Communicatingatwork.pdf

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TM

Communicating
at Work

Strategies for Success in
Business and the Professions

Eleventh Edition

Ronald B. Adler
Santa Barbara City College, Emeritus

Jeanne Elmhorst
Central New Mexico Community College

Kristen Lucas
University of Louisville

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TM

COMMUNICATING AT WORK

Published by McGraw-Hill, a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas,
New York, NY, 10020. Copyright © 2013 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in
the United States of America. Previous editions © 2010, 2008, 2005, 2002, 1999, 1996, 1992, 1989, 1986, and
1983. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a
database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., including,
but not limited to, in any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning.

Some ancillaries, including electronic and print components, may not be available to customers outside the
United States.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 DOW/DOW 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

ISBN: 978-0-07-803680-4
MHID: 0-07-803680-1

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All credits appearing at the end of the book are considered to be an extension of the copyright page.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Adler, Ronald B. (Ronald Brian), 1946-
Communicating at work : strategies for success in business and the professions / Ronald B. Adler, Jeanne
Marquardt Elmhorst, Kristen Lucas.—11th ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-07-803680-4 (softcover : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-07-803680-1 (softcover : alk. paper)
1. Business communication. 2. Interpersonal communication. I. Elmhorst, Jeanne Marquardt.
II. Lucas, Kristen. III. Title.
HF5718.A33 2013
658.495—dc23
2012033867

The Internet addresses listed in the text were accurate at the time of publication. The inclusion of a website does
not indicate an endorsement by the authors or McGraw-Hill, and McGraw-Hill does not guarantee the accuracy
of the information presented at these sites.
www.mhhe.com

Ronald B. Adler, Jeanne Elmhorst, Kristen Lucas, Communicating at Work, 11e

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Ronald B. Adler is professor emeritus at Santa Barbara City College.
Throughout his career, he has specialized in the study of organizational
and interpersonal communication. He is the author of Confidence in
Communication: A Guide to Assertive and Social Skills and coauthor of
Understanding Human Communication, Interplay: The Process of Interpersonal
Communication, as well as the widely used text Looking Out/Looking In.
Professor Adler is a consultant for a number of corporate, professional, and
government clients and leads workshops in such areas as conflict resolution,
presentational speaking, team building, and interviewing.

about the authors

Jeanne Elmhorst is an instructor in communication studies at Central New
Mexico Community College in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her courses reflect
the variety in the communication discipline: business and professional, public
speaking, listening, intercultural, and interpersonal. Jeanne lived and taught in
Asia for three years and continues to find opportunities to travel, study, and
volunteer in other countries. She enjoys designing and presenting communica-
tion training for business and not-for-profit clients.

Kristen Lucas is an assistant professor in the Department of Management
at University of Louisville, where she directs the business communication
program. She teaches courses, conducts research, and facilitates management
training sessions on organizational communication, workplace dignity, and
careers. Her research has appeared in Journal of Business Ethics, Management
Communication Quarterly, and Journal of Applied Communication Research.

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• NEW Interviewing Materials Appendix. A new section on interviewing materials (Appendix I) prepares
students for informational and employment interviews with sample strategies, questions, and responses for
a positive interviewing experience.

• The latest coverage of communication technology. Both the text and Technology Tip sidebars show
students how to use the latest communication technology to enhance career success. For additional coverage,
a new module on using computer-mediated communication in a business environment is available in
McGraw-Hill Create. Visit www.mcgrawhillcreate.com .

• Streamlined chapters for improved teaching and learning. With thoughtful edits and a reorganized
chapter structure, the eleventh edition is designed to provide optimal coverage of material in fewer
chapters.

• Added coverage of important topics. Throughout the text, new research is cited to demonstrate that
the principles and strategies covered are based on far more than just “common sense.” Coverage has been
added or expanded on a variety of important topics, including dignity in the workplace, incivility and
workplace bullying, effective meeting management, listening styles, and more.

NEW Culture at Work
Sidebars

Throughout the text, these boxes
highlight the ways which culture
applies to every aspect of business
and professional communication.
Topics covered include the risks
of poor translations, negotiating
styles in Asia and the West, how
teamwork differs in individualis-
tic and collectivist cultures, and
adapting presentations to cultur-
ally diverse audiences.

