Achieving Success

Through Effective
Business Communication

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 1

 Achieving Success in Today’s
Competitive Environment

Competing
Competing for
for Jobs
Jobs Winning
Winning Customers
Customers

Writing
WritingClearly
Clearly Listening
ListeningCarefully
Carefully

Speaking
SpeakingSkillfully
Skillfully Adapting
AdaptingtotoSituations
Situations

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 2

 Effective Communication

StrongerDecision
Stronger DecisionMaking
Makingand
andFaster
FasterProblem
ProblemSolving
Solving

EarlierWarning
Earlier WarningofofPotential
PotentialProblems
Problems

IncreasedProductivity
Increased Productivityand
andSteadier
SteadierWorkflow
Workflow

StrongerBusiness
Stronger BusinessRelationships
Relationships

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 3

 Effective Communication

Clearerand
Clearer andMore
MorePersuasive
PersuasiveMarketing
MarketingMessages
Messages

EnhancedProfessional
Enhanced ProfessionalImages
Imagesfor
forEmployees
Employeesand
andCompanies
Companies

LowerEmployee
Lower EmployeeTurnover
Turnoverand
andHigher
HigherEmployee
EmployeeSatisfaction
Satisfaction

BetterFinancial
Better FinancialResults
Resultsand
andHigher
HigherReturn
Returnfor
forInvestors
Investors

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 4

 Communicating in
Organizational Settings
Internal External
Formal

Planned Communication Planned Communication

Among Insiders With Outsiders
Informal

Casual Communication Casual Communication

Among Employees With Outsiders

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 5

 Internal Communication

Downward

Upward

Horizontal

Grapevine
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 6
 External Communication

Formal
Formal Methods
Methods Informal
Informal Methods
Methods

Public
Public Social
Social Virtual
Virtual
Marketing
Marketing Relations
Relations Networking
Networking Communities
Communities

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 7

 Recognizing Effective
Communication
 Practical information
 Factual information
 Concise and efficient information
 Clear expectations and responsibilities
 Persuasion and recommendations
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 8
 What Employers Expect

Organizing Ideas
Organizing Ideas Presenting Coherently
Presenting Coherently
and Information
and Information and Persuasively
and Persuasively

Communicating with
Communicating with
Listening Effectively
Listening Effectively
Diverse People
Diverse People

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 9

 What Employers Expect

Using Communication
Using Communication Mastering High-Quality
Mastering High-Quality
Technology
Technology Speaking and
Speaking and Writing
Writing

Practicing
Practicing Communicating
Communicating
Business Etiquette
Business Etiquette Ethically
Ethically

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 10

 Why Is Business
Communication Unique?

Globalization
Globalization Information
Information Pervasiveness
Pervasiveness
and
andDiversity
Diversity Value
Value of
of Technology
Technology

Reliance
Reliance New
NewCorporate
Corporate Communication
Communication
on
onTeamwork
Teamwork Structures
Structures Barriers
Barriers

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 11

 Increasing Value
of Business Information

Knowledge
Knowledge Workers
Workers

Competitive
Competitive Customer
Customer Regulations
Regulations
Insights
Insights Needs
Needs and
andGuidelines
Guidelines

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 12

 Globalization
and Workforce Diversity

Products
Productsand
andMarkets
Markets

Communication Communication
Challenges
Business
BusinessPartnerships
Partnerships Opportunities

Employees
Employeesand
andExecutives
Executives

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 13

 Pervasive Technology

Communication

Continuous Learning

Competitive Advantage

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 14

 Evolving Organizations

Tall Structures

Flatter Structures

Flexible Structures

Corporate Cultures
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 15
 Reliance on Teamwork

Assignments
Assignments
and
and Projects
Projects

Communication
Communication
Issues
Issues

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 16

 Effective Communication

Connect with Audience Minimize Distractions

Use Audience Improve

Centered Approach Communication Skills

Give Useful Feedback Use Business Etiquette

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 17

Connect with the Audience

Communication Process

Communication Barriers

Mind of Your Audience

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 18

 Communication Process
1 8 7
Sender
Sender Audience
Audience Audience
Audience
Has
Hasan
anIdea
Idea Provides
ProvidesFeedback
Feedback Responds
RespondstotoMessage
Message

2 6
Sender
Sender Audience
Audience
Encodes
Encodesthe
theIdea
Idea Decodes
DecodesMessage
Message

3 4 5
Sender
Sender Sender
Sender Audience
Audience
Produces
ProducesMessage
Message Transmits
TransmitsMessage
Message Receives
ReceivesMessage
Message

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 19

 Communication Barriers

• Noise and Distractions

• Competing Messages

• Filtering of Messages

• Channel Breakdowns
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 20
 The Mind of the Audience

Business Messages

Receiving
Receiving

Decoding
Decoding

Responding
Responding

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 21

 Receiving Messages

Consider
Consider Ensure
Ensure
Expectations
Expectations Ease
Easeof
of Use
Use

Emphasize
Emphasize Practice
Practice Design
Designfor
for
Familiarity
Familiarity Empathy
Empathy Compatibility
Compatibility

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 22

 Decoding Messages
Cultural Issues

Individual Beliefs

Language Issues

Thinking Styles
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 23
Responding to Messages

Memory

Ability

Motivation

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 24

 Minimize Distractions

Use Common Sense

Practice Courtesy

Respect Differences

Insulate Yourself
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 25
 Minimize Distractions

Limit Messages

Prioritize Messages

Recognize Feelings

Anticipate Reactions
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 26
 Audience-Centered Approach

The “You” Attitude Emotional Intelligence

Focus
Focuson
onthe
theAudience
Audience Learn
LearnAbout
About the
theAudience
Audience

Care
CareAbout
About the
theAudience
Audience Relate
Relateto
tothe
theAudience
Audience

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 27

Build Communication Skills

On-the-Job
On-the-Job
Training
Training

Communication
Communication
Classes
Classes

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 28

 Giving and Responding
to Feedback
Constructive
Constructive Destructive
Destructive
Feedback
Feedback Feedback
Feedback

ProcessFocused
Process Focused PersonalAttacks
Personal Attacks

OutcomeFocused
Outcome Focused UnclearGuidelines
Unclear Guidelines

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 29

 Etiquette in Business

Respect

Courtesy

Common Sense

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 30

Communication Technology

Maintain Perspective
Maintain Perspective

Boost Productivity
Boost Productivity

Reconnect with
Reconnect with People
People

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 31

 Ethical Communication

True in Every Sense

Includes Relevant Information

Not Deceptive in Any Way

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 32

 Unethical Communication

Unethical
Unethical Practices
Practices

Selective
Selective Misinterpreting
Misinterpreting Distorting
Distorting
Plagiarism
Plagiarism Misquoting
Misquoting Numbers
Numbers Visuals
Visuals

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 33

 Making Ethical Choices
DifficultTradeoffs
Difficult Tradeoffs

Ethical Dilemma
Ethical Dilemma Stakeholders
Stakeholders
ConflictingLoyalties
Conflicting Loyalties

IllegalChoices
Illegal Choices

Ethical Lapse
Ethical Lapse BusinessPressures
Business Pressures

UnethicalChoices
Unethical Choices

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 34

 Ensuring Ethical Business
Communication
Individual Corporate
Employees Code of Ethics Management

Policies and Structures

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 35

 Legal and Ethical Behavior

Promotions
Promotions Intellectual
Intellectual Property
Property

Contracts
Contracts Financial
Financial Reporting
Reporting

Employment
Employment Defamation
Defamation

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1 - 36