Learning Objectives
- Understand the features and advantages of verbal communication.
- Understand the features and advantages of written communication.
- Understand the features of nonverbal communication and how it interacts with verbal and written communications.
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Communication can be categorized into three basic types: (1) verbal communication, in which you listen to a person to understand their meaning; (2) written communication, in which you read their meaning; and (3) nonverbal communication, in which you observe a person and infer meaning. Each has its own advantages, disadvantages, and even pitfalls.
Verbal Communication
Verbal communications in business take place over the phone or in person. The medium of the Message is oral. Let's return to our printer cartridge example. This time, the Message is being conveyed from the Sender (the Manager) to the Receiver (an employee named Bill) by telephone. We've already seen how the Manager's request to Bill ('We need to buy more printer toner cartridges') can go awry. Now let's look at how the same Message can travel successfully from Sender to Receiver.
Manager (speaking on the phone): 'Good morning, Bill!'
(By using the employee's name, the manager is establishing a clear, personal link to the Receiver.)
Manager: 'Your division's numbers are looking great.'
(The Manager's recognition of Bill's role in a winning team further personalizes and emotionalizes the conversation.)
Manager: 'Our next step is to order more printer toner cartridges. Could you place an order for 1,000 printer toner cartridges with Jones Computer Supplies? Our budget for this purchase is $30,000, and the cartridges need to be here by Wednesday afternoon.'
(The Manager breaks down the task into several steps. Each step consists of a specific task, time frame, quantity, or goal.)
Bill: 'Sure thing! I'll call Jones Computer Supplies and order 1,000 more printer toner cartridges, not exceeding a total of $30,000, to be here by Wednesday afternoon.'
(Bill, who is good at active listening, repeats what he has heard. This is the Feedback portion of the communication, and verbal communication has the advantage of offering opportunities for immediate feedback. Feedback helps Bill to recognize any confusion he may have had hearing the manager's Message. Feedback also helps the manager to tell whether she has communicated the Message correctly.)
Storytelling
Storytelling has been shown to be an effective form of verbal communication; it serves an important organizational function by helping to construct common meanings for individuals within the organization. Stories can help clarify key values and help demonstrate how things are done within an organization, and story frequency, strength, and tone are related to higher organizational commitment (McCarthy, 2008). The quality of the stories entrepreneurs tell is related to their ability to secure capital for their firms(Martens, et. al., 2007). Stories can serve to reinforce and perpetuate an organization's culture, part of the organizing P-O-L-C function.
Crucial Conversations
While the process may be the same, high-stakes communications require more planning, reflection, and skill than normal day-to-day interactions at work. Examples of high-stakes communication events include asking for a raise or presenting a business plan to a venture capitalist. In addition to these events, there are also many times in our professional lives when we have crucial conversations—discussions where not only the stakes are high but also where opinions vary and emotions run strong (Patterson, et. al., 2002). One of the most consistent recommendations from communications experts is to work toward using 'and' instead of 'but' as you communicate under these circumstances. In addition, be aware of your communication style and practice flexibility; it is under stressful situations that communication styles can become the most rigid.
Written Communication
In contrast to verbal communications, written business communications are printed messages. Examples of written communications include memos, proposals, e-mails, letters, training manuals, and operating policies. They may be printed on paper, handwritten, or appear on the screen. Normally, a verbal communication takes place in real time. Written communication, by contrast, can be constructed over a longer period of time. Written communication is often asynchronous (occurring at different times). That is, the Sender can write a Message that the Receiver can read at any time, unlike a conversation that is carried on in real time. A written communication can also be read by many people (such as all employees in a department or all customers). It's a 'one-to-many' communication, as opposed to a one-to-one verbal conversation. There are exceptions, of course: a voicemail is an oral Message that is asynchronous. Conference calls and speeches are oral one-to-many communications, and e-mails may have only one recipient or many.
Figure 12.14
Communication mediums have come a long way since Alexander Graham Bell's original telephone.
Wikimedia Commons – First Bell telephone 1875 – public domain.
