Business and Professional Communication 3e by Quintanilla, Wahl

Business and Professional Communication by Quintanilla and Wahl (3rd edition) is the 3rd edition of the Business and Professional Communication: Keys for Workplace Excellence textbook authored by Kelly M Quintanilla, Texas A&M University — Corpus Christi, and Shawn T. Wahl, Missouri State University, and published by SAGE Publications, Inc. in 2017.

• Accent. A person's pronunciation of various words in a language.
• Action-oriented listeners. Characterized by direct, concise, error-free communication that is used to negotiate and accomplish a goal.
• Active agreement (call to action). Persuading the audience to take some sort of action.
• Active listener. One who is fully engaged in the role of listener, making sense of the message and then verifying the accuracy of sense making.
• Adapters. Gestures we use to release tension.
• Adrenaline rush. A physiological process that occurs when adrenaline enters the body; often results in nervous behavior and anxiety for a speaker.
• Advocacy. A strategy for communicating with a supervisor in which the employee evaluates the supervisor's needs and preferences and then develops a message, an argument, or a proposal that lines up with those needs and preferences.
• Affect displays. Facial expressions and gestures that display emotion.
• Agenda. A guide or an overview of the topics that will be covered during the meeting.
• Analogical reasoning. Reasoning from an analogy; making an argument by comparing two cases.
• Anger. An emotional state that varies in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and rage; a feeling of keen displeasure for what we regard as a wrong toward ourselves or others.
• Annual feedback trap. Saving all feedback, both positive and negative, for discussion during an employee's annual performance appraisal.
• Aristotle. Greek philosopher, author of The Art of Rhetoric, student of Plato, and teacher of Alexander the Great.
• Artifacts. Temporary embellishments (e.g., jewelry, sunglasses, perfume) or objects characteristic of a particular culture or institution (e.g., furniture, buildings, technology, artwork, logos) that provide information—both good and bad—about personalities, attitudes, group affiliation, and organizational membership.
• Artist. One of the four roles in innovative problem solving; puts ideas together in new ways.
• Assimilation process. The adjustment period and "settling in" that's common for anyone starting a new job.
• Audience analysis. Asking a series of questions designed to enhance the speaker's understanding of the listeners.
• Audience-based communication apprehension. Explains a person's fear of speaking to certain people or groups.
• Audience-centered speaker. A speaker who thinks about the audience during every step of the presentation design and delivery process.
• Authoritative. A leadership style in which the leader makes all the decisions with little input from the team.
• Awards and honors. A résumé section that lists relevant awards and honors received by the job seeker.
• Balance. When there's equal time divided between work and personal life.
• Behavioral questions. A type of interviewing question that asks job seekers to explain how they have handled past situations and how they would handle hypothetical situations.
• Bias. Any assumption we make or attitude we have about a person, an issue, or a topic before we have heard all the facts.
• Birthright. A position of power passed on from parent to child; monarchies are based on birthright.
• Boundary. The line or division between work and life.
• Bully. A type of difficult person characterized by a bad temper; uses aggression and anger to get his or her way.
• Burnout. Chronic exhaustion from persistent workload, decreased motivation, and apathy toward work.
• Business letter. Used to address formal matters in professional communication including cover letters, information sent to customers, announcements about business events, and the like.
• Career exploration. A part of the exploring stage of the job-seeking process; requires job seekers to research opportunities and careers in their majors that correspond with their desires, goals, and priorities.
• Career planning centers. A student services department located on most college and university campuses whose mission is to help students identify careers, find internships, and prepare for employment; may also be referred to as career services, career placements, career development, or career counseling.
• Causal reasoning. A type of inductive reasoning, more commonly known as the cause-and-effect relationship.
• Channel. The means by which messages are sent.
• Charisma. Includes characteristics such as magnetic charm, allure, and an almost supernatural or magical ability to appeal to followers.
• Chronemics. The study of time as communication.
• Classified/help-wanted ads. A section of the newspaper that lists job openings.
• Coach. The role of the team member with the designated leadership title; duties include.
• [[Calling the meetings, setting the agenda, and facilitating the discussion.
• Codes. Categories of nonverbal communication.
• Coercive power. Derived from one's ability to control another person's behavior with negative reinforcement.
• Cognitive dissonance. A theory, developed by Leon Festinger (1957), positing that when a person holds two ideas that contradict each other, it creates mental noise or cognitive dissonance; a useful persuasive strategy.
• Colloquialisms. Slang terms that are locally or regionally based.
• Common ground. Showing the audience how you have a shared interest, concern, or background.
• Communication apprehension. An individual's level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons.
• Communication bravado. Having a positive view of one's own communication when, in reality, it is bad, leading to conflict and hurt feelings in others.
• Communication network. A group of individuals who regularly share a line of communication; can be either formal or informal.
