Business Communications Chapter 1 notes

CHAPTER 1

BUILDING YOUR CAREER BUILDING YOUR CAREER SUCCESS WITH SUCCESS WITH

COMMUNICATION SKILLSCOMMUNICATION SKILLS

Communication skills are essential Communication skills are essential forfor– Job placementJob placement– Job performanceJob performance– Career advancementCareer advancement– Success in the new world of workSuccess in the new world of work

Focus on information

as a corporate asset

Focus on information

as a corporate asset

New work

environments

New work

environments

Innovative communication

technologies

Innovative communication

technologies

Heightened global

competition

Heightened global

competition

Increased emphasis on teams

Increased emphasis on teams

More participatory management

More participatory management

Flattened management hierarchies

Flattened management hierarchies

Trends in Trends in the Newthe New

WorkplaceWorkplace

Trends in Trends in the Newthe New

WorkplaceWorkplace

The Process of CommunicationThe Process of CommunicationThe Process of CommunicationThe Process of Communication

How may the sender How may the sender encode a message?encode a message?

Verbally or nonverbally. By speaking, writing, gesturing.

What kinds of What kinds of channels carry channels carry messages?messages?

Letters, e-mail, IM, memos, TV, cell phone, voice, body. Others?

How does a receiver How does a receiver decode a message?decode a message?

Hearing, reading, observing.

The Process of CommunicationThe Process of CommunicationThe Process of CommunicationThe Process of Communication

When is When is communication communication successful?successful?

When a message is understood as the sender intended it to be.

How can a How can a communicator communicator provide for feedback?provide for feedback?

Ask questions, watch responses, don’t dominate the exchange.

Barriers to Effective ListeningBarriers to Effective ListeningBarriers to Effective ListeningBarriers to Effective Listening

Physical Physical barriersbarriers

Hearing disabilities, noisy Hearing disabilities, noisy surroundingssurroundings

Psychological Psychological barriersbarriers

Tuning out ideas that Tuning out ideas that counter our valuescounter our values

Language Language problemsproblems

Unfamiliar or charged Unfamiliar or charged wordswords

Nonverbal Nonverbal distractionsdistractions

Clothing, mannerisms, Clothing, mannerisms, appearanceappearance

Barriers to Effective ListeningBarriers to Effective ListeningBarriers to Effective ListeningBarriers to Effective Listening

Thought Thought speedspeed

Our minds process Our minds process thoughts faster than thoughts faster than speakers express themspeakers express them

Faking Faking attentionattention

Pretending to listenPretending to listen

GrandstandingGrandstanding Talking all the time or Talking all the time or listening only for the listening only for the next pausenext pause

Ten MisconceptionsTen MisconceptionsAbout ListeningAbout Listening

1.1. Listening is a matter of intelligence.Listening is a matter of intelligence.

FACT:FACT: Careful listening is a learned Careful listening is a learned behavior.behavior.

2.2. Speaking is more important than Speaking is more important than listening in the communication listening in the communication process.process.

FACT:FACT: Speaking and listening are Speaking and listening are equally important.equally important.

3.3. Listening is easy and requires little Listening is easy and requires little energy.energy.FACT:FACT: Active listeners undergo the Active listeners undergo the same physiological changes as a same physiological changes as a person jogging.person jogging.

4.4. Listening and hearing are the same Listening and hearing are the same process.process.FACT:FACT: Listening is a conscious, Listening is a conscious, selective process. Hearing is an selective process. Hearing is an involuntary act.involuntary act.

5.5. Speakers are able to command Speakers are able to command listening.listening.FACT:FACT: Speakers cannot make a Speakers cannot make a person really listen.person really listen.

6.6. Hearing ability determines listening Hearing ability determines listening ability.ability.FACT:FACT: Listening happens mentally— Listening happens mentally—between the ears.between the ears.

7.7. Speakers are totally responsible for Speakers are totally responsible for communication success.communication success.FACT:FACT: Communication is a two-way Communication is a two-way street.street.

