Eng301 GDB Solution
Monday, January 17, 2011 Posted In eng Edit ThisGraded Discussion Board
Dated: Jan 07, 11
Dear Students, Graded Discussion Board for Business Communication (ENG301) will be opened on17-01-2011. Its closing date is 18-01-2011. The discussion topic is: “Non-verbal Communication is miscommunication.” Comment. Read the following instructions carefully before posting your comments:
- Your comments should not exceed 130-150 words.
- GDB carries 5% weightage.
- Relevant and original ideas written in correct English will be highly appreciated.
- Post your comments on GDB & NOT on the Regular MDB.
- Comments sent through e-mail or posted on regular MDB will NOT be graded.
- Comments copied from internet or other sources will be graded as poor.
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Helping Material
In the workplace miscommunication can be blamed for a significant amount of conflict and the tension that it stirs. It would be unrealistic to think all miscommunication could be prevented, but if we understood its causes, the percentage could likely be decreased. Five common causes include:
1) Being unaware of nonverbal communication
A significant portion of miscommunication occurs without recognition. Through nonverbal cues, communication is often misconstrued and misrepresented. An individual’s facial expression and body language movement can be a powerful message that is delivered involuntarily. Recognize your message may be perceived different than originally intended. Take the time to accurately analyze yourself. Concentrate on your tone of voice, your eye contact and your body language.
2) Poor communication between employees and company management
For communication to be fluid between employees and management staff, communication must remain open, reachable and approachable. Ineffective communication begins to stir when employees feel as though their voices aren’t being heard. Have management check in with their staff members regularly. Hear their concerns and their successes. By having consistent conversations, potential problems can be avoided.
3) Not grasping the company’s global vision
What’s the big picture? The company president and those at the management level understand the company’s progression, but do all employees identify with the overall vision and growth process? This is a window that is sometimes overlooked, but expressing the global perspective of a company five, 10 and 15 years down the road allows employees to understand where they fit into the business strategy. Employees become more efficient and feel more valued when they can visually see their role in the puzzle of the company.
4) Making assumptions
Promote an environment of open communication where employees feel as though their questions and concerns are welcomed and accepted. Without this style of communication, employees often make assumptions because they don’t feel comfortable speaking up, and we know what happens when people act off assumptions alone.
5) Lack of ownership
Where is the accountability? An essential part of functionality is for all members to fully understand and be aware of the roles that are played. Without accountability, employees subconsciously become comfortable dumping duties and shifting their weight onto another’s plate, opening the door for future problems to transpire. The system of the company, as anticipated, will ultimately fail unless employees recognize that their role is not only important, but it is critical to the overall success of the organization.
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“Non-verbal Communication is miscommunication.” Comment.
Nonverbal communication or body language is an important part of how people communicate and there are differences from culture to culture. Hand and arm gestures, touch, and eye contact (or its lack) are a few of the aspects of nonverbal communication that may vary significantly depending upon cultural background.
Below Cultural differences leads to miscommunication in non-verbal communication.
Gestures:
There are a number of gestures commonly used in the United States that may have a different meaning and/or be offensive to those from other cultures. One common example is the use of a finger or hand to indicate “come here please”. This is the gesture used to beckon dogs in some cultures and is very offensive. Pointing with one finger is also considered to be rude in some cultures and Asians typically use their entire hand to point to something.
Touch:
While patting a child’s head is considered to be a friendly or affectionate gesture in our culture, it is considered inappropriate by many Asians to touch someone on the head, which is believed to be a sacred part of the body. In the Middle East, the left hand is reserved for bodily hygiene and should not be used to touch another or transfer objects. In Muslim cultures, touch between opposite gendered individuals is generally inappropriate.
Eye contact/gaze:
In mainstream Western culture, eye contact is interpreted as attentiveness and honesty; we are taught that we should “look people in the eye” when talking. In many cultures, however, including Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Native American, eye contact is thought to be disrespectful or rude, and lack of eye contact does not mean that a person is not paying attention. Women may especially avoid eye contact with men because it can be taken as a sign of sexual interest.
Of special note when working with babies:
Although it is common in Western culture for adults to admire babies and young children and comment upon how cute they are, this is avoided in Hmong and Vietnamese cultures for fear that these comments may be overheard by a spirit that will try to steal the baby or otherwise cause some harm to come to him or her.
