Communication

Dec 16 AG 19
 Agenda
1. Individual ‘speak’
2. Communication Strategy
a) Audience Analysis
b) Writing practice
c) Case study in ‘crisis’ communication
3. Non verbal communication
4. Project work to be decided
5. Report writing and Sample Reports
6. Exercises
7. Writing more effectively (self study)

Sources
– Business Communication – Lesikar, Pandey
– Leadership Communication – Barrett

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 Art of Influencing Others

Aristotle’s Persuasive Appeals

Appeal based
on credibility

Appeal
Appeal to
based in
emotions
logic
But a Positive Ethos is Most Important

Positive Ethos
 Creating a Positive Ethos

Aristotle argued that a communicator can create a

positive ethos by
1. Ensuring all messages are “worthy of belief”
2. Making his/her “own character look right”
3. Putting the audience into the “right frame of mind”
 Ensuring Messages are Worthy of Belief

• Make messages meaningful, clear, and logical

• Have all of the facts in hand
• Be honest and ethical
• Avoid careless errors
 Making Own Character Look Right

• Dress the part

• Project confidence
• Know the subject and be prepared
• Take time to build a rapport
• Avoid common delivery mistakes
 Putting Audience in the Right Frame of Mind
• Affirm cultural values
• Be sensitive to context
• Understand their needs and motivations
• Frame messages carefully and target them specifically
 Communication Seems Simple
Context

Message

Medium

Sender Receiver
Communication Spirals Outward
Communication Purpose, Strategy, and Structure
 Establishing A Clear Purpose

• In general, the purpose for professional

communication is one of the following:
– Inform / Entertain
– Influence or persuade
– Instruct
– Engage
• However, within these four, we must decide
– What it is you want to say and
– What you expect to achieve.
 Determining the Context
• What is going on in the world, industry, or company that
will affect the audience?
• Where does the communication fall in the
communication flow? First or last?
• What are the organizational implications?
• What are the people implications?
• What does the audience know or believe About the
context compared to what the sender knows or believes?
• What cultural differences should you consider?
Using the Communication Strategy Framework

Communicator

Purpose

Timing
Messages

Media/forum

Audiences
 Connecting, Thinking and Communicating
First Draft of the Memo
To : All employees
From : General Manager ABC
Subject : Abuse of Copiers

It has recently been brought to my attention that many of the people

who are employed by this company have taken advantage of their
position by availing themselves of the copiers. More specifically, these
machines are being used for other than company business. Obviously,
such practice is contrary to company policy and must cease and desist
immediately. I wish therefore to inform all concerned- those who have
abused policy or will be abusing it – that their behavior cannot and will
not be tolerated. Accordingly, anyone in the future who is unable to
control himself will have his appointment terminated. If there are any
questions about company policy, please feel free to contact this office.
 Connecting, Thinking and Communicating
The Final Draft of the Memo
To : All employees
From : General Manager ABC
Subject : Use of Copiers

We are revamping our policy on the use of copiers for personal matters.
In the past, we have not encouraged our personnel to use them for such
purposes because of the costs involved. But we also recognize, perhaps
belatedly, that we can solve the problem if each one of us pays for what
he takes.

We are therefore putting these copiers on the pay-as-you-go basis. The

details are simple enough…
 Developing Communication Strategy Chapter # - 17

Purpose
• What is my objective?
• Do I have different but related purpose for different audiences?
• How does my purpose relate to and support the organization’s
strategy?

Message
• What is my overall message?
• How do I formulate my message to make it acceptable to my
audience?
• What do I expect others to do because of my message?
• What are my supporting messages?
• Do these differ for each audience?
 Developing Communication Strategy… Chapter # - 18

Medium/Forum
• What is the most effective means or channel for reaching each
audience (email, blog, memo, letter, meeting, speech, podcast
etc.)
• Do I need to consider costs, logistics, or other practical matters
in selecting my communication medium or forum?