• Communication Privacy Management. Theory developed by Sandra Petronio that describes how people establish rules about privacy and manage privacy using spatial metaphors.
• Communication rules. Shared understanding of what communication means and what constitutes appropriate communication given the context.
• Community. A geographic space identified as a place to work toward a good life (e.g., health, safety, well-being).
• Compromise. A lose-lose approach to decision making in which parties blend and concede parts of their individual solutions.
• Computer-mediated communication (CMC). Human communication that occurs through some form of technology.
• Conclusion. The end of a presentation; should include a concluding statement, a summary of the specific purpose and main points, and a strong final impression.
• Conflict. A necessary part of team problem solving and innovative thinking; can be productive and positive if handled properly.
• Connection power. Based on one's connection to people in positions of power or access to a strong support system.
• Connotation. The feelings or emotions that a word implies.
• Consensus. A win-win approach to decision making that occurs when a solution or an agreement that all team members can support is reached.
• Constitutive rules. Rules that define what communication means by prompting us to count certain kinds of communication.
• Contact information. The part of a résumé that includes the job seeker's name, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address.
• Content layer. The information being discussed; descriptive information such as the time of a meeting, a project due date, or the names of coworkers assigned to a team.
• Content-oriented listeners. Characterized by an interest in intellectual challenge, complex information, and a desire to evaluate information carefully before forming judgments and opinions.
• Context. The location, space, and occasion where communication occurs.
• Context analysis. Asking a series of questions designed to enhance the speaker's understanding of the speaking situation.
• Context-based communication apprehension. Describes a fear of communicating in certain contexts, for example, a fear of public speaking.
• Contingency Theory. A situational leadership theory developed by Fiedler; requires leaders to assess the situation by examining three factors]]. the leader-follower relationship, the task structure, and the position power.
• Conversational listening. Listening exemplified by the speaking role shifting from one person to another with some degree of frequency.
• Conversational quality. Presenting in a style similar to that used in casual conversation; known as an extemporaneous speaking style.
• Corporate blog. A web log used to improve internal communication at work or for external marketing and public relations.
• Cover letters. One-page letters that accompany the résumé; include the job seeker's interest in a.
• [[Specific position, overview of qualifications, and desire for an interview.
• Credibility. The believability of the speaker and/or the information being presented.
• Criteria. The standard used to make a decision.
• Critical listening. Requires the listener to evaluate the information being sent; may also require some sort of oral or written feedback.
• Cultural competence. The level of knowledge a person has about others who are different in some way in comparison with himself or herself.
• Cultural diversity awareness. Being aware of diversity that's present in any working or social environment.
• Cultural rituals. Practices, behaviors, celebrations, and traditions common to people, organizations, and institutions.
• Culture. The rules of living and functioning in society.
• Cuss words. Also referred to as curse or swear words; viewed as obscene expressions; should not appear in a presentation.
• Customer relations. The interaction between employees or representatives of an organization or business and the people the organization sells to or serves; also known as customer service.
• Customized résumé. A résumé tailored to each position to which the job seeker applies; a concise, audience-centered version of the generic résumé.
• Decision by the leader. Decision-making approach in which members advise the leader, who then makes the ultimate decision.
• Decision making. A step in the problem-solving process in which the team chooses among a set of alternatives.
• Decode. When we make meaning out of verbal and nonverbal cues others send.
• Deductive reasoning. Occurs when the speaker takes general information (premises) and draws a conclusion from that general information.
• Deintensification. When we reduce the intensity of a facial expression connected to a certain emotion.
• Delivery. The nonverbal component of public speaking; ideally consists of good eye contact and a conversational speaking style.
• Democratic. Leadership style in which the leader follows the will of the people, or at least the majority of the people, with decisions often made through voting.
• Devil's advocate. The functional team role that ensures dissenting points of view are discussed.
• Dialect. Pronunciation, vocabulary, and syntax variations in a language.
• Discrimination. The act of excluding people or denying them products, rights, or services based on their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, or disability.
• Disguising conversation. Making statements about something to see how other people react.
• Distracter. A type of difficult person characterized by a communication style full of tangents.
• Downsizing letter. Used to inform other businesses about skilled employees available for employment due to company downsizing (e.g., layoffs, fired employees).
• Drama queen. A type of difficult person characterized by the need to create drama in the workplace by starting arguments, gossiping, holding grudges, and the like.
• Dyads. Two people communicating.
• Education. A résumé section that highlights a job seeker's educational background; should not include high school information.
• Electronic aggression. A form of aggressive communication in which people interacting on professional topics are filled with emotionality.
• Electronic bulletin board. An online service to which anyone, not just a subscriber, can obtain access to read postings.
• Electronic résumés. Résumés that will be submitted to employers electronically via the Internet; formatting is extremely important when designing electronic résumés.
