BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

FY BBA SEM-1

BY:
Anees Multani
 WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?
 The English word ‘communication’ is derived from the Latin communis, which means common sense. The
word communication means sharing the same ideas. In other words, the transmission and interaction of facts,
ideas, opinions, feelings, or attitudes. Communication is the essence of management. The basic function of
management (planning, planning, staffing, supervision, and management) cannot be done effectively without
effective communication.
 Communication is a two-way process involving transferring information or messages from one person or
group to another. This process goes on and includes a minimum of one sender and receiver to pass on the
messages. These messages can either be any ideas, imagination, emotions, or thoughts. Communication is a
Latin word which means “to share”. There are different modes of communication available today. These
include emails, chats, WhatsApp, skype (conference calls), etc. Effective communication makes people’s work
easier and smooth.
 Communication is the sending and receiving of information and can be one-on-one or between groups of
people, and can be face-to-face or through communication devices. Communication requires a sender, the
person who initiates communication, to transfer their thoughts or encode a message. This message is sent to
the receiver, a person who receives the message, and finally, the receiver must decode, or interpret the
message. This sounds simple enough but is more complicated.
 We can't have culture, society, or civilization without the ability to communicate with one another. Good
communication prevents wars and misunderstandings, helps us meet our needs, establishes rules and laws that
aid in the structuring of society, helps people find and keep employment, provides information and guidance to
people, and passes down cultural traditions, norms, and values.
 Process of Communication

Message

Noise

Encodes Decodes
Feedbac Shared Feedbac
SENDER RECEIVER
k Meaning k
Decodes Encodes

Noise

Channel
Message

Context
 Communication Process
Communication is an ongoing process that mainly involves three components namely. sender, message, and recipient.
The components involved in the communication process are described below in detail:

1. Sender: The sender or contact generates the message and transmits it to the recipient. He is the source and the first
contact

2. Message: It is an idea, knowledge, opinion, truth, feeling, etc. produced by the sender and intended for reference.

3. Encoding: The message produced by the sender is encrypted in a symbolic way such as words, pictures, touches,
etc. before transfer.

4. The media: This is how the coded message is conveyed. The message can be conveyed orally or in writing.

5. Receiver: You are the last person in the chain and the message you sent was sent. If the recipient receives the
message and understands it correctly and acts on the message, only then the purpose of the communication is
achieved.

6. Decoding: is the process that receivers go through to make sense of the message. Decoding is influenced by
many factors, including cultural background, listening abilities, and attitudes toward the source or channel.
7. Feedback: Once the recipient confirms to the sender that you received the
message and understood it, the communication process is complete.
8. Channel is the medium that carries a message once it is encoded by a source.
It includes “live” meetings, group meeting, telephone calls, video conferencing ,
others like letters, memos, e-mails, faxes etc.
9. Noise is anything that interferes with communication.
It includes psychological distraction, emotional distractions, physiological
distractions, etc.
10. Context is the situation or setting in which communication occurs.
Context can influence a communication event's content, quality and effectiveness.
This may include physical context, cultural context, and the social context.
 Forms / Types of Communication
1. Verbal communication
2. Non verbal communication

 The Verbal Communication is a type of oral communication wherein the message is transmitted through the

spoken words. Here the sender gives words to his feelings, thoughts, ideas and opinions and expresses them in

the form of speeches, discussions, presentations, and conversations.

 The effectiveness of the verbal communication depends on the tone of the speaker, clarity of speech, volume,

speed, body language and the quality of words used in the conversation. In the case of the verbal

communication, the feedback is immediate since there are a simultaneous transmission and receipt of the

message by the sender and receiver respectively.

 Types of Verbal Communication

1. Interpersonal Communication:

 Interpersonal communication involves the information, ideas, and feelings being exchanged verbally or

non-verbally between two or more people. Face-to-face communication often involves hearing, seeing, and

feeling body language, facial expressions, and gestures.

 In other terms, Interpersonal communication is exchanging information, meaning, feelings, and opinions

between two or more people via verbal and non-verbal means.