8.8. Listening is only a matter of Listening is only a matter of understanding a speaker’s words.understanding a speaker’s words.FACT:FACT: Nonverbal signals also help Nonverbal signals also help listeners gain understanding.listeners gain understanding.

9.9. Daily practice eliminates the need for Daily practice eliminates the need for listening training.listening training.

FACT:FACT: Without effective listening Without effective listening training, most practice merely training, most practice merely reinforces negative behaviors.reinforces negative behaviors.

10.10. Competence in listening develops Competence in listening develops naturally.naturally.

FACT:FACT: Untrained people listen at only Untrained people listen at only 25 percent efficiency.25 percent efficiency.

Tips for Becoming anTips for Becoming anActive ListenerActive Listener

Tips for Becoming anTips for Becoming anActive ListenerActive Listener

Stop talking.Stop talking.Control your surroundings.Control your surroundings.Establish a receptive mind-set.Establish a receptive mind-set.Listen for main points.Listen for main points.Capitalize on lag time.Capitalize on lag time.Listen between the lines.Listen between the lines.

Judge ideas, Judge ideas, not not appearances.appearances.

Hold your fire.Hold your fire. Take selective Take selective

notes. notes.

Provide Provide feedback.feedback.

Tips for Becoming anTips for Becoming anActive Listener (con’t)Active Listener (con’t)Tips for Becoming anTips for Becoming anActive Listener (con’t)Active Listener (con’t)

Nonverbal CommunicationNonverbal CommunicationNonverbal CommunicationNonverbal Communication

Eye contact, facial expression, and Eye contact, facial expression, and posture and gestures send silent posture and gestures send silent messages.messages.

Time, space, and Time, space, and territory send territory send silent messages.silent messages.– Time (punctuality Time (punctuality

and structure of)and structure of)– Space Space

(arrangement of (arrangement of objects in)objects in)

– Territory (privacy Territory (privacy zones)zones)

Nonverbal Communication (con’t)Nonverbal Communication (con’t)Nonverbal Communication (con’t)Nonverbal Communication (con’t)

Eye contact, facial expression, and Eye contact, facial expression, and posture and gestures send silent posture and gestures send silent messages.messages.

Time, space, and territory send silent Time, space, and territory send silent messages.messages.

Appearance sends silent messages.Appearance sends silent messages.• Appearance of business documentsAppearance of business documents• Appearance of peopleAppearance of people

Tips for Improving Tips for Improving Your Nonverbal SkillsYour Nonverbal Skills

Establish and maintain eye contact.Establish and maintain eye contact. Use posture to show interest.Use posture to show interest. Improve your decoding skills.Improve your decoding skills. Probe for more information.Probe for more information. Avoid assigning nonverbal meanings Avoid assigning nonverbal meanings

out of context.out of context.

Associate with people from diverse Associate with people from diverse cultures.cultures.

Appreciate the power of appearance.Appreciate the power of appearance. Observe yourself on videotape.Observe yourself on videotape. Enlist friends and family.Enlist friends and family.

Tips for Improving Tips for Improving Your Nonverbal SkillsYour Nonverbal Skills

Culture and CommunicationCulture and CommunicationCulture and CommunicationCulture and Communication

Good Good communication communication demands special demands special sensitivity and skills sensitivity and skills when when communicators are communicators are from different from different cultures.cultures.