• E-mail dialogues. Exchanges of messages about a particular topic using e-mail, professional blog space, and other electronic tools to encourage participation that will ideally lead to new ideas, strategic planning, and sound decision making.
• E-mail flame. A hostile message that is blunt, rude, insensitive, or obscene.
• E-mail forwards. Virus alerts, chain letters, stories disguised as warnings, petitions or calls for help, jokes, pictures, and the like.
• Emblems. Specific, widely understood meanings in a given culture that can substitute for a word or phrase.
• Emotional intelligence. Your ability to monitor your own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide your thinking and actions.
• Empathetic listening. The ability to pay full attention to another person, void of critique, and to express sensitivity to the sender's nonverbal behavior.
• Employee attrition. The loss or turnover of employees to other jobs and industries perceived as having healthier workplace culture.
• Employee retention. Getting employees to continue working for the same company.
• Employee reviews. A form of written communication used in business and professional settings to provide feedback to employees about how they are performing on the job.
• Employment experience. A résumé section that includes information on past employment positions, such as name of organization, dates of employment, location of organization, and possibly duties; also can be titled "Work History" or "Work/Employment History".
• Encode. Use of verbal and nonverbal cues to help others understand what we mean.
• Environment. Constructed or natural surroundings that influence your communicative decisions, attitude, and mood.
• Ethical considerations. The variety of factors important for us to consider in any scenario in which we're making a decision, conducting an evaluation, or making a selection.
• Ethical dilemmas. Situations that do not seem to present clear choices between right and wrong or good and evil.
• Ethics. The discussion, determination, and deliberation processes that attempt to decide what is right or wrong, what others should or should not do, and what is considered appropriate in our individual, communal, and professional lives.
• Ethnicity. A social group that may be joined together by factors such as shared history, shared identity, shared geography, or shared culture.
• Ethos. The credibility of the speaker and the information presented in the presentation; one of Aristotle's three forms of rhetoric.
• Evaluating. The logical assessment of the value of the message.
• Expert power. Derived from one's superior expertise in a specific field.
• Explorer. One of the four roles in innovative problem solving; seeks out new information.
• Exploring stage. The first stage of the job-seeking process, which includes self-exploration and career exploration.
• External communication plan. A plan that focuses on communicating information about the organization or business to citizens or employees' families outside any given business.
• External customers. The people or entities that an organization serves or provides products to and that are external to the company.
• External noise. Outside distractions that interfere with the message, such as audible talking during a meeting, ruffling of papers, or a cell phone going off in the next cubicle.
• External sources. Include information that comes from outside the organization, such as from outside agencies, the competition, the government, and the media.
• External time wasters. Things you don't feel as though you have any control over (e.g., things you are required to attend, such as meetings, or people to whom you are required to talk).
• External triggers. Things going on in your environment at work and at home, usually stimulated by others.
• Eye contact. When a speaker looks at the audience while speaking; effective means for reducing nervousness.
• Face-saving behavior. Verbal and nonverbal communication that honors and maintains the other person's sense of self-respect in a given situation.
• Face-to-face interviews. An interview format in which all parties are in the same room.
• False close. When speakers tell the audience they are concluding and then present new information.
• False empowerment. Occurs when a leader acts as if he or she plans to involve the group in the decisionmaking process and then makes his or her own decision regardless of the input received from the group.
• Family. People in a household, which consists of a minimum of two members related by blood, adoption, marriage, civil union, or partnership—one of them being the householder, who owns or rents the residence.
• Feedback. Information or messages communicated between sender and receiver.
• Fight. One of three modes of conflict resolution; requires you to engage in some type of confrontation; a win-lose approach to problem solving.
• Flight. One of three modes of conflict resolution; occurs when you choose not to engage or deal with a conflict; a lose-lose approach to problem solving.
• Formal communication network. The official lines of communication and reporting structure prescribed by the organizational chart.
• Formal presentation. A public speaking opportunity that occurs in a traditional speaking setting, such as presenting a sales pitch to clients or a progress report at the district meeting.
• Friendship/warmth touch. The type of touch people use to show platonic affection toward each other.
• Functional/professional touch. The type of touch that typically takes place within the context of a professional relationship and is low in intimacy.
• Gatekeeping. When subordinates pass some, but not all, of the information on to the supervisor.
• General distortion. When a superior is given a message that the subordinate has changed or altered to serve his or her own purposes.
• General language. Characterized by vague descriptions that can be interpreted in a variety of ways by the recipient.
• General purpose. The overall goal of a presentation, to either inform or persuade.
• Generic résumé. A list of all the information a job seeker may wish to include in a customized résumé.
• Globalization. A process that brings each of us into greater contact with the rest of the world and.
• [[Gives our daily lives an increasingly international orientation.
