BUS 251: Business Communication Summer 2020_Rfq

Bonus Assignment 1

Name: Jannatul Nayeem

ID: 1611482030
Section: 2

1. You are a recent graduate from North South University and right now you are applying for
jobs. You realize most of the job advertisements focuses on communication skill as the top most
priority for the advertised job role.

Why do you think business communication is so important for you and the organizations you
will be working for? (5)

Answer:
Business communication skill is a wholesome package of skillset that an undergrad student can
master in student life. The richness of mastery in Business Communication has dual significance-
1. At personal level.
2. At organizational level.

Importance of Business Communication for me (as new applicants in job entry)

i. Adaptation to Organization Culture: Since different companies follow different practices

and trends, a new entrant (me) needs to adapt to the new organizational culture. Competence
in Business Communication is the most viable tool to avail of adaptation quality in an
organizational context.

ii. Efficiency and Effectiveness at work: A billion-dollar idea can go in vain if one can’t
convey the underlying message correctly. Often, young executives have fascinating ideas and
thoughts, but the biggest challenge is to put their thoughts into communicable expressions.
Business Communication is crucial for both Effectiveness (to get the job done) and
Efficiency (to get the job done in the best way) at work. To be very precise, business
communication helps in understanding, articulating, conveying the exact message to or from
the target audience.

iii. Co-operation and collaboration: Teamwork is a commonplace event in every organization.

Co-operation and collaboration among colleagues are essential elements for successful
teamwork. Business Communication skill is the key to attain these qualities.

iv. Progressive career opportunity: For a progressive career, it is very important to have
competent business communication skills. Most of the time, this skill will stand an individual
out and bring a step forward towards promotion and success because of dependability.

v. Boosting Leadership: A good leader must be an excellent communicator. Since, as a fresh

graduate, I’ll be joining in a managerial role, I must have unique leadership qualities.
 Business Communication skill is the medium through which one can boost leadership
qualities. For example, initiative holders, proactiveness, analytical abilities are a few elements
of leadership quality to which Business communication skills are complementary.

Importance of Business Communication for Organizations (I will be working at)

i. Employee engagement and Productivity: Effective Business Communication helps

organizations to engage the employees and enhance productivity. The practice of effective
Business communication in an organization provides the employees with crystal clear directives
that motivate them for a higher level of engagement. It also enhances the productivity of an
employee because effective business communication cuts down the unimportant business
engagement like overloaded emails due to unclear communication.

ii. Combating Silo Effect and Brand Cannibalization: Due to lack of Business Communication, a
company might face difficulties in comprehensive inter-department decisions. Due to improper
communication, a company might be distracted from its mission and lose the brand image.

iii. Profitability: Effective Business Communication creates customer delights that ultimately lead
to a higher retention ratio of custoers. Retention is more profitable than the acquisition of new
customers.

iv. Internal Stakeholders: Effective Business communication is vital for stockholders to achieve
clear vision, managers to execute business operations and get clear directives, suppliers to
achieve reliability and staffs to achieve desired quality.

v. External Stakeholders: The current business era deals with CBBE (Customer-Based Brand
Equity). Understanding the customers, serviceability, hospitality, empathy etc are very crucial
factors of effective business communications for the goodwill of the company.
 2. Based on our class discussion, identify with example two major challenges for business
communication in today’s world. Also, discuss two important skills we need to overcome those
challenges. (5)

Answer:
Two major challenges for business communication:

1. Dynamic IT Sector: With the advancement of information technology, business organizations are
approaching more installment of automation operation and interactive digital media. Moreover, most
of the companies are transforming from brick and morter (traditional) to click and mortar to pure-
play. So, companies have to invest more in R&D sector to educate the existing employees and
optimization of the business. Adaptation to new media (e.g. social media), office communication
software are frequent practices in companies nowadays. Therefore, every innovation (mostly
disruptive) in IT is a challenge though it is paradoxical due to its benefits.

2. Expansion of Globalization and workplace diversity: Working in a new culture and generation
gaps are the challenges under this category. While operating the business in a new environment (both
globally and domestically), the managers must take the acceptance level of the target customers.
However, the generation gap (X, Y, Z, millennials) is a great challenge in business communication
due to different levels of professional grooming and orientation.

