This document provides information on effective business communication. It discusses various types of communication including verbal, non-verbal, written, and electronic communication. It also covers topics such as the communication process, organizational communication, listening skills, communication barriers, and preparing effective business messages. The document contains tips and best practices for communication, meetings, multicultural communication, and overcoming barriers. It aims to improve the reader's understanding of communication and provide strategies for effective communication in a business setting.
2. 2
Communication Defined
The exchange of meanings between individuals through a
common system of symbols.
Encyclopedia Britannica
An act or instance of transmitting (n)
Communication is a process in which a person, through the use
of signs (natural,universal) / symbols (by human convention) ,
verbally and / or non-verbally, consciously on unconsciously but
intentionally,conveys meaning to another in order to affect
change
Anonymous
5. 5
7 C’s of Communication
• Completeness
• Conciseness
• Consideration
• Concreteness
• Clarity
• Courtesy
• Correctness
6. 6
10 Commandments of Communication
• Believe in what you say
• Believe in the people to whom you speak
• Live what you say
• Know when to say it
• Know how to say it
• Know why to say it
• Have fun saying it
• Show it as you say it
• Say it so people can own it
• Say it so people will do it
7. 7
5 W’s and the 6th Element
• What
• When
• Which
• Why
• Where
• How
9. 9
Changes Affecting the Workplace
• Heightened global competition
• Flattened management hierarchies
• Expanded team-based management
• Innovative communication technologies
• New work environment
• Increasingly diverse workforce
• Success in the new workplace requires
excellent communication skills
10. 10
The Communication
Process Basic Model
1.
Sender has
idea
4.
Receiver
decodes
messages
3.
Message
travels over
channel
2.
Sender
encodes idea
in message
5.
Feedback travels to
sender
6.
Possible additional
feedback to receiver
11. 11
Organizational Communication
• Functions
– Internal and External
• Form
– Oral and Written
• Form
– Channel selection dependent on
• Message content
• Need for immediate response
• Audiences size and distance
• Audience reaction
• Need to show empathy, friendliness, and formality
• Flow
– Formal or Informal
– Down, up, horizontal
– grapevine
12. 12
Communication Flowing Through
Formal Channels
Downward
• Management
directives
• Job plans
• Company goals
• Mission statements
Horizontal
• Task coordination
• Information sharing
• Problem solving
• Conflict resolution
Upward
• Employee feedback
• Progress reports
• Reports of customer
• interaction, feedback
• Suggestions for
• improvement
• Anonymous hotline
13. 13
Communication Flowing Through
Formal Channels
Written
• Executive memos, letters
• Annual reports
• Company newsletter
• Reports of customer
• Orientation manual
Oral
• Telephone
• Face-to-face
• conservation
• Company meetings
• Team meetings
Electronic
• E-mail
• Voicemail
• Intranet
• Videotape
• Videoconferencing
14. 14
Message Distortion
Downward Communication
Through Five Levels of Management
Message
Written by Board of Directors
Received by Vice-President
Received by General Manager
Received by Plant Manager
Received by Team Leader
Received by worker
Amount of message
100%
63%
56%
40%
30%
20%
19. 19
Ten Misconception About
Listening
Listening is a matter of intelligence.
• Fact. Careful listening is a learned behavior.
• Speaking is a more important part of the
communication process than listening.
• Fact: Speaking and listening are equally important.
• 3.Listening is easy and requires little energy.
• Fact: Active listeners undergo the same physiological
changes as a person jogging.
20. 20
Ten Misconception About
Listening
• 4. Listening is an automatic reflex.
– Fact : Listening is conscious, selective process.
– Hearing is an involuntary act.
•
• 5. Speakers are able to command listening.
– Fact :Speakers cannot make a person really listen.
•
• 6. Hearing ability determines listening ability.
– Fact: Listening happens mentally- between the years
21. 21
Ten Misconception About
Listening
• 8. Listening is only a matter of understanding a speaker's
words
– Fact :Non verbal signals also help listeners gain understanding.
• 9. Daily practice eliminates the need for listening training.
– Fact :Without effective listening training, most practice merely
reinforces negative behavior.
• 10.Competence in listening develops naturally.
– Fact: Untrained people listen at only 25% efficiency
22. 22
Tips for better listening
• Control internal and external distractions.
• Become actively involved.
• Identify important facts
• Don’t interrupt
• Ask clarifying questions
• Paraphrase to increase understanding
• Take advantage of lag time
• Take notes to ensure retention
25. 25
Planning and participating
in meetings
• Before the meeting
• Consider alternatives. Is a meeting
necessary?
• Invite the right people. Include…
– Those who have information.
