Lecture notes on business communication. Учебное пособие

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1.Courteous: While communicating, it is necessary to be considerate, compassionate and friendly. We should avoid becoming sarcastic, impatient, irritated or critic. Congenial and healthy environment is essential for an effective communication. The following tips should be considered to achieve courtesy in communication:

Be sincere

Avoid anger

Refrain from preaching

Use positive words

Avoid all discriminating words

2.Concrete: clarity and conciseness come with the use of concrete words. Use of figures, facts, names, examples and vivid words add a special touch to expressions. The message is remembered easily. In business communication, we need to be precise and factual. Concreteness means opposite of being abstract and vague.

3.Correct: The message to be communicated should be correct in spelling, grammar, format, contents, statistical information etc. Incorrect and inaccurate statements mislead the reader, lower his confidence in the communicator and blur the image of the organization.

4.Candid: For effective communication, it is most imperative that the message to be communicated should be straightforward and frank. It should not be indirect, multi-vocal or untrue. If there is something which hinders the truth, it will lead to prejudices and doubts about the sincerity of the communicator.

5.Clear: clear expression is a fine balance between familiar words and words that are precise. Precision does not mean using jargon. Business requires the use of the right or the expected word and not general words that might cause ambiguity. For clarity one must know what kind of words the receiver will accept. Clarity not only means clear in expressions but in thoughts too.

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6.Complete: It is necessary for any effective communication. Incomplete message breeds misunderstandings and misinterpretations which leads to further queries resulting into waste of time and resources. Completeness does not only mean providing all necessary information, including something extra but also how the matter has been put across to the receiver of the message. The substance and style of the message must go together.

7.Concise: This is a pre-requisite to effective business communication. Time is money in business. Conciseness is achieved by eliminating all redundant words. It means conveying the message in fewest possible words without sacrificing its completeness and clarity. Concise messages appear more interesting to the reader, retain his attention and also save his time.

1.2. Components of communication

Effective communication cycle involves the following important steps, viz.; source, message, channel, receiver, feedback, environment, context, interference. Each component has an important function in the whole process of communication. Let’s discuss them.

Source

The source imagines, creates, and sends the message. In public speech the source is the person giving the speech. He or she conveys the message by means of sharing new information with his/her audience. The speaker also transmits his message by his or her tone of voice, body language, choice of clothing. The speaker usually begins by determining the message—what to say and how to say it. The second step is encoding his message choosing the certain order or the words intended to convey the meaning. The third step is to send the information to the audience. Finally, by watching audience’s reaction, the source understands how well his audience received the message and clarifying or supporting additional information if needed.

Message

The message is the stimulus or meaning produced by the source for the receiver or audience. When you plan to give a speech or write a report,

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your message may seem to be the words that in your opinion will convey your meaning. But it is the beginning. The words need grammar and organization. The message also consists of your individual characteristics— your tone of voice, your body language, and your appearance, your writing style and punctuation you choose.

Channel

The channel is the way in which a message or messages are transmitted between source and receiver. For example, think of your internet resources. How many sites do you usually read or watch? Each channel takes up some space, even in a digital world, in the cable or in the signal that brings the message of each channel to your home. In case of video resources we see a combination of the audio signal you hear with the visual signal you see. Together they convey the whole message. Now turn off the volume. Can you still understand what is happening? Many times you can, because body language shows you what’s happening. Now turn up the volume but turn around so that you cannot see the picture. You can still hear the dialogue but lack face emotions or movements of the heroes. Spoken channels include face-to-face conversations, speeches, telephone conversations and voice messages, radio, etc. Written channels include letters, memorandums, purchase orders, invoices, newspaper articles, blogs, e-mail, text messages, tweets, and others.

Receiver

The receiver receives the message from the source, analyzing and interpreting the message in ways both intended and unintended by the source. As a receiver you listen, see, touch, smell, i.e., use all your senses to receive a message. Various nonverbal responses of your public can be the clues on how to regulate your opening. Being in their place, you anticipate what you would do if you were them.

Feedback

Responding to the source, intentionally or not, you give the feedback. Feedback is composed of the messages a receiver sends back. Verbal or nonverbal, all these signals allow the source to see how accurately

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(or how poorly) the message was perceived. Feedback provides an opportunity for a receiver or audience to ask for additional information, to agree or not, etc.

Environment

The environment is the atmosphere, physical and psychological, where you send and receive messages. Environment can include tables, chairs, lighting, and other factors in the room. The room itself is an example of environment. Environment can also have such factors as formal dress indicating if the discussion is open or more professional and formal. As a speaker, your environment will impact and play a role in your speech. It’s always useful to check where you’re going to speak before the day of presentation.

Context

The context of communication involves setting, scene, and expectations of the individuals involved. A professional communication context may involve business cases that directly or indirectly influence the expectations of words and behavior of the participants.

Interference

Interference, also called noise, can come from any source, e.g., if you drove a car to work or university, chances are you were surrounded by noise. Car horns, billboards, or perhaps the radio in your car interrupted your thoughts, or your conversation with a passenger. Psychological noise is what happens when your thoughts occupy your attention while you are hearing, or reading, a message. Interference can come from different sources. Perhaps you are hungry, and your attention to your current situation interferes with your ability to listen. Maybe the office is hot and stuffy. If you were a member of an audience listening to a lecture, how could this impact your ability to listen and participate? Not all noise is bad, but noise interferes with the communication process. For example, your cell phone ringtone may be a welcome noise to you, but it may interrupt the communication process in class and bother your classmates.

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1.3. Theories, types and barriers of communication

Some significant theories which serve the purpose of understanding the process of communication include:

1. Bull`s Eye Theory (One-way communication model).

This theory is based on the one-way action (sender), doing something to someone (receiver). The sender plays an important role; he is the one who encodes the message with the help of arbitrary symbols. The skills of the sender are aimed at changing the receiver’s behavior, being persuasive, selling or other things. This theory implies only transmission part of the communication. It does not recognize the message from recipient`s point of view. In short, the whole theory is in favour of sender where receiver plays a passive role.

2. Ping-Pong Theory (Two-way communication model).

This theory is also called interaction or interpersonal theory. It is based on the game of table-tennis which represents the turns taking place between a sender and a receiver. According to this theory, we have linear cause and effect relationship. It implies giving and receiving information by both parties. In short, both the parties involved play active roles and without the feedback from the receiver, the sender is handicapped and the whole cycle of communication remains incomplete and vague.

3. Spiral theory (Transaction theory of communication)

This theory states that communication is a continuous process. According to the theory, the communication process moves in a spiral between sender and receiver. The term transaction implies interdependence when one party gives the other. Both parties are equal partners in the transaction and so are interdependent. According to spiral theory just as every action has its reaction, in the same way there is continuous action and reaction in the process of communication.

In 2001, Philip Clampitt applied these theories to business context, pointing out that managers in business typically use one of three different approaches while communicating: the arrow, the circuit and the dance.

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Arrow managers believe that communication operates one way, as in firing an arrow. If your aim is good, then you will hit the target. If you have a clear message, then you will communicate. On the positive side, arrow managers may well spend some time working out their ideas and making sure that their messages and instructions are as specific as possible. However, it can be very dangerous to see listeners as simply passive processors of information. Arrow managers can also be insensitive to possible ambiguities in what they say and how they say it.

In contrast, circuit managers concentrate on communication as a two-way process, emphasizing the importance of feedback. They usually emphasize the importance of good listening and trust in relationships. Clampitt argues that this approach also has some weaknesses. In particular, he feels that circuit managers can overemphasize agreement and fail to recognize real differences in views within the workplace. Circuit managers may assume that disagreement is simply a matter of poor communication and that more communication will almost automatically lead to agreement.

Clampitt concludes that the metaphor of dance is the most appropriate way of describing communication. To support his view, he lists a number of similarities between communication and dance, including the following:

Both are used for multiple purposes. You can dance to entertain others, to impress your partner, to express yourself, and so on. In the same way, you can communicate for different reasons: to inform, to persuade, to impress, etc.

Both involve the coordination of meanings. The importance of coordination is an obvious feature of dance. You have to know what your partner thinks is the best way of doing the dance – you have to know what they are going to do next. When we communicate we also have to recognize how other people see the situation, recognize what they are doing and respond accordingly.

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We shall see how important this is in communication when we look at interpersonal skills.

Both are governed by rules. There are sets of rules which apply to different types of dance: what sort of steps to use, how these steps are organized in sequence, what dress is appropriate. In communication process different rules also apply to different communication situations – ranging from the rules and conventions of grammar through to social rules and expectations. Also, these rules can change over time and be negotiated by the participants.

Types of communication

Now after we have examined the components of communication, we can analyze them in context. Several types of communication can be singled out on the basis of different parameters.

On the basis of organizational structure – formal and informal communication.

A person's manner of speaking can determine whether an expression is formal or casual. These distinctions result from proximity, the type of contact and the method of message transmission. As the name implies, formal correspondence is more structured and has official approval. On the contrary, unplanned casual communication, also known as the grapevine, results from unofficial relationships between individuals. Therefore, gossip, idle conversation, personal chats are informal forms of communication while meetings, scheduled discussions and similar activities are official forms. The degree of formality in the choice of words used in a piece of conversation also gets affected by situation and relationship. “All participants are requested to go upstairs” is a formal expression whilst “upyou go chaps” is informal.

