Business English in

Today’s Workplace /
Environment
Communicating as a Professional

• Professionalism is the quality of performing at a

high level and conducting oneself with purpose
and pride.

• It means doing more than putting in the hours

and collecting a paycheque; true professionals
go beyond minimum expectations and commit
to making meaningful contributions.
6 elements of Professionalism

1) Striving to excel
2) Being dependable and accountable
3) Being a team player
4) Demonstrating a sense of etiquette
5) Making ethical decisions
6) Maintaining a positive outlook
6 elements of Professionalism

Element What it means

Strive to excel • Do the best at everything you do.
• Commit to continuous improvement.
Dependable • Keep promises and meet commitments.
• Learn from mistakes and take
responsibility for their errors.
Team player • Keep the focus on the larger cause.
• Make others around them better.
6 elements of Professionalism
Element What it means
Respectful • Show respect for those around them.
• Understand that respecting others is not
only good etiquette, it’s good for one’s
career.
Ethical • Strive to avoid ethical lapses.
• Weigh their options carefully when facing
ethical dilemmas
Positive • Believe in what they’re doing and in
themselves.
• Don’t complain about problems; find
them and fix them.
 What employers’ expect?
• Organizing ideas and information
• Expressing yourself coherently
• Constructing compelling narratives
• Evaluating data and information
• Listening actively to others
 What employers’ expect?
• Communicating with diverse audiences
• Using communication technologies
• Using standard grammar and spelling
• Adapting messages and styles
• Communicating in a civilized manner
 What employers’ expect?

• Communicating ethically
• Respecting company information
• Following laws and regulations
• Managing time and resources
• Improving your skills over time
Business Etiquette

•Respect
•Courtesy
•Common Sense
 Ethical communication
• Business communicators have a responsibility to
communicate ethically with audiences.
• Ethics are the accepted principles of conduct
that govern behavior within a society.
• Put another way, ethical principles define the
boundary between right and wrong.
 Ethical communication
• Ethical communication includes:
• all relevant information,
• is true in every sense,
• does not violate the rights of others, and
• is not deceptive in any way.

To make the right choices as a business communicator,

you have to think through not only what you say but also
the consequences of saying it.
Unethical Communication

Unethical Practices

Selective Falsifying Distorting

Plagiarism
Misquoting Numbers Visuals
Chapt
er 1 -
12
Intercultural communication

• Today’s workforce is composed of people from

many cultures.
• Your culture influences the way you think and
behave, which naturally affects the way you
communicate as both a sender and a receiver.
• Problems arise when we assume, wrongly, that
other people’s attitudes and lives are like ours. Start
by unlearning the “Golden Rule,” of treating others
as you would want them to treat you. Instead, treat
others the way they want to be treated.
 Intercultural Sensitivity

Assume Differences Tolerate Ambiguity

Withhold Judgment Look Past the Surface

Show Respect Note Cultural Biases

 Intercultural Sensitivity

Remain Flexible Learn When to be Direct

Seek Common Ground Observe and Learn

Deal with Individuals Review Travel Books