– Those who can make decision.
– Those who must implement decision.
• Distribute an agenda.
26. 26
Planning and participation
in meetings
During the meeting
• Start on time and introduce the agenda.
• Appoint a secretary and recorder
• Encourage balanced participation.
• Confront conflict frankly.
• Summarize points of consensus along
the way
27. 27
Planning and Participation in Meetings
Ending the meeting and follow up
• Review meeting decisions
• Distribute minutes of meeting
• Remind people of action items
29. 29
• Culture is learned.
• Cultures are inherently logical.
• Culture forms are self-identity and community.
• Culture combines the visible and the invisible.
• Culture is dynamic
Characteristics Of Culture
30. 30
Selected Dimensions Of Culture
Communication Style
• High-context cultures rely on non-verbal cues
and total picture to communicate
• Meanings embedded at many social levels.
• Low-context cultures emphasise words,
straight forwardness, openness.People tend
to be informal, impatient, literal.
31. 31
Selected Dimensions Of Culture
Time Orientation
• Unlimited and never-ending in some
cultures. Relaxed to a time.
• Precious to North Americans. Correlates
with productivity, efficiency, and money
32. 32
High-Context and Low-context Cultures
Japanese
Arab
Latin American
Spanish
English
Italian
French
North American
Scandinavian
German
Swiss
Low
High
33. 33
Improving Communication With
Multicultural Audiences Oral Messages
• Learn Foreign phrases.
• Use simple English.
• Speak slowly and enunciate clearly.
• Observe eye messages
• Encourage accurate feedback
• Chech frequently for comprehension.
34. 34
Oral Messages
• Accept blame.
• Listen without interrupting.
• Remember to smile!
• Follow up in writing
35. 35
Written Messages
• Adapt to local formats.
• Use short sentences and short paragraphs.
• Avoid ambiguous expressions.
• Try for clarity.
• Use correct grammar
38. 38
Making Ethical Decisions Across
Borders
• Broaden your view of other cultures.
• Avoid reflex judgements.
• Find alternatives.
• Refuse business if options violate your basic
values.
• Conduct all business openly.
• Don’t rationalise shady decisions.
• Resist lawful but unethical strategies
39. 39
Tips On Capitalising On Workforce
Diversity
• Seek training.
• Understand the value of differences.
• Don’t expect conformity.
• Create zero tolerance for bias and stereotypes.
• Learm about your cultural self.
• Make fewer assumptions.
• Build on similarities.
40. 40
Proverbs Reflect Culture
What do these proverbs tell us about this culture and its values?
U.S .Proverbs
• Waste not , want not.
• He who holds the gold makes the rules.
• If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
• The early bird gets the worm.
41. 41
Proverbs Reflect Culture
Chinese Proverbs
Man who waits for roast duck to fly into mouth must wait
very , very long time.
Man who says it cannot be done should not interrupt man
doing it.
42. 42
Other Proverbs
No one is either rich or poor who has not helped himself to
be so. (German)
Words do not make flour.(Italian)
Wealth that comes in at the door unjustly, goes out at the
window.(Egyptian)
44. 44
• Bypassing
• Limited frame of reference
• Lack of language skills
• Lack of listening skills
• Emotional interference
• Physical distraction
Barriers to Interpersonal
Communication
45. 45
Understanding Shaped by
• Communication climate
• Context and setting
• Background, experience
• Knowledge, mood
• Values, belief, culture
46. 46
Barriers That Block the Flow
of Information in
Organizations
• Closed communication climate
• Top-heavy organizational structure
• Long lines of communication
• Lack of trust between management
and employees
• Competition for power, status, rewards
47. 47
Additional Communication Barrier
• Fear of reprisal for honest
communication
• Differing frames of reference among
communicators
• Lack of communication skills
• Ego involvement
• Turf wars
48. 48
In Center Harbor, Maine, local legend recalls the day
when Walter Cronkite steered his boat into port. The
avid sailor was amused to see in the distance a small
crowd on shore waving their arms to greet him. He
could barely make out their excited shouts of “Hello
Walter, Hello Walter.”
A Classic Case of
Miscommunication
1
49. 49
As his boat sailed closer, the crowd grew larger, still
yelling, “Hello Walter, Hello Walter.” Pleased at the
reception, Cronkite tipped his white captain’s hat, waved
back, even took a bow. But before reaching dockside,
Cronkite’s boat abruptly jammed aground. The crowd
stood silent. The veteran news anchor suddenly realized
what they’d been shouting: “Low water, low water.”
2
50. 50
Analysis of Communication
Process
Sender has
idea
Warn boater
Receiver
decodes
message
“Hello Walter!”
