MakingConnectionsinaDigitalWorld

BusinessCommunication
Lesikar + Flatley + Rentz

chapterone

C
CommunicationintheWorkplace
i ti i th W k l

Overview
The
Theimportanceofcommunication
importance of communication
Thethreemaincategoriesofcommunication
in business
inbusiness
Formalandinformalnetworks
Thebusinesscommunicationprocess
Basictruthsaboutcommunication

TheImportanceofCommunicationSkillsas
Expressed by Business Authorities
ExpressedbyBusinessAuthorities
TopexecutivesfromFortune500companiesrate
p
p
communicationsskillsasthemostimportantquality
forbusinessleaders.
BusinessSection
B i
S ti
NewYorkTimes

Theremaybenosinglethingmoreimportantinour
y
g
g
p
effortstoachievemeaningfulworkandfulfilling
relationshipsthantolearnandpracticetheartof
communication
communication.
MaxDePree,Author
TheArtofLeadership

EvidenceofCommunication
WeaknessinBusiness
Weakness in Business
Im
I msurprisedhowsomanypeoplestruggle
surprised how so many people struggle
withcommunication.
MichaelRook,ProductionManager
Michael Rook Production Manager
HewlettPackard,SanDiego,CA

ThefirstthingtheHumanResources
p
g
g
Departmentdidwasgivemeawritingbook.
SamReeves,ITConsultant
AMS,Denver,CO

MainFormsof
Communication in Business
CommunicationinBusiness
Operational
Ope at o a

Internal
External

Personal

Intranets (or portals) like this one

from Deere & Company are used
for internal communication.

CommunicationNetworks
FormalNetwork
Formal Network

Wellestablished,usuallyalongoperationallines
Depends on certain established forms or genres
Dependsoncertainestablishedformsor
genres
inthecompany
Planned and managed
Plannedandmanaged

InformalNetwork

Complex
C
l
Dynamic

TheFormalandInformalCommunication
NetworksinaDivisionofaSmallManufacturing
Company
Company
Department
Manager

Supervisor

Supervisor

Black Solid Lines = Formal Network

Brown Dashed Lines = Informal Network (at a moment in time, for they change often)

FactorsAffectingtheCommunication
in a Business
inaBusiness

Natureofthebusiness
Nature
of the business
Operatingplan
Businessenvironment
i
i
Geographicdispersion
People
Company culture
Companyculture

TheBusinessCommunicationProcess

TheContextsforCommunication
Thelargercontext
The larger context

Businesseconomic
Sociocultural
Historical

Therelationshipofthecommunicators
Th
l ti hi f th
i t
Thecommunicatorsparticularcontexts

Organizational
Professional
Personal

BusinessCommunicationas
ProblemSolving
Problem Solving
Most
Mostbusiness
businesscommunication
communicationproblemsare
problems are
illdefinedproblemsrequiring

Analysis
Creativity
Judgment

SomeBasicTruthsabout
Communication
Meaning
Meaningisinthemind,andnotwomindsare
is in the mind and no two minds are
alike.
Thesymbolsforcommunicatingare
The symbols for communicating are
imperfect,andsoareourbestcommunication
efforts.
efforts
Communicationisaboutinformationand
relationships.
l i hi

Adaptation
p

Remember not only to say the

g thing
g in the right
g place,
p
, but
right
far more difficult still, to leave
g thing
g at the
unsaid the wrong
tempting moment.
--Benjamin
j
Franklin