Effective Communications in Business

Effective Communications in Business

If you can communicate effectively in speaking and writing, you

have a highly valued skill. Communicating effectively in speaking
and writing extends across all areas of business, including
management, technical, clerical and social positions. For effective
communication it is more important to know how to say what
you want to say.
 Importance and Benefits
of Effective Communication
 Importance and Benefits
of Effective Communication
Communication is the lifeblood of organizations, and
effective communication improves an organization’s
productivity, image, and responsiveness.
Communication is effective when it helps people
understand each other, stimulates others to take action,
and encourages others to think in new ways. It helps
you speed problem solution, strengthen decision
making, coordinate work flow, cement business
relationships, clarify promotional materials, enhance
your professional image, and improve your response to
stakeholders.
 Importance and Benefits
of Effective Communication
Good communication skills increase your chances for
career success and your ability to adapt to the changing
workplace. Your job, promotion, and professional
reputation often depend on doing well in written and
oral communication. Also, your ability to communicate
effectively is a valuable asset for many activities in your
personal life. If your career requires mainly mental
rather than manual labor, your progress will be strongly
influenced by how effectively you communicate your
knowledge, proposals, and ideas to others who need or
should receive them.
 Importance and Benefits
of Effective Communication
It is an established fact that effective communication is essential
for success and promotion in business. The way you
communicate both within and outside your own country will
affect everything you accomplish. Your ability to speak and write
effectively will also make a difference to your organization.
Developing the right attitude and preparing adequately are
crucial to effective communication in the international
marketplace.
Internal and external communication
 Internal and external communication

Internal communication
refers to the exchange of information and ideas within an
organization. Communication among the members of an
organization is essential for effective functioning. The
communication can take place downward, upward and
horizontally. It helps increase job satisfaction, safety,
productivity, and profits and decreases absenteeism, grievances
and turnover.
 Internal and external communication

Downward communication:
Organizational decisions are usually made at the top and then
flow down to the people who will carry them out. Most of
what filters downward is geared toward helping employees do
their jobs. From top to bottom, each person must understand
each message, apply it, and pass it along.
 Internal and external communication

Upward communication
Upward internal communication has become increasingly more
significant. Many executives sincerely seek frank comments from
employees, in addition to the usual periodic reports. Successful
managers listen closely to opinions, complaints, problems, and
suggestions, especially when these are clearly and effectively
stated.
 Internal and external communication

Horizontal communication
Communication also flows from one department to
another. This horizontal communication helps
employees share information and coordinate tasks, and
it is especially useful for solving complex and difficult
problems. Among various ways of communicating
within companies are memos, reports, meetings, face-
to-face discussions, teleconferences, videoconferences
and electronic mail.
 Internal and external communication

Just as internal communication carries information, up, down,

and across the organization, external communication carries it
into and out of the organization. Companies constantly exchange
messages with customers, vendors, distributors, competitors,
investors, journalists, and community representatives.
 Internal and external communication
• One important form of communication is the Internet. A
company Web site can impart crucial information both inside the
organization (using an intranet) and outside (via the Internet).
Web sites can communicate a company’s image to the outside
world and a company’s culture to employees.
Components of Communication
 Components of Communication
• Communication is a process of transmitting and receiving verbal
and nonverbal messages. Communication is considered effective
when it achieves the desired reaction or response from the
receiver. Simply stated, communication is a two-way process of
exchanging ideas or information.
 Components of Communication
Communication includes six components: context, sender-encoder,
message, medium, receiver-decoder, and feedback. Let’s have a look at
how these factors interact in the communication process,
affected by various contextual conditions and decisions.
 Components of Communication

