BUSINESS COMMUNICATION LECTURE NOTES BY FR. BIPIN KUMAR KUJURUnit 1: COMMUNICATION. | Introduction. 1.1 Why do we communicate?, 1.2 Factors that condition communication skills... 1.3 Definitions... 4 Characteristics of communication... 1.5 Importance of Communication in an Organization. Bey 1.6 The process of communication 1.7 Elements of communicatior 1.8 Phases in the communication process.. 1.9 Environment or Context. 2 Types of communication in organizations... 2.1 Internal communication — formal and informal ... 2.2 External Communication 3 Non-verbal Communication. 3.1 Characteristics of non-verbal communication... 3.2 Kinds of Non-Verbal Language. 3.3 Components of non-verbal communication... 23 4 Oral communication. 28 4.1 Making oral commui on28 4.2 Limitations of oral communication. 28 5 Communication Barriers... 29 5.1 Physical/environmental Barriers 29 5.2 Semantic Barriers. 3a 5.3 Cultural Barriers... sone BE 5.4 Psychological/attitudinal barriers.. 31 5.5 Perceptions of reality... . 32 5.6 Other barriers 33 5.7 Barriers to written communication... 33 Unit 2: MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION... 34 | Introduction.. 34 1 Key management functions... 34 1.2 Organizations without effective communication... 35 36 1.3 Effective manager’s nine principles.1.4 What makes you a successful Manager?.. 2 Three ways to be conscious of your communication 3 The first FOUR MINITES..... 3.1 What do I look like?, 3.2 What do I sound like?... 3.3 What do I say?.. 3.4 How well do I listen?.... 3.4.1 Key Listening Skills: 3.4.2 Reflective Listening Skills 3.5 The Importance of Con: tency 3.6 Additional Verbal Communication Tools.. 4 Barriers to Effective Communication... 4.1 Verbal Communication Barriers... 4.2 Nonverbal Communication Barriers 5 Understanding Your Communication Style... 5.1 Judge your communication skills.. Unit 3: MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION IN ACTION. | Introduction. 1.1 The 7 Cs of effective communication 2 Communicating with your appealing Personality. 2.1 Three basic characteristics of assertiveness n 2.2 Assertiveness in Confrontation 73 2.3 The Power of an Appealing Personality 75 2.4 How to Develop a Pleasing Personality? . 75 3 Communicating with your Body 7 3.1 Features of Body Language ..... 79 4 Our personal style 105 4.1 Control your body language for effective communication 107 5 Communicating with powerful public speaking . oo 108 5.1 The Greek FatO? onnicnnnirnnnninnsittnsnsinnnme continents OS 5.2 The Rule of the Three... 109 5.3 Getting into Action... 109 5.3.1 Being prepared: Guidelines for Thinking Ahead... oromanerssiner 6 Types of Speeches. oo . - cc ut6.1 Speeches by Purpose. 6.2 Informative Speeches... 6.3 Persuasive Speeches... 6.4 Inspirational Speeches 6.5 Motivational Speeches... 6.6 Speeches by Occasion nun 6.7 Award Speeches... 6.8 Celebration Speeches... 6.9 Farewell Speeches... 7 Effectively Using your Voice 1 Voice Speech, 2 Inflection and Tone... 3 Avoid repetitive word 8 Speech Outline 8.1 How to Give a Speech. ve seed 24 8.2 How to Introduce a Speaker. mosssnssssere L2G 8.3 How to give vote of thanks... 129 8.3.1 How to write a vote Of thanks? ....,sssescsssesssesensnnesssnessasesstsessesesstoenressinvenaceeensstentveee 130 132 8.3.2 Sample vote of thanks... 9. Communicating with proper etiquette 9.1 What is meant by etiquettes and good manners? 9.2 Steps to cultivate good manners. 9.3 Golden rules of good business manners.. 9.4 What is your IMPACT RATING? oo ss 14a 10 Introductions and conversations... 10.1 Good manners in good conversation. 10.2. Manners for the telephone. Telephone basics.. 145 10.2.1 How to Practice Telephone Etiquette and’Manners. 149 11 Dress for succ@SS..nnnnene 153 11.1 Why You Must Dress Professionally for Certain Situations. oo sone 53 11.2 What you wear reveals eight things about you 153 11.3 Dressing for Success 156 187 12 Dinning Etiquettes.12.1 Making Restaurant Reservations... 157 12.1.1 Ordering Food in a Restaurant... 157 158 160 12.2 How to use your silverware and dinnerware: 12.3 General social and dining etiquette rules: 12.4 Table Manners. 163 12.4.1 Dividing or sharing the restaurant bill with others... 164 12.4.2 Proper tipping etiquette in a restaurant... 164 12.5 Basic check list on dinner etiquettes 165 12.6 Basic Essentials of Dinner Table Etiquett..... 169 12.6.1 Dinner Table Etiquette - the 10 Do's! 170 12.6.2 Dinner Table Etiquette - the 10 Don'ts... 171 Unit 4: NEGOTIATING SKILLS AND DOCUMENTATION... 172 | Introduction... metz) 1.1 Why Negotiate? 372 1.2 Preparing for a successful negotiation 2 1.2.1 Negotiating successfully 174 1.2.2 Pre-Negotiation.. 174 1.2.3 Negotiating. .onrrcsssnee 175 1.24 Coming to an Agreement... 176 1.3 Negotiation Style... 176 1.3.1 Understanding the Five Negotiation Styles... 176 2 Meetings and documentation. 185 2.1 Notice of Meeting . 185 2.2 Role and responsibilities 186 2.3 Speaking at a Meeting: Dos and Don'ts oe 190 2.4 Method of Writing Minutes. 191 2.5 How to Conclude a Business Meeting 1193 3 Business Lette 194 3.1 Qualities of @ good Business Letter... 194 3.2 Appearance of a business letter. 195, 3.3 Punctuations in business letters. 197 3.4 Types of Business Letters... stats 1B 3.4.1 Good news letter 199 3.4.2 Bad News Letter 2003.4.3 Good will letter 3.4.4 Appointment letter... 3.4.5 Letter of Appointment/terms and conditions 3.4.6 Sample Appointment Letter 3.4.7 Termination Letter. 4 Resume Writing 4.1 Basic Resume Formats... 4.2 Bio data Vs. CV... 4.4 Resume Cover Letters...... 4.4.1 Cover Letter Writing Tips... 4.4.2 Sample Resume Cover Letter.Unit 1: COMMUNICATION 1 Introduction Communication is a skill acquired by an individual to exchange messages, facts, ideas, opinions and even express emotions. This skill is acquired either without any conscious effort, or by conscious effort through education. When the skill is acquired without conscious effort (like a child acquiring its mother tongue), it creates a certain profile for the individual. That is why some people appear aggressive, some others timid and a few others sly and cunning. Examine the following situation You are standing in a queue to buy a ticket and some person makes an attempt to jump the queue, You can react aggressively by shouting at him, or you can timidly wink over the violation, or you can murmur and complain to the counter-clerk, or you can firmly and politely ask the man to follow the queue norm. In the first instance you are aggressive, in the second you are non-assertive, in the third you are covert or sly and in the forth instance you are assertive. If you have an assertive profile, you always succeed. An assertive person believes in his rights and recognizes the rights of others. He is polite and firm in his opinions. But in a situation of conflict, he is flexible to a reasonable level. He can say ‘no’ to a Suggestion or a request without offending the person with whom he communicates. The assertive person has a problem solving attitude, It is communication skill that helps you to succeed. But, all these varied communication behaviours reflect the individual’s mindset, attitude and even culture, 1.1 Why do we communicate? Communication is a tool with which we exercise our influence on others, bring out changes in our and others’ attitudes, motivate the people around us and establish and maintain relationships with them. Communication makes a major part of our active life and is a social activity. This social activity is pursued verbally through speech, reading and writing or non- verbally through body language. ion communication skills 1.2 Factors that cont Communication skill is not language specific. It is not as though speakers of a particular language have refined communication skills whereas; the speakers of some other language have unrefined communication skills. But communication skill is related to the culture of the group to which the individual belongs. All messages that we send or receive are processed by 6@ mental-filter, This mental-filter or the mindset is forged by our family, friends neighbourhood, the school and society. In India, even caste and community contribute to the making of this mental-fiter. This mentalfiter or mindset makes us understand each other better or even leads to misunderstanding. Unless, we understand the attitude, eh mindset and background of the person with whom we interact, ou communication skill would be imperfect and ineffective. Therefore, communication isthe art of transmitting information, ideas and attitudes from one Person to another. The word ‘communication’ has been made up from Latin word “Communicare? or ‘communis (to make common) ~ to share, exchange, send along, transmit, talk, gesture, write, put