Channel
carries
message
Message
distorted
Sender
encodes
message
“Low water!”
51. 51
What barriers helped create the
miscommunication here?
• Frame of reference
• Receiver accustomed to
acclaim and appreciative crowd.
• Language skills
• Maine accent makes “water” and
“Walter” sound similar.
• Listening skills • Receiver more accustomed to
speaking than to listening.
• Emotional interference • Ego prompted receiver to believe
crowd was responding to his
celebrity status.
• Physical barriers • Noise from boat distance between
senders and receivers.
Which of these barriers could be overcome through
improved communication skills?
52. 52
Overcoming Communication Barriers
Realize that communication is imperfect.
Adapt the message to the receiver.
Improve your language and listening skills
Question your preconceptions.
Plan for feedback.
54. 54
AIDA
A- Attract the reader’s favorable attention
I- Arouse the reader’s interest
D- Create desire and convince the reader
A- Make clear the action the reader needs to take
55. 55
Business Writing is…
• Purposeful: It solves problems and
conveys information.
• Economical: It is concise.
• Reader-oriented: It focuses on the
receiver, not the sender
57. 57
The Complete Process
Prewriting
Analyze
Anticipate
Adapt
Writing
Research
Organize
Compose
Revising
Revise
Proofread
Evaluate
58. 58
Prewriting
Analyze: Define your purpose. Select the most
appropriate form (channel). Select the most
appropriate form (channel). Visualize the
audience.
Anticipate: Put yourself in the reader’s position
and predict his or her reaction to this message.
Adapt: Consider ways to shape the message to
benefit the reader, using his or her language.
59. 59
Writing
• Research: Collect data formally and
informally. Generate ideas by brainstorming
and clustering.
•
• Organize : Group ideas into list or an outline.
Select the direct or indirect strategy.
•
• Compose: Write first draft, preferably on a
computer
60. 60
Revising
• Revise: Revise for clarity, tone, conciseness,
and vigor. Revise to improve readability.
• Proofread: Proofread to verify spelling
grammar, punctuation, and format. Check for
overall appearance.
• Evaluate: Ask yourself whether the final
product will achieve its purpose.
62. 62
Analyzing and Anticipating
• Analyze the task
• Identify the purpose.
• Select the best channel
• Importance of message?
• Feedback required?.
• Permanent record?
63. 63
Analyzing and Anticipating
• Cost of channel?
• Degree of formality?
• Anticipate the audience
• Primary receivers?
• Secondary receivers?
Cont’d
64. 64
Adapting to Task and Audience
• Spotlight receiver benefits (the warranty starts working for
you immediately)
• Cultivate the “You” view ( you will receive your order)
• Use sensitive language avoiding gender, race, age, and
disability biases ( office workers , not office girls)
• Express thoughts positively ( you will be happy to, not you
will be sorry that)
• Use familiar words salary, not remuneration)
• Use precise , vigorous words ( fax me not contact me)
65. 65
Sender-focused Receiver focused
“We are requiring allPlease complete these
staffers to complete forms so that you will
these forms in be eligible for health
compliance with and dental benefits”
company policy”
The You Factor
68. 68
Creating Effective Sentences
• Recognizing phrases and clauses
• Use short sentences
• Emphasize important ideas
• Use the active voice for most sentences
• Use the passive voice to de-emphasize
the performer and/or to be tactful
• Avoid dangling and misplaced modifiers
69. 69
Recognizing Phrases and Clauses
• Clauses have subjects and verbs; phrases do not.
• Independent clauses are complete; dependent clauses
are not
• Phrases and dependent clauses cannot function as
sentences
• Independent Clause: They were eating cold pizza
• Dependent Clause: that they want to return for a refund
• Phrase: to return for a refund
70. 70
Using Short Sentences
Sentence Length Comprehensive Rate
8 words 100%
15 words 90%
19 words 80%
28 words 50%
Source: American Press Institute
71. 71
Emphasizing Important Ideas
• Position important idea at beginning
of sentences
• Make sure important idea is subject
of sentence
• Place main idea in short sentence
72. 72
Use Active Voice for Most Sentences
Active Voice: We lost money
Active Voice: I sent the e-mail message
yesterday
(Subject is performer)
73. 73
Use Passive Voice
to De-emphasize the Performer and/or to be Tactful
Passive voice: Money was lost (by us).
Passive voice: The e-mail message was sent
yesterday (by me).
(Passive voice test: Ask “By whom?” If you fill in
performer, verb is probably in passive voice.)
74. 74
Avoid Dangling Modifiers
Dangling modifier:
To be hired, an application must be completed.
