Chapter 12 Chapter overview

Interpersonal effectiveness is essential on the job. Employers consider communication to be the most important skill a job candidate can possess. Interpersonal relationships in the workplace differ in a number of ways. We use communication within our professional roles formally, through official and established channels, and we communicate informally, based on friendships, shared personal or career interests, and proximity. Formal communication can be upward, where subordinates communicate with their bosses; downward, where managers address their subordinates; and horizontal, which occurs among colleagues without direct supervisor-subordinate relationships. Informal communication can supplement formal messages by confirming, contradicting, expanding upon, or circumventing them. Both communication types can be positive or negative depending on the climate, and typically we must move between formal and informal interactions.

Work groups can be defined as three or more people who have ongoing interactions with each other and who depend upon and support each other in order to accomplish a goal. Teams are specialized types of work groups which have very specific tasks and often have a strong sense of collective identity. There are several advantages of working in groups and teams. Group approaches tend to be best when time is available for deliberation, a number of individuals have a stake in the outcome, and the task is complicated and requires a broad range of knowledge and skills. When a group has synergy, it can produce creative results that integrate several individuals’ ideas. Groups also have the potential to be more accurate in their work and more committed to the outcome. Disadvantages of groups include the amount of time it may take to complete tasks, groupthink—when critical thinking is suspended to achieve agreement in a group—and social loafing. Most of the time, success of the group depends on the personal skills of its members. It is important to have skills that are both task-oriented and people-oriented (relational roles). Most groups go through a predictable series of stages which include orientation, conflict, emergence, and reinforcement.

Work cultures exist among entire organizations and smaller groups within them. The cultures of groups involve many dimensions of communication, such as sociability, distribution of power, tolerance of new ideas, ways of managing conflict, and emotional support. Mediated relationships are also becoming more essential. Virtual teams can be effective ways to work across borders and time zones, but it is important to establish trust and a positive communication climate.

There are several types of leadership that exist in groups and organizations, including designated leaders, emergent leaders, and distributed leadership. Research suggests many factors important to leadership can be learned, such as empathy, confidence, and humour. Power is the potential to influence an individual or group. There are five bases of social power: legitimate, expert, reward, coercive, and referent power. Each type of power has its advantages and disadvantages. The best leaders value and respect the diversity of their colleagues and ensure that everyone can maintain their individuality and uniqueness while at the same time being part of the whole. An inclusive workplace allows members to feel safe, involved, respected, influential, and authentic and recognizes, attends to, and honours diversity.

Advancing your career involves identifying and cultivating your networks, keeping your online profile professional, and persisting through setbacks. You also need to prepare for employment interviews. Interviews have several qualities that distinguish them from other types of conversation: they have purpose, structure, control, and a specific balance of participation. To make an interview successful, both the interviewee and interviewer have responsibilities before, during, and after the interview process. The chapter outlines principles that can help you demonstrate effective interpersonal and communication skills and lead to greater success in an interview.