Context
Every message, whether oral or written, begins with
context. Context is a broad field that includes country,
culture, organization and external and internal stimuli.
Every country, every culture, and every company or
organization has its own convention for processing and
communicating information. This aspect of context is
the playing field on which you must plan, design, and
communicate your message successfully.
 Components of Communication
Another aspect of context is the external stimulus that
prompts you to send a message. The source of this
prompt may be a letter, memo, note, electronic mail,
fax, telex, telephone call, a meeting, or even a casual
conversation. Your response to this prompt may be
oral or written.
Next, internal stimuli have a complex influence on how
you translate ideas into a message. When you encode,
your own view of the world affects the choices you
make in language
 Components of Communication
Sender-Encoder:
When you send a message, you are the “encoder,” the writer or
speaker, depending on whether your message is written or oral.
You try to choose symbols – usually words (and sometimes also
graphics or pictures) – that express your message so that the
receiver(s) will understand it and react with the response you
desire. Here you basically need to decide which symbols best
convey your message and which message channel will be most
effective among the oral and written media.
 Components of Communication
Message
The message is the core idea you wish to communicate; it
consists of both verbal (written or spoken) symbols and
nonverbal (unspoken) symbols. Your first task is to decide
exactly what your message is and what content to include. You
must consider your context and especially the receiver of your
message – how the receiver will interpret it and how it may affect
your relationship.
 Components of Communication
Medium
Your message channel depends on all the contextual
factors and the nature of the message itself. The choices
of medium include the printed word, electronic mail, or
sound. Like message content, the choice of medium is
influenced by the relationship between the sender and
the receiver. Some research suggests that the urgency of
a message is a primary factor in whether to use the
written or spoken medium. You may also consider
factors such as importance, number of receivers, costs,
and amount of information.
 Oral vs. Written Media
Immediate feedback
Shorter sentences; shorter words
Conversational
Focus on interpersonal relations
Prompt action
Less detailed technical information
More personal pronouns
More colloquial language Simpler
constructions
More imperative, interrogative, and
exclamatory sentences
Delayed feedback
Longer sentences; longer words
More formal
Focus on content
Delayed action
More detailed technical information
Fewer personal pronouns
More complex constructions
Useful for permanent record: detailed
documentation
Possibility of review
 Components of Communication

The written channel is often preferred when the message is long,

technical, or formal in nature, and when the message must be
documented. The oral channel is effective when the message is
urgent or personal or when immediate feedback is important.
 Components of Communication
Receiver-Decoder
The message receiver is your reader or listener, also
known as the decoder. Many of our messages may have
more than one decoder. The receiver as well as the
sender is influenced by the context and by the external
and internal stimuli. Both receive messages through the
eyes and ears but are also influenced by nonverbal
factors such as touch, taste, and smell. All factors of a
message are filtered through the receivers) view of and
experiences in the world.
 Components of Communication
Feedback
Feedback can be oral or written. It can also be an action, such as
receiving in the mail an item you ordered. Sometimes silence is
also used as feedback though it is almost always ineffective.
Senders need feedback in order to determine the success or
failure of the communication.
 CONTEXT
Stimuli

Sender- Encoder Receiver-encoder

Massage
(experiences, (experiences,
attitudes, skills) attitudes, skills)
Perception Receptor
Idea encoding mechanisms
Symbol decisions Medium Perception
Sending mechanisms
Verbal, nonverbal Decoding
Idea interpretation

FEEDBACK
Verbal, nonverbal
 Components of Communication
These six components represent what happens in
communication. A context exists in which a sender chooses a
message to communicate; the sender must also choose the
medium for the message; a receiver decodes the message and
provides feedback.
Concepts and problems of communication
 Concepts and problems of communication

• Each person’s mind is a unique filter. Problems with

communication are more likely to occur when the
communicators’ filters are sharply different. The message
sender’s meanings and the receiver’s response are affected by
numerous factors, such as individual
• Conventions of meaning
• Perceptions of reality
• Values, attitudes, and opinions
 Concepts and problems of communication

Conventions of meaning:
A fundamental principle of communication is that the symbols
the sender uses to communicate messages must have essentially
the same meaning in both the sender and receiver’s minds. You
can never assume that the message in your mind will be perfectly
transmitted to your receiver.
 Communication
Problems in Conventions of Meaning
 Concepts and problems of communication

Communication Problems in Conventions of Meaning

The meanings of words (semantics) are constructed within each
person’s experience of reality. The knowledge we each have about
a subject or word affects the meanings we attach to it.
 Concepts and problems of communication

Miscommunicated Instructions:
When the message sender and receiver attribute
different meanings to the same words or use different
words though intending the same meanings,
miscommunication occurs. To avoid communication
errors when you give instructions or discuss issues, be
sure your words convey the intended meaning to the
recipient. When you are the recipient of unclear
instructions, before acting on them, ask questions to
determine the sender’s intended meaning.
 Concepts and problems of communication

Reactions to denotations, Connotations:

Because words have both denotative and connotative
meanings and because the sender has not considered
the receiver’s probable interpretations and reactions,
miscommunication can occur. A denotation is usually
the dictionary meaning of a word whereas a
connotation is an implication of a word or a suggestion
separate from the usual definition.
 Concepts and problems of communication

To communicate effectively, you must be aware of the

connotative meaning of your words, and you must realize that
some people have their own idiosyncratic meanings because of
their experiences and background. Thus we need to choose our
language carefully and consider both its denotations and its
connotations to convey the exact idea we want and to achieve
our desired results.
 Concepts and problems of communication