Collaboration in Cyberspace:
Geography Makes a Difference
How important is communication when members
from across the country and around the world meet
in cyberspace? To answer this question, corporate
giants Verizon and Microsoft commissioned a study
to determine how virtual teams in a variety of indus-
tries and countries collaborate.

The study revealed that the importance of col-
laboration on performance was consistent across
various industries (e.g., health care, government,
financial services, manufacturing) and around the
world. As one member of the Verizon/Microsoft
study remarked, “global companies that collaborate
better, perform better. Those that collaborate less, do
not perform as well. It’s just that simple.”

Researchers discovered cultural differences in
workers’ communication preferences. For example,
Americans were more likely to enjoy working alone.
They expressed a preference for using e-mail rather

than the telephone. They were more comfortable
with audio, video, and web conferencing technolo-
gies than people of other regions of the world, and
they were more likely to multitask when on confer-
ence calls.

Europeans expressed a preference for commu-
nicating in real time with colleagues. They felt more
obligated to answer the phone, and they expected
others to call them back rather than leave a voice
mail message. Professionals in the Asia-Pacific region,
more than anywhere else, expressed a desire to keep
in touch throughout the workday. As a result they
found the phone an indispensable tool and preferred
instant messaging to e-mail. Differences like these
show teams are more productive when members take
cultural differences into account when planning to
communicate.

Source: Frost & Sullivan. (2006). Meetings around the world: The
impact of collaboration on business performance. Retrieved from http://
newscenter.verizon.com/kit/collaboration/MAW_WP.pdf

CULTURE�at work

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Updated Case Study
Sidebars

New cases from large
corporations, small businesses,
world of business, and the
professions offer compelling
examples of how the principles in
the book operate in everyday life.

Device-Free Meetings
It’s no surprise that meeting-goers in high-tech envi-
ronments like California’s Silicon Valley often bring
along and use digital communication devices—laptops,
smartphones, tablets, and a host of other gad gets that
keep attendees in touch with the outside world.

Multitasking device users suffer from what one
observer calls “continual partial attention.” An indus-
try insider describes the problem: “One of my biggest
frustrations when I was an engineer at Google was
being summoned to an executive meeting only to
find three-quarters of the executives too busy with
their laptops. I’d spend hours preparing a summary
of my project status, a briefing on a new strategy area,
or a review of staffing assignments. Nothing commu-
nicates disrespect to your reports like ignoring them
when they’re with you.”

In an effort to stem this problem, a growing
number of firms in the information economy and

beyond have declared a ban on mobile devices in
meetings. For example, San Francisco design firm
Adaptive Path encourages staffers to leave their
laptops and other devices behind when they attend
meetings. John Vars, cofounder of San Francisco’s
Dogster.com , explains the logic of his company’s pol-
icy on device-free meetings: “Even if people are just
taking notes, they are not giving the natural human
signals that they are listening to the person who is
speaking. It builds up resentment. It can become
something that inhibits good teamwork.”

The results of these device-free meetings are
encouraging. Dogster’s Vars reports, “Meetings go
quicker and there is also just a shared experience.
People are communicating better, the flow is faster.”

Sources: Guynn, J. (2008, March 31). Silicon meetings go ‘topless’.
Los Angeles Times, p. A1; Rands. (2007, August 31). The laptop her-
ring [Web log post]. Rands in repose. Retrieved from http://www.
randsinrepose.com/archives/2007/08/31/the_laptop_herring.html

case STUDY

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Hallmark Features
• Practical, real-world guidance. Loaded with practical, real-world examples, Communicating at Work

is known for its accessible and no-nonsense writing style and features that help students consider the
application of the concepts and skills they are learning.

Successfully Navigating Job Fairs
Job fairs offer the chance to network with employ-
ers and to secure job interviews, sometimes on
the spot. In this respect, job fairs serve as initial
interviews.

Some job fairs are set on college and university
campuses, where employers look for graduating
students. Community fairs are open to the public at
large. Some target a specific field such as health care
or engineering, while others offer a diverse array of
organizations and fields.