Most jobs involve some degree of writing. According to the National Commission on Writing, 67% of salaried employees in large American companies and professional state employees have some writing responsibility. Half of responding companies reported that they take writing into consideration when hiring professional employees, and 91% always take writing into account when hiring (for any position, not just professional-level ones) (Flink, 2007).
Luckily, it is possible to learn to write clearly. Here are some tips on writing well. Thomas Jefferson summed up the rules of writing well with this idea 'Don't use two words when one will do.' One of the oldest myths in business is that writing more will make us sound more important; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders who can communicate simply and clearly project a stronger image than those who write a lot but say nothing.
Nonverbal Communication
What you say is a vital part of any communication. But what you don't say can be even more important. Research also shows that 55% of in-person communication comes from nonverbal cues like facial expressions, body stance, and tone of voice. According to one study, only 7% of a Receiver's comprehension of a Message is based on the Sender's actual words; 38% is based on paralanguage (the tone, pace, and volume of speech), and 55% is based on nonverbal cues (body language) (Mehrabian, 1981).
Research shows that nonverbal cues can also affect whether you get a job offer. Judges examining videotapes of actual applicants were able to assess the social skills of job candidates with the sound turned off. They watched the rate of gesturing, time spent talking, and formality of dress to determine which candidates would be the most successful socially on the job (Gifford, et. al., 1985). For this reason, it is important to consider how we appear in business as well as what we say. The muscles of our faces convey our emotions. We can send a silent message without saying a word. A change in facial expression can change our emotional state. Before an interview, for example, if we focus on feeling confident, our face will convey that confidence to an interviewer. Adopting a smile (even if we're feeling stressed) can reduce the body's stress levels.
To be effective communicators, we need to align our body language, appearance, and tone with the words we're trying to convey. Research shows that when individuals are lying, they are more likely to blink more frequently, shift their weight, and shrug (Siegman, 1985).
Listen Up and Learn More!
To learn more about facial language from facial recognition expert Patrician McCarthy as she speaks with Senior Editor Suzanne Woolley at Business Week, view the online interview at http://feedroom.businessweek.com/index.jsp?fr_chl=1e2ee1e43e4a5402a862f79a7941fa625f5b0744.
Another element of nonverbal communication is tone. A different tone can change the perceived meaning of a message demonstrates how clearly this can be true, whether in verbal or written communication. If we simply read these words without the added emphasis, we would be left to wonder, but the emphasis shows us how the tone conveys a great deal of information. Now you can see how changing one's tone of voice or writing can incite or defuse a misunderstanding.
Table 12.2 Don't Use That Tone with Me!
| Placement of the emphasis | What it means |
|---|---|
| I did not tell John you were late. | Someone else told John you were late. |
| I did not tell John you were late. | This did not happen. |
| I did not tell John you were late. | I may have implied it. |
| I did not tell John you were late. | But maybe I told Sharon and José. |
| I did not tell John you were late. | I was talking about someone else. |
| I did not tell John you were late. | I told him you still are late. |
| I did not tell John you were late. | I told him you were attending another meeting. |
Changing your tone can dramatically change your meaning.
Source: Based on ideas in Kiely, M. (1993, October). When 'no' means 'yes.' Marketing, 7–9.
For an example of the importance of nonverbal communication, imagine that you're a customer interested in opening a new bank account. At one bank, the bank officer is dressed neatly. She looks you in the eye when she speaks. Her tone is friendly. Her words are easy to understand, yet she sounds professional. 'Thank you for considering Bank of the East Coast. We appreciate this opportunity and would love to explore ways that we can work together to help your business grow,' she says with a friendly smile.
At the second bank, the bank officer's tie is stained. He looks over your head and down at his desk as he speaks. He shifts in his seat and fidgets with his hands. His words say, 'Thank you for considering Bank of the West Coast. We appreciate this opportunity and would love to explore ways that we can work together to help your business grow,' but he mumbles, and his voice conveys no enthusiasm or warmth.
Which bank would you choose?
The speaker's body language must match his or her words. If a Sender's words and body language don't match—if a Sender smiles while telling a sad tale, for example—the mismatch between verbal and nonverbal cues can cause a Receiver to actively dislike the Sender.
