Business Communication

In order to move up the executive ladder you most have excellent communication skills. Top corporate executives spend most of their time communicating. Effective communication strengthens the connections between a company and its shareholders. You want to give useful information, make sure that the information is clear and ethical, be concise and most Importantly do not use street or social media lingo. Media channels for business communication include the Internet, print media, radio, television, ambient media, and word of mouth.

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According to Excellence In Business Communication Tenth edition by Tall/Above employers expect employees to be competent In a wide range of communication tasks, such as organizing Ideas and Information logically, express Ideas and Information, expressing ideas and information coherently and persuasively, actively listening, communicate effectively with people of diverse backgrounds, use of communication technologies effectively and follow accepted grammar, spelling, and other high quality writing and speaking.

While social media changes daily, we as senders and receivers are empowered through social media and must be able to move forward and embrace the changes effectively. Business communication can also refer to internal communication. A communications director will typically manage internal communication and craft messages sent to employees. It Is vital that internal communications are managed properly because a poorly crafted or managed message could foster distrust or hostility from employees.

The communication process model Is designed to assist with basic communication processes. The Intent is to help improve what the sender is trying to communicate to the audience. To be a successful communicator one must have a clear idea of what is being suggested. The allow up from the audience will provide positive or negative feedback, which allows the sender to evaluate the effectiveness of what was interpreted by the audience. The communication process is a great tool if used correctly.

Unfortunately, sometimes there are a variety of communication barriers, which can block or distort the idea the sender is sending. The sender must be able to identify the problem in order to move forward with the message and how it was Intended. Business communication is a common topic included In the curricula of Masters of Business Administration (MBA) programs of many unlettered. AS well, many community colleges and unlettered offer degrees In Communications.

There are several methods of business communication, Including: ; Web-based communication – for better and improved communication, anytime anywhere ; video conferencing provide an instantaneous medium of written communication worldwide; ; Reports – important in documenting the activities of any department; ; Presentations – very popular method of communication in all types of organizations, usually involving audiovisual material, like copies of reports, or material prepared in Microsoft

Powering or Adobe Flash; ; telephoned meetings, which allow for long distance speech; ; forum boards, which allow people to instantly post information at a centralized location; and ; face-to-face meetings, which are personal and should be succeeded by a written follow. ; suggestion box,it is mainly for upward communication as because some people may hesitate to communicate to the to management directly so they can give suggestion by drafting suggestion in suggestion box. Businesses and the population of today’s society use technology extensively.

According to John V. Till and Cortland L. Above, “To communicate effectively, learn to keep technology tools productively, guard against information overload and information addiction, use technological tools productively, and disengage from the computer frequently to communicate in person”. – Technology is only growing; and the more it advances, the more ways we can advance in business. And one way of doing this would be by Virtual Meetings. These meetings help to connect people around the country or even around the world.

Also helps to reduce costs and resource usage. Video-conferencing is a big way that people are communicating through businesses. Video-conferencing helps to let business participants see and hear each other, as well as being able to demonstrate or transmit products and information. Teleconferences is another big way of communication within businesses. It helps by being able to connect and negotiate through virtual white-boards connected to others around the world. Another form of technology used is Online-Brainstorming.

In which a company conducts “idea campaigns” to generate new ideas from people across the organization. These technologies are helping to conduct business meetings, in a more productive manner. L] With all the new technology at our fingertip, provide us with Advantages of working in teams, for example: increased information and knowledge increased diversity of views increased acceptance of a solution higher performance levels. Disadvantages of working in teams are: Group-think, hidden agendas, Cost of time and money and characteristics of effective teams.

These may consist of: clear objectives, shared sense of purpose, trust, open communication, honesty and overall resolve conflicts Group dynamics: a) the roles that team members assume b) the current phase of team development c)the team’s success in resolving conflict ) the team ‘s success in overcoming resistance The following guideline will help you collaborate more successfully Select collaborators carefully Agree on project goals before you start Give your team time to bond before dividing in Clarify individual responsibilities Establish clear process Avoid composing as a group Make sure tools and techniques are ready and compatible across the team Check to see how things are going along the way Collaboration Technologies consist of Content management Wick website Groupware changes carefully Discuss improvement rather than flaws Focus on controllable behavior Be specific Keep feedback impersonal Verify understanding Time your feedback carefully Highlight any limitations your feedback may have Business communication is somewhat different and unique from other types of communication since the purpose of business is to make money. Thus, to develop profitability, the communicator should develop good communication skills.

