2. Achieving Success Through Effective Business Communication
Chapter 1
Achieving Success Through Effective Business Communication
Discover how to excel in business and enhance your career through vital business communication skills.
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3. Learning Objectives
Explain the importance of effective communication to your career and to the companies where you will work
Describe the communication skills employers will expect you to have and the nature of communicating in an organization by using an audience-centered approach
Describe the communication process model and the ways that social media are changing the nature of business communication
List four general guidelines for using communication technology effectively
Define ethics, explain the difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse, and list six guidelines for making ethical communication choices
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter, you will be able to do the following:
1.Explain the importance of effective communication to your career and to the companies where you will work
2.Describe the communication skills employers will expect you to have and the nature of communicating in an organization by using an audience-centered approach
3.Describe the communication process model and the ways that social media are changing the nature of business communication
4.List four general guidelines for using communication technology effectively
5.Define ethics, explain the difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse, and list six guidelines for making ethical communication choices
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4. Understanding Why Communication Matters
The essence of communication is sharing—providing data, information, insights, and inspiration in an exchange that benefits both you and the people with whom you are communicating. Richard L. Daft, Management, 6th ed. (Cincinnati: Thomson South-Western, 2003), 580. Businesses and relationships thrive on effective communication. Learn to be a valuable contributor to your company and advance your career success through effective business communication skills.
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5. Communication is Important to Your Career
Share Complex Ideas
Enhance Entrepreneurial Endeavors
Become an Effective Leader
In a business environment you need to be prepared to share complex ideas. Simplify your communications by being specific, including appropriate details, and by being concise. Even if you decide to work for yourself and build your own business your confidence will increase when you are able to communicate with a wide range of audiences, from attorneys to prospective investors. Additionally, whether you work for someone else or yourself, become an effective leader and Increase your odds of getting a new client or getting promoted to management by proving your ability to speak and write effectively.
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6. Communication is Important to Your Company
Influence Perceptions
Increase Productivity
Improve Employee
Satisfaction
Improve Decisions
Whether you are working for a company or for yourself, effective communication will contribute to an organization’s success. Persuade customers through clear, detailed, data driven, and ethical communications. Increase employee productivity and workplace satisfaction through practical, concise, factual communication. Improve decision making with timely and reliable information.
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7. Be An Effective Communicator
5 main characteristics:
Provide Useful Information
Give Facts and Evidence
Be Concise
Be Clear
Explain Benefits
Provide useful information to recipients to aid them in responding to your message, where appropriate. Avoid including unnecessary and irrelevant details, instead provide practical content. Include all of the necessary facts and information in your messages and support your message with appropriate data or evidence to avoid being vague. Spend time editing your message to be concise. Don’t waste your audience’s time by including unnecessary content.
Review your message for clarity to ensure your audience understands the intended meaning and, where applicable, explain how your audience will benefit from your message.
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8. Summary of Objectives
This section covered the following elements involved in Understanding Why Communication Matters:
Communication is Important to Your Career
Communication is Important to Your Company
Be an Effective Communicator
This concludes our discussion of Understanding Why Communication Matters. The next section will cover Communicating in Today’s Global Business Environment.
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9. Communicating in Today’s Global Business Environment
You’ve been communicating your entire life, of course, but if you don’t have a lot of work experience yet, meeting the expectations of a professional environment might require some adjustment. This section offers a brief look at the unique challenges of business communication, the skills that employers will expect you to have, the nature of communication in an organizational environment, and the importance of adopting an audience-centered approach.
