Download Grapevine Communication (Informal Business

BUSINESS ENGLISH
The Business English Course will teach you to:
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use correct punctuation, spelling and grammar
write business letters, reports, emails, faxes and produce memos
conduct meetings, write agendas and minutes
find a better job with your newly acquired skills
speak fluently with the correct pronunciation
Business communication
Business Communication: communication used to promote a product, service, or organization;
relay information within the business; or deal with legal and similar issues. It is also a means of
relaying between a supply chain, for example the consumer and manufacturer.
Business Communication is known simply as "communications". It encompasses a variety of
topics, including marketing, branding, customer relations, consumer behaviour, advertising,
public relations, corporate communication, community engagement, research & measurement,
reputation management, interpersonal communication, employee engagement, online
communication, and event management. It is closely related to the fields of professional
communication and technical communication.
In business, the term communications encompasses various channels of communication,
including the Internet, Print (Publications), Radio, Television, Ambient media, Outdoor, and
Word of mouth.
Business Communication can also refer to internal communication. A communications director
will typically manage internal communication and craft messages sent to employees. It is vital
that internal communications are managed properly because a poorly crafted or managed
message could foster distrust or hostility from employees.[1]
Business Communication is a common topic included in the curricula of Masters of Business
Administration (MBA) programs of many universities. AS well, many community colleges and
universities offer degrees in Communications.
There are several methods of business communication, including:
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Web-based communication - for better and improved communication, anytime anywhere
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video conferencing which allow people in different locations to hold interactive
meetings;
e-mails, which provide an instantaneous medium of written communication worldwide;
Reports - important in documenting the activities of any department;
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Presentations - very popular method of communication in all types of organizations,
usually involving audiovisual material, like copies of reports, or material prepared in
Microsoft PowerPoint or Adobe Flash;
telephoned meetings, which allow for long distance speech;
forum boards, which allow people to instantly post information at a centralized location;
and
face-to-face meetings, which are personal and should be succeeded by a written followup.
Business communication is somewhat different and unique from other types of communication
since the purpose of business is to make money. Thus, to develop profitability, the communicator
should develop good communication skills. Knowing the importance of communication, many
organisations train their employees in communication techniques.
==Types of business communication== idiot Knowing the different types of business
communication is important for using the right type at the right moment. The following are the
different types of business communication.[2]
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Verbal communication: Verbal communication is a type of communication that
involves use of words for communicating.
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Non-verbal communication:
Non-verbal communication is a mode of communication which only majorly uses body language
and various other physical gestures as a means for communicating.
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Written communication: Written communication is a type that only includes written
forms for communicating.
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Employment communication: Employment communication is a mode
communication that is particularly used for accepting the applicants for a job.
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Electronic communication:Electronic communication is the modern way of
communication that includes electronics and latest technology for communicating such as
teleconferencing e-mail, etc.[3]
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Top 6 Reasons for Business Communication Barriers
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1.Complex Messages: The use of complex technical terms is general cause of these lacks
of communication. The remedy is to stick to the point, use clear and concise messages
that are easy to understand.
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2. Withholding Information: In the organization much of the information is maintained
confidential based on the company policies make sure the information that is needed is
readily available and easy to access.
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3. Different Status: Management must keep employees well informed and encourage
feedback.
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4. Ineffective Communication Processes: The maintenance of the hierarchy kin the
organization is very essential, but the presence of these status reduce the flow of the
communication .Thus it is essential to reduce hierarchical levels and increase
departmental interaction and communication.
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5. Lack of Trust: The most important reason for the lack of communication in the
organization is due to competition, which leads to lack of trust among the various
employees. Share information, communicate openly and honestly, involve others in
decisions.
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6. Language barrier Language barrier is also the most important factor in business
communication, if communication happens without the common laguage it is not
worthwhile.
Organizations
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Founded in 1936 by Shankar with the Association for Business Communication (ABC),[4]
originally called the Association of College Teachers of Business Writing, is “an
international organization committed to fostering excellence in business communication
scholarship,research ,education, and practice.”
The IEEE Professional Communication Society (PCS) [2] is dedicated to understanding
and promoting effective communication in engineering, scientific, and other
environments, including business environments. PCS's academic journal,[5] is one of the
premier journals in Europe communication. The journal’s readers are engineers,writers,
information designers, managers, and others working as scholars, educators, and
practitioners who share an interest in the effective communication of technical and
business information.
What is Business Communication?
Communication is neither transmission of message nor message itself. It is the mutual
exchange of understanding, originating with the reciever. Communication needs to be effective
in business. Communication is essence of management. The basic functions of management
(Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing and Controlling) cannot be performed well without
effective communication. Business communication involves constant flow of information.
Feedback is integral part of business communication. Organizations these days are verly large. It
involves number of people. There are various levels of hierarchy in an organization. Greater the
number of levels, the more difficult is the job of managing the organization. Communication
here plays a very important role in process of directing and controlling the people in the
oragnization. Immediate feedback can be obtained and misunderstandings if any can be avoided.
There should be effective communication between superiors and subordinated in an
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organization, between organization and society at large(for example between management and
trade unions). It is essential for success and growth of an organization. Communication gaps
should not occur in any organization.
Business Communication is goal oriented. The rules, regulations and policies of a company have
to be communicated to people within and outside the organization. Business Communication is
regulated by certain rules and norms. In early times, business communication was limited to
paper-work, telephone calls etc. But now with advent of technology, we have cell phones, video
conferencing, emails, satellite communication to support business communication. Effective
business communication helps in building goodwill of an organization.
Business Communication can be of two types:
1. Oral Communication - An oral communication can be formal or informal. Generally
business communication is a formal means of communication, like : meetings,
interviews, group discussion, speeches etc. An example of Informal business
communication would be - Grapevine.
2. Written Communication - Written means of business communication includes - agenda,
reports, manuals etc.
Components of Communication Process
Comunication is a process of exchanging verbal and non verbal messages. It is a continuous
process. Pre-requisite of communication is a message. This message must be conveyed through
some medium to the recipient. It is essential that this message must be understood by the
recipient in same terms as intended by the sender. He must respond within a time frame. Thus,
communication is a two way process and is incomplete without a feedback from the recipient to
the sender on how well the message is understood by him.
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Communication Process
The main components of communication process are as follows:
1. Context - Communication is affected by the context in which it takes place. This context
may be physical, social, chronological or cultural. Every communication proceeds with
context. The sender chooses the message to communicate within a context.
2. Sender / Encoder - Sender / Encoder is a person who sends the message. A sender
makes use of symbols (words or graphic or visual aids) to convey the message and
produce the required response. For instance - a training manager conducting training for
new batch of employees. Sender may be an individual or a group or an organization. The
views, background, approach, skills, competencies, and knowledge of the sender have a
great impact on the message. The verbal and non verbal symbols chosen are essential in
ascertaining interpretation of the message by the recipient in the same terms as intended
by the sender.
3. Message - Message is a key idea that the sender wants to communicate. It is a sign that
elicits the response of recipient. Communication process begins with deciding about the
message to be conveyed. It must be ensured that the main objective of the message is
clear.
4. Medium - Medium is a means used to exchange / transmit the message. The sender must
choose an appropriate medium for transmitting the message else the message might not
be conveyed to the desired recipients. The choice of appropriate medium of
communication is essential for making the message effective and correctly interpreted by
the recipient. This choice of communication medium varies depending upon the features
of communication. For instance - Written medium is chosen when a message has to be
conveyed to a small group of people, while an oral medium is chosen when spontaneous
feedback is required from the recipient as misunderstandings are cleared then and there.
5. Recipient / Decoder - Recipient / Decoder is a person for whom the message is intended
/ aimed / targeted. The degree to which the decoder understands the message is dependent
upon various factors such as knowledge of recipient, their responsiveness to the message,
and the reliance of encoder on decoder.
6. Feedback - Feedback is the main component of communication process as it permits the
sender to analyze the efficacy of the message. It helps the sender in confirming the
correct interpretation of message by the decoder. Feedback may be verbal (through
words) or non-verbal (in form of smiles, sighs, etc.). It may take written form also in
form of memos, reports, etc.
Oral Communication - Meaning, Advantages and Limitations
Oral communication implies communication through mouth. It includes individuals conversing
with each other, be it direct conversation or telephonic conversation. Speeches, presentations,
discussions are all forms of oral communication. Oral communication is generally recommended
when the communication matter is of temporary kind or where a direct interaction is required.
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Face to face communication (meetings, lectures, conferences, interviews, etc.) is significant so as
to build a rapport and trust.
