Business Communication

1. Business Communication

2. What is Business Communication • The sharing of information between people within an enterprise that is performed for the commercial benefit of the organization. In addition, business communication can also refer to how a company shares information to promote its product or services to potential consumers.

3. The Communication Process

4. Types of Communication • There are two main types of communication in an organization. • Internal Communication • External Communication

5. Internal Communication • Communication within an organization is called “Internal Communication”. • It includes all communication within an organization. It may be informal or a formal function or department providing communication in various forms to employees. • Examples of internal communications are memos, email messages, instant messages and phone calls. 

6. Internal Communication • Why is effective internal communication necessary ? • Effective internal communication is a vital mean of addressing organizational concerns. Good communication may help to increase job satisfaction, safety, productivity, and profits and decrease grievances and turnover. • What are some of the barriers to effective internal communication ?

7. Internal Communication • Noise • Noise can be either internal or external. Internal noise represents the internal self-talking that we all do, such as thinking about things that need to be done, wondering about what the other person is thinking about, or thinking about what we'll do when we go home for the evening. Our internal contemplations can keep us from being entirely focused on the conversations we're involved in at that moment. In addition to internal noise, we can also be impacted by external noise, or literally the noise around us. External noise can include other conversations, traffic noise or anything that interferes with our ability to maintain focus.

8. Internal Communication • Culture • Culture can be a significant impact on communication. Some cultures are open and supportive of input from employees and a two-way flow of communication. Other cultures are more top-down; leaders convey messages but don't seek out input from staff, or often even customers. Culture can represent a barrier to communication when it keeps communication from happening or when employees communicate the information and input they feel they are expected to communicate, and not what they really believe.

9. Internal Communication • Role conflicts can create barriers to communication in organizations, particularly when they involve interactions between subordinates and superiors. Regardless of how open managers and senior leaders believe they are to employee input, employees are often hesitant to share their honest insights, especially when those insights may be perceived as critical. Lin Grensing-Pophal, author of "Employee Management for Small Business," says that small businesses are in a better position to deal with this barrier since relationships between employees and business owners can be more casual and less hindered by bureaucracy than in larger organizations.

10. Internal Communication • Bias • Whether we recognize it or not, we all suffer from various biases. These biases can interfere with communication both when we're sending and receiving messages. Biases can be based on our preconceived beliefs (e.g. millenials don't respond well to criticism) or based on impressions we form of people as we interact with them. When communicating with others, it's important to be aware of, and to work to overcome, these biases.

11. Internal Communication • Misinterpretation • While misinterpretation may happen most commonly in email interactions, it can also occur over the phone or in face-to-face conversations. When interacting with others, we may jump to conclusions or misinterpret something they've said. These misinterpretations then colour our own responses and beliefs. It is important to be sure that the meaning behind your communication is clearly and accurately understood. When in doubt, ask for clarification.

12. External Communication • Communication with people outside the company is called “external communication”. Supervisors communicate with sources outside the organization, such as vendors and customers.

13. External Communication • What are some barriers to external communication?

14. Public communication • Public communication is the sending and receiving of messages on a large scale that impacts groups of people. For the communication to be considered effective, the messages must be clearly and accurately sent and received with full comprehension. Mass media, the use of TV, radio, newspaper or any other mass-produced medium, is another type of effective public communication.