Define and provide an example of paralanguage. Define and provide an example of body language.

Give two examples of biased language and indicate why they would be considered biased.

Biased language is words or actions that offend or stereotype others. Examples:  cleaning lady instead of cleaner. Also, chairman instead of chairperson.

146. Give an example of a communication freezer and indicate why it ends effective communication.

Communication freezers are words or phrases that put an end to effective communication by making the receiver feel judged or defensive. Examples include:

Telling the other person what to do: “You must…”

Threatening: “You had better…”

Judging the other person negatively: “You’re not thinking straight.”

147. Why is storytelling an important verbal communication skill?

Storytelling is important to the organization because it helps to establish common meanings for organization members. Stories clarify key values and indicate how tasks are to be performed. Story frequency, strength and tone are related to higher organizational commitment. Story telling on an individual level enhances interviewing skills.

148. Define a crucial conversation and give an example of it.

A crucial conversation is a discussion where the stakes are high and where opinions vary and emotions run strong. An example is during a performance evaluation where you might be asking for a raise.

149. Compare and contrast the uses for written and oral communication.

Written communication is printed messages. These include memos, proposals, e-mails, letters, training manuals, and operating policies. They may be printed on paper or appear on the screen. Written is asynchronous, which means that the message can be read at any time. Further, written communication can be read by many people, and can be constructed by many people in a collaborative fashion.  Written communication is better for conveying facts.

Oral communication takes place in person or over the phone. The verbal communication takes place in real time and is generally one on one. Verbal communication is a better way of conveying feelings. Oral communication is the most frequently used method of communication.

150. Define and provide an example of paralanguage.

Paralanguage is the tone, pace and volume of speech. The tone can change even with the same sentence thereby changing the meaning of the sentence. For example, if I say, “I did not tell the teacher you copied the problem,” you are implying that someone else might have told. Changing the emphasis to another word in the sentence, “I did NOT tell the teacher you copied the problem,” implies that this event did not occur.

151. Define and provide an example of body language.

Body language is a series of nonverbal cues that arise from use of various parts of the body. For example, eye contact when direct in the United States shows that you are interested and listening; when indirect that you are not really paying attention to the speaker.

152. Define proxemics and provide an example of it.

Proxemics is the study of the different kinds of space or distance between people and their meaning. For example, a space of 0 to 18 inches is called intimate space and is reserved for those who are very close to an individual. 1.5 feet to 5 feet is the personal distance, and 5 to 7 feet is the social distance.

153. Define an “information-rich” communication channel and provide an example of such a channel that is high in information richness.

Information-rich communication channels convey more nonverbal information in addition to the verbal or written information. A channel high in information richness is the face-to-face conversation.