Perceptions of Reality
Complex, infinite, and continuously changing, the material world
provides a special reality to each individual. Also, human beings’
sensory perceptions – touch, sight, hearing, smell, taste – are
limited, and each person’s mental filter is unique. We make
various abstractions, inferences, and evaluations of the world
around us.
 Communication
Problems in perceptions of Reality
 Communication
Problems in perceptions of Reality

Abstracting:
Focusing on some details and omitting others is a
process called abstracting. In countless instances,
abstracting is necessary. However, you should be
cautious about “slanted” statements.
Necessary, desirable abstracts:
Whether you write or speak, you are usually limited by
time, expense, space, or purpose. You need to select
facts that are pertinent to accomplish your purpose and
to omit the rest (as you do, for example, in a one-page
application letter about yourself).
 Communication
Problems in perceptions of Reality

Slanted statements:
Conscientious communicators, both senders and receivers of
messaged, should try to determine whether the facts they are
acquainted with are truly representative of the whole. Slanting is
unfair in factual reporting. Not only the language you use but
also the type of information you include and exclude can result
in slanting, revealing your own biases. Although total objectivity
is not possible, you should try to not let personal preferences
influence your factual reporting of information.
 Communication
Problems in perceptions of Reality

Inferring:
Conclusions made by reasoning from evidence
or premises are called inferences. Every day
most of us find it necessary to act on some
inferences. We make assumptions and draw
conclusions even though we are not able to
immediately verify the evidence. Some
inferences are both necessary and desirable;
others are risky, even dangerous.
 Communication
Problems in perceptions of Reality

Necessary, desirable Inferences:

For business and professional people, inferences are essential in
analyzing materials, solving problems, and planning procedures.
In our everyday activities, we make inferences that are necessary
and usually fairly reliable.
When we base our inferences on direct observations or on
reasonable evidence, they are likely to be quite dependable; but
even so, there are disappointing exceptions. Conclusions we
make about things we have not observed directly can often be
untrue.
 Communication
Problems in perceptions of Reality

Risks of Inference:
As intelligent communicators, we must realize that inferences
may be incorrect or unreliable and anticipate the risks before
acting on them. If you are presenting a report on which an
important executive decision may rest, be careful to distinguish
clearly among verifiable facts, inferences based on facts, and
mere “guesstimates.”
Values, Attitudes, and Opinions
 Values, Attitudes, and Opinions
• Communication effectiveness is influenced also by the values,
attitudes, and opinions the communicators have in their mental
filters. People react favorably when the message they receive
agrees with their views toward the information, the facts, and the
sender.
 Communication
Problems Involving Values, Attitudes, Opinions
 Values, Attitudes, and Opinions
Communication Problems Involving Values,
Attitudes, Opinions
Receivers’ views of the information presented will
affect their response, which could be what the sender
desires or just the opposite.
Favorable or unfavorable information:
The effective communicator considers the receivers,
and whenever possible, emphasizes the points the
receivers will regard as favorable or beneficial.
Receivers often react to unfavorable information by
rejecting, distorting, or avoiding it.
 Values, Attitudes, and Opinions