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Here are a few examples of nonverbal cues that can support or detract from a Sender's Message.
Body Language
A simple rule of thumb is that simplicity, directness, and warmth convey sincerity. And sincerity is key to effective communication. A firm handshake, given with a warm, dry hand, is a great way to establish trust. A weak, clammy handshake conveys a lack of trustworthiness. Gnawing one's lip conveys uncertainty. A direct smile conveys confidence.
Eye Contact
In business, the style and duration of eye contact considered appropriate vary greatly across cultures. In the United States, looking someone in the eye (for about a second) is considered a sign of trustworthiness.
Facial Expressions
The human face can produce thousands of different expressions. These expressions have been decoded by experts as corresponding to hundreds of different emotional states (Ekman, et. al., 2008). Our faces convey basic information to the outside world. Happiness is associated with an upturned mouth and slightly closed eyes; fear with an open mouth and wide-eyed stare. Flitting ('shifty') eyes and pursed lips convey a lack of trustworthiness. The effect of facial expressions in conversation is instantaneous. Our brains may register them as 'a feeling' about someone's character.
Posture
The position of our body relative to a chair or another person is another powerful silent messenger that conveys interest, aloofness, professionalism—or lack thereof. Head up, back straight (but not rigid) implies an upright character. In interview situations, experts advise mirroring an interviewer's tendency to lean in and settle back in her seat. The subtle repetition of the other person's posture conveys that we are listening and responding.
Touch
The meaning of a simple touch differs between individuals, genders, and cultures. In Mexico, when doing business, men may find themselves being grasped on the arm by another man. To pull away is seen as rude. In Indonesia, to touch anyone on the head or touch anything with one's foot is considered highly offensive. In the Far East, according to business etiquette writer Nazir Daud, 'it is considered impolite for a woman to shake a man's hand (Daud, 2008).' Americans, as we have noted, place great value in a firm handshake. But handshaking as a competitive sport ('the bone-crusher') can come off as needlessly aggressive, at home and abroad.
Space
Anthropologist Edward T. Hall coined the term proxemics to denote the different kinds of distance that occur between people. These distances vary between cultures. The figure below outlines the basic proxemics of everyday life and their meaning (Hall, 1966):
Standing too far away from a colleague (such as a public speaking distance of more than seven feet) or too close to a colleague (intimate distance for embracing) can thwart an effective verbal communication in business.
Key Takeaway
Types of communication include verbal, written, and nonverbal. Verbal communications have the advantage of immediate feedback, are best for conveying emotions, and can involve storytelling and crucial conversations. Written communications have the advantage of asynchronicity, of reaching many readers, and are best for conveying information. Both verbal and written communications convey nonverbal messages through tone; verbal communications are also colored by body language, eye contact, facial expression, posture, touch, and space.
Exercises
- When you see a memo or e-mail full of typos, poor grammar, or incomplete sentences, how do you react? Does it affect your perception of the Sender? Why or why not?
- How aware of your own body language are you? Has your body language ever gotten you into trouble when you were communicating with someone?
- If the meaning behind verbal communication is only 7% words, what does this imply for written communication?
References
Daud, N. (n.d.). Business etiquette. Retrieved July 2, 2008, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Business-Etiquette—Shaking-Hands-around-the-World&id=746227.
Ekman, P., Friesen, W. V., & Hager, J. C. The facial action coding system (FACS). Retrieved July 2, 2008, from http://face-and-emotion.com/dataface/facs/manual.
Flink, H. (2007, March). Tell it like it is: Essential communication skills for engineers. Industrial Engineer, 39, 44–49.
Gifford, R., Ng, C. F., & Wilkinson, M. (1985). Nonverbal cues in the employment interview: Links between applicant qualities and interviewer judgments. Journal of Applied Psychology, 70, 729–736.
Hall, E. T. (1966). The hidden dimension. New York: Doubleday.
Martens, M. L., Jennings, J. E., & Devereaux, J. P. (2007). Do the stories they tell get them the money they need? The role of entrepreneurial narratives in resource acquisition. Academy of Management Journal, 50, 1107–1132.
McCarthy, J. F. (2008). Short stories at work: Storytelling as an indicator of organizational commitment. Group & Organization Management, 33, 163–193.
Mehrabian, A. (1981). Silent messages. New York: Wadsworth.
Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2002). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Siegman, A. W. (1985). Multichannel integrations of nonverbal behavior. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
9/80 Work Schedule: What It Is, Its Benefits And Challenges, And How To Get Started
Most people are familiar with the regular 8-hours-per day, 5-days-a-week, 40-hour workweek. But did you know there are alternatives to this standard schedule? One of the most popular is the 9/80 work schedule. But is it right for your company and your employees?
In this article, the management and scheduling experts at Sling tell you everything you need to know to decide for yourself. We'll also show you how to implement this unique work schedule in your business.
What Is A 9/80 Work Schedule?
A 9/80 work schedule consists of a total of eight nine-hour days, one eight-hour day, and one day off spread over a two-workweek period.
More specifically, a 9/80 work schedule has employees working 80 hours over nine days (hence the name: 9 days/80 hours) rather than the usual 10 days (assuming a five-day workweek). This makes it possible for you to give your employees an entire day off every other week.
In a typical 9/80 work schedule, your employees would work four nine-hour days (36 hours) followed by one eight-hour day. For payroll purposes, you apply the first half of the eight-hour workday to the first week and the second half to the following week.
All told, that adds up to 40 hours worked Monday through Friday of the first week, and 40 hours worked Monday through Thursday of the second week (all without overtime). You can then give employees the second Friday off completely without losing work hours.
Sample 9/80 Work Schedule
First Week
Monday: 7-12 and 1-5 with an unpaid lunch break in-between (9 hours total)
Tuesday: Same
Wednesday: Same
Thursday: Same (for a total of 36 hours)
Friday: 8-12 (first week ends) + 1-5 (second week starts)
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off
Second Week
Monday: 7-12 and 1-5 with an unpaid lunch break in between (9 hours total)
Tuesday: Same
Wednesday: Same
Thursday: Same (for a total of 40 hours including the four hours worked the previous Friday)
Friday: Off
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off
Keep in mind that this is just one example of a 9/80 work schedule. As an alternative, you could have employees start at 8:00 a.m. and work until 6 p.m. That would still allow for the requisite nine hours in one day.
What Are The Benefits Of A 9/80 Work Schedule?
At first glance, you may conclude that the 9/80 work schedule only benefits your employees. But look a little deeper and you'll see that the 9/80 work schedule also benefits your business. Here's how.
1) Work/Life Balance
You guarantee employees two extra days off each month. This gives them time to schedule appointments, conduct personal business, or take a vacation with family or friends. It can also mean fewer sick days, fewer no-call/no-shows, and fewer time-off requests for your business.
2) Fewer Interruptions
Employees will have more time to resolve personal commitments, so they won't have to interrupt work to get things done. That's better for their engagement for the overall productivity of your business.
3) Less Commuting
The extra two days off each month means your employees won't have to sit in traffic, they won't have to use gas, and they won't have to put miles on their cars.
4) Improved Task Completion
The extra hour of work each day means that your employees have a better chance of completing tasks on the day they start them.
5) Better Rest
The extra two days off each month gives your employees more time to recuperate from the busy workweek. They'll be refreshed and ready to work on that following Monday.
6) Increased Productivity
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When you incorporate a 9/80 work schedule, you provide your team members with more control over their work schedule. As a result, your employees feel more energized because of the extra day off at the end of two weeks.
That increase in energy, then, leads to higher levels of productivity over the nine days your team is at work. And this productivity isn't just task-specific.
Overall productivity improves when you implement this type of flexible schedule. The 9/80 schedule can also reduce long-term stress so that employees take less vacation or sick time to recover.
7) Higher Incentive For Potential Employees
Recruiting new employees can be a difficult task in today's fast-paced work environment. New hires often want the most fringe benefits they can get before committing to your business. A 9/80 work schedule makes your company more attractive to potential employees.
When you offer this type of schedule on their very first day, new hires can achieve a work/life balance that is more tailored to their unique situation right from the start. They don't have to put in weeks, months, or even years before they can get more control over their schedule.