Culture and CommunicationCulture and CommunicationKey North American BeliefsKey North American BeliefsCulture and CommunicationCulture and CommunicationKey North American BeliefsKey North American Beliefs

BeliefBelief ExamplesExamples

IndividualismIndividualism Initiative, self-assertion, Initiative, self-assertion, personal achievementpersonal achievement

InformalityInformality Little emphasis on rituals, Little emphasis on rituals, ceremonies, rank; preference ceremonies, rank; preference for informal dressfor informal dress

BeliefBelief ExamplesExamples

Direct Direct Communication Communication StyleStyle

Impatient, literal, suspicious Impatient, literal, suspicious of evasiveness of evasiveness

Importance of Importance of TimeTime

Precious, correlates with Precious, correlates with productivityproductivity

Culture and CommunicationCulture and CommunicationKey North American Beliefs (con’t)Key North American Beliefs (con’t)

Culture and CommunicationCulture and CommunicationKey North American Beliefs (con’t)Key North American Beliefs (con’t)

Comparing U.S. and Comparing U.S. and International’s ViewsInternational’s ViewsComparing U.S. and Comparing U.S. and International’s ViewsInternational’s Views

U.S. Persons’ U.S. Persons’ Views of Views of

ThemselvesThemselves

Internationals’ Internationals’ Views Views

of U.S. Personsof U.S. Persons

Informal, friendly, Informal, friendly, casualcasual

Undisciplined, overly Undisciplined, overly personalpersonal

EgalitarianEgalitarian Insensitive to statusInsensitive to status

Direct, aggressiveDirect, aggressive Blunt, rude, Blunt, rude, oppressiveoppressive

U.S. Persons’ Views U.S. Persons’ Views of Themselvesof Themselves

Internationals’ Views Internationals’ Views of U.S. Personsof U.S. Persons

EfficientEfficient Obsessed with time; Obsessed with time; opportunisticopportunistic

Goal/achievement-Goal/achievement-orientedoriented

Promise more than they Promise more than they deliverdeliver

Profit-orientedProfit-oriented MaterialisticMaterialistic

Resourceful, ingeniousResourceful, ingenious Work-oriented; deals Work-oriented; deals more important than more important than peoplepeople

Comparing U.S. and Comparing U.S. and International’s ViewsInternational’s ViewsComparing U.S. and Comparing U.S. and International’s ViewsInternational’s Views

U.S. Persons’ Views U.S. Persons’ Views of Themselvesof Themselves

Internationals’ Views Internationals’ Views of U.S. Personsof U.S. Persons

Individualistic, Individualistic, progressiveprogressive

Self-absorbed, equating Self-absorbed, equating “new” with “best”“new” with “best”

Dynamic, find identity Dynamic, find identity in workin work

DrivenDriven

Enthusiastic, prefer Enthusiastic, prefer hard-sellhard-sell

Deceptive, fearsomeDeceptive, fearsome

OpenOpen Weak, untrustworthyWeak, untrustworthy

Comparing U.S. and Comparing U.S. and International’s Views (con’t)International’s Views (con’t)

Comparing U.S. and Comparing U.S. and International’s Views (con’t)International’s Views (con’t)

Proverbs Reflect CultureProverbs Reflect CultureProverbs Reflect CultureProverbs Reflect Culture

What do these What do these U.S. proverbsU.S. proverbs indicate indicate about this culture and what it values?about this culture and what it values?

1.1. ““The squeaking wheel gets the grease.”The squeaking wheel gets the grease.”

2.2. ““Waste not, want not.”Waste not, want not.”

3.3. ““He who holds the gold makes the rules.”He who holds the gold makes the rules.”

4.4. ““If at first you don’t succeed, try, try If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”again.”

5.5. ““The early bird gets the worm.”The early bird gets the worm.”

What do these What do these Chinese proverbsChinese proverbs indicate about the Chinese culture and indicate about the Chinese culture and what it values?what it values?

1.1. ““A man who waits for a roast duck to fly A man who waits for a roast duck to fly into his mouth must wait a very, very into his mouth must wait a very, very long time.”long time.”

2.2. ““A man who says it cannot be done A man who says it cannot be done should not interrupt a man doing it.”should not interrupt a man doing it.”

3.3. ““Give a man a fish, and he will live for a Give a man a fish, and he will live for a day; give him a net, and he will live for day; give him a net, and he will live for a lifetime.”a lifetime.”

