Understanding Business

Communication in Today's
Workplace
Ch1
 Learning Objectives
●
Business Communication
– Define
– Describe how to do it effectively
●
Provide Examples
– Explain the (basic) process model of communication
– Articulate how social media is changing business communication
●
Ethics and Communication
– Define it and related terms (ethical dilemma and ethical lapse)
– Discuss ethical (and unethical) communication
●
Culture and Communication
– Detail differences in communication across cultures
●
Provide examples
– Tips for communicating with Non-natives
●
TED Talk
– Having better conversations
 Definitions
●
Communication
– Process of transferring
information and meaning
between senders and
receivers
●
Can be
– Written
– Oral
– Visual
– Electronic (?)
Benefits (For Co's) of Effective Communication
●
Improved relationships with stakeholders
– Groups affected by the company’s actions
●
Customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, neighbors...
●
Greater influence
●
Better and faster decisions
●
Increased productivity and more predictable work flow
●
Greater employee engagement (and higher job satisfaction)
What Makes Business Communication Effective?
●
Be ●
Etiquette
– Practical (useful) – Expected norms of behavior
– Factual (present "objective" in a particular situation
evidence) ●
Concern
●
Courtesy
– Concise (efficient)
●
Curiosity
– Clear (specific message for ●
Common sense?
specific response)
– Compelling (persuasive)
Basic Communication Process
 "Traditional" vs Social Communication Model
●
"Traditional"
publishing/broadcasting
– One-way carefully scripted
message(s) to a mass audience
●
“we talk, you listen”
●
Top down
●
Social Communication
– "Open" and interactive
– Allow organizations to monitor
online discussions
Smart Phones do NOT always have Smart Users
●
How to Be Smart About Social Media
– Post smart
●
Think before you post… If you have any doubts, do NOT post it
– Keep it confidential
●
Do NOT disclose proprietary information — either good or bad
– Be intelligent
●
Do NOT use your work email for "private" communications (e.g. job searching)
– Be prepared (for any consequences)
●
Source
– https://www.thebalancecareers.com/posting-information-online-can-get-you-fired-2062154
 Ethical Communication
●
Ethics ●
Unethical Communications
– Accepted principles of conduct that – Plagiarism
govern behavior within a society ●
Presenting the ideas of someone
– Notice this definition is "bounded" by else as your own
group membership
– Misrepresentation
●
Ethical Dilemma ●
Leaving out information to "change
– Choosing among alternatives, each of meaning"
which harms someone ●
Misrepresenting numbers
●
Ethical Lapse ●
Visual Distortion
– A choice inconsistent with ethical – Failing to respect
principles privacy/information security
 Unethical Posts on Social Media
●
Young professional posted a photo to Instagram after her team landed a new client
●
https://thefinancialdiet.com/financial-confessions-lost-job-social-media-post/
●
Bankers pretended to be deadly terrorist group
●
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/07/06/hsbc-bankers-fired-after-filming-mock-isis-execution_n_7739528.html?
guccounter=1
●
Former high school teacher tweeted about her partying lifestyle and drug possession
●
https://www.dailydot.com/news/carly-crunk-bear-fired-photos/
●
Posted a racist tweet on the way to Africa… fired upon arrival
●
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/22/pr-exec-fired-racist-tweet-aids-africa-apology
●
Posted about hatred for job
●
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/05/04/day-care-employee-fired-for-facebook-post-noting-
she-hates-being-around-a-lot-of-kids/
●
Tweeting during work time
●
https://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2014/05/20/tweeting-official-quits-tells-pleasant-hill-what-she-really-thinks/
●
Insulting Customers on Twitter
●
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/42132041/ns/business-autos/t/man-fired-over-obscene-chrysler-tweet-sorry/
#.U8_bniTrNVs
 Culture and Communication-Context (Hall 1959)
●
Low-context culture
– Emphasize the content of the message
– Rules and expectations are usually spelled
out through explicit statements
– Primary role of communication is to
exchanging information
●
High-context culture
– Emphasize non-verbal communication and
environment/setting to convey meaning
– Members grow up and learn how to recognize
situational cues and how to respond as expected
– Primary role of communication is to build
relationships
Culture and Communication-Legal/Ethical Differences
●
Actively seek mutual ground
– Fine
●
Send and receive messages without judgment
– I disagree… let me explain
●
Send messages that are honest
– Fine
●
Show respect (for cultural differences)
– Generality impossible to refute
 Nonverbal Communication
●
What is it:
– Means through which people convey
meaning without using language
●
e.g. gestures, facial expressions, tone of
voice, eye contact, body language,
posture (or lack thereof)
●
Video (A)
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=8rX7fkDLEx0
– A jovial example showing how
important nonverbal communication
can be
 Examples
●
Proxemics
 Culture and Communication-Others
●
Social Customs
– Who, when, where, why
●
Age
– Medium and status
●
Gender
– Purpose (men=instrumental, women=instrumental AND relational)
●
Religion
– Who, when, where, why, status
●
Ability
– Non-native, disability
 Tips when Communciating with Non-natives
●
Writing ●
Speaking
– Do
– Use common language ●
Speak clearly, simply and (relatively) slowly
– Avoid words with multiple ●
Look for feedback (nods and smiles do NOT
mean understanding)
meanings ●
Clarify with repetition and examples
– Be brief and simple ●
Learn important phrases in your audience’s
language
– Reference ideas in universal way ●
Listen
(e.g. "27" NOT "twenty-seven") ●
Adapt your conversation style to the other person

– Avoid slang/technical
– Do NOT
Blame the listener for not understanding
jargon/abbreviations
●

●
Talk LOUDER
 Having a conversation video (via any medium)
●
Video (B)
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1vskiVDwl4
●
What you think you know is probably wrong (or sub-optimum)… just be interested in them!
– Be in that moment (NO multi-tasking)
– Do NOT "pontificate"… assume you can learn something
– Use open-ended questions (with NO assumptions)
– Go with the flow (equality in guiding topic of discussion)
– Accept that you do NOT know everything and say so when true
– (Personal) experience is different… their emotional experience is about them NOT you!
– Do not repeat points/idea (presumes bad things about partner)
– De-emphasize the details (names, dates) and focus on what matters (you and ideas)
– Listen
– Be brief
Thank you...

See you next time!