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10. What Employers Expect Organize Ideas Listen Actively Basic Technology
Skills
No matter how good you are at accounting, engineering, law, or whatever professional specialty you pursue, employers expect you to be competent at a wide range of communication tasks. In fact, employers start judging your ability to communicate before you even show up for your first interview, and the process of evaluation never really stops. Fortunately, the following skills that employers expect are the same skills that will help you advance in your career:
Organizing ideas and information logically and completely
Expressing ideas and information coherently and persuasively
Actively listening to others
Communicating effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences
Using communication technologies effectively and efficiently
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11. What Employers Expect Adapt to Audiences Communicate Ethically
Manage Time &
Resources
Following accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and other aspects of high quality writing and speaking
Adapting your messages and communication styles to specific audiences and situations
Communicating in a civilized manner that reflects contemporary expectations of business etiquette
Communicating ethically, even when choices are not crystal clear
Managing your time wisely and using resources efficiently
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12. Communicating in an Organizational Context
Formal
Informal
Upward Downward Horizontal
Grapevine Rumor Mill Social Media
In a formal communication network, information flows along the lines of command in a company’s organizational structure:
Upward communication flows from employees to executives.
Downward communication flows from executives to employees.
Horizontal communication flows between departments.
Every organization also has an informal communication network (a grapevine) that operates anywhere two or more employees are in contact. Some of this informal communication takes place naturally as a result of employee interaction both on the job and in social settings, and some of it takes place when the formal communication network does not provide the information that employees want. In fact, the inherent limitations of formal communication networks helped spur the growth of social media and the Business Communication 2.0 concept.
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13. Formal Communication Network
 The formal communication network is defined by the relationships between the various job positions in the organization. Messages can flow upward (from a lower-level employee to a higher-level employee), downward (from a higher-level employee to a lower-level employee), and horizontally (across the organization, between employees at the same or similar levels).
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14. The Audience-Centered Approach
The “You” Attitude
Understanding
Respecting
Relating
Emotional Intelligence
An audience-centered approach means understanding and respecting the members of your audience, and making every effort to get your message across in a way that is meaningful to them. This approach is also known as adopting the “you” attitude (focusing on the audience), as opposed to writing messages that are about “me’ (focusing on yourself). Learn as much as you can about your audience, such as their biases, education, and personal and professional styles. If you are addressing strangers and unable to find out more about them, use your common sense and imagination to project yourself into their position.
This ability to relate to the needs of others is a key part of emotional intelligence, widely considered to be a vital characteristic of successful managers and leaders. The more you know about the people that you are communicating with, the easier it will be to relate to their needs—which, in turn, will make it easier for them to hear, understand, and respond to your message.
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15. Summary of Objectives
This section covered the following elements involved in Communicating in Today’s Business Environment:
What Employers Expect
Communicating in an Organizational Context
Audience-Centered Approach
This concludes our discussion of Understanding Why Communication Matters. The next section will cover Understanding the Communication Process.
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16. Exploring the Communication Process
As you no doubt know from your personal interactions over the years, even well-intentioned communication efforts can fail. Messages can get lost or simply ignored. The receiver of a message can interpret it in ways the sender never imagined. In fact, two people receiving the same information can reach different conclusions about what it means.
Fortunately, by understanding communication as a process with distinct steps, you can improve the odds that your messages will reach their intended audiences and produce their intended effects. This section explores the communication process in two stages: first by following a message from one sender to one receiver in the basic communication model, and second by expanding on that basic scenario to include multiple messages and participants in the social communication model.
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17. Communication Process
By viewing communication as a process, such as the following, you can identify and improve the skills that you need to be more successful.
The sender has an idea.
The sender encodes the idea as a message.
The sender produces the message in a transmittable medium.
The sender transmits the message through a channel.
The audience receives the message.
The audience decodes the message.
The audience responds to the message.
The audience sends feedback.
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18. Becoming An Effective Business Communicator
The communication process presents many opportunities for messages to get lost, distorted, or misinterpreted as they travel from sender to receiver. Fortunately, you can take action at every step in the process to increase your chances of success. Set the tone for effective communication by preventing potential problems and by being prepared with solutions to problems that may arise.