 Interpersonal communication refers to communication between two or more people. It involves the

exchange of messages, ideas, and information between individuals. This can take many forms, including

face-to-face conversations, phone calls, emails, and video conferences.

 Types of verbal Communication

2. Intrapersonal Communication:

 Intrapersonal communication can be defined as communication with one's self, and that may include

self-talk, acts of imagination and visualization, and even recall and memory

 Intrapersonal communication is communication with oneself or self-to-self communication. Examples

are thinking to oneself "I'll do better next time" after having made a mistake or having an imaginary

conversation with one's boss because one intends to leave work early.

 Intrapersonal communication is the communication you have with yourself, either spoken, written, or

thought. Intrapersonal communication can be anything from solving a complex problem in your mind

to thinking about what to wear today or what to have for breakfast.

 Types of verbal Communication
3. Mass Communication:
 Mass communication is the process of imparting and exchanging information through mass media to large
population segments. It utilizes various forms of media as technology has made the dissemination of
information more efficient.
 Mass communication is defined as the transfer of messages through larger media platforms i.e. Television,
Radio, Print Media, and also via technology-driven channels like News Portals, YouTube Channels,
Facebook and Instagram Pages, etc. to a large audience.
 Mass communication is a complicated phenomenon. Its use has had a significant impact on society,
shaping not only cultural norms and values but also the way people perceive and interact with the world.
It disseminates new ideas and beliefs, and it affects its audiences’ buying habits, styles, schedules, and
health.
 4. Media Communication
"Media communication" refers to the process of transmitting information, messages,
or content through various media channels to a target audience. It encompasses the
creation, dissemination, and exchange of information using different forms of media,
including print, broadcast, digital, and social media platforms
1. Television: Television is a medium of one-way communication where a viewer is
shown information in the form of audiovisual. It can be monochrome or colored. It is
one of the popular sources of spreading information.
2. Radio: Radio is a communication medium where the information is passed on the
audio form. The radio receives signals by modulation of electromagnetic waves. Its
frequencies are said to be below those of visible light.
3. Print: A print is a hard copy of a picture used in a magazine, books, newspaper, etc.
With the help of print, an audience can connect better with the content matter.
4. Internet: The Internet is the largest and the most popular type of communication
media. Almost everything can be searched on the internet. The internet has access to
all the relevant information sought by the audience.
5. Outdoor Media: Such forms of mass media revolve around signs, placards,
billboards, etc that are used inside or outside of vehicles, shops, commercial
 Types of communication
2. Non-Verbal Communication
 Nonverbal communication means conveying information without using words. This might involve using certain facial
expressions or hand gestures to make a specific point, or it could involve the use (or non-use) of eye contact, physical
proximity, and other nonverbal cues to get a message across.
 Posture, facial expressions, and eye contact are examples of nonverbal messages. We all use these cues in daily
conversation, even involuntarily. Nonverbal communication also involves the way we present ourselves to others.
 Nonverbal communication is about your ability to observe and interpret others’ physical gestures. It is the flow of
information from one person to another using nonverbal cues. For example, stuttering, lack of eye contact may show that
this person could be lying. Whether we realize it or not, we all use nonverbal communication constantly.
 Your behavior and gesture, such as tone of voice, amount of eye contact, and facial expressions, send information to
others. An individual may say one thing, but their nonverbal cues may imply a different meaning. Such contradictory
signals may give you a sign that this person is not speaking the truth.
 Flow of Communication
1. Downward Communication

 It refers to the formal process of relaying information to employees through a chain of command. The
downward flow of communication transfers information from a higher level to a lower level in an organization.
 Top-level managers use downward communication to provide information to employees on company
objectives, strategies, policies, and procedures. They use speeches, meetings, memos, and messages to get their
message across to all employees. One of the goals of downward communication is to provide information that
employees need to get the job done. Another goal of downward communication is to motivate employees to
meet and even exceed expectations.
 Downward communication, also known as top-down communication, is the vertical process of sending a
message or passing a piece of information down the hierarchical ladder. Simply put, downward communication
flow takes place whenever a person in charge communicates a message to the people in a lower-level position,
such as managers.
 2. Upward Communication
 Upward communication is the flow of information from lower to higher levels in the organization’s hierarchy. Its main purpose is to
provide feedback to higher-ups, inform them of progress toward goals, and relay challenges on several areas of organizational
functioning.
 Upward communication is the process by which lower-level company employees can directly communicate with upper management
to provide feedback, complaints or suggestions regarding the day-to-day operations of the company. Upward communication is
increasing in popularity among organizations to encourage a participative work culture Companies that foster upward
communication are better able to make decisions that positively impact their employees.
 Upward communication can install a sense of mutual trust between upper management, lower management and employees. This is
because lower-level employees trust that company officials will consider their suggestions. In contrast, upper management believes
that employees use this direct communication method to be proactive and positive. For example: Company executives allow
employees to give feedback or advice during a company-wide meeting.
 Using upward communication creates the opportunity for improvements to workplace procedures and, consequently, workplace
productivity. For Ex- An employee notices that a delay in communication between upper and lower management limits the amount of
time they have to complete a marketing campaign for the company. They suggest a direct email channel where upper management
can send information directly to the marketing team. This action helps increase productivity.
 Advantages of Upward Communication
1. Monitor Employees’ Performance and Receive Feedback- The upward flow of communication allows the employees to provide feedback
to their superiors. This way, the managers can easily understand their requirements. Moreover, they can control the performance of the
employees via daily, weekly or monthly reports passed on to them. This is one of the crucial merits of upward communication as this creates
scope for improvements.
2. Employees’ Grievances - Through complaint boxes or direct letters, employees can let their superiors know of the troubles or challenges face.
They can express their dissatisfaction regarding any policy, safety procedures, work environment, etc. Cases of discrimination, bullying, or
any type of injustice can also be reported via employee grievance.
3. Room for Suggestions- Effective upward communication encourages bottom-level employees to positively contribute to the company’s goals.
This can be in the form of ideas, constructive opinions, past experiences, improvements, and so on. Involving the ground-level staff is the best
way to learn about your customers and their expectations, as well as the company’s functioning.
4. Completes the Two-way Process- While downward communication helps disseminate information from higher to lower levels, upward
communication allows the opposite flow. This makes communication two-way and complete, thereby increasing its efficiency.
5. Development of Plan- Without upward communication, the management can face numerous hurdles in decision-making and strategy
development processes. Collection of information, facts, statistics, market situations, etc., is imperative before implementing any changes.
Even developing a new plan requires knowing the ground reports. All of this is possible because of the crucial benefits of upward feedback as
it allows the bottom-level employees to be involved in the planning.
 Disadvantages of Upward communication
1. Unwillingness or Hesitation among Employees- Lack of confidence in subordinates and hesitation to
speak for themselves to their superiors is the biggest limitation of upward communication. Most bottom-
level employees feel either shy or unenthusiastic to reach out to those at higher levels. For example,
instead of clarifying a doubt with the manager, a worker might prefer asking their peer for help.
2. Distorted Information- To satisfy or impress the superiors, the subordinates can attempt to modify data
and manipulate the original message. While this reduces the employees’ burden for some time, it’s
unhealthy in the long run. They start seeing responsibility as a burden and the company’s efficiency
reduces due to insufficient information.
3. Fear of Superiors- Another disadvantage of upward communication in an organization is fear of
superiors, which can also be the reason behind a subordinate’s hesitation to communicate. This may be
due to past troublesome experiences, hearsay, or the superior’s unwelcoming behavior. The employees
might see sending feedback to their managers as rude or questioning the abilities of their superiors. They
can even fear losing their jobs by communicating freely with those at the higher levels.
4. Time-consuming- Compared to downward communication, a lot of filtering of
information takes place in upward communication. Due to the numerous levels that a message
has to go through, the process gets delayed and becomes extremely time-consuming. This is
the biggest problem with upward communication as it leaves the employees unheard and
unmotivated.
5. By-passing- Last, but not least, there’s a high risk of bypassing levels in the organizational
hierarchy when the flow of information is upward. For example, the employees may directly
contact the department heads without informing their team leaders. This leaves the team
leaders feeling unconfident and self-doubtful. Furthermore, it causes misunderstandings and
hampers the labor-management relationship.
 Horizontal Communication
 Horizontal communication is also known as lateral communication or sideways communication. In a horizontal
communication network, communication occurs between two individuals at the same level in an organization. The
same ranked persons can be in the managerial hierarchy or at the subordinate level.
 Interactions in a horizontal channel of communication can be within the same department or done
interdepartmental. In the case of interdepartmental communication, managers or subordinates of the same rank
from different departments communicate with each other to achieve common goals.
 This gives rise to the interdependence between different departments and builds a stronger level of coordination to
run a business. Horizontal communication is important in sorting out business problems by creating a collaborative
work environment. Workers at the same level can communicate with one another to share experiences and sort out
issues.
 Developing teamwork is one of the core purposes of horizontal communication is to build a cohesive work
environment where individuals can communicate and promote stronger coordination.
 Advantages of Horizontal Communication

 Horizontal communication is a time-saving method of communication as information is

transmitted peer-to-peer.
 It improves the coordination of tasks between employees which boosts team spirit and
employee morale.
 Lateral communication also helps in solving organizational problems by promoting team
building, group discussions, etc.
 It provides emotional assistance and creates social bonds between the members of the
organization.
 Disadvantages of Horizontal communication

 Horizontal communication can be time-wasting if individuals spend too much time

communicating information that does not help the goals of a business.
 Major limitation of horizontal communication is that it can give birth to gossip and rumors
among employees which is not beneficial to a healthy work environment.
 Too much horizontal communication between employees can cause conflicts, start
rivalries and cause work demotivation.
 Crosswise(Diagonal) Communication
 Diagonal communication, also known as crosswise communication, is a type of business communication where the
exchange of information occurs between individuals or teams who are not in the same department or at the same level
in the organization.
 The diagonal flow of communication allows people from different departments to talk to each other, even if they don’t
work directly together. This helps information flow across different departmental lines and encourages collaboration.
 In modern organizations, diagonal communication facilitates tackling challenges in ways vertical and horizontal
communication cannot. During the various stages of production, one department may require assistance from another
department. Individuals from different departments can also be put into a task team to carry forward special
objectives.
 It allows individuals in the organization with no direct reporting relationship to interact with each other. Messages can
be transmitted from one level to another by anyone in the organization. One of the main purposes of diagonal
communication is inter-departmental communication. Different departments in a company can communicate and
coordinate with each other to reach common goals.
 Advantages of Diagonal Communication
 Enhances Understanding: Diagonal communication can help individuals to better understand the goals,
challenges, and perspectives of other departments or teams within an organization. This can lead to better
alignment and coordination across the organization.
 Increased Innovation: Diagonal communication can foster innovation by bringing together individuals from
different parts of an organization who may have different backgrounds, expertise, and perspectives.
 Better decision-making: Diagonal communication ensures that decision-makers have access to all the relevant
information and perspectives before making a decision. This helps to avoid biased decision-making and
ensures that decisions are made based on objective data and analysis.
 Fosters cross-functional teamwork: Diagonal communication facilitates cross-functional teamwork by enabling
individuals to gain a better understanding of the bigger picture and how their work contributes to the broader
organizational goals.
 Limitations of Diagonal Communication

 The foremost limitation of diagonal communication is that It does not follow the official line
of command and disrupts organizational structure.
 Diagonal communication may lead to the spread of misinformation and incomplete data.
 Diagonal communication can lead to confusion and distortion of the message as it can be
delivered by anyone of any rank.
 Diagonal coordination may lead to grapevine formation and gossip.
 The organization can find it difficult to monitor diagonal communication.
 Grapevine Communication
 Grapevine communication is defined as communication that occurs in an organization without adhering to a
prescribed framework. As a result, grapevine communication can be defined as an informal and unofficial
means of communication within an organization. Consider the lunch meetings you have with your coworkers.
 Word-of-Mouth: This type of grapevine communication is an informal way for people to pass information from
person to person. Gossip: The purpose of gossip is often to make or break someone's reputation, and it's a
common way that people talk about other people
 For Example- The vice president of marketing may have developed a friendly relationship with the content
marketing head. The VP of marketing might casually communicate with the content head about the merger of
the company with an MNC. The content head spreads this merger news with his department without following
any formal announcement, and ultimately the news gets spread among various departments of the organization
through the grapevine channels.
 Advantages of Grapevine communication
1) Spontaneous and fast: In grapevine business communication, messages are spread rapidly as they are not
required to follow formalities or pass through an official chain of command.
2) Improves social relationships: Grapevine communication in an organization helps in strengthening social
bonds and building stronger networks within and outside the organization.
3)Multidirectional communication: Grapevine communication can flow in any direction
(upward, downward, horizontal, diagonal) between different individuals regardless of the official hierarchical
chain of command.
4)Supplements for formal communication: Grapevine communication is beneficial as it fills in the gaps
where formal communication is not as effective. Matters such as emotions, feelings, and personal issues of
employees can only be discussed using informal communication.
 Disadvantages of Grapevine communication
1) Non-verifiable: It is difficult to track down the source of a message and verify its contents when it is
communicated using an unofficial and informal channel of communication.
2) Misleading: Grapevine communication can be detrimental to an organization as it can easily be
misused to spread misleading information, half-truths, false stories, etc.
3) No responsibility: It is difficult to trace the original source of a message in grapevine communication.
This makes it harder to pinpoint the person who spread the misleading information.
4) Gives rise to gossip: Grapevine communication may give birth to rumors and gossip in the workplace.
This can also destroy the reputation of employees and managers. There is a higher possibility of a
message getting distorted when transmitted using grapevine communication. This negatively affects the
trustworthiness of informal communication channels.
 7cs of Effective communication(Principles)
 Conciseness- In formal communication, we should be very careful about the
briefness/conciseness of the message. As brevity is one of the principles of formal
communication. Also, it is one of the important elements and prerequisites of effective
communication. It is always helpful for both the sender and the receiver because it saves their
time. Concise messages are helpful in getting the meaning. (expressing or covering much in
few words; brief in form but comprehensive in scope).
 Correctness- Correctness means the accuracy of thoughts, figures, and words. If the given
information is not correctly conveyed, the sender will lose reliability. While communicating
we should be careful about the correct use of grammar, message composition and appropriate
words. Successful communication depends on the correct use of language & grammar.
 7cs of Effective communication
 Concreteness- While communicating one should be very specific. Concreteness is an
important aspect of effective communication. It is about being specific and definite rather
than general. In oral communication, one cannot draw tables and graphs to make our
statement specific, but we can use apt and precise words to convey a message. If the message
is specific, that saves time and increases the likelihood.(to the point and particularly
appropriate: an apt comment)
 Clarity- Clarity is one of the principles of formal communication. Whatever we
speak/communicate should have clarity. The idea of the message should be very clear in the
mind of the sender. The sender must be careful about the clarity of thought and objective of
communication.
 7cs of Effective communication
 Completeness- Effective communication depends on the completeness of the message.
Incomplete messages create ambiguity in the audience. A complete message brings the
desired results without any expense or additional information. Therefore, each and every
message which is sent by the sender should be complete.
 Consideration- It is an act of consideration. While sending a message the sender should look
from the angle of the audience. The sender should understand the feelings and emotions of
the receivers. It shows that in communication we should consider the audience.
 Courtesy- Courtesy means polite behavior. While communicating everybody should show
politeness towards others. It facilitates communication. The polite messages help to
strengthen relationships and to create goodwill, which helps in expanding the business.
 Barriers to Effective Communication
 Communication is defined as the process by which information is exchanged between individuals through
a system of signs, symbols. The concept of communication involves a sender, a message and a recipient.
 The sender sends the message and the recipient is the receiver of the message. The process of
communication is never smooth as it is affected by the barriers of communication.
 Barriers to effective communication can result in confusion which can lead to incorrect information being
conveyed or miscommunication which can lead to loss of business.
 Following are some of the barriers to effective communication:
1. Semantic barriers
2. Psychological barriers
3. Organizational barriers
4. Cultural barriers
5. Physical barriers
6. Physiological barriers
 Barriers to Effective Communication
 Semantic barriers: Semantic barriers are also known as language barriers. These barriers are caused
due to improper communication between the sender and the receiver. The following instances of
semantic barriers can be witnessed in communication.
 Poor quality of message: Message when communicated should be precise and easy to understand, that
makes it easy for the receiver to grasp the information conveyed. Sometimes, due to the lack of clarity
or complexity of the way of providing information from the sender, there can be a case of semantic
barriers. For e.g. A manager is conversing in English to a group of workers who understand and speak
Bengali. It will create confusion among workers as they will not be able to understand what is being
conveyed by the manager.
 Technical language: Language barriers also arise when the sender of the message is speaking in
technical terms while the receiver is unaware of the terms. It creates confusion and misunderstanding
between the sender and receiver by acting as a barrier to effective communication.
 Psychological Barriers: Psychological barriers play an important role in interpersonal communication
as the state of the mind of the sender or the receiver can make it difficult to understand the information
that is conveyed, which often leads to misunderstanding.
 Here are some instances where psychological barriers to communication can be seen.
 Premature evaluation of information by the receiver even before it is transmitted can lead to barriers in
communication, as it will create premature conclusion to the message, which withholds the original
message.
 Inadequate attention from the receiver’s end at the time of communication can lead to barriers of
communication as the information conveyed by the sender is not properly received by the receiver.
 When information is passed within multiple sources, the final information is distorted as the receivers
of the message are not able to retain everything that was conveyed. This can cause communication
barriers.
 Attitudes and opinions- Personal attitudes and opinions often act as barrier to effective
communication. If an information agrees with our opinions attitudes, we tend to receive it
favorably. Anything contrary automa turns us off. For example, if a change in the policy of
an organization pro advantageous to an employee, he welcomes it as good; if it affects him
he rejects it.
 Emotions- Emotional states of mind play an important role in the communication. If the
sender is worried, excited, afraid, nervous! thinking will be blurred and he will not be able
to organize his message properly. The state of his mind is sure to be reflected in his message.
In the same when emotions of the receiver will also affect the communication process. If he
is or upset, he will not take the message in proper light.
 Organizational barriers: Organizational barriers are those barriers that are caused
due to the structure, rules and regulations present in the organization. The various
types of barriers that can be encountered due to superior subordinate relationships
where the free flow of communication is not possible. Sometimes the complexity of
organizational structure and multiple managers make it difficult to convey information
properly, and the information gets distorted leading to miscommunication.
 Cultural barriers: Cultural barriers are those that arise due to lack of similarities
among the different cultures across the world. A term that can be harmless in one
culture can be regarded as a slang in another culture. Moreover, various beliefs can
differ from one culture to another.
 Physical barriers: Physical barriers to communication are those that arise due to
certain factors like faulty equipment, noise, closed doors and cabins that cause the
information sent from sender to receiver to become distorted, which results in
improper communication.
 Noise- It is quite often a barrier to communication. In factories, communication is
rendered difficult by the loud noise of machines. However, noise does not relate to
sound alone. The word 'noise' is used to refer to all kinds of physical interference
like poor telephone connections, Noise from the outside etc.
 Time and distance- Time and distance also act as barriers to the smooth flow of
communication. The use of telephone along with computer technology has communication very
fast and has, to a large extent, overcome the space barrier. However, sometimes mechanical
breakdowns render these facilities ineffective. In such cases, the distance between the
transmitter and the receiver become mighty barrier. Some factories run in shifts. There is a kind
of communication gap between persons working in different shifts. Faulty seating arrangements
in the room can also become a barrier to effective communication, for whichever seats the
employees may be occupying, they definitely want an eye contact with one another.
 Physiological barriers: Physiological barriers arise when a sender or the receiver of the
communication is not in a position to express or receive the message with clarity due to some
physiological issues like dyslexia, some physical issue etc.
 Benefits of Communication
 Mitigated conflict- Effective workplace communication can help reduce conflict or tension at work.
Most conflicts arise due to ineffective communication tactics which lead to individuals
misunderstanding what's being communicated. Misunderstandings can result in employees or other
members of an organization feeling not understood, disrespected, disregarded or simply not
performing in an expected manner.
 Increased employee engagement- Effective communication does more than just ensure information
is accurately received. It also works to connect others and keep open lines of communication between
employees and other members of the organization. This ultimately works to create better engagement
between employees, which can lead to increased employee satisfaction and healthier company culture.
Ways that communication improves employee engagement include that it:
 Helps management better understand the goals and needs of employees and what motivates them
 Ensures employees' skills and talents are recognized and utilized when possible
 Benefits of Communication
 Improved productivity- Employees who feel connected to their work and have a clear understanding of
what's expected of them are more likely to be productive and perform efficiently. When employees don't
understand their role or expectations in a position or have limited resources to perform their duties, they
often feel confused or as if they aren't able to perform their job to the best of their ability. Ensuring
information is readily available and communicated in an effective manner allows employees to accurately
perform their duties and can increase productivity throughout the organization.
 Improved client relations- Good communication in the workplace isn't just relevant to employees of the
organization. Effective communication also directly affects client relations. Organizations that
communicate well with their customers or clients are more likely to build solid relationships and retain
clients versus companies that don't prioritize client communication. Customers look for companies that
value their relationship and keep them up-to-date on changes and are more loyal when they feel connected
to these companies.
 Benefits of Communication

