What is Business Communication?

1. What is Business Communication? • Interaction in a work place • Can be verbal,non verbal or graphic • Facilitates multi-tasking at work • Provides better insight into our personalities

2. The communication process Consists of seven elements: • Sender-(encodes idea)present information from a unique vantage point • Message-transmittal of idea • Receiver –decodes idea • Feedback – response, links communication with understanding & discussion • Communication channel - medi • Context – board meeting, business lunch etc. • Noise – leads to communication barriers/misunderstandings

3. Factors that affect communication • Culture & values • Education & skills • Beliefs • Environment • Attitudes

4. Communication channels Internal channels External channels • Reports • E-mails • Memos • Meetings • Telephone • Surveys/questionairres • Data–collection interviews • Media-electronic & print • Data–collection interviews • Business letters • Job application • Cover letter

5. Flow of communication Horizontal channels Vertical channels • Communication with colleagues/peers • Communication with supervisors & juniors

6. Barriers to Communication • Cultural differences/backgrounds • Inappropriate channel/words • Inadequate feedback from receiver • Poor layout and presentation

7. How to communicate successfully • Be aware of ethics in internal and cross-cultural communication • Show empathy • Become an active and responsive listener • Value feedback • Choose the right channel to communicate in a business environment • Plan & organize information before communicating it

8. The Communication Climate • Consultative processes- network building strategies • Interpersonal assertive styles-The ‘I’ message • Problem –solving strategies • Appraise and build relationships

9. Real world communication • Role-play- Personal styles of communication • Stand up and move around the room. • Greet everyone nonverbally, with a smile, handshake or any other means of nonverbal communication. • Sit down and as part of the group, introduce yourself and discuss what you would like to gain from this course. • Also, share with the group how you are similar or different from each other.

10. - Effective workplace relationships • For a team to be effective it needs to: understand and accept common goals • have open communication and an equal distribution of work load • have a system for giving and receiving feedback • have the tools, equipment, time, information etc to do the best job • have members who are skilled and experienced • have members who recognise each other’s strengths and weaknesses • have the time to step back from its activities to monitor and evaluate its performance and outcomes.

11. A team will be ineffective if: • it has too many or too few members • it operates without good leadership • there is an environment of mistrust and disrespect • there is no cooperation • there are no procedures / forums for issues of concern to be heard.

12. Research activities • Ethics in communication • Channels of communication • Cross-cultural communication barriers