COM 101: Introduction to Interpersonal Communication

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COM 101 Introduction to Interpersonal
Communication

• Instructor Iva Thelen
• Spring 2006
• Lecture 9

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Overview

• Quick Lecture
• Activity

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100 Responsibility

• When something goes wrong, how seldom does
  someone step forward to shoulder the
  responsibility?
• When was the last time you heard someone say
• Im the one responsible for this screw-up.

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What happened?

• Typically, scurrying about to avoid being
  identified as the culprit.
• What ever the issue, you will definitely not go
  broke betting that the answer will be words to
  the effect of Not me! Someone else was
  responsible.

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CYA

• Desire to be off the hook
• Clever and devious actions

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100 Responsibility

• This will help you produce more of what you want
  and be more effective on the job
• Dangerous you may discount it or even become
  defensive BIG MISTAKE
• Be open minded

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Excuses are not desired results

• Desired results?
• Not desired results excuses

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Examples

• I couldnt deliver the package because the phone
  never stopped ringing.
• This person is suggesting that the existence of a
  valid excuse makes up for not having produced the
  desired results.
• They may succeed in avoiding a negative
  consequence, but the desired result has gone
  begging.

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Excuses and Results arent the same thing.

• Consider
• Suppose the result I want is a pay increase. What
  I get is no pay increase because profits are low.
  Therefore
• Increase in PayNo increase in pay Low profit
• This does not equatenever produce a desirable
  outcome.

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Blaming and Justifying

• Its not my fault thats Ralphs job.
• The reason it failed was that Jim didnt do his
  part.

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Blaming

• Simply a way of placing responsibility somewhere
  other than with the person doing the blaming.
• Give away any power you have to make things
  better.

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Justifying

• People justify why things did not turn out as
  desired
• Its really nobodys fault.

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Why do we do it?

• Save face
• Keep you from being wrong

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Take Charge

• Whatever happensI am 100 responsible.
• People appreciate the results Im creating
• People like not being blamed for the lack of
  results and not having to listen to my excuses.
• Life works better.

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The Activity
The Losing Company The Winning Company