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A Book of How To's for businesses.
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Rule of Thumb
14
Chapter 1:What Is Communication,
and Why Should I Care About Doing It Well?
Just off the tops of our heads, most of us think of communication as simply
talking. Yes, it is that, but it is also much more than that. Communication involves
writing. It also involves knowing what one wants to say and how to say it before
speaking or writing. In other words, it involves planning. Knowing how the
communication process works helps a person understand the importance of thinking
and planning, as well as the importance of effective communication.
Rule of Thumb: Remember that communication is a PROCESS, not the end result. Writing is NOT the finished written piece of information. Writing is how you get from the idea to the finished product.
DefInITIon
Communication is the process by which information, ideas, opinions, etc., are
exchanged between two or more people, with the goal of mutual comprehension.
Communication is either written or spoken. (Nonverbal communication, which is an
integral component of spoken/verbal communication, is addressed in Chapter 4.)
Communication requires someone to give (i.e., “send”) the message and
someone to receive and understand the message. The goal is for both the sender and
receiver of the message to have the same understanding of the information.
Effective communication is the goal. Ineffective communication wastes
everyone’s time and energy. Effective communication delivers information in a
15
Communication Basics
clear and concise manner (meaning short, simple and to the point) and is clearly
understood by the person(s) receiving the information, whether the person is hearing
the message or reading it. The person should understand the message clearly the first
time he or she hears it or reads it.
Rule of Thumb: Your ability to communicate effectively will build a positive image of you and your company.
WhAT ARe The BenefITS of CommunICATIng Well?
The benefits are many. Grasping the importance of these benefits provides an
excellent motive for paying close attention to how you communicate and for making
the effort to continually work on improving your skills.
● Your personal image will be positive.
● Your company image will be positive.
● Customers will understand clearly what products or services you are providing
and for how much; good communication minimizes confusion
and misunderstanding.
● Employees will know exactly what you want, what you need from them, what
exactly they are to do, what you expect, etc.
● If you have a boss (or bosses), he or she will know exactly what you are saying,
what you may need, what you would like him/her to do, etc.
● If your position involves possibility for advancements, your odds for getting
those advancements improve significantly.
● Your values and those of your company will be expressed clearly, adding to the
positive image of your company.
● Negotiations with suppliers, business associates and employees will be clear,
thus minimizing misunderstandings, miscommunications, hurt feelings, anger,
etc. Each person will clearly understand the other’s position, what may or may
not be possible, what still needs to be discussed and settled, etc.
Rule of Thumb
16
● Good communications skills automatically lead people to think you are an
expert in your field. The opposite, unfortunately and sadly, is quite often true
of poor communication skills: People will mistake poor communication skills
for ignorance.
This last benefit often escapes the attention of many business people, as well
as those in every other profession. Unfortunately, most people will notice poor
communication skills in others but forget to take note of their own. Make sure you
are one of those who does pay attention to any need you may have for improvement
in communicating – and then be sure to do something about it.
Rule of Thumb: Poor communication skills will, unfortunately and unfairly, be mistaken for ignorance. No one ever said that life is fair.
WRITTen vS. veRBAl CommunICATIon
Your business activities will continually involve both written and verbal
(spoken) communication. Both are important. Both are reflections of you and your
business. Learning to do both effectively will provide you a clear advantage over
those people who do not.
Written communication is information that is written in a letter, in a memo,
on the Internet, in e-mails, in marketing/advertising materials, etc. In other words,
something that the person getting the message (the “receiver”) must read.
● Advantages
♦ Written communication provides a permanent record. Having a paper trail
is always wise for important information that must be remembered or is
needed for your records or for legal reasons.
♦ Written information provides the receiver the ability to read the message at
his/her convenience.
♦ Written information can be read as quickly or as slowly as needed for the
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Communication Basics
reader to absorb the information.
♦ Written information can be reread as often as needed or desired to aid or to
refresh one’s memory.
● Disadvantages
♦ Written communication lacks those all-important nonverbal signals (eye
contact, facial expression, tone of voice, etc.) that enhance or create
meaning. (Nonverbal communication is discussed further in Chapter 4.)
♦ The gap in time from when the message is written to when the message is
read can be significant.
♦ Sending a written message provides no guarantee as to whether the
intended person received the message or when he/she might read it.
♦ A written message lacks the opportunity for the person receiving it to
provide immediate feedback.
♦ The writer of the message is usually unavailable to answer questions or to
clarify any of the information.
♦ Written communications may need storage space if they are in hard copy.
Even e-mails may need to be printed out and filed for the company’s
records.
Verbal communication (also commonly referred to as “oral” communication) is
an exchange of information done through speaking. It can be a casual conversation
with family or friends or an exchange of work-related information on the job or at a
meeting – i.e., any verbal exchange no matter with whom or in what circumstances.
Spoken communication is usually less formal than is written communication –
unless, of course, you are giving a formal presentation to a group at a conference,
meeting, etc.
● Advantages
♦ Verbal communication is immediate. The listener receives the message in
the same time stream in which it is sent.
♦ Verbal messages provide the opportunity for instant feedback from
Rule of Thumb
18
the listener.
♦ Nonverbal cues are present to enhance and clarify meaning.
♦ The listener has the ability to ask questions to clarify the message or
request additional information.
♦ Because of the personal contact, verbal communication is far more
conducive to building relationships than is written communication.
● Disadvantages
♦ Verbal messages leave no permanent record or paper trail. If a record is
needed, the parties involved in the conversation must make a written note
of the details (topic, place, time, those involved, result, etc.).
♦ The listener loses the ability to absorb the message at his/her own pace.
♦ A verbal message cannot be reviewed or reread to refresh one’s memory.
♦ The memory of a verbal conversation may be recalled differently by the
people involved, sometimes creating confusion, misunderstanding, and
even frustration or anger.
Each situation must be evaluated for the best way to deliver a message.
Judgment calls such as this will always be part of your daily experience as a
manager or business owner. While a great deal of everyday communication in the
workplace will be spoken, you will be faced with those situations in which you must
decide if the information must be delivered in writing, and if so, what form that
writing should take (letter, e-mail, memo, etc.)
The CommunICATIon PRoCeSS
Communication is a two-way process requiring both a sender (i.e., the person
giving the information) and a receiver (i.e., the reader or the listener). Without a
listener, you might as well talk to a post. Without a reader, you might as well send
the written information or talk to that same inanimate post. The process becomes a
circular, back-and-forth process as soon as the listener (or reader) responds with any