in use, relate. A number of definitions have been given to the term *communication’ 1.3 Definitions Hudson: communication in its simplest form is conveying of information from one person to another. George Terry: communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons. D.E. Me Farlani communication is the process by which meanings are perceived and understandings are reached among human beings. Keith Davis: Communication is a process of passing information and understanding from one person to another 1.4 Characteristics of communication |. Communication always happens between or among two or more parties ~ sender and receiver of fact 2. Communication involves an exchange ideas. opinions, emotions or thought 3. Communication uses verbal ways like words spoken or written, or nonverbal ways like gestures, postures, ete 4, Communication is x two-way process. Communication is an important aspect of behaviour; human communication is affected by all factors that influence human hehaviour and it is an integral part of our daily life. What we are trying to do in this course is revisit our communicative behaviour and see where we can bring about changes in our communication behaviour. In our daily life we have to 7Adapt our communication to a variety of human settings and or persons based on the role we are assuming in the interaction. * Make daily decisions about the appropriateness of the messages we are sending, & Be aware that the manner and methods we choose to communicate our messages have an impact on the effectiveness of those messages. Interpret and evaluate messages received everyday and decide what action to teke on the basis of the message. Interact with people in groups at home and outside home and at work. In order to accomplish these activities effectively, we need awareness of the communication Process and skills in communication methods. The more effectively we accomplish these activities, the more comfortable and satisfying our life becomes, As students grow up into working adults, comniunication competence becomes essential for starting and developing a career. Employers everywhere identify communication as one of the basic competencies every graduate should have. Among the factors that help graduates seeking a job, high level of communication competence ranks among the top three, The ability to communicate is valuable for obtaining employment and maintaining successful job performance In the job, interaction with peers, seniors and juniors, can make the difference between success and failure. Most work requires co-operation among team members and co-operation from others around; oral communication skills-both speaking and listening-help to win co- operation. Communication skills essential in the workplace include basic oral and writing sills, and the ability to communicate in working groups and teams, with persons of diverse backgrounds. In problem solving and conflict management, communication skills of a high level are needed to ensure success in maintaining relationships which are so essential to success. While communication skills are commonly recognized as vital to success in business, students still often underestimate how essential some of these skills may be to their careers In particular, business students underestimate how much of their time may be spent in meetings, the importance of international communication skills, how often they may able to interact with other employees, the importance of oral presentations, and the ability to use multimedia technology. The ability to communicate effectively and appropriately has to belearned. The more realistic awareness of the importance of these skills might motivate Students to prepare more carefully for their communication tasks in the workplace 1.5 Importance of Communication in an Organization An organization, as a whole, also has communication needs. There are four main goals of communication — |. To inform: to provide information for use in decision making, but not necessari advocating any course of action. 2. To request: to ask for a specific action by the receiver. 3. To persuade: to reinforce or change a receiver's belief about something and. possibly, act on the belief 4. To build relationships # 10 create goodwill with the receiver. To achieve these goals, the organization as well as the individual members of the organization, need communication skills. Individual skills need the support of organizational policies and facilities for communication. Effective Communication is significant for managers in the organizations so as to perform the basic functions of management, ie, Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling Communication helps managers to perform their jobs and responsibilities. Communication serves as a foundation for planning. All the essential information must be communicated to the managers who in-turn must communicate the plans so as to implement them. Organizing also requires effective communication with others about their job task. Similarly leaders as managers must communicate effectively with their subordinates so as to achieve the team goals, Controlling is not possible without written and oral communication. Managers devote a great part of their time in communication. They generally devote approximately 6 hours per day in communicating, They spend great time on face to face or telephonic communication with their superiors, subordinates, colleagues, customers or suppliers. Managers also use Written Communication in form of letters, reports or memos wherever oral communication is not feasible Thus, we can say that “effective communication is a building block of successful organizations”. In other words, communication acts as organizational blood.The importance of communication in an organization can be summarized as follows: 1. Ce about the task to be done, the manner’ they are performing the task, and how to ion by informing and clarifying the employees mmunication promotes motiva improve their performance if it is not up to the mark. 2. Communication is a source of information to the organizational members for decision-making process as it helps identifying and assessing altemative course of actions. Communication also plays a crucial role in altering individual’s attitudes, ie., a well informed individual will have better attitude than a less-informed individual, Organizational magazines, journals, meetings and various other forms of oral and written communication help in moulding employee’s attitudes, 4. Communication also helps in socializing. In todays life the only presence of another individual fosters communication. It is, also said that one cannot survive without communication, 5. As discussed earlier, communication also assists in controlling process. It helps controlling organizational member's behaviour in various ways, There are various levels of hierarchy and certain principles and guidelines that employees must follow in an organization. They must comply with organizational policies, perform theit job role efficiently and communicate any work problem and grievance to their superiors. Thus, communication helps in controlling function of management. An effective and efficient communication system requires managerial profi ieney in delivering and receiving messages. Thus, the primary responsibility of a manager develop and maintain an effective communication system in the organization, 1.6 The process of communication Communication may be broadly defined as the process of meaningful interaction among human beings. More specifically, it is the process by which meanings are perceived and understandings are reached among human beings. — D.E. Me Farland Communication is a process of passing information and understanding from one person to another — Keith Davis. These two definitions show that communication involves exchange of thoughts between two Parties. Communication is the transmission of information and meaning from one individual to another. The crucial element is meaning. 10Communication is successful only when the receiver understands an idea as the sender intended it. both parties must agree not only on the information transmitted but also on the meaning of that information. mn order to transfer an idea, we must use symbols (words, signs, picture sounds) which stand for the idea. The symbols must be understood by the person or persons with whom we intend to communicate. Both must a ssign the same meaning to the symbols used, otherwise, there is miscommunication. Unless there is a common understanding of the symbols. it is not possible to communicate. 