22 Business Communication Business COMMUNICATION: THE BoTTOM Line y 1 of business communication is to cre ‘The theme of this chapter might be summed up this way Hid Lata DS MeHE tipo ke ing of business situations that wil i Geena cal to businesses, now more than ever. But figuring Timely and clear transfer of information is critical out what kind s m yw to si what form to use require; : l send it to, how to send it, and t wut what kind of information to send, whom to fil -preconceptions, frames of ;ood decision making, Since every person has his or her ow! | eae ee, and verbal worlds—wording the information so that it will be See are ‘e Pa You and your audience may even attach completely different meanings to the same w« Pi that the communication literature calls “bypassing”). ; Complicating this picture is the fact that communication is not just about information es The creation and maintenance of positive human relations is also essential to business and thus to business communication. Every act of communication conveys an image of you and of the way you regard those to whom you're speaking or writing. Successful business communicators pay careful attention to the human relations dimension of their messages. ee, Yes, business communication can be challenging. It can also be extremely rewarding because of the results you achieve and the relationships you build, The advice, examples, and exercises in this book will jamp-star you toward success, Butit will be your ability to analyze and solve specific communication problems that will take you the rest of the way there. bos Dabbawalas of Mumbai: ‘Six Sigma’ Communication Emanating from Indian kitchens every morning are appetizing aromas of crushed spices, lentils, curry leaves and vegetables and working with her deft fingers and loving heart is the woman of the house creating ‘the great Indian home cooked meal’ This is where the ‘dabbawalas’ (a Hindi word referring to persons who deliver freshly made meals) sensed a business opportunity way back in 1890, the idea of delivering home cooked meals to office goers at their workplaces and returning empty meal boxes to their homes before their return in the evening. Today ‘dabbawalas’ have become an integral part of Mumbai’ cultural mosaic. “i About 5,000 of these delivery men crisscross the streets, lanes and by lanes of Mumbai, on foot, cycles and local train, every morning to deliver about 2,00,000 home cooked meal boxes to office An error of one in six million transaction is a i tr great achievement by any st: dar. i aa age See when you realize that most of these 5,000 ee ae ae a ee ruccess of the system depends on teamwork and time Management that would be envy of the ee ae ‘ntpi/worw myabbawala com /general/aboutdabbawalahm> retrieved on issn ips smber,Understanding Workplace Communication 23 ‘They do not rely on any high technology databases or computers for co 1 use colors and code markings for identification "Each container carries oye ia ahaa meric coding (not bar coding) of some ten characters signifying the various transfer and deliver as well as the individuals who are to be involved in the process” ” One of the major reasons for the success of this delivery service is the high level of personal in- yolvement, relationship orientation and continuous communication of the ‘dabbawalas’ with their clients and amongst themselves. Memorizing about 35 addresses from where they have to pick up the boxes it becomes absolutely critical for the ‘dabbawala’ to keep the flow of information continuous as any miscommunication might result in the unpardonable error of serving a non-vegetarian meal to a pure vegetarian, an act blasphemous enough to wash away all the good deeds of the person in a single Summary By LearNinc Opjectives 1, Because communication is vital to business operations, businesses need and reward people who can communicate. t. =e + But good communicators are scarce importance of + So, if you can improve your communication skills, you increase your ea you and to business. value to business and advance your own career as well. 2. Today's business communicators face special challenges: + Theneed for expanded media literacy. “Doane challenges + Increasing globalism and workplace diversity. + An increased need for strong analytical and interpretive skills pete = An increased focus on ethics and social responsibility. today. 3. Communicating in business falls into three main categories: + Internal-operational communication is the communication inside a the three business that enables the business to perform its work and track its ee catceees success. Se + External-operational communication is the communicating a business does with outsiders (customers, other businesses, the public, government agencies, and others). « Personal communication consists of informal exchanges of information not formally related to operations but nevertheless important to an organization's success. 4. The flow of communication in a business organization forms a complex and ever-changing network. be the + The communicating that follows the formal structure of the business and informal ‘comprises the formal network. Operational information flows nose ei upward, downward, and laterally through this network, which is the business sustained by established forms of communication (genres). organization. “Kumar, Rajesh and Sethi, Anand Kumar, Doing Business in India: a Guide for Western Managers, Palgrave, Macmillan, 2005, p78.Business Communication . ‘al network. The internal version of this rms the inform: q +The ow f personal communication of socal media is including more outsiders in network is known as the grapevine. ies’ i ks. companies’ informal networ i does depend upon 5, The kind and amount of communicating a business pt ‘Abe fc such factors as tec ie + The nature of the business. ta ina: + Its size and complexity. business does. + Its environment. + The geographic dispersion of its members. + Its degree of cultural diversity. xf + Its organizational culture (an organization's customary, often unstated, ways of perceiving an‘ doing things). 6 Basins communication can be thought of as a problem-solving si activity ; ‘ om + Finding communication solutions requires analysis, creativity, and a =o ae for judgment lees + Heuristics (problem-solving devices such as common communication plans) can help make your communication problem solving more efficient. + The common communication plans must still be adapted to each situation. + While there is no one perfect solution, a poorly prepared one is likely to fail. 7. Business communication takes place in these contexts: + The larger business-economic, sociocultural, and historical contexts. ibe the various + The relationship of the communicators. one + The communicators’ own worlds: organizational, professional, and communication. personal. 8 = oe ee involves these activities, which tend es 8 nature but are often recursive (require revisiting earlier Stee a ‘The initiator + Senses a communication need, + Defines the situation, + Considers possible communication strategies, + Selects a course of action (message type, + Composes the message, + Sends the message. ‘The intended recipient + Receives the message, * Interprets the message. * Decides on a response, * May send a responding message, contents, style, format, channel). —