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19. Social Communication Model
Interactive
Conversational
Active Participants
Social Media
The basic communication model reviewed in the previous slide shows how a single idea moves from one sender to one receiver. The social communication model on the other hand illustrates how new technologies have facilitated a more interactive and conversational approach to communication.
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20. Business Communications 1.0 Versus 2.0 Tendencies
Traditional business communication strategies tend to include limited channels for message distribution and they are typically unidirectional. Business communication 2.0 tendencies however encourage collaboration and message delivery through many channels.
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21. Summary of Objectives
This section covered the following elements involved in Exploring The Communication Process:
Communication Process
Becoming an Effective Business Communicator
Social Communication Model
Business Communication 1.0 vs. 2.0 Tendencies
This concludes our discussion of Understanding The Communication Process. The next section will cover Using Technology for Effective Communication.
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22. Using Technology for Effective Communication
Today’s businesses rely heavily on technology to enhance communication. In fact, many of the technologies you might use in your personal life, from microblogs to video games to virtual worlds, are also used in business. You will find technology discussed extensively throughout this book, with specific advice on using both common and emerging tools.
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23. Using Communication Technology
Aid to Interpersonal
Communication
Avoid Information
Overload
Use Productively
Reconnect With
People
Anyone who has used a computer knows that the benefits of technology are not automatic. The following methods can help you use communication technology effectively:
Keep technology in perspective. Technology is an aid to interpersonal communication, not a replacement for it. By focusing on your message and your audience, you can avoid falling into the trap of letting technology get in the way of successful communication.
Guard against information overload and information addiction. The overuse or misuse of communication technology can lead to information overload, in which people receive more information than they can effectively process. Beyond simple overload, some workers are beginning to show signs of information technology addiction—to the point of craving the stimulation of being connected practically around the clock, even while on vacation. As a recipient, you often have some level of control over the number and types of messages you choose to receive. Use the filtering features of your communication systems to isolate high-priority messages that deserve your attention. Also, be wary of subscribing to too many blog feeds, Twitter follows, Facebook updates, and other sources of recurring messages. Focus on the information you truly need to do your job.
Use technological tools productively. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, IM, and other technologies are key parts of what has been called the “information technology paradox,” in which information tools can waste as much time as they save. Concerns over inappropriate use of social networking sites, for example, have led many companies to ban employees from accessing them during work hours.
Reconnect with people frequently. Even in the best circumstances, technology can not match the rich experience of person-to-person contact. Therefore, even enthusiastic users know that technology has limits. Remember to step out from behind technology frequently to learn more about the people that you work with—and to let them learn more about you.
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24. Summary of Objectives
This section covered the following elements involved in Using Technology for Effective Communication:
Technology as an Aid to Interpersonal Communication
Avoid Information Overload
Use Technology Productively
Reconnect with People
This concludes our discussion of Using Technology for Effective Communication. The next section will cover Committing to Ethical Communications.
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25. Committing to Ethical Communications
Ethics are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society. Ethical behavior is a companywide concern, but because communication efforts are the public face of a company, they are subjected to particularly rigorous scrutiny from regulators, legislators, investors, consumer groups, environmental groups, labor organizations, and anyone else affected by business activities. Ethical communication includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way. In contrast, unethical communication can distort the truth or manipulate audiences in a variety of ways
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26. Ethical Communications
True in Every Sense
Includes Relevant Information
Not Deceptive in
Any Way
Ethics are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society. Put another way, ethical principles define the boundary between right and wrong. Ethical communication is true in every sense, includes all relevant information, and is not deceptive in any way.
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27. Unethical Communication
Plagiarism
Selective Misquoting
Distorting Visuals
Omitting Information
Misrepresenting Data
Abusing Privacy or Security
Unethical communication can include falsehoods and misleading information. Some examples of unethical business communication include the following:
Plagiarism. Stealing someone else’s words or other creative products and ideas and claiming them as your own.
Selective misquoting. Deliberately omitting damaging or unflattering comments to paint a better (but untruthful) picture of you or your company.
