Professional Documents
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Organisational Communication Notes
Organisational Communication Notes
Communication
“The world of business is a world of action. Products are designed made and sold. People
are hired. Services are rendered. Policies are devised and implemented. Jobs are learned
and performed. Yet there is no practical way in which any of these events can take place
without communication.”
What is Communication?
• To come up with a definition, let’s look at three important theories of
communication:
1. Electronic Theory
2. Social Environment Theory
3. Rhetorical Theory
• The electronic theory is useful because it introduces the ideas of senders and
receivers, and of possible interference. It emphasis one important aspect of
communication: accuracy.
Communicators Audience
Environment
“Communication is not linear, but circular; not just sending a message to be received, but
producing a response; not static, but dynamic. These qualities of communication are
emphasized by rhetorical theory.”
• Many people in business get caught up in the accuracy of their message and
appropriateness of the situation that they forget the third crucial variable:
producing the desired response form their audience.
Message
Communicators Audience
Response
Environment
Environment
• In fact the most important difference between business communication and other
forms of communication is this circular quality: your business communication
effectiveness depends on the result you achieve.
Definition of communication
• People is business must incorporate ideas from the electronic, social,
environment, and rhetorical theories. By incorporating all three theories, we come
up with a definition of communication:
“It is recipient who communicates. The so-called communicator, the person who emits
the communication, does not communicate. Unless there is someone who hears, there is
no communication, there is only noise. The communicator speaks or writes or sings – but
he does not communicate. Indeed, he can not communicate. He can only make it possible,
or impossible, for a recipient – or rather ‘percipient’ – to perceive.”
• The idea of a message connotes much more than what is contained in an envelope
or shown on a flip chart.
• The term “message encompasses ideas, emotions, attitudes, and experiences.
• First, it includes the message in the communicator’s mind – the information
source.
• Then there are two symbolic methods for transporting those ideas from
communicator’s mind to another person:
i. The word which may have different meanings to different people at different
times, and
ii. The non-verbal component – from the appearance of your paper to the tone
of your voice – which many experts claim constitutes the majority of the
message.
• Finally, there are the ideas, emotions, attitudes, and experiences that receivers add
when they interpret the message.
• The last part of the definition is produce responses.
• A responses may include more than what we deliberately hope for – more than
just an answer to a letter or participation in a staff meeting.
• For one thing, we may produce responses even though we do not receive a direct,
overt answer; a reader may appreciate a congratulatory memo, but not write back
to tell you; someone at a staff meeting may understand an agree to you point, but
not speak aloud.
• All kinds of responses are going on every time people act or react – talking,
seeing, feeling, listening, thinking, observing, etc.
Barriers of Communication
• Psychological barriers
1. Emotional
2. Perceptual
3. Selectivity
Psychological barriers
Emotional Block
• The emotional blocks can affect both sender and receiver in communicating their
ideas.
• Both can feel indifferent, hostile or biased towards their subject of communication
perhaps because of:
1. Age
2. Gender
3. Race
4. Relative
5. Friends
6. Religion or sect
7. Personality or even cloths or personal belonging.
Perceptual Block
• Even if there are no emotional blocks every person perceives things differently.
• Although we all live in the same objective world, we all live in different
subjective worlds.
• Communication involves perception, and perception is never precise.
• A second psychological block, than is perceptual.
• One perceptual problem is that people see things differently. Given precisely the
same data, people see, interpret, or respond to them differently.
Selectivity Block
• A final set of selectivity barrier exists because of competition for people’s time
and attention – selectivity block.
• We are bombarded information sources, such as newspapers, magazines,
technical journals, reports, memos, letters, meeting, radios etc.
• We cannot simply absorb all this so we screen it selectivity.
Problems with people perceiving the same word in different ways are especially likely
any time you use:
1) Abstract words such as: honesty, liberal, conservative, immoral, democracy,
or discrimination.
2) Indefinite terms such as: As soon as possible,. In a timely manner, effectively,
when you have a chance, moderate, or several.
Message
Communicators Audience
Response
Environment
Analyze Your Organization
• All business organization depends on communication.
Formal Structure
Manager
Manager
Informal Structures
• Informal structures are the reality of organization member’s
interaction.
• These structures are sometimes called networks or political coalitions.
