CHAPTER 1

Career Success
Begins With
Communication
Skills

Instructor Only Version

© 2010 Thomson South-Western
 Communication Skills:

Your ticket
to work...

OR

Your ticket out the door!

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 2
 Good communication skills
are essential for

 Job placement
 Job performance
 Career advancement
 Success in the new world
of work

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 3

 Writing skills are increasingly
significant.

"Businesses are crying out—they

need to have people who write
better.”
Gaston Caperton, business
executive and president,
College Board

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 4

 Build Your Career
Communication Skills

Textbook Your Guide

Instructor Your Coach

Bonus See
Resources http://www.meguffey.com

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 5

 Flattened
management
Information hierarchies More
as a participatory
corporate asset management

Trends in
New the new Increased
work workplace emphasis
environments on teams

Innovative Heightened
communication global
technologies competition

MaryMary
EllenEllen
Guffey,
Guffey,
Essentials
Essentials
of Business
of Business
Communication,
Communication,
8e 8e Chapter 1, Slide 6
 The Process of Communication

MaryMary
EllenEllen
Guffey,
Guffey,
Essentials
Essentials
of Business
of Business
Communication,
Communication,
8e 8e Chapter 1, Slide 7
The Process of Communication

Verbally or nonverbally.
How may the sender
By speaking, writing,
encode a message?
gesturing.

What kinds of Letters, e-mail, IM,

channels carry memos, TV, telephone,
messages? voice, body. Others?

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 8

The Process of Communication

How does a receiver Hearing, reading,

decode a message? observing

When is When a message is

communication understood as the sender
successful? intended it to be.
How can a Ask questions, check
communicator reactions, don’t dominate
provide for feedback? the exchange.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 9

Barriers to Effective Listening

Physical hearing disabilities, noisy

barriers surroundings
Psychological tuning out ideas that counter
barriers our values
Language unfamiliar or charged words
problems
Nonverbal clothing, mannerisms,
distractions appearance

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 10

Barriers to Effective Listening

Thought speed our minds process

thoughts faster than
speakers say them
Faking pretending to listen
attention
Grandstanding talking all the time or
listening only for the next
pause

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 11

 Ten Misconceptions
About Listening

1. Listening is a matter of intelligence.

FACT: Careful listening is a learned
behavior.
2. Speaking is more important than
listening in the communication process.
FACT: Speaking and listening are
equally important.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 12

 Ten Misconceptions
About Listening
3. Listening is easy and requires little
energy.
FACT: Active listeners undergo the
same physiological changes as a person
jogging.
4. Listening and hearing are the same
process.
FACT: Listening is a conscious,
selective process. Hearing is an
involuntary act.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 13
 Ten Misconceptions
About Listening

5. Speakers are able to command listening.

FACT: Speakers cannot make a person
really listen.
6. Hearing ability determines listening
ability.
FACT: Listening happens mentally—
between the ears.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 14

 Ten Misconceptions
About Listening
7. Speakers are totally responsible for
communication success.
FACT: Communication is a two-way
street.
8. Listening is only a matter of
understanding a speaker’s words.
FACT: Nonverbal signals also help
listeners gain understanding.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 15

 Ten Misconceptions
About Listening
9. Daily practice eliminates the need for
listening training.
FACT: Without effective listening
training, most practice merely reinforces
negative behaviors.
10. Competence in listening develops
naturally.
FACT: Untrained people listen at only 25
percent efficiency.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 16
 Keys to Building
Powerful Listening Skills
 Stop talking.
 Control your surroundings.
 Establish a receptive
mind-set.
 Keep an open mind.
 Listen for main points.
 Capitalize on lag time.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 17

 Keys to Building
Powerful Listening Skills

 Listen between the lines.

