Page 17 - Communication in Organizations Basic Skills and Conversation Models

Communication in organizations 6

Part I is structured as follows. In Chapter 1 we discuss the regulating skills. This is
followed by the listening skills in Chapter 2. Then in Chapter 3 the assertive skills are
dealt with.
With the help of the basic communication skills, all different types of conversations
can be held. Whether a selection interview, a job evaluation, a negotiation or a meeting is
involved, it is always important that members of staff direct the conversation as well as
possible, listen to what others have to say attentively and put across their own opinion
and intention as clearly as possible. In other words, acquisition and a thorough command
of the skills discussed in these three chapters is necessary to be able to hold the different
types of conversation which will be discussed in Part II and Part III.
Before we elaborate further on these skills, we would like to pay some attention to the
general understanding of the concept ‘skill’. According to Collins Dictionary skill means:
‘quickness, swiftness; 2) dexterity, proficiency, adroitness’. The concept—as we mean
it—is best described by the second definition. At the same time we would like to stress
that skills training not only means teaching a few tricks, but also being able to choose as
functionally as possible from a ‘repertoire of skills’. By ‘functionally’ we mean that the
application of the skills contributes as much as possible to the realization of the goals of
the particular conversation.

Practical example

On Monday morning Food and Beverage Manager Harry Haddock is leafing through his
diary to see how the week’s schedule looks: this afternoon the first of two weekly staff
meetings with both directors; tomorrow morning a consultation with the headwaiters
about the party next week for a computer company; then two days at a conference in
Liverpool about sickness absence. So this week it will be impossible to spend a morning
calmly sitting down and preparing a conversation with Alex Armstrong and Charlotte
Cohen about the terrible history of the new temporary waiters.
Chef Bert Berman asks where Dan Diamond is hanging out. ‘Sick’ is the answer.
Good heavens, is that man sick on Monday morning again? How should he approach
this? That bloke has got to go if it continues like this, which is a shame as he’s a good
assistant. But you must be able to depend on a bloke. Should he go and talk to him?
Grace Green faces Ronald Rosenthal with it: ‘Ronald we must have a talk about the
personnel day. When can we talk about it? It’s not going so well.’
Freddy Fortune to Gerald Glass: ‘Gerald, are you having that meeting with the guy
from the kitchen factory this afternoon? Can you come by this morning as I want to have
a word about the payment conditions. Maybe we can make them a little more flexible.’
In the secretary’s office disaster has struck. Jenny Jacobson says to her colleagues:
‘How is it possible that first thing on Monday morning it’s such chaos? Are there people
sick, are we overworked, or are we just too slow? Mr Fortune wants to see the minutes of
the yearly meeting this afternoon. I can’t tell him they’re not ready yet. We have to talk.’
All these examples make it clear that conversations are essential in a lot of processes,
and finally for the success of the organization.