E NGL211-1203B-17 P2IP Colorado Technical University Connie Hutson 3 September 2012

1. ENGL211-1203B-17 P2IPColorado Technical UniversityConnie Hutson3 September 2012 Communications

2. Introduction • The impact and importance of effective communication in an organization is one that cannot go unmentioned. This presentation seeks to discuss cross-cultural communication and some of the communication problems in companies. Thesis • Communication has always being vital to the progress of any firm, therefore, communication problems need to be addressed as soon as they come up in order to ensure company progress. • Communication is important to any organization • Effective communication helps firms to achieve their goals faster and with much ease • Business managers have the responsibility of identifying communication needs, and strategizing on how to improve the communication between all relevant stakeholders

3. Communication problems in firms • Failure of delegation of duties • Lack of a common code of conduct • Lack of an effective channel of communication • Lack of adequate information technology systems (Gopal, 2009). strategies and ways to improve cross cultural communication • Usage of modern technology and particularly the internet. For example, through use of Facebook and Twitter • Use of video conferencing to promote communication among people of different cultures (Lussier, 2012). • Understanding cultural diversity. This entails tolerating and accepting people from other diverse cultures • Promoting cultural awareness among people • Demanding for people to be culturally tolerant in the workplace (Smith, 2002).

4. Use of non-verbal communication • The commonly used non verbal cues include;posture, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact and appearance • Physical appearance is a nonverbal cue used to judge the confidence of a person. • Eye contact improves engagement in people and tunes them into their communication with each other • Facial expressions often portray emotions • Managers need to understand the power of non verbal cues • Managers also need to align non verbal cues with verbal communication in order to be effective • Universal non verbal cues should be used to promote understanding by people of all cultures

5. Conclusion • Communication has always being vital to the progress of any firm, therefore, communication problems need to be addressed as soon as they come up in order to ensure company progress. • Without communication, all the functional areas of a firm can be ineffective • Essential communication tools need to be adopted by managers in order to boost understanding by people of diverse cultures and to increase general motivation in the workplace. To achieve this,problems in communication must be identified and strategies to deal with them structured. • Verbal and non verbal cues should also be used wisely by managers to promote effective communication if the firm. • In order to know whether communication is effective in your firm, ask yourself this simple question; How long does it take for you to know of a scheduled meeting?

6. References • Gopal, N. (2009). Business communication. New Delhi: New Age International • Guffey, M. E., & Loewy, D. (2010). Essentials of business communication. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning • Lussier, R. N. (2012). Management Fundamentals: Concepts, Applications, Skill Development Mason.Ohio: Southwestern • Smith, J. C. (2002). Stress Management: A Comprehensive Handbook of Techniques and Strategies. New York: Springer Publishers