Advantages of Oral Communication
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There is high level of understanding and transparency in oral communication as it is
interpersonal.
There is no element of rigidity in oral communication. There is flexibility for allowing
changes in the decisions previously taken.
The feedback is spontaneous in case of oral communication. Thus, decisions can be
made quickly without any delay.
Oral communication is not only time saving, but it also saves upon money and efforts.
Oral communication is best in case of problem resolution. The conflicts, disputes and
many issues/differences can be put to an end by talking them over.
Oral communication is an essential for teamwork and group energy.
Oral communication promotes a receptive and encouraging morale among organizational
employees.
Oral communication can be best used to transfer private and confidential
information/matter.
Disadvantages/Limitations of Oral Communication
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Relying only on oral communication may not be sufficient as business communication is
formal and very organized.
Oral communication is less authentic than written communication as they are informal
and not as organized as written communication.
Oral communication is time-saving as far as daily interactions are concerned, but in case
of meetings, long speeches consume lot of time and are unproductive at times.
Oral communications are not easy to maintain and thus they are unsteady.
There may be misunderstandings as the information is not complete and may lack
essentials.
It requires attentiveness and great receptivity on part of the receivers/audience.
Oral communication (such as speeches) is not frequently used as legal records except in
Written Communication - Meaning, Advantages and Disadvantages
Written communication has great significance in today’s business world. It is an innovative
activity of the mind. Effective written communication is essential for preparing worthy
promotional materials for business development. Speech came before writing. But writing is
more unique and formal than speech. Effective writing involves careful choice of words, their
organization in correct order in sentences formation as well as cohesive composition of
sentences. Also, writing is more valid and reliable than speech. But while speech is spontaneous,
writing causes delay and takes time as feedback is not immediate.
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Advantages of Written Communication
Written communication helps in laying down apparent principles, policies and rules for
running of an organization.
It is a permanent means of communication. Thus, it is useful where record maintenance is
required.
It assists in proper delegation of responsibilities. While in case of oral communication, it is
impossible to fix and delegate responsibilities on the grounds of speech as it can be taken
back by the speaker or he may refuse to acknowledge.
Written communication is more precise and explicit.
Effective written communication develops and enhances an organization’s image.
It provides ready records and references.
Legal defenses can depend upon written communication as it provides valid records.
Disadvantages of Written Communication
Written communication does not save upon the costs. It costs huge in terms of stationery and
the manpower employed in writing/typing and delivering letters.
Also, if the receivers of the written message are separated by distance and if they need to
clear their doubts, the response is not spontaneous.
Written communication is time-consuming as the feedback is not immediate. The encoding
and sending of message takes time.
Effective written communication requires great skills and competencies in language and
vocabulary use. Poor writing skills and quality have a negative impact on organization’s
reputation.
Too much paper work and e-mails burden is involved.
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Non Verbal Communication - Actions Speak Louder than Words
Scenario 1 – You are sitting in front of an interview panel with arms crossed. So far you have
not been asked a single question, however, your crossed arms have spoken louder than the
words.
Tip 1 – Never keep your arms crossed especially during formal one-on-one meetings. It
suggests you are not open to feedback and could also suggest that you are trying to dominate the
situation.
Scenario 2 – You are giving a presentation to a group of 20 people. You keep your gaze fixed at
the centre of the class / room through the presentation – your gaze has spoken louder than your
words.
Tip 2 – Your gaze at one person should not be more than 4 - 5 seconds while delivering a
presentation / communicating with a large group unless you are addressing an individual.
Scenario 1 and 2 clearly demonstrate the importance of Non Verbal Communication.
What is Non Verbal Communication ?
It is communication of feelings, emotions, attitudes, and thoughts through body movements /
gestures / eye contact, etc.
The components of Non Verbal Communication are:
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Kinesics: It is the study of facial expressions, postures & gestures. Did you know that
while in Argentina to raise a fist in the air with knuckles pointing outwards expresses
victory, in Lebanon, raising a closed fist is considered rude?
Oculesics: It is the study of the role of eye contact in non verbal communication. Did you
know that in the first 90 sec - 4 min you decide that you are interested in someone or not.
Studies reveal that 50% of this first impression comes from non-verbal communication
which includes oculesics. Only 7% of comes from words - that we actually say.
Haptics: It is the study of touching. Did you know that acceptable level of touching vary
from one culture to another? In Thailand, touching someone's head may be considered as
rude.
Proxemics: It is the study of measurable distance between people as they interact. Did
you know that the amount of personal space when having an informal conversation
should vary between 18 inches - 4 feet while, the personal distance needed when
speaking to a crowd of people should be around 10-12 feet?
Chronemics: It is the study of use of time in non verbal communication. Have you ever
observed that while AN employee will not worry about running a few minutes late to
meet a colleague, a manager who has a meeting with the CEO, a late arrival will be
considered as a nonverbal cue that he / she does not give adequate respect to his superior?
Paralinguistics: It is the study of variations in pitch, speed, volume, and pauses to
convey meaning. Interestingly, when the speaker is making a presentation and is looking
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for a response, he will pause. However, when no response is desired, he will talk faster
with minimal pause.
Physical Appearance: Your physical appearance always contributes towards how people
perceive you. Neatly combed hair, ironed clothes and a lively smile will always carry
more weight than words.
Remember, “what we say” is less important than “how we say it” as words are only 7% of our
communication. Understand and enjoy non verbal communication as it helps forming better first
impressions. Good luck!
Importance of Communication in an Organization
Effective Communication is significant for managers in the organizations so as to perform the
basic functions of management, i.e., Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling.
Communication helps managers to perform their jobs and responsibilities. Communication
serves as a foundation for planning. All the essential information must be communicated to the
managers who in-turn must communicate the plans so as to implement them. Organizing also
requires effective communication with others about their job task. Similarly leaders as managers
must communicate effectively with their subordinates so as to achieve the team goals.
Controlling is not possible without written and oral communication.
Managers devote a great part of their time in communication. They generally devote
approximately 6 hours per day in communicating. They spend great time on face to face or
telephonic communication with their superiors, subordinates, colleagues, customers or suppliers.
Managers also use Written Communication in form of letters, reports or memos wherever oral
communication is not feasible.
Thus, we can say that “effective communication is a building block of successful
organizations”. In other words, communication acts as organizational blood.
The importance of communication in an organization can be summarized as follows:
1. Communication promotes motivation by informing and clarifying the employees about
the task to be done, the manner they are performing the task, and how to improve their
performance if it is not up to the mark.
2. Communication is a source of information to the organizational members for decisionmaking process as it helps identifying and assessing alternative course of actions.
3. Communication also plays a crucial role in altering individual’s attitudes, i.e., a well
informed individual will have better attitude than a less-informed individual.
Organizational magazines, journals, meetings and various other forms of oral and written
communication help in moulding employee’s attitudes.
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4. Communication also helps in socializing. In todays life the only presence of another
individual fosters communication. It is also said that one cannot survive without
communication.
5. As discussed earlier, communication also assists in controlling process. It helps
controlling organizational member’s behaviour in various ways. There are various levels
of hierarchy and certain principles and guidelines that employees must follow in an
organization. They must comply with organizational policies, perform their job role
efficiently and communicate any work problem and grievance to their superiors. Thus,
communication helps in controlling function of management.
An effective and efficient communication system requires managerial proficiency in delivering
and receiving messages. A manager must discover various barriers to communication, analyze
the reasons for their occurrence and take preventive steps to avoid those barriers. Thus, the
primary responsibility of a manager is to develop and maintain an effective communication
system in the organization.
Communication Flows in an Organization
In an organization, communication flows in 5 main directions1.
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5.
Downward
Upward
Lateral
Diagonal
External
1. Downward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows from a higher level in
an organization to a lower level is a downward communication. In other words,
communication from superiors to subordinates in a chain of command is a downward
communication. This communication flow is used by the managers to transmit workrelated information to the employees at lower levels. Employees require this information
for performing their jobs and for meeting the expectations of their managers. Downward
communication is used by the managers for the following purposes Providing feedback on employees performance
Giving job instructions
Providing a complete understanding of the employees job as well as to
communicate them how their job is related to other jobs in the organization.
Communicating the organizations mission and vision to the employees.
Highlighting the areas of attention.
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Organizational publications, circulars, letter to employees, group meetings etc are all
examples of downward communication. In order to have effective and error-free
downward communication, managers must:
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Specify communication objective
Ensure that the message is accurate, specific and unambiguous.
Utilize the best communication technique to convey the message to the
receiver in right form
2. Upward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows to a higher level in an
organization is called upward communication. It provides feedback on how well the
organization is functioning. The subordinates use upward communication to convey their
problems and performances to their superiors.
The subordinates also use upward communication to tell how well they have understood
the downward communication. It can also be used by the employees to share their views
and ideas and to participate in the decision-making process.
Upward communication leads to a more committed and loyal workforce in an
organization because the employees are given a chance to raise and speak dissatisfaction
issues to the higher levels. The managers get to know about the employees feelings
towards their jobs, peers, supervisor and organization in general. Managers can thus
accordingly take actions for improving things.
Grievance Redressal System, Complaint and Suggestion Box, Job Satisfaction surveys
etc all help in improving upward communication. Other examples of Upward
Communication are -performance reports made by low level management for reviewing
by higher level management, employee attitude surveys, letters from employees,
employee-manager discussions etc.
3. Lateral / Horizontal Communication: Communication that takes place at same levels
of hierarchy in an organization is called lateral communication, i.e., communication
between peers, between managers at same levels or between any horizontally equivalent
organizational member. The advantages of horizontal communication are as follows:
It is time saving.
It facilitates co-ordination of the task.
It facilitates co-operation among team members.
It provides emotional and social assistance to the organizational members.
It helps in solving various organizational problems.
It is a means of information sharing
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It can also be used for resolving conflicts of a department with other department or
conflicts within a department.
4. Diagonal Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and
employees of other workgroups is called diagonal communication. It generally does not
appear on organizational chart. For instance - To design a training module a training
manager interacts with an Operations personnel to enquire about the way they perform
their task.
5. External Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and
external groups such as - suppliers, vendors, banks, financial institutes etc. For instance To raise capital the Managing director would interact with the Bank Manager.
Grapevine Communication (Informal Business Communication)
Grapevine is an informal channel of business communication. It is called so because it stretches
throughout the organization in all directions irrespective of the authority levels. Man as we
know is a social animal. Despite existence of formal channels in an organization, the informal
channels tend to develop when he interacts with other people in organization. It exists more at
lower levels of organization.
Grapevine generally develops due to various reasons. One of them is that when an organization
is facing recession, the employees sense uncertainty. Also, at times employees do not have selfconfidence due to which they form unions. Sometimes the managers show preferential
treatment and favour some employees giving a segregated feeling to other employees. Thus,
when employees sense a need to exchange their views, they go for grapevine network as they
cannot use the formal channel of communication in that case. Generally during breaks in
cafeteria,the subordinates talk about their superior’s attitude and behaviour and exchange views
with their peers. They discuss rumours about promotion and transfer of other employees. Thus,
grapevine spreads like fire and it is not easy to trace the cause of such communication at times.
Examples of Grapevine Network of Communication
1. Suppose the profit amount of a company is known. Rumour is spread that this much
profit is there and on that basis bonus is declared.
2. CEO may be in relation to the Production Manager. They may have friendly relations
with each other.
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Pros and Cons of Grapevine Communication
Advantages of Grapevine Communication
1. Grapevine channels carry information rapidly. As soon as an employee gets to know
some confidential information, he becomes inquisitive and passes the details then to his
closest friend who in turn passes it to other. Thus, it spreads hastily.
2. The managers get to know the reactions of their subordinates on their policies. Thus, the
feedback obtained is quick compared to formal channel of communication.
3. The grapevine creates a sense of unity among the employees who share and discuss their
views with each other. Thus, grapevine helps in developing group cohesiveness.
4. The grapevine serves as an emotional supportive value.
5. The grapevine is a supplement in those cases where formal communication does not
work.
Disadvantages of Grapevine Communication
1. The grapevine carries partial information at times as it is more based on rumours. Thus, it
does not clearly depicts the complete state of affairs.
2. The grapevine is not trustworthy always as it does not follows official path of
communication and is spread more by gossips and unconfirmed report.
3. The productivity of employees may be hampered as they spend more time talking rather
than working.
4. The grapevine leads to making hostility against the executives.
5. The grapevine may hamper the goodwill of the organization as it may carry false negative
information about the high level people of the organization.
A smart manager should take care of all the disadvantages of the grapevine and try to minimize
them. At the same time, he should make best possible use of advantages of grapevine.
Feedback Communication
Receivers are not just passive absorbers of messages; they receive the message and respond to
them. This response of a receiver to sender’s message is called Feedback. Sometimes a feedback
could be a non-verbal smiles, sighs etc. Sometimes it is oral, as when you react to a colleague’s
ideas with questions or comments. Feedback can also be written like - replying to an e-mail, etc.
Feedback is your audience’s response; it enables you to evaluate the effectiveness of your
message. If your audience doesn’t understand what you mean, you can tell by the response and
then refine the message accordingly.
Giving your audience a chance to provide feedback is crucial for maintaining an open
communication climate. The manager must create an environment that encourages feedback. For
example after explaining the job to the subordinated he must ask them whether they have
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understood it or not. He should ask questions like “Do you understand?”, “Do you have any
doubts?” etc. At the same time he must allow his subordinated to express their views also.
Feedback is essential in communication so as to know whether the recipient has understood the
message in the same terms as intended by the sender and whether he agrees to that message or
not.
There are lot of ways in which company takes feedback from their employees, such as :
Employee surveys, memos, emails, open-door policies, company news letter etc. Employees are
not always willing to provide feedback. The organization has to work a lot to get the accurate
feedback. The managers encourage feedback by asking specific questions, allowing their
employees to express general views, etc. The organization should be receptive to their
employee’s feedback.
A manger should ensure that a feedback should:
1. Focus on a particular behaviour - It should be specific rather than being general.
2. Impersonal - Feedback should be job related, the manager should not criticize anyone
personally.
3. Goal oriented - If we have something negative to say about the person, we should always
direct it to the recipients goal.
4. Well timed - Feedback is most effective when there is a short gap between the recipients
behaviour and the receipt of that feedback.
5. Use “I” statements - Manager should make use of statements with the words like “I”,
“However” etc. For example instead of saying”You were absent from work yesterday”,
manager should say”I was annoyes when you missed your work yesterday”.
6. Ensure understanding - For feedback to be effective, the manager should make sure that
the recipients understands the feedback properly.
7. While giving negative feedback to the recipient, the manager should not mention the
factors which are not in control of the recipient.
Communication Barriers - Reasons for Communication Breakdown
Communication is a process beginning with a sender who encodes the message and passes it
through some channel to the receiver who decodes the message. Communication is fruitful if
and only if the messages sent by the sender is interpreted with same meaning by the receiver. If
any kind of disturbance blocks any step of communication, the message will be destroyed. Due
to such disturbances, managers in an organization face severe problems. Thus the managers
must locate such barriers and take steps to get rid of them.
There are several barriers that affects the flow of communication in an organization. These
barriers interrupt the flow of communication from the sender to the reciever, thus making
communication ineffective. It is essential for managers to overcome these barriers. The main
barriers of communication are summarized below.
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Following are the main communication barriers:
1. Perceptual and Language Differences: Perception is generally how each individual
interprets the world around him. All generally want to receive messages which are
significant to them. But any message which is against their values is not accepted. A
same event may be taken differently by different individuals. For example : A person is
on leave for a month due to personal reasons (family member being critical). The HR
Manager might be in confusion whether to retain that employee or not, the immediate
manager might think of replacement because his teams productivity is being hampered,
the family members might take him as an emotional support.
The linguistic differences also lead to communication breakdown. Same word may mean
different to different individuals. For example: consider a word “value”.
a. What is the value of this Laptop?
b. I value our relation?
c. What is the value of learning technical skills?
“Value” means different in different sentences. Communication breakdown occurs if
there is wrong perception by the receiver.
2. Information Overload: Managers are surrounded with a pool of information. It is
essential to control this information flow else the information is likely to be
misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked. As a result communication is less effective.
3. Inattention: At times we just not listen, but only hear. For example a traveler may pay
attention to one “NO PARKING” sign, but if such sign is put all over the city, he no
longer listens to it. Thus, repetitive messages should be ignored for effective
communication. Similarly if a superior is engrossed in his paper work and his subordinate
explains him his problem, the superior may not get what he is saying and it leads to
disappointment of subordinate.
4. Time Pressures: Often in organization the targets have to be achieved within a specified
time period, the failure of which has adverse consequences. In a haste to meet deadlines,
the formal channels of communication are shortened, or messages are partially given, i.e.,
not completely transferred. Thus sufficient time should be given for effective
communication.
