Managerial Communication

Managerial Communication Y N Kaushal Enablers India

Seven Cs of Effective Communication

7 Cs • Completeness • Conciseness • Consideration • Concreteness • Clarity • Courtesy • Correctness

Completeness • Provide all necessary information • Answer all questions asked. • Give something extra when desirable. • Check for five Ws & one H • Who, What, When, Where, Why and How

I keep six honest serving men, They taught me all I know; Their names are What and Why and When, And How and Where and Who. from a poem by Rudyard Kipling

What Where When Why Who Which How Also the reverse questions What ---- What not Where ---- Where not When ---- When not Why ---- Why not Who ---- Who not Which ---- Which not How ---- How not Seven Friends.

Exercise • The owner of a mutual fund stock wrote to the investment department of your bank, that he wanted to sell his shares. He asked, ”Just how does your bank want me to authorize this sale?” • How would you reply to this query keeping the five Ws and one H guideline in mind?

Exercise • You are the president of an industry association and have received the following inquiry from an out of town member, “I think I would like to attend my first meeting of the association, even though I am not acquainted with your city. Will you please tell me where the next meeting is being held? • How would you reply to this letter keeping in mind Completeness of the message?

Exercise on Completeness • Message Receiver- either listener or reader, desires complete information to his question. e.g. • suppose you are working with multinational company who is engaging with engineering goods , like A.C. Now let us say one of your major customer wants some technical information regarding “thermostat” (because he wants to convey the same to the end users). In this case you have to provide him complete information in a short span of time. • If possible, provide him some extra information which he does not know. • In this way you can maintain a good business relation with him, otherwise he may switch to an other company.

Conclusion of completeness At the end we can say that, you must provide him:- • All necessary information as requested by him. • Answers to his all questions carefully • Provide some more information, which he is not requiring, just to maintain good relations.

Conciseness • Eliminate wordy expressions • Include only relevant material/ statements • be focused, • prune & avoid long explanations • avoid gushing politemess 3. Avoid unnecessary repetitions • use short forms the second time • use pronouns

Rewrite the following sentences making them more concise. • In regard to the new rating system that will be going into effect, there are two points that must be clarified in order to ensure that we can be as selective as possible. • We are unable to fill your order due to the fact that there has been a dock strike. • I am writing in response to some questions that have arisen with respect to the recent announcement that there will be an increase in the charge for the use of the copiers. • I am enclosing herein my report for the month of December. • The following statistics serve to support my personal opinion with reference to pension planning. • The data conclusively show that Cerial 206 is a more superior product.

Rewrite the following sentences making them more concise. • Every administrator seems inclined to agree with the concept that time is money. • It was the first time in my life that I attended a conference on sharing cost. • We are in receipt of your cheque in the amount of Rs 4,500. • A few of the participants left the room early before the chairperson adjourned the meeting. • In Bangalore, he had at least six different jobs.

Exercise • Find single word substitutes for the phrases • Along the same lines • At this time • Consensus of opinion • Date of policy • Due to the fact that • During the time of the day • During the year of • Few and far between • For a price of

For the reason of that • From the point of view of • Have need of • In accordance with your request • In due course • Allow me to say • In reply , I wish to say • Please be advised • Please find attached

Exercise • Rewrite the following by omitting articles, trite expressions, rambling sentences and repetitions: At this time I am writing to you to enclose the post paid appointment card for the purpose of arranging a convenient time when we might get-together for a personal interview.

Exercise • We hereby wish to let you know that we fully appreciate the confidence you have reposed in us.

Exercise • Will you ship us sometime, any time during the month of October, or even November if you are rushed, for November will suit us just as well, in fact a little bit better, 300 of the regular three and a half inch blue arm bands with white sewn letter in the middle.

Consideration • Focus on “You” instead of “I” and “We”. • Show audience benefit or interest in the receiver. • Emphasize positive, pleasant facts. • Apply integrity & ethics.

Write with a ‘you‘ attitude, it shows consideration • I want to send my congratulations for --- • We will ship soon the goods against your May 4 order. • We pay eight percent interest on Fixed Deposits.

Write with a ‘you‘ attitude, it shows consideration (contd) May I take this opportunity to express my thanks for the account you recently opened with our store. We are pleased to furnish a wide variety of products for the home of the individual customer. We want you to take full advantage of the store services, for we have the largest store in the city. Also we make deliveries for our customer free of charge within a 30 Km radius of our store.We welcome you to Ebony. If we can be of additional help please let us know .

Avoid negative – unpleasant words to show consideration • It is impossible to open an account for you today. • We don’t refund if the returned item is soiled and unusable. • When you travel on company expense, you will not receive approval for first class fare. • To avoid further delay and inconvenience, we are sending this report by express mail.

Show reader benefit or interest in the reader • in the letter from an insurance company to policy holders. • Because we have not written to you in sometime, please help us bring our record up-to-date by filling and returning the other half of the card.

Concreteness • Use specific facts and figures. • Put action in your verbs. • Choose vivid, image building words. • Use more adjectives and adverbs

Exercise: Rewrite the following in concrete form as the sentences are too general and vague. • This computer reproduces campaign letters fast • Our product has won several prizes. • These brakes stop a car within a short distance.

