Introduction to Business Communication PDF

Introduction to Business Communication Trần Thị Tuyết - 2023 Content 1. The importance of communication in business 2. Principles of communication 3. Professionalism 4. The model of communication 5. Communicating across cultures 6. Ethics in communication 7. Effective communication 2 Learning...

Introduction to Business Communication Trần Thị Tuyết - 2023 Content 1. The importance of communication in business 2. Principles of communication 3. Professionalism 4. The model of communication 5. Communicating across cultures 6. Ethics in communication 7. Effective communication 2 Learning outcomes After the lesson, students should be able to: • Explain the importance of effective business communication • Explain the principles of communication • Understand the elements of professionalism • Describe the communication process model and explain factors that may influence that process • Understand ethics in communication and list six guidelines for making ethical communication choices • Explain how cultural diversity affects business communication 3 1. The importance of communication •Communication is the art and process of creating and sharing ideas. 4 Communication is important to your career Top soft skills that get you hired in 2018 1. Leadership 2. Communication 3. Collaboration 4. Time management https://www.businessinsider.com/best-resume-soft-skills-employers-look-for-jobs-2018-4 5 Communication is important to your company •A stronger sense of trust between individuals and organizations •Closer ties with important communities in the marketplace •Opportunities to influence conversations, perceptions, and trends •Increased productivity and faster problem solving •Better financial results and higher return for investors •Earlier warning of potential problems, from rising business costs to critical safety issues 6 2. Communicating as a Professional •Demonstrating digital information fluency •Organizing ideas and information logically and completely •Expressing ideas and information coherently and persuasively •Actively listening to others •Communicating effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences •Using communication technologies effectively and efficiently. 7 Communicating as a Professional (cont) •Following accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and other aspects of high-quality writing and speaking. •Communicating in a civilized manner •Communicating ethically, even when choices aren’t crystal clear •Managing your time wisely and using resources efficiently •Using critical thinking 8 Be the best Be dependable Be ethical Elements of Professionalism To be respected as a true professional, develop these six qualities. Professionalism Be a team player Be positive Be respectful 9 3. Principles of communication 1. Communication is unavoidable: “one cannot not communicate” 2. Communication is strategic: communication is aimed at achieving goals 3. Communication is irreversible: “people may forgive, but they don’t forget” 4. Communication is a process 5. Communication is not a panacea 10 4. Communication model Communication is what the receiver understands, not what the sender says. 11 4.1. Perspectives in communication Our individual perceptions are the “filter” through which we communicate with others 12 Who’s right? Who’s wrong? 13 14 Factors affecting our perspectives 1. Past experiences 2. Prejudices 3. Feelings 4. Environment 15 4.2. Elements of communication 16 Words Principles for spoken and written words 1. Relevant 2. Polite/ Respect your recipients 3. Clear KISS 4. Keep it as short as possible 5. Sympathetic 6. Specific 17 Example Which statement do you prefer? Why? 1. I think that you don’t make any progress 2. I don’t think that you make any progress 3. I hope that you will make progress 4. I believe that you will make progress 18 Tone of voice •I didn’t say he borrowed my book •I didn’t say he borrowed my book What does it mean??? •I didn’t say he borrowed my book •I didn’t say he borrowed my book •I didn’t say he borrowed my book •I didn’t say he borrowed my book •I didn’t say he borrowed my book 19 Tone of voice What does it mean? A woman without her man is nothing Mỗi gia đình hai con vợ chồng hạnh phúc 20 Body language It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it matters the most in relaying your message 21 Body language “Em bảo: "Anh đi đi" Sao anh không đứng lại ? Em bảo: "Anh đừng đợi" Sao anh vội về ngay ? Lời nói thoảng gió bay Đôi mắt huyền đẫm lệ Mà sao anh dại thế Không nhìn vào mắt em” -Silva Kaputikyan- 22 23 Building strong nonverbal skills •Establish and maintain eye contact •Use posture to show interest •Improve your decoding skills •Probe for more information •Avoid assigning nonverbal meanings out of context •Associate with people from diverse cultures •Appreciate the power of appearance •Observe yourself on video •Enlist friends and family 24 4.3. Communication channels Richness Speed Control 25 26 What channels? 1. Informing your supervisor about difficulties with a coworker. 2. Asking for a few days of leave from work to attend a special reunion. 3. Training a new employee to operate a complicated computer program. 4. Notifying the manager of a local business that you still haven’t received the refund you were promised. 5. Reminding your busy boss about a long overdue reimbursement for out-ofpocket expenses. 