11/9/2020

Communication Skills:

Your ticket
to work...
EMBA 5101: Business Communication
Faculty: OR
Feroz Ahmed
ferozcurtin@gmail.com
01914066201
Your ticket out the door!
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Books to be followed: Assessments:

• Attendance: 10
1. Business Communication: Making Connections in a
• Individual Presentation 10
Digital World – 13th Edition; Raymond V Lesikar, Marie E
• Individual Assignment 10
Flatley, Kathryn Rentz, Neerja Pande
• Class Test/Viva 10
• Group Assignment 10
2. Essentials of Business Communications – 8th Edition- • Best three will be counted 30
Mary Ellen Guffey
• Mid Term Exam 20
• Final Exam 40
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Detailed information on assessment tasks Communication

• Integral Part of Human life
Activity Due Content Weightage
• An art of transmitting information, ideas, feelings
Class Test/Viva Week 4 Chapter 1 & 2 10%
• Process of meaningful interaction among humans
Mid-term Test Week 7 Chapter 1 to 4 20%
• Communication is the process of sharing and receiving
Group Assignment Week 9 TBA 10%
information, ideas, feeling, thoughts between individuals
Individual Week10 TBA 10% &/groups
Assignment
• Successful communication means – making audience
Individual Week 11 TBA 10%
understood what sender wants to
Presentation
5 • It’s even vital in business world 6

Need for Communication We communicate by ……

• We communicate to:
Share our ideas and opinions Spoken Written
Provide feedback to others Words Words
Get information from others
Commu
Gain power and influence nication
Visual Body
Develop social relationships
Images Language
Maintain self-expression and our culture
+ other ideas you may have thought of
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Importance of Communication (in business)
• “Top executives from Fortune 500 companies rate communications
skills as the most important quality for business leaders.”
--Business Section
New York Times
• “I’m surprised how so many people struggle with communication.”
--Michael Rook, Production Manager
Hewlett Packard, San Diego, CA
9 writing responsibility.
Communication in Business (in business)
• Smooth flow of information throughout the
organization
• Facilitate effective decision making
• Minimize communication gap among stakeholders
• For good coordination, effectiveness, and efficiency
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Importance of Communication (in business)
According to the report of the National Commission on Writing:
• People who cannot write and communicate clearly will not be hired,
and if already working, are unlikely to last long enough to be
considered for promotion.
• Eighty percent or more of the companies in the services and the
finance, insurance and real estate sectors—the corporations with
greatest employment growth potential—assess writing during hiring.
• Two-thirds of salaried employees in large companies have some
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So, Good communication skills are essential for:
 Job placement
 Job performance
 Career advancement
 Success in the new world of work
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Types of Communication Main Forms of Communication in Business

• Operational Communication:
• Verbal  Internal
• Carried out to conduct works within the business
• Oral Communication • Instructions/Orders, Reports
• Electronic Media – email, Intranet
• Written
 External
• Non-verbal • Work related communication outside the business
• Brochures, Phone Calls, Sales Call
• Body Language, Intonation, Eye Contact • Advertising, POP/POS Materials, PR
• Personal
• Non-business related exchange of information
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Communication Networks.. ..Communication Networks

• Formal Network • Informal Network
• Well-structured, usually goes along operational lines • Highly Complex
• Planned & fewer deviations • More Dynamic
• It can be: Up / Downward, Lateral [Horizontal]
• Includes Grapevine Communication

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Communication Networks Grapevine Communication

Department • Personal & Informal communication within the organization
Manager

Supervisor
Black Solid Lines = Formal Network
Coral Dashed Lines = Informal Network
• Characteristics:
Supervisor
• Present in almost all the organizations
• Carries more information
• Information spreads/passes very fast
• Doesn’t necessarily follow Organizational Hierarchy
• Hard to control
• Smart managers use it to take advantage
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Factors Affecting Volume of Communication

in Business
The Context of Communication

• Nature of the business • The Larger Context

• Comprises of economic, business, socio-cultural factors
• Operating plan
• The Particular Contexts:
• Number of People • Organizational Context
• Professional Context
• Personal Context

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Components of Communication.. ..Components of Communication..

• Sender • A message (verbal or nonverbal—or both) is the content (main
information) of the communication process.
• Receiver • A communication medium is simply "how" your message is sent to
• Message [Information/Thoughts] the receiver. It is often referred to as the communication channel.
It's critical to realize that whenever you are communicating with a
• Mediums project stakeholder that the medium you use to communicate your
message is just as important as the message itself.
• Methods
• The standard methods of communication are speaking or writing
• Others (i.e. Noise, Sound) by a sender and listening or reading the receiver.
Most communication is oral, with one party speaking and others
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listening. 22

The Process/model of Communication

The Process of Communication

How may the sender Verbally or nonverbally. By

encode a message? speaking, writing, gesturing.