• Goal Setting Theory. A motivational theory in which a leader and a team member develop the goal(s) for the team member together.
• Grammar. Attention to the rules of language, such as appropriate use of complete sentences,.
• [[Punctuation, transitions, organization, spacing, paragraphs, and format.
• Grapevine. Regularly occurring lines of communication that exist within an organization but are not prescribed by the organizational chart; also known as the informal communication network.
• Group. Three or more individuals who are working toward a common goal or share a common purpose.
• Groupthink. The tendency of highly cohesive groups to suspend critical thinking and make faulty decisions.
• Grump. A type of difficult person characterized by a negative attitude.
• Haptics. The study of touch and human contact.
• Hearing. Your physical ability to detect sounds.
• Hobbies and interests. A section that appears on some job seekers' résumés; not recommended.
• Huddles. Short meetings in which employees are pulled together to share information; often occur at the beginning or end of the day.
• Human communication. The process of making sense of the world and sharing that sense with others by creating meaning through the use of verbal and nonverbal messages.
• HURIER model. A six-step listening process: Hearing, Understanding, Remembering, Interpreting, Evaluating, and Responding.
• Illegal questions. Interview questions that violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII, by asking questions regarding race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age when hiring or promoting employees.
• Illustrators. Gestures that complement, enhance, or substitute for the verbal message.
• Imagery. Painting a picture or image with one's words.
• Imbalance triggers. Experiences (e.g., conflict, aggression, overload, negativity) that cause professionals to feel drained, used, abused, and unhappy.
• Impression management. Directing the formation of an impression, a perception, or a view that others have of you.
• Impromptu presentation. Delivering a presentation with very limited, if any, preparation.
• Indirect questioning. Asking questions in a roundabout way to retrieve information that will make you more competitive, help you make better choices, and help you survive in an organization.
• Inductive reasoning. Building an argument by using individual examples, pieces of information, or cases, and pulling them together to make a generalization or conclusion.
• Inform. The general purpose of presentations in which the speaker presents the facts, acting as a teacher relaying information.
• Informal communication network. Regularly occurring lines of communication that exist within an organization but are not prescribed by the organizational chart; also known as the grapevine.
• Information and communications technologies (ICTs). Mobile digital devices such as personal digital assistants and smartphones that may harm work-life boundaries and also serve as tools for managing them.
• Information overload. When information, requests for feedback, new projects, responses to questions, phone calls, and required online classes for work, on top of attending to loved ones, children, pets, and other family matters, leave you stressed and feeling as though things are spinning out of control.
• Informational listening. Listening that allows you to focus on the content of the message in order to acquire knowledge.
• Ingratiation. A strategy for communicating with a supervisor in which the employee acts warm and friendly toward him or her.
• Inoculation. When a speaker points out information that could hurt a persuasive argument and explains why it is not important or relevant, in an attempt to minimize its impact in the future.
• Intensification. Expression that exaggerates how we feel about something.
• Interests. The needs and concerns underlying each position.
• Internal communication plan. A plan that focuses on communication taking place inside the daily operations of any given business.
• Internal customer. An employee who needs services or products from other parts of the organization to complete his or her work.
• Internal noise. Internal conditions or distractions that interfere with the message.
• Internal preview. The preview of an idea or a main point found within the body of a presentation.
• Internal sources. Sources of information that exist within the organization, such as reports, policies, or interviews with employees and/or customers.
• Internal summary. The summary of an idea or a main point found within the body of a presentation.
• Internal time wasters. More personal internal things brought on by mind-set, motivation, and bad habits.
• Internal triggers. Concerns and frustrations you have about past, current, and future events or a general negativity toward yourself (e.g., "I'm really angry at myself for not making that change sooner").
• Internet. An excellent tool for locating employment opportunities and researching potential employers.
• Internship. An on-the-job learning opportunity for students; can be paid, unpaid, or for college credit.
• Interpersonal communication. The cocreation of meaning as people interact.
• Interpreting. Making sense of verbal and nonverbal codes to assign meaning to the information received.
• Intimacy. Characterized by feelings of closeness and trust that you share with other people.
• Introduction. The start of a presentation; should include five components]]. gain attention, introduce the topic, develop credibility, relate the topic to the audience, and preview the main points.
• Jargon. The terminology or language of a given field or profession.
• Job fairs. Events in which multiple employers come together to recruit potential employees; held both on college campuses and in the community.
• Job seeker. Any person trying to gain employment (although job seekers are commonly referred to as interviewees, the job-seeking process includes much more than the interviewing stage).
• Job-seeking process. Six stages involved in finding employment]]. exploring, researching, applying, interviewing, following up, and negotiating.
• Job title. The name associated with each position in an organization; intended to designate duties and status.
• Judge. One of the four roles in innovative problem solving; evaluates possible solutions and then selects one solution for implementation.