Knowing the importance of communication, many organizations train their employees in communication techniques. – One of the most important things in business is always being well-prepared, and alongside that comes production and readiness for tenting. One of the steps in ensuring productive meetings is Clarifying your purpose. In this case the leader or manager of the meeting, needs to get every ones attention and to explain the purpose of that meeting thoroughly. And once everyone figures out his or her role, they will have a better understanding and will help in the process of gathering more information and better results. One of the biggest steps would be Selecting Participants for the meeting.

When selecting participants for a meeting you have to ask yourself things like; Does he or she really need to be their? Or are they in the position to be in this meeting retaining this information? Also, Choosing the Venue and Time of the meetings is a huge part. The meetings can be online, in person, or even during the phone for a conference call. Either way you do it, make sure everyone is on the same page while getting the point across clearly. And when having everyone together, it is important to Set the Agenda. Making sure everyone is prepared to present information, or sharing in other duties, can help move the process along, while producing a successful meeting. [2] There are also here major modes of listening according to Shone V. Till, Cortland L.

Above. (2013). Including the the importance of listening intently without Judgment or interrupting the speaker until he or she has completely finished. The three major modes of listening are content listening, critical listening, and empathic listening. The most important thing to remember is to give the speaker your utmost attention he or she deserves and really listen to what is being said so you can process the information. The problem with selective hearing is that your full attention is not 100% focused on he speaker as it should be. This will cause you to only retain the information you think is important and possibly miss the real point.

Types of business communication Nonverbal communication can be more important than verbal and influence the message that we are trying to convey because people usually concentrate and place a higher trust in what you are doing with your body language rather than what you are saying. Above/Till’s Excellence in Business Communication 10th edition book stresses the importance of nonverbal signs that can strengthen a spoken message, weaken it or replace the message all together. Facial Expressions, primarily your eyes express a lot of what someone is trying to communicate and the intensity of their feelings. Gestures and posture, either voluntary or involuntary carry a specific meaning such as slouching; leaning forward or fidgeting while speaking to someone will let them know your state of mind.

Vocal characteristics including pitch, pace and stress convey a specific message to the audience and a speaker is able to control it. Personal Appearance must be matching the style of the people who are the target of audience feel the warmth, comfort and reassurance that we are trying to convey. Time and space can also be used to assert authority or imply intimacy. Showing respect to others by not standing to close when talking or invading someone’s private space will also vary by culture such as touching behavior described above. Verbal communication: Verbal communication is a type of communication that involves use of words for communicating. Non-verbal communication: [Non-verbal communication] is a mode of communication which only major uses body language and various other physical gestures as a means for communicating. ; Written communication: Written communication is a type that only includes written forms for communicating. Chi. 12 BBC. 1 collapse Total views: 1 (Your views: 1) There are 3 factors that are thought about, when adapting to the audience. ; Being sensitive to the audiences needs. Building strong relationships with the audience. Controlling the style and tone. And also adapting the “you” attitude; maintaining a strong sense of etiquette, emphasizing the positive, and using bias-free language.

This attitude is especially helpful in dealing with the highly technical, complex, or lengthy reports and proposals. Drafting Report Content Accurate-?double-check facts and references. Complete-?present all information to audiences needs. Balanced-?present all sides of issue, fairly and equitably. ; Clear and Logical-?make sure writing is uncluttered. Documented Properly-?properly document and give credit to your sources Drafting Proposal Content Demonstrate knowledge in terms meaningful to the audience. ; Provide concrete information. Research the competition. ; Prove that proposal is appropriate. Relate to the reader’s exact needs. ; Package your proposal attractively. John V. Till, Cortland L. Above.

The fours aspects of being sensitive to audience when communicating messages are: A. The Mimi” Attitude The principle to this aspect is that you need to adapt to the audience and not the way around. Failing to do so, will result in loss of interest by the audience. You can prevent this by replacing terms such as (l, me, mine, us, and ours) with (You and Yours. ) By persuading your audience with the muff” attitude, you will improve audience communication in a way that your audience will want to interact and be part of. Warning: be aware of not using the muff” strongly or in other words authoritative, this can cause your audience to feel accused rather than incorporated. A.

Positive Emphasis It is important to keep positive even when there are negatives. There are ways to communicate negative events or news without being negative. Never try to hide negative news, rather look out for the pros or positive outcomes of that negative news. Another way to keep positive emphasis is by avoiding direct criticism; instead use constructive criticism to focus and direct ways of improving mistakes. Always complement on the goods aspects of your audience; this will motivate them to keep up the good work. A. Business Etiquette It is important to maintain good standard of etiquette when communicating to people outside your organization or of higher rank.

Keeping your emotion with-in from everyday business is crucial to maintain peace and harmony of group. For example; though you may want be straight-honest and direct with the other person, think twice and make sure no personal feelings will be involved. Instead of being emotional about an issue, try to be kind and thoughtful to the other people, you will get better results. D) Bias-Free Language According to Till and Above of business communication, Bias-free language avoids rods and phrases that unfairly and even unethically categorize or stigmatize people in ways related to gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability, or other personal characteristics. (Example) Words such as: Businessman, Woman doctor, is unacceptable.

Instead use Executive, Doctor respectively. Phrases like Mary Crazy, 58, has Just Joined our trust department or Not surprisingly, Thing-Tune You excels in mathematics are also unacceptable. Instead use Mary Crazy has Just Joined our trust department, and Shining-Tune You excels in mathematics respectively. To establish a good business relationship with our audience you must be fair, or at least appear to be so (127. ) Establishing your credibility is a vital aspect to buildings strong relationships with your audience because: By establishing credibility to your audience, it builds a foundation of trust, a very important element to good business relationship.

Tips on how to enhance credibility could be by emphasizing honesty, objectives and awareness of audience needs. Make sure you cover what your audience needs and not only your needs. Other forms to increase your credibility are by sincerity and performance. People not only want to hear what you say, but also want to see and feel with action and performance. Projecting the company’s image is another vital aspect of building a strong relationship with your audience because: When you communicate outside of your organization, you are representing everyone in that company. So if successfully done, the company moves up as a unit, but if your intended audience is not captured by your projection the contrary will happen.

Beware: your Company’s interest and reputation take precedence over your personal communication style, so be sure to read specific guidelines and observe colleagues on how they communicate outside he organization so that when you do so you are rightfully representing the company and giving the desired image. According to John V. Till, Cortland L. Above. (2013). Excellence in Business Communication tenth edition, there are four types of sentences: simple (has one main clause), compound sentence (has two main clauses), complex sentence (has one main clause and one subordinate clause), and the compound-complex sentence (has two main clauses and at least one dependent clause). If you only use simple sentences in a paragraph then you reader may not get the whole meaning and content of your thoughts. You should be able to set the tone, sentences within the paragraph.

Your main objective is to keep the reader’s interest piqued and so well informed that he or she would not have to ask any questions when you are through saying what you have to say. The three key elements of a paragraph are: 1 . A topic sentence that reveals the subject of the paragraph 2. Related sentences that support and expand the topic 3. Transitions that help readers move between sentences and between paragraphs. To develop unified, coherent paragraphs we must use: 1 . Illustration – giving examples that demonstrate the general idea 2. Comparison or contrast – using similarities or differences to develop the topic 3. Cause and effect – focusing on the reasons for something 4. Classification – showing how a general idea is broken into specific categories 5.

Problem and solution – presenting a problem and then discussing the solution These are the most common software features that help craft messages more efficiently are: 1 . Style sheets, style sets, templates and themes 2. Boilerplate and document components 3. Autocorrelation or autocorrelation 4. File merge and mail merge 5. Endnotes, foot notes, indexes, and tables of contents ; Employment communication: Employment communication is a mode of communication that is particularly used for accepting the applicants for a Job. ; Electronic communication: Electronic communication is the modern way of communication that includes electronics and latest technology for communicating such as teleconferencing e-mail, etc. Team B Communication: Team B Communication is a form of communication that exists in the cyber classroom where solid teamwork and collaboration results in excellent grades in academia. 1) Advantages of having a diverse workforce broadens the spectrum of viewpoints and ideas, helps companies understand and identify with diverse markets, and enables companies to benefit from a wider range of employee talents. The challenges faced with intercultural communication are supervisors connecting with diverse employees, teams working together closely and companies coexisting peacefully with business partners. Intercultural communication goes beyond mere words to beliefs, values, and emotions. 2) Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms of behavior.