Before you go

● Ask yourself what will make you stand out from
the hundred people a recruiter might see in
a day.

● Gain a competitive edge by learning about the
employers that interest you. Learn what posi-
tions they are hiring for and what qualifica-
tions are required. If possible, discover whether
companies will be conducting job interviews
at the fair or soon thereafter. You may be able
to discover this sort of information from the
career fair. Contact the company and you may
be able to find out whether the person at the
table is doing the hiring or if a human resources
representative screens for quality candidates to
recommend.

● Rehearse your “elevator” speech so you can
present yourself clearly and professionally. (See
Chapter 1, p. 21.) Bring copies of both your
generic résumé and customized versions for posi-
tions you will be seeking. Dress conservatively
and professionally.

● Carry a briefcase (a shoulder strap leaves your
hands free for handshakes and writing notes)
with a professional portfolio that you can easily
pull out to retrieve résumés and letters of recom-
mendation. Pack tissues and breath mints.

At the fair

● Arrive early. Spend a few minutes getting a feel
for the way the fair operates. Is the atmosphere
formal or informal?

● Don’t ever ASK what an employer does. KNOW
before you go.

● Manage your time efficiently: Approach your
second-tier choices first to “warm up” so you are
confident when approaching your first choices.
Some employers pack up an hour or so before
the designated closing time, so don’t wait until
the last minute.

● If you must stand in line, use that time to talk
with other candidates: Find out what they’ve
found about employers and positions.

● Approach the company’s representative with
confidence: “Hello. I’m Janya Greer. I’m a jour-
nalism and English major, and I’m interested in
the writing positions.” Remember, you are being
evaluated from the moment you make contact.

● Always think about how your career objectives
and qualifications meet the employer’s needs.
Have specific questions that show you’ve done
your homework.

● Ask for the business card of anyone you speak with.

After the fair

● For employers who look like a good match, fol-
low up with a phone call or e-mail to express
thanks and confirm your interest.

● Remind the person where you met, what you talked
about, and about your skills and qualifications.
Add any information you neglected to mention at
the job fair. Express your interest in learning more
about the fit between you and the organization.

Source: University of New Mexico Career Center. Retrieved from
http://www.collegegrad.com and www.career.unm.edu

CAREER tip

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Career Guidance

Career Tip boxes give
practical advice on how
to be more successful in
work-related situations.
Topics include get-
ting recognized by your
bosses, cubicle etiquette,
difference as advantage,
and using a telephone log.

• Appendices on business presentations and business writing. An appendix with sample presentations
(Appendix II) covers both informative and persuasive speeches with exemplary outlines, visuals, and
helpful annotations. An appendix on business writing (Appendix III) includes tips for writing well in a
business environment, as well as information on choosing the best format for résumés and
job applications.

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Persuasive Strategies Self-Assessment

Rate your presentation on the following items using this scale: 3  5  accomplished excellently,
2  5  accomplished competently, 1  5  needs improvement.
1. I maximized my credibility by
a. Demonstrating my competence through knowledge of the topic and sharing my

credentials.
b. Earning the trust of my audience via honesty and impartiality.
2. I structured my arguments logically by
a. Using the most effective organization plan for my goal and audience (problem–

solution, criteria satisfaction, comparative advantages, motivated sequence).
b. Avoiding the use of logical fallacies (ad hominem, post hoc, etc.).
3. I used appropriate psychological strategies such as
a. Appealing to my audience’s needs.
b. Structuring a realistic goal.
c. Focusing my appeals on my critical audience segment.
d. Deferring my thesis with a hostile audience.
e. Presenting ample evidence to support my claims .
f. Citing opposing ideas when appropriate.
g. Adapting to the cultural style of my audience.

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Self-Assessment

Self-Assessment features help
students see how well they are
applying concepts and identify
their own communication
strengths and weaknesses.

Avoiding Computer Catastrophes
in Presentations
When you use computers as presentational aids,
you can count on an equipment failure sooner or
later. The following tips can minimize the chances
that hardware or software glitches will scuttle your
performance.

● Set up in advance. Give yourself lots of time to
set up and test your equipment before the pre-
sentation is scheduled to begin. The last thing
you want your audience to see is you frantically
rebooting the computer, swapping cables, and
trying to troubleshoot software.