Two important skills to overcome those challenges:

1. Social Intelligence: Product knowledge and Customer engagement are two tools to excel in this
skill. To be successful, a business organization must understand the NWDs( Needs, Wants,
Demands) of the customer and communicate with them rationally and empathetically with the
rich product/service knowledge.

2. Cross-cultural competency: The ability to work in different cultures and with different age
group employees fall under this category. One must have a thorough research before operating a
business with a different culture because of differences in their values. (e.g. perfume companies
can’t demonstrate the same ad in the US and Saudi Arabia). Again, each employee needs to excel
in working with different age group employees. Rationality and mutual respect are the tools to
achieve this skill.
 3. Discuss the ideology of Professionalism and its six basic elements. Imagine the role you are
carrying out in your student/professional life. How you can be a true professional using all
those six elements we discussed in class? (5)

Answer:
The ideology of Professionalism: Ideology of Professionalism encompasses the following four
ingredients-
1. Performing at a higher level: A professional person is expected to have the quality
to perform at a higher level with Effectiveness, Efficiency, and productivity.
2. Purpose and Pride: An individual professional works with a specific purpose and
objective, and also, he/she is proud of his/her job.
3. Go beyond minimum expectation: An individual professional doesn’t only stick to
cross the milestone only; instead, he/she possesses the initiative to step ahead and be
proactive.
4. Meaningful contribution: A professional contributes to the more significant cause
in the company.

Six elements of Professionalism:

1. Be the best: Taking every task seriously, exploring in detail, exceling at every level
are the criteria for being the best as a professional.
2. Be dependable: Bondage of words, commitment, responsibilities, dynamic learning
attitudes, punctuality, and consistency make a person dependable as a professional.
3. Be a team player: Heartful contribution, co-operation, and support make an
individual a team player as a professional.
4. Be respectful: Courteous behavior, Business etiquette, good listening skill make a
person be respectful to others as a professional.
5. Be positive: Rationally optimistic outlook and negation of skeptic expression make a
person be positive as a professional.
6. Be ethical: In case of any ethical dilemma, the conscience, ideology, and cognitive
ability make a person be ethical as a professional.

How can I be a true professional using the six elements: The key approach to be a professional is to
practice Professionalism. Considering my current status (student-about to graduate) I have the scopes to
practice Professionalism, such as-

1. academic integrity (no. 6),

2. performing good in courses and learning new technical skills, and engaging in ECAs(no. 1),
3. Being consistent in performance and valuing words (no. 2),
4. successful project work in courses (no. 3)
5. Having an optimistic career view and spreading positivity in conversation (no. 5)
6. Listening and valuing others’ thoughts and opinions in every conversation. (no. 4)
4. How we can collaborate and contribute better while we are working in teams (design your
responses especially keeping COVID 19 situation perspective in your mind: along with
collaboration, talk about managing resistance to change, giving constructive feedback and
responding to it, managing team conflict etc.) (5)

Answer: A person can collaborate and contribute better while working in teams if he/she follows
four simple principles. For example, the current pandemic condition can be considered as a
situation to explain the four principles.

3. Collaboration: Let’s consider our project work for the course. Since we are not attending
any physical class, therefore, it is a challenge for us to have effective communication
among group members. We can still be collaborative by-
a) Selecting a group representative.
b) Setting a goal for our project (expectation)
c) Time binding (Setting deadlines)
d) Effective communication (personal contact details, and social media group)
e) Resource utilization (Instead of NSU physical library, we can now access to many free
resources online-offered due to Covid-19)
4. Resistance to change: In the same example, we might experience some members who
are not comfortable with sharing personal contact numbers or work within deadline. First,
the task for us, is to listen to the logic of the person and find out the best option after
evaluating the alternatives.
5. Feedback: While providing feedback we must follow the SMART objective-
Specific- Must pinpoint the problem.
Measurable- For example- if plagiarized, what is the percentage.
Attainable- We should distribute the work according to the capabilities and with enough
time.
Time-Bound- There must have a deadline.
The essential element is- we must be respectful to others while communicating.

6. Team Conflict: There might have members in the group who will go against some
decision. First, we will listen to the person. Next, we will evaluate if it is constructive or
destructive conflict. If destructive- avoid, if constructive- moderate, set a win-win
strategy, and implement.