Letters, e-mail, IM (internal messaging),

What kinds of channels
memos, TV, telephone, voice,
carry messages?
body. Others?

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Encoding
Decoding
• Code is the system of symbol, sign or letters used to represent the
secret meaning. According to John Fiske, coding “consists of both signs
and rules that determine that how and in what context these signs are • A successful decoding is a skill (for example carefully reading
used and how they can be combined to form more complex messages”. and listening a message for better understanding).
• Coding stand for the full ledged system of meaning to the members of • Decoding means that the message which source has encoded
the culture or sub culture. then the decoder interprets the message according to his own
• In the above process the encoder or source gives people shape to the mentality and experience.
message, idea or information or we can say that he encode his message
in a proper way in his mind and then he send it to destination or
receiver. Then the receiver interprets the message according to his own
mental level and experience.
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Physical noise:
Noise loud party at the neighbours while you’re trying to record
loud kids who don’t want to take their nap
Noise is any type of disruption that interferes with the transmission irritating hum of your computer, air conditioner, or heater.
or interpretation of information from the sender to the receiver. Physiological noise:
There are different types of noise, such as: Maybe the listener can’t hear high tones as clearly as they used to. For
some, low tones are the problem.
• Physical noise
Psychological noise:
• Psychological noise Wandering thoughts, preconceived ideas, and sarcasm.
• Physiological noise Semantic noise:
Interference created when the speaker and listener have different
• Semantic noise meaning systems. Maybe when I use a word, you have a slightly
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The Process of Communication Barriers to Effective Listening..

How does a receiver

Hearing, reading, observing
decode a message? Physical barriers hearing disabilities, noisy surroundings

Psychological
When is communication When a message is understood tuning out ideas that counter our values
barriers
successful? as the sender intended it to be.
Language problems unfamiliar or charged words
How can a communicator Ask questions, check reactions, Nonverbal
provide feedback? don’t dominate the exchange. clothing, mannerisms, appearance
distractions

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..Barriers to Effective Listening
our minds process thoughts faster
Thought speed than speakers say them
Faking attention pretending to listen
talking all the time or listening only
Grandstanding
for the next pause
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..Ten Misconceptions About Listening..
4. Listening and hearing are the same process.
FACT: Listening is a conscious, selective process.
Hearing is an involuntary act.
5. Speakers are able to command listening.
FACT: Speakers cannot make a person really listen.
6. Hearing ability determines listening ability.
FACT: Listening happens mentally—between the ears.
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Ten Misconceptions About Listening..
1. Listening is a matter of intelligence.
FACT: Careful listening is a learned behavior.
2. Speaking is more important than listening in the
communication process.
FACT: Speaking and listening are equally important.
3. Listening is easy and requires little energy.
FACT: Active listeners undergo the same
physiological changes as a person jogging.
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..Ten Misconceptions About Listening..
7. Speakers are totally responsible for communication
success.
FACT: Communication is a two-way street.
8. Listening is only a matter of understanding a
speaker’s words.
FACT: Nonverbal signals also help listeners gain
understanding.
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..Ten Misconceptions About Listening Nonverbal Communication..

9. Daily practice eliminates the need for listening Eye contact, facial expression, posture and gestures send
training. silent messages.
FACT: Without effective listening training, most
practice merely reinforces negative behaviors.
10. Competence in listening develops naturally.
FACT: Untrained people listen at only 25 percent
efficiency.

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..Nonverbal Communication.. ..Nonverbal Communication

Time, space, and territory send silent messages. Appearance sends silent messages.
 Time (punctuality and structure)  Appearance of business documents
 Space (arrangement of objects)  Appearance of people
 Territory (privacy zones)

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Four Space Zones for Social
Interaction Among Americans
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Keys to Building Strong Nonverbal Skills
• Establish and maintain eye contact.
• Use posture to show interest.
• Improve your decoding skills.
• Probe for more information.
• Avoid assigning nonverbal
meanings out of context.
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Four Space Zones for Social
Interaction Among Americans
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Keys to Building Strong Nonverbal Skills
 Associate with people from diverse cultures.
 Appreciate the power of appearance.
 Observe yourself on videotape.
 Enlist friends and family.
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Culture and Communication Dimensions of Culture..

