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Chapter 2 - Business Communication - Handout

Formal conuicqtion

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39 views

Chapter 2 - Business Communication - Handout

Formal conuicqtion

Uploaded by

yoyotab51
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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TOPIC 2

UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS COMMUNICATION IN


TODAY’S WORKPLACE

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. LEARN WHY COMMUNICATION MATTERS.

2. IDENTIFY SKILLS TODAY’S EMPLOYERS EXPECT.

3. EXPLORE THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS.

4. COMMIT TO ETHICAL COMMUNICATION.

5. COMMUNICATE IN A DIVERSE WORLD.

6. USE COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY.

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Understanding Why Communication Matters

2.1 What is Communication?

The act in which information is transferred from one person, group, or place to

another is known as the act of communication. In every communication, there is

one sender, one receiver, and a message.

However, this transmission of information from sender to the recipient is affected

by many factors which include, cultural situations, our emotions, our location, and

the medium which is used to communicate. Communication in an organization

involves internal communications which include messaging around an

organization, employee training modules, interpersonal communications between

employees, and external communication which includes customer feedback.

Communication is the process of transferring information and meaning between


senders and receivers using one or more written, oral, visual, or electronic
channels.

Internal communication refers to the exchange of ideas within an organization.


External communication carries information into and out of the organization.

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Benefits of Effective communication
▪ Closer link with important communities in the marketplace.
▪ Opportunities to influence conversations, perceptions, and trends.
▪ Faster problem solving.
▪ Stronger decision making.
▪ Increased productivity.
▪ Easier work flow.
▪ Enhanced professional images and stronger brands.

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The following are steps to develop effective messages:
• Provide practical information
• Give facts rather than unclear impressions
• Present information in a brief, efficient manner
• Clarify expectations and responsibilities
• Offer convincing, influential opinions and recommendations

2.2 Communicating in Today’s Global Business Environment


No matter what career field you select, your employer will expect to be competent
at a wide range of communication tasks. Employers expect employees to be able to
accomplish the following skills:
o Organizing ideas and information logically and completely.
o Expressing yourself persuasively in a variety of media.
o Actively listening to others.
o Communicating effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and
experiences. using communication technologies effectively and efficiently.
o Following accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and other aspects of
high-quality writing and speaking.
o Adapting messages and communication styles to specific audiences and
situations.
o Communicating in a civilized manner that reflects contemporary expectations
of business etiquette.
o Communicating ethically, even when choices aren’t crystal clear.
o Respecting the confidentiality of private company information.
o Following applicable laws and regulations.
o Managing time wisely and using resources efficiently.

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Communicating effectively in a variety of organizational contexts requires
recognizing important differences between personal and professional
communication. It is also necessary to recognize and accommodate the unique
characteristics of each organization within which you work.

2.3 Exploring the Communication Process


Communication is a dynamic, two-way process containing eight steps. It is helpful to
understand these steps so that may improve employee’s own skills and be able to
recognize the many places and ways in which communication can fail.

The following eight steps make up the communication process:


• The sender has an idea.
• The sender encodes the idea in a message.
• The sender produces the message.
• The sender transmits the message through a channel.
• The audience receives the message.
• The audience decodes the message.
• The audience responds to the message.
• The audience provides feedback to the sender.

The communication process described above generally represents the traditional


nature of much business communication, which was primarily defined by a
publishing or broadcasting mindset.

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The Basic Communication Model
The basic communication model is a simplified representation of how
communication works in real life.

2.4 Committing to Ethical Communication


Business communicators have a responsibility to communicate ethically with
audiences.
Ethics are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society.
Ethical communication includes all applicable information, and is not misleading
in any way.
Unethical communication can include falsehoods (untruths) and misleading
information (or exclude important information).

Examples of unethical communication include the following:


• Plagiarizing (copying / stealing).
• Neglecting essential information.
• Changing statistics or graphics.
• Failing to respect privacy or information security needs.

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2.5 Communicating in a World of Diversity

A diverse workforce offers a broader range of viewpoints and ideas, helps companies
understand and identify with diverse markets, and enables companies to benefit from
a wider range of employee talents. Culture can also create resistance, however,
because it leads people to assume that everyone thinks and feels the way they do.

Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and


norms for behavior. Culture affects the way you think which, in turn, affects the way
you communicate.

High-context cultures rely less on the clear content of the message and more on the
background of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning. The
primary role of communication in high context cultures is building relationships, not
exchanging information.

Low-context cultures rely more on the explicit content and less on circumstances
and cues to convey meaning. The primary task of communication in low context
cultures is to exchange information. Legal systems differ from culture to culture.

To help prepare effective written communications for multicultural audiences:


➢ Use plain English
➢ Be clear
➢ Address international communication (e,g e-mail) properly
➢ Cite numbers carefully
➢ Avoid abbreviations
➢ Be brief
➢ Use short paragraphs

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To help prepare effective oral messages for those whose English is not their native
language:
• Speak clearly, simply, and relatively slowly
• Look for feedback
• Clarify your true intent with repetition and examples
• Don’t talk down to the other person
• Learn important phrases in your audience’s language
• Listen carefully and respectfully
• Adapt your conversation style to the other person’s
• Check frequently for comprehension
• Clarify what will happen next

Today’s businesses rely heavily on technology to improve the communication


process, and you’ll need to know how to use a variety of these technologies on the
job. To communicate effectively you’ll need to keep technology in perspective, use
technological tools productively, and disengage from the computer frequently to
communicate in person.

2.6 Social Networking


Networking the action or process of interacting with others to exchange information
and develop professional or social contacts.
Social Networking is the process of creating, building, and developing virtual
communities and relationships between people online.

Information Social networking allows like-minded individuals to be in touch with


each other using websites and web-based applications. Facebook, My Space, Twitter,
and LinkedIn are examples of social networking sites.

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