Social Networks and Communication
The art of effective listening is essential to clear communication, and clear communication is necessary to management success. James Cash Penney
As technology develops, so too must our communication skills. Business communications have become faster, more personal and more interactive than in times past. First, with increasing interactivity, listening – as a skill – has become critical to success in the workplace and to the success of an enterprise. Second, media has not just changed the way in which people communicate, it has changed audience expectations.
A study by Sypher, Bostrom and Seibert (1989) showed that listening is related to other communication abilities and to success at work. Better listeners held higher level positions and were promoted more often than those with less developed listening abilities. Developing an understanding of the role of listening in organizations can only serve to increase our knowledge of organizational communication in general and its relation to important individual and organizational outcomes.
Moreover, as society has become more immersed in all that technology and rich media have to offer, audiences have changed. People spend so much of their time in a media rich existence that offers dynamic, attractive, on-demand, and addictive content that they no longer have the tolerance for a boring presentation accompanied by PowerPoint slides that they once did. Audiences demand more—they crave a presentation that is easy to understand (yet substantive), very relevant, interactive, and media-rich. This mandate involves more than just incorporating media into the public presentation, it involves rethinking the whole public speaking process based on how media exposure has influenced the way audiences listen, think, and relate to information. (Waldeck, Durante, Helmuth, and Marcia, 2012).
Readings:
Read chapters 9 & 12 in the text.
Also of Interest:
Shilling, D. (Nov 9, 2012). 10 steps to effective listening. Forbes. Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/womensmedia /2012/11/09/10-steps-to-effective-listening/#725995de26fb
Sypher, B. D., Bostrom, R. N., & Seibert, J. H. (1989). Listening, communication abilities, and success at work. Journal of Business Communication, 26(4), 293-303.
Waldeck, J., Durante, C., Helmuth, B., & Marcia, B. (2012). Communication in a changing world: Contemporary perspectives on business communication competence. Journal of Education for Business, 87(4), 230-240. doi:10.1080/08832323.2011.608388
Assignment:
Discussion Board Post #3: How do social networks create value in a career management setting? How do social networks create value in an organizational setting? And, what are some ways that an organization can manage the social network to be more innovative? What are the characteristics of personal, operational and strategic networks? And, what is your network density?