1.7 Elements of communication There are seven elements or factors which make up the process of communication: 1. Source/Sender, is the one who initiates the action of communicating Audience/Receiver is the person(s) for whom the communication is intended, Goal/Purpose is the sender’s reason for communicating the desired result of the communication. Context/Environment is the background in which the communication takes place. Message/Content is the information conveyed. Medium/Channel is the means or method used for conveying the message. 2awas Feedback is the receiver's response to the communication as observed by the sender. Communication is a process of exchange ideas, facts, opinions and the manner by which the receiver of message sharing, meaning and understanding with another. It is the whole Sequence of transmission and interchange of facts, ideas, feelings ete. Process is a course of action. Communication as an organisational process affects all. It enable us to transfer information from one person to another, from one department to another, from outside to organisation, no matter that the organisation being an individual firm, society or a corporate body. The ultimate object is that information transferred must be understandable to the receiver. 1.8 Phases in the communication process |. An information source. Presumably a person who creates a message. 2. The message, which is both sent by the information source and received by the destination. 3. A transmitter, For Shannon's immediate purpose a telephone instrument that captures an audio signal, converts it into an electronic signal, and amplifies it for transmission through ulthe telephone network. Transmission is readily generalized within Shannon's information theory to encompass a wide range of transmitters. The simplest transmission system, that f first, the mouth (sound) and body (gesture), ereate and modulate a signal. The second associated to-face communication, has at least two layers of transmission. The "ayer, which might also be described as a channel, is built of the air (sound) and light (gesture) that enable the transmission of those signals from one person to another. A television broadcast would obviously include many more layers, with the addition of cameras and microphones, editing and filtering systems, a national signal distribution network (often satellite), and a local radio wave broadcast antenna The Shannon-Weaver Mathematical Model, 1949 Intormetion | Tranter + Receiver s 1 —sibeana Sones | (Encoder) ona Crone onee | (Decoder) [Pestelion Signal Message Messag Concepts: Entropy Redundancy Noise Noise | se Channel Capacity 4. The signal, which flows through a channel. There may be multiple parallel signals, as is the case in face-to-face interaction where Sound and gesture involve different signal systems that depend on different channels and modes of transmission. There may be ‘multiple serial signals, with sound and/or gesture tumed into electronic signals, radio waves, or words and pictures in a book A carrier or channel, which is represented by the small unlabeled box in the middle of the model. The most commonly used channels include air, light, electricity, radio waves, Paper, and postal systems. Note that there may be multiple channels associated with the multiple layers of transmission, as described above. 26. Noise, in the form of secondary signals that obscure or confuse the signal carried, Given Shannon's focus on telephone transmission, carriers, and reception, it should not be Surprising that noise is restricted to noise that obscures or obliterates some portion of the signal within the channel. This is a fairly restrictive notion of noise, by current standards, and a somewhat misleading one, Today we have at least some media which are so noise free that compressed signals are constructed with an absolutely minimal amount information and little likelihood of signal loss. In the process, Shannon's solution to noise, redundancy, has been largely replaced by a minimaily redundant solution: error detection and correction. Today we use noise more as a metaphor for problems associated with effective listening, 7. A receiver. In Shannon's conception, the receiving telephone instrument. In face to face communication a set of ears (sound) and eyes (gesture), In television, several layers of receiver, including an antenna and a television set. 8. A destination, Presumably a person who consumes and processes the message. 1.9 Environment or Context Communication takes place in an environment. A message may acquire a different meaning in a changed context. If both have the same amount of background information about the situation and the issue, it is easier to communicate on the topic. The context influences the sender's encoding and the receiver's decoding, and also each one’s interpretation. Environment includes many things. The most obvious is the place in which the communi tion takes place; if it is pleasant and comfortable, the communication is better. Noise or disturbance in the environment usually hinders the flow of communication. The political, cultural, legal, technological environment influences communication as these factors may affect each one’s situation and attitude to the content of a message. Time is also an element of the environment; it has three aspects 2) The time of the communication (first thing in the moming, just before or after lunch, when it is almost closing time) affects the communication b) The length of time taken by a communication even (how long the presentation or the meeting or the conversation goes on) influences the quality of the communication foo long can be tiring and boring; too short may be inadequate and one them may feel that insufficient attention was given by the other. 2B©) There is a right time for giving some information, If itis given too late, it may be useless; if itis too early, receivers may not be ready for it and may not understand it. Without this process organizational activities do not progress. Communication is the vehicle of individuals and groups in the organization. Every information, transmission involves a receiver or a listener, who responds to the message. In the process the transmitter uses a set of media to convey ideas, opinions, facts and feelings to another. The media may be written media or oral media, visual or audio-visual media. Visual communication media carry slides, neon- hoardings, posters etc. Television and films are the audio-visual communication media. 2 Types of communication in organizations 1. Internal communication (within the organization) 2. External communication Internal Communication: Formal and Informal Channels Formal: Upward; Downward; Horizontal; Diagonal Informal: Grapevine 2. External Communication: Government Agencies; Customers; Clients, Public, etc 2.1 Internal communication — formal and informal The difference between formal and informal is not the same as the difference between grammatical and ungrammatical. The difference is in the “register” which includes tone of voice, vocabulary and syntax. In writing as well as speaking we use a variety of registers. We use different registers for writing an assignment, for writing to a friend, for writing to a Prospective employer, for conversation with a friend, and for making a presentation. Writing is more formal than speaking. The register we use in a given situation is determined by the social code and not the grammatical code, The relation between wiiter/speaker and audience is a social relation and we maintain il in the style of writing and speaking. AY Formal communication: * Communication takes place through the formal channels of the organization structure along the lines of authority established by the management. * Such communications are generally in writing and may take any of the forms; policy; manuals: procedures and rule books; memoranda; official meetings; reports, etc 14The advantages of formal communication are: * They help in the fixation of responsibility and Maintaining of the authority relationship in an organization. The disadvantages of formal communication are: * Generally time consuming. cumbersome and Leads to a good deal of distortion at times. Types of formal communication in organizations: Downward, Upward, Horizontal (Lateral), and Diagonal Communications 1. Downward communication occurs whenever superiors intimate messages to their Subordinate, It is created by directors and managers and passed down the hierarchy of workers in the organisation. In traditional organisations this is the preferred method of communication i.e., Managers decide what the systems, rules and procedures will be and then they pass these down to employees they manage and supervise. Downward Communication can increase efficiency by synchronising organisational procedures and can ensure that everybody is working towards the same overall aims and objectives, Types of downward communication include job descriptions, _appraisals/evaluations, organisational policy/procedure/practices, organisational systems and feedhack to subordinates indoctrination to organization culture. Although there are advantages to downward communication organisations have began to encourage upward communication. This is communication which originates at the lower level of the employment hierarchy and is then communicated up through the line. Organisations encouraging upward communication believe that everybody is capable of generating thoughts and ideas which may help the organisation to progress. particularly when they are working closely in the area that the idea applies to. Potential benefits are: prevention/correction of employee errors. Greater job satisfaction improved morale. Potential problems: insufficient or unclear messages. Message overload, message distorted as it passes through one or more intermediaries. 