They are never shown in the organization charts.
• For example a formal chart may be seen like this:
BOSS
You Colleague
Boss
Secretary
You Colleague
Secretary Secretary`
• In this case, Your boss’s secretary has the power to deny you
the access to the boss, to screen your boss’s mail, or to decide
whether or not to interrupt him or her.
• Here is another example of informal structure. See the following
formal structure first:
Boss
Boss
Colleague A Colleague B
• On the other hand with the same formal structure of you and four
others reporting to the same boss informal structure might look
like this:
Boss
• In this case you and your colleagues work in isolation from one
another. In this kind of informal structure, the boss has a great
deal of control over information and decision making.
Formal Goals:
• Finding formal goals of an organization is relatively easy.
• These goals are set by the organization’s management and are
available in the form of company philosophy sometimes called
mission statement or credo.
• These goals are mentioned in company brochures, annual reports,
websites and other documents.
• You can think about the kind of image the company project in its
official documents.
Informal Goals:
• These goals are often called the culture of an organization that is
the values, expectation, and beliefs the group members share.
• These unstated cultural goals of an organization may not show up
among official published policies and procedure.
• They tend to surface in what people say and in atmosphere of the
organization.
• Figuring our informal goals or culture is less straight forward
than reading the formal goals.
• First listen what people tell about the company.
• Often, these stories are called myths. These myths serve the
purpose of a “clue” to understand the informal goals of the
organization.
• A second clue to these unwritten informal goals is the company’s
atmosphere.
Directional Flow
• The directional flow of sending the message (upward, downward
and lateral) also affects the communication.
• Therefore it is important to consider how to avoid pitfalls
inherent in directional flow of communication.
Downward Communication:
• In this, information flows from higher level to lower levels. For
example: staff meetings, manuals, policy statements, instructions,
job descriptions, newsletter, telephone conversation etc.
• It is typically used for four purposes;
Upward Communication:
• One of the noticeable changes in business communication
environment in the past few years has been the increase emphasis
on upward communication.
• This means the flow of communication from subordinates to
their supervisors.
• The most typical forms of upward communication a report,
memos, meeting, and interviews.
• It typically accomplishes three purposes:
1. To report on activities or accomplishments of a person or a
division.
2. To offer suggestions and opinions, and
3. To increase participation in management functions such as
planning or controlling.
Lateral Communication
• Communication between people at the same hierarchical rank,
but in different areas, is called horizontal or lateral
communication.
• This flow of communication is becoming increasingly important
as business become more large, complex, and specialized.
• Even in small companies, lateral communication is important in
order to coordinate various functions by encouraging team work
among peers.
• Major blocks to lateral communication include: departmental
isolation, lack of time and communication opportunities, and
jealously or rivalry between groups.
• The main thing to keep in mind is that it is in you best interest
and the best interest of your company to keep this flow of
communication open.
Chapter Outline
• Your objective
• Your Style
• Your tone
Message
Communicators Audience
Response
Style of Communication
• In business communication, style does not mean fashion or
personality.
• There are four basic communication styles:
Tell Style: This style is used to inform something to your superior (upward
communication) or to your external customers. For example:
• A report to your boss on your department activities
• A letter explaining a policy to a customer
In this style of communication, you know the “answers” and you want them
to act differently because of these “answers.”
CONFER Style: This style is appropriate when you are trying to consult or
interact with your audience to gather information or opinions.
Because, you don’t know the “answer” you want to learn the “answer” from
them.
JOIN Style: When there is a need of high audience involvement, the style is
JOIN.
In these situation, both you and you audience act together; you collaborate or
brainstorm to discover the “answer”
Sample objectives for this JOIN style might be:
• As a result of reading this agenda memo, my audience will come to
meeting prepared to offer their thoughts.
• As a result of this presentation, my audience will come up with
solution to this particular problem we are encountering.
TONE OF COMMUNICATION
Tone is the way you speaking or writing sound, the feeling it conveys the
mood you set.
Your initial credibility, than may stem from their perception who you are,
what you represent, or your previous relations.
Acquired Credibility:
Acquired credibility refers to your audience perception of you after your
communication take place, after they have read or heard you.
Even if your audience knows nothing about you in advance, your good ideas
and your persuasive writing or speaking will help you earn or derive your
credibility.