• Kinesics. General term for the study of human movement, gestures, and posture.
• Laissez-faire. Leadership style in which the team makes the decisions with little input from the.
• [[Leader; French expression meaning "allow to do".
• Language barriers. When people trying to communicate do not share a common language.
• Lead. The person who is accountable for a given task.
• Leadership. A dynamic relationship based on mutual influence and common purpose between.
• [[Leaders and collaborators, in which both are moved to higher levels of motivation and moral development as they affect real, intended change.
• Leadership functions. Include influencing and guiding followers, as well as being innovative and creating a vision for future direction.
• Legitimate power. Derived from one's position of authority.
• Listening. Receiving verbal and nonverbal messages and then determining meaning from those messages.
• Listserv. A computer service that facilitates discussions by connecting people who share common interests.
• Logos. The logic of the presentation; established through both the organizational structure and the supporting information; one of Aristotle's three forms of rhetoric.
• Love touch/intimacy touch. Highly personal and intimate touch used to communicate affection.
• Managerial functions. Include being in charge of and responsible for various goals and functions in an organization, as well as supervising subordinates.
• Managerial Grid. A situational leadership theory developed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton; includes five managerial styles: impoverished, country club, authoritative, middle-ofthe road, and team.
• Manuscript. A speaking text written out word-for-word; speakers should avoid using manuscripts.
• Masking. Hiding an expression connected to a felt emotion and replacing it with an expression.
• [[More appropriate to the situation.
• Meeting environment. Includes both the time a meeting is held and its location; considered a part of the communication.
• Meetingthink. The suspension of critical thinking due to common variables such as false empowerment, overload, or poorly run meetings.
• Memo. Short for memorandum; typically a short note or update distributed in business.
• Message. The information or feedback that is communicated.
• Message overload. Receiving too much information at once, making it difficult to stay focused on the primary message being communicated.
• Metaphor. A literary device in which the speaker uses comparison.
• Misspellings. Mistakes in spelling.
• Mock interviews. A practice run done prior to an interview to help job seekers anticipate questions, script answers, and lessen nervousness.
• Monotone. A vocal quality that has only one pitch; a lack of vocal variety in a speaker's voice.
• Monroe's Motivated Sequence. A five-step organizational format; steps include attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action.
• Mutual respect. People seeking understanding through the vehicle of open dialogue; attempting to understand others with an open mind leads them to respond with mutual respect and understanding.
• Narratives. Stories we use to come to understand the organizational culture and one another.
• Negotiation. A strategy used by a job seeker if he or she does not believe the salary, working conditions, and/or benefits are satisfactory; involves providing a counteroffer to the initial terms of employment presented by a potential employer.
• Networking notes. A form of thank you letter used to remind employers of your interview and to convince them that you're the right person for the job.
• Neutralization. The process of using facial expressions to hide how we really feel.
• Noise. External or internal disruption to the context.
• Nonverbal communication. Communication other than written or spoken language that creates meaning for someone.
• Norm. An unwritten rule of behavior.
• Objective. A one- or two-sentence declarative statement about a job seeker's career goals; also, relaying information without being influenced or impacted by emotions or individual point of view, necessary in informative presentations.
• Oculesics. The study of eye behavior.
• One-on-one interview. A face-to-face interview that can consist of one interviewer and one interviewee; job seekers may undergo a series of one-on-one interviews.
• Online application. An electronic form used by employers to standardize the information gathered from job seekers; commonly requests information found on a traditional résumé.
• Opportunity presentation. A public speaking opportunity that occurs in a less traditional speaking setting, such as during huddles or at the start of meetings.
• Organizational chart. Visual representation of the supervision and reporting structure of a company; outlines the formal communication network.
• Organizational culture. The way an organization operates, the attitudes the employees have, and the overall tone and approach to any given business.
• Organizational values. Specific principles or guidelines such as safety, teamwork, integrity, or ownership that are typically outlined in support of any given organizational mission or goal.
• Organizer. Member of a team presentation who provides the introduction, conclusion, and transitions to the presentation.
• Overload. Occurs when group members have so much on their plates that they cannot truly concentrate on and engage in a meeting.
• Overt questioning. The practice of asking a direct question about what you want to know.
• Overtalker. Group member who dominates conversations, occasionally leading the discussion on irrelevant tangents.
• Panel interview. An interviewing format that includes more than one interviewer, multiple interviewees, or both.
• Paraphrase. Restating or summarizing what is communicated to clarify meaning and check understanding.
• Passive agreement. Persuading the audience simply to agree or disagree with an idea.
• Passive listener. One who simply receives a message without giving feedback or verifying understanding of the message.
• Pathos. The emotional appeal; one of Aristotle's three forms of rhetoric.
