
ELEMENTS THAT CAN HELP WITH
OVERCOMING COMMUNICATION BARRIERS
REPETITION EMPATHY UNDERSTANDING
FEEDBACK LISTENING
REPETITION
USE MULTIPLE USING
SEND THE SAME CHANNELS THIS METHOD
MESSAGE TELEPHONE REDUCES
OVER, AND OVER LETTER CHANCE OF
AND OVER MEMO COMMUNICATION
FACE TO FACE ERROR
MULTIPLE
EXAMPLE: LETTER OR MEMO CHANNELS
FOLLOW UP ALSO SERVES AS EXPRESS TO THE
FACE TO FACE REMINDER RECEIVER
WITH A OR THE IMPORTANCE
LETTER OR DOCUMENTATION OF THE
MEMO IF NEEDED MESSAGE
EMPATHY
SENDER SHOULD THE GREATER THE
A TECHNIQUE TO PUT THEMSELVES GAP IN LEARNING,
UNDERSTAND THE IN THE RECEIVERS CULTURE, AND
RECEIVERS SHOES EXPERIENCES THE
FRAME OF WHEN COMPOSING GREATER THE
REFERENCE THE MESSAGE EFFORT
MUST BE
UNDERSTANDING
SOME RESEARCH
COMMUNICATION HAS SHOWN
IS ONLY ADMINISTRATORS
MUST ENCODE THAT
EFFECTIVE TO THE MUCH OF THE
EXTENT THAT THE MESSAGES IN
WORDS AND SYMBOLS COMMUNICATION
SENDER AND SENT TO
RECEIVER THAT ARE
UNDERSTANDABLE TO EMPLOYEES IS
BOTH HAVE A HIGH BEYOND THE LEVEL
DEGREE OF THE RECEIVER
OF THEIR READING
UNDERSTANDING ABILITIES
FEEDBACK
FEEDBACK IS A STUDIES SHOW
MUST TO THAT SCHOOLS
ENSURE THAT THAT USE
MESSAGES HAVE DOWNWARD
BEEN UNDERSTOOD COMMUNICATION
AND RECEIVED NEED EFFECTIVE
AND HELPS THE UPWARD
SENDER AND COMMUNICATION
RECEIVER OBTAIN TO HAVE
MUTUAL EFFECTIVE
UNDERSTANDING COMMUNICATION
TWO WAY COMMUNICATION TAKES MORE TIME BUT
PROVIDES MORE SATISFACTION AND IS RECOMMENDED IN
ALL BUT THE SIMPLEST AND ROUTINE TRANSMISSIONS OF
INFORMATION
TO SOLICIT FEED BACK TRY THESE QUESTIONS:
How do you feel about my statement?
What do you think?
What did you hear me say?
Do you see any problems with what we have talked about
SUGGESTIONS REGARDING FEEDBACK
PROMOTE AND CULTIVATE FEEDBACK BUT DON’T FORCE IT
REWARD THOSE WHO PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND USE IT
WHEN POSSIBLE GO STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE AND OBSERVE
THE RESULTS-DON’T WAIT FOR FEEDBACK
GIVE FEEDBACK TO SUBORDINATES ON THE OUTPUT OF
FEEDBACK RECEIVED
LISTENING
ADMINISTRATORS SPEND OVER 70% OF THEIR TIME COMMUNICATING
ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT OVER 30% IS DEVOTED TO LISTENING
TESTS OF LISTENING COMPREHENSION SUGGEST THAT THESE
INDIVIDUALS LISTEN AT ONLY 25% EFFICIENCY
ADMINISTRATORS MUST LISTEN MORE EFFECTIVELY IN ORDER
TO COMMUNICATE MORE EFFECTIVELY
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING LISTENING SKILLS
STOP TALKING
PUT THE TALKER AT EASE
SHOW THE TALKER YOU WANT TO LISTEN
REMOVE DISTRACTIONS
EMPATHIZE WITH THE TALKER
BE PATIENT
HOLD YOUR TEMPER
GO EASY ON ARGUMENT AND CRITICISM
STOP TALKING
SUMMARY
COMMUNICATION IS AN IMPORTANT SKILL
BECAUSE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS SPEND OVER
70% OF THEIR TIME COMMUNICATING
THE PROCESS INVOLVES SIX STEPS: IDEATING,
ENCODING, TRANSMITTING, RECEIVING,
DECODING, AND ACTING. NON-VERBAL
COMMUNICATION INVOLVES ENCODING AND
DECODING BODY LANGUAGE
VOCAL CUES, USE OF TIME, AND SPATIAL
RELATIONSHIPS HELP US TO UNDERSTAND VOCAL
MESSAGES
SUMMARY CONTINUED
COMMUNICATION WITHIN SCHOOL
ORGANIZATIONS FLOW IN FOUR DIRECTIONS,
DOWNWARD, UPWARD, HORIZONTALLY, AND
THE MAJOR INFORMAL INFORMATION FLOW IS
CALLED THE GRAPEVINE
THE GRAPEVINE CARRIES BOTH ACCURATE
INFORMATION AND RUMORS
THE BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
INCLUDE DIFFERING FRAMES OF REFERENCE,
STRUCTURE, INFORMATION OVERLOAD,
SEMANTICS, AND STATUS DIFFERENCES
SUMMARY CONTINUED
TECHNIQUES FOR OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO
COMMUNICATION INCLUDE REPETITION, EMPATHY,
UNDERSTANDING, FEEDBACK, AND LISTENING