People learn culture directly or indirectly from other members of their group. As you grow in a culture, you are taught by the group’s members who you are, how best to function, acceptable behaviors, and by observing which values work best in a particular group. Ethnocentrism is the tendency to Judge other groups according to the standards, behaviors, and customs of one’s own group. Stereotyping is assigning generalized attributes to an individual on the basis of membership in a particular group. The importance of recognizing cultural variations: Recognizing cultural variations is important because with doing so we are able to better communicate with diverse audiences.

The revision tasks may vary somewhat, depending on the medium and the nature of your message. Audiences are likely to equal the quality of your writing with the quality of your thinking. To evaluate the content of your first draft, answer the following questions: ; Is the information accurate? ; Is the information relevant to audience? ; Is there enough information to satisfy the readers’ needs? Is there a good balance between general information (giving readers enough background information to appreciate the message) and specific information (giving readers enough details they need to understand the message)? When evaluating someone Else’s writing, first make sure your input would have written.

Second, make sure you understand the writer’s intent before you begin suggesting or making changes. With those thoughts in mind, answer the following questions: ; What is the purpose of the document or message? ; Who is the target audience? ; What information does the audience need? Does the document provide this information in a well-organized way? ; Does the writing demonstrate the “you” attitude toward the audience? ; Is the tone of the writing appropriate for the audience? ; Can the readability be approved? ; Is the writing clear? If not, how can it be approved? ; Is the writing as concise as it could be? ; Does the design support the intended message? ) Four techniques you can use to improve the readability of your message are: ; Vary your sentence length, which helps to maintain reader interest and control the emphasis given to major and minor points. Keeping your paragraphs short is easier to read than longer ones, and make your writing look inviting. ; Using lists to clarify and emphasize the sequence of your ideas, heighten their impact visually, and increase the likelihood that a reader will find key points. ; Adding headings and subheadings help in three important ways: They show readers at a glance how the material is organized, they call attention to important points, and the highlight connections and transitions between ideas. 3) Eight helpful steps one can take to improve writing clarity are: ; Establish that the information is accurate.

Printing, binding and delivering reports can be expensive, so weigh the cost verses the benefits before deciding (Chapter 6, page 171). How convenient is the work for you and your audience? Consider recordable audio media for extremely large files or file hosting such as “media fire” (Chapter 6, page 171). Top 6 Reasons for Business Communication Barriers 1 . Complex Messages: The use of complex technical terms can result in a lack of communication. The remedy is to stick to the point, use clear and concise messages that are easy to understand. ; 2. Withholding Information: In an organization, much information that is needed is readily available and easily accessible. ; 3. Different Status: Management must keep employees well informed and encourage feedback. ; 4.

Ineffective Communication Processes: The maintenance of the hierarchy in the organization is essential, but its very presence can reduce the flow of the communication. It is therefore essential to reduce hierarchical levels and increase departmental interaction and communication. ; 5. Lack of Trust: The most important factor behind a lack of communication in an organization is competition, which leads to a lack of trust among the various employees. Share information, communicate openly and honestly, involve others in decisions. ; 6. Language barrier Language barrier is another important factor in business communication, if communication happens without a common language, it is not worthwhile.

Organizations Founded in 1936 by Shank with the Association for Business Communication (BBC),[6] originally called the Association of College Teachers of Business Writing, is “an international organization committed to fostering excellence in business immunization scholarship,research ,education, and practice. ” ; The IEEE Professional Communication Society (PC’S) [2] is dedicated to understanding and promoting effective communication in engineering, scientific, and other environments, including business environments. PC’s academic Journal,[7] is one of the premier Journals in Europe communication. The Journal’s readers are engineers,writers, information designers, managers, and others working as scholars, educators, and practitioners who share an interest in the effective communication of technical and business information.