Lecture 01: Basics of Communication

Rowshonara Akter Akhi

Assistant Professor
Department of Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
 What is communication?

What does ‘communication’ mean to you?

Any idea?
Why do we even communicate?
 Defining communication
Communication defined
• Communication is the process of sharing our ideas, thoughts, and feelings with other
people and having those ideas, thoughts and feelings understood by the people we are
communicating with.
• Components in communication process
 Message sender
 Message receiver
 Message itself
 Medium
 Method
 Noise etc.
 Key features in communication
 Communication is successful when the message is received as the same one
that has been sent -
Therefore understanding is the key element
 It’s a both way process which is continuous
 Methods of communication
Methods in communication
o Verbal
o Written
o Electronic
o Audio
o Visual -
 Meetings
 Notice board
 Text!!
 Mediums of communication
Mediums in communication
 Letters
 Memo
 Reports
 Fax
 Telephone
 Email
 Which medium to use?

Choice of medium is affected by

 Need for record
 Direction of the information flow
 Number of people to be reached
 Confidentiality
 Nature of the information
 Length, complexity, emergency need
 Cost of the medium etc.
 Why communication fails?
 Did any of your communication failed?
 How did that happen to you?
Was that just miscommunication or lack of understanding?

Effective Communication
Did you ever receive this reaction and look from your recipient / audience?
 Constraints to successful communication

Internal
 Fatigue
 Poor listening skills  Fear
 Poor communication skills  Past experience
 Attitude toward the sender or information
 Halo effect
 Mistrust
 Perception
 Constraints to successful communication

External
 Noise
 Distractions
 Technical problems (email, internet, phone service)
 Time
 Environment
 Why to read communication?
Information is power and basis for almost all success stories
 But…..
 Information gathering and processing matters; demand learning of communication
 Communication skills helps one to
» Gather and process information properly and in time
» Solve problem easily through improved decision making
» Work in a team effectively and efficiently
 Information must be communicated in a proper way; so
» Communication capability works
» Communication in professional life requires something different than the usual communication practice
 Why to read communication?
Careers in communication
 In Bangladesh still a narrow one and not recognized yet!
 But in developed part of the globe quite recognized!
 Because of specialization practice a good prospect is waiting ahead!!
 Examples include customer service, tourism, government
administration, advertising, media, and event management etc.
 Communication in business
Business Communication
 Transferring information from one part of the business to another that
leads to some outcome, changed behavior or changed practice.
 It can be formal or informal, upward or downward.
 Types of communication
Communication can be of different types considering the situation. Some of them are
here
 Formal and informal
 Upward and downward
 Internal and external
However we are basically concerned of the overall classification of communications
 Verbal: presentation, audio, voice message, face to face etc.
 Non-verbal: written, letter, memorandum, report, email, fax etc.
 Barriers to successful communication in
business
Barriers to Successful Communication
 Ability of the sender – how much the sender understands of the message they are trying to send
 Content – including technicalities and jargon
 Method of communication – including style and body language where appropriate!
 Skills and attitude of the receiver
 Organizational factors – complexity of the organization, scope of the organization
 Cultural attitudes
 Perceptions, prejudices and stereotypes
 Inappropriate target for the message
 Technical capabilities – ICT!
 Workplace Communication

By workplace communication we actually mean business communication

Business communication
 Transferring information from one part of the business to another that
leads to some outcome, changed behavior or changed practice
 It can be formal or informal, upward or downward
 Scope of the business communication includes- all the business
activities, corporations involve themselves
 Communication in the workplace
Importance of communication
 Business needs it extensively because of expanding need of coordination,
effectiveness, and efficiency
 Specialization has made the field of communication a recognized one!
 But unfortunately most people don’t communicate well!!!
Coordination, effectiveness, and efficiency
 Think about Unilever
 Information flows in the company
 Major forms of business communication

Two major types of communication in workplace

 Operational
 According to operational plan, to attain some goals or to handle some
situations to convert them in favor!
 Again two types are here
 Major forms of business communication

Internal operational communication

» Communication among the people inside an organization
» To perform the main business activities
» These are kind of routine business activities like instructions from the
teammates
» Computer and intranet are two major technology being used!
 Major forms of business communication

External operational communication

» Communication with the people that are outside of the organization
» It helps company to develop a better image
» Communication with suppliers, public relations activities etc.
 Major forms of business communication
 Personal
o Not according to operational plan, simple one to one or one to many communication in
an organization
 Examples can be personal communication, gossiping, joking, story telling, communication
sitting at the company dining room etc.
o Can be an outstanding source of innovation!
 Innovation
» What and why?
» What are the alternatives in case you can’t innovate?
 Major forms of business communication

o Will you allow this kind of communication while it costs you?

 Does it cost? How? How much?
 Communication networks in organizations
 Formal network
 A simplified form of information flow network transmits information in all
directions (upward, downward, and lateral)
 These flow is defined formally
 Informal network
 A quite complex information flow network mainly based on personal
communication
 This is affected by individual’s involvement and membership in various groups
and entities
Upward/downward/lateral communication

 Upward communication
 Communication that originate from the bottom of the organization and heading
to top of the organization
 Downward communication
 Communication heading to the bottom of the organization after being originated
at the top
 Lateral communication
 This is the communication in between people in the same level or group
 A situation to react !

Some organizations are quite central in decision making. All the

decisions are coming from the top of the organization
• Does that mean that in those organizations there are not upward
communication?
• If there are any kind of upward communication in those organizations,
would there be any difference in decision making?
• Are there any difference at all in between communication and decision
making?
 How much to communicate?
 Does all the sender send full message?
 Unfortunately NO
o What do you do when you communicate?
 You communicate fully? Why or why not?
o What does the companies do in Bangladesh? Give some examples!
o How much a company should disclose?
 Can a company disclose all at a certain time?
o Remember the negative effects of incomplete message is sometime dangerous
 Also mark the gap between ‘company can’t disclose’ and ‘company does not disclose’
 Communication process

 Sender sends the message

 Sender prepares the message and decides on the methods and mediums
 He/she sends the message
 Message in the sensory world
 Once the message is sent, its in the world of lots of other messages along
with noises
 Messages waits to be detected
 Communication process
 Message is detected
o Receiver detects the message
o Based on the ability to decode receiver decodes the message
o How much of the original message will be detected depends on lots of factors including
 Noise
 Past experiences
 Knowledge
 Perceptions, prejudices, stereotyping
o The message may not get the original shape!!!!!!!!!!!!
 Communication process

 Giving meaning to the message

 Receiver gives meaning to the received message
 Once again it depends how he/she will give meaning to the message!
 Reply is sent
 Receiver replies to the sender
 This is called feedback which makes the whole process continuous
 But not necessarily reply is always sent!
» How would you feel in that case?
» Why feedback is so important?
o The process continues
 Oral vs. Written communication

Oral vs. Written

 Written communication is likely to include more creative efforts
 Written communication is normally lengthier than the oral communication
 Written communication usually involves a limited number of cycles
 Some facts of communication
 Meanings sent are not always received
 No two minds have identical filters
 But closer the meaning more success are gained
 What can you do to bring the more synergy?
 Meaning is in the mind
 Meaning comes up from mind rather than words or symbols used
 What to do?
 The symbols of communication are imperfect
 Symbols don’t have unique meanings
 Meaning of symbols varies to receiver; nodding
 Across culture symbols have different meanings
Thank You!

Any Question?