What do these proverbs indicate about What do these proverbs indicate about their respective cultures and what their respective cultures and what they value?they value?

1.1. ““No one is either rich or poor who has No one is either rich or poor who has not helped himself to be so.” not helped himself to be so.” (German)(German)

2.2. ““Words do not make flour.” Words do not make flour.” (Italian)(Italian)

3.3. ““The nail that sticks up gets pounded The nail that sticks up gets pounded down.” down.” (Japanese)(Japanese)

High-Context and High-Context and Low-Context CulturesLow-Context Cultures

High-Context and High-Context and Low-Context CulturesLow-Context Cultures

Low ContextLow Context

High ContextHigh ContextJapaneseJapanese

ArabArab

Latin AmericanLatin American

SpanishSpanish

EnglishEnglish

ItalianItalian

FrenchFrench

North AmericanNorth American

ScandinavianScandinavian

GermanGerman

SwissSwiss

Comparison of High- and Comparison of High- and Low-Context CulturesLow-Context Cultures

Comparison of High- and Comparison of High- and Low-Context CulturesLow-Context Cultures

High-ContextHigh-Context

CulturesCulturesLow-ContextLow-Context

CulturesCultures

RelationalRelational LinearLinear

CollectivistCollectivist IndividualisticIndividualistic

IntuitiveIntuitive LogicalLogical

ContemplativeContemplative Action-orientedAction-oriented

Improving Communication With Improving Communication With Multicultural AudiencesMulticultural Audiences

Improving Communication With Improving Communication With Multicultural AudiencesMulticultural Audiences

Oral MessagesOral Messages– Use simple Use simple

English.English.– Speak slowly and Speak slowly and

enunciate clearly.enunciate clearly.– Encourage Encourage

accurate accurate feedback.feedback.

Oral Messages Oral Messages (continued)(continued)

– Check frequently for comprehension.Check frequently for comprehension.– Observe eye messages.Observe eye messages.– Accept blame.Accept blame.– Listen without interrupting.Listen without interrupting.– Remember to smile!Remember to smile!– Follow up in writing.Follow up in writing.

Improving Communication With Improving Communication With Multicultural AudiencesMulticultural Audiences

Improving Communication With Improving Communication With Multicultural AudiencesMulticultural Audiences

Written MessagesWritten Messages– Adapt to local formats.Adapt to local formats.– Consider hiring a translator.Consider hiring a translator.– Use short sentences and short Use short sentences and short

paragraphs.paragraphs.– Avoid ambiguous wording.Avoid ambiguous wording.– Strive for clarity.Strive for clarity.– Cite numbers carefully.Cite numbers carefully.

Improving Communication With Improving Communication With Multicultural Audiences (con’t)Multicultural Audiences (con’t)

Improving Communication With Improving Communication With Multicultural Audiences (con’t)Multicultural Audiences (con’t)

Effective Communication With Effective Communication With Diverse Workplace AudiencesDiverse Workplace AudiencesEffective Communication With Effective Communication With Diverse Workplace AudiencesDiverse Workplace Audiences

Understand the value of differences.Understand the value of differences. Don’t expect total conformity.Don’t expect total conformity. Create zero tolerance for bias and Create zero tolerance for bias and

stereotypes.stereotypes. Practice focused, thoughtful, and Practice focused, thoughtful, and

open-minded listening.open-minded listening. Invite, use, and give feedback.Invite, use, and give feedback.

Make fewer workplace assumptions.Make fewer workplace assumptions. Learn about your own cultural self.Learn about your own cultural self. Learn about other Learn about other

cultures and cultures and identity groups. identity groups.

Seek common Seek common ground. ground.

Effective Communication With Effective Communication With Diverse Workplace Audiences (con’t)Diverse Workplace Audiences (con’t)

Effective Communication With Effective Communication With Diverse Workplace Audiences (con’t)Diverse Workplace Audiences (con’t)