Lesson 1. The Importance of Business Communication.

What is ethical lapse?

A clearly unethical choice. For example, selling property on old minefield with intact bombs, withholding that info from the buyers.

What 8 communication skills do employers expect from their employees?

1. Can you organize ideas and information logically and completely? 2. Can you present ideas and information coherently and persuasively? 3. Can you listen to others effectively? 4. Can you adapt your communication style to diverse situations and people? 5. Can you effectively use technology to communicate? 6. Can you use standard grammar and spelling? 7. Can you consistently demonstrate contemporary expectations of business etiquette? 8. Can you communicate ethically?

What are benefits of effective business communication?

1. Closer ties with important communities in the marketplace. 2. Opportunities to influence conversations, perceptions and trends. 3. Increased productivity and faster problem solving. 4. Better financial results and better return for investors. 5. Earlier warning of potential problems, from rising business costs to critical safety issues. 6. Stronger decision making based on timely, reliable information. 7. Clearer and more persuasive marketing strategies. 8. Greater employee engagement with their work, leading to higher employee satisfaction and lower employee turnover.

What are three major examples of value of information?

1. Competitive insights. This is knowledge of competitors, their plans, which allows to adjust out company's plans. 2. Customer needs. Info about customer needs is analyzed and summarized to develop goods and services to better satisfy customer needs. 3. Regulations and guidelines. Today's businesses must follow a wide range of government regulations and guidelines covering such areas as employment, environment, taxes, and accounting.

List and explain 5 principles that increase chances of the message to be perceived as valuable, instead of dismissing it as noise.

1. Consider audience expectations. Use media and channels that audience expects. For example, don't suddenly switch from email to blogging. Sometimes, however, that switch is used in marketing to draw attention. 2. Ensure ease of use. Components: good design, good access, easy to read. Example of difficult use are poorly designed websites. 3. Empathize familiarity. Use words, images and designs that are familiar to your audience. 4. Practice empathy. Your message must address your audience's wants and needs, not yours. People are more likely to notice messages that relate to their individual concerns. 5. Design for technical compatibility. For example, don't use flash if you audience has tablets that do not support flash.

List 4 communication barriers.

1. Distractions. 2. Restrictive environments. 3. Deceptive tactics. 4. Perceptual differences.

What are 6 factors that are transforming modern business communication?

1. Globalization of market. 2. Workforce diversity. 3. The increasing value of information (knowledge workers that deal with competitive insights, customer needs, regulations and guidelines). 4. Technology being essential to business nowadays. 5. Evolution of organizational structures and leadership styles. 6. A heavy reliance on teamwork (major reason for failure in teams is poor communication).

Wha are five strategies for communicating more effectively on the job?

1. Minimize distractions. 2. Be audience-centered. 3. Improve your business communication skills. 4. Make your feedback constructive. 5. Demonstrate business etiquette.

List and explain communication barriers.

1. Noise and distractions. External (uncomfy meeting room, crowded computer screen) or internal (distracting thoughts or emotions). Another big distraction is multitasking that if done chronically decreases productivity and increases errors. 2. Competing messages. 3. Filters. Can be intentional or unintentional. Intentional, such as automatically filing files in folders, or middle company changing info to tailor to their own needs. or unintentional, such as spam filter (may be overly aggressive and deleting legit emails), or tall organizational structure. 4. Channel breakdowns. Sometimes channels break down. For example, server crash, coworker forgetting to deliver your message.

What skills do today's employers expect you to have?

1. Organizing ideas and information logically and completely. 2. Expressing ideas and information coherently and persuasively. 3. Actively listening to others. 4. Communicating effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences. 5. Using communication technologies effectively and efficiently. 6. Following accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and other aspects of high quality writing and speaking. 7. Following business etiquette, civilized communication. 8. Being ethical even when the choices aren't crystal clear. 9. Managing time wisely and using resources efficiently.

List examples of unethical communication:

1. Plagiarism. 2. Omitting essential information. 3. Selective misquoting. 4. Misrepresenting numbers. 5. Distorting visuals. 6. Failing to respect privacy or information security needs.

What are 5 characteristics of effective business communication

1. Practical Present information as useful 2. Factual Present compelling evidence using concrete language 3. Concise Highlight the key points 4. Precise Clearly state expectations 5. Persuasive Show how the reader/listener will benefit

Without formal guidelines, how do you assess your message for being ethical?

1. Represent info and describe the situation accurately. 2. What is my intention in communicating this message? 3. What impact and on whom will the message have? 4. Greatest good, but least harm. 5. Assess long-term consequences of the message info. 6. Are you comfortable with your message being published in tomorrow's newspaper?

What are 3 things to prove when suing for defamation?

1. That the statement is false. 2. That the language is injurious to the person's reputation. 3. That the statement has been published.

Explain feedback

- In every part of the business organization, communication provides the vital link between people and information. Successful communicators place considerable value on feedback, not only as a way to measure effectiveness but as a way to learn.

How to create open communication climate?

- Modify number of organizational levels • Facilitate feedback

List and explain the components of the basic communication model.

1. The sender has an idea. Example, whining - no idea, suggesting ideas in crisis - yes idea. 2. The sender encodes idea in the message. Must be effective. 3. The sender produces the message in a transmittable medium. This medium is called communication medium and can be oral, written, visual or electronic. 4. The sender transmits message through a channel. This channel is called communications channel. For example, internet or face-to-face conversation. 5. The audience receives the message. Sometimes messages are ignored, not seen, or interpreted as noise. 6. The audience decodes the message. Decodes means to extract the idea. 7. The audience responds to message. Must craft messages that show benefits of responding. Probability of response depends on the receiver: a) being able to remember the message long enough b) being able to act on it c) being motivated to respond 8. The audience provides feedback to the sender. The audience may give verbal, nonverbal (gestures) or both. This feedback needs to be decoded carefully. For example, smile can have different meanings.

What are three strategies for using communication technology successfully?

1. Use technology to improve communication, not just because it's available. 2. Use technology to improve productivity. 3. Don't underestimate the value of face-to-face communication.

What is advantage and challenge of diverse backgrounds?

Advantage: more competitiveness. Challenge: learn to communicate effectively, despite different communication styles.

Workforce diversity

All the differences among people who work together, including differences in age, gender, sexual orientation, education, cultural background, religion, ability and life experience.

Explain informal communication network.

Also called grapevine or rumor mill that encompasses all informal communication. Gossip + answer to questions that formal network couldn't answer.

Explain social communication model.

An interactive, conversational approach to communication in which formerly passive audience members are empowered to participate fully.

Explain individual perception.

Brain has a map to organize sensations. If incoming sensations do not fit this map, they are distorted or ignored.

Define and explain communication.

Communication is a process of transferring information and meaning between senders and receivers, using one or more written, oral, visual, or electronic media. The essence of communication is sharing - providing data.

What is communication and when is it effective?

Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages. It is effective only when people -understand each other -stimulate others to take action -encourage others to embrace innovation

Why are ethics important in the companies?

Communications are the face of the company, and therefore are subjected to more rigorous ethical standards (externally monitored by regulators, legislators, investors, consumer groups, environmental groups, labor organizations).

How do communication technologies benefit the companies in general?

Companies use a variety of communication technologies to create products and services, deliver them to customers, and support users with vital information. The ability to easily access and share the latest information improves the flow and timing of supplies, lowers operating costs, improves customer satisfaction, and boosts financial performance. Easy information access also helps companies respond to customer needs by providing them accurate information and timely product deliveries.

What areas does code of ethics assess?

Conflicts of interest, product integrity, health and safety, protection of company assets and information, and political activities by employees.

Globalization

Current business trends to market their products internationally. Basically, international export.

Why may well-crafted and well-intentioned communication efforts still fail?

Decoding a message is a a highly personal process influenced by culture, hopes, experiences, learning and thinking styles, fear, current mood and desire to confirm the expectations. It is more of re-creation of own meaning rather that extracting the meaning.

Explain control-wise between ethical dilemma and ethical lapse?

Dilemma - no control over. Lapse - full control over.

How can you reduce information overload as a sender?

Don't send unnecessary messages, and if your messages are not critical, let people know that they can prioritize, use urgent feature only if the messages are truly urgent.

Explain formal internal communication network.

Downward: supervisor-staff. Upward: staff-supervisor. Horizontal: department-department.

Explain individual thinking styles and message processing.

Emotion-processing oriented person will interpret the message differently than logic-oriented person.

Explain matrix organizational structure.

Employees report to two managers at the same time such as project manager and a department manager. There is a strong need for effective communication to coordinate.

Upward communication

Employees to execs, providing insight in problems, trends, opportunities, grievances and performance allowing executives to solve problems and make intelligent decisions

What are organizational benefits of communication?

Enhanced - Productivity - Problem solving - Decision making - Teamwork -Relationships - Innovation -Control of corporate image - Understanding of stakeholders

Define ethical communication as contrasted with unethical.

Ethical communication includes all relevant information, is true in every sense and not deceptive in any way. Unethical communication can distort the truth or manipulate the audiences in a variety of ways.

What are three elements of ensuring ethical business communication?

Ethical individuals, ethical company leadership, and appropriate policies and structures to support employees' efforts to make ethical choices (for example writing a code of ethics).

Define ethics.

Ethics are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society.

How are ethics monitored?

Ethics audits.

Downward communication

Executives to employees, conveying exec decisions and providing info to help with employee's jobs.

Explain etiquette.

Expected norms of behavior. Correct etiquette promotes success of the company.

Explain publishing or broadcasting mindset.

Externally: the companies issue messages to audience with a few options for responding and providing communication options. Internally: "we talk, you listen" - management to workers.

Explain decoding the message.

Extracting the idea.

Why are flat structures better than tall? What are their complications?

Flat structures reduce the number of layers and promote more open and direct communication. However, the employees are expected to assume more responsibility for communication in flat structures.

Explain formal and informal extrnal communication.

Formal: Usually prepared by marketing or public relations team • Press statements, investor letters, advertisements, price changes, and litigation updates Informal: -Impressions of the organization conveyed when employees interact with the outside world • Vocal tones, facial expressions, and general appearances

What is ethical dilemma?

Having to choose between alternatives that may or may not be ethical and valid (both alternatives can be ethical and valid). For example, the employees want higher salaries, but the investors want to keep costs low, as their money drives the company.

What are three factor that make audience more likely to respond to a message?

If they remember the message, if they are able to respond, and if they are properly motivated to respond.

Why are knowledge workers so important for business?

Information is one of the most important resources in business today.

Explain defamation. Name terms for written and spoken defamation.

Intentional communication of false statements that damage character or reputation. Written defamation is libel, spoken defamation is slander.

Explain crowdsourcing.

Inviting input from groups of people inside or outside the organization. It can give access to a much wider range of ideas, solutions to problems and insights into market trends.

Explain the relationship between shared experience and understanding the message.

Little shared experience - meanings dissimilar - misunderstanding. Average amount of shared experience - meanings similar - average degree of understanding. Large amount of shared experience - meanings very similar - high degree of understanding.

Explain how technology helps customer interaction

Maintaining an open dialogue is essential. Today's technologies make it easier for customers to interact with the company whenever, wherever and however they wish though podcasts, blogs, online customer support, user-generated content, microblogs etc.

What is stealth marketing? Why is it bad?

Marketing to people without their knowledge. May cause a backlash.

What is the difference between the medium and the channel?

Medium - form a message takes. Channel - system used to deliver the message.

Explain information overload.

Misuse or overuse of communication technology can lead to information overload - where people receive more information than they can effectively process. Information overload makes in difficult to discriminate between useful and useless information, lower productivity, amplifies employee stress at work and at home, and may cause stress and relationship problems.

Explain newsfeeders.

Newsfeeders are information aggregators that automatically collect information about new blogposts, podcasts and other content via RSS (Really Simple Syndication) newsfeeds, giving audience more control over the content they receive.

Define stakeholders

People affected in some way by the company's actions: customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, neighbors, the community, the nation and the world as a whole.

What is the key reason why teams fail to meet their objective?

Poor communication.

Define open climate.

Promotes honesty and openness (frankness), employees voice their opinions even if they disagree with the boss, feel free enough to admit their mistakes.

Which major parts of business are governed by legal guidelines?

Promotional communication, contracts, employment communication, intellectual property (patents, copyrighted materials, trade secrets, Internet domain names etc.), financial reporting, defamation, transparency requirements (bloggers must disclose the relationship to the companies).

Explain selective perception.

Selective perception occurs when people ignore or distort incoming information to fit their preconceived notions of reality. For example, if a business executive's strategy is failing, they may ignore the evidence.

Explain how remembering the message works?

Sensory memory - short term memory - long term memory. We are more likely to remember if actively memorizing, or if passively memorizing when the info connect with something else already stored in long-term memory. Things important personally or professionally are more easily remembered and retrieved.

Explain two major characteristics that separate social communication model from broadcasting mindset.

Social communication model is conversational and interactive.

What information medium has gained popularity with business since the beginning of widespread interned use?

Social networks on the internet, where people share their consumer experiences.

Why is keeping up with technology important nowadays?

Technology influences almost every aspect of business communication.

Why is communication important in business even if you are in technical dpt?

The higher you grow, the less technical work you do, and your job requires more communication (to delegate, direct etc.).

Define corporate culture.

The mixture of values, traditions, and habits that gives a company its atmosphere and personality.

What are problems of tall organizational structures in business?

They have many layers of management from top to bottom and may work as a "broken phone" (communications breakdown after travelling through so many layers).

What makes business communication effective?

Tl:dr: practical, concise, clear and persuasive. 1. Provide practical information. The info must be useful. 2. Give facts rather than vague impressions. The language must be concrete, details specific, info must be clear, convincing, accurate and ethical. When giving opinion, provide evidence. 3. Present information in a concise, efficient manner. Concise messages save time - people will likely respond more positively. 4. Clarify expectations and responsibilities. Craft messages to generate a specific response from a specific audience. If needed, clearly state what you expect or what you can do. 5. Offer compelling persuasive arguments and recommendations. Show the readers precisely their benefits from responding the way you want them to.

Define transparency.

Transparency gives audience members access to all information they need in order to process messages accurately.

Explain audience-centered approach (also called "you" attitude).

Understanding and respecting the members of your audience and making every effort to get your message across in the way that is meaningful to them. Learn your audience biases, education, age, status. style, personal and professional concerns.

Formal communication network

Upwards and downwards formal communications within country.

When and how does technology help teamwork?

When employees work in different parts of the company, time zones, geographical areas, or even companies, technology helps bridge the distance through making it possible to brainstorm, attend virtual meetings, share files, meet new business partners and collaborate with experts outside the company.

When is plagiarism illegal?

When it violated a copyright.

Explain network structure (virtual organization).

When the company supplements the talents of it employees with services from one or more external partners, such as design lab, a manufacturing firm, a sales company.

Knowledge workers

Workers at all levels of an organization who specialize in acquiring, processing, and communicating information.

How to implement audience-centered approach?

• Make your message meaningful to your audience by - Learning all you can about your audience. - Using common sense and imagination to project yourself into the audience's mindset.