2. Upward communication is type of communication where messages flow from subordinates to superiors. Many leading businesses attribute their success to the emphasis on upward communication in their organization, Upward communication may increase 15motivation and make employees feel valued and respected whilst enabling managers to understand how employees are feeling. Furthermore if problems occur at they are more likely to be identified earlier by those working closely in the area that they occur. Types of upward communications include suggestion schemes, feedback forums/surveys, grievance procedures and employee-manager discussions Potential benefits: prevention of new problems and solution of old ones, increased acceptance of management decisions. Potential problems: superiors may discourage, disregard, or downplay importance of subordinate’s messages. Superiors may unfairly blame subordinates for unpleasant news. 3. Horizontal/Lateral Communication: Horizontal communic: ‘ion consists of messages between members of an organization with equal power in other words communication that cours between employees on the same level in the organisation. For example, between members of the same division of an organization: office workers in the same department, co-worker on a construction project, and so on. In other cases, lateral communication occurs between people from different areas: accounting calls maintenance to get a machine repaired, hospital admissions calls intensive care to reserve a bed, and so on. As this can involve decision making it can create efficiency as employees do not have to wait for managerial approval, on the other hand if the manager is not kept informed or if the manager fails to set boundaries there is potential for conflict. Types include: coordinate tasks, solve problems, share information, manage conflicts and build rapport. Potential benefits: increased cooperation among employees with different duties,¢reater understanding of organization’s mi ion, Potential problems: rivalry may occur between employees from different areas Specialization makes understanding difficult. Information overload discourages contacts Physical barriers discourage contact and lack of motivation. 4. Diagonal Communication Diagonal communication occurs when messages between workers in a different section of the organisation and one of the workers involved is on a tion will higher level in the organisation. For example in a bank, diagonal communic occur when a department manager in head office converses with a cashier in a branch of the bank based on the high street. 16B. Informal Communication * Communication arising out of all those channels of communication that fall outside the formal channels is known as informal communication. * Built around the social relationships of members of the organization. * Informal communication does not flow lines of authority as is the case of formal ion, communi * Itarises due to the personal needs of the members of n organization * At times, in informal communication, it is difficult to fix responsibility about accuracy of information. Such communication is usually oral and may be covered even by simple glance, gesture or smile or silence. Side by side with the effective channel of communication-there is the informal channel, It is not officially sanctioned and quite often itis even discouraged or overlooked down upon But, then, it is very much there. It has been given the name ‘grape vine", precisely because it runs in all directions, horizontal, vertical, diagonal. As the management experts put it, “it flows around water coolers, down hallways, through lunch rooms, and wherever people get together in groups.” Human nature is to communicate, to talk, to share one’s feelings and thought, of just to Bossip, or to indulge in small talk. This gossip or small talk may, and very often, does, carry Some important information. It may even ‘manufacture’ some piece of information and get the rumour mill working. Every organization has a rumour mill. Every worker, every office goer, and above all every manager has to get used to it Factors responsible for grapevine phenomenon: ~ Fecling of uncertainty or lack of sense of direction when the organization is passing through difficult period, ~ Feeling of inadequacy or lack of self-confidence on the part of the employees, leading to the formation of groups, ~ formation of a coterie, clique or favoured by the manager, giving other employees a feeling of insecurity or isolation. Any worker, operating in such circumstances, will be filled with ideas and will at least whisper to like minded friends at whatever level he finds them. It is a very subtle and an 7interesting phenomenon, now being seriously studied and analysed by psychologists and management experts. Keith Devis has identified four types of grapevine chains: 1. Single stand chain: A tells something to B, and B to C and it goes on down the line. Chain is least accurate in passing on the information 2. Gossip chain: one person seeks out and tells everyone the information he or she has obtained. It happens when something, interesting but non-job related matter is conveyed. 3. Probability chain: in this type, individuals are indifferent to or not really interested in, the persons with whom they are passing some information. Tell something at random This chain is found when the information is somewhat interesting but not really significant, 4. Cluster chain: in this type A tells something to a few selected individuals and then some of these individuals inform a few other selected individuals. Davis is of the opinion, that the cluster chain is the dominant grapevine pattern in an organization. Effective use of grapevine: A tactful manager has to take some positive measures to get the best out of this informal channel of communication. 1. Keep the employees well-informed about the policy matters, plans and prospects. This will check the speculations arising from the elements of fear and anxiety on the part of employees. 2. Fruitful group activities that enhance self-worth and update knowledge should be held as . of the workers is will not only boost the moral and self-confiden: frequently as possible. 1 but also check their inclination to indulge in small talk. 3. The manager should, as far as possible, have an open-door policy without giving the impression of cheap popularity of favouritis 4. The manager should create a healthy environment where there is room for personal talk. Regular timing should be fixed up for meetings with the employees. 5. The mangers must tactfully identify the leaders and win their confidence so as to feel the pulse of their followers. 6. As far possible the employees, through their leaders, should be associated with decision making. 187. The manager must keep trying to get clues about his style of functioning through regular interaction with the employees in as tactful, diplomatic manner as possible 8. Rumour mongering is aimed at character assassination or maligning somebody in the organization, should not be encouraged. 