Chapter Outline
Message
Communicators Audience
Response
The first step towards motivating your audience is to analyze them. Ask
yourself:
1. Who they are and,
2. What they already know and feel
4. Standards
5. Rules, and
6. Values
Rewards/Positive Reinforcement:
• Many psychologists would argue that rewards or positive
reinforcement is sometime extremely powerful way to get response
you want.
• You are likely to be successful if your reward include these following
four characteristics:
1. They must be important to the person who is being rewarded by
you.
2. Rewards must be appropriate and sincere
3. Effective rewards must be immediate
4. Reward don’t have to be elegant
o Growth needs, on the other hand, are needs that enhance our
lives – such as affiliation, esteem, accomplishment, and
advancements.
Maslow’s Need Hertzberg’s Research
Hierarchy
Personal growth Growth Needs Work itself
(Achievements)
Self – Esteem Growth Needs Advancement
(recognition)
Group affiliation Growth Needs Working relationships
Safety Deficiency Needs Working conditions
Survival Deficiency Needs Safety
Note: Maslow’s and Hersberg’s sets of needs are roughly parallel to
each other.
How can you use people’s need for balance to get them to accept your idea?
• You can emphasize an anxiety or a problem they have that causing
“imbalance” then offer solution that we will make them feel balanced.
Comptroller Commander
Maintains Changes
Status Status Quo
Quo Collaborator Crusader
Thinking
Structuring
Message
Communicators Audience
Response
Thinking Vs Structuring
• Thinking and Structuring communication are two different things
• When you think, all different kinds of ideas occur to you some good,
some bad some complete some fragmented.
• The result of thinking process is your conclusion.
Bad Ideas
Assumptions
Draw valid Stress Clear Order
Conclusion Conclusion
Facts Data
Details
Thinking Process
1. Be Aware of your Assumptions:
• Assumptions are basis for all the rest of your thinking.
• In business communication you make assumptions. Here are three
case:
Case 1: “This program will increase our profits.”
Case 2: “I better finish this report tonight or I will get fired”
Case 3: “In this letter, I am going to try to calm down this, irate
customer”
Note: n induction, it’s crucial that your specifics be reliable relevant and
representative.
Rule No.1: Hasty Generalization (or jumping to the conclusion based on too
little evidence)
Structuring of Ideas
When you think, naturally, all different kinds of ideas occur to you some
good, some bad, some complete, and some fragmented.
When you communicate you don’t want your audience to wade through;
instead, you want to structure your ideas, to make your conclusion clear.
When you order importance, however, you must make a value judgment.
For example you might analyze the cause of problem in your current
inventory system: 1) the most important cause; 2) the second most
important cause; 3) the third most important cause and so for
Listening Skills
Reading Skills
Reading Comprehension
Reading Speed
Feedback Skills
Giving Feedback
Receiving Feedback
Peer Feedback in this Class
LISTING SKILLS
• Listening is an extremely important and surprisingly the difficult
communication skill in business.
• Some studies show that business people spend from 45 to 60 percent
of their time in listening.
• Effective listening is required during:
1) Brainstorming ideas with others
2) Interviewing or being interviewed
3) Appraising or being appraised for reviews
4) Collecting data
5) Talking on the telephone
6) Resolving conflicts
7) Attending meetings.
1. Internal Books:
• Thinking faster than speaker.
1. Your brain can process information at the rate of 600
words per minute.
2. The person you are listening to may talk in less than
above rate per minute.
• Emotional Block.
• Jumping to the conclusion in order to :
o Defend you position
o Contesting new ideas
o Judging concepts with which you disagree
2. External Blocks
• Listening may be difficult due to variety of external
blocks such as:
1. Ringing of telephone.
2. Clattering type writers or computer printers.
3. Conversation you can hear in the hall
4. Change of weather you see through the windows.
5. Glance on your desk reminding you of other work.
6. Of the entire external block, time is probably the
most importance distracter.
D) The Proximity:
i) The distance between you and the person talking
communicates your interest and involvement.
ii) Get close to the person to show indicates your concern and
attention.
iii) At the same time be sensitive enough to avoid moving in
too close.
3. What to Say
• A Key to good listening is learning to tolerate silence.