 Judge ideas, not
appearances.
 Hold your fire.
 Take selective notes.
 Provide feedback.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 18

 Nonverbal Communication

Eye contact, facial expression,

and posture and gestures send
silent messages.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 19

 Nonverbal Communication

Time, space, and territory send

silent messages.
 Time (punctuality and structure)
 Space (arrangement of objects)
 Territory (privacy zones)

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 20

 Nonverbal Communication

Appearance sends silent

messages.
 Appearance of business
documents
 Appearance of people

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 21

 Four Space Zones for Social
Interaction Among Americans

MaryMary
EllenEllen
Guffey,
Guffey,
Essentials
Essentials
of Business
of Business
Communication,
Communication,
8e 8e Chapter 1, Slide 22
 Four Space Zones for Social
Interaction Among Americans

MaryMary
EllenEllen
Guffey,
Guffey,
Essentials
Essentials
of Business
of Business
Communication,
Communication,
8e 8e Chapter 1, Slide 23
 Keys to 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.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 24

 Keys to Building
Strong Nonverbal Skills

 Associate with people from diverse

cultures.
 Appreciate the power of appearance.
 Observe yourself on videotape.
 Enlist friends and family.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 25

 Culture and Communication

Good communication
demands special
sensitivity and skills
when communicators
are from different
cultures.
© 2008 Image Source Black/Jupiter Images

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 26

 Dimensions of Culture

Context

Time Individualism
Orientation
Culture

Communication Formality
Style

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 27

 Dimensions of Culture

Context
High-context cultures (those in Japan,
China, and Arab countries) tend to be
relational, collectivist, and contemplative.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 28

 Dimensions of Culture

Context
Low-context cultures (those in North
America, Scandinavia, and Germany)
tend to be logical, linear, and action-
oriented.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 29

 Dimensions of Culture

Individualism
 High-context cultures tend to prefer
group values, duties, and decisions.
 Low-context cultures tend to prefer
individual initiative, self-assertion, and
personal achievement.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 30

 Dimensions of Culture

Formality
 North Americans place less emphasis
on tradition, ceremony, and social rules.
 Other cultures prefer more formality.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 31

 Dimensions of Culture

Communication Style
High-context cultures rely on
nonverbal cues and the total
picture to communicate.
Meanings are embedded at
many sociocultural levels.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 32

 Dimensions of Culture

Communication Style
Low-context cultures
emphasize words,
straightforwardness, and
openness. People tend
to be informal, impatient,
and literal.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 33

 Dimensions of Culture

Time Orientation
 Time is precious to North
Americans. It correlates with
productivity, efficiency, and
money.
 In some cultures time is
unlimited and never-ending,
promoting a relaxed attitude.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 34
 Comparison of High- and
Low-Context Cultures
High-Context Low-Context
Cultures Cultures
Relational Linear

Collectivist Individualistic
Intuitive Logical
Contemplative Action-oriented

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 35

 Proverbs Reflect Culture

What do these U.S. proverbs indicate

about this culture and what it values?
1. The squeaking wheel gets the grease.
2. Waste not, want not.
3. He who holds the gold makes the rules.
4. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
5. The early bird gets the worm.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 36

 Proverbs Reflect Culture
What do these Chinese proverbs
indicate about the Chinese culture and
what it values?
1. A man who waits for a roast duck to fly into his
mouth must wait a very long time.
2. A man who says it cannot be done should not
interrupt a man doing it.
3. Give a man a fish, and he will live for a day;
give him a net, and he will live for a lifetime.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 37

 Proverbs Reflect Culture

What do these proverbs indicate about

their respective cultures and what they
value?
1. No one is either rich or poor who has not
helped himself to be so. (German)
2. Words do not make flour. (Italian)
3. The nail that sticks up gets pounded down.
(Japanese)

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 38

Improving Communication With
Multicultural Audiences
Oral Messages
 Use simple English.

© Creatas / Photolibrary Group / Index Stock Imagery

 Speak slowly and
enunciate clearly.
 Encourage accurate
feedback.
 Check frequently for
comprehension.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 39

Improving Communication With
Multicultural Audiences
Oral Messages
 Observe eye messages.

© Creatas / Photolibrary Group / Index Stock Imagery

 Accept blame.
 Listen without
interrupting.
 Smile when appropriate.
 Follow up in writing.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 40

Improving Communication With
Multicultural Audiences
Written Messages
 Consider local styles.
 Consider hiring a translator.
 Use short sentences and
short paragraphs.
 Avoid ambiguous wording.
 Follow up in writing.
 Cite numbers carefully.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 41
Improving Communication Among
Diverse Workplace Audiences
 Understand the value of differences.
 Seek training.
 Learn about your own cultural self.
 Make fewer workplace assumptions.
 Build on similarities.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 1, Slide 42

 END

Instructor Only Version

© 2010 Thomson South-Western