6. Apologizing to a customer for a mistake your company made. 7. Getting your boss’s reaction to the idea of giving you more responsibility. 27 5. Communicating across cultures 28 Culturally literate Do you have any similar experience? “I was in a meeting with some Korean clients, and I had a red marker in my hand to make some corrections to a blueprint. . . . I used my red marker to write the name of one o f the Korean guys that I was meeting with. The room got very silent, and everyone looked at me completely stunned. One o f the clients took pity on me and whispered that writing a living person’s name in red is a bad idea. Apparently, in Korean culture, red is used to record a deceased person’s name. Since my client was alive, I was wishing him dead” 29 When Gerber first started selling their baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the USA – with the cute baby on the label. Later they found out that in Africa companies routinely put pictures on the label of what is inside the package, since most people cannot read. When Pepsi expanded their market to China, they launched with the slogan, "Pepsi brings you back to life." What they didn’t realize is that the phrase translated to “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave.” Proctor & Gamble used a television commercial in Japan that was popular in Europe. The ad showed a woman bathing, her husband entering the bathroom and touching her. The Japanese considered this ad an invasion of privacy, inappropriate behavior, and in very poor taste. 31 Example Western Chinese Do you understand? Am I being clear? Do the project acceptable? What do you think about the project? We can’t do that. This may be a little difficult for us to do. 32 Hofstede's cultural dimensions 33 Power distance Individuality • Attitudes toward differences in authority • Differences in organizational status and rank are expected. • Individualistic cultures are inclined to put their own interests and those of their immediate family ahead of social concerns • In collectivist cultures, members of a group feel primary loyalty toward one another and the group Tolerance of uncertainty • Take risks Masculinity/Femininity • Masculine: focus on getting the job done • Feminine: be concerned about members’ feelings and their smooth functioning as a team Future orientation Indulgence/Restraint • Long-term orientation defer gratification in pursuit of long-range goals. • Short-term orientation looks for quick payoffs • Allowing gratification of basic drives related to enjoying life and having fun vs regulating through strict social norms. 34 High vs Low context A low-context culture use language primarily to express thoughts, feelings, ideas as clearly and logically as possible. A high context culture relies heavily on subtle often nonverbal cues to convey meaning, save face, and maintain social harmony. 35 36 Stages of intercultural sensitivity “When in the Rome, do as the Romans do” 37 Advice for improving intercultural communication ▪Avoid ethnocentrism ▪Avoid stereotyping ▪Don’t automatically assume that others think, believe, or behave as you ▪Do accept differences in others without judging them. ▪Learn how to communicate respect in various cultures. ▪Tolerate ambiguity. ▪Don’t be distracted by superficial factors such as personal appearance. ▪Recognize your own cultural biases. ▪Be flexible and be prepared to change your habits and attitudes. ▪Observe and learn; 38 Cultural intelligence (CQ) Cognitive Physical CQ CQ Emotional/ motivational CQ Source: Earley, P. C., & Mosakowski, E. (2004, October). Cultural intelligence. Harvard Business Review, 82(10), 139–146 39 40 41 42 6. Ethical communication Ethical communication includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way. 43 Examples of unethical communication ❑Plagiarism ❑Omitting essential information ❑Selective misquoting ❑Misrepresenting numbers ❑Distorting visuals ❑Failing to respect privacy or information security needs ❑Coercing people to give positive online reviews ❑Failing to disclose financially beneficial relationships 44 Ethical guidelines for communication Viewpoints/guidelines Questions asked Utilitarian Approach Does this action provide the grater good for the greater number? Rights Approach Does this action respect the moral rights (privacy, freedom of speech, noninjury, …) of everyone? Fairness or Justice Approach Is this action fair and free of discrimination and favoritism? Common-Good Approach Does this action further the common or community good? Virtue Approach Does this action promote the development of moral virtue (character) in me and my community? Professional ethics How would an impartial jury of your professional peers judge this action? Publicity Test Would you be comfortable having the public learn about your behavior in the broadcast or print media? 45 Cases solving 1. Your manager calls you into her office and praises you for doing excellent work on a recent project. She suggests that this level of performance is likely to earn you a promotion and a raise. In truth, a colleague made a far greater contribution to the project. How do you respond to your manager’s praise? 