Effective Business

Communication
 Topic Learning Objective

Unit I
Introduction to communication, why is it Understanding what is communication and why it is
important, types of communication important
7Cs of communication Understanding 7 Cs of communication

Process and models of communication Understanding how process of communication will

change in different models of communication

Barriers to communication and how to Understanding what barriers can hinder effective
overcome them communication and how can we overcome them
`
 Communication
The word Communication describes the process of conveying messages
(facts, ideas, attitudes and opinions) from one person to another, so that
they are understood. (M.W. Cumming)
Communication is an Art or
Science?
 Introduction to communication
 There are at least three general types of communication goals:

1. Self Presentation Goals (who we are and how we want to be perceived),

2. Relational Goals (how we develop, maintain, and terminate relationships),

3. Instrumental Goals (how we manipulate others, gain compliance, manage

interpersonal conflict, use and recognize interpersonal influence strategies
(anchoring and contrast effects, reciprocity, commitment, liking, social proof,
authority, and scarcity etc.)
 Activity

Question:
How much time you think you actually spend communicating with
others.
• Though some people may spend much more than 30% of their
communications time talking and much less time listening!
 Importance of communication
 Smooth Working of a Business Firm

 Basis of Managerial Function

 Maximum Production and Minimum Cost

 Prompt Decision and its Implementation

 Building Human Relations

 Importance of communication
 Job Satisfaction and Good Morale

 Avoids Illusion

 Contacts with external Parties

 Motivates employees – helps them feel part of the business

 Easier to control and coordinate business activity – prevents different

parts of the business going in opposite directions
 Importance of communication
 Makes successful decision making easier for managers– decisions are
based on more complete and accurate information

 Better communication with customers will increase sales

 Improve relationships with suppliers and possibly lead to more

reliable delivery
 Types of communication
• Verbal
 Written
Visual
 Oral

• Non-Verbal
 Rapport
 Ability to relate others in a way that creates trust and understanding.

 Ability to enter another persons world and make the person feel that
you understand and have a common bond.

7% = Words (Conscious)
38% = Tone of Voice (Unconscious)
55% = Physiology (Unconscious)
Listen and Draw
7 C’s of Communication
 1. Clear Communication
Bad example: Good example:
Dear James, Dear James,

I would like to talk to you about the new client’s
project which the engineering team had
discussed yesterday. I might need the help of
John from your team.
Regards,
Kevin
As you may know we have signed up XYZ as our
new client. I had a meeting with the engineering
team yesterday and had discussed the campaign
requirements for this project. John Redden from
your team had done a pretty good job last time
doing the social media campaign for ABC and so I
would like him to work on the XYZ campaign too.
Would you be available sometime tomorrow to
discuss this further?

Regards
Kevin
 1. Clear Communication
Bad example: Good example:
 There are innumerable things that are wrong  This email has all the information James
in this email. needs to know.

 James might not even know who the new  He can be well prepared for the meeting and
client is or what the project is about. He also check on John’s availability and have an
probably was not part of the meeting with answer for Kevin when they meet the next
the engineering team. day – in whichever time slot both the men
are free.
 Furthermore, there might be more than one
John in James’ big team. Kevin also mentions
that he wants to talk. However, he hasn’t
mentioned what time he would like to talk,
neither has he asked James if he would be
free at any of the time slots available.
 2. Concise Communication
Bad example: Good example:
Hi Suzanne, Hi Suzanne,

I think we need to talk about the CSR campaign, I
mean the one which we need to do as a
quarterly exercise. I think it is a great way of
enhancing our brand image. Basically, it would
just be a visit to an orphanage but we can sort of
do other things too. For instance, we could take
the kids out for a short trip to a nearby park or
zoo. Let us sit and talk tomorrow.
I need to discuss the quarterly CSR campaign
with you. Let us take the kids out this time to a
nearby park or zoo instead of just visiting them.
This will help enhance our brand image. We’ll
talk in detail tomorrow.
Regards
Jennifer