9. A manager must learn to be a good listener ~ discriminative listening, evaluative listening, appreciative listening, and empathic listening. Unfortunately empathic listening is the least practised by the managers, must learn to share speaker's feelings 2.2 External Communication Conversely extemal communication is communication between the organisation and those Outside the organisation. An organization, when it communicates with Governmental clients and Public it is called external agencies, other organizations, customers, communication, The media employed may be written media like letters, reports, proposals or visual media like posters, advertisements video tapes or electronic media like faxes, telegrams, e-mails, taxes. Communication also be through teleconferences, face to face meetings, panel discussions or presentations, exhibitions and such events. Modem organisations may design technological systems so that they can communicate with customers and undertake e-Commerce. Alternatively they communicate with other businesses through the internet or similar systems and undertake e-Business, Advantages of external communication: External communication helps an organization to keep its outsourcing agencies like distributors, wholesalers, retailers and clientele well informed about the company's products, services, progress and goals. The information gets continuously updated and accurate. All organizations have to maintain cordial relationships with government agencies, licensing authorities, suppliers of raw materials, ancillary industries and financial institutions. Continual and updated information without any communication gap is essential for business houses 3 Non-verbal Communication Messages are communicated verbally or non-verbally. Verbal communication may be oral or written. Non-verbal communication is a primitive form of communication that does not involve the use of words. Non-verbal communication means employing audio signs or viswal signs to communicate a message. 19Audio signals as communication tools ~ audio signals communicate messages, When the ‘elephone bell rings., you know that someone is on the line. When the calling bell rings, you Know that someone is at the door through the audio signal. Buzzers, alarms, beating of drums are all audio signals that convey messages. The advantage of employing audio signals are that they are easy to operate, quick to communicate and can reach a large section of audience, scattered over a large area. But, audio signs as non-verbal tools of communication have only a limited scope. Supposing the closing bell of the school is rung by error earlier, there can be no corrective step. The children would have run home! Visual Signals are employed as a substitute for verbal communication. A picture of @ burning cigarette with a red cross over it can easily communicate a non-smoking warming, An umbrella marked over a carton indicates that it should be kept in a dry place and not in the open. Visual sign of a wheel chair outside toilet indicates that it is meant for physically disadvantaged people. Other examples are, traffic lights, stripes on road for zebra crossing, posters, drawings, cartoons are all employed as substitutes for verbal communication. 3.1 Characteristics of non-verbal communication 1. Non-verbal messages primarily communicate emotions, attitudes. Nonverbal signals largely communicate a person’s subjective responses — anger, appreciation, dislike, resentment — to a particular situation, messages on ideas or concepts can rarely be conveyed through non-verbal channels. 2. Non-verbal cues substitute for, contradict, emphasize or regulate verbal message. A person’s non-verbal response of pointing to something in response to an enquiry ~ like the location of the MD’s room ~ acts as a substitute for verbal communication. Non-verbal cues might sometimes contradict verbal messages as in a case when somebody praises something while their face reflects absolute dismay. Often, the flow of conversation is regulated non- verbally by raising an index finger, nodding and leaning forward, raising the eyebrows, and/or usiny eye contact. 3. Non-verbal eues are often ambiguous. Non-verbal cues are not always easy to understand and interpret. There is no standard for interpretation or reading non-verbal cues. They are constructed based on the context of usage and the regional culture (interpretation of non-verbal cues in different cultures ~ business communication study guide p.11) Some examples: 20a) Readiness and enthusiasi When people are ready to take action, they will often sit forward in their seats or stand with their hands on their hips. They ate ansious to get going They will stand or sit in an erect position. They ate alert. with wide, bright eyes. Their body ‘motions are alive and animated, Ifthe evaluator fails to take notice and initiate rapport during this enthusiasm stage, the user is likely to become either restive or defensive. ») Frustration: People are often observed exhibiting gestures, such as hand-wringing, running fingers through their hair. clenching hands or jaw. an exasperated sigh. or touching and stroking themselves. Such gestures are called “adapters,” because the user unconsciously {mies to adapt by lowering frustration levels through rhythmic actions, If the evaluator were to verbally ask the user about their discomfort, the answer would most probably’ be a denial of their discomfort while the gestures indicate otherwise. ©) Nervousness: Nervous people cover their mouths when they speak. Their voices are often high and may even break. Their speech is hesitant, and they use “ums” and “ahs” incessantly, ‘They may clear their throats and wring their hands while looking down at their feet. One may also see their facial muscles twitching, Asking them to continue speaking aloud or responding (0 a questionnaire despite their nervousness may result in non-valid data. Designers need to Know about and recognize gesture signs of nervousness. Thus, it can be said that non-verbal cues are a rich source of information on the state and behaviour of the users in addition to the verbal content that the users communicate. 4, Non-verbal cues are continuous. Verbal communication can be planned, wh@le non- verbal communication is spontaneous and continuous. Verbal communication can be started oF stopped as intended but it is generally not possible to stop sending out non-verbal cues. Even long silence communicates something. 5. Non-verbal cues are more reliable. When verbal and non-verbal cues contradict each other, non-verbal cues are considered more reliable and the message is interpreted based on them. This is largely because non-verbal cues are more difficult to fake. Research showed that lie detection heavily relies on non-verbal cues of a person. For instance, lie detector tests use physical responses like rise of blood pressure and pulse rate to find out if @ person is lying. As Sigmund Freud said, “no moral can keep a secret. If his lips are silent, he talks with his fingertips; betrayal oozes out of him at every pore’ 6. Non-verbal cues are culture bound. Many non-verbal gestures are universal. Most ‘human beings, no matter what culture they belong to, smile when happy and frown when anunhappy. But certain non-verbal expressions vary from culture to culture. Gestures seen as Positive in one culture may be seen as obscene in another. It is a fundamental human interaction where speech alone is unable to deal with it, It is communication that can occur without words at all. The sender has at least four main sets of physical non ~ verbal cues: face, eyes, body, and voice. ‘* The face includes frowning, smiling and grimacing. * The eyes can signal by direction of gaze. * The body offers posture positions of arms and legs and distancing. * Voice includes tone and speech rhythm, ‘The receiver has five primary senses: vision, hearing, touch, taste and smell. There are five functional categories of non-verbal communication: * Emblems movements that are substituted for words, © Illustrators movements that accompany speech and accent. * Regulators movements that maintain or signal a change in speaking and listening roles. * Adaptors movements related to individual need or emotional state. * Effect particularly the facial expressions sho g emotions, 3.2 Kinds of Non-Verbal Language 1. Language of facial expression: In general a smile, a scowl or a frown has a universal meaning, A frown may be dislike, or disapproval, or puzzlement. A smile may be love, happiness, amusement, or kindness 2. Language of eye contaet: There are a number of messages communicated by glances such as: involvement, hostility, command and others. Language of posture: The more the person leans towards the individual he is talking to, the more positively he feels about the person and vi versa, 4, Language of voice: Voice variations may convey anger, fear, grief ... etc 5. Language of apparel: The way we dress communicates something about us all of us wear uniforms such as work clothes, play clothes, formal dress, .. etc. Our dress reflects 22our respect for those whom we visit, or go out with. Also it is assumed that young People who wear glasses tend to be judged as more seniors and intelligent, 6. Language of colow Warm colours ~ such as yellow, orange, and red — stimulate creativity and make people feel outgoing, and responsive to others. Cool colours encourage meditation and also may discourage conversation, 7. Language of odour: Odours have a profound ability to recall memories out of one’s Past. Food smells remind one of his mother's cooking, flowers of springtime ... ete, 8. Language of time: People and culture have @ unique culture clock. In Egypt you can be for half an hour late for @ party, or business appointment. On the other hand, in Europe you can't be late for neither of them. 9. Language of space: Every individual seems to develop a distance at which he prefers to interact with others Latin Americans like to talk with each other closely while North Americans maintain a considerable distance. 