Master of Management. Business Communication Slides.

1. 4 - 1
Business Communication: Polishing Your Professional
Presence
Canadian Edition
BSMM8000
Professor Anne Mullen

2. 4 - 2
Why Study Business
Communications?

3. Career Readiness and Key Competencies
1. Career & Self Development
2. Communication
3. Critical Thinking
4. Equity & Inclusion
5. Leadership
6. Professionalism
7. Teamwork
8. Technology
Career Readiness Defined. Naceweb.org. Retrieved January 5, 2023, from
http://www.naceweb.org/knowledge/career-readiness-competencies.aspx

4. Attributes Employers Seek
1. Problem-solving Skills
2. Detail Oriented
3. Ability to work in a
team
4. Adaptable
5. Communication skills
(written)
6. Technical skills
7. Leadership
8. Interpersonal
9. Strong work ethic
10.Computer
11.Analytical/quantitative
skills
12.Organizational
13.Communication skills
(verbal)
14.Strategic
15.Initiative
16.Creativity
 Job Outlook 2018 Report. National Association of Colleges and Employers.

5. Desired Skills:
What do Employers
Want
Surveys reveal that people want to hire those
with “essential skills” – communicating,
problem-solving, critical thinking, and
teamwork.
Brown, L. GTA, Education, Schools.. (2016, February 22). Young grads need to brush up on 3 Rs, employers
say | Toronto Star. thestar.com.
Retrieved 20 June 2016, from https://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2016/02/22/young-grads-need-to-
brush-up-on-3-rs-employers-say.html

6. Let’s take a look at
The Plan!

7. Business Communication:
Polishing Your Professional
Presence
Chapter 4 Who Are You?
Understanding Intercultural
Communication and
Workplace Diversity

8. Key Concepts
Culture
The learned and shared attitudes and behaviours that
characterize a group of people. People demonstrate their
culture through values, ideas, and attitudes.
Stereotype
A perception about an individual or group based on a belief
that all people in a given group behave the same way.
Ethnocentrism
A belief that your own culture is superior to all others.

9. Organizational Culture
Employee & Customer
Treatment?
Decision making?
Personal expression?
How do power and
information flow?
Communications
protocol?
Meeting purpose and
conduct?
How are emails
treated?
Distant employee
consideration in
operations, decisions?

10. Understand the Impact of
Culture and Diversity on
Communication
Individuals are shaped by cultures.
Influences actions, words, dress, mannerism
…
Powerful!
But
Flexible
and
Evolving..

11. Know that Each Individual Is
Unique

12. Know that Each Individual Is
Unique
Understanding
Begins with
Examining
Yourself
First

13. Develop a Mindset of
Cultural Intelligence
Always allow others to define themselves.
Remain flexible.
“Adaptability” - a key skill.
If not connecting, slow down and watch to learn and adapt.
Keep all three “stories” in balance.
Pay attention to where you are placing your assumptions.

14. Business Communication: Process and Product, 5th Cdn. Brief Edition

15. 4.2 What Do You Need to
Know to Improve Your
Cultural Intelligence?
Understand cultural
norms without
stereotyping.
Consider theoretical
models of cultural norms
for learning
- not absolute!

16. Avoiding the Single Story
Perspective
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi (2009). “The Danger of a Single Story”.
https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single
_story?language=en

17. How do we Avoid the “Single
Story”?
 develop cultural intelligence
 develop a mindset of inclusion, and
 develop strategies to communicate
interculturally and within diverse work
environments
 Know that each individual is unique

18. Individualist vs. Collectivist
Collectivist Culture
Welfare of the group or
organization before individual
interests.
Individualistic Culture
Values individual achievements,
satisfaction, and independent
thinking.

19. Power Distance
High Power Distance Low Power Distance

20. Uncertainty Avoidance
Embrace or Avoid?

21. Time Orientation
Monochroni
c
Polychronic
vs.

22. Holistic vs. Specific Thinking
Holistic Specific
vs.

23. Touch
Workplace interpretation of touch can vary widely across cultures.
Within a culture, individual acceptance of touch also varies.

24. Strategies to Help You
Communicate
• Experience other
cultures.
• Employ
understanding of
your own style.
• Do your homework:
Research!

25. Strategies to Help You
Communicate
• When unsure - formality
• Use universal language
• Avoid humour
• Request feedback for
understanding
Smile!

26. Develop a Mindset of
Inclusion
Choose words that:
• Include, rather than exclude
• Challenge and avoid stereotypes
• Have no extra meaning or
connotations
• Are not patronizing to individuals or
groups
Inclusive communication respects and includes
everyone. Everyone benefits when we move from
tolerance to inclusion.

27. Guiding Principles to
Inclusive Communication
Use names correctly
• Use a person’s name.
• Spell the person’s name correctly.
• Check with person for proper
pronunciation.
• Ask about preferred names or nicknames.

28. Guiding Principles to
Inclusive Communication
Use job titles
• Refer to what someone does rather than your perception
of who someone is.
Provide facts rather than assumptions
• More respectful than assuming your perspective is
correct.

29. Learn the Art of Respectful
Inquiry
Provide context
• Explain why you are asking.
Demonstrate “best interests”
• Show intent of your request is supportive
Allow maximum flexibility
• If solving a problem, explain problem and allow person
to contribute .
Frame a question as a request for assistance
• People respond well when asked to help.

30. Culture Exercise
 Break into groups of 4-6 people
 Share your experiences in regard to
your own culture and those you have
experienced in your travels
 Discuss things like:
Classroom Etiquette
Greetings – Friends? Elders? Teachers?
Communication – Do you say “no” directly?
Household customs and social rituals

31. A Glimpse of My Family’s
Culture
• From Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia,
Canada
• A rural community, fishing is the
primary industry
Photos: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/archive/weatheradio/forecast-region-yarmouth-county.html

32. A Glimpse of My Family’s
Culture
 Respectful of elders
 Friendly – “popping into” friend’s & family’s houses is common.
 “No” is rarely said directly “I’ll need to think about that…..hmmm
not sure how we can make that work…….”
 Industry tied to fishing and the North Atlantic, greetings and
expressions often involve weather references (e.g. – “It’s some
nice out today” as a greeting/hello; or “It’ll be a foggy Friday
when X happens”).
 Traditions of superstition to protect sailors and fisherfolk (e.g. no
bananas or pork allowed on a fishing boat).

33. A Glimpse of My Family’s
Culture
• Lobster Fishing starts annually on “Dumping Day” - November 30
• A Christmas Tree of buoys from the fishing vessels is created by the town to bring
good luck

34. In Summary: