Communication for Business

Fourth Edition

Chapter 1
The Nature of Communication:
Communication basics
Learning Objectives (1 of 2)
After studying this unit you should be able to:
1. Explain what effective communication is.
2. State the benefits of effective communication.
3. Discuss the developments taking place in today’s
workplace that increase the need for effective
communication.
4. Describe the various methods of communication.
5. Discuss the factors to be considered in choosing the
method of communication.
Learning Objectives (1 of 2)
6. Explain the key stages in the communication cycle
7. Discuss examples of barriers to communication
8. Discuss the different ways communication flows in
a business organization
9. Explain what culture is and discuss some ways in
which you can improve cross-cultural
communications
10. Explain the seven step formula to achieve
effective communication
Effective Communication - Organization's Lifeblood

Communication is defined as:

giving, receiving or exchanging information, opinions or ideas
by writing, speech or visual means, so that the message
communicated is completely understood by the recipient(s).
• Remember
The key to effective communication is ensuring that your
message is understood, stimulating the recipient to take
appropriate action, or affecting the way the recipient thinks in
some way.
Communication is Important to Your Career
• Your career will give you the opportunity to communicate,
collaborate and share ideas with many people, both inside
and outside your organization
• You may be an employee, executive, consultant or
freelancer to a company
• You may become an entrepreneur
• In all these roles, communication skills may be the single
most important skill you possess
Figure 1.1 Sharing Information
What Makes Business Communication
Effective?
• Provide practical information
• Give facts rather than vague impressions
• Present information in a concise, efficient manner
• Clarify expectations and responsibilities
• Offer compelling, persuasive arguments and
recommendations
Benefits of Effective Communication
Good communication results from:
Stronger decision-making and problem-solving
Upturn in productivity
Convincing and compelling corporate materials
Clearer, more streamlined workflow
Enhanced professional image
Sound business relationships
Successful response ensured
Understanding What Employers Expect
From You
• Acquiring, processing, and sharing information.
• Using communication to foster positive working
relationships.
• Representing your employer in the public arena.
• Efficiently using the tools that your employer provides.
Communication in a changing workplace
Effective communication is very important to face the
changing and developing workplace’s challenges. Including:
• Advancing technology
• Global communications
• The information age
• Team-based business environments
Remember effective communication
• Helps us all adapt to changing environments.
• Essential for both team membership and leadership.
Methods of Communication
Methods of Communication
Methods of Communication
Choosing The Channel Of Communication
• The channel is very important and can influence
the recipient’s interpretation of the message.
• Consider these factors:
Cost – Consider how much the communication will cost in
terms of the results expected.
Confidentiality – A telephone call could be overheard.
Safety and security – Would a courier service be
justified?
Choosing The Channel Of Communication
Consider these factors:
Influence - Multi-colored letterheads on high quality paper
convey a good image of a company.
Urgency - Choose the method that will produce the desired
results in the time available.
Distance - Is the communication within the building, in the
same town, or the other side of the world?
Choosing The Channel Of Communication
• Consider these factors:
Time of day - This is particularly important when
communicating with overseas countries.
Resources - Consider the equipment and staff available
(sender and recipient).
Written record - Written communications carry more
authority and are proof of a transaction.
Recipient - Consider who is sending/receiving the message.
Communication Choices
Use oral channels when:
• Your message is fairly simple
• You need an immediate response
• You don’t need a permanent record
• You want to encourage interaction in problem-solving or
decision-making
• You need to read the recipient’s body language
• You need to hear the tone of your recipient’s response
• Your message has an emotional factor.
Communication Choices
Use written channels when:
• Your message is fairly detailed or requires careful planning
• You don’t need an immediate response
• You need a permanent, written record
• You have a big, widespread audience
• You want to minimize the distortion that often occurs when
messages are passed orally from person to person
• You don’t need immediate interaction with your audience
• Your message has no emotional factor.
Communication Choices
Use electronic channels when:
• Speed is important
• Time zones differ
• You are physically separated from your audience.
Stages in communication cycle
The Conventional Communication Process
Barriers in the Communication Environment
• Noise and distractions
• Competing messages
• Filters
• Channel breakdowns
Barriers in the Communication Environment
Communication may fail for a variety of reasons include:
• Non-verbal signals: facial expression, gesture, nodding,
etc.
• Language: Foreign languages, dialects, regional accents
• Listening: Noise, interruptions
• Pre-judgement: background, expectations
• Relationships: individual differences
• Emotional responses: anger
• Systems: procedures
The Flow Of Communication
• Vertical communication can be:
– Downward communication flows from top executives
and conveys executive decisions and information that
helps employees do their jobs.
– Upward communication flows from employees to
higher levels and provides insight into problems, trends
and opportunities.
• Horizontal communication: Horizontal or lateral
communication flows between departments to help
employees share information, coordinate tasks, and solve
complex problems (people of the same status).
The Flow Of Communication
• Diagonal communication: Diagonal communication takes
place between people who work in different departments
and at different levels within an organization.
• The grapevine: This term describes an unofficial
communication system which is constantly changing. The
grapevine is a vehicle for distortions of the truth, rumor and
gossip. It results in low morale, cynicism, fear and an
unsettled workforce
The Flow Of Communication
The Flow Of Communication