• Besides silence, you might say a few things to encourage the
other person to talk.
• Ask for clarification or detail to make sure you understand.
• Restate or rephrase idea so that you and speaker know that
you heard and comprehended.
• Finally, use brief phrases, such as, “I see”: huh-huh,” and
“Go on.”
READING SKILLS
Reading is to writing what listening is to speaking
• By improving reading skills, you will
1) Acquire information
2) Learn new ideas
3) And, increase your understand.
1) Increase comprehension
2) Improving concentration
3) Overcoming boredom, and
4) Stimulating creativity.
• Two methods of active reading are:
1) Asking Questions and
2) Using Recall Techniques.
READING SPEED
Think about the amount if reading you will be doing each week
when you start working.
Approximate
Number of Words
Memos, Letter, reports………………………………...120, 000
30, percent of two daily papers………………………...435,000
(New York Times,Wall Street Journal)
80 percent of three trade journals………………………150,000
(Specific to Your Business)
50 percent of two news magazines……………………...45,000
(Time, Newsweek, Business Week)
25 percent of one book………………………………….35,000
(Fiction or nonfiction)
50 percent of one pleasure magazine……………………30,000
(Sports illustrated, New Yorker)
• The average reading rate is 250 words per minute.
• If you read week’s worth of reading (815,000) at 250 words per
minute, it would take you fifty six hours each week or eight
hours each day
• Obviously you cannot spend this amount of time reading. You
need to develop new approaches to reading.
• The key to effective reading is FLEXIBILITY that is; you
should read different kinds of material at different speeds.
• One method of developing this flexibility is SARS Method.
1. Survey
2. Analysis
1.SURVEY:
• First step in the SARAS Method is to survey.
• Survey does not mean speed reading
• Survey does mean previewing the material by reading certain
items very carefully and completely skipping all the rest.
• Surveying allows you to understand quickly the overall or
organization and major points before you read the material
thoroughly.
2. ANALYZE:
• Based on your survey, you will be able to decide if it is worth
your time to:
a) Read the entire selection
b) Read only certain parts of the selection
c) Note read it at all.
1. Survey
2. Analysis
Read for: Main Ideas Main and subordinate ideas Main and subordinate ideas
and details.
Reading: Page or Column Line Phrases
Units:
Others claim that the average college student reads between 250 and 350
words per minute on fiction and non technical materials and that a good
reading speed is 500-700 words per minute. It does seem intuitively true that
one could speed up one’s reading by a) spending less time between eye
movements b) taking in more words with each fixation and c) always
moving forward rather than skipping back to re-read something. Having a
good recognition vocabulary would certainly speed these processes up.
Conscious practice at improving one’s speed should also help.
Others claim that the average college student reads between 250 and 350
words per minute on fiction and non technical materials and that a good
reading speed is 500-700 words per minute. It does seem intuitively true that
one could speed up one’s reading by a) spending less time between eye
movements b) taking in more words with each fixation and c) always
moving forward rather than skipping back to re-read something. Having a
good recognition vocabulary would certainly speed these processes up.
Conscious practice at improving one’s speed should also help.
Others claim that the average college student reads between 250 and 350
words per minute on fiction and non technical materials and that a good
reading speed is 500-700 words per minute. It does seem intuitively true that
one could speed up one’s reading by a) spending less time between eye
movements b) taking in more words with each fixation and c) always
moving forward rather than skipping back to re-read something. Having a
good recognition vocabulary would certainly speed these processes up.
Conscious practice at improving one’s speed should also help.
Others claim that the average college student reads between 250 and 350
words per minute on fiction and non technical materials and that a good
reading speed is 500-700 words per minute. It does seem intuitively true that
one could speed up one’s reading by a) spending less time between eye
movements b) taking in more words with each fixation and c) always
moving forward rather than skipping back to re-read something. Having a
good recognition vocabulary would certainly speed these processes up.
Conscious practice at improving one’s speed should also help.
Move from the upper left hand corner directly to the lower right hand
corner.
Others claim that the average college student reads between 250 and 350
words per minute on fiction and non technical materials and that a good
reading speed is 500-700 words per minute. It does seem intuitively true that
one could speed up one’s reading by a) spending less time between eye
movements b) taking in more words with each fixation and c) always
moving forward rather than skipping back to re-read something. Having a
good recognition vocabulary would certainly speed these processes up.