3.3 Components of non-verbal communication Let us examine some ways in which non-verbal messages are transmitted, The study of non- verbal signals is divided into three main areas: a) Paralanguage, the way we say what we says b) Kinesies, the study of the body language and facial expression, and c) Proxemies, the study of how physical space is used. Other forms of non-verbal communication look at the use of time and the mode of dress. Paralanguage: Definitions: * Features that accompany speech and contribute to communication but are not considered part of the language system * The nonverbal voice qualities, modifiers, and sounds which we use consciously or lunconsejously supporting or contradicting the linguistic, kinesies, or proxemic messages either simultaneously or alternating with them + How something is said rather than what is said * Vocal Cues General Information: Paralanguage is part of nonverbal communication. Paralinguisties are what accompany your words to make up its true meaning. Research vn the tone of voice emerged in 1951 by George 23Trager and Henry Lee Smith and was followed with research of other aspects of paralanguage. We all know that what you say can have several different meanings depending on how you say it Take the notion of sarcasm, for instance. If someone says something with a sarcastic tone, it makes the meaning of what has been said be the complete opposite of what the words actually mean. Paralanguage can be a confusing factor in intercultural communication. For example, Europeans interpret the loudness of Americans to aggressive behaviour, while Americans might think the British are secretive because they talk quietly. Talking speed and the amount of silence in conversations also differ among cultures. For instance, the Japanese are comfortable having several pauses in theit conversations, while Americans and many Arabic people are uncomfortable with any silence Ingredients of Paralanguage: Paralanguage bas several component parts. They are Voice Qualities, Voice Qualifiers, Vocal Characteristics, and Vocal Segregates Voice Qualities: VQ include volume, rate of speech, pitch, rhythm, pronunciation, and enunciation. Volume of speech determines effectiveness of communication. Loud and soft voice has to be attuned to the situation. Rate of speech: on an average, it has been found that people speak at the rate of about 150 words a minute, When higher or lower, it might have negative impact on the receiver. Voice pitch: VP is often associated with emotions. Shrieking away at high pitch generally indicates excitement or nervousness, A low pitch commands attention and respect, as it indicates that the speaker is in control of the situation. Rhythm: Rhythm refers to the pattern of the voice. A smooth rhythm, like « moderately low Pitch, indicates a confident, authoritative attitude, while an uneven rhythm may convey lack of preparation and clarity. Pronunciation and enunciation: good pronunciation is the correct oral delivery ofa word, It is generally accepted way of uttering a word. The vowel sounds must be said correctly and the right syllables accented. Local dialects do influence the pronunciation, On the other hand enunciation also relates to the correctness of how a word is pronounced, but is more a matter of clear expression and utterance. People with poor enunciation drop word endings, slur their 24Speech, or do not speak clearly. Poor emunciation may indicate carelessness, but overly precise enunciation may sometimes seem phony or extravagant. Voice Qualifiers: Temporary variation in pitch, volume, and rate of speech are known as voice qualifiers -intensity (overloud, over soft) pitch height, extent Vocal Characteristics: certain audible sounds like laughing, crying, whispering, snoring, yelling, moaning, groaning, yawning, whining, sucking, sneezing, sighing, belches, hiccups that serve to communicate something are called vocal characteristics. Remember you need to sound pleasant, confident and competent. Vocal Segregates: the words, "uh" "um" "uh-huh" silent pauses do not mean anything, Such meaningless words or sounds that are used to punctuate or pace-sentences are called vocal segregates. Sometimes people use filler expressions like ‘righ you know what [ mean’ or “OK’ to fill in gaps in speech. These sounds indicate a lack of confidence and reveal stress on the part of the speaker. Messages in the Voice: Phrases have different messages depending on what parts we emphasize. For instance, take the sentence; she’s giving this money to me. + She is giving this money to me. SHE is the one giving the money, nobody else. + She is giving this money to me. She is GIVING, not lending. + She is giving this money to me. MONE + She is giving this money to me. is being exchanged, not anything els Tam getting the money, nobody else. The voiee is used to infer personality traits. * An increased rate of speaking generally infers that the individual is more animated and extroverted. + A flatnes in the tone of voice generally indicates more withdrawn and masculine characteristics. * A nasal sound in one's voice is generally thought of to be undesirable. Kinesies: Kinesies is the study of communication through body movements and facial expressions. 251 Posture: the way people sit or stand can reveal a lot about their attitudes and emotions ~ confidence, anxiety, fear, aggressiveness ete. 2 Gesture: gestures are body movements used to express thought or emphasis. Gestures are of various types. The common ones are 1. Emblems, 2. Adaptors, 3. Regulators, and 4 Ilustrators. Emblems: emblems are gestures that have a meaning understood by the people at large. Most of them are culture specific. Same emblem may have different meanings in different cultures E.g. Forming “O” from index finger and thumb means “OK” in the US, while in Japan it means ‘money and in parts of France it means worthless or zero. Adaptors: these are leamnt behaviour patterns picked up in childhood. The way individuals use spoons or hands while eating is a good example. Regulators: these are gestures controlling the communication exchange, Patting an employee on the back may encourage that person to keep talking. Shufling through the papers while he or she is talking is certainly an indication to stop. Mlustrators: these are gestures, which depict and complement the verbal message. When @ person asks somebody to come and sit in a chair, along with a nod of the head or a wave of the hand, he or she is using an illustrator, 3 Facial expressions: The face plays a vital role in communicating various messages, the brow, eyes, the nose and the lower face, all capable of conveying attitudes and emotions. Minor variations figure from culture to culture Fyes: of all facial expressions, the eyes can reveal the most. Studies have provided numerous insights about the eyes, * Eye contact is perceived as an indication of honesty, confidence, openness and interest, * People who avoid eye contact are usually embarrassed or nervous. + Eye contact varies by culture. For instance, some Latin American cultures teach children not to look directly at efface of an adult * The eyes are expressive. Dancers convey emotions ranging from happiness to sadness using their eyes alone. People who blink often are perceived as nervous. Gaze: simply looking at another person or object Mutual gaze: used to delineate those times whea that someone looks back but does not necessarily make eye contact 26Eye contact: used for occasions in which two people look directly into one another eyes Major functions of eye behaviour: |. Establishing and defining relationships Eye contact determines the type of interaction that will take place and how the interaction will develop. It shows a willingness on Your part to admit interest in others and allows others to gain information about you. 2. Channel control Common methods of controlling the communication channel are: turn-taking, power displays, gaze aversion 3. Displaying emotion 4. Reducing distractions our eyes can be easily