BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

MODULE – 1

INTRODUCTION

Role of CommunicationHelps us understand:-

What factors are relevant to this situation.

Objective - What do I want to accomplish in this situation.

Approach - Which is the Better way of doing it.

Technique - What specific methods should I use to solve it.

Communication Defined “Communication is interchange of thoughts , opinions,

information, by speech, writing or signs” - Robert Anderson (Professional Selling) “Purposive interchange, resulting in workable

understanding and agreement between the sender and receiver of a message”

- George Vardman (Effective Communication of Ideas)

Business Communication Defined

“Business communication is any communication used to build partnerships, intellectual resources, to promote an idea, a product, service, or an organization – with the objective of creating value for your business.”

Internal and External Communication

Business Communication encompasses a huge body of knowledge both internal and external for any business.

Internal communication includes communication of corporate vision, strategies, plans, corporate culture, shared values and guiding principles, employee motivation, cross pollination of ideas etc…

External communication includes branding, marketing, advertising, customer relations, public relations, media relations, business negotiations, etc.

Whatever form it takes, the objective remains the same – to create a business value

Major Classifications:- Can be classified on basis of..….. A) number of persons/ receivers to whom message is

addressed:- i) Intrapersonal:- talking to one’s own self. E.g. Dramatic works. ii) Interpersonal :- exchange of messages between two

persons. E.g. conversation, dialogue, an interview, some other

cases like… an author, a letter etc. iii) Group:- Can be among small groups like organization,

club, class rooms where all individuals retain their individual identity.

iv) Mass:- occurs when the message is sent to large groups of people

E.g. news paper, radio, T.V etc.B) On basis of medium employed…… i) Verbal:- means communicating with words, written or

spoken ii) Non verbal :- includes using of pictures signs, gestures

and facial expressions for exchanging information between persons

E.g. personal space, touch, eyes, sense of smell and time. iii) Meta communication:- the speaker’s choice of words

unintentionally communicates something more than what the actual words state.

Purpose of communication

We generally communicate to : Inform – directed by desire to expose,

develop, and explain the subject E.g. A simple statement intending to

convey the information like an ad on face creams etc.

Persuade – the focus is on the receiver and not the message

E.g. Home loans ad by banks.

The purpose of communication is to get your message across to others clearly and unambiguously.

 Doing this involves effort from both the sender of the message and the receiver. And it's a process that can be fraught with error, with messages often misinterpreted by the recipient. When this isn't detected, it can cause tremendous confusion, wasted effort and missed opportunity.

Process of communication

The Linear Model:- Involves 5 basic questions – who?, says what?, on

which channel?, to whom?, with what effect? One way process Intended to control and manipulate the receiver. Assumptions that no distortions while the message

passessender media receiver action

Shannon Weaver Model :- First to point that messages can change or be blocked Brought in the concept of noise Introduced feedback as corrective to noise which may again not

be an integral part of communication process Viewed as another act of communication

Two Way Communication Process:- Concept is more contemporary Receiver also acts as sender of feedback to complete the

two way flow of communication Also known as transactional communication

receiver

message transmitter

Communication symbols

Communication channel

Common Problems in Two way communication:

No perceived benefit to the audience Noise, disturbances-hard to hold attention Variations in listening skills Complexity of subject matter/message Time restraints Personal biases, hostility Responding to difficult questions Sidestepping sensitive issues

Barriers to CommunicationBarriers to Communication

Noise Selective perceptions Filtering Information overload Loss by transmission Poor retention Poor listening Emotions Lack of planning

Unclarified assumptions Semantic problems Cultural barriers Socio psychological barriers Goal conflicts Offensive style Time and distance Abstracting Slanting Inferring

Characteristics of successful Characteristics of successful communicationcommunication

Candidness Clarity Completeness Conciseness Concreteness Correctness Courtesy

Importance of communication in Importance of communication in managementmanagement

Communication skills constitute an important aspect of effective management.

Some important functions of managing are -

forecasting , planning , organizing, instructing, coordinating, controlling.

Communication is the system by which these operations are led and coordinated and the results fed back

Need for communication in management :- (Advantages)

To increase job performance and effectiveness To promote employee commitment To effect changes smoothly Inform and persuade employees regarding

certain decisions and reasons behind. To help understand role of an individual in an

organization To update employees information about the

developmental activities

Reasons facilitating need for corporate communication:-

Size of an organization New developments in IT The concept of human capital Need to learn corporate etiquette - how to greet,

shake hands, dress for success, listen converse with seniors, clients, ladies etc…

Hence the need for man power equipped with these skills are necessary.

Why managers need communication skills

To perform the following roles- Interpersonal role Informational role Decisional role

All these functions are performed with the knowledge of human needs

Communication structure in an Communication structure in an organizationorganization

Vertical - Vertical - Board of directors

Managing directors

Senior mgmt

Middle mgmt

Senior spvsr

Line managers

Communication can be divided into two types: I) Formal Formal: a) Line relationship-

Line of authority sets down the path of communication ( general indication can be “through proper channel” etc..)

b) Functional Relationship-

Occurs when departments inform work and related organizational matters to each other

c) Staff relationship:- Supports line management, marketing, and

production. For e.g. communication relating to personnel, public relations, administration etc.

II) Informal :- Usually flows through ---- Chat :- Grapevine:- can be attributed to a reliable source

Merits of informal communication:- Uniting force Speed Creation of ideas Good personal relations

Limitations: Rumors Inadequacy Changing interpretations

Crisis Communication

“A crisis is unpredictable but not

unexpected” - Timothy Combs

Communication in Communication in crisiscrisis

Definition of a Crisis Definition of a Crisis Any situation that…

Threatens the operations of an organization Negatively impacts the reputation of an organization Affects the lives of beneficiaries, employees or other

stakeholders Can be a natural or man-made disaster

Weather-related, terrorist attacks, arson, IT theft, etc.

Overview

Pre-crisis•Scanning

•Assessing situation

•Designing Tools & Systems

•Monitoring

Crisis

•Detecting

•Containing

•Recovering

Post - Crisis•Following -up

•Shaping memories

•Assessing effectiveness

Learning

Nature of Crises

Incident is brief, but its impact is devastating

Long recovery periods Response involves:

Reputation repair/communication Disaster recovery Continuation of business operations

Pre-crisis Planning

Objective - prevent or lessen the negative outcomes of a crisis and thereby protect the organization, stakeholders, and/or industry from damage $ loss reputation loss identity altered

ScanningScanning

Definition - Looking out for potential sources of crises

Industry-wide issue analysis Organization specific issue analysis Risk assessment (“implicit issues” Stakeholder relationships

Issue Sources Newspapers Business

Magazines TV News Trade Journals Public Opinion Polls Medical/Science

Journals On-line (web

pages, newsgroups, etc.

Risk Assessment Sources Safety/accident records Ethical climate surveys Financial audits Liability exposure Workers Comp. Product tampering Risk audits (70-80%) Sexual harassment

exposure

Assessing situationAssessing situation

Evaluate issues in two dimensions likelihood impact

Evaluate risks with risk mgt. grid Evaluate relational threats

Power(Leverage) Legitimacy (Value driven) Willingness (Desire for action)

Designing Tools & Designing Tools & SystemsSystems

Select Crisis Management Team Select Spokespersons Develop Crisis Management Plan Prepare Crisis Communication

System

Crisis Communication MissionCrisis Communication Mission

Act in a decisive and timely manner Educate those affected with accurate, up-to-

date information (Proactive Approach) Involve senior management Manage reputation of organization Establish Crisis Communication Team