Conscious practice at improving one’s speed should also help.
Others claim that the average college student reads between 250 and 350
words per minute on fiction and non technical materials and that a good
reading speed is 500-700 words per minute. It does seem intuitively true that
one could speed up one’s reading by a) spending less time between eye
movements b) taking in more words with each fixation and c) always
moving forward rather than skipping back to re-read something. Having a
good recognition vocabulary would certainly speed these processes up.
Conscious practice at improving one’s speed should also help.
GIVING FEEDBACK
• Although essential for success, giving feedback is quite delicate and
difficult.
• The best feedback involves both oral and written comments
• Writing and speaking have different advantages and disadvantages.
• The advantage of speaking with the people instead of just writing
includes the following:
1. You can ask them open question
2. You can “read” their non verbal behavior when they don’t
understand and don’t agree.
3. You can clarify right on the spot any question they might have;
and
4. You can end on a positive note.
Oral Presentation:
• Oral Communication traces it roots back to ancient world
• Aristotle, Cierro, Qunitilian were some Greek and Roman
practitioners of the art of rhetoric or
Communication through foreign languages: An economic force in Chinese enterprises, Journal of Asian Pacific
Communication 2(1) 45-67
Short Talks:
• It may range from 1 to 10 minutes in length. You may:
o Introduce someone
o Present an award to a retiree
o Give a briefing to visitors to your company.
o Offer an opening statement in a group meeting.
• You can also represent your company outside your office:
o Accepting an award
o Showing your support for local cause.
o Offering greetings at a community banquet, etc
Longer Statements:
• It may vary from 10 minutes to 1 hour.
• With the increasing emphasis on brevity, some corporations limit
statements to 20 to 30 minutes.
1. Extemporaneous
• This method is most preferred by audience and speakers allow speaker
to use notes or an outlines.
• Speakers may use 3 X 5 inches cards or a full sheet of paper as notes
for the remarks
• Use this method wherever possible
• It allows more eye contact with audience
• Permits you to establish rapport and enables you to move with eases.
3. Memorization
• Few speakers today memorize complete speeches. Nor should they.
• Often the first few words of statement can be memorized.
• Time needed to recall long speech is prohibitive.
4. Impromptu Speaking
• Impromptu speaking is talking on the “spur of the moment “or “off
the cuff without advance preparation.
• Here are suggestions to help you this situation:
1. Anticipate: Try to avoid truly impromptu situation. Guess at the
topic you might be asked to discuss.
2. Keep it short: Say what you have to say and stop. You need t
deliver a long lecture.
3. Organize as well as you can: If you have few seconds, jot down
your main points and stick to them.
4. Relate to experience: You will be confident if you relate it to
your experience and topics you know best.
1. Pitch:
• I can best be defined as highness and lowness of your voice.
• Traditional problems in using pitch are monotone, high or low voice,
and same word value.
• Monotone: when voice of the speaker has little or no variation in
pitch.
• High or Low Voice: Often the monotones are voices that rarely rise
out of a lower register. On the other hand, excited people frequent the
upper ranges.
2. Rate:
• Variation in rate is better than speaking at the same speed.
• An unvarying or slow rate of speaking makes the presentation dull,
• Conversely, fast speakers are also cause discomfort.
• Learn to give a Pause while giving a presentation.
• A pause lets you collect your thoughts, take time to move to visual, or
rest your voice.
3. Volume:
• Volume is the softness or loudness of your voice.
• Keeping in mind the number of audience while speaking to the group.
• Confirm people sitting on the back seats if they can hear you clearly
or not.
• Adept your volume level to the size of audience and room.
4. Vocal Quality:
• When one’s voice is heard to describe; we often turn to metaphors to
describe voice quality such as;
o Husky throaty, deep, loud, vibrant, dynamic, mellow, weak,
strong, harsh, shrill, squeaky, clear, serene etc.
5. Pronunciation:
• Poor pronunciation mars your presentation.
• Suggestions for improving pronunciation are:
o Listen to Educated and Cultured People of Your Community.
o Consult a Recent Dictionary.
• Graphs are true visual aids because they convey ideas visually rather
than just words.
