CHAPTER 1

Business Communication Foundations

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
Explain why business communication is important. List and explain the goals of communication. Describe the patterns of business communication. Explain the communication process. Identify communication barriers and describe ways to remove them.

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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

What is Business Communication? The process of establishing a common understanding between or among people within a business environment.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY Getting jobs you want Gaining promotions Providing leadership Being productive on the job Relating positively to others Assuring the success of your organization
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GOALS OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Receiver understanding
Receiver understands message as sender intended. To achieve this, sender must consider a)receiver characteristics, b)message form and content, c)receiver feedback, and d)communication barriers.

Receiver response

Receiver provides necessary response which may be positive, negative or neutral; conveyed through words, actions or both. The sender should make it easy for the receiver to respond.
Sender and receiver can have favorable relationships by relating to each other positively, personally, and professionally. Ensure that their communications reflect positively on the quality of the companys products, services and personnel. This helps customers to be confident with the company.
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Favorable relationships Organizational goodwill

PATTERNS OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Internal communication
Involves day-to-day exchange among employees.

External communication
Flows between an organization and the entities with which it interacts. External communication can be formal or informal.

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INTERNAL COMMUNICATION PATTERNS

Organizational communication may flow vertically, horizontally or through a network. Vertical
Messages flow upward or downward along the chain of command. Reports, proposals commonly flow upward. Policy statements, plans, directives, instructions usually flow downward.

Horizontal
Between workers or units of comparable status who need to share data or coordinate efforts.

Network
Information flows freely within the organization regardless of the participants role or unit. A network may be a planned part (such as a project team) of the business organization or it may arise from informal interactions (such as employees who share interests outside the workplace).

Regardless of the flows of information, communication can have a formal, an informal, or a serial pattern. Ch 1 - 7

FORMAL COMMUNICATION

Is business related May be written or oral Is planned by the organization Flows in all directions Is essential for effective operation of the business
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INFORMAL COMMUNICATION

Is both business-related and personal Is not planned by the organization Flows in all directions Develops and maintains positive human relationships
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SERIAL COMMUNICATION
Chain of three or more people Messages usually change as passed To maintain accuracy of and achieving understanding with serial communication:
Senders should
Keep the message simple Request feedback

Receivers should
Take notes Repeat the message

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GRAPEVINE
Some serial communication follows a pattern known as the grapevine. Grapevine messages create a random pattern resulting in a communication flow that rambles and spreads in unpredictable ways. Managers should:

Be open, honest, and as complete as possible. Monitor the grapevine to learn whether formal messages have been understood or need restating. Identify and work with those who are key sources of grapevine information. Ask employees how they use the grapevine.
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COMMUNICATION PROCESS MODEL

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Sender s Role

Selecting the type of message Analyzing the receiver Using the you-viewpoint Encouraging feedback Removing communication barriers
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Receiver s Role

Listening or reading carefully Being open to different types of senders and to new ideas Making notes when necessary Providing appropriate feedback to the sender Asking questions to clarify the message
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COMMUNICATION TYPES AND CHANNELS

Communication can occur verbally (using words) or nonverbally (without using words). Verbal communication actually includes both written and oral messages. Written message channels: memos, letters, e -mails, web pages, notes, reports, telegrams, newsletters, and news releases which may include diagrams, drawings, charts, and tables. Oral message channels take many forms, including face to-face conversations, telephone conversations, voice mail, in-person conferences, video conferences, and speeches. Nonverbal messages can be conveyed by both people and objects such as through gestures, facial expressions, appearance and layout of a document, the audio and visual clarity of a videotaped presentation.
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THE YOU-VIEWPOINT
The sender gives primary consideration to the receiver s point of view when composing and sending messages. This can be achieved by first analyzing the receiver. Consider the following:
I think your report is excellent. You wrote an excellent report. You simply do not understand what I am saying. Perhaps an example will help make the instruction clearer. We offer three service plans. Choose the service plan that best meets your needs.

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ANALYZING THE RECEIVER

Knowledge Analyze the receivers knowledge (education and experience). Interests Analyze the receivers interests as the position and level of authority may affect the receivers interests. Attitudes Analyze the receivers attitudes remembering that status, power, personality, expectations, nationality, and culture may affect receivers attitudes. Emotional Reaction Anticipate the receivers emotional reaction to your message.
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FEEDBACK

The sender s role includes providing for feedback by

Asking directly or indirectly for a response. Assisting the receiver in giving the response.
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COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

Any factor that interferes with the success of the communication process

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COMMUNICATION BARRIER: WORD CHOICE

Denotative versus connotative meaning

Idioms Implications and inferences
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MORE COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

Incorrect grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling Wrong message type Poor message appearance Poor appearance of the sender
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MORE COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

Distracting environmental factors Receiver s capability Ineffective listening skills Other barriers
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CONCLUSION
Why is business communication important? What are the goals of business communication? What are the patterns of business communication? What is the communication process? What are communication barriers? What are the ways to remove communication barriers?

THANK YOU

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