 Healthy workplace culture- Effective communication plays an important part in maintaining a

healthy workplace culture. Many workplaces employ people of all different cultures, races and
beliefs, and conflict will naturally arise when so many differences are present. A culture of open
communication fosters a healthy and accepting environment where all employees feel equal and
understood.
 Boosted employee job satisfaction- Employees who are part of an organization that practices
good communication in the workplace are more likely to experience increased job satisfaction. A
transparent and trustworthy environment supports employee satisfaction by creating a harmonious
workplace that is enjoyable to work in and keeps employees engaged in their positions.
 Conceptual understanding of Phonetics
 Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that studies how humans produce and perceive sounds, or in the
case of sign languages, the equivalent aspects of sign. Linguists who specialize in studying the
physical properties of speech are phoneticians.
 Phonetics is defined as the branch of linguistics that studies the production and classification of human
sounds. Phonetics pays special attention to the influence that vocal organs (such as the lips and
tongue) have in the formation and annunciation of sounds. Phonetics also includes the study of how
non-verbal speech is learned, used, and understood.
 Overcoming Barrier to Effective Communication

1. Plan your communication carefully- It means choosing the right medium and sending the
communication at the most appropriate time. It also means using words (or any other tools)
that will generate positivity in the receiver's mind.
2. Know the Receiver- This basically implies a clear perception of the receiver'sframe of
reference. What is his level of education, his age, his experience, his status in the
organization he belongs to? What is his cultural background? This knowledge will help you
avoid several barriers.
3. Listen more; speak less- Listening more and talking less is the formula to understand
others. We should remember the old dictum-we were given one tongue but two ears so that
we could listen twice as much as we talked.
 Overcoming Barrier to Effective Communication

 Put yourself in others' shoes- Before a communication is transmitted, put yourself in the receiver's
shoes and try to see how you would react to it in case you were to receive it. Would this
communication create a favorable impression on your mind? Would you get the intended meaning
unambiguously? Edit your communication suitably if required.
 Take care of your tone- How we say is usually more important than what we say. Perfectly innocent
words can become highly offensive if spoken harshly or sarcastically. Make sure that your tone
throughout the communication is positive and courteous,
 Seek feedback and offer clarification- The communication process is completed only when
feedback is received on it. Seek feedback and offer clarifications, if needed, immediately and
willingly. It would help to eliminate mis under- standings before they have done any serious damage.