Inadequate or Incorrect information

Occasionally people react according to their attitudes
toward a situation rather than to the facts.
Closed Minds:
Some people hold rigid views on certain subjects. These
people do not consider facts or additional information
and maintain their rigid views regardless of the
circumstances.
 Values, Attitudes, and Opinions
Sender’s Credibility:
Often people react more according to their attitude
toward the source of information than to the
information itself. In general, people react more
favorably to a communicator who has credibility –
someone whom they trust and respect. An effective
communicator builds credibility by writing and speaking
in a fair and just manner and by considering receivers’
points of view.
 Values, Attitudes, and Opinions
Other circumstances affecting attitudes,
opinions, responses:
when personal, business, or environments stresses
occur, attitudes toward messages may be affected. Life’s
stresses affect our ability to send effective messages and
color our responses when we receive them. Sensitivity
to your own state of mind as well as to that of your
receiver helps you communicate your messages in a
positive way.
Nonverbal Communication
 Nonverbal Communication
Earlier on, we focused on verbal communication process
through written or spoken syllables, usually words. However, we
also communicate nonverbally i.e., without words. Sometimes
nonverbal messages contradict the verbal;
Often they express feelings more accurately than the spoken or
written language. In fact, some studies suggest that from 60 to 90
percent of a message effect comes from nonverbal cues. The
usual methods adopted for nonverbal communication are
Appearance, Body language, Silence, time, and space.
 Nonverbal Communication
Communication Through Appearance
Appearance conveys nonverbal impressions that affect receivers’
attitude toward the verbal message even before they read or hear
them.
Effect on Written Messages
An envelope’s appearance – size, color, weight, and postage –
may impress the receiver as “important,” “routine,” or “junk”
mail. Telegrams, express mail, and private courier mail also have
distinctive envelopes that signal urgency and importance. Next,
the letter, report, or title page communicates nonverbally before
its contents are read by the kind of paper used, its length, format,
and neatness. Finally, the language itself, aside from its content,
communicates something about the sender. This is basically
about careful wording and mechanics of the language such as
spelling, grammar and punctuation.
 Nonverbal Communication
Effect on oral Messages
Personal appearance and the appearance of your
surroundings convey nonverbal stimuli that affect
attitudes toward your spoken words, whether you
are talking to a person one on one or to a group in
a meeting. Nonverbal communication adds,
subtracts, and amends the messages we send.
Nonverbal symbols, in conjunction with oral
symbols, say much about who we are, how we feel,
and even how we feel about others. Hence, the oral
communication context involves both verbal and
nonverbal symbols, each hopefully getting listeners
to understand us and do what we wish them to do.
 Nonverbal Communication
Personal Appearance
Clothing, neatness, posture and stature are part of personal
appearance. They convey impressions regarding occupation, age,
nationality, social and economic level, job status, and good or
poor judgment, depending on circumstances.
Appearance of surroundings
Aspects of surroundings include room size, location, furnishings,
mechanics, architecture, wall decorations, floor (carpeted or
bare?), lighting, windows, view, and other related features
wherever people communicate orally. Surroundings will vary
according to status and according to country and culture.
 Nonverbal Communication
Communication Through Body Language
The usual methods employed for communicating through body
language are facial expressions, gestures, posture and movement,
smell and touch, and voice and sounds.
Facial Expressions
The eyes and face are especially helpful means of communicating
nonverbally. They can reveal hidden emotions, including anger,
confusion, enthusiasm, fear, joy, surprise, uncertainty, and
others. They can also contradict verbal statements. Facial
expressions suggest enthusiasm for your topic. A mobile face is
an interesting face. Look at the audience; give them the feeling of
high interest in them and your topic. Facial expressions include
eye contact. Eye contact with your listener suggests respect and
goodwill, adding to a favorable impression of you as a speaker.
 Nonverbal Communication
Gestures, Posture, and Movement
Gestures add emphasis to your oral words. Use them to emphasize a
point, to suggest rejection of an idea, to describe size. Using your arms
helps hold attention. Continual gestures and movement such as pacing
back and forth may signal nervousness and may be distracting to
listeners. Handshakes reveal attitudes by the firmness or limpness.
Posture and movement can convey self-confidence, status or interest.
We need movement to hold attention, to get rid of nervousness, to
suggest transitions, to increase emphasis. Attire also carries a lot of
significance. It is determined by the culture of your group. When in
doubt, be more formal than informal.
 Nonverbal Communication
Smell and Touch
Various odors and fragrances convey the emotions of the sender
and sometimes affect the reactions of the receiver, especially if
the receiver is sensitive to scents. Also, touching people can
communicate friendship, love, approval, hatred, anger, or other
feelings. A kiss on the cheek, pat on the shoulder, or slap on the
back is prompted by various emotions.
 Nonverbal Communication
Voice and Sounds
Our voice quality and the extra sounds we make while speaking
are also a part of nonverbal communication called paralanguage.
Paralanguage includes voice volume, rate, articulation, pitch, and
the other sounds we may make, such as throat clearing and
sighing. A loud voice often communicates urgency while a soft
one is sometimes calming. Speaking fast may suggest
nervousness or haste. A lazy articulation, slurring sounds or
skipping over syllables or words, may reduce credibility. A lack
of pitch variation becomes a monotone, while too much
variation can sound artificial or overly dramatic. Throat clearing
can distract from the spoken words. Emphasizing certain words
in a sentence can purposely indicate your feelings about what is
important.
 Nonverbal Communication
Communication via Silence, time, and Space
Silence, time, and space can communicate more than we may
think, even causing hard feelings, loss of business, and profits .
Silence
We need to consider how we feel when we make an oral request
that is met with silence. Or think about the confusion we feel
when our written message generates no response).
 Nonverbal Communication
Time
Waiting when an important request is ignored causes problems and attitude
changes. Time is important in many ways. How do we feel when we are kept
waiting two hours after the scheduled time for an interview? In U.S. culture,
being on time for appointments, for work each day, and for deadlines
communicates favorable nonverbal messages. Concepts of time, however,
vary across cultures.
Space
The need for personal space decreases as the number of people increases. In
the U.S. the need for personal space in a two-person conversation is about 18
inches. The need for space is less in many Middle Eastern countries and more
in most Scandinavian countries. Effective communicators must learn to adapt
to both senders’ and receivers’ expectations regarding space. The key to
success is to be aware of the differences.