5. Distraction/Noise: Communication is also affected a lot by noise to distractions.
Physical distractions are also there such as, poor lightning, uncomfortable sitting,
unhygienic room also affects communication in a meeting. Similarly use of loud speakers
interferes with communication.
6. Emotions: Emotional state at a particular point of time also affects communication. If the
receiver feels that communicator is angry he interprets that the information being sent is
very bad. While he takes it differently if the communicator is happy and jovial (in that
case the message is interpreted to be good and interesting).
7. Complexity in Organizational Structure: Greater the hierarchy in an organization (i.e.
more the number of managerial levels), more is the chances of communication getting
destroyed. Only the people at the top level can see the overall picture while the people at
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low level just have knowledge about their own area and a little knowledge about other
areas.
8. Poor retention: Human memory cannot function beyond a limit. One cant always retain
what is being told specially if he is not interested or not attentive. This leads to
communication breakdown.
Effect of Communication Barriers in Business Communication
An organization is an individual’s first home as one spends the maximum time here only. No
organization runs for charity, it is really important that the organization achieve its goals. How
does an organization become successful ? How will an organization achieve its goals ?.
The employees are the assets for any organization and the profitability of any organization is
directly proportional to the labour put by its employees. Putting labour does not mean getting
involved in hard physical work or digging the gold mines, it actually refers to the smart work
done by employees, transparency between the team members, free flow of information from the
superior to the subordinates. How does free flow of information happen? How is the
transparency between the team members achieved ? - Through Communication and not only
through communication but effective communication.
In organizations the barriers in communication go a long way in distortion of the message and
the information does not reach in its desired form.
Imagine a situation where you want some report from your team members which needs to be
forwarded to the managing director of the organization. What if your team misinterprets your
information, screws up the project and fails to submit it within the deadline. The managing
director will literally sit on your head and make your life miserable. The poor communication
can actually cost you your job.
Let us now understand how barriers in communication effect business communication.
Noise acts as a devil in business communication. Any information downloaded at a noisy place
is bound to get distorted and result in a complete mess.
Petty wanted to go through the complete budget of the sales, marketing and the operations team.
She passed on this information to Joe at his workstation around which lots of other employees
were shouting, the base phone was constantly ringing and the photocopier machine was making a
terrible noise. At the end of the day, Joe submitted the report but the budget for the operations
team was missing in the report. Joe actually had heard only about sales and marketing
department and thus skipped the report of the operations team. Petty fired Joe and even stopped
his appraisal. Unwanted distractions, noise, chit chats of the other employees etc played the
culprit and poor Joe missed out on his promotion. Noise reduces the chances of the correct flow
of information from the sender to the receiver. If the office is noisy, errors are bound to happen
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and thus increasing conflicts among the team members and decreasing the efficiency of the
employees.
Unorganized and Haphazard thoughts also lead to ineffective communication in
organizations. Business communications are bound to suffer due to ineffective communication.
If any individual wants something from his team members, he first must be himself very clear
what actually he expects from his team. The boss must clearly mention his team member’s key
responsibility areas in clear words to avoid wastage of manpower, duplicacy of work, effective
time management and more output from them.
Not cross checking among themselves or with the superiors also spoils the business
communication to a large extent.
Misha was sharing her phone number with her client and she never bothered to verify with her
client whether he has noted the correct number or not. One day, the client had a major query and
he had to discuss with Misha on an urgent basis. He kept on trying the same number which
Misha gave but someone else was responding. He then had to call the front desk lady to get
connected with Misha and obviously he was furious. The client had wrongly noted Misha’s
number and thus wasted his precious time and lost his temper. While sharing any important
contact number it is the responsibility of the speaker to cross check with the listener. Email ids
must be spelled out properly to avoid wrong spellings and unnecessary wastage of time.
During any business meeting, presentation or seminar, the speaker has to be very careful
about his pitch and tone. It has been observed that during seminars or presentations only the
front benchers are attentive, the last benchers are almost lost in their own sweet world. The
person who chairs the meeting has to speak very clearly, has to be very confident and must
maintain a tone audible to everyone, even to the individuals sitting on the last row. Information
must pass to them also to expect the best out of them and increase their efficiency. Try to make
the seminar or the meeting interactive. Dont just speak, also invite questions from the team. After
any seminar or meeting, the superior or the incharge must send the minutes of the meeting
through e mail to all the required recipients to avoid last minute confusions and discrepancies.
The speaker must ensure whether everyone is clear or not ?
In any organization, it is mandatory to understand which employee can do a particular
assignment, and which employee is not fit for a particular role. Chelsea was not keen for a
branding profile but his boss could never understand her interest and always wondered why
Chelsea was not effectively performing ? In any organization, before assigning responsibilities to
the employees, it is a must to understand the employee and his area of specialization and interest.
Communication will be for sure ineffective if a person from an accounting background is asked
to deliver a presentation on sales techniques. He is bound to get nervous and the message will
fail in creating the required impact. Don’t just impose work on any employee, give him the work
he enjoys doing the most.
Difference in thought process also results in a poor communication in business areas. A
boss and the employee can never think on the same level. Let us try to understand the situation
with the help of an example.
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Jude to Harry - “Harry, I need the complete financial report by end of the day”
By financial report, Jude actually meant the complete financial analysis, which would include the
complete details of how much the company spends in advertising, promotional activities, and
other marketing activities.,analyse the inflow and outflow of expenditure patterns and so on.
Harry could never understand Jude’s thought process. He simply compiled the expenditure
details and handed over to Jude. Jude was obviously not happy. He was expecting much more
from Harry. Harry had to resubmit the project resulting in duplicacy of effort and wastage of
time. Jude should have made it very clear from the very beginning what all he was expecting
from Harry. He kept half of his things within himself and did not share with Harry. Poor Harry
had to redo his work. Every individual has a different mindset, different level of understanding
and thus it is important to share each and every detail with others and clarify the things from the
very beginning.
One should remember that the listeners are also a part of the conversation. The listeners must
give their feedback at the end of the conversation. If you are not clear what your boss is
expecting out of you, or what you are actually supposed to do, please ASK. Don’t hesitate, ask
questions. Don’t hide your queries, ask and clear your doubts then and there only. Your boss will
only feel happy if you share your queries with him.
For the successful running of an organization, it is important that transparency is maintained
among the employees at all levels. Communication barriers must be overcome in organizations
to ensure the free flow of information between the sender and the recipient and for an effective
communication among the employees. Effective communication reduces the error rate, reduces
conflicts and mis understandings and in turn increases the profitability of the organization. Every
employee must try their level best to avoid the communication barriers in organizations for an
effective business communication.
Overcoming Communication Barriers
There are a lot of communication barriers faced these days by all. The message intended by the
sender is not understood by the receiver in the same terms and sense and thus communication
breakdown occurs. It is essential to deal and cope up with these communication barriers so as to
ensure smooth and effective communication.
As, in the previous section we have discussed the major barriers of communication. Let’s talk
about how to overcome these barriers of communication.
1. Eliminating differences in perception: The organization should ensure that it is
recruiting right individuals on the job. It’s the responsibility of the interviewer to ensure
that the interviewee has command over the written and spoken language. There should be
proper Induction program so that the policies of the company are clear to all the
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employees. There should be proper trainings conducted for required employees (for eg:
Voice and Accent training).
2. Use of Simple Language: Use of simple and clear words should be emphasized. Use of
ambiguous words and jargons should be avoided.
3. Reduction and elimination of noise levels: Noise is the main communication barrier
which must be overcome on priority basis. It is essential to identify the source of noise
and then eliminate that source.
4. Active Listening: Listen attentively and carefully. There is a difference between
“listening” and “hearing”. Active listening means hearing with proper understanding of
the message that is heard. By asking questions the speaker can ensure whether his/her
message is understood or not by the receiver in the same terms as intended by the
speaker.
5. Emotional State: During communication one should make effective use of body
language. He/she should not show their emotions while communication as the receiver
might misinterpret the message being delivered. For example, if the conveyer of the
message is in a bad mood then the receiver might think that the information being
delivered is not good.
6. Simple Organizational Structure: The organizational structure should not be complex.
The number of hierarchical levels should be optimum. There should be a ideal span of
control within the organization. Simpler the organizational structure, more effective will
be the communication.
7. Avoid Information Overload: The managers should know how to prioritize their work.
They should not overload themselves with the work. They should spend quality time with
their subordinates and should listen to their problems and feedbacks actively.
8. Give Constructive Feedback: Avoid giving negative feedback. The contents of the
feedback might be negative, but it should be delivered constructively. Constructive
feedback will lead to effective communication between the superior and subordinate.
