The Five Myths of Managers

The Five Myths of Managers
By Ed Robertson

There are five commonly held misconceptions about communication. These "myths" have a strong influence on how management not only view communication, but, more importantly, how they mis-manage the communication process inside their organizations.

Until these myths are exposed as false beliefs that obstruct true communication, managers will continue to repeat the same mistakes that have historically plagued organizations.

Click on one of the following items to dispel the misconceptions about organizational communication.

Myth #1 - Words Contain Meaning
Myth #2 - Communication and information are synonymous
Myth #3 - Communication doesn't require much effort
Myth #4 - Communication is a product
Myth #5 - Good speakers are good communicators

Myth #1 - Words Contain Meaning
Don't we wish it were that simple, that every time we said a word, the same picture we have in our mind would appear in the other person's mind. The fact that refutes this misconception about communication is that meaning resides in the minds of people. Words are merely cues or triggers that elicit meaning. All of us have our own personal meanings for words because we filter them through our varied frames of reference that originate in our widely divergent experiences and backgrounds.

I once asked a group of Canadian managers what came into their minds when I said "dog," People answered with pet names and obviously with the predictable answer: "cat." Then one participant blurted out "Georgia!" Having never heard this response before, I asked him why he associated the term "dog" with a state hundreds of miles across the border. His explanation was a real eye-opener for the other managers and myself on the enormous semantic variation in our language. What the manager heard from my utterance was not the word "dog" as it is commonly pronounced in Canada. My southern dialect and his intense interest in college football created in his mind the word "dawg." The mascot for the University of Georgia is the bulldog whose name in slang is articulated on bumper stickers and among chanting fans in the slogan "Go Dawgs."

Managers should never be so naive as to assume that because they said or wrote the words, their employee listeners grasped the meaning of their statements. That's why soliciting feedback is such an important communication skill for managers to learn and use in their interpersonal interactions.

Myth #2 - Communication and information are synonymous
Information is not the same as communication and communication is not the same as information. Many managers interchange the two words with little awareness of the vast semantic distance that separates them. Information is the raw product that is used in the communication process to create an output or result which is shared understanding and meaning. Information is not made meaningful to another person until it is processed. The mere act of disseminating information is not an adequate substitute for communicating.

Communication is a much more sophisticated process than transmitting or disseminating information because it seeks to produce a cognitive, and/or emotional, result and then determine how well it was achieved by acquiring feedback from the listener/receiver. Therefore, the feedback channel is an essential component of the communication process. In other words, "if it hasn't got feedback, it isn't communication."

Myth #3 - Communication doesn't require much effort
Poor, inaccurate, or ineffective communication don't require much effort. To truly communicate one must make a commitment to invest time, energy, attention and, above all, let go of some "self" in the interest of sharing understanding and meaning with another individual. As Stephen Covey states, "seek first to understand then to be understood." Communication between people who value their relationship is not a competitive sport where someone wins and someone loses. I like to think of communication as something you do with someone for the mutual benefit of both parties, rather than for the benefit of one.

The way in which managers communicate can make employees feel supported and affirmed or it can make them feel defensive and unappreciated. Think about this for a moment: "The act of communicating is communication." Managers can become so focused on the message or content in a communication that they lose sight of the importance of the method by which they are interacting. Managers should never underestimate the powerful effect affirming communication skills have on employees' attitudes, which can cultivate a climate of supportiveness in the organization.

Myth #4 - Communication is a product
Some managers view communication as a physical commodity like products manufactured on an assembly line. This pervasive false perception is perhaps the biggest impediment to improving communication in most organizations. Managers tend to be easily misled by what they see communication professionals "producing" in the form of publications and electronic media. They see these communication products as "the communications" in the company. Notice that when the term "communication" is made plural it automatically becomes a noun. And we all know that nouns describe things made of matter like newsletters, magazines, videos and this article.

What happens, if no one tells them differently, is that managers begin believing that when the message has been sent, in one of these communication vehicles, communication has occurred. How many times have you heard a manager say "let's get the word out" when giving the command to communicate? In this case "the word" represents the message produced in printed or audio visual formats that will appear in the corporate media.

One small, but very big, way we can stop perpetuating the "communication is a product" myth is by changing the corporate vernacular. By creating new terminology about communication that reduces management's over-reliance on making media and increases talk about improving the communication process, we can signal that our role and theirs need some upgrading. For example, the next time someone asks you what you do in your department, instead of saying "we publish the company newspaper" or "we produce the corporate videos" consider saying "we help management ensure that the communication process is working in the company." The more managers come to realize that communication is a process that is either working or not, the more likely they will see themselves as managers of that process.

Myth #5 - Good speakers are good communicators
From birth we are taught to talk. Our early "communication training" in school through to our formal training is almost totally focused on teaching us how to create and send messages, not receive them. Is it any wonder that when we become adults and enter the workplace where we must interact with others, we find ourselves asking why so many misunderstandings occur? Why are working relationships so weak? And why is getting work done through others more difficult than it should be?

Managers who are effective communicators and good listeners make good leaders. The reason listening is such a powerful communication skill is because it produces double dividends. It not only increases a manager's chances of accurately understanding what employees are saying, it also builds positive relationships with them. When managers listen to their employees they demonstrate their respect for them and their ideas.

Good listeners aren't born. Listening skills can be taught. One simple way managers can begin to be better listeners is by starting to give more verbal feedback to employees. Managers should paraphrase in their own words what they hear employees saying and then ask if their interpretations are accurate. Again, it's the observable act of listening that strengthens the manager/employee relationship.

Biography
Ed Robertson retired in April 2001 as manager, employee communication at FedEx after 25 years with the firm. He joined Western Kentucky University Department of Communication in August 2001 where, as professional in residence, he teaches courses in organizational communication and works with business leaders to help bridge the gap between communication scholastics and practices.


This article was taken from Strategic Communication Management.