This document discusses key concepts in business communication. It defines business communication as evoking shared meaning between people. Interpersonal communication refers to communication between two or more people in an organization. Effective communication requires understanding perceptual screens, messages, feedback loops, and language. New communication technologies impact behavior by providing immediate access to information and people but can also make communication more impersonal. The document emphasizes the importance of reflective listening, nondefensive communication, understanding nonverbal cues, and using new technologies effectively.

1. Business Communication
By – Utkarsh Nigam
Copyright ©2005 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved.

2. Business Communication
Business Communication - the evoking of a shared or
common meaning in another person
Interpersonal Communication - communication
between two or more people in an organization
Communicator - the person originating the message
Receiver - the person receiving a message
Perceptual Screen - a window through which we
interact with people that influences the quality,
accuracy, and clarity of the communication

3. Business Communication
Message - the thoughts and feelings that the
communicator is attempting to elicit in the
receiver
Feedback Loop - the pathway that
completes two-way communication
Language - the words, their pronunciation,
and the methods of combining them used
& understood by a group of people

4. Business Communication
Data - uninterpreted and unanalyzed facts
Information - data that have been interpreted,
analyzed, & and have meaning to some user
Richness - the ability of a medium or channel
to elicit or evoke meaning in the receiver

5. Basic Business Communication
Procedure
Event
X
Message
• Context
• Affect
Perceptual screens
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Perceptual screens
Communicator Receiver
Influence message quality, accuracy, clarity
Include age, gender, values, beliefs, culture,
experiences, needs

6. Reflective Listening
Reflective Listening - the skill of listening carefully to
another person and repeating back to the speaker the
heard message to correct any inaccuracies or
misunderstandings
This complex
process needs
to be divided to
be understood
What I heard you
say was we will
understand the
process better if we
break it into steps

7. Reflective Listening
 Emphasizes receiver’s role
 Helps the receiver & communicator clearly &
fully understand the message sent
 Useful in problem solving

8. Reflective Listening
Reflective listening emphasizes
 the personal elements of the communication
process
 the feelings communicated in the message
 responding to the communicator, not leading the
communicator
 the role or receiver or audience
 understanding people by reducing perceptual
distortions and interpersonal barriers

9. Reflective Listening:
4 Levels of Verbal Response
Affirm contact
Paraphrase the expressed
Clarify the implicit
Reflect “core” feelings

10. One-way vs. Two-way
Communications
One-Way
Communication - a
person sends a message
to another person and no
questions, feedback, or
interaction follow
 Good for giving
simple directions
 Fast but often less
accurate than 2-way
communication
Two-Way
Communication - the
communicator & receiver
interact
 Good for problem
solving

11. Five Keys to Effective
Supervisory Communication
 Expressive speaking
 Empathetic listening
 Persuasive leadership
 Sensitivity to feelings
 Informative management

12. Barriers to Communication
 Physical separation
 Status differences
 Gender differences
 Cultural diversity
 Language
Communication
Barriers -
factors that block
or significantly
distort successful
communication

13. Defensive Communication
Defensive Communication - communication that
can be aggressive, attacking & angry, or passive
& withdrawing
Leads to
 injured feelings
 communication breakdowns
 alienation
 retaliatory behaviors
 nonproductive efforts
 problem solving failures

14. Nondefensive Communication
Nondefensive Communication -
communication that is assertive, direct,
& powerful
Provides
 basis for defense when attacked
 restores order, balance, and
effectiveness

15. Two Defensiveness Patterns
Dominant Defensiveness -
characterized by active,
aggressive, attacking behavior
Subordinate Defensiveness -
characterized by passive,
submissive, withdrawing
behavior

16. Defensive Tactics
Defensive Tactic Speaker Example
Power Play Boss “Finish this report by month’s
end or lose your promotion.”
Put-Down Boss “A capable manager would
already be done with this report.”
Labeling Boss “You must be a slow learner.
Your report is still not done?”
Raising Doubts Boss “How can I trust you, Chris, if
you can’t finish an easy report?”

17. Defensive Tactics
Defensive Tactic Speaker Example
Misleading
Information
Employee “Morgan has not gone over with
me the information I need for
the report.” [Morgan left Chris
with a copy of the report.]
Scapegoating Employee “Morgan did not give me input
until just today.”
Hostile Jokes Employee “You can’t be serious! The
report isn’t that important.”
Deception Employee “I gave it to the secretary. Did
she lose it?”

18. Nondefensive Communication:
A Powerful Tool
 Speaker seen as centered, assertive, controlled,
informative, realistic, and honest
 Speaker exhibits self-control & self possession
 Listener feels accepted rather than rejected
 Catherine Crier’s rules to nondefensive
communication
1. Define the situation
2. Clarify the person’s position
3. Acknowledge the person’s feelings
4. Bring the focus back to the facts

19. Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal Communication - all elements of communication
that do not involve words
Four basic types
 Proxemics - an individual’s perception & use of space
 Kinesics - study of body movements, including posture
 Facial & Eye Behavior - movements that add cues for the
receiver
 Paralanguage - variations in speech, such as pitch,
loudness, tempo, tone, duration, laughing, & crying

20. c
c = social 4-12’
b
b = personal 1.5-4’
Proxemics: Territorial Space
Territorial Space - bands of space extending
outward from the body; territorial space differs
from culture to culture
a
a = intimate <1.5’
d
d = public >12’

21. Proxemics: Seating Dynamics
Seating Dynamics - seating people in certain
positions according to the person’s purpose in
communication
Cooperation
X O
Non-
Communication
O X O
Competition
X
O
X
Communication
O

22. Examples of
Decoding Nonverbal Cues
Boss fails to acknowledge
employee’s greeting
No eye contact
while
communicating
Manager sighs deeply
Boss breathes
heavily &
waves arms
He’s
unapproachable!
My opinion
doesn’t count
I wonder what
he’s hiding?
He’s angry! I’ll
stay out of
his way!
SOURCE: Adapted from “Steps to Better Listening” by C. Hamilton and B. H. Kleiner. Copyright © February 1987. Reprinted with permission, Personnel Journal, all rights reserved.

23. New Technologies
for Communication
 Informational databases
 Electronic mail systems
 Voice mail systems
 Fax machine systems
 Cellular phone systems

24. How Do New Technologies
Affect Behavior?
 Fast, immediate access to information
 Immediate access to people in power
 Instant information exchange across distance
 Makes schedules & office hours irrelevant
 May equalize group power
 May equalize group participation

25.  Communication can become more impersonal—
interaction with a machine
 Interpersonal skills may diminish—less tact, less
graciousness
 Non-verbal cues lacking
 Alters social context
 Easy to become overwhelmed with information
 Encourages polyphasic activity
How Do New Technologies
Affect Behavior?

26. Strive for
message
completeness
Tips for Effective Use of New
Communication Technologies
Build in
feedback
opportunities
Provide
social
interaction
opportunities
Don’t
assume
immediate
response
Is the
message
really
necessary?
Regularly
disconnect
from the
technology
Provide
social
interaction
opportunities