• How do you decide that graph is necessary?
o Use graphs as illustrations: maps, assembly lines, pictures or
diagrams.
o Graphs are used to elaborate quantitative information.
o Here are six main uses of various types of graphs:
1. Use a PIE CHART to show parts of one item.
2. Use a BAR CHART to show rank or contrast.
3. Use a COLUME CHART or LINE CHART to show variation
Overtime.
4. Use a FLOW CHART to show sequence of operation or
activity.
4. Use a SCATTER or PAIRED BAR CHART to show.
• Easy Readability:
1. Do not over design your graphs
2. Over design means “Cluttered” Charts with too much graphs.
3. Overly designed charts are called “CHART JUNKS” which
over decoration that does not add to your meaning.
20%
% of market share
10%
13.5 Graph
Efective charts no chartsjunk clear message title
Visual Aids
• Clear Words and Letters:
1. Make sure that your words are easy to read.
2. Para down your words to key words or phrases only.
3. Never give complete sentences.
4. Lettering (Point size and font) should also be clear and precise.
Figure 13.6
Figure 13.7
• If you do not need to show motion, you can use three kinds of still
projections.
• These projections range from he very formal and prepared to very
informal and spontaneous.
• Slides (35mm projection) and Overhead. Transparencies are used
for Still Projection.
Introduction
• Meetings are an extremely common from of business communication.
• They range from large and formal to small and formal.
• The include:
o Regular staff meetings.
o Project team meetings.
o Special or ongoing committee meetings.
• Therefore meeting can be defined as a chance primarily to confer
with, that is, to work with audience as opposed to speeches or
presentations, Where you primary speak to your audience.
5. What are the group norms-or unstated rules for meeting? Do the
start on time? Are people prepared? Are they polite?
As a Chair:
1. Perform task functions.
a) Prepare an agenda
b) Decide on discussion procedure.
c) Decide on decision making procedure.
2. Perform process functions.
a) Encourage support, diversity, and listening.
b) Avoid one person dominating.
c) Avoid hostile conflict.
As a Participant:
• Explain Your Ideas
o First when you explain your ideas in a meeting, you usually do
so in a quicker and less formal manner than you would in a
presentation.
o You make no more than one or two points.
o Deliver in a less formal manner, don’t stand, and give more
pauses because you are to give the others the best chance to
react.
o Speak only when appropriate.
o Stick to agenda and don’t and don’t bring up extraneous ideas.
o Also, don’t bring up ideas at wrong time during meeting.
Keeping in mind to what experts call the four phases of the
meeting:
1. Orientation to the problem or issues at hand
2. Conflict over various possibilities or solution.
3. Emergence of the group solution.
4. Reinforcement or implementation plan for solution.
• As a Chair:
o Chairing meeting involves two different kinds of skills.
o One set of skill has to do with task that is the goal at hand.
o The other set of skills is usually referred to as running the
process that is getting people to participate.
• Perform Task Function:
o To decide what task will be covered in the meeting the chair
must prepare an agenda.
o Agenda is written plan for what want to accomplish in the
meeting.
o Here are some considerations to keep in mind as you prepare
agenda.
1. Meeting should not run over two hours.
Narrow down the field when you complete your self assessment.
Fields can be narrowed down based on the functional areas of
business and their activities, such as:
1. Finance
2. Accountant
3. Marketing and Sales
4. Human Resource / Personnel
5. Operations Management
6. Communication
7. Information Technology
2. An Education Section
3. A Work Experience Section
4. Personal Information
Education
1988- University OF DENVER
DENVER, COLORADO
Cover Letters
• The primary role of cover letter is to motivate the person
who receive it to read your resume and than ask for an
interview.
Follow-ups
• After interview is over, you need to continue working on
wrapping up the sales pitch that began during the self
assessment process.
ANSWERING QUESTIONS
Panel Discussions:
• Panel discussions consist of questions and answers only, and
a symposium consists of series of prepared speeches,
followed by question and answers.
• The purpose of panel discussion is to present different views.
Media Interviews
I. Environment
II. Consumerism
III. Economy
4. Media interview skills include.
I. Anticipating questions
II. Planning responses
III. Analyzing your two audiences
IV. Stating points emphatically.