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Lesson 5: Communication for Work Purposes

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, you are expected to achieve the following:

1. Discuss the importance of oral communication skills in the workplace.

2. Describe the pressing challenges encountered by business communicators.
3. Expound on the fundamentals of online interviews.
4. Discuss the essentials of physical and virtual meetings.
5. Observe the etiquette of face-to-face and online meetings.
6. Show the ability to communicate through independent and group communicative learning
activities

Oral Communication in the Workplace

Your activity in the company or organization that you will be part of in the future involves a lot of
oral communication. More often than not, your daily tasks require effective communication. Hence, your
good communication skill is important because it helps you and your company meet desired goals for
personal and business productivity. The importance of oral communication skill at the workplace is
evident in various researches conducted among organization executives, managers, employees and
trainees. These researches have revealed that effective oral communication skill takes the top place
among the business skills needed in the company for its quality performance.

Oral communication skill in business is highly valued. Without exception, everybody in business
needs it to communicate details of information, discuss strategies, map out plans, close business
agreements, work in teams, and deal with managers, employees, business partners, guests or clients. To
improve yourself, you also need communication skill to help you initiate personal plans, lead project
undertakings, and solve pressing problems. Executives and managers need good communication skills to
demonstrate effective leadership, efficient transaction, quality performance, and excellent productivity.

Successful businesses have gained their good reputation because strong communication skill is
fully recognized and developed among employees. However, some companies’ need for employees with
effective communication skill is all too often unfulfilled. Some business transactions miss the mark as
business people fail to convey proper course of communication.

Pressing Challenges in Workplace Communication

Communication has always been essential in any business’ growth and development. As effective
communication is needed to be able to operate and become successful, pressing challenges do interfere
and are likely to affect your work and communication in the future.

Business communicators
have always encountered
communication problems. Some of
these problems are sometimes
hard to avoid or deal with. Andrea
Campbell, author of Top 10 Team
Communication Issues and How
to Avoid Them, believe that poor
communication skills create
business problems.

One of these is the team communication issues and problems among people at work. Common
cases being encountered are those with coworkers (1) losing trust with others, (2) poor cooperation among
team members, and sometimes (3) the disapproval or disrespect from colleagues or immediate superior.
The said problems are considered communication challenges. The terms refer to the problem when the
manager does not provide feedback or coaching. If there is no feedback, it means there is no
communication. Campbell echoed the idea of Leigh Branham, the author of 7 Hidden Reasons Employees
Leave. She said, as quoted, that the root problems of this issue are managers' inattention to people they
supervise. They provide irregular or nonexistent feedback. People get criticisms instead of praise. Worse
is that feedback is not valued or valuable at all.

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 To avoid or solve the issue, Branham suggested (1) improving coaching and feedback especially
among the new recruits; (2) setting up mentoring programs with experienced employees; and (3) requiring
managers to provide feedback.

Top Communication Issues

Campbell identified top ten communication issues that business communicators have to consider
to be able to avoid or solve them.

1. Failure to Listen. Ineffective listening is a big problem in communication. Good communication fails
when one doesn’t pay much attention or plan what to say before one ends his statement. Many
distractions affect effective listening. Team members are distracted by the thoughts bothering his mind.
They have short attention span. Other distractions like noise and other physical barriers present in the
environment take toll resulting to communication failure. To avoid it, speakers have to emphasize the
importance of active listening in the discussion. Also point out that inattentiveness results to different
understanding of the topic being discussed. Speakers also have to maintain eye contact during the
conversation or discussion.

2. Culture Differences. The diversity of backgrounds and cultural customs create communication issues
among team members and leaders. People would just love to stay along with people of the same
background. Hence, leaders face challenges of grouping and team communication hurdles. To avoid it, try
to promote “unity in diversity” wherein team members have to be assigned to different groups to break
the usual grouping.

3. Locale or Distance to Office. The office location or its distance to its employees or contributors entails
problem in the communication. The company usually resorts to email, phone or video conferencing. The
very low level of interaction in electronic communication poses a communication barrier. It causes
misunderstanding and failures. To solve it, meetings should be done at the nearest venue and on a
regular schedule. Important issues and solutions can be posted or sent to all for further knowledge and
verification.

4. Ego and Attitude. Self-image or ego often affects team’s effort to execute plans. One’s arrogance causes
trouble, and more often, teamwork ends due to one’s defiance. Arrogant team member could not accept
the fact that he contributes to team’s problem. The presence of conflict is evident when someone displays
inequality or bias and doesn’t want to take responsibility. To solve it, the team leader or manager should
promote better understanding as the group discusses the issue. He has to re-direct the group to be able to
meet the goals. Calmness and tactfulness help reduce tension and friction between or among team
members.

5. Authority or Hierarchy Problems. The authority that the team leader or manger demonstrates more
often creates intimidation or gap with team members. They become shy and hesitant to approach or talk
to their manager for authority being shown doesn’t create friendly atmosphere. To resolve, managers or
team leaders should promote harmoniously relation among the team members. Communicate to the
members about the intention of helping and letting them feel they are important. And they can approach
the managers for consultation or discussion on personal or work-related issues.

6. Poorly Written Communication. The confusion or misunderstanding of in interoffice business

communication is due to poor content of written documents, substandard organization, fractured
grammar, among other flaws in written interoffice materials. To avoid it, ensure that documents are well-
edited and proofread by best editor in the department. Allow other eyes to check for mistakes in grammar,
spelling, punctuations, and organizations.

7. Gender Bias. The choice of which gender makes a more effective leader in the department is an issue of
gender bias. This gender discrimination creates problem in the organization. To avoid this, team leaders
or managers should ensure that the issue on gender choice is set aside in tackling issues or taking course
of action for the department. Speak about concerns without engaging in demeaning oneself. Avoid gender-
bias language or terms that connote gender. For example, use chairperson for chairman or chairwoman.

8. Focus or Listening Problems. Inability of employees to focus on the issue is equivalent to listening
problems. The generation gap is often the cause of communication barrier that affects the achievement of
department goals. To help avoid it, leaders or managers have to initiate mutual understanding regardless
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of age. Encourage teamwork and unity despite differences of age, sex, social status, and family
background. Understand one’s weaknesses and capitalize on one’s strength.

9. Inadequate Knowledge. Little knowledge is dangerous. Hence, team performance is affected due to
ineffective education or lack of understanding or other inadequate knowledge foundation. To resolve it,
leaders or managers encourage team members to upgrade knowledge by pursuing higher degree programs.
Include in the annual target plan the participation of members to seminar, training or conferences.
Promote reading culture in the department and productive focus group discussion.

10. Cliques, Groups and Friendships. Group membership or group affiliation or exclusive grouping of
team members can sometimes create segregation. To avoid it, promote teamwork spirit in the department.
Conduct team building activities to promote objectivity, teamwork, cooperation, and unity in diversity

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