2. A coworker tells you he’s about to buy an expensive car that will strain his budget to the maximum. You recently learned he is slated to be laid off at the end of the month but were told to keep this information in strictest confidence. What do you do? 3. As part of your job, you learn that some damaged equipment can be repaired for $15,000. Your supervisor tells you to claim the damage is much greater so the insurance company will pay closer to $100,000. What do you do? 4. Your friend is applying for a job and has given you as a reference. A questionnaire sent by the employer asks if there is any reason you cannot recommend the applicant. You know that your friend is struggling with a alcohol problem, which led to dismissal from a previous job. Do you mention this problem on the reference form? If so, how? Sources: A dapted from Richardson, J. E. (Ed.). (2003). Business ethics 03/04 (15th ed.). G uilford, C T: M cG raw -H ill/D ushkin; Soeken, D.(2008). O n witnessing a fraud. In J. E. Richardson (Ed.), Business ethics 07/08 (19th ed.). D ubuque, lA: M cG raw -H ill/D ushkin. 46 Check before making any decisions ❑Have you defined the situation fairly and accurately? ❑What is your intention in communicating this message? ❑What impact will this message have on the people who receive it or who might be affected by it? ❑Will the message achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm? ❑Will the assumptions you’ve made change over time? That is, will a decision that seems ethical now seem unethical in the future? ❑Are you comfortable with your decision? Would you be embarrassed if it were spread across the Internet? Think about a person you admire and ask yourself what he or she would think of your decision. 47 7. Effective communication Effective communication involves achieving one’s goals in a manner that, ideally, maintains or enhances the relationships in which it occurs. Competent communicators have: ❑A wide rage of behaviors ❑Ability to choose the most appropriate behavior ❑Skill at performing behaviors ❑Empathy/perspective taking ❑Cognitive complexity ❑Self-monitoring ❑Commitment to relationship 48 Criteria for effective messages •It’s clear •It’s complete •It’s correct •It saves the audience’s time •It builds goodwill. 49 Understanding and analyzing communication situations 1. Who’s at stake – to whom? 2. Should you send a message? 3. What channel should you use? 4. What should you say? 5. How should you say it? Words must be weighed, not counted 50 Source: http://www.xplaner.com/johariwindow/ Source: https://www.communicationtheory.org/the-johari-window-model/ 51 Business Etiquette Etiquette: the formal rules of correct or polite behavior in society, among members of a particular profession or in a particular area of activity. (Oxford Learners Dictionary) “The principles of respect, consideration, and honesty are universal and timeless”. Cindy Post Senning – Etiquette Expert 52 Workplace Etiquette ▪Respect other people’s time. ▪Don’t interrupt people in conversations or in meetings ▪Watch your language ▪Dress appropriately for the situation. ▪Pay close attention to cleanliness ▪Avoid eating at your desk ▪Respect other people’s personal space. ▪Don’t gossip ▪Don’t come to work when you’re sick ▪Keep the noise level down. ▪Don’t discuss religion, politics, or other potentially emotional issues 53 Telephone Etiquette ▪Be conscious of how your voice sounds. ▪Be courteous when you call someone ▪Convey a positive, professional attitude when you answer the phone. ▪Use your own voicemail features to help callers ▪Be considerate when leaving voicemail messages. 54 Mobile device etiquette –DON’T ▪Using obnoxious ringtones ▪Failing to mute your phone during meetings or other situations where it will interrupt people ▪Talking loudly in open offices or public places ▪Talking on your phone right next to someone else ▪Making or taking unnecessary personal calls at work ▪Invading privacy by using your phone’s camera without permission ▪Taking or making calls in restrooms and other inappropriate places ▪Texting during meals or while someone is talking to you ▪Allowing incoming calls to interrupt meetings or discussions ▪Using voice recognition to the extent that it disrupts others 55 Online Etiquette ▪Avoid personal attacks. ▪Stay focused on the original topic. ▪Don’t present opinions as facts; support facts with evidence. ▪Follow basic expectations of spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. ▪Use virus protection and keep it up to date. ▪Watch your language and keep your emotions under control. ▪Avoid multitasking while using instant messaging or other tools. ▪Never assume you have privacy. ▪Don’t waste others’ time with sloppy, confusing, or incomplete messages. ▪Respect boundaries of time and virtual space. ▪Be careful of online commenting mechanisms. 56 Sum-up 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Why is communication the most important business skill? What are some principles of communication? What are elements of professionalism? Describe the communication process model? What is perception in communication? What influences our perspectives? What are the elements of communication? How can we choose a suitable communication channel? In what way cultures influence communication? Give examples? What are ethical dimensions of communication? What is effective communication and how to improve communication effectiveness? 11. What is business etiquette and list some etiquettes for workplace, telephone conversations, mobile device use and online communications 57