Revision:
To be hired, you must complete an application.
To be hired, fill out an application (You is
understood to be the subject)
75. 75
Avoid Misplaced Modifiers
Misplaced modifiers
The patient was referred to a psychiatrist
with a severe emotional problem.
Revision
The patient with a severe emotional problem
was referred to the psychiatrist.
77. 77
Drafting Effective Paragraphs
• Discuss only one topic in each paragraph.
• Arrange sentences in a strategic plan
• Link ideas to build coherence
• Use transitional expression for coherence
78. 78
Discussing Only One topic in each
paragraph
• Group similar ideas together
• Start a new paragraph for each new topic
79. 79
Linking Ideas to build coherence
• Sustain the key idea by repeating or rephrasing it.
• Use a pronoun (… to fulfill our goals. These
goals…)
• Dovetail sentences. Connect the beginning of each
new sentence with a word from the end of the
previous sentence
80. 80
Using Transitional Expression for
Coherence
Recommended expression
• Additionally
• Also
• As a result
• For example
• In other words
• Therefore
82. 82
Revising for Clarity, Conciseness,
and Readability
• Keep it simple
• Keep it conversational
• Remove opening fillers
• Eliminate redundancies
• Reduce compound prepositions
• Purge empty words
• Dump trite “business” phrases
• Develop parallelism (balanced construction)
• Apply graphic highlighting
• Measure readability
83. 83
Keep it simple
Avoid indirect, pompous language
Poor:
It would not be inadvisable for you to affix your
signature at this point in time.
Improved:
You may sign now.
84. 84
Keep it conversational
Formal
Our Accounting Department takes this
opportunity to inform you that we have credited
your account for the aforementioned sum.
Conversational:
We have credited your account for RS. 1000.
88. 88
Purge empty words
• As for the area of athletic shoes, the degree
of profits sagged
• This is to inform you that we have a toll free
services line.
• Not all students who are registered will
attend.
89. 89
Purge empty words
As for the area of athletic shoes, the degree of profits
sagged
This is to inform you that we have a toll free service
line.
Not all students who are registered will attend.
registered
90. 90
Apply graphic highlighting
• Letters, such as (a) and (b) within the text.
• Numerals, like 1,2, and 3, listed vertically.
• Bullets, like *
• Headings and print options
• CAPITAL LETTERS
• Underscore
• Boldface
• Italics
• Font size
92. 92
What to watch for, in proofreading
• Spelling
• Grammar
• Punctuation
• Names and numbers
• Format
93. 93
Proofreading Documents
For computer messages, read on the screen in
WYS/WYG mode (what you see is what you
get) or better, print a rough copy to read.
For handwritten or printed messages, read
carefully and use proofreading marks to
indicate changes.
94. 94
• Print a copy, preferably double-spaced.
• Set it aside for a breather
• Allow adequate time for careful proofreading
• Be prepared to find errors. Congratulate, not
criticize, yourself each time you find an error.
• Read the message at least twice – for
meaning and for grammar/ mechanics
• Reduce your reading speed. Focus on
individual words
How to Proofread Complex
Documents
96. 96
Characteristics of Successful
E-Mail Messages
• Be concise
• Answer all questions
• Use proper Punctuation, Grammar and Spelling
• Use Templates for frequently
• Reply promptly
• Use proper structure and layout
• Avoid using high priority options
97. 97
Characteristics of Successful
E-Mail Messages
• Do not use CAPS
• Add disclaimer to your e-mails
• Review before sending
• Zip large files
• Do not request delivery and read receipts
• Do not use e-mail to discuss confidential matters
• Always run Anti Virus before opening attached files
98. 98
The Six Most Common Mistakes
in Sending E-Mail
• Address goofs
• Lengthy messages or attachments
• Misleading subject lines
• Inappropriate content (such as delivering bad
news)
• Instant indiscretions (angry or thoughtless
statements)
• Reckless copying
100. 100
Effective Phone Calls
• Have an aim
• Tailor your style
• Limit social conversation
• Give concise answers to questions
• If you don’t know an answer, say so
• At the end of a call, summarise the points made
• Don’t talk to anyone else when on the phone
101. 101
Making Phone calls
If’s and Don’ts
• Don’t make a call very
early or very late
• Don’t harass people
• If calls are administrative,
delegate them
• If you get an answering
machine, ring off and ring
back
Take the initiative in making calls
Ifs Don’ts
102. 102
Incoming Calls
• The phone should not ring more than 3
times before being answered
• Everyone should have responsibility for
answering phones
• Don’t answer the phone while eating
• Always ring back