Not all communication is official. Actually, informal conversation takes place in workplaces much more frequently than formal communication. On average, individuals spend between 25% and 70% of

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their workdays having face-to-face conversations and between 88% and 93% of their time communicating informally.

On the basis of dimensions/flow – downward/upward communication; horizontal/diagonal communication.

Depending on whether employees or the general public are the target audience, organizational communication may be internal or external. The direction of dialogue within an organization can be upward, downward, horizontal, or diagonal. Horizontal communication occurs between peers, diagonal communication occurs across levels and divisions, and upward communication occurs when information is passed from lower levels of hierarchy to higher levels. A deputy rector communicating with the rector of the university is an example of upward communication, whereas the rector communicating with the deputy rector is downward communication. Horizontal contact occurs when the deputy rector for academic activity speaks with the deputy rector for scientific work. Diagonal contact occurs when the deputy rector speaks with the associate professor.

On the basis of medium – verbal/ non-verbal communication. Verbal communication means communicating a message by speaking or writing the message to the recipients. Before engaging in verbal communication, the sender must understand the language in context properly and be able to articulate his/her ideas in that language as precisely as possible. Verbal communication entails listening, speaking, writing and reading.

Non-verbal communication means to communicate using behavioral cues such as body language, appearance, gestures etc. Here are 8 top most non-verbal communication ways:

1. Facial Expression: Facial expression is the most important of all the nonverbal cues because it becomes most apparent when talking or interacting with another person. Understanding the facial expression of the counterpart is crucial to understand the situation and the context of the communication.

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2.Gestures: Often used by traffic police, gestures are the ways to communicate meaning without words. During conversations, gestures may be used to smooth the flow of information and ease the recipient’s mind.

3.Vocal Tone: The sound of the voice can indicate a great deal about the person who is speaking. These are not technically verbal communication. A strong voice can convey support and excitement for a statement. The same words might express contempt and lack of interest when used in a hesitant manner.

4.Posture: Good posture can indicate effort from a person in business environment. When someone sits straight or stands firm, it signals that the person is serious and dedicated to his role. On the other hand, a relaxed posture and being cozy indicate lack of effort and even laziness.

5.Personal Space: A person must respect the person space of another person in personal and professional setting. Invading the personal space of another person will signal disrespect towards that man.

6.Eye Contact: In nonverbal communication, eye contact is crucial. Important cues include gazing, blinking, and looking. A person may sense if someone is being honest by looking into their eyes. Normal, steady eye contact is frequently interpreted as an indication of honesty and reliability. On the other side, unsteady eyes and an inability to sustain eye contact are commonly seen as signs of dishonesty or deception.

7.Appropriate Touch: Another crucial nonverbal communication strategy is touch-based communication. A firm handshake may communicate confidence and enthusiasm from a person.

8.Appearance: A person’s dress up can communicate significantly about that person’s personality and character. In office environment, it is expected to wear formal attire and formal shoes. If a person is not paying attention to the dress code, it signals that the person is not mindful or dedicated to his job.

On the basis of context – intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, public, mass communication.

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Intrapersonal communication means communicating within oneself. It is an internal dialogue in the mind of an individual. It may be clear or confused depending upon the person’s state of mind. The message is clear if the mind is free, silent and still or it is confused if the mind is in stress.

Interpersonal communication describes the interaction between two people/parties. It is direct and face to face allowing for maximum interaction and exchange of words and gestures. This form is more influential than any other form of communication.

Group communication is an extension to interpersonal communication. Here, two or more persons interact with each other in such a way that each influences the other. It occurs when meetings are held to discuss the issues that impact the lives or performances of each member. Group communication takes place in the following forms: debate/group discussion; meetings; conferences; committees; panel discussions; seminars, etc.

In public communication one person speaks or writes to a small or large group of people. The speaker or writer may ask questions, and engage the audience in a discussion, but the dynamics of the conversation are distinct from group communication.

Mass communication. Mass media is a powerful force in modern society adapting rapidly to new technologies. Therefore, mass communication involves sending a single message to a group. It allows communicating our message to a large number of people, but we are limited to adapt our message to specific audiences, or groups, as in the case of public communication. In this case, you can use multimedia, films, or other images that your public finds familiar and engaging.

Barriers to communication

In any process of communication we can face various obstacles that give rise to many problems in communication. They include:

1.Physical barriers

•Defects in medium

•Noise in environment