Communication Skills – VET 2015

1st Semester

MODULE-1 – Communication in Business

By:

Dr.K.S.Naik

Quotes on Communication

Communication is any behavior that results in an exchange of

meaning

- American Management Association

Communication is the process involving the transmission and

reception of symbols eliciting meaning in the minds of the

participants by making common their life experiences.

- Baird Jr.E.John

Effective communication is purposive symbolic interchange

resulting in workable understanding and agreement between the

sender and the receiver

- George T Vardaman

Definitions of Communication

Communication is a process of passing information and understanding from one

person to another

- Keith Davis

Communication is any behaviour that results in an exchange of meaning -

AMA

Communication may be broadly defined as the process of meaningful interaction

among human beings. It is the process by which meanings are perceived and

understandings are reached among human beings.

- D.E.McFarland

Any act by which one person gives to or receives from another person

information about that person’s needs, desires, perceptions, knowledge or

affective states. Communication may be intentional or unintentional, may

involve intentional or unintentional signals, may take linguistic or non linguistic

forms, and may occur through spoken or other modes.

- Julia Valenzuela

Historical Communication

Napoleon:

Year : November 10, 1799

Place : Paris

Situation : Napoleon, armless and all alone,

surrounded by a troop of enemies

Outcome : Napoleon declared monarch

in the next few hours

Porus:

Year : 326 BC

Place : Punjab

Situation : Porus defeated by Alexander

Outcome : Porus back as a King

What is communication?

The word ‘Communication’ is used in common talk

Usually to mean speaking or writing or sending a

message to another person.

In management:

It ensures your message reaches the target audience.

The receiver understands and responds

Ensures that the sender also receives, understands,

interprets and responds to messages sent by the

receiver.

Communication is an important aspect of behavior

Human communication is affected by all factors that

influence human behavior.

Role of Communication – Importance

A primary skill in management competency

A skill central to everything we do – home, school, office…..

A mortar that holds organisation together

Most important foundation skill for anyone in the world – ability

to communicate – globally

Communication in offices – ideas, persuasion

Public relations

Advertisement

Aviation

Space-science

Communication to inform

Communication to persuade

Importance of communication

Communication is central to human activity.

It is an integral part of our daily life.

In daily life, we have to:

Adaption:

Adapt our communication to a variety of human

settings and or persons

Based on the role we are assuming in the

interaction.

Make Decisions:

Make daily decisions

About the appropriateness of the messages we

sent

Contd…

Communication:

Be aware that the manner and methods we choose to

communicate our messages.

Have an impact on the effectiveness of those

messages.

Evaluation:

Interpret and evaluate messages received everyday.

And decide what action to take on the basis of the

message.

Interaction:

Interact with people in groups

At home and outside home and at work.

Contd…

Education:

Development of a person

Family Life:

Communication the best nurturing ground.

Social Life:

Social adjustment, psychological development

Professional Life:

Basic competence

Benefits of Effective Communication

Communication Skills Important to You

Communication important to business

Business wants and needs people with good

communication skills

Communication ranks at or near the top of the business

skills needed for success.

Employers must have a good communication skill to

advance professionals.

To stand out from the competition, one must

demonstrate the unwritten requirements that are now

most in demand

Leadership and communication skills.

There is a high correlation between communication

skills, growth and income.

Goals of Communication in Organizations

To inform

To provide information for use in decision making

But not necessarily advocating any cause of action

To request

To ask for a specific action by the receiver

To persuade

To strengthen or change a receiver’s belief about

something

And act on the belief, if needed

To build relationships

To create goodwill with the receiver.

Business Depends upon Communication

Every business is an economic and social system

To produce and sell goods and services any business must

coordinate with

Employees

Suppliers

Customers

Legal advisors

Community

Government agencies

This feet is achieved largely through communication

Information is managed and exchanged through many oral

written and electronic forms

Communication enables human beings to work together

Main Categories of Business Communication

Falls into 3 categories of communication in Business:

1. Internal – operational communication:

The communicating done in conducting work within

the organization.

Such as giving orders for processing, assembling,

reporting, etc.

2. External – operational communication:

Work related communication with people outside the

business.

Such as personal settings, telephoning, advertising

and sending message.

External message conveys an image of the company.

Contd…

3. Personal communication:

Non-business related exchanges of

information and feelings among people

Affect employee attitudes

And attitudes affect employee performance

Further, enhances internal and external

business communication

Communication Networks of Organization

Communication Networks in Organization

Information flow in a business can be said to form two complex

networks: Formal & Informal

1. Formal Network:

Consists of the official

More stable lines of communication.

2. Informal Network:

Consists largely of personal communications which are

complex and keep changing

Known as ‘grapevine’ in management literature

Managers can not always control grapevine, but they can

influences it.

A Model of Business Communication Process

Business communication is an interpersonal well-

directed process.

Figure shows the basic elements of a business

communication event.

This model focuses on what happens when someone

deliberately undertakes to communicate with someone

else to achieve business related goals

Both parties in a communication event influence the

outcome of that event.

Channels of communication

Communication networks of organisation

Downward

Upward

Horizontal

Diagonal

Communication Forms

Interpersonal face to face

Group communication

Speaker – audience communication

Telephone/cell communication

Written communication

Characteristics of Communication

International as well as unintentional

A dynamic process – ongoing, changing, develops

Systemic – every component is affected by other component

Both interaction and transaction

The communication Process

Stages of communication

The Business Communication Process

Contd…

Communicator – 1:

1. Senses a communication need

2. Defines the problem

3. Searches for possible solutions

4. Selects a course of action (message type,

contents, style, format, channel).

5. Composes the message

6. Delivers the message

Communicator – 2:

7. Receives the message

8. Interprets the message

9. Decides on a response

10. May send a responding message

The process of communication (Activities)

What exactly occurs inside the minds of

communicators when they start communicating is

not fully known

Researchers generally agree that the process

included the following activities generally in this

order:

1. Sensing a communication need

2. Defining the situation

3. Considering possible communication strategies

4. Selecting a course of action

5. Composing the message

6. Sending the message

7. Receiving the message

8. Interpreting the message

9. Deciding as a response

10. Replying to the message

What Makes Message Effective

Good messages meet five criteria

Good business writing is:

Clear

Complete

Correct

Saves reader’s time

Builds goodwill

The depth to which it meets the above criteria also

depends upon

The interaction among the writer, the audience, the

purpose of the message and the situation

No single set of words works in all possible situations

Analysis of Business Communication Situations

Before we write or speak, we need to

understand the situation

Obtain the answer to the following questions:

What is at stake? To whom?

Should a message be sent?

What is the channel to be used?

What one should say?

How one should say it?

Is the situation understood?

PAIBOC Question

Use the PAIBOC question before composing message/answers:

P-What is your purpose in writing or speaking?

A-What is the type of audience and their difference?

I-What information must your message include?

B-What reason or benefits to the reader can be used to

support your position?

O-What are the likely objectives?

C-How will the context affect reader response?

Basic Truths About Communication

Three fundamental truths and commonalities between

business communication and other kinds of communication

The challenges is to make other share our views

Skillfully plan and construct messages carefully.

1. Meaning is in the Mind and no two Minds are alike:

All experiences come to us through various

filters-perception, frames of references, abilities

and circumstances.

When a message is received – we use the mental

resources and construct a vision of the situation

and a sense of the purpose.

The above controls our communication choices.

Recipients of the message go through the same

mental process.

Good communication spreads the message faster

between the communicator and receiver.

Contd…

2. The symbols for communicating are imperfect and so

also our best communication efforts:

We often take for granted that the language we use

is dependable and has universally same meanings.

But, meanings are unstable

And imperfectly represented by symbols and

meanings

A form of ‘bypassing’ takes place.

No perfect solutions to communication problems.

Contd…

3. Communication is about information and

Relationships:

Transfer of information is not the sole purpose

of business communication.

Getting/collecting information forms one

source to another.

Cultivating positive relationships is also critical

to successful communication.

Communication involves human relations

And therefore involve ethics.

The contexts for communication

Business communication always tales place within certain

contexts:

1. Large context:

General business economic scenario

The surrounding culture

Historical timing of the communication

2. Relationship of the communicators:

Moving information from one place to another

place.

Interaction between human beings-competence

and continue.

Contd…

3. Communicator’s Particular contexts:

Organizational Contexts:

Culture of the organization shapes communication choices

What you communicate, how you communicate based on the

culture of your company.

Professional Contexts:

Different professional focus on different context and

language.

Example: Management as Finance; Engineers as Technology

Successful communication should meet different professional

contexts

Personal Contexts:

Who you as a person, genes inherited, family and upbringing,

life experience, education, personal contacts, success and

failure

The Process of Communication (One way & Two way)

Elements of communication:

There are 7 elements or factors which make up the process of

communication:

1. Source/sender-the one who initiates the action of

communicating

2. Audience/Receiver-the person for whom the communication

is intended.

3. Goal/purpose-the sender’s reason for communicating the

desired result of the communication.

4. Context/Environment-the background in which the

communication takes place.

5. Message/context-the information conveyed

6. Medium/channel-the means or method used for conveying the

message.

7. Feedback-the receiver’s response to the communication as

observed by the sender.

