Communication ClimateCommunication Climate

Tamara ArringtonTamara Arrington

COM 252COM 252

UK & BCTCUK & BCTC

Today we’ll talk about…Today we’ll talk about…

• What is a communication climate?What is a communication climate?

• Disconfirming & confirming Disconfirming & confirming messagesmessages

• DefensivenessDefensiveness

• Supporting behaviorsSupporting behaviors

• Your response to criticismYour response to criticism

Is this what the communication in your relationships is like?

Or, is this more like it?

What is a communication What is a communication climate?climate?• The term The term communication climatecommunication climate refers refers

to the emotional or social tone of a to the emotional or social tone of a relationship.relationship.

• It involves the way people feel about each It involves the way people feel about each other.other.

• It is a relational climate.It is a relational climate.• Communication climates affects/reflects Communication climates affects/reflects

relationships.relationships.• Every context has a climate – this class, Every context has a climate – this class,

your workplace, and your home.your workplace, and your home.

Communication Climates Communication Climates and Conflictand Conflict

• Communication climate is an Communication climate is an extremely significant factor when extremely significant factor when people have conflicts.people have conflicts.

Factors That Affect The Factors That Affect The Communication ClimateCommunication Climate

• Disconfirming and confirming Disconfirming and confirming messagesmessages

• DefensivenessDefensiveness

• Your response Your response to criticismto criticism

Confirming and Confirming and Disconfirming Disconfirming

CommunicationCommunicationDeveloping positive and Developing positive and

negative communication negative communication climatesclimates

Confirming CommunicationConfirming Communication

• Messages that convey valuing other Messages that convey valuing other peoplepeople

• Recognition (making contact)Recognition (making contact)

• Acknowledgment (listening)Acknowledgment (listening)

• Endorsement (agreement)Endorsement (agreement)

Disconfirming Disconfirming CommunicationCommunication• Messages show lack of regard for Messages show lack of regard for

otherother

• Verbal aggression & verbal abuseVerbal aggression & verbal abuse

• ComplainingComplaining

• InterruptingInterrupting

• Impervious responses Impervious responses (ignoring other person’s (ignoring other person’s attempt to communicate)attempt to communicate)

What is What is Defensiveness?Defensiveness?

• Protecting oneself from attackProtecting oneself from attack

• Increased defensiveness Increased defensiveness creates/reflects negative creates/reflects negative communication climates.communication climates.

• Decreased defensiveness Decreased defensiveness creates/reflects more positive creates/reflects more positive communication climates.communication climates.

Gibb Categories of Gibb Categories of Defensive and Supportive Defensive and Supportive

BehaviorsBehaviorsIncreasing and Decreasing Increasing and Decreasing

DefensivenessDefensiveness

EvaluationEvaluation Vs. Description Vs. Description

• Evaluative communication involves Evaluative communication involves the listener perceiving judgmental the listener perceiving judgmental statements that show lack of regard statements that show lack of regard for the listener.for the listener.

• ““You” language one form of You” language one form of evaluative communicationevaluative communication

• ““You are the most disorganized You are the most disorganized person I’ve ever met.”person I’ve ever met.”

Evaluation Vs. Evaluation Vs. DescriptionDescription

• Descriptive communication focuses Descriptive communication focuses on the speaker’s thoughts and on the speaker’s thoughts and feelings.feelings.

• Descriptive messages often Descriptive messages often expressed as “I” language.expressed as “I” language.

• ““When you don’t put tax information When you don’t put tax information in the proper file, it makes it difficult in the proper file, it makes it difficult for us at tax time.”for us at tax time.”

Control Vs. Problem Control Vs. Problem Orientation (Non-Orientation (Non-controlling)controlling)• Controlling communication when Controlling communication when

speaker seems to be imposing speaker seems to be imposing solution on listener with no regard for solution on listener with no regard for listener.listener.

• Non-controlling communication Non-controlling communication focuses on finding a solution that focuses on finding a solution that takes into consideration both takes into consideration both communicators.communicators.

Strategy Vs. Strategy Vs. SpontaneitySpontaneity

• The terms dishonesty and The terms dishonesty and manipulation capture the essence of manipulation capture the essence of strategy.strategy.

• Spontaneity means expressing Spontaneity means expressing yourself honestly.yourself honestly.

Neutrality (Indifference) Vs. Neutrality (Indifference) Vs. EmpathyEmpathy

• Neutrality (indifference) implies other Neutrality (indifference) implies other person is not important to you.person is not important to you.

• Empathy shows care for the feelings Empathy shows care for the feelings and thoughts of others.and thoughts of others.

Superiority Vs. Superiority Vs. EqualityEquality

• People who act superior People who act superior communicate they don’t want to communicate they don’t want to relate on equal terms with others.relate on equal terms with others.

• Communicating superiority Communicating superiority encourages others to feel defensive.encourages others to feel defensive.

• Best to project feelings of equality.Best to project feelings of equality.

Certainty (Know It All) Vs. Certainty (Know It All) Vs. Provisionalism (Open-Provisionalism (Open-minded)minded)• A know it all (certainty) regards his/her A know it all (certainty) regards his/her

opinions with certainty while opinions with certainty while disregarding the ideas of others.disregarding the ideas of others.

• Demonstrate a lack of regard for the Demonstrate a lack of regard for the thoughts and opinions of others.thoughts and opinions of others.

• Open-minded (provisionalism) Open-minded (provisionalism) communicators no corner on the truth communicators no corner on the truth and willing to change with new and willing to change with new information.information.

Responding Responding Nondefensively to Nondefensively to

CriticismCriticism

Seek More InformationSeek More Information

• Ask more informationAsk more information

• Ask for specificsAsk for specifics

• Guess about specificsGuess about specifics

• Paraphrase the speaker’s ideasParaphrase the speaker’s ideas

• Ask what the critic wantsAsk what the critic wants

• Ask about the consequences of your Ask about the consequences of your behavior and ask what else is wrongbehavior and ask what else is wrong

Agree With The CriticAgree With The Critic

• Agree with the truthAgree with the truth

• Agree with the oddsAgree with the odds

• Agree in principleAgree in principle

• Agree with the critic’s perceptionAgree with the critic’s perception