Distorting visuals. Making a product look bigger or changing the scale of graphs and charts to exaggerate or conceal differences.
Omitting essential information. If your audience needs certain information to make intelligent, objective decisions, then that information is essential.
Misrepresenting numbers. Falsifying statistics or manipulating data to support your assertions.
Failing to respect privacy or information security needs. Failing to respect the privacy of others or failing to protect information entrusted to your care can also be considered unethical.
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28. Recognizing Ethical Issues
Ethical Dilemma
Various Stakeholders
Competing Interests
Difficult Tradeoffs
Ethical Lapse
Business Pressures
Produce Results
Justify Decisions
Every company has responsibilities to its stakeholders, and those various groups often have competing interests. In some situations, what is right for one group may be wrong for another. Moreover, as you attempt to satisfy the needs of a particular group, you may be presented with an option that seems right on the surface but somehow feels wrong.
When people must choose between competing interests and weigh difficult tradeoffs, they are facing a dilemma. An ethical dilemma involves choosing among alternatives that are not clear-cut (perhaps two conflicting alternatives are both ethical and valid, or perhaps the alternatives lie somewhere in the gray area between clearly right and clearly wrong). Unlike a dilemma, an ethical lapse is a clearly unethical or illegal choice. The pressure to produce results or justify decisions can make unethical communication a tempting choice.
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29. Making Ethical Choices
Policies and Structures
Individual
Employees
Corporate
Management
Code
Of Ethics
To ensure ethical business communications, three elements need to be in place: ethical individuals, ethical company leadership, and the appropriate policies and structures to support employees’ efforts to make ethical choices.
Some companies lay out an explicit ethical policy by using a written code of ethics to help employees determine what is acceptable. A code is often part of a larger program of employee training and communication channels that allows employees to ask questions and report instances of questionable ethics.
One helpful way to make sure that your messages are ethical is to consider your audience: What does your audience need? What will help your audience the most?
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30. General Ethical Guidelines المبادئ الاخلاقية الموجهة للسلوك العام
Have you defined the situation?
Why are you communicating?
What impact will your message have?
What good or harm will be achieved?
Will your assumptions change?
Are you comfortable with the decision?
Whether or not formal guidelines are in place, every employee has the responsibility to communicate in an ethical manner. In the absence of clear guidelines, ask yourself the following questions about your business communications:
Have you defined the situation fairly and accurately?
What is your intention in communicating the message?
What impact will the message have on the people who receive it, or who might be affected by it?
Will the message achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm?
Will the assumptions that you have made change over time? That is, will a decision that seems ethical now seem unethical in the future?
Are you comfortable with your decision? Would you be embarrassed if it were printed in tomorrow’s newspaper or spread across the Internet? Think about a person whom you admire and ask yourself what he or she would think of your decision.
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31. Summary of Objectives
This section covered the following elements involved in Committing to Ethical Communications:
Ethical Communications
Unethical Communications
Recognizing Ethical Issues
Making Ethical Choices
General Ethical Guidelines
This concludes our discussion of Committing to Ethical Communications. The presentation will close with a review of this chapter’s learning objectives.
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32. Achieving Success Through Effective Business Communication
Chapter 1
Achieving Success Through Effective Business Communication
This concludes the PowerPoint presentation on Chapter 1, “Achieving Success Through Effective Business Communication.” During this presentation, we have accomplished the following learning objectives:
1.Explained the importance of effective communication to your career and to the companies where you will work
2.Described the communication skills employers will expect you to have and the nature of communicating in an organization by using an audience-centered approach
3.Described the communication process model and the ways that social media are changing the nature of business communication
4.Listed four general guidelines for using communication technology effectively
5.Defined ethics, explained the difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse, and listed six guidelines for making ethical communication choices
For more information about these topics, refer to Chapter 1 in Excellence in Business Communication.
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33. Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall