ASSESSMENT TASK TDA 3.1 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults.

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.

PRINCIPLES


Why is effective communication important in developing positive relationships with children, young people and adults. Being able to communicate is vital to being an effective person. Communication not only conveys information, but it encourages effort, modifies attitudes, and stimulates thinking. Without good communication , stereotypes develop, messages become distorted, and learning is stifled. Effective communication is about conveying your message to other people clearly and also about receiving complete information that others are sending to you.

5 MAIN PRINCIPLES OF RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

 

What role does non-verbal communication play in the process? What are the barriers to effective communication? What symbol systems do humans use in their efforts to communicate? 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. Admin staff are typing memos, reports and letters, and communicating with the public on the telephone.

Headteachers are in conference with teachers or students, or members of the community, as well as with school Govenors Teachers are communicating with students, exchanging information Kitchen staff are exchanging ideas with the lunchroom staff on how to run dinner hall In a school enviroment everyone has a complex job and effective communication is vital for all

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, email, 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 ACTS

DEVELOPS ENCODES TRANSMITS BARRIER RECIEVES BARRIER DECODES IDEA

ADMIN

FACULTY STUDENTS SENDER VOCAL INFLECTION

PICTURES WORDS ENCODING

GOVT. LOCAL AUTH.

GOVENORS PARENTS CHARTS DIAGRAMS NON VERBAL

BODY LANG.

MEMOS PHONE

ORAL MESSAGE REQUIRES GOOD LISTENEING SKILLS RECEIVING

FACE TO TRANSMITTING LETTERS FACE POLICY CLOSED EMAIL STATEMENTS CIRCUT

WRITTEN MESSAGES 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

CAN IGNORE

STORE FOR LATER

OR DO SOMETHING ELSE WITH IT

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

HOW WE STAND

FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

KINESIS
POSTURE USE OF HANDS USE OF LEGS USE OF ARMS

YAWNING VOICE QUALITY LAUGHING PARALANGUAGE

SPEECH RATE

PITCH VOLUME

MUST KNOW THEM INTIMATELY

WELL ACQUAINTED

INTIMATE ZONE ZERO TWO FEET

PERSONAL ZONE TWO-FOUR FEET

PROXEMICS (PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT) SOCIAL ZONE FOUR-TWELVE FEET

PUBLIC ZONE MORE THAN TWELVE FEET USUALLY TREAT THEM AS IF THEY DON T EXIST

ACQUAINTANCE WITH A PURPOSE

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

HORIZONTAL

DIAGIONAL

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 SUPERVISORYSUBORDINATE 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 MEETINGS

OPEN DOOR POLICY

EMPLOYEE LETTERS

SOCIAL GROUPS

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 PRINCIPAL FACULTY MEMBER ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FACULTY MEMBER

OFTEN OVERLOOKED AS UNIMPORTANT

FACILITATE COORDINATION BETWEEN UNITS

FURNISHES ACHIEVED EMOTIONAL THROUGH SUPPORT CROSS-FUNCTIONAL AMONG PEERS COMMITTEES

DIAGIONAL COMMUNICATION
SUPERINTENDENT

ASSIST. SUPT. FOR PERSONNEL

ASST. SUPT. FOR INSTRUCTION

ASST. SUPT.FOR BUSINESS

DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL

CHIEF NEGOTIATOR

ELEM. ED. COORDINATOR ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL

SECONDARY ED. COORDINATOR SECONDARY PRINCIPAL

ACCOUNTANTS

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 REFERENCE

FILTERING

STRUCTURE

INFORMATION OVERLOAD

SEMANTICS

STATUS DIFFERENCES

FRAMES OF REFRENCE PEOPLE INTREPRET COMMUNICATIONS DIFFERENTLY DUE TO:

