Chapter 1 PowerPoint Slides

Learning ObjectiveChapter 1

Understanding Business Communication


Copyright © 2001 South-Western College Publishing Co.

Special Challenges

Common Communication Barriers

Communication Skills Are Critical

What Experts Say

The Communication Process

Objectives

O U T L I N E

1C H A P T E R



1. Describe how effective communication skills lead to personal and professional success.

2. List the special challenges facing business communicators.

3. List the most common communication barriers in business.

4. Explain the different parts and their relationships in the model of communication.

Learning Objectives



Describe how effective communication skills lead to personal and professional success.

WHAT BUSINESS EXPERTS SAY ABOUT DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION SKILLSWHAT BUSINESS EXPERTS SAY ABOUT DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION SKILLS

• Executives at 1,000 of the largest U.S. corporations say that interpersonal, written, and oral skills are the most difficult to find in job applicants.

• The better your communication skills the more earning potential you will have in life.

• We focus on those communication skills that executives consider most critical for business professionals.

Special Challenges

Common CommunicationBarriers

Communication Skills Are Critical

What Experts Say




• You will appear more valuable when others easily understand your ideas, goals, and plans.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS ARE CRITICAL FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREERCOMMUNICATION SKILLS ARE CRITICAL FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER

Opportunities for Promotion• If you cannot express yourself through:

• letters

• reports

• memos

• interviews

• business conversations

• presentations and negotiations

… you may find yourself passed over for higher level jobs.

Improved Self-Presentation Skills

What Experts Say

Special Challenges


Communication Skills are Critical





For example:

• Republic Steel has a plant entirely run by self-directed teams.

• Shell Exploration and Production Company has designated 50 coaches who educate and support teams.

• United Airlines Component Maintenance Center restructured its departments into teams called Product Centers.

What Experts Say

Special Challenges







List the special challenges facing business communicators.

CHALLENGES FACING THE BUSINESS COMMUNICATORCHALLENGES FACING THE BUSINESS COMMUNICATOR

• In the industrial age, human knowledge doubled every ten years; now knowledge doubles every year.

• The industrial age was successful because workers followed orders.

• Organizations in the information age cab only survive by employing people who take on responsibility and use their skills effectively.

• The key to using technology to manage information is knowing how to use it as a communication device.

Information Management

What Experts Say

Special Challenges






• Cultural diversity--a highly diverse group of people,ideas, attitudes and backgrounds.

• Today there are more:

• females

• African-Americans

• Hispanic

• Native American

• Asian American

• physically challenged workers

• You will need to respond to the differing backgrounds and needs of your co-workers.

Cultural DiversityWhat Experts Say



Special Challenges





• Every organization competes for capital, human resources, and sales.

• Requires many of the skills involved with cross-cultural communication at home.

• Develop an awareness of norms and values of other countries.

• A direct approach (American) versus small talk (French)

• Other communication barriers :

• customs

• rituals

• nonverbal behaviors

• different views of time and space

GlobalizationWhat Experts Say



Special Challenges





• Technology shapes communication.

• The internet and the World Wide Web .

• An estimated 63 million web users (30% of the U.S. population over the age of 15)14.

Technology

Ethics

• Pressure to compromise their ethical standards to get the job done.

• Reasons for unethical communication practices18:

What Experts Say



Special Challenges





• Pressure to produce results

• Misunderstanding the difference between ethical and unethical behavior

• Bending to situations or people pushing unethical acts

• Observing or imitating poor role models

• Ignoring ethical behavior in the interests of profits

• Believing that “everybody does it” “they’ll never know” “this is my right”

Ethical communication is not only morally correct, but also highly profitable.

What Experts Say



Special Challenges





What Experts Say



Special Challenges


Table 1.3International Differences inNonverbal Communication

Gesture/Body Language

U.S. Custom International Customs

Shaking hands Firm grip Japanese: bowMiddle East: a gentle grip

Eye contact Direct Japanese: avert

“O.K.” gesture Enthusiasm,acceptance

France: worthlessness

Nodding/shaking head

Nodding: yesShaking: no

Bulgaria; the opposite



List the most common communication barriers in business.

COMMON COMMUNICATION BARRIERSCOMMON COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

• Communicators are often unaware that their information is of poor quality, outdated, or poorly designed.

• Information quality is relative.

• You cannot always rely on familiar and trusted sources of data.

Mismanaged Information

What Experts Say



Special Challenges


• Poor communication skills result in material that is poorly organized, overwritten, and full of errors.

• Oral communication: mistakes, lose their places, fail to use proper gestures, and speak in monotones.

Inadequate Communication Skills



Inappropriate Communication Media

• The systems or carriers that take message to people.

Includes: letters, reports, memorandum, conversation, speeches, telephones, computers, and fax machines

What Experts Say



Special Challenges



Inadequate Feedback

• Feedback is the response that a receiver of communication makes to the sender.

• Reasons: Not enough time, friction between communicators.



Communication anxiety is the fear or the stress associated with certain types of communication situations.

• The fear and stress with certain types of communication is commonplace in the business world.

• For example, stage freight, or the fear of speaking in public.

• Other stressful communication situations include:

• performing appraisal interviews

• leading task force groups

• reprimanding employees

• delegating tasks to subordinates

• making small talk

Communication AnxietyWhat Experts Say



Special Challenges





Explain the different parts and their relationships in the model of communication.

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Stimulus

A flow of messages from a source (sender) to a receiver using a channel.

• Anything that causes you to consider the communication process.

• Includes information management, critical thinking, an setting goals.

Analysis

Developing Messages

• Five steps: decision making, context analysis, message design, media selection, and evaluation.

What Experts Say



Special Challenges




Encoding• The process of actually sending a message through a

media destined for a receiver.

• Refers to receiving and processing messages, making sense of the message.

Decoding

Analysis• Message interpretation: making sense of the message.

• Message evaluation: reception, comprehension, benefits, timeliness, appropriateness, creditability, and influence.

What Experts Say



Special Challenges





Mutual Understanding

• The receiver must understand the message sent by the sender, the sender must know the the receiver understands the message.

• Refers to any response that you make to the sender of a message.

Developing A Feedback Message

Noise• Anything that interferes, detracts, or adversely affects the message.

• Internal interference: processes within a person

• External distortions: environmental noise

What Experts Say



Special Challenges





Se

nd

ing

Re

ceiv

ing

MessageDevelopment

Decoding

MutualUnderstanding

DevelopingFeedbackMessages

MutualUnderstanding

Encoding

Analysis

Stimulus

Analysis

Message

Feedback

Noise

What Experts Say




Special Challenges

1. Information management2. Critical thinking3. Goal setting

1. Information management2. Critical thinking3. Goal setting

1. Determine purpose2. Situation analysis3. Message design4. Media selection

1. Determine purpose2. Situation analysis3. Message design4. Media selection

1. Interpretation2. Evaluation

Figure 1.1The Communication Process



The End

Copyright © 2000 South-Western College Publishing Co.



References

16 Golden, 1986

18 (Reidenbach & Robin, 1989; Tuleja, 1985

14 Maguire, T. Web nets the masses. Inc. Magazine, December,1998, p. 18-20.