Communication Climates
Chapter Eleven
Improving
Communication Climates
Cengage Learning. Looking Out, Looking In, 15th Edition © 2016. All rights reserved.
Looking Out, Looking In
1
Communication Climate and Confirming Messages
Communication climate: the emotional tone of a relationship
Levels of message confirmation
Confirming communication
Disconfirming communication
Cengage Learning. Looking Out, Looking In, 15th Edition © 2016. All rights reserved.
Communication Climate and Confirming Messages
Levels of message confirmation (continued)
Disconfirming messages
Impervious responses
Interrupting
Irrelevant responses
Tangential responses
Impersonal responses
Ambiguous responses
Incongruous responses
Cengage Learning. Looking Out, Looking In, 15th Edition © 2016. All rights reserved.
Communication Climate and Confirming Messages
Levels of message confirmation (continued)
Disagreeing messages
Aggressiveness
Complaining
Argumentativeness
Cengage Learning. Looking Out, Looking In, 15th Edition © 2016. All rights reserved.
Communication Climate and Confirming Messages
Levels of message confirmation (continued)
Confirming messages
Recognition
Acknowledgement
Endorsement
Cengage Learning. Looking Out, Looking In, 15th Edition © 2016. All rights reserved.
Communication Climate and Confirming Messages
How communication climates develop
Self-perpetuating spiral
Escalatory conflict spiral
De-escalatory conflict spiral
Cengage Learning. Looking Out, Looking In, 15th Edition © 2016. All rights reserved.
Defensiveness: Causes and Remedies
Face-threatening acts
Preventing defensiveness in others
Evaluation versus description
Control versus problem orientation
Strategy versus spontaneity
Neutrality versus empathy
Superiority versus equality
Certainty versus provisionalism
Cengage Learning. Looking Out, Looking In, 15th Edition © 2016. All rights reserved.
Saving Face
The assertive message format
Behavior
Interpretation
Feeling
Consequence
Intention
Cengage Learning. Looking Out, Looking In, 15th Edition © 2016. All rights reserved.
Saving Face
Using the assertive message format
Elements may be delivered in mixed order
Word the message to suit your personal style
Combine two elements in a single phrase if appropriate
Take your time delivering the message
Cengage Learning. Looking Out, Looking In, 15th Edition © 2016. All rights reserved.
Saving Face
Responding nondefensively to criticism
Seek more information
Ask for specifics
Guess about specifics
Paraphrase the speaker’s ideas
Ask what the critic wants
Ask about the consequences of your behavior
Ask what else is wrong
Cengage Learning. Looking Out, Looking In, 15th Edition © 2016. All rights reserved.
Saving Face
Responding nondefensively to criticism (continued)
Agree with the critic
Agree with the facts
Agree with the critic’s perception
Cengage Learning. Looking Out, Looking In, 15th Edition © 2016. All rights reserved.