Exercise Put action into the words by using active instead of passive voice. • Tests were made by us • A full report will be sent to you by the supervisor. • The contract had a requirement …. • Mr. Singh will give consideration to the report ….

Exercise: Use vivid image building words – adjectives and adverbs, and use less of abstract nouns • The camera has a system that gives good pictures.

Clarity • Choose precise, concrete and familiar words. • Construct effective sentences and paragraphs • Achieve appropriate readability by using formal & informal language • Include examples, illustrations & visual aids

Accuracy is purpose of clarity • In effective business communication the message should be very much clear. So that reader can understand it easily. • You should always choose precise words. • Always choose familiar and easy words. • If you have a choice between long words and shorter ones, always use shorter one. • Construct effective sentences and paragraphs.

In business communication always use shorter sentences rather than longer ones. • You should try your level best to use familiar/easy to understand words so that your reader will quickly understand it.

Familiar Less familiar words 1-after subsequent 2-home domicile 3-for example e.g. 4-pay remuneration 5-invoice statement for payments

Use simple words Circa(L) Subsequent Promulgate Inadvertence e.g..(L) Domicile Remuneration

Choose a conversational style • After perusal of pertinent data the conclusion is that a lucrative market exists for the subject property.

General guidelines • Headings:8-10 words • Sentence length:15-20 words • Paragraphs:40-70 words • Soft words vs hard words

Courtesy • Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful and appreciative. • Use expressions that show respect. • Omit expressions that hurt, irritate, or insult • Grant apologies graciously • Choose nondiscriminatory expressions.

Airhostess PPT

Exercise Show courtesy by avoiding tactless & blunt language. • Your letter is not clear at all. • Obviously, if you would read your policy carefully you will be able to answer these questions yourself. • Apparently you already forgotten what I wrote you two weeks ago.

Exercise Use gender friendly substitutes • Mankind • The best man for the job • Manmade • Manpower • Businessman • Sales man • Chairman

Exercise Use gender friendly substitutes • You guys should all be concerned about the issue. • Each manger has an assigned place – he should park his car…. • Each customer will have change noted on his bill

Exercise SEMANTIC FACTORS IN WRITING • Meeting room---- • Dog----- • Gay----- • Women’s libber----- • Fair wages---- • Cheap---- • Speed--- • Scholar--- • Fat check--- • Worm---

Correctness At the core of correctness is proper grammar, punctuation and spelling. However, message must be perfect grammatically and mechanically but still insult or lose a customer. The term correctness, as applied to business messages also mean three characteristics: • Use the right level of language. • Check accuracy of figures, facts, and words. • Maintain acceptable writing mechanics.

Use the right Level of Language Three levels • Formal • Informal • Substandard Take a quick guess: what kind of communication is associated with each level? What is the style of each?

Formal and Informal Words • Formal writing is often associated with scholarly writing: doctoral dissertations, scholarly, legal documents, top-level government agreements and other material where formality is demanded. • Informal writing is more characteristic of business writing. Here you use words that are short, well-known and conversational as in this comparison list:

Formal and Informal Words More Formal less formal • Participate Join • Endeavor try • Ascertain find out • Utilize use • Interrogate question

Substandard Language Avoid substandard language. Using correct words, incorrect grammar, faulty pronunciation all suggest as inability to use good English. Some examples follow: Substandard More Acceptable • Ain’t isn’t,aren’t • Can’t hardly can hardly • Aim to proving aim to prove • Desirous to desirous of • Stoled stolen

Accuracy of Facts and Figures • Check Accuracy of Facts, Figures and words • It is impossible to convey meaning precisely, through words, from the head of the sender to a receiver. Our goal is to be as precise as possible, which means checking and double-checking and double-checking to ensure that the figures, facts and words you use are correct. • “A good check of your data is to have another person read and comment on the validity of the material” • Figures and facts • Verify your statistical data • Double-check your totals • Avoid guessing at laws that have an impact on you, the sender and your message receiver. • Have someone else read your message if the topic involves data. • Determine whether a “fact” has changed over time.

Proper Use of Confusing Words ! • Our Language (Any) is constantly changing. In fact,even dictionaries can not keep up with rapid change in our language. the following words often confusing in usage: • A, An use a before consonants and consonants sounds or a long ” u” sound. Use an before vowels. • Accept, except accept is a verb and means to receive. except is a verb or a preposition and relates to omitting or leaving out. • Anxious, eager Anxious implies worry, eager conveys keen desire

Group Exercise • Write a circular inviting everyone in FORE School to Independence Day function. • Form a group of seven persons each. Sit in a circle. • Pass your paper to the person on your right. • First round – Comment on Completeness of the message. Grade out of 10 marks (Time: 1 Minute.)

Pass the paper to the person on your right. • Round 2: please comment on the conciseness of the message. Grade out of 10 marks. • And so on- for • Consideration • Concreteness • Clarity • Courtesy • Correctness

Managerial Communication