distracted by visual stimuli. While looking away or upward we are involved in the non-visual function of reducing distractions. The pause from looking at others helps us to organize our thoughts Proxemics: Proxemics studies how people use the physical space around them and what this communicates. People put invisible boundary between themselves and others. this is called the personal feature space. The four feature space categories or zones are ~ Intimate distance zone: individuals reserve a radius of up to 18 inches around themselves for close relations and friends. ‘The personal zone: this zone extending from 1 ¥4 to 4 feet is also feserved for friends and family. OF course, there are cultural variations, Certain cultures are more tolerant of intrusions into personal space than others. The social distance. This zone extends from 4 to 12 feet. tis in this zone that most business is transacted. ‘The public distance zone. This zone extends from 12 to 25 feet. Itis the farthest distance at which one can communicate effectively on a face-to-face basis. From the physical distance one can identify person's relationship, power, status. In organizations, the control of space generally constitutes an extension of one’s personal power. Status can be determined by how much space a person occupies. The higher the person's status, the easier it is for him or her to invade someone else's space.4 Oral communication Oral communication (one to one - dyadic) occurs in a face to meeting or even in a talk on the ng instruction to the employee, the employee reporting something to his superiors or the sales ‘clephone. The meeting between two persons where message is transmitted, the boss gi man trying to sell are all one to one oral communication situations, Poken words: Conversations, meetings, conferences, interviews, training sessions, speeches, PA system announcements, speeches telephone talk, public speaking etc. Business man must know to communicate effectively with the spoken word as it is quicker and direct used to inform praise, criticize, plead, and inquire Advantages of oral communication (@) Sheds of meaning can be conveyed (using to be, pitch and intensity of voice) (b) Saves time (c) Immediate feedback can be obtained (d) Pursues we and carry convietion(e) Spares I and secret money and effort(f) Less formal (g) Makes the communication of confident information possible. 4.1 Making oral communication effective 1. The words should be clearly and properly pronounced, 2. Poor voice control and poor pronunciation act as barriers to Communication Another requirement of effective oral communication is clarity and precision 4. Brevity is very essenti 1, over communication should be guarded against. 5. Tropes tone is an important requisite convey the same feeling as the words 6. Use the correct pitch the way the voice moves up or down. 7. listener. se the right register i.e., the right style and vocabulary to suit the situation and the 4.2 Limitations of oral communication * Can be misunderstood or misinterpreted more easily. + No permanent record of little value from the legal point of view * Only a good speaker can communicate effectively ‘+ Unhelpful for lengthy communication © Something vital may be missed out * People cannot retain oral messages for a long time i... it lacks permanence * When messages are transmitted orally itis not possible to pinpoint the responsibility, 285 Communication Barriers Communication es it S a process beginning with a sender who encodes the message and p through some channel to the receiver who decodes the message. Communication is fruitful if and only if the messages sent by the sender is interpreted with same meaning by the receiver. {any kind of disturbance blocks any step of communication, the message will be destroyed. Due to such disturbances, managers in an organization face severe problems. A manager must discover various barriers to communication analyze the reasons for their occurrence and take preventive steps to avoid those barriers. Thus the managers must locate such barriers and take steps to get rid of them. There are several barriers that affect the flow of communication in an organization. These barriers interrupt the flow of communication from the sender to the receiver, thus making Communication ineffective. It is essential for managers to overcome these barriers, The main barriers of communication are summarized below. 5.1 Physical/environmental Barriers The major physicaV/environmental barriers are Time, Place. Space, Climate and noise. These factors ma}just cause distraction leading to inattentiveness or totally alter the message, causing miscommunication. ‘Time: Time has an important role in a communication process. An organization that expects Guick results cannot afford to be slack in its channels of communication. Appropriate medium of communication must be employed when there is a time lag between countries in Europe/America and Asia. Do we not often hear expressions such as ‘timely caution’, timely advice’? These expressions indicate the role of time as a factor in communication, Often in organization the targets have to be achieved within a specified time period. the failure of which has adverse consequences. In a haste to meet deadlines. the formal channels of communication are shortened, or messages are partially given, ie. not completely transferred. Thus sufficient time should be given for effective communication Space: space can act as a barrier to communication or act ws an aid promoting good ion. Experts classify an oral communication situation on the basis of MWdlistance maintained between sender and receiver as Intimate, personal. official and public Intimate: if the distance between the two, the encoder (sender) and decoder (receiver) is less than a foot and a half (18 inches), the situation is labelled intimate. The mother coddling the 29baby, the father and the son, or husband and wife in a familial/private situation communicate at an intimate level of space. Personal: friends and peer groups who are in a process of communication maintain a distance of about two to three feet which is personal. Official: in official situation, the space should be at least four to five depending on the message or information, Public: the distance between the speaker (the encoder) and the listener (decoder - audience) should be over ten feet, in a public situation, Any reduction of this minimum space parameters will lead to awkward and embarrassing Situations. Space can act as barrier in a cross cultural or trans-national oral communication situations. Place the place or the location where a communication process takes place can degenerate into a barrier to effective communication. A simple comparison of the surroundings in a Sovenment/municipal office and the ambience provided in a multinational company will show how place and surroundings play an important role in effective communication, Good ambience and suitably lighted and ventilated places promote effective communication, Climate: the talks were held in a cordial atmosphere and in a poor climate’ say the newspapers. Though the word climate refers to the human relations prevailing there, it is no exaggeration to say that the actual room temperature helps people to keep their heads cool! Unfavourable climate can act as a barrier to communication leading to wrong perceptions or decision, Noise: noise is a physical barrier to effective communication. Noise may have its origin from an external source or may exist even in the communication loop. Physical distractions are also there such as, poor lightning, uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room also affects interferes with communication, communication in a meeting, Similarly use of loud speakers You do not achieve effective communication by merely shouting. Effective communication is almost impossible on the factory floor, the bus stand or railway station. Medium: ‘A’wrong medium or an inappropriate medium chosen for communicating message will act as a barrier to communication. On a shop floor you cannot use a long written memo of instructions whereas your information on a new product in the market could be only through an effective and attractive advisement. An oral reminder in person or over the phone followed by a written letter can easily produce the desired response or expected reaction. 