● Always bring two of everything. Assume your
equipment will fail because it certainly will at
some time. Borrow backups for laptop comput-
ers, display panels or projectors, modems, and
any other hardware you plan to use.

● Back up your programs. Having your work saved
on a CD, flash drive, or some other storage
medium can salvage a catastrophe. You might
also want to e-mail a copy of your files to yourself
as another form of backup.

● Have backup technical support available. Line up
an expert you can call if something doesn’t work.

● Beware of the Web. Real-time use of the Internet
is an invitation to disaster. Connections can be
slow, and websites can go down without notice.
Whenever possible, it’s best to store images of
sites you will use on your hard drive and/or on a
backup medium: CD, DVD, or flash drive.

● Have a contingency plan. Be prepared for the pos-
sibility your equipment will fail. Have copies of
key exhibits prepared as handouts. They may not
be as glamorous as high-tech displays, but they’re
far better than nothing.

TECHNOLOGY tip

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Evolving Technology

Technology Tip boxes show
readers how to use a variety
of communication tools to
achieve their goals. New topics
include professional networking
services such as LinkedIn,
when it can be best to go
offline, using smartphones to
rehearse presentations, valuable
communication software, and
tips on working in virtual teams.

Ethical Considerations

Throughout the text
and in Ethical Challenge
boxes, students are
invited to consider ways
of incorporating ethical
considerations into day-to-
day work contexts.

Asking Hard Questions about Ethical
Behavior
Among its core values, electronics manufacturer
Texas Instruments (TI) includes a respect for indi-
viduals, a commitment to long-term relationships, a
concern for the environment, and a sense of duty to
the communities where it does business.

TI encourages employees to use the following
guidelines whenever they have a concern about
whether a business action is consistent with the
company’s values. This information is provided
to TI employees on a business-card-size mini-
pamphlet to carry with them. You can use the same

guidelines when faced with ethical challenges of
your own.

Is the action legal?
Does it comply with our values?
If you do it, will you feel bad?
How will it look in the newspaper?
If you know it’s wrong, don’t do it!
If you’re not sure, ask.
Keep asking until you get an answer.

Source: Texas Instruments, Inc. (2011). Corporate social responsibility:
The TI ethics quick test. Retrieved from http://www.ti.com/corp/docs/
company/citizen/ethics/quicktest.shtml

ETHICAL challenge

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• Diversity. Working with people from different backgrounds is more important and more common than ever.
Communicating at Work encourages cultural understanding by exploring issues of diversity throughout the text.

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preface

The eleventh edition enhances the strategic approach, real-world practicality, and reader-
friendly voice that have made Communicating at Work the market leader for three dec-
ades. On every page, students learn how to communicate in ways that enhance their own
career success and help their organization operate effectively.

This edition retains the features that have been praised by faculty and students: a
strong emphasis on ethical communication, focus on cultural diversity, discussions of
evolving communication technologies, self-assessment tools to help users analyze their
own communication strengths and shortcomings, and coverage of communication in
face-to-face and mediated contexts.

Highlights of the Eleventh Edition
• NEW Connect Communication. Communicating at Work is available to instruc-

tors and students in traditional print format, as well as online within an integrated
assignment and assessment platform. These online tools, collectively called Connect
Communication, make managing assignments easier for instructors—and make
learning and studying more motivating and efficient for students.

• NEW LearnSmart. No two students are alike. McGraw-Hill LearnSmart™ is an intelligent learning system that uses a series of adaptive questions to pinpoint each
student’s knowledge gaps. LearnSmart then provides an optimal learning path for
each student, so less time is spent in areas the student already knows and more time
in areas the student doesn’t know. The result is LearnSmart’s adaptive learning
path helps students retain more knowledge, learn faster, and study more efficiently.

NEW Speech Prep App

McGraw-Hill’s new Speech Prep App is a mobile tool designed to help
users build confidence in their public speaking skills through practice.
Users can view sample speech clips; create and organize note cards; and
time, record, and review their own speeches. Students can continue to use
the app after they complete their public speaking course—it will come in
handy for any speech they have to give in their personal and professional
life. Go to www.mhhe.com/speechprep to purchase the App for Apple
or Android devices.

