acca p113 s10.docx

1、acca p113 s10Session 10 Effective Communication Practices1 Working with people1.1 Interpersonal skillsInterpersonal skills involve inspiring, motivating, leading and controlling people to achieve goals that are often poorly defined.For working relationships to be effective it is important to recogni

2、ze peoples right to Be treated with respect Assert themselves A fair hearingSkills for effective working relationships include the ability To work co-operatively To maintain enthusiasm To persevere To be flexible1.2 Communication and behaviourCommunication has three important components words, tone

3、of voice and body language.Research has shown that during communication words create less that 10% of the impact compared with about 40% form the tone of voice and about 50% from the body language.When dealing with other people there are three types of behaviour that can be adopted:Aggressive standi

4、ng up for yourself the expense of other people. This behaviour violates the rights of the other person.Assertive standing up for your own rights and needs while respecting those of others.Passive belief that your rights are less important than those of othersAssertion has the advantage of being infl

5、uential because it is consistent while being respectful. Aggression often causes defensive responses and can ultimately be unproductive. Passive behaviour can become stressful as needs are denied.2 Communication2.1 The need for communicationCommunication is the interchange of information, ideas, fac

6、ts and emotions by two or more persons.Formal communicationThere are three formal communication channels in an organization Downward manager to employeeKatz and Kahn identified the general purposes of downward communication were to give specific directives, explain rationale for the job, provide fee

7、dback and communicate organizational and ideological information. Upward employee to managerProvides management with feedback on results achieved and problems encountered Horizontal/lateral communication across departmental linesThis is important to task co-ordination, problem solving, information s

8、haring and conflict resolution.Informal communicationA lot of communication is carried on outside the formal communication channels. This includes: GrapevineThe network of social relationships that arises spontaneously as people associate with one another. RumourThese are messages transmitted on the

9、 grapevine. These can be influential and damaging. An atmosphere of poor employee communication will increase the number of rumours. GossipThis is idle talk can be hurtful and malicious. It can also be a socializing force.Question 1Communication is vital in all organizations and the communication pr

10、ocess may take many forms. It is important that managers and supervisors recognize the nature of information flows and use appropriate forms of communication. The direction of the three main information flows can be said to be downwards, upwards and lateral.RequiredDescribe and discuss the purpose o

11、f these three main communication flows that might be found in an organization. (15 marks)Answer Plan2.2 Communication modelsThe communication process involves six basic elements: Sender (encoder) Message Channel Receive (decoder) Noise Feedback2.3 Importance to the manager of effective communication

12、Effective communication is necessary for: Management decision making Interdepartmental co-ordination Individual motivation and effectivenessA formal communication system allows managers to perform their roles e.g. give instructions, receive feedback, exchange ideas etc.2.4 Barriers to communictionPo

13、ssible barriers to effective communication are Information overload Inappropriate use of language Inappropriate method of communication Assumptions made by the sender Attitude towards the sender2.5 Consequences of poor communicationLack of downward communication can lead to: Poor awareness Lack of u

14、nderstanding Low moraleLack of upward communication can lead to: Failure to identify problems Failure to ensure participation and innovation Poor controlLack of lateral communication will lead to Divisions between staff/management Lack of co-ordination Lack of specialist adviceQuestion 2Much of the

15、work of professional accountants involves communicating information for others to use.Requireda) Explain the importance of clear communication. (5 marks)b) Explain two main communication methods (5 marks)c) Describe two barriers to communication (5 marks) (15 marks)Answer Plan2.6 Attributes of effec

16、tive communicationThe characteristics of good communication are that they should be: Timely Accurate, complete and to the point Directed to the right people UnderstandableThe steps that can ensure effective communication include: Feedback Using more than one communication network Restricting the num

17、ber of links in the communication chain Ensuring clarity2.7 Communication methods and patternsMethods of communication can be grouped into four classes: Oral Written Visual ElectronicPatterns of communication that exists between group members. This pattern can be either Centralised wheel, chain or “

18、Y” Decentralised circle and all-channelsThe following diagrams illustrate these patterns.The wheel is the quickest system and the circle the slowest. The all channel is best in complex situations. Satisfaction is lowest in the circle while under pressure the all channels system restructures itself i

19、nto a wheel.2.8 Process of consultationConsultation is where one party seeks the views of another party before either party takes a decision.Consultation can help to: Improve the quality of decisions Lead to better co-operation Serve as a preliminary to negotiation Increase in organizational efficie

20、ncy Help industrial relationsConsultation must be genuine. If consultation is synthetic then the exercise may be counter productive. If the result of a consultation does not include any of the ideas put forward, subordinates may not feel involved.3 The Role of Counselling3.1 What is counselling?Coun

21、selling is about helping people to help themselves.Counselling is a client-centred problem solving approach that is distinct from telling, advising or manipulating.The manager/supervisor plays an important role in the counseling process. Kaplan and Coen found that American foremen spent 7% of their

22、time dealing with subordinates problems. The most difficult issues concerned money, marriage and other employees. Their prime technique was the sympathetic ear/The values necessary for successful conselling include: Non-judgement attitude Respect for the client Confidentiality Acceptance of the whol

23、e personEffective counseling shows managements commitment to and concern for its staff and is likely to improve employee loyalty and enthusiasm.The problems of retirement and redundancy are increasingly recognized, and constructive counseling programmes have addressed these issues. In large organiza

24、tions, links with external services such as marriage guidance counselors, Samaritans and Alcoholics anonymous, may be effective.3.23.2 Skills of effective counselingThrough active listening, the use of open questions and clarifications, the counselor encourages reflection and helps the client identi

25、fy issues and solutions. Counselling does not involve giving advice or making suggestions.Effective counseling relies on a high level of interpersonal skill, such as Establishing rapport The ability to discern meaning Being able to summarise and clarify Ask the right questionsCounselling, being a on

26、e-to-one technique to help people achieve a goal, requires good interviewing skills. The counseling approach may be alien to managers used to finding directive solutions to problems.Counselling requires active listening.3.3 Counselling staffProblems may arise Within the individual Be caused by the o

27、rganization Or arise from sources external to both the individual and organizationIndividual problems may be psychological arrogance or self-pity or be caused by dissatisfaction.Most organizational problems arise from technical incompetence, underwork (role underload), overwork (role overload), rela

28、tionships with colleagues and superiors, and uncertainty.External factors may include money and family relationships.The key factor in a successful counseling interview is establishing the main problem. This may be found by exploring the emotions involved and their source.Counselling is a mutual exp

29、loration in a non-critical context. The range of feelings and emotions must be fully understood to ascertain the problem and explore solutions.4 Controlling conflict, grievance and discipline4.1 Causes of conflictIt is now generally believed that conflict is both valuable and necessary. Without it t

30、here would be fow new challenges, there would be no stimulation to think through new ideas and organizations would become stagnant and apathetic.Conflict can be constructive (generating new ideas) or destructive (destroying morale and motivation).While there are many different manifestations of conf

31、lict, the causes are often difficult to determine. These may include misunderstandings, insensitive or non-supportive relationships, failure to communicate and unreasonable, competitive or distrustful climates.Inter-group conflict is sometimes: institutionalized, hierarchy-based and functional, and results from line/staff, formal/informal and status differences, which are often political.4.2 Managing conflictTo be successful in avoiding or resolving conflict, managers must understand: The nature of the conflict i