Communication and the Manager’s Job

You all know the expressions people use when they talk about communication. They try to “contact” people, to “get in touch” with people and institutions, when they are sending, or transmitting messages. They need to “hear from” or “await a reply from” people and institutions when they are receiving messages.

A typical day for a manager includes doing desk work, attending scheduled meetings, placing and receiving telephone calls, reading correspondence, answering correspondence, attending unscheduled meetings, and tours. Most of these activities involve communication. In fact, managers usually spend over half of their time in some form of communication.

Communication is the process of transmitting information from one person to another. It takes a number of different forms and serves a variety of purposes. Communication must be speedy to save time and money, and accurate, to prevent loss and mistakes. Many disputes and disruptions of business activity are the result of breakdown of communications, as wrong impressions are conveyed and misunderstandings occur.

Good communication at work is essential so that the organization can function efficiently. If the communication is inadequate, the organization will certainly not achieve its objectives.

Communication at work flows in 3 directions: downwards, horizontally and upwards.

Most of the communication goes downwards. Supervisors communicate with new recruits in order to train them. Management has to issue instructions from time to time because work targets have to be established. There is also much communication (not orders or instructions), which is simply to keep workers in the picture about general developments within an organization. This kind of information should always be provided so as to prevent rumors from spreading. These rumors often cause unnecessary alarm.

Horizontal communication occurs between people working in different departments very often in aspects of the same job. They communicate regularly so as to keep abreast of what each of them is doing and to make sure progress is properly coordinated.

In most organizations, there is relatively little upward communication as few opportunities have been created for workers to communicate to management. Most experts on management would say that there should be more upward communication in business organizations and that workers should be encouraged to contribute so that their ideas can be taken into account in reshaping policy. Experience has shown that morale is much higher in organizations where workers participate in this way.

Do you know these words?

communication	общение, связь
to get in touch	связаться с
to transmit	передавать
message	сообщение
to hear from	получить известие, сообщение
to schedule	намечать, планировать
to involve	содержать, включать в себя, предполагать наличие чего-либо
accurate	точный
dispute	спор, пререкания, ссора
disruption	срыв
breakdown	нарушение
to convey	сообщать, передавать
to occur	случаться, происходить
recruit	новичок
to keep smb. in the picture = to keep abreast = to keep informed	держать кого-либо в курсе дела
developments	зд. события
rumor	слух, молва, толки
to make sure	убедиться, удостовериться
morale	моральное состояние, боевой дух

1. Answer these questions:

1. What expressions do people use when they talk about communication?

2. What activities of a manager involve communication?

3. How much time do managers usually spend in some form of communication?

4. What is transmitted in the communication process?

5. Why is it so essential for business communication to be accurate and speedy?

6. In what directions does communication at work flow?

7. What direction is the most common for communication at work?

8. Why should rumors be prevented from spreading?

9. Where does horizontal communication occur?

10. What purposes does horizontal communication serve?

11. Why is upward communication so important in business organizations?

2. Translate these words into Russian. Find the antonyms for these words in the text. Say how the antonyms of the words in italics are formed.

Scheduled, understanding, adequate, downwards, necessary, to ask, vertically, regress, lower, right.

2. Translate these word combinations into Russian. Make your own sentences using them.

To get in touch with, accurate information, work targets, desk work, telephone calls, business activity, business organizations.

2. Find in the text words and phrases that correspond to these definitions:

1. a piece of news, or a request, sent to a person

2. failure to understand correctly

3. knowledge, news

4. new member of a group, society

5. statement, report or story which cannot be verified and is of doubtful accuracy

6. state of discipline and spirit in a person, an army, so on

7. advance or development

8. feeling of danger

9. communication by letters

10. journey through a country from place to place

2. Read and copy the text. Cross out the extra words that should not be there. Translate the text into Russian.

Another important barrier to from communication is selective perception. Put simply, this is means that people perceive things in for different ways. The world of off the sender is not the same as the world of for the receiver. Because their knowledge and experience is has different, sender and receiver are is always on slightly different wavelengths. Therefore, a manager will to say something, but the employee employment will interpret his meaning incorrectly. The message is becomes distorted. Communication problems will be arise from time to time in the best-run companies.

To minimize such problems, managers must to remember one thing: communication should be a two-way process. Managers should encourage stuff to ask questions and to react to for what the managers are saying. Feedback is essential. The most less useful question a manager can to ask is “Did you understand understood that?”

2. Here is an example of how communication breaks down. Look at the table and answer these questions:

1. Why do managers and their subordinates misunderstand each other?

2. What are the possible ways of preventing this misunderstanding?

What the manager said	What the manager meant	What the subordinate heard
I’ll look into hiring another person for your department as soon as I complete my budget review.	We’ll start interviewing for that job in about three weeks.	I’m tied up with more important things. Let’s forget about hiring for the indefinite future.
Your performance was below per last quarter. I really expected more out of you.	You are going to have to try harder, but I know you can do it.	If you screw up one more time you’re out.
I’d like that report as soon as you can get to it.	I need that report within the week.	Drop that rush order you’re working on and fill out that report today.
I talked to the boss but at the present time, due to budget problems, we’ll be unable to fully match your competitive salary offer.	We can give you 95 per cent of that offer, and I know we’ll be able to do even more for you next year.	If I were you, I’d take that competitive offer. We’re certainly not going to pay that kind of salary to a person with your credentials.

3. Complete the sentences.

1. Communication flows in three directions: ... , ... , and ... .

2. Most communication goes ... .

3. Most organizations have little ... communication.

4. Morale is higher in organizations where ... .

5. Communication must be ... to save time and money, and ... to prevent loss and mistakes.

6. The organization can function efficiently if the communication is ... .

7. If the communication is inadequate, the organization will not ... .

4. Translate the sentences into Russian paying attention to different functions of the infinitive.

1. Is it necessary for a manager to be good at communication?

2. His aim was to get in touch with the Ford Motor Company.

3. To function efficiently, a company should possess accurate information.

4. Managers have to realize the importance of upward communication. I want to leave a message for the sales manager.

5. Supervisors communicate with the recruits in order to train them.

6. Communication must be speedy to save time and money.

7. Do you really like to answer correspondence?

8. To place and receive telephone calls is his duty.

9. You should prevent these rumors from spreading.

10. The director asked him to keep workers in the picture about general developments within the plant.

11. I hope to hear from you soon.

12. There’s some essential information to discuss at the scheduled meeting.

13. This scandalmonger has been the first to spread these rumors.