• Enhanced speech capture. Designed for use in face-to-face, real-time
classrooms, as well as online courses, enhanced speech capture in Connect
Communication allows instructors to evaluate student speeches using fully
customizable rubrics. Instructors can also create
and manage true peer review assignments and upload videos on behalf of
students for optimal flexibility.

• Enhanced strategic focus. The new subtitle of this edition reflects
an enhanced focus on communicating strategically. Every chapter offers spe-
cific tips on how to craft messages and relate to others in ways that achieve
desired results. Each part is introduced with a Strategic Case that provides
an example from the business world to illustrate chapter concepts. Connect
activities based around the feature allow for further analysis.

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Chapter-by-Chapter Changes

Chapter 1
New focus on personal networking and cultural networking differences; new Technology
Tip and Case Study boxes.

Chapter 2
Streamlined and updated section on corporate culture; enhanced coverage of categories
of diversity.

Chapter 3
Updated content on listening styles; updated Self-Assessment feature based on cutting-edge
research.

Chapter 4
Enhanced section on language and identity management; new Career Tip features on
touch and swearing; new Case Study on language and catastrophe.

Chapter 5
New sections on workplace dignity, bullying, and incivility; restructured section on sexual
harassment that focuses on avoiding and responding to those issues.

Chapter 6
New streamlined chapter on interviewing; updated coverage of responding to illegal
interview questions.

Chapter 7
New section on leader–member relations and Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) theory;
new Case Study on teamwork.

Chapter 8
Updated and revised section on agendas, including coordinated samples of goals, agendas,
and minutes; revised discussion of problem solving and brainstorming.

Chapter 9
New examples of opening statements; revised discussion of speech analysis to include
cultural factors.

Chapter 10
Updated examples of support materials; new Culture at Work feature.

Chapter 11
Updated Technology Tip on using smartphones to analyze speech delivery; revised tips for
using notes in a speech.

Chapter 12
New Case Study about online training; enhanced coverage of ethical persuasion.

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ix

Teaching and Learning with Communicating at Work
An array of resources makes teaching and learning both more efficient and more effective.

Create
Design your ideal course materials with McGraw-
Hill’s Create — www.mcgrawhillcreate.com! Rearrange
or omit chapters, combine material from other sources,
and/or upload your syllabus, or any other content you have written, to make the perfect
resources for your students. Search thousands of leading McGraw-Hill textbooks to find
the best content for your students, and then arrange it to fit your teaching style. You can
even personalize your book’s appearance by selecting the cover and adding your name,
school, and course information. When you a Create book, you receive a compli-
mentary review copy. Get a printed copy in 3 to 5 business days or an electronic copy
(eComp) via e-mail in about an hour.

Register today at www.mcgrawhillcreate.com and craft your course resources to
match the way you teach.

Tegrity Campus
Tegrity Campus is a service that makes class time
available all the time by automatically capturing
every lecture in a searchable format for students to
review when they study and complete assignments. With a simple one-click start and stop
process, you can capture all computer screens and corresponding audio. Students replay
any part of any class with easy-to-use browser-based viewing on a PC or Mac.

Educators know that the more students can see, hear, and experience class resources,
the better they learn. With Tegrity Campus, students quickly recall key moments by using
Tegrity Campus’s unique search feature. This search helps students efficiently find what
they need, when they need it, across an entire semester of class recordings. Help turn all
your students’ study time into learning moments immediately supported by your lecture.

To learn more about Tegrity, watch a two-minute Flash demo at http://tegrity
campus.mhhe.com.

Online Learning Center
The Online Learning Center at www.mhhe.com/adler11e has been thoroughly updated
and improved by Carolyn Clark of Salt Lake Community College. The site provides
instructors with additional resources, including:

• The Instructor’s Manual incorporates tools for both new and experienced instruc-
tors including: learning objectives, chapter summaries, discussion launchers, class-
room activities, and additional resources.

• PowerPoint Slides for each chapter.
• The Test Bank offers multiple-choice, true or false, and essay questions for each

…