LEARNING

CULTURE

EXPERIENCES

IF PARTICIPANTS HAVE A COMMON FRAME OF REFERENCE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

IF FRAMES OF REFERENCE ARE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION MAY BE DISTORTED

FILTERING

CAN BE INTENTIONAL

OR UNINTENTIONAL

ADMINISTRATORS WITHHOLD NEGATIVE INFORMATION

ERRORS IN ENCODING AND DECODING

EMPLOYEES MANIPULATE INFORMAITON IN ORDER TO AVOID THE APPEARANCE OF HAVING A PROBLEM

DUE TO DIFFERENT FRAMES OF REFERENCE

LEARNING

CULTURE

EXPERIENCE

STRUCTURE

NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS MANY LEVELS OF AUTHORITY MESSAGES OFTEN MODIFIED SHORTENED AMMENDED MISINTREPRETED

UNCERTAINTY DUE TO EXTERNAL TURBULANCE

INCREASED SPECIALIZATION
LEARNING DISABILITIES EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED EDUCABLE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED

INFORMATION OVERLOAD

ADVANCES IN COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY COMPUTERS THE INTERNET MORE INFORMATION THAN SCHOOLS CAN ABSORB

ADMINISTRATORS SELECT PARTS OF INFORMATION IN ORDER TO MAKE DECISIONS WHICH RESULT IN BAD DECISIONS

SEMANTICS
DIFFERENT WORDS HAVE DIFFERENT MEANING TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE SENDER CANNOT TRANSMIT UNDERSTANDING OR MEANING CONCRETE WORDS HAVE LITTLE DIFFERENCE FROM SENDER TO RECIEVER

LOVE HAPPINESS LIBERAL CONSERVATIVE

ABSTRACT WORDS MAY CAUSE DECODING PROBLEMS (SEMANTICS)

COMPUTER TYPEWRITER BOOK OFFICE

STATUS DIFFERENCES

CREATED BY: TITLES OFFICE SIZE FURNISHINGS CARPET STYLE STATIONARY PRIVATE SECRETARY RESERVED PARKING SALARY

THOSE WITH HIGHER STATUS HAVE MORE COMMUNICATION DEMANDS ON THEM NECESSITATES LIMITING COMMUNICATION TO THOSE WHO HAVE DIRECT INFLUENCE

ELEMENTS THAT CAN HELP WITH OVERCOMING COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

REPETITION

EMPATHY

UNDERSTANDING

FEEDBACK

LISTENING

REPETITION

SEND THE SAME MESSAGE OVER, AND OVER AND OVER

USE MULTIPLE CHANNELS TELEPHONE LETTER MEMO FACE TO FACE LETTER OR MEMO ALSO SERVES AS REMINDER OR DOCUMENTATION IF NEEDED

USING THIS METHOD REDUCES CHANCE OF COMMUNICATION ERROR MULTIPLE CHANNELS EXPRESS TO THE RECEIVER THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MESSAGE

EXAMPLE: FOLLOW UP FACE TO FACE WITH A LETTER OR MEMO

EMPATHY

A TECHNIQUE TO UNDERSTAND THE RECEIVERS FRAME OF REFERENCE

SENDER SHOULD PUT THEMSELVES IN THE RECEIVERS SHOES WHEN COMPOSING THE MESSAGE

THE GREATER THE GAP IN LEARNING, CULTURE, AND EXPERIENCES THE GREATER THE EFFORT MUST BE

UNDERSTANDING

COMMUNICATION IS ONLY EFFECTIVE TO THE EXTENT THAT THE SENDER AND RECEIVER BOTH HAVE A HIGH DEGREE OF UNDERSTANDING

ADMINISTRATORS MUST ENCODE MESSAGES IN WORDS AND SYMBOLS THAT ARE UNDERSTANDABLE TO THE RECEIVER

SOME RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT MUCH OF THE COMMUNICATION SENT TO EMPLOYEES IS BEYOND THE LEVEL OF THEIR READING ABILITIES

FEEDBACK

FEEDBACK IS A MUST TO ENSURE THAT MESSAGES HAVE BEEN UNDERSTOOD AND RECEIVED AND HELPS THE SENDER AND RECEIVER OBTAIN MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING

STUDIES SHOW THAT SCHOOLS THAT USE DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION NEED EFFECTIVE UPWARD COMMUNICATION TO HAVE EFFECTIVE 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

Communication Skills Overview

Effective communication skills are a critical element in your career and personal lives.

We all must use a variety of communication techniques to both understand and be understood.