6. Business communication

Our life consists of listening and speaking. It is no matter who you are – the manager of a giant corporation or, a low-paid employee in a small office – being involved into some kind of business activity and have some goals and wishes – you have to communicate with others. That is why communication skills are necessary if you wish to success in business activity or in any other sphere of life.

The process of communication consists of a number of elements. Let’s consider some ones.

Effective listening. During a conversation people usually are too attentive to what they are going to say to create a good impression. We can meet people who cannot come to the agreement because of being unable to listen. You will never convince a person if you don’t show interest. It is impossible to see another point of view if you only hear it but not listen. Effective listening becomes the simplest way to move the feelings of interlocutor. It is a matter of common sense: to listen is the right way to create a good impression.

Feedback. Manner of talking or acting informs the interlocutor of your behaviour. During the conversation both sides exchange this kind of information. It should correspond with expectations that the feedback is positive. If it is not both sides feel uncomfortable. The progressive management avoids hurting people.

Appraising performance is a usual approach to evaluate employees’ performance. Effective manager systematizes his relations with subordinates, from time to time conducts some sort of performance-appraisal interviews which give spontaneously evaluation of person’s performance. There are some methods of evaluation – Rating and Management by Objectives – are more likely to fit the real life. The performance appraisal skill has a great impact on the career of employees. During performance-appraisal interview managers make decisions concerning the promotion or dismissal of subordinates.

Oral persuasion includes all those above mentioned skills. A manager may reach a success using persuasion, not authority, even when having authority. The fact, that the power does not mean the motivation is obvious for the democratic society. If you want to impose your views on another person or on a group of people it is not enough to order them thinking in a certain way. Being persuaded people feel they are acting on their own accord. Improvement of persuading techniques means using facilitative tactics and tailoring your approach to different people.

Task 1

Translate into Russian.

A low-paid employee; communication skills; to create a good impression; to convince a person; to move the feelings of interlocutor; feedback; to correspond with expectations; to evaluate employees’ performance; rating and management by objectives; to make decision; oral persuasion; to order smb thinking in a certain way.

Task 2

Translate into English.

Общаться с кем-то; преуспеть в бизнесе; прийти к соглашению; заметить другую точку зрения; вопрос здравого смысла; манера говорить; оценка деятельности; проводить интервью; оказывать значительное влияние на карьеру; продвижение по службе или увольнение подчиненных; навязать свои убеждения другому человеку.

Task 3

Answer the questions.

1. What are communication skills necessary for?

2. The process of communication includes several elements, what are they?

3. Why are people often unable to come to an agreement?

4. What creates a good impression on the interlocutor?

5. For what purpose are performance-appraisal interviews conducted by managers?

6. What is considered to be more important – persuasion or authority?

Task 4

Read the text. Summarize the information given bellow.