That's an attractive incentive that can seriously improve your recruiting efforts.
8) More Flexibility
One of the major concerns managers have when considering a 9/90 work schedule is shift coverage. They worry that they won't be able to organize enough team members to cover the essential tasks during the extra day off.
But the 9/80 schedule actually makes it easier than you might think.
If you can't just close the office at the end of every second week, you can split your team and give half of them the Friday off and the other half the Monday off. Everyone gets a three-day weekend and your office continues to run Monday through Friday.
These are just a few common benefits you'll see after implementing a 9/80 work schedule. You'll likely discover other benefits too the longer you work this way.
But is it too good to be true? Let's investigate the other side of the 9/80-work-schedule coin.
What Are The Challenges Of A 9/80 Work Schedule?
The challenges of a 9/80 work schedule often involve employee morale and payroll time tracking. Here are a few of the most common difficulties.
1) Longer Workday
During the nine-hour days, employees may feel like they only have time to go home, eat dinner, and go to bed. That can wear on morale after a while.
2) Changing The Regular Day Off
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Sometimes, employees ask to switch the regular day off to better accommodate their schedules. This can make your time tracking much more difficult.
3) Early Arrival Or Departure
Letting your employees adjust their arrival and departure times can lead to more than 40 hours worked the first week and less than 40 hours worked the second week, possibly resulting in overtime and a host of other problems.
4) Problems With Focus
For your team members who thrive in a quiet work environment, the 9/80 schedule can cause problems. Too much fluctuation in activity can distract employees and cause them to lose focus and engagement.
It can also have a negative impact on freelancers and telecommuters who may be working when the rest of your office is not.
5) Staffing Gaps
For smaller companies with fewer employees, the 9/80 schedule is less than ideal. Alternative schedules like the 9/80 mean there may not be enough team members to cover all the shifts so your business can stay open during the extra days off each month.
Even if you stagger the schedule so that some employees have Friday off and some employees have Monday off, you still may not have enough people to keep your business running efficiently.
6) Inactive Customers And Businesses
In some cases, your customers and other businesses may not be active during the extra hours of work that come with a 9/80 schedule.
This can lead to drops in productivity and even a loss in revenue if you can't keep your team members on task in one way or another for the few hours when other businesses are closed and your customers are elsewhere.
7) Sick Leave
You may have to restructure your sick leave policy if you incorporate a 9/80 work schedule. With this type of schedule, a day away from work due to illness equals nine hours instead of the typical eight.
Nine hours and eight hours don't divide equally into the same numbers (unless you want to offer fractions of a workday or increase your sick leave to 72 hours) so you're going to have to do a bit of reorganizing to make the new schedule work.
8) Issues With Overtime
You may also encounter issues with overtime. If team members don't strictly adhere to the unique work hours (e.g., they work an extra hour on Tuesday to complete a project), you may be paying more overtime wages than you planned.
That shouldn't be a problem if it only happens once or twice a month for one or two employees. But if it happens more often and for more than a handful of team members, the extra expense is going to start cutting into your bottom line.
Don't let these challenges dissuade you from implementing a 9/80 work schedule. You just need to reinforce teamwork and group cohesion during the long workweek and enforce the rules of the schedule so you don't run into tracking and calculating issues.
How To Get Started On A 9/80 Work Schedule
The best way to get started on a 9/80 work schedule is to first examine your corporate, business, and functional level strategies to see if it's the best solution.
The next step would be to create a test schedule using Sling to see if fits in with the way you work.
Finally, you would want to discuss the change with your employees so that it's not a surprise when they start working nine-hour days instead of eight.
Make Scheduling Easier With The Right Tools
Regardless of whether you choose the 9/80 work schedule or not, the best way to plan when your employees will work is with scheduling and time-tracking software like Sling.
Sling's suite of tools — including scheduling, time clock, labor cost analysis and planning, employee messages, newsfeed, and tasks — makes creating even the most complex rotating shift or night shift as simple as point, click, and go.
For more free resources to help you manage your business better, organize and schedule your team, and track and calculate labor costs, visit GetSling.com today.