9. Proper Media Selection: The managers should properly select the medium of
communication. Simple messages should be conveyed orally, like: face to face
interaction or meetings. Use of written means of communication should be encouraged
for delivering complex messages. For significant messages reminders can be given by
using written means of communication such as : Memos, Notices etc.
10. Flexibility in meeting the targets: For effective communication in an organization the
managers should ensure that the individuals are meeting their targets timely without
skipping the formal channels of communication. There should not be much pressure on
employees to meet their targets.
Seven C’s of Effective Communication
There are 7 C’s of effective communication which are applicable to both written as well as oral
communication. These are as follows:
1. Completeness - The communication must be complete. It should convey all facts
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required by the audience. The sender of the message must take into consideration the
receiver’s mind set and convey the message accordingly. A complete communication has
following features:
 Complete communication develops and enhances reputation of an organization.
 Moreover, they are cost saving as no crucial information is missing and no
additional cost is incurred in conveying extra message if the communication is
complete.
 A complete communication always gives additional information wherever
required. It leaves no questions in the mind of receiver.
 Complete communication helps in better decision-making by the audience/
readers/ receivers of message as they get all desired and crucial information.
 It persuades the audience.
2. Conciseness - Conciseness means wordiness, i.e, communicating what you want to
convey in least possible words without forgoing the other C’s of communication.
Conciseness is a necessity for effective communication. Concise communication has
following features:
 It is both time-saving as well as cost-saving.
 It underlines and highlights the main message as it avoids using excessive and
needless words.
 Concise communication provides short and essential message in limited words to
the audience.
 Concise message is more appealing and comprehensible to the audience.
 Concise message is non-repetitive in nature.
3. Consideration - Consideration implies “stepping into the shoes of others”. Effective
communication must take the audience into consideration, i.e, the audience’s view points,
background, mind-set, education level, etc. Make an attempt to envisage your audience,
their requirements, emotions as well as problems. Ensure that the self-respect of the
audience is maintained and their emotions are not at harm. Modify your words in
message to suit the audience’s needs while making your message complete. Features of
considerate communication are as follows:
 Emphasize on “you” approach.
 Empathize with the audience and exhibit interest in the audience. This will
stimulate a positive reaction from the audience.
 Show optimism towards your audience. Emphasize on “what is possible” rather
than “what is impossible”. Lay stress on positive words such as jovial, committed,
thanks, warm, healthy, help, etc.
4. Clarity - Clarity implies emphasizing on a specific message or goal at a time, rather than
trying to achieve too much at once. Clarity in communication has following features:
 It makes understanding easier.
 Complete clarity of thoughts and ideas enhances the meaning of message.
 Clear message makes use of exact, appropriate and concrete words.
5. Concreteness - Concrete communication implies being particular and clear rather than
fuzzy and general. Concreteness strengthens the confidence. Concrete message has
following features:
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It is supported with specific facts and figures.
It makes use of words that are clear and that build the reputation.
Concrete messages are not misinterpreted.
6. Courtesy - Courtesy in message implies the message should show the sender’s
expression as well as should respect the receiver. The sender of the message should be
sincerely polite, judicious, reflective and enthusiastic. Courteous message has following
features:
 Courtesy implies taking into consideration both viewpoints as well as feelings of
the receiver of the message.
 Courteous message is positive and focused at the audience.
 It makes use of terms showing respect for the receiver of message.
 It is not at all biased.
7. Correctness - Correctness in communication implies that there are no grammatical errors
in communication. Correct communication has following features:
 The message is exact, correct and well-timed.
 If the communication is correct, it boosts up the confidence level.
 Correct message has greater impact on the audience/ readers.
 It checks for the precision and accurateness of facts and figures used in the
message.
 It makes use of appropriate and correct language in the message.
Awareness of these 7 C’s of communication makes you an effective communicator.
Corporate Meetings
Corporate Meetings are very crucial part of business activities. They are a significant means of
formal communication. Meetings are a venue for generation of new and innovative ideas. These
meetings are multipurpose in nature actually. They aim at discussing feedback and receiving
feedback on the spot. The information of prior importance is given during meetings. They are a
true means of conveying feelings and expressions. Meetings involve people of the company.
Meetings, thus, encourage participation and motivate them. Participants in a meeting, if given
responsibility, turn out to be more productive and contribute to organizational success.
Corporate Meetings thus turn out to be a place where various aspects of business management
are discussed- the performance of the company, the mission and vision of company, the
weaknesses of company, the obstacles faced and how to overcome them. Effective meetings
involve presentations and lead to personality development. Efficient meetings save time, money
and resources of the company.
While conducting business meetings, certain things have to be taken care of. Decisions should be
based on facts and based on circumstances, they shouldn’t be based on presumptions. The
participants should be optimum in number, not too much. Don’t go off track or don’t forget the
agenda of the meeting. Avoid distractions during meetings, such as- looking here and there,
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talking on phone, fiddling, etc. Decision-making should be unambiguous. Don’t waste time
waiting for latecomers. Start discussion on time.
A successful and effective business meeting is one which is well planned. It should be planned
well in advance that who all would be the participants in meeting, the time, venue, and agenda of
meeting. The agenda of the meeting should be clear to all. Do not try to make a fish market in
meeting. Respect everyone’s views. Respect the leader. Try and co-operate. It has to be ensured
that the decisions that are reached through a meeting should be implemented. Also, all
participants must get minutes at the end of meeting.
Corporate Meetings tell where the company is and where is it heading. They are communication
drivers behind organization’s success. Successful Corporate Meetings are productive, creative,
well- focused, timely and well-led.
How to Conduct a Meeting ?
Communicating in a meeting is an essential part of effective communication. Some meetings
are not conducted in an efficient manner due to which they fail in accomplishing the sole
objective of the meeting. It may be because:
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They do not involve participation of all, or
They may be too long, or
They may be unsystematic, or
They may lack a clear agenda, or
They may not begin on the planned time, or
They may end without any conclusion.
As a result, such meetings lead to agitation and sheer wastage of time. In order to ensure
effectiveness of a meeting, it must be planned, systematic and rational.
The process of running an effective meeting includes the following steps:
Plan the meeting: Plan the meeting in advance. With the plan clear in mind, the objective of
the meeting can be well accomplished. Planning includes
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Outline the objective of the meeting.
Decide the attendees/participants of the meeting.
Plan an agenda for the meeting, i.e., the topics to be discussed, the sequence in which
they will be discussed, in how much detail they will be discussed, the time given to
each agenda topic, etc.
Plan the starting time of the meeting, plan for the breaks, and also plan the
approximate time by which the meeting should end.
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Announce/declare the meeting: After planning the meeting and before actually beginning
the meeting, the participants should be delivered a message/memorandum to make them
aware and ready for the topics to be discussed in the meeting. Give each participant
responsibility for the agenda item. Issue the agenda.
Conduct the meeting: Be punctual. Try and arrive before time for the meeting. The meeting
should begin on time. State the objective of the meeting in the very beginning so that all are
clear with the purpose of the meeting. Give a brief introduction of the members/participants
so that all are familiar. Circulate notes and handouts. Involve all attendees during the
discussion. Encourage new ideas from the participants. Respect their ideas. Ask for a
feedback. Make sure that there are no distractions during the meeting (such as ringing cell
phones, or participants fiddling with pen, or gossiping, etc.). Give a quick review of the
issues discussed in the meeting. Make sure that all the issues are discussed within the time
frame. If time does not permit discussion of all issues, ask the participants if they are
comfortable in discussing those issues in next meeting. Fix and decide upon the time for the
next meeting.
Evaluate the meeting: Assess the meeting after it is conducted. Distribute an evaluation
form to all participants which provides you a feedback on the effectiveness of the meeting.
To get credible and honest feedback, do not give a space for name of the attendee on the
form. Ask questions such as whether the objectives of the meetings were well met, did it
involve participation of all, which part of the meeting did the attendee found most
constructive and which part of meeting was not significant.
Intercultural Communication
Increased and improved communication in today’s internet age has led to intercultural
communication. People talk and communicate across states, cultures, and / or religion. While
technology has made communication faster and easier, it is important that intercultural
communication is handled with a lot of sensitivity.
What can possibly go wrong ?
People encode and decode or interpret messages basis their values, beliefs, culture, and
assumptions. This could lead to greater misunderstanding.
How to improve Intercultural Communication ?
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While conversing / communicating with an audience that is not of a similar culture, one
must thoroughly research about the culture of the other party. This will reduce the
chances of making sensitive remarks and hence can avoid confusion.
Slangs and idioms should be avoided. Choose specific and relevant words.
Be an attentive listener. Check for understanding. Ask questions if there is a doubt.
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Understand the importance of intonation while communicating. Stress on a specific word
can change the entire meaning of a sentence. For e.g.: I never said HE stole the money
lays stress on “HE” while “I never said he STOLE the money” lays stress on “STOLE”
and hence it focuses on how was the money taken [not by stealing but by any other
means].
Check your body language / gestures. Some countries might find a particular gesture as
offensive as compared to other countries / cultures. Level of eye contact, distance
between two people while making a formal vs. Informal communication are such
examples of situations one must study about before starting an intercultural
communication.
In China while exchanging visiting card, one must accept it with both hands and have a
good look at the card. One should not keep it in his / her pocket immediately. Also, if you
are visiting China and are having a meal with a Chinese host, make sure you leave some
food in the plate. It implies that you are full and can’t have more. If you eat all
ingredients on the plate it could mean you are still hungry and want more.
To understand various cultures is interesting and could go a long way in making intercultural
communication fruitful and worthwhile.
Guidelines for Effective Communication
Effective communication is a part and parcel of any successful organization. A communication
should be free from barriers so as to be effective. Communication is a two way process where the
message sent by the sender should be interpreted in the same terms by the recipient. The
characteristics of effective communication are as follows :
1. Clarity of Purpose: The message to be delivered must be clear in the mind of sender.
The person to whom it is targeted and the aim of the message should be clear in the mind
of the sender.
2. Completeness: The message delivered should not be incomplete. It should be supported
by facts and observations. It should be well planned and organized. No assumptions
should be made by the receiver.
3. Conciseness: The message should be concise. It should not include any unnecessary
details. It should be short and complete.
4. Feedback: Whether the message sent by the sender is understood in same terms by the
receiver or not can be judged by the feedback received. The feedback should be timely
and in personal. It should be specific rather than general.
5. Empathy: Empathy with the listeners is essential for effective verbal communication.
The speaker should step into the shoes of the listener and be sensitive to their needs and
emotions. This way he can understand things from their perspective and make
communication more effective.
6. Modify the message according to the audience: The information requirement by
different people in the organization differs according to their needs. What is relevant to
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the middle level management might not be relevant to the top level of management. Use
of jargons should be minimized because it might lead to misunderstanding and
misinterpretations. The message should be modified according to the needs and
requirements of the targeted audience.
7. Multiple Channels of communication: For effective communication multiple channels
should be used as it increases the chances of clarity of message. The message is
reinforced by using different channels and there are less chances of deformation of
message.
8. Make effective use of Grapevine (informal channel of communication): The
employees and managers should not always discourage grapevine. They should make
effective use of grapevine. The managers can use grapevine to deliver formal messages
and for identification of issues which are significant for the employees. The managers can
get to know the problems faced by the employees and can work upon it.
Tips for Students and MBA Aspirants to Improve Communication
MBA Aspirant needs to master his communication skills to perform exceptionally well in MBA
from a reputed Business school and prove his mettle while studying as well as in the corporate
world. He should definitely have an edge over the other candidates, if he has excellent and
impressive communication skills.
Let us go through some handy tips to improve the communication skills:
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Read a lot. Reading is the key to an effective communication. Pick up any magazine,
journal, novel or for that matter the daily newspaper and do make it a habit to read it
aloud. It has generally been observed that when an individual speaks, he falls short of
words. The words are somewhere hidden in his brain and refuse to come out. When you
read aloud, after sometime, words automatically fall into your mouth and thus improve
the communication skills. If you come across any new word, do check out its meaning
and try to add it in your speech the next time you speak. Reading also enhances your
general knowledge and makes you aware of what is happening around you. Read
anything which interests you.
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Who says Television is an Idiot Box ? One can gain a lot while watching Television.
If you are watching any talk show or interview of any great personality don’t just stare at
the pictures, try to follow the way participants interact with each other, carefully observe
their accent and also learn new words from them. It is okay to watch movies sometimes
but not always, an MBA Aspirant must watch some educative channels to improve their
general knowledge as well as communication skills. Remember there is no end to
learning. An individual can learn new things at any age. While interacting with anyone, if
you come across any unknown word, do not feel shy or hesitate to find out its meaning.
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No one will make fun of you, instead would appreciate you for your initiative to learn
more.
A child has to first learn alphabets to be able to make new words. In the same way, for an
effective communication one should be very clear with the basic concepts of
communication. Learn tenses, homophones, homographs, heterographs, vowels,
consonants, verbs, phonetics as they are the stepping stones to an effective
communication. Ignoring the above things will never let you communicate correctly and
effectively. Always adopt a step by step approach.
Be patient. Don’t be in a hurry to hone your communication skills in a day or so. There
is no medicine or any magic stick which can improve your communication skills in a day.
You have to be patient and give yourself time. Never feel dejected if others speak better
English than you, instead learn from them and seek their guidance. It is rightly said”
Practice makes a man perfect”. Practice a lot. Whatever language you want to master on,
try to interact in the same language with your friends and family for the perfect flow of
words. Never feel embarrassed if you are wrong, learn from your mistakes. Stand in front
of the mirror and speak to yourself. Ask yourself questions and answer them. Be your
own critic. It works.
One has to be very confident and must adopt the right attitude. Nothing is possible if
you don’t have the right approach and attitude. Motivate yourself to communicate
effectively. Whenever you learn a new word, treat yourself with a chocolate.
Your thoughts ought to be very clear for an effective communication. Haphazard and
unorganized thoughts lead to an ineffective communication. Be very clear what you
intend to communicate. Don’t just speak for the sake of speaking. Carefully select
sensible and relevant words to put your thoughts into a content to be shared with others.
Don’t keep half of your words in mouth, speak properly and clearly. You yourself have to
be very clear with your thoughts for others to understand it well. Design your content by
keeping the audiences in mind and don’t make it complicated. Keep it simple.
Be a patient listener. An individual cannot be a good communicator, unless and until he
is a good listener. Never interrupt any speaker in between The other individual might not
be as learned as you, but you should always respect his opinions. Even if the other person
is wrong, don’t criticize him; instead wait for your turn to speak. Always listen to the
other side of the story and then only give your expert comments.
An MBA student throughout his two years of academics has to do exceptionally well in
presentations and seminars. You just can’t escape them. One has to be a very good
speaker to fair well in presentations and stand apart from the crowd. Never ever panic and
do create a friendly ambience while delivering a presentation.One has to understand the
importance of non verbal communication as well. Keep a control on your hands and
emotions while speaking. Don’t play with your pen or handkerchief and never smile
unnecessarily. Don’t start sweating in between presentations. The audience will never
bite you, so please do make an eye contact with them. Do not forget to greet them well
with a warm smile.
MBA doesn’t only mean learning the four P’s of marketing or cramming Philip Kotler.
It’s much more than that. One needs to be an extrovert and must know how to brand
oneself. You must know how to position yourself in the market place and impress others.
Be very careful about your pitch and tone. Never murmur while speaking. Don’t speak
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too slowly or never be in a hurry to speak. Speak loudly and clearly so that you are
audible to one and all. No one will notice you if your tone and pitch is not clear and you
will be lost in the crowd.
One might be good in academics, might be very intelligent, but to carve a niche in today’s
competitive world, one has to be an exceptionally good communicator. Impressive
communication skills coupled with your MBA will definitely take you to the pinnacle of success.
Always remember confidence, clarity in thoughts, practice, good listening as well as reading
skills are the main ingredients of good communication skills. One has to take good care of all the
above to emerge as a winner and rule the world.
Tips for Professionals to Improve Communication
One can be an extremely hard working and intelligent worker, but to taste success in the fierce
competitive world, one has to be a good and impressive communicator. In corporates; you will
not get too many chances to win the confidence of your boss and fellow workers, you have to
create a positive impression at the first go itself. Doing your work is important but what is more
important is presenting your work well. One has to be very careful about his communication
skills to perform well at his workplace and have an edge over his fellow workers.
Here are some tips to improve communication skills for professionals.
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Understand the second party well. Know more about their thought process, cultural
background and educational background for effective communication. The content must
be designed keeping the audience in mind. For instance, if you need to address the front
line staff, it is always advisable to keep your speech simple for them to understand well.
For interacting with top shots don’t adopt a casual approach. Use professional jargons
and corporate terminologies in your speech for the “Bang on” effect. Always be yourself
very clear what you want to communicate. If you yourself are confused, you will also
confuse others. Whatever thought you want to share with others, carefully put it into
sensible and relevant words for others to understand clearly. Careful selection of words is
very important for an effective communication. If you want to address your team in the
conference room near the cafeteria, please do mention the location very clearly. Don’t
keep half of your thoughts in mind and expect the others to understand it on their own.
