COMMUNICATION IS KEY TO RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

There are many types of communication networks that people can interact through.  In the Wheel, all communication flows through one central person, who is probably the group’s leader.  The Y is slightly less centralized; two people are centralized, hierarchical.  The Chain offers a more even flow of information among members, although two people are close to the center

Forms of informal communication include that you may or may not follow official reporting relationships and or prescribed organizational channels.  It may ay have nothing to do with official organizational business, but promote a strong culture and enhance employee understanding of how the organization works.

A Grapevine is an informal communication network that can permeate an organization.  A gossip chain is when one person spreads the message to many other people.  A cluster chain is one person passes the information to a selected few individuals.

Management by Wandering Around is when managers keep in touch with what’s going on by wandering around and talking to people on all levels in the organization.  Informal Interchanges is the use of informal exchanges among employees that take place outside the normal work setting; promotes a strong culture and enhance understanding of how the organization works.

Nonverbal communication is any communication exchanges that don’t use words or uses words to carry more meaning that the strict definition of the words themselves.  Much of the content of a message may be transmitted by facial expression alone or other message content is derived from inflection and tone of the voice.  Only a small portion of the message content is due to the words in the message.

• Images-the kinds of words people elect to use to give emphasis and affect what they say
• Settings-boundaries, familiarity, home turf are symbols of power and influence
• Body language-how people of different cultures and backgrounds physically position themselves and react to the stance and body movements of others

Barriers to effective communication

An individual can have conflicting or inconsistent signals, credibility about the subject, reluctance to communicate, and poor listening skills, predispositions about the subject.  Organizational can be based on Semantics, status or power differences, different perceptions, noise, overload, language differences.

How to manage organizational communication:

Develop good listening skills.  By encouraging two-way communication, it allows the receiver to ask questions, request clarification, and express opinions that let the sender know whether he or she has been understood.  Be aware of language and meaning, maintain credibility, be sensitive to the receiver’s perspective, and be sensitive to the sender’s perspective.

Organizational:

Follow up, regulate information flows-no overload, and understand the richness of media (face to face vs. written).

Active listening guidelines are intended to help the receiver and communicator clearly and fully understand the message sent.  Maintain attention, use restatement, show empathy, using direct probes, encourage suggestions, and synchronize the interaction.

Steps on using supportive communication:

Describe objectively the event, behavior or circumstance-avoid accusations, present data or evidence.  Focus on the behavior and your reaction, not on the other person’s attributes to describe reactions and feelings, describe the objective consequences that have resulted or will result.  Focus on solutions to avoid discussing who’s right or wrong, suggest an acceptable alternative, and be open to other alternatives.

Your free-flowing, sequential memories remind me of stream-of-consciousness writing by the “counter-culture” of the 60s.  Great fun to write with little concern for standard syntax, proper names and balanced characterizations.

Seems like the best option for you is Transitional Membership (which I didn’t even know existed till now…). You receive all the same benefits as being a professional member but it’s a LOT cheaper.

Check out this link; it has all the info you need: http://www.iabc.com/student/membership/transitional.htm

On your application, you’ll want to indicate you’re applying to be a transitional member to the IABC Atlanta chapter.

Once you’ve got all your stuff filled out and you become a professional member, you’ll start getting all the emails from IABC Atlanta about all of their meetings and events.

http://www.small-business-social-media.com/support-files/smm-25reasons.pdf

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