ESSENTIALS OF
BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
7th Canadian Edition Mary Ellen Guffey
Richard Almonte
Chapter 10
Communicating in Person: Professionalism,
Etiquette, Teamwork, and Meetings
Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Ltd
Learning Objectives
1. Show that you understand the importance of professional behaviour,
business etiquette, and ethics and know what employers want.
2. Demonstrate how to improve face-to-face workplace communication,
including using your voice as a communication tool.
3. Explain how to promote positive workplace relations through conversation.
4. Review techniques for offering constructive criticism on the job,
responding professionally to workplace criticism, and resolving workplace
conflicts.
5. Identify ways to polish professional phone skills.
6. List techniques for making the best use of voice mail.
7. Follow procedures for planning and participating in productive business
and professional meetings.
Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Ltd
Defining Professional
Behaviour
Civility (respect)
Polish (nonverbal etiquette)
Business and Dining Etiquette (attire and
politeness)
Social Intelligence (interaction)
Soft Skills (interpersonal habits)
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Defining Professional
Behaviour
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Anticipating What
Employers Want
Requirements from Employment Ads
Proven team skills
Strong verbal and written communication
skills
Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and
teamwork skills
Interpersonal and team skills
Good people skills and superior teamwork
abilities
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Improving Face-to-Face Workplace
Communication
Pronunciation (saying words clearly)
Tone (identifies your mood)
Pitch (highness or lowness of voice)
Volume and Rate (loudness and speed)
Emphasis (offers implications)
Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Ltd
Improving Face-to-Face Workplace
Communication
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Promoting Positive Workplace Relations
Through Conversation
Use correct names and titles.
Choose appropriate topics (avoid
potentially offending someone).
Avoid negative remarks.
Listen to learn.
Give sincere and specific praise.
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Offering Constructive
Criticism
Mentally outline your conversation.
Generally, use face-to-face
communication.
Focus on improving instead of attacking.
Be specific.
Discuss the behaviour, not the person.
Avoid anger and keep the conversation
private.
Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Ltd
Responding Professionally to Criticism
Listen without interrupting.
Paraphrase what was said so that the
speaker knows you understand the
comments.
Agree if the comments are accurate.
Disagree respectfully (offer an
explanation, ask questions on how to
improve).
Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Ltd
Resolving Workplace
Conflicts
Common Conflict Response Patterns
Avoidance/withdrawal (only helpful when
the issue is trivial)
Accommodation/smoothing (giving in)
Compromise
Competition/forcing
Collaboration/problem solving (involved
parties have common goals)
Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Ltd
Resolving Workplace
Conflicts
Procedure for Dealing With Conflict
1. Listen.
2. Understand the other point of view.
3. Show a concern for the relationship.
4. Look for common ground.
5. Invent new problem-solving options.
6. Reach an agreement based on what’s
fair.
Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Ltd
Making Productive
Telephone Calls
Plan a mini-agenda (list important
points).
Use a three-point introduction (name the
person you are calling, identify yourself
and your affiliation, and give a brief
explanation of your reason for calling).
Be cheerful and accurate.
Bring it to a close (thank listener).
Leave complete voice mail messages.
Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Ltd
Receiving Productive Telephone Calls
Identify yourself immediately.
Be responsive and helpful.
Be cautious when answering calls for
others and take messages carefully.
Explain what you’re doing when
transferring calls in case the caller gets
disconnected.
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Using Cell Phones for
Business
Avoid loud places.
Avoid answering your phone during an
important task.
Maintain conversational tone and
volume.
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Becoming a Team Player
Teamwork
Leads to better decisions
Increases productivity
Improves employee morale
Reduces risks for individuals
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Becoming a Team Player
Positive Team Behaviour
Establish and follow rules.
Offer ideas.
Support other ideas.
Negative Team Behaviour
Avoid irrelevant topics.
Don’t disturb others.
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Becoming a Team Player
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Planning and Participating in Meetings
Call meetings only when necessary.
Involve five or fewer people for problem-
solving meetings.
Distribute an agenda at the beginning of
the meeting.
Assign an attendee to record the
minutes.
Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Ltd
Planning and Participating in Meetings
Avoid off-topic discussions.
Briefly summarize (or ask attendees to
do so if it is a small group).
Thank attendees for participating.
Provide minutes to the attendees a
couple of days after the meeting (if
appropriate).
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Planning and Participating in Meetings
Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Ltd