• Steps to reduce the influence of grapevine:

 consider carefully ways in which information is
communicated, within the organization.
 The confidence of an organization's employees
is vitally important.
 Adequate and accurate information should always
be available to the people concerned at the earliest
possible opportunity, through the correct channels.
Intercultural Sensitivities
• Culture is a shared system of beliefs, attitudes, values,
expectations and norms of behavior.
• From group to group, cultures differ extensively.
• As a result of basic cultural differences, misunderstandings
could easily occur, and often do.
Remember:
• Improve your cross-cultural communication skills by
recognizing cultural differences, willing to accept that other
people’s different beliefs and assumptions, being open-
minded, and making efforts to improve your intercultural
communication skills.
Ethnocentrism
• Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own cultural
background is superior to all others.
• Ethnocentric people tend to make pre-judgements of
different cultures based on one experience or limited
evidence.
• They tend to take stereotyping a little too far and don’t keep
an open mind so they cannot move beyond a certain stage.
• The ethnocentric people cannot see beyond their fixed
ideas, even when those ideas are wrong, so their mind
remains closed.
Acknowledging cultural differences
To avoid ethnocentrism, you should:
• Recognize differences. Accept and acknowledge the
distinctions between your own cultures and other’s.
• Avoid assumptions. Remember that others may not act in
the same way as you, nor will have the same theories or
beliefs.
• Do not pre-judge. If people act differently, do not assume
that they are wrong, unacceptable, or that your cultures
and customs are more superior to theirs.
Checklist for communicating effectively
across cultures
Remember these points to communicate effectively in a
culturally diverse workforce.
 Show respect.
 Show empathy.
 Do not pre-judge.
 Be open-minded
 Avoid distractions.
 Be patient.
 Look for similarities.
 Send clear messages.
 Recognize your prejudices.
 Treat people as individuals.
Seven Steps To Effective Communication
You can achieve effective
communication by having
a complete knowledge of
the communication
cycle, being aware of
the barriers, and
following this seven-step
process:
The Impact Of Information Technology
Successful Communication
• Read - Extend your knowledge of language by reading.
• Listen intelligently - Remember that communication is a two-
way process.
• Think and plan - Think before you speak or write. Plan all your
communications carefully, whether oral or written .
• Use appropriate language - Use clear, simple language, and
appreciate the same used by others.
• Be open-minded - Consider other people’s viewpoints, be willing
to adapt and change methods or procedures if necessary.
Successful Communication
• Select appropriate media - Consider carefully the method to be
used for communicating your message. It should be appropriate to
the desired objective.
• Time your communication appropriately - Consider the best
time for the communication and how long it should be.
• Obtain feedback - Obtain feedback to ensure that the
communication was effective.
• Aim high - Set and maintain high standards in all your methods of
communication, both in terms of language and presentation.