Decoding/Encoding & Seating Chart
Order Description
Part 1-Decoding/Encoding
Decoding skills
-Be tentative
-When making judgments, mindfully seek alternative judgments
-Notice that messages come from many different channels
-Consider the possibility that you are incorrect
-Interpret your judgments and conclusions against a cultural context
-Consider the multitude of factors that can influence the way a person behaves nonverbally.
Encoding Skills
-Think about your choices for your nonverbal communication just as you do for your verbal messages
-Keep your nonverbal messages consistent with your verbal messages
-Monitor your own nonverbal messages with the same care that you monitor your verbal messages
-Avoid extremes and monotony
-Take the situation into consideration
-Maintain eye contact with the speaker
-Avoid using certain adaptors in public
-Avoid strong cologne or perfume
-Be careful with touching.
After reading the information above about decoding and encoding skills, respond to the following:
Share an example of when you have drawn a conclusion about someone that was incorrect AND an example of when someone else has drawn a conclusion about you that was incorrect. Which of the decoding skills could you have used to avoid making this incorrect conclusion? Which of the encoding skills could you have used to have others not make incorrect conclusions about you? Be sure your posts are substantive.
Part 2- Seating Chart
The accompanying graphic represents a table with 12 chairs, one of which is occupied by the “boss.” For each of the following messages, indicate (a) where you would sit to communicate each message and (b) any other possible messages that your choice of seat will probably communicate.
1. you want to ingratiate yourself with your boss.
2. you aren’t prepared and want to be ignored.
3. you want to challenge the boss’s proposal that is scheduled to come up for a vote.
4. you want to get to know better the person at seat number 7.
After reading the information above about “Selecting a Seat at the Company Meeting”, respond to the following:
For each of the four scenarios listed in the exercise, post the following to the discussion board:
Where would you sit to communicate the message presented?
What would the worst possible seat be to communicate the message?
Any other possible message(s) that your choice of seat might communicate?
Be sure your posts are substantive.