• Patient. A type of difficult person who treats coworkers and sometimes even supervisors as counselors; brings personal problems to work and discusses them on company time.
• People-oriented listeners. Characterized by demonstrating concern for others' emotions and interests, finding common ground, and responding to the emotional states of human behavior.
• Perception checking. Asking others if one's perceptions or sense of understanding is correct or incorrect.
• Performance appraisal. Formal evaluation that often involves an interview and a written summary of the employee's strengths and weaknesses on the job.
• Performance improvement plan. A specific and clear strategy for improving employee performance; should be derived from two-way communication.
• Persuade. The general purpose of presentations in which the speaker advocates for something or against something.
• Persuasive appeals. Developed by Aristotle—ethos, logos, and pathos.
• Phishing. Sending authentic-looking but fraudulent e-mails designed to steal sensitive personal information.
• Physical appearance. The ways our bodies and overall appearance nonverbally communicate to others and impact our view of ourselves in everyday life.
• Planning documents. Forms of written communication usually presented with maps and other visual designs to lay out a broader vision of where the company is going and what specific strategies will be used in the near future.
• Position. A demand that includes each person's solution to the problem.
• Presentational listening. Listening that takes place in situations where a clear role of speaking and listening functions is prescribed.
• Press releases. Forms of written communication used to send messages to a variety of media organizations, including newspaper, radio, television, and Internet.
• Private employment agencies. For-profit organizations, also known as head hunters, that help job seekers find jobs and help employers find qualified workers for a fee.
• Proactive media writing. A form of written communication similar to a press release that emphasizes an organization's commitment to safety and compliance.
• Problem solving. Generating quality alternatives from which to select, selecting the best alternative, and then working to implement that choice.
• Process directives. Descriptions of new policies/procedures and changes to those already in place.
• Professional associations. Organizations designed to facilitate networking and educational opportunities for professionals in a given field or industry by sponsoring meetings and conferences.
• Professional etiquette. Displaying the behaviors of social etiquette and good manners in a professional setting.
• Professional excellence. Being recognized for your skills as a communicator, serving as a role model to those around you, recognizing your strengths and developing your weaknesses, being audience centered, understanding the context, and possessing the ability to adapt and continually improve.
• Proposals. Forms of written communication used in many business and professional settings to propose products and services to potential clients.
• Proxemics. How people create and use space and distance, as well as how they behave to protect and defend that space.
• Public image. The impression you give or present to others both verbally and nonverbally.
• Qualitative data. Characterized by actual words, phrases, responses to open-ended questions, and interviews.
• Quantitative data. Characterized by numbers, percentages, statistics, and surveys.
• Questions. Requests made to learn information or clarify understanding.
• Quintilian. A Roman philosopher and educator.
• Race. The categorization of people based on physical characteristics such as skin color, dimensions of the human face, and hair.
• Receiver. The listener who interprets the message.
• Receiver apprehension. The fear of misinterpreting, inadequately processing, and/or not being able to adjust.
• [[Psychologically to messages sent by others.
• Recommendation letter. A form of written communication used to provide a documented reference for students and professionals.
• References. Persons who can tell potential employers about a job seeker's experience, knowledge, work ethic, and character.
• Referent power. Given to someone because you want that person to like you.
• Reflection. Listening technique characterized by observing and interpreting verbal and nonverbal cues in order to summarize and restate back to the speaker to clarify content and meaning.
• Reflective Thinking Process. Problem-solving process developed by John Dewey that includes describing and analyzing the problem, generating possible solutions, evaluating all solutions, deciding on the solution, and planning how to implement the solution.
• Regulative rules. Describe when, how, where, and with whom to talk about certain things; also dictate appropriateness.
• Regulators. Gestures used to control turn-taking in conversations.
• Relational layer. Communication that reveals how you feel about the receiver.
• Relationship roles. Functional roles that help the team maintain positive relationships among members.
• Relevant experience. A résumé section that includes relevant employment history as well as internships, relevant class projects, relevant work with student organizations, or volunteering; often used in place of the "Employment Experience" section by recent college graduates.
• Remembering. Recalling the message so that it can be acted on.
• Repetition. A powerful language device that creates a parallel structure within a presentation and creates a sense of anticipation for audience members.
• Reports. Written communication used to summarize research or assessment findings to inform managers about important issues related to business (e.g., customer service, employee satisfaction, employee morale).
• Research. Gathering information (e.g., definitions, examples, statistics, testimonies) that aids in the design of the presentation and supports the specific purpose.
• Researching stage. The second stage of the job-seeking process, which comprises two components]]. .
• [[Researching openings and researching potential employers; requires job seekers to find.
• [[The right fit as opposed to merely searching for vacancies and applying to anything and everything that is available.
• Responding. Giving some form of a response to the message, either verbally or nonverbally.