Audiences
• Who are my primary audience? Secondary? Accidental?
• What are their interests in this situation? What are their stakes
in the outcomes?
• How will they be affected by my message?
• How should I ask for feedback from this audience?
 Developing Communication Strategy… Chapter # - 19

Communicator
• Am I the best person to deliver the message(s)?
• If no, who should deliver the message(s)?
• Who would be the most credible or otherwise effective
communicator for different messages or audiences?

Timing
• Does timing matter?
• If so, when should the message(s) be delivered and in what
order?

Feedback
• How will I determine if my audience is receiving my messages
as I intend?
• How will I measure or assess the impact?
 Analyzing Your Audience: Basic Questions
1. Does the communication respond to a previous communication? If so
what?
2. Where is this communication in the overall flow of communication?
3. Who are the primary audiences (the persons who will act) and who are
the secondary audiences? who might be an unintended or accidental
audience?
4. if they are the decision makers, what motivates them and how do you
best persuade them ?
5. If they are not the decision makers, what is the relationship to the
decision maker ?
6. How much do they know about the subject? What do I expect them to do
in response to this communication? How do I expect them to feel? What
to do they have to gain or lose by accepting my Idea/
recommendations?
7. How will this communication affect the organisation?
8. What would be the most effective media for this audience and this
message?
9. Over all what to expect as a result of this communication?
 Analyzing the Audience

What is their level of What is their decision-

expertise? making style?
– Non-expert
 Charismatic
– Executive
 Thinker
– Expert
 Skeptic
– Technical
 Follower
– Combined
(heterogeneous)  Controller
 Organizing Your Communication
1. Deductive Direct / Pyramid – Conclusion first

Indirect / Argument- facts first

2. Inductive
3. Chronological
4. Cause/effect
5. Comparison/contrast
6. Problem/solution
7. Spatial
Storyboarding - one of the ways to create the communication
 Pyramid Example
ABC Bank should launch its new AgriCard in India because India is an
attractive market, AgriCard would be a profitable business, and
implementation would be easy

ABC Bank should launch

its new AgriCard in India

Why? Why? Why?

Attractive Easy to
Market Will be Profitable Implement

Pro-bank No Costs Revenue Staff Plan

climate competition low high available developed
 Superior Foods Corporation faces a challenge
On his way to the plant office, Jason passed by the
production line where hundreds of gloved, uniformed
workers were packing sausages and processed meats for
shipment to grocery stores around the world.

Jason’ s company , Superior Foods based in Kansas employed

30,000 people in 8 countries, and had beef and pork
processing plants in Arkansas, California, Milwaukee, and
Nebraska City. Since a landmark United States - Japan trade
agreement signed in 1988, markets had opened up for major
exports of American beef, now representing 10% of US
production. Products called “variety meats” - including
intestines, hearts, brains, and tongues were very much in
demand for export to International markets. 24
 Superior Foods Corporation faces a challenge
Jason was in Nebraska City to talk with the plant manager,
Ben about the US outbreak of Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (mad cow disease) and its impact on the
plant. On Dec 20, 2011, US Department of Agriculture had
announced that BSE had been discovered in a Holstein cow in
Washington State. Global reaction was swift: seven countries
imposed either total or partial bans on the importation of US
beef, and thousands of people were chatting about it on
blogs, and social networking sites. Superior had moved
quickly to intercept a container load of frozen Asian-bound
beef from its shipping port in Los Angeles, and all of the
shipments were on hold.

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 Superior Foods Corporation faces a challenge
After walking into Ben’s office, Jason sat down across from
him and said, “Ben, your plant has been a top producer of
variety meats for Superior, and we have appreciated all your
hard work out here. Unfortunately, it looks like we need to
limit production for a while - at least three months, or until
the bans get relaxed. I know Senator Nelson is working hard
to get the ban lifted. In the meantime, we need to shut down
production and lay off about 25% of your workers. I know it is
going to be difficult, and I am hoping we can work out a way
to communicate this to your employees.”…

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 The Assignment
• Clarify your purpose for communicating with the
employees at the Nebraska plant. Consider what
the employees will wants to know and how they
will need to feel about Superior Foods.
• Draft a message to employee, paying very careful
attention to the organization and presentation
method