Regards
Jennifer
 2. Concise Communication
Bad example: Good example:
 The mail is full of fillers and extended phrases  This email has all the information Suzzane
wherein she could have finished the email in needs to know.
just two sentences
 3. Concrete Communication
Bad example: Good example:
“Hilltop Resort is the best resort. Do come to us “Hilltop Resort is the jewel of the western hills.
on your next holiday” Take a break from your work. Escape from life’s
chaos and stress. Relax and rejuvenate yourself
at Hilltop. Go back fresh and energized!”
 3. Concrete Communication
Bad example: Good example:
 This is a vague ad message. It is made to  This message gives you visualizing details.
sound like just another resort advertisement
among a hundred others.  The reader can actually imagine being in a
beautiful resort breathing fresh air and
 The audience will never remember this ad swimming in a pool instead of slogging away
message. at his or her office.

 There are no concrete details to take away  That is a concrete message conveyed to the
from this message. audience.
 4. Correct Communication
Bad example: Corrections:
Dear David,  There were two glaring spelling errors in this
e-mail. ‘Conversation’ was spelled
Further to our conservation today, I am attaching ‘conservation’ and ‘week’ was spelled ‘weak’.
the plan for the first stage of the project. Hope
the one weak deadline is okay with you and your  Though these are minor errors, they could
team. gravely impact the credibility of your
professionalism and the brand image of the
Regards organization you represent.
Sally
 Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to check
all your spellings and prefixes before you
send an email, especially if you are sending it
to a client or a vendor outside of your
company.
 5. Coherent Communication
Bad example: Good example:
Dear Nam, Dear Nam,

Thanks for submitting the industry report. Finn Thanks for submitting the industry report. Finn
will give you some feedback on it. Finn also will give you some feedback on it. You will be
wanted to find out if you will be available for the receiving an email from him with detailed
client meeting tomorrow. We will be discussing comments.
the budget for the next phase of the project.
Regards
Regards Shirley
Shirley
 5. Coherent Communication
Bad example: Good example:
 The email was supposed to be about the  This email talks only about the report.
industry report which was submitted and the
feedback for it.  Therefore, Nam knows that her report has
been viewed and she needs to wait for
 The question about the meeting had come feedback.
out of nowhere and will now distract Nam
and her priorities.  There are no other distractions.

 The query about the meeting must have been

an entirely different email.
 6. Complete Communication
Bad example: Good example:
Hi all, The best way to have written this email is:
Hi all,
Let us meet tomorrow to discuss the product
launch event. Please be there on time. Let us meet tomorrow at 11 am at Conference
room 3 to discuss the product launch event. We
Thanks will have to decide the keynote speakers and
Chris complete the event invite draft tomorrow. Please
be there on time.

Thanks
Chris
 6. Complete Communication
Bad example: Good example:
 There is no mention of the time of the  This email has all the required details.
meeting scheduled for, or the location,
neither is there any set agenda. The
recipients of the email would have to write
back or call back to Chris to clarify.
 7. Courteous Communication
Bad example:
Hi Drew,
I really do not appreciate how your IT team
ignores the requests of my team alone. My team
is an important function in this organization too
and we have our own IT requirement. Can you
ensure that your team responds promptly to my
team’s requests hereon?
Regards
Stanley
Good example:
Hi Drew,
I understand that the IT team is swamped with
work and gets requests from every department
in the organization. My team, however, is
working on a high-priority project and I would
greatly appreciate if you could ask your team
members to respond to my team’s queries
promptly and help us complete this project on
time. Please do let me know if you need
anything from me.
Regards
Stanley
 7. Courteous Communication
Bad example: Good example:
 This email is condescending, judgmental, and  As a result of the polite request, it is likely
disrespectful. Drew might now order his team that Drew will feel appreciated and important
to not respond to your team’s requirements and he will definitely ask his team to help
entirely. your team out. Work gets done and
everybody is happy too.
Communication Process
 Models of Communication
1. Linear Model

2. Transactional Model

3. Interactional Model
Linear Model
Linear Model
Linear Model
Linear Model
Linear Model
Linear Model
Transactional Model
Transactional Model
Transactional Model
Interactional Model
Interactional Model
Activity
BTC
Barriers to Communication
 Barriers to Communication
1. The use of jargon. Over-complicated, unfamiliar and/or technical
terms.

