Chapter Takeaways Our attitudes set the moral tone for organizational conversations. Treat others as unique human beings (I-Thou) rather than as objects (I-It). Technical dialogue (information-centered speech) makes up the majority of communication in organizational settings. However, open a space for dialogue to occur by developing your communication skills and taking advantage of opportunities for I-Thou interaction. To engage in dialogue, you will need to commit yourself to (1) seeking the good of others, (2) valuing relationships and the common good, (3) being open to influence, (4) allowing others to hold differing opinions, (5) practicing honesty, and (6) being willing to invest time and energy in the process. Learn to be mindful; give your full attention to an encounter. Create additional categories in order to make greater distinctions, to welcome novel information, and to be open to new points of view. Understand communication as listening centered, not speaking centered. Keep in mind that listening is a multistage process made up of hearing, understanding, Ethical Interpersonal Communication 127 remembering, interpreting, evaluating, and responding (HURIER). This process can break down at any step along the way. Master listening skills and avoid listen- ing errors by understanding the weaknesses of your listening profile. Confirmation is the process of recognizing and acknowledging the presence and value of others. You can affirm others by recognizing the other person, by acknowledging your relationship with that individual, by signaling your aware- and perspective. ness of the other's significance, and by accepting the other person's experience Master the four skill sets of emotional intelligence in order to get along better with others, to become a more effective manager, and to make wiser choices. These skills include (1) accurately identifying emotions, (2) using emotions to enhance reasoning, (3) understanding the causes and progressions of emotions to predict events, and (4) managing emotions to generate productive outcomes. Trust means putting ourselves in a vulnerable position, expecting that the other party will carry through on promises and commitments. We have a moral obli- gation to protect others who are relying on us, and we can build our trustwor- thiness by demonstrating moral virtues and competence. When someone violates your trust, you'll need to work through your pain- ful feelings and learn from the incident. If you violate trust, you will need to accept responsibility for what has occurred and engage in trust repair with the other party. Moral argument involves everyone who would be affected by a decision, and each organizational member freely participates without fear of coercion. As a participant in a moral discussion, speak from the conviction that your argu- ments are right, and be consistent with your other statements and actions. Develop your ability to make valid claims and to evaluate the claims of oth- ers. Employ strong evidence, and be alert to potential weaknesses in analogical, inductive, deductive, and causal reasoning.