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 Assumptions
• The layoffs will affect 25% of the workers, or about 100 people,
and the company will lay off those most recently hired. The
exact names of those who will be laid off have not yet been
decided, but the company will know within 48 hours.
• The layoffs will last for at least three months, and could possibly
last for a longer time.
• The production shutdown will involve only parts of the plant.
• Employees will still have access to the company’s health care,
and will be eligible for unemployment assistance from the
government.
• The company is not unionized.
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 Key Questions
• What key questions would you have if you were an
employee?
• What questions do you think the laid off employees will
have?
• How does Ben want the employees to feel about the
company, and what can he do to sustain the morale of
the employees who are not being laid off?
• Who is the best spokesperson for the communication –
Ben or Jason – and why?
• What is the best medium for communicating this idea –
an email, memo, meeting, or perhaps some
combination of media? 29
 Superior Foods Case Communication Strategy Analysis
Context
• The situation is very uncertain; Ben does not know how
long the layoffs will be needed.
• The timing makes communicating any bad news
difficult. Is it better to announce layoffs before
Christmas or after?
• Superior is a large international company, but the
Nebraska City plant employs only about 400 workers,
so it is a relatively small, family-friendly group with a
casual corporate culture.
• The workers may be from a variety of cultural and
educational backgrounds, so the communication needs
to be clear and straightforward rather than complex 30
 Superior Foods Case Communication Strategy Analysis
Context
• Ben needs to inform the employees of the facts of the
decision and be sure that they have all the information they
need.
• He wants to make the employees feel that they are being
treated fairly, to minimize any angry responses or violent
actions by disgruntled employees, and to ensure that, when
he needs to re-hire them, most of them will be able to return
to the company.
• He also needs to ensure that the morale of the employees
who are not being laid off stays reasonably high; they need to
feel that the actions are fair and are being taken to ensure the
long-term sustainability of the Nebraska plant.
• The communication needs to be complete and consistent
with other Superior Foods messages so that if it is conveyed
to secondary audiences (such as friends, neighbors, and
possibly even media reporters in the city) the company’s
message is still complete and clear 31
 Superior Foods Case Communication Strategy Analysis
Audiences
The employees are the primary audience and the secondary
audiences might include friends, neighbors, possibly city officials,
and the media.
Message
• The primary audience needs to know the following:
• Why is this happening?
• Are we in any danger of getting the mad cow disease?
• How will the company select people to be laid off?
• Were any other options considered by management?
• When do the layoffs start?
• How long will it last?
• What should I tell others about this?
• Will the laid-off workers get unemployment?
• Will those not laid off have other job responsibilities in the
meantime?
• How can those with jobs help support those who got laid off? 32
 Superior Foods Case Communication Strategy Analysis
Message
• The meeting presentation should be organized in an
indirect way, starting with the facts about the
situation (probably in chronological order) and what
steps Superior Foods needs to take to ensure the
long-term viability of the plant.
• Next, the details about the layoffs should be
reviewed.
• Finally, the employees need to be told where to go
for additional information

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 Superior Foods Case Communication Strategy Analysis
Medium/ Forum
• Ben may want to start with a memo laying the foundation for
the information to come. The details of the layoff should be
delivered in a meeting, since this is a relatively small company
and people will want to hear the news from Ben .
• Ben should offer a short presentation followed by a question
and answer session so that everyone feels that management
is hearing his or her concerns are. (Depending on the
organizational design of the company, Ben may want to tell
his senior managers first and then move into a meeting with
the line employees).
• Next, Ben should distribute a memo that reiterates all the
facts; workers can take the memo home to help share the
news with their families. The memo should have the phone
number for the Human Resources department and the
website information available so people know where to get
answers to any questions they forgot to ask at the meeting.
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 Superior Foods Case Communication Strategy Analysis
Medium/ Forum
• The company could upload the video recording of
meeting on its intranet for any employees who are
unable to attend.
• The meeting should be held as soon as possible.
Once the company decides on the names of those
being laid off, the individuals should be notified in
person by their supervisors.