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The pitch and the tone must also be taken care of. During presentations, seminars or
business meetings, your tone must be audible to each and every participant to create the
desired impact and for others to look up to you. Make sure that the individual sitting on
the last bench is also able to hear you properly for him to give his best. Don’t speak too
low or shout. Never rush. Speak slowly and clearly what you expect your fellow workers
to do. Make your speech interesting. Don’t make long presentations or unnecessarily drag
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the meeting. During long meetings, monotony creeps in and individuals tend to loose
interest. Do include a tea or a snack break.
At work places never interact at noisy places, cafeteria, employee’s workstations as noise
acts as a hindrance to an effective communication. Prefer a conference room, a board
room or a noise free zone for meetings and presentations. The speaker must use
whiteboards, markers, pen and paper to highlight the important points. The listeners must
also carry a notepad and a pen to jot down the important points as well as their queries.
The queries must be asked at the end of the presentation. Jumping in between leads to
confusions and misunderstandings and disrespect for the speaker. The question answer
round must be kept at the end of presentations, seminars and meetings. The speaker must
invite questions from the audience in the end and the listeners must also solve all their
queries before leaving for a better understanding. Don’t feel shy to ask your queries.
While sharing any important information, do verify with the recipients whether
they have understood or not. While sharing any important contact number, always
crosscheck with the recipient to ensure that they have noted it correctly. Don’t dictate
your email id in one go. Always break it into words which must be further broken into
alphabets. For better clarity alphabets must be related with the word they stand for. For
example a as in alpha, b as in beta, t as in tango, c as in Charlie as so on. Share your
business cards than verbally dictating your details as chances of errors get reduced.
Don’t always depend on verbal communication. After any meeting, make it a habit to
send the minutes of the meeting through mail marking a cc to all the participants for
everyone to recall what happened in the meeting. Learn the art of writing business mails.
Never use stylish fonts or loud colours in business communication. The agenda of the
meeting must also be sent well in advance so that the participants come prepared and do
not give blank expressions during the meetings.
There should be transparency among all the team members and the subordinates
must have an easy access to their superiors. The hierarchy should be simple for easy
flow of information among the team members. The employee must know whom to
contact in case of a query to avoid dilution of the information. Never call any client or
any employee when he is about to leave for the day as he would never bother to listen
carefully. Also avoid discussing important matters during lunch time as the employee is
altogether in a different mood.
Also take care of your dressing at work place. Never be shabby and keep your nails clean.
Do not wear loud colours to office. Casual dressing is a strict no no at work places. Make
sure to carry a planner or an organizer to note down your work against the deadline to
avoid forgetting important assignments. In offices, always keep your mobiles in the silent
mode as loud ring tones act as a disturbing element and employees find it hard to
concentrate at work.
The most important of all be yourself and be very confident. Give your best everyday
at work and adopt a positive approach. Nervousness and over excitement lead to
stammering and ineffective communication. Learn to keep a control on your emotions
and be very careful about what you say and how you say? Communicate effectively at
work place to be successful.
Effective Listening Skills - An essential for good communication
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Listening is a significant part of communication process. Communication cannot take place
until and unless a message is heard and retained thoroughly and positively by the
receivers/listeners. Listening is a dynamic process. Listening means attentiveness and
interest perceptible in the posture as well as expressions. Listening implies decoding (i.e.,
translating the symbols into meaning) and interpreting the messages correctly in
communication process.
Listening differs from hearing in sense that:
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
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Hearing implies just perceiving the sounds while listening means listening with
understanding whatever you are listening. Both the body as well as mind is involved in
listening process.
Listening is an active process while hearing is a passive activity.
Hearing is an effortless activity while listening is an act requiring conscious efforts,
concentration and interest. Listening involves both physical and psychological efforts.
Effective listening requires both deliberate efforts and a keen mind. Effective listeners
appreciate flow of new ideas and information. Organizations that follow the principles of
effective listening are always informed timely, updated with the changes and implementations,
and are always out of crisis situation. Effective listening promotes organizational relationships,
encourages product delivery and innovation, as well as helps organization to deal with the
diversity in employees and customers it serves.
To improve your communication skills, you must learn to listen effectively. Effective listening
gives you an advantage and makes you more impressive when you speak. It also boosts your
performance.
Effective Listening Skills
1. Discover your interests’ field.
2. Grasp and understand the matter/content.
3. Remain calm. Do not loose your temper. Anger hampers and inhibits communication.
Angry people jam their minds to the words of others.
4. Be open to accept new ideas and information.
5. Jot down and take a note of important points.
6. Work upon listening. Analyze and evaluate the speech in spare time.
7. Rephrase and summarize the speaker’s ideas.
8. Keep on asking questions. This demonstrates that how well you understand the speaker’s
ideas and also that you are listening.
9. Avoid distractions.
10. “Step into the shoes of others”, i.e., put yourself in the position of the speaker and
observe things from his view point. This will help creating an atmosphere of mutual
understanding and improve the exchange of ideas in communication process.
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Characteristics of Good and Effective Listener
Good and effective listener tries to give maximum amount of thought to the speaker’s ideas
being communicated, leaving a minimum amount of time for mental exercises to go off track. A
good listener:
1. Is attentive- Good listener must pay attention to the key points. He should be alert. He
should avoid any kind of distraction.
2. Do not assume- Good listener does not ignore the information he considers is
unnecessary. He should always summarize the speaker’s ideas so that there is no
misunderstanding of thoughts of speakers. He avoids premature judgements about the
speakers message.
3. Listen for feelings and facts- Good listener deliberately listens for the feelings of the
speaker. He concentrates totally on the facts. He evaluates the facts objectively. His
listening is sympathetic, active and alert. He keenly observes the gestures, facial
expression and body language of the speaker. In short, a good listener should be
projective (i.e. one who tries to understand the views of the speaker) and empathic (i.e.
one who concentrates not only on the surface meaning of the message but tries to probe
the feelings and emotions of the speaker).
4. Concentrate on the other speakers kindly and generously- A good listener makes
deliberate efforts to give a chance to other speakers also to express their thoughts and
views. He tries to learn from every speaker. He evaluates the speaker’s ideas in spare
time. He focuses on the content of the speaker’s message and not on the speaker’s
personality and looks.
5. Opportunizes- A good listener tries to take benefit from the opportunities arising. He
asks “What’s in it for me?”
To conclude, effective listening enhances the communication quality. It makes all attentive. It
encourages optimistic attitude, healthy relations and more participation. It leads to better
decision- making in an organization. Effective listening is directly related to our ability to do
team work. It must be noted that “We listen at about an efficiency rate of 25 percent maximum,
and we remember only about 50 percent of what is delivered during a ten minute
speech/lecture/communication.”
Effective Presentation Skills
Presentation can be defined as a formal event characterized by teamwork and use of audiovisual aids. The main purpose of presentation is to give information, to persuade the audience to
act and to create goodwill. A good presentation should have a good subject matter, should match
with the objective, should best fit the audience, and should be well organized.
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Characteristics of a Good/Effective Presentation
1. The presentation ideas should be well adapted to your audience. Relate your presentation
message/idea to the interests of the audience. A detailed audience analysis must be made
before the presentation, i.e., an analysis of the needs, age, educational background,
language, and culture of the target audience. Their body language instantly gives the
speaker the required feedback.
2. A good presentation should be concise and should be focused on the topic. It should not
move off-track.
3. A good presentation should have the potential to convey the required information.
4. The fear should be transformed into positive energy during the presentation. Be calm and
relaxed while giving a presentation. Before beginning, wait and develop an eye contact
with the audience. Focus on conveying your message well and use a positive body
language.
5. To communicate the desired information, the speaker should use more of visual aids such
as transparencies, diagrams, pictures, charts, etc. Each transparency/slide should contain
limited and essential information only. No slide should be kept on for a longer time. Try
facing the audience, rather than the screen. The speaker should not block the view. Turn
on the room lights else the audience might fall asleep and loose interest. Organize all the
visuals for making a logical and sound presentation.
6. A good presentation must be planned. The speaker must plan how to begin the
presentation, what to speak in the middle of presentation and how to end the presentation
without losing audience interests at any point of time.
7. Rehearse and practice the presentation. This will help the speaker to be more confident
and self-assured. The more the speaker rehearses the better the presentation turns to be.
