Interpersonal Communication & Leadership Part II

By Guest Blogger, Matthew Anderson Sr, CPL, MS

Anthony Robbins noted that ?to effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others? (Communication Quotes, n.d.).? This thought sets the stage for our discussion of the critical communication that occurs, verbal and non-verbal, between you and your boss. Harris, Wheeler, & Kacmar (2009) discuss the impacts of the leader-member exchange theory on well-being, job satisfaction, retention, promotion, and a litany of positive and negative outcomes.? Stated more directly, the interrelationship between you and your direct supervisor is a critical and important one, and the avenue for marketing, advertising, or communicating that relationship is described in the context of the leader-member exchange (pp. 371-372).? Your boss, supervisor, mentor, or leader develops a relationship with you based on the requirements of the organization, and the job description of the billet you were assessed to be employed. That is their stated role and responsibility, so what can you do to ensure effective ?interpersonal communication??

Building and Defining Employment Relationships

Communication is not solely the domain of the words you may speak; rather it is any form of discourse or expression that conveys meaning, acceptance, or may assist in building that all-important relationship between you and your boss.? Your stance, facial expression, word choice or use or punctuation, willingness and eagerness to accept an assignment (or otherwise); the list is endless but the point to be made is that they all constitute ?communication?.? And communication defines the relationship, which builds with each word and each expression, between you and your supervisor.? That relationship may define you as one of the ?in group?, whereby positive relations may gain you greater span of authority, responsibility and greater access to the boss, or the ?out group? who are provided lower levels of choice in their work assignments and greater control or constraints levied by the leader.

Communication and Building Trust

Freeman Teague stated that ?nothing is so simple that it cannot be misunderstood? and this is so true, but why?? I would like you to stop a moment and place yourself in your boss?s shoes and remember that the process of communication has essentially three steps: create the thought, concept, idea, expression of feelings, or information; send/delivery in an encoded format in symbols such as words, body posture, facial expression, or written words; and the receiver decodes or translates the symbols, concepts, or information?simple right?!

Degradation of the Signal

No it is not, and often it is misunderstood and misrepresented based on issues with translations, experiences and the many barriers to communication that we will discuss in more detail in future posts.? One may state that all communication from one human being to another suffers from degradation of intent and meaning.? So, essentially everything I say and do, and express is not received by my boss in the exact manner I intended?and yet my very livelihood, and my role and responsibility are based on communication! ?Epictetus noted that ?we have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak? (Communication Quotes, n.d.)? So perhaps, we may suggest that it is the total communication process with all of its varied means, modes, and venues which we require training, discipline, and attention in the modern-day employment work environment. Moreover we require focus and especial care and attention to the interpersonal communication that takes place routinely between the leader-member, or you and your boss (Herzberg et al., 1990, pp. 63-64)!

References:

Communication Quotes (n.d.) Finest Quotes. ?Retrieved March 15, 2012, from http://www.finestquotes.com/select_quote-category-Communication-page-0.htm#ixzz1pBxXrbei

Harris, K. J., Wheeler, A. R., & Kacmar, K. M. (2009). Leader-member exchange and empowerment: Direct and interactive effects on job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and performance. The Leadership Quarterly, 20(3), 371?382.

Herzberg, F., Manzoni, J. F., Barsoux, J. L., Walker, C. A., Buckingham, M., Kim, W. C., Mauborgne, R., et al. (1990). ?One more time: How do you motivate employees? Foundations of organizational communication: a reader, 98.

Source: http://www.oscareerandlife.com/2012/03/interpersonal-communication-leadership-part-ii/

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