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 Superior Foods Case Communication Strategy Analysis
Spokesperson
• Ben should be the main spokesperson since he is
the Nebraska plant manager and has the highest
credibility.
• Jason could deliver the message, but it would
probably seem to the employees that Ben was
“ducking” the responsibility and leaving it up to the
corporate office, so Ben really needs to be the
primary spokesperson. For additional
communications with employees, mid-level
managers may assist..
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 Superior Foods Case Communication Strategy Analysis
Timing
• The meeting should be held as soon as most of the
facts are known so that rumors do not get started
and reduce morale any further.
• Again, the difference of announcing the layoffs
before or after Christmas has to be considered. See
the media section for information on sequencing of
the various channels.

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 Superior Foods Case Communication Strategy Analysis
Feedback/ measurement
• Ben can evaluate the effectiveness of his meeting
and memo by gauging several factors:
– The level of questions to him and to the Human
Resources representative.
– The number of incidents of openly disgruntled or
aggressive employees.
– The level of media coverage.
– Morale: during the lay-off period, the company should
meet with remaining employees or use a survey to
measure morale.
– Number of skilled employees who are still willing to
return to the company after the layoff period. 38
 Superior Foods Case Communication Strategy Analysis
Memo to employees
To: All Employees
From: Ben, Plant Manager
Date :
Subject: Meeting on Company Response to International Import Bans

As many of you have read in the news, the U.S. Department of

Agriculture recently announced the discovery of bovine spongiform
encephalopathy, better known as “mad cow disease,” in a single
Holstein cow in Washington State.
As a result, many of our international customers have banned imports of
beef products from the United States. We will be able to store many of
our processed meat products until the bans are lifted. In the meantime,
we must take definitive action to ensure the survival of our company.
This memo outlines our situation and the steps we are forced to take in
response to these bans. I invite all of you to a meeting this afternoon at
3:00 p.m. in the main conference room, where I will give you more
information.
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 Superior Foods Case Communication Strategy Analysis
Memo to employees
Our Products Are Safe; Our Market Position Is Not
Our rigorous safety and inspection standards have made Superior
Foods one of the most trusted names in the industry. Mad cow
disease has not been found in any of our variety meats and we
have every reason to believe all our products are safe. However,
seven countries have already imposed either partial or total bans
on U.S. imports; the result is that the international market for our
products has closed. Senator Nelson is busy working on behalf of
the State of Nebraska to lead international efforts to ease the
bans, but we expect at least a three-month period in which our
products will only be sold here in the U.S.

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 Superior Foods Case Communication Strategy Analysis
Memo to employees
We Must Cut Back Production
Without international markets for our products, we have no choice but
to reduce our production levels. We believe these reductions will be
temporary, but they are essential if we want Superior Foods to survive.
If we cut production approximately 25% for several months, and
produce only products that freeze for easy storage, we will be best
prepared to meet the balance of supply and demand when the bans
end. If we over-produce our products, prices will drop, causing further
long-term disruption to our business.

I have always valued our ability to communicate openly with each other
here at Superior, so I wanted you to know, as soon as possible, what our
action plan must be. An unfortunate but necessary consequence of
production cutbacks is that temporary employee layoffs will be needed.
The details are being worked out. We will reassign duties and adjust
schedules to determine the minimum number of layoffs required and be
sure that the layoffs are fair. If you are affected, your direct supervisor
will notify you personally by the end of the day.
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 Superior Foods Case Communication Strategy Analysis
Memo to employees
Today’s Meeting Offers More Information
I know that you will all have many questions and I invite you to
join me in the conference room at 3:00 p.m. to ask them. I
assure each of you that Superior will do everything possible to
support our employees; we will pay for health care for several
months and help each affected employee file for temporary
unemployment benefits.

I know this is a difficult time; we are a family here at Superior

Foods and we will do all we can to help laid-off employees come
back to work as soon as possible.

I will see you all at 3:00 p.m. to answer your questions about
our plan to survive the international bans on imported beef
products…
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