• Résumé. A snapshot of the job seeker as an employee; highlights skill sets to provide a picture of how the job seeker fits this position and this organization.
• Retention. To remember over a long period of time.
• Reward power. Derived from one's ability to control another person's behavior with positive reinforcement.
• Roadblock to change. A type of difficult person characterized by a dislike and even refusal to carry out changes in his or her duties.
• Role models. People who display behaviors and attitudes that are replicated by others.
• Round robin technique. A communication technique in which team members go around a circle, allowing everyone to share his or her perceptions of the issue; requires members to listen and not interrupt while other team members are speaking.
• Scannable résumés. Résumés that will be submitted to an employer and/or transmitted by the employer via fax or computer scanning; formatting is extremely important when designing scannable résumés.
• Scripting. The process of mentally rehearsing what you will say during the discussion.
• Scripting answers. Answering interview questions using a three-part formula]]. directly answer the question, back up the answer with a specific example, and tie the answer back to this company and/or this position.
• Self-centered roles. Dysfunctional roles that can interfere with a team's functioning.
• Self-disclose. To share information that people cannot learn about us unless we reveal it to them.
• Self-exploration. Part of the exploring stage of the job-seeking process; requires a job seeker to identify his or her desires, goals, and priorities.
• Semantic information distance. A difference in perception that exists between employees and supervisors over fundamental areas such as organizational issues or basic job duties.
• Sender. The person initiating the exchange.
• Sexual arousal. Touches that are extremely intimate.
• Sexual identity. One's identity based on whom one is attracted to sexually.
• Shadowing. A learning opportunity for job seekers in which they watch or follow a professional to learn what is involved in a given position or profession.
• Signposts. Words or phrases that indicate the speaker's place in the organizational structure (e.g., first, second, to clarify).
• Situational communication apprehension. Refers to apprehension to communicate in specific sets of circumstances.
• Situational Leadership Theory. Developed by Hersey and Blanchard; requires leaders to examine task behavior, relationship behavior, and level of maturity/readiness of the followers to select the most effective communication style.
• Skills. Information that must be highlighted on the job seeker's résumé either as a separate section or as part of his or her experiences; may include information about computer knowledge, leadership, communication abilities, language fluency, and more.
• Slacker. A type of difficult person characterized by lack of productivity; finds any excuse not to work.
• Slang. Words that are either made up or used to express something other than their formal meaning; should not appear in a presentation.
• Sniper. A type of difficult person characterized by sarcastic and inappropriate comments meant to wound those at which they are aimed.
• Social touch/polite touch. Touch connected to cultural norms, such as hugs or pats on the back; conveying relatively low intimacy within a relationship.
• Socialization. The experiences that shape our attitudes, perceptions, emotions, and communication choices.
• Sociopath. A type of difficult person characterized by a lack of conscience and guilt; it is estimated that 1 out of every 25 people is a sociopath.
• Spam. The use of a user's e-mail address for a purpose to which the user didn't agree; junk e-mail sent by "spammers" who obtain e-mail addresses by buying company customer lists or using programs to produce e-mail addresses randomly.
• Speaking outline. A tool used by the speaker when delivering a presentation; more concise and less detailed than the practice outline.
• Speaking rate. The rate of speed at which a speaker talks.
• Specific language. Specific with facts, percentages, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Specific purpose. Declarative sentence telling the listeners what the speaker wants them to understand, know, or believe by the end of the presentation; the equivalent of a thesis statement in an essay.
• Stages of team development. Forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.
• Star. An employee who possesses all the qualities of a team player but also wants to take on extra duties, learn more, and advance his or her career.
• State employment service. A not-for-profit government agency, sometimes called the Job Service, that helps job.
• [[Seekers find jobs and employers find qualified workers, at no cost to either party.
• Status. A person's rank or position in an organization.
• Stereotypes. The way humans use their minds to perceive others as belonging to a social group.
• Strategic planning. The development of a plan that emphasizes goals, initiatives, strategies, and targets utilized to help employees strive for a shared vision and commitment to an organization's core values.
• Subordinate. Employee, typically a lower-status person.
• Summarization. Occurs when an employee summarizes a message in such a way that emphasis is placed on certain aspects of the message.
• Summary. A résumé section that includes an overview of the job seeker's qualifications relevant to the position for which he or she is applying.
• Superior. Supervisor or employee, typically a higher-status person.
• Supporting aids. Tools used by a speaker to help support the audience's interest in and understanding of the presentation; visual or audio aids used to enhance a presentation.
• Surveillance. Using observational skills to take stock of any given situation.
• Task roles. Functional roles that help the team complete its tasks and achieve its goals.
• Team. A group in which members share leadership responsibility for creating a team identity, achieving mutually defined goals, and fostering innovative thinking.
• Team player. An employee who completes tasks, gets along with coworkers, and serves customers with a positive attitude; hardworking and dependable.