One Way & Two Way Communication Process

Shannon – Weaver Model

Desmond Evans – Six stage of communication

Communication in organisation settings

Internal communication

External communication

Formal communication Downward

Informal communication Upward

Horizontal

Internal External

Fo

rmal

Planned communication among

insiders: letters, reports, memos,

email – follows chain of

command

Planned communication with

outsiders: letters, reports,

memos, speeches, websites

instant message, news releases

Info

rmal

Casual communication among

employees: emails, instant

messages, face to face

conversations, phone calls; does

not follow company’s chain of

command

Casual communication with

suppliers, customers, investors,

others; face to face, email,

instant messages, phone calls

A Final Communication Network in Organisation

Differences Between General & Technical Communications

General Technical

General contact

General vocabulary

No formal elements

Both formal & informal style

May not be actual

Both objective and subjective

Not always structured

No specific exposition techniques

Not always for a specific

audience

May or may not involve graphics

Technical content

Specialized vocabulary

Formal elements

Always formal in style

Always actual

Objective

Logically organised and

structured

Complex & important exposition

techniques

Specific audience

Usually involve graphics

Technical Communication Skills

a. Listening Skills

General Academic Professional

Casual conversation

Formal

conversation

Social interaction

Public speeches

Announcements

Radio

Television

programs

News reports

Lectures

Tutorials &

practicals

Seminars &

workshops

Technical

presentations

Academic

discussions

Academic

interactions

Viva voce

Professional

interaction

Meetings

Conferences

Interviews

Professional

discussions

Professional

presentations

Teleconferencing

videoconferencing

b. Speaking Skills

General Academic Professional

Casual conversation

Formal

conversation

Social interaction

Public speeches

Small talks on local

topics

Negotiating

meanings in social

situations

Conversation tasks

in a given social

milieu

Lectures

Tutorials &

practicals

Seminars &

workshops

Technical

presentations

Academic

discussions

Academic

interactions

Viva voce

Oral interaction

Oral reports

Professional

interaction

Oral reports

Oral presentations

Group discussions/

meetings

Conferences

workshops

Interviews

Professional

discussions

Teleconferencing

videoconferencing

c. Reading Skills

General Academic/Reading Professional

Newspapers

Magazines

Journals

Novels

Stories

Articles

Personal letters

Emails

General books

Entertainment

literature

Text books

Journals

Research papers

Scientific articles

Classroom notes

Lecture notes

Thesis

Dissertations

Abstracts

Business reports

Proposals

Business letters

Memos

Email messages

Notes

Notices/circulars

Promotional

bulletins

Catalogues

Instruction manuals

Corporate brochures

d. Writing Skills

General Academic/Writing Professional

Personal letters

Personal email

messages

Notes

Comments

General articles

Examination

answers

Project reports

Lab reports

Synopsis

Thesis

Dissertations

Abstracts

Research papers

Scientific articles

Classroom notes

Lecture notes

Technical reports

Industrial reports

Project proposals

Business proposals

Business letters

Electronic mailing

Memos

Notices

Agenda

Minutes

Technical abstracts

Job applications

resumes

Difference between oral & written communications

Attributes Oral Written

1. Speed Faster to speak, listen

to and understand

Slower in preparation,

conveyance, reception

Takes more time for draft, type,

dispatch, receive, read

Feedback slower

2. Record Can be taped for later

reference

Authenticity of voice

can be questioned

Tapes can be edited

Messages distorted

Serves as a record

Can be used for future

reference

Documentary proof

Can be used as legal evidence

Documents more reliable and

acceptable

Attributes Oral Written

3. Precision &

Accuracy

Less precise and accurate

Choice of words, phrases

may not be precise

No time for seek and

consider words and phrases

Has the support of vocal

tone, gestures and

expressions

That enriches meaning of

words

More precise and

accurate

Choices of precise

words possible, since

the writer has time to

choose

Draft revision possible

4. Length Message may be longer

Requires opening and

closing remarks

Message usually

shorter

Standard formats for

opening and closing

messages

Attributes Oral Written

5. Expense Can cost a great deal

Requires presence of two

parties

Getting together costs money

Modern technology like tele

& video conferencing

Requires stationery,

preparation and

transmission

Costs money.

6. Body

language

Supported by the speakers’

body language

Speaker can control the style

of talk, voice, facial

expressions, gestures

They give different meanings

Separates body language

More control on the

reader

Reader can respond in his

own moods

7. Feedback Allows immediate feedback

Listener’s face gives

feedback

Speaker can modify the

message

Clarifications immediate

Feedback delayed

Writer cannot see the

facial expressions of

reader

Reader can give a

cautious and guarded

reply.

Others do not know his

reactions.

Characteristics of Successful Communication

Message : Known & Understood

Rule of 5:

Receive Understand Accept Use Give a feedback

Seven Cs of successful communication

1. Candidness 2. Clarity 3. Completeness

4. Conciseness 5. Concreteness 6. Correctness

7. Courtesy