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Business Communications - 1 PDF
Business Communications - 1 PDF
Business Communications - 1 PDF
Business Communication:
Efficiency, Collaboration, and Success
Michael Murphy
Shorenstein Center for Communication
Kennedy School of Government
Harvard University
September 30, 2014
Murphy
Skills for Effective Business Communication
HKS at Harvard University 30SEP14
I: Introduction • Define the term “business communication;”
• Identify the elements of communication from a
Communicative socio-linguistic perspective;
Competence and Self- • Assess individual strengths and weaknesses in terms
Assessment of communication skills.
• Structure approaches to reading a text;
II: Strategies for Efficient • Identify tips to increase speed as a reader;
Reading
• Apply the strategies to a text.
• Note the importance of giving and receiving
feedback;
III. Strategies for • Identify the “7Cs of Effective Business Writing;”
Improving Writing • Structure emails from subject heading to sign off;
• Note the limits of technology for writers and the
dangers of excessive use of business jargon.
IV: On The Phone: • Note the importance of non-verbal communication;
Non-Verbal Skills and • Identify strategies for effective communication in
Collaborative virtual meetings;
Relationships in the Virtual • Examine current trends and predict future changes
Office in business communication.
Vendors and
distributors
Employees
within the
Other business
Customers
businesses
and clients
Murphy
In other words, it’s all about building trust.
Skills for Effective Business Communication 3
HKS at Harvard University 30SEP14
Four Sociolinguist
Competencies of
Effective
Communication
The ability to
Communication in a solve
Lexical, syntactic, The combination of social and cultural communication
semantic, linguistic expressions context with awareness problems and
morphological, and the appropriate of theme, roles,
and phonological compensate for
way of connecting participants, situation deficiencies by
knowledge.
these expressions. and norms of verbal and non-
interaction. verbal means.
Murphy
Skills for Effective Business Communication Adapted from Canale & Swain (1988) 4
HKS at Harvard University 30SEP14
On The Relationships Between Face-to-Face and Virtual
Communication and Verbal and Non-verbal
Communication:
Cummins’s (1981b) model of language acquisition (as cited in Madyarov) with four quadrants.
Murphy
Skills for Effective Business Communication
5
HKS at Harvard University 30SEP14
The Interdependent Nature of Communication with
Regard to Input and Output:
Output (Has) Input (Is)
• Clarity; • Active;
• Succinctness; C • Engaged;
• Professionalism; O • Aware;
Writer • Structural, syntactic,
and lexical M • Involved; Reader
• Responsive.
perfection; M
• Information. U
N
I
C
• Clarity; • Active;
• Brevity; A • Engaged;
• Succinctness; T • Aware;
Speaker • Accurate
pronunciation, tone,
I • Involved; Listener
O • Responsive.
and style.
N
Murphy
Skills for Effective Business Communication
HKS at Harvard University 30SEP14 6
Strategies for Efficient Reading (Part 1 of 3):
• Read the title/subject line: Determine what the
text is about;
Preview: • Read the first two paragraphs and the first
sentence of each subsequent paragraph;
• Read the concluding paragraph.
Murphy
Cosby, B. (1982). How to read faster. “Power of the Printed Word.” International Paper Company.
Skills for Effective Business Communication
Retrieved from http://simson.net/ref/1983/international-paper2.pdf 9
HKS at Harvard University 30SEP14
Strategies for Efficient Reading (Part 2 of 3):
Conduct a STAP Analysis:
Correctness: Consideration:
Include only Focus on “you”
accurate facts instead of “I”
Murphy Ohio University. College of Business. Business writing skills. Communication Standards. Retrieved from
Skills for Effective Business Communication http://aspnet.cob.ohio.edu/communicationstandards/s1%20business%20writing%20skills.doc 9
HKS at Harvard University 30SEP14
Phone Etiquette:
Use Signaling Phrases
(say): (do):
• “Let me ask a question” • Then, ask the question…
• “Let me suggest…” • Then, make the suggestion….
• “Let me clarify….” • Then, make the clarification…
• Then, summarize the
• “Let me summarize….”
discussion….
Murphy
Skills for Effective Business Communication
HKS at Harvard University 30SEP14 10
Phone Etiquette (Cont.)
Use Active
Listening
Techniques
Murphy
Skills for Effective Business Communication 11
HKS at Harvard University 30SEP14
Summary
Thank you!
Murphy
Skills for Effective Business Communication
HKS at Harvard University 30SEP14 12