• Telephone interviews. A type of interview conducted over the phone; often used during the early screening phases of the interview process.
• Testing limits. Cutting corners or choosing to avoid a behavior or practice to see how it will influence the outcome.
• Texting language. Expressions or acronyms used when sending instant messages and text messages -- for example, LOL (laugh out loud) or TU (thank you); should not be used.
• Thank you letters. Written communication used to express appreciation to coworkers and clients.
• Theory X. Management theory based on the underlying assumption that employees are inherently lazy and will avoid work whenever possible; therefore, workers must be closely supervised and communication should be top down; developed by McGregor.
• Theory Y. Management theory based on the underlying assumption that employees can be ambitious and self-motivated and that, therefore, supervisors should seek to empower employees and two-way communication is needed; developed by McGregor.
• Third-party questioning. Asking direct questions of people who have had the same experiences as you at a different time.
• Time-oriented listeners. Characterized by an awareness of or desire to be in control of the time constraints of interactions.
• Traditional questions. A type of interviewing question that asks for basic information about the job seeker, such as "Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses".
• Trait. A distinguishing characteristic or quality that is part of a person's character; traits are often seen as inborn or genetically based.
• Trait communication apprehension. Means that one possesses a "shy trait," for example, tending not to raise a hand in class, avoiding certain social situations, and feeling extremely anxious about giving a professional presentation.
• Transformational leaders. Leaders who articulate a goal or vision to an organization and then inspire followers to make this vision a reality; a change agent.
• Transition. Any word or phrase that helps guide the listener from one point to the next.
• Translation services. Interpretation systems available to assist with language barriers and other communication-related concerns.
• Types of reasoning. Include inductive reasoning, causal reasoning, deductive reasoning, analogical reasoning, and cognitive dissonance.
• Typos. Mistakes in typing.
• Understanding. The process of attaching meaning to the verbal communication, or comprehending the literal meaning of the message.
• Undertalker. Group member who tends to sit silently during meetings, failing to participate or give input.
• Unite. One of three modes of conflict resolution; defines team members as joint problem solvers as opposed to adversaries; a win-win approach to problem solving.
• Unplugged. The avoidance of checking e-mail, sending text messages, watching television, or answering the phone.
• Upward distortion. The alteration of messages sent from subordinates to supervisors.
• Values. Moral principles or rules that determine ethical behaviors.
• Vampire. A type of difficult person characterized by an appealing personality and a lack of productivity; a type of slacker.
• Verbal communication. Includes both our words and our verbal fillers (e.g., um, like).
• Videoconference. A type of interview conducted via live video.
• Virtual work team. A group of coworkers who use computer-mediated communication to accomplish tasks and professional projects traditionally completed face-to-face, in order to save on time and travel.
• Visual learners. Audience members who more easily comprehend and remember information presented to them through visual as opposed to audio channels.
• Vocal fillers. Also known as vocalized pauses; occur when the speaker should pause but instead fills the silence; common fillers include "umm" and "aah" and the words and and like.
• Vocalics. Sometimes referred to as paralanguage; refers to how people use their voices to communicate and express themselves.
• Volume. The loudness or softness of a speaker's voice.
• Voting. A decision-making approach in which team members cast a vote for the solution they find most meritorious; the solution that receives the most votes is implemented.
• Warrior. One of the four roles in innovative problem solving; develops and carries out the plan.
• White space. The portion of the résumé that is void of text; balancing text and white space creates visual appeal; also, the unprescribed portions of the organizational chart where the informal communication network develops.
• Withholding. The failure of subordinates to pass information on to supervisors.
• Word of mouth. A useful tool in the job-seeking process; involves telling everyone the job seeker knows that he or she is job seeking; most effective when the job seeker is specific about the kind of job he or she is seeking.
• Work. Instrument of activity intended to provide goods and services to support life.
• Work-life balance. "Accomplishment of role-related expectations that are negotiated and shared between an individual and his or her role-related partners in the work and family [life] domains" (Grzywacz & Carlson, 2007, p. 458).
• Workforce communication assessment. An inventory or evaluation of the communication practices of an organization (also known as a communication audit).
• Workplace bullying. Repeated acts and practices that are directed intentionally or unconsciously and that cause embarrassment, humiliation, and stress.
• Workplace mobbing. The nonsexual harassment of a coworker by a group of other workers or other members of an organization, designed to secure removal from the organization of the one who is targeted.
• Workplace surveillance systems. Efforts to monitor and track employee behavior in terms of the information they access or communicate while at work.
• Worldview. A culture's orientation to supernatural, human, and natural entities in the cosmological universe and other philosophical issues influencing how its members see the world.
• Writing startup sheet. A list of questions that encourage the writer to think about audience, purpose, key issues, and delivery.