Good communication demands Context

special sensitivity and skills when
communicators are from different Time Individualism
Orientation
cultures.
Culture

Communication Formality
Style

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..Dimensions of Culture.. ..Dimensions of Culture..

High Context Culture Low Context Culture
High-context cultures (those in Japan, China, and Arab Low-context cultures (those in North America,
countries) tend to be relational, collectivist, and thoughtful. Scandinavia, and Germany) tend to be logical, linear,
and action-oriented.

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..Dimensions of Culture.. ..Dimensions of Culture..

Group Values vs. Individualism
• High-context cultures tend to prefer group values, duties,
and decisions.
• Low-context cultures tend to prefer individual initiative,
self-assertion, and personal achievement.
Formality
• North Americans place less emphasis on tradition,
ceremony, and social rules.
• Other cultures prefer more formality.

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..Dimensions of Culture.. Cultural Difference/Example of nonverbal cues

Communication Style
• High-context cultures rely on
nonverbal cues and the total
picture to communicate.
• Meanings are embedded at many
socio-cultural levels.

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..Dimensions of Culture.. ..Dimensions of Culture

Communication Style Time Orientation

• Time is precious to North
• Low-context cultures emphasize
Americans. It correlates with
words, straightforwardness, and
productivity, efficiency, and money.
openness.
• In some cultures time is unlimited
• People tend to be informal, and never-ending, promoting a
impatient, and literal. relaxed attitude.

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Ways that High and Low Context Differ Brainstorm..

1. The Structure of Relationships
High: Dense, intersecting networks and long-term relationships, strong
boundaries, relationship more important than task • Discuss in groups and come out with some example of
Low: Loose, wide networks, compartmentalized relationships, task more
below the water state cultural norms..
important than relationship

2. Main Type of Cultural Knowledge

High: More knowledge is below the waterline--implicit, patterns that are not
fully conscious, hard to explain even if you are a member of that culture
Low: More knowledge is above the waterline--explicit, consciously organised
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Improving Communication With Multicultural ..Improving Communication

Audiences.. With Multicultural Audiences..
Oral Messages Oral Messages
 Observe eye messages.

© Creatas / Photolibrary Group / Index Stock Imagery

 Use simple English.

© Creatas / Photolibrary Group / Index Stock Imagery

 Accept blame.
 Speak slowly and clearly.
 Listen without interrupting.
 Encourage accurate feedback.
 Smile when appropriate.
 Check frequently for  Follow up in writing.
comprehension.

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..Improving Communication
With Multicultural Audiences
Written Messages
 Consider local styles.
Why people encode while communicating?
 Consider hiring a translator.
 Use short sentences and short
paragraphs.
 Avoid ambiguous wording.
 Follow up in writing.
 Cite numbers carefully.
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• Encoding is the process of TURNING thoughts into Meeting

communication.
• It means translating information into a message in the
form of symbols that represent ideas or concepts.
• The symbols can take on numerous forms such as,
languages, words, or gestures.
• It can be done through adding clues, symbols relevant
to the meaning of the intended message
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Meeting – Importance Meeting – Main Forms

• Meeting is called upon for taking view of the participants
• General Meeting
and reach to a mutually agreeable decision • Face to Face
• The exchange of views and ideas in a meeting often
solves major issues • Distant Meeting [Technology Enabled]
• For predicting future & set strategic goals there is no • Call Conference
• Video Conference
alternative of meeting
• In certain cases decision can only be taken through
meeting: Legal requirement
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General Meeting Process Meeting Minute

• Varies widely in contents and format BUT
• Generally Convener schedules meeting
• In general, it is the record of the decisions and action points of
• Time, Venue, Agenda, Participants the meeting
• Participants attend the meeting & share views on the
• Document that is prepared at the meeting outlining the details
agenda
of meeting including:
• The moderator help to reach a decision taking the • Venue, time, participants
participant views into account • Agenda
• One person writes meeting minute to record the decisions • Major Decisions Made & Follow up Requirements
taken • May have the sign of moderator
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Techniques for Active Participation in

Techniques for Conducting Meetings
Meetings
• Plan the meeting: Set Agenda & goals
• Be present in the venue before time
• Follow the plan: Stick to the Agenda
• Follow the agenda – Don’t bring unexpected topics
• Move discussion along: One decided moved to next
• Control those who talk too much • Participate – Participation expected but in a meaningful way
• Encourage participation from those who talk too little • Do not talk too much – let your idea dominate
• Control time • Cooperate – respect all & their opinions
• Summarize at appropriate places • Be courteous – Like everywhere it can help you win
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