2. Emotional barriers and taboos.

3. Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the

receiver.

4. Differences in perception and viewpoint.

 Barriers to Communication
5. Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties.

6. Physical barriers to non-verbal communication.

7. Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar

accents.

8. Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or

stereotyping.

9. Cultural differences.
 Barriers to Communication
1. Semantic Barriers

2. Psychological Barriers

3. Organizational Barriers

4. Personal Barriers

5. Mechanical Barriers
• Communications affects virtually everything that happens in
organizations.

• Communications can be one of the greatest strengths of an

organization or one of its biggest weaknesses.
 Semantic Barriers
 This denotes barriers of language and symbols and their
interpretation.
 Every language consists of symbols used to transmit meaning from
one person to another.
 The following are the different types of semantic barriers:
a) Poor Quality of Message
b) Faulty Transmission
c) Lack of Clarity
d) Technical Language
 Psychological Barriers
 In interpersonal communication, the psychological state of mind of
the sender, as well as that of the receiver makes lot of difference.

 When an individual is under emotion, his tone overpowers the script

of the message.

 This creates an obstacle in normal communication leading to

emotional barriers.
 Psychological Barriers
 The following are the different types of Psychological barriers:
a) Premature Evaluation

b) Inadequate Attention

c) Transmission Losses and Poor Retention

d) Undue Stress on Written Message

e) Lack of Trust in the Sender by the Receiver

f) Failure to Communicate
 Organizational Barriers
 This depends upon the general organisational policy governing the
communication network of the organisation.

 Such policy might be a written text explaining various aspects of

communication, especially the upward, downward and lateral since
it is desirable to bring an effective communication flow in the
organisation.
 Organizational Barriers
 The following are the different types of organizational barriers:

a) Restrictions Imposed by Rules of Organisation

b) Status/Hierarchical Positions Restrict the Flow of Communication

c) Complex Situation of the Organisation

 Personal Barriers
 These barriers are those, which occur in communication, according
to personal constraints at various levels of organisation such as:

a) Attitude of Superiors
b) Insistence on Following Proper Channel
c) Lack of Confidence in Subordinate
d) Preoccupation of Superior
e) Lack of Awareness/Self-motivation/ listening skills/knowledge/Vocabulary….
f) Hesitation to Communicate
 Mechanical Barriers
• Mechanical barriers are another group of factors putting barriers in
the smooth flow of communication. They are:

a) Inadequate arrangements for transmission of message

b) Poor office layout

c) Detective procedure and practices

d) Use of wrong medium.

 How to Overcome
Communication Barriers!
How to Overcome Communication Barriers!
• Eliminating Differences in Perception.

• Use of Simple Language

• Reduction and elimination of noise levels.

• Active Listening.

• Simple Organizational structure

How to Overcome Communication Barriers!
• Avoid Information overload.

• Give Constructive feedback.

• Proper Media Selection.

• Flexibility in meeting the targets.

• Have clarity in your thoughts.

How to Overcome Communication Barriers!
• Understand the need of the audience.

• Seek the advice of the others before communicating.

• Take adequate care of your Tone, Language and the way you are speaking.

• Have a feedback from the receiver.

• Retain Consistency about the message.

How to Overcome Communication Barriers!
• Make use of the body language.

• Communication chain should be short.

• Keep your anger in control.

• Teamwork Hierarchy.

• Network Problems.
How to Overcome Communication Barriers!
• Support on Ideas and Projects.

• Fragmented Communication.

• Seven C’s of Communication.