8. The speaker should encourage more questions from the audience. He should be honest
enough to answer those questions. If any biased question is put forth by the audience,
rearticulate it before answering.
9. Summarize the presentation at the end. Give final comments. Leave a positive impact
upon the audience.
10. The speaker must have a presentable appearance while giving a presentation. The speaker
should stand with feet far apart maintaining a good balance. He must use confident
gestures. He must use short and simple words.
11. Try to gain and maintain audience interest by using positive quotes, humour, or
remarkable fact.
12. The speaker must be affirmative and optimistic before giving presentation. He should
ensure all tools and equipments to be used in presentation are working well.
13. The speaker must state the objectives of the presentation at beginning of the presentation.
What is effective report writing?
An effective report can be written going through the following steps-
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Determine the objective of the report, i.e., identify the problem.
Collect the required material (facts) for the report.
Study and examine the facts gathered.
Plan the facts for the report.
Prepare an outline for the report, i.e., draft the report.
Edit the drafted report.
Distribute the draft report to the advisory team and ask for feedback and
recommendations.
The essentials of good/effective report writing are as follows1. Know your objective, i.e., be focused.
2. Analyze the niche audience, i.e., make an analysis of the target audience, the purpose for
which audience requires the report, kind of data audience is looking for in the report, the
implications of report reading, etc.
3. Decide the length of report.
4. Disclose correct and true information in a report.
5. Discuss all sides of the problem reasonably and impartially. Include all relevant facts in a
report.
6. Concentrate on the report structure and matter. Pre-decide the report writing style. Use
vivid structure of sentences.
7. The report should be neatly presented and should be carefully documented.
8. Highlight and recap the main message in a report.
9. Encourage feedback on the report from the critics. The feedback, if negative, might be
useful if properly supported with reasons by the critics. The report can be modified based
on such feedback.
10. Use graphs, pie-charts, etc to show the numerical data records over years.
11. Decide on the margins on a report. Ideally, the top and the side margins should be the
same (minimum 1 inch broad), but the lower/bottom margins can be one and a half times
as broad as others.
12. Attempt to generate reader’s interest by making appropriate paragraphs, giving bold
headings for each paragraph, using bullets wherever required, etc.
Checklist for Effective Resume Writing
A resume is also known as CV or curriculum vitae. Resume is an influential and credible
summary of an individual’s employment qualifications. There is no standard format for a
resume. It gives an idea to the reader that how you can be an asset to their organization. A
resume should be:
- Neat
- Have factual and relevant information
- Self describing
- Clearly indicate why you are best suited for this job
- Up to date
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Resumes should be written not for yourself but for the reader. A good resume must be properly
planned, drafted and finally revised. Regard your resume as work in progress and give it a polish
every couple of months. You never know when you will be asked for it. Your resume needs to
recap and capture the spirit of our competency/what’s best about you.
Resumes are of two types:
i.
ii.
Chronological Resume- These resume gives a quick brief up of what the candidate has
done in a timeline-beginning with the latest events and moving back in reverse
chronology. It stresses upon the degrees, job headings and the dates. Such a resume
demonstrates steady development/movement to the current time.
Skills Resume- These resume stresses upon the skills and competencies possessed and
used by the candidate, rather than the job and the date in which those skills have been
used. It is generally prepared when the candidate frequently changes his job or when his
education and experience do not harmonize/match with the position for which the
candidate is applying.
Do’s and Dont’s in your Resume
1. Shouldn’t be too long. It should not exceed two pages generally.
2. CV should be true and factual.
3. The first page should contain enough personal details for a recruitment consultant or
potential employer to contact you easily.
4. Choose a format that highlights key skills, key competencies, key achievements or key
attributes.
5. Your employment background should begin with your current job and work backwards.
6. List all relevant qualifications.
7. Do not include negative or irrelevant information.
8. Include details of training or skills development events attended.
9. Include personal details.
10. Use a very good quality paper.
11. Do not use a type size less than 11pt.
12. Typefaces such as Times New Roman or Arial should be used.
13. CV should be carefully typed. No spelling errors should be there.
14. Use bulleted paragraphs. This will save space and make the CV more effective.
15. Emphasize achievements that are recent, and are most relevant for the position for which
the candidate is applying.
16. Items in resume must be concise and parallel.
17. While submitting a resume, it must be accompanied with a cover letter to make the
readers aware of what is being send, and how can it be beneficial to the readers.
18. Include references if possible in a resume. If giving references, use three to five. Include
atleast one lecturer, and at least one employer.
19. To stress upon the key points in a resume, put them in appropriate headings, list them
vertically, and provide details.
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Job Interview - Meaning, Tips for Interviewee & Interviewer
An interview means a face to face interaction between the interviewer and the
candidate/candidates so as to obtain desired information from him/them. It can also be defined as
a way of exchanging meanings between individuals by using a common set of symbols.
Interviews generally need a preparation. Job interviews seem frightening, even if the individual
is well prepared. Interviews have a definite structure. Clear communication should take place
during an interview. All interviews have a definite purpose familiar to the interviewer and the
candidate/interviewee.
Tips for the Interviewee
1. The interviewee should be dressed formally, and not casually. Have a pleasing
appearance as the candidate’s personality is a significant part of the communication.
2. Always carry an extra CV, a notepad to write on, a pen, and all essential things required
in an interview.
3. Practice, practice and practice in advance. Prepare and rehearse for the unexpected also.
4. Research a lot about the organization for which you are being interviewed.
5. As soon as the interview gets over, pen down the name of the interviewer, your strengths
and weaknesses, answers to questions raised by you during the interview and the
feedback of the interviewer.
6. Be punctual. Try reaching before time for the job interview.
7. Do not indulge in a fight or argument with the interviewer.
8. Answer the questions specifically, truly and undoubtedly.
9. Be courteous and sophisticated during an interview.
10. Just “be yourself”. Do not boast about yourself. The interviewer is smart enough to judge
the candidate’s intelligence and aptness for the job.
11. Do not make negative statements or comments about your past employer.
12. Your body language should be positive during the interview, i.e., maintain an eye-to-eye
contact with the interviewer, sit in well balanced and confident posture, do not lean on
the table, do not yawn, smile when appropriate, etc.
Tips for the Interviewer
1. The interviewer should be an active listener. He should not interrupt unnecessarily.
2. The interviewer should be considerate enough. Even if the interviewer does not agree
with the interviewee, he must respect the latter’s feelings.
3. The interviewer should be friendly and understanding. He should begin the interview in a
friendly manner, some friendly conversation and then show concern in family
background, hobbies, etc. This will make the interviewee more relaxed and comfortable.
4. The interviewer should restrain to the time allotted. He shouldn’t indulge in arguments
unnecessarily. He should try to be precise.
5. The interviewer must be thoroughly prepared for the questions that are likely to be asked.
He should be a good planner.
6. The interviewer must focus attention on the interviewee. He should use positive gestures
when conducting the interview.
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7. Encourage/invite questions from the interviewee. Ensure that the interviewee clarifies the
question he has. When selected a candidate should not feel he was not told about a certain
aspect of the job.
8. Avoid distraction in the interview area.Ensure that there is no or minimal distraction
where the interview is being conducted. A phone ringing all the time in the background
can distract the interviewer and interviewee.
Business Negotiations
Negotiations can be called as a way of resolving disputes. It is considered as being synonymous
to settlement, agreement, collaboration and bargaining. It takes place almost in all spheres of life
-be it is business, personal circumstances (married life, parenting, etc.), legal procedures,
government matters, etc. Negotiation can be defined as a channel of communication intended to
reconcile differences between parties and to settle conflict jointly. The parties aim at achieving a
win-win position.
Business Negotiations requires a lot of homework, such as asking what is the need of
negotiation, who all are involved, what are their view points, what are your aims, what is
expected from negotiation, etc.
Negotiation involves minimum of two parties. The aim of negotiation is understood by both
parties. The parties are willing to arrive at a mutually agreeable outcome. The outcome is
acceptable to both parties.
There are certain do’s and don’ts in case of negotiations:
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Do not discuss too many issues, emphasize on the prior issues.
Be honest and straightforward. Don’t get carried away by rumours.
Never give deadlines, it might lead to delays in deals.
Keep away personal differences. Just focus your arguments on facts.
Keep on giving recaps during the negotiation process.
Avoid being rigid. Listen to the other parties view point if valid.
Give testimonials for your argument. Support your argument with facts.
Don’t make demands which can’t be accepted at all.
Don’t let emotions overwhelm you.
Be optimistic. Don’t fear losing. There are opportunities in other transactions also.
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