305.2 Semantic Barriers Semantics is related to meanings of words. To be more exact, itis related to connotative and denotative meanings of words and its study. If the encoder and decoder do not share the same connotative meaning for a word miscommunication occurs. The meaning of the word is related to context at the connotational level. A complimentary expression may derive a connotative derogative meaning which will ruin the communication process. Words life fellow, nice, lousy... the word used with adjectives change the complexion of the word, Nice fellow and lousy fellow are poles apart. A fellow traveller is simply your co traveller. Same word may mean different to different individuals. For example: consider a word “value” a, What is the value of this Laptop? b. I value our relation? What is the value of learning technical skills? “Value” means different in different sentences. Communication breakdown occurs if there is wrong perception by the receiver, 5.3 Cultural Barriers In the context of globalization and free trade, business communication has to cut across different cultural identities. These invariably cause cultural barriers that have to be overcome. The relaxed and leisurely pace of the Easterners, the formal and official style of the Britishers, the casual and matter-of —fact nature of the Americans, the thorough nature of the Germans and the extreme courtesy and politeness of expression of the French are all cultural features. It is easy for an American to give his opinion even to his boss whereas decisions and opinions are seldom expressed in the presence of elders and seniors in the East. To overcome any cultural barrier to effective communication one has to possess an understanding of the culture of the receiver(s) decider. Even in body language there are variations. If a Filipino smiles, they say he is angry. The loop formed by the tip of the thumb and index finger is a signal of agreement in North America hut an abscenity in the Southern states, 5.4 Psychological/attitudinal barriers Communication is an activity dependent on the flexible nature of the participants Unfortunately the world is made naughty with rigid, inflexible and prejudiced attitudes. We will send or receive a message and react/tespond to it only if we feel that the person who 31communicates has credibility. Our reaction and response depend on our attitude to the source of information. The sender should consider the receiver's view point as the receiver should overcome his bias against the sender to overcome attitudinal bamtiers. The information/message should be favourable to the receiver to responditeact to it. Even bad news/unfavourable information could be communicated to the receiver without causing shock oF heartburn. Communication exercise is affected by the values opinions and attitudes of the sender and the receiver in a given context. The reaction/tesponse to an unfavourable information/truncated message from a source lacking credibility will always fall short of the expectation and fail to provide the necessary feedback to the sender 5.5 Perceptions of reality Barriers caused by varying perceptions of reality. Perception is understanding of the world around us. Each one perceives the world in his own unique way and interprets what has been Perceived in yet another unique way. When we strongly disagree, we simply say ‘I am sorry: our perceptions appear to be different’ Abstraction: An abstraction is a condensation of something. When we communicate, we unconsciously resort to ‘abstracting’, i.e., keeping to the essentials. We eliminate what we decide to be superfluous. But the receiver may not be competent enough to understand what we have eliminated. Abstracting is necessary for good and effective communication but it Should not be done in certain demanding situations. If done it becomes a barrier. When you are instructing a lay and illiterate person about cleaning the house, you have to tell him literally to remove cobwebs, sweep, dust and mop. Abstracting at this situation may not prove ‘o be useful. But when you give a job to an agency, you can simply say. I want the house ‘thoroughly cleaned”. They share your perception about the job. Slanting: A slanted report is judgemental. News reporters are asked to report news and not Bive them a slant. A small ‘crowd’ or a large crowd are generally slanted expressions giving only relative meanings. Instead, if you say a gathering of about five thousand people you avoid slanting. Communication should be unaffected by inferences and assumptions. Most inferences and all assumptions are highly subjective. They tend to become barriers if they form the basis of a message or information, 325.6 Other barriers 1, Information Overload: Managers are surrounded with a pool of information, [t is essential to control this information flow else the information is likely to be misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked. As a result communication is less effective 2. Inattentior At times we just not listen, but only hear. For example a traveller may pay attention to one “NO PARKING” sign, but if such sign is put all over the city. he no longer listens to it. Thus, repetitive messages should be ignored for effective Communication, Similarly if a superior is engrossed in his paper work and his subordinate explains him his problem. the superior may not get what he is saying and it leads to disappointment of subordinate 3. Emotions: Emotional state at a particular point of time also affects communication. If the receiver feels that communicator is angry he interprets that the information being sent is very bad. While he takes it differently if the communicator is happy and jovial (in that case the message is interpreted to be good and interesting). 4. Complexity in Organizational Structure: Greater the hierarchy in an organization (ie more the number of managerial levels). more is the chances of communication getting destroyed. Only the people at the top level can see the overall picture while the people at tow level just have knowledge about their own area and a little knowledge about other areas. Poor retention: Human memory cannot function beyond a limit. One can't always retain what is being told specially if he is not interested or not attentive. This leads to communication breakdown, 6. Body language: In oral communication, our posture, facial expression ete., enhance communication if applied well. They can also distort communication if not matched with the message. A simple message of “congratulations” or a compliment, ‘what a fine joh you have done’. can be communicated honestly and sincerely or sarcastically and ridiculingly by appropriate facial expression 5.7 Barriers to written communication Poor stationary. clumsy lay out of the letter, the way it has been written. typed can also be barriers to communication. the message may be solicited or unsolicited, Yev/it should arouse the interest of the reader. An attractive envelope and a neatly executed letter will prove to be better than a sloppily written or typed communication sent in unattractive package 33Unit 2: MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION 1 Introduction Managerial, of course, is the adjectival form of the verb to manage. Managing is a process of working with and through other people to accomplish certain tasks, usually wit organizations. Let's look at the kinds of tasks managers typically do. 1.1 Key management functions The idea that the manager's job involves certain key functions was articulated early in the ‘twentieth century by a French mining executive and an early management theorist, Henti Fayol. He classified these functions as planning, organizing, commanding coordinating and controlling, Remarkably, his list has endured through the years with only minor changes in wording by later writers. |. Planning: planning is a thinking process ~ assort of inter communication within one’s tind. The manager looks ahead to what must be done to maintain and improve Performance, to solve problems, and to develop personal competence. To plan, a manager sets objectives in each area that is to be pursued this week, this month, this Year. Having set these objectives, the manager then thinks through such questions as: a) What has to be done to reach these objectives? b) How will these activities be carried out? c) Who will do them? 4) When will these activities take place? ©) Where will this work be done? £) How much and what kind of resources will be needed? 2. Organizing: Organizing, involves arranging the work sequence and assigning areas of responsibility and authority, Having decided the objectives of the work unit, the manager mu a) Assign these responsibilities to unit staff, ») Ensure that all responsibilities and supporting authorities are assigned, that none are “uncovered” and that there is no overlapping of responsibilities 3. Commanding: Fayol’s principles of commanding and coordinating are often summed up in the term leading, an area where the manager has several functions to enable the unit to achieve its objectives: 34