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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
FOR SUCCESS
By Scott McLean
CHAPTER 1
EFFECTIVE BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Recognize the importance of communication in gaining a better
understanding of yourself and others
• Explain how communication skills help you to solve problems, learn new
things, and build your career
• Define communication and describe communication as a process
• Identify and describe the eight essential components of communication
• Identify and describe two models of communication
• Identify and describe five types of communication contexts
• Discuss and provide several examples of each of the two main
responsibilities of a business communicator
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO COMMUNICATE WELL?
• Business communication is a problem solving activity that helps identify:
– The situation
– Possible communication strategies
– The best course of action
– The best way to design the message
– The best way to deliver the message
COMMUNICATING INFLUENCES THOUGHT
• While communicating, you communicate your self-concept
• Communication skills help you to understand others—their values and
priorities
COMMUNICATION INFLUENCES HOW YOU LEARN
• Improving speaking and writing requires:
– Effort
– Persistence
– Self correction
COMMUNICATION SKILLS ARE DESIRED BY BUSINESSES
• Oral and written communication proficiencies are sought by employers
• Ability to communicate clearly aids career growth
DEFINING COMMUNICATION
PROCESS OF UNDERSTANDING AND SHARING
MEANING
• Communication Process:
– Understanding
– Meaning
– Sharing
EIGHT ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION
COMPONENT
MEANING
Source
Imagines, creates, and sends the message
Message
Stimulus or meaning produced by the source for the
receiver
Channel
Way in which a message travels
Receiver
Receives the message, analyzes and interprets it in ways
both intended and unintended by the source
Feedback
Messages the receiver sends back to the source
Environment
Atmosphere where you send and receive messages
Context
Setting, scene, and expectations of the individuals involved
Interference
Anything that blocks/changes the source’s intended
meaning
TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF COMMUNICATION
CONSTRUCTIVIST MODEL OF COMMUNICATION
FIVE TYPES OF COMMUNICATION CONTEXTS
CONTEXT
MEANING
Intrapersonal
Involves one person; often called “self-talk”
Interpersonal
Involves two people; ranges from intimate and very
personal to formal and impersonal
Group
Dynamic process where a small number of people engage
in a conversation
Public
One person speaks/writes a message to a group of people
Mass
Sending a single message to a group
COMMUNICATOR IS PREPARED
• The prepared communicator is organized
– Narrows focus to key points and considers how to present them
– Considers how to link key points together for an audience
• The prepared communicator is clear
– Has clarity on the matter to be communicated
– Avoids jargon
– Possesses good written and oral presentation skills
– Uses technology as appropriate
• The prepared communicator is concise and punctual
– States points clearly
– Supports points with clear evidence in a linear way
– Is sensitive to time constraints
COMMUNICATOR IS ETHICAL
• The ethical communicator is egalitarian
– Speaks and writes in a way that is comprehensible and relevant to all
listeners/readers
– Unifies the audience by using ideas and language that are appropriate
for all listeners/readers
• The ethical communicator is respectful
– Communicates with passion and enthusiasm
– Respects the audience’s time and intelligence
• The ethical communicator is trustworthy
– Does not intentionally omit, delete, or take information out of context
to prove a point
– Does not pretend to know something which he/she doesn't
THE “GOLDEN RULE”
TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE
TREATED
KEY TERMS
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Self-concept
Communication
Process
Understanding
Sharing
Meaning
Source
Message
Channel
Receiver
Feedback
Environment
KEY TERMS
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Context
Interference
Transactional
Constructivist
Intrapersonal communication
Interpersonal communication
Group communication
Public communication
Mass communication
Ethics
Egalitarian
EXERCISES
• Imagine that you have been hired to make “cold calls” to ask people
whether they are familiar with a new restaurant that has just opened in
your neighborhood. Write a script for the phone call. Ask a classmate to copresent as you deliver the script orally in class, as if you were making a
phone call to the classmate. Discuss your experience with the rest of the
class.
EXERCISES
• Imagine you have been assigned the task of creating a job description.
Identify a job, locate at least two sample job descriptions, and create one.
Please present the job description to the class and note to what degree
communication skills play a role in the tasks or duties you have included.
EXERCISES
• Draw what you think communication looks like. Share your drawing with
your classmates.
EXERCISES
• List three environmental cues and indicate how they influence your
expectations for communication. Please share your results with your
classmates.
EXERCISES
• How does context influence your communication? Consider the language
and culture people grew up with, and the role these play in communication
styles.
EXERCISES
• If you could design the perfect date, what activities, places, and/or
environmental cues would you include to set the mood? Please share your
results with your classmates.
EXERCISES
• Observe two people talking. Describe their communication. See if you can
find all eight components and provide an example for each one.
EXERCISES
• What assumptions are present in transactional model of communication?
Find an example of a model of communication in your workplace or
classroom, and provide an example for all eight components.
EXERCISES
• Please recall a time when you gave a speech in front of a group. How did
you feel? What was your experience? What did you learn from your
experience?
EXERCISES
• If you were asked to get the attention of your peers, what image or word
would you choose and why?
EXERCISES
• If you were asked to get the attention of someone like yourself, what image
or word would you choose and why?
EXERCISES
• Make a list of mass communication messages you observe for a one hour
period of time. Share your list with classmates.
EXERCISES
• Recall one time you felt offended or insulted in a conversation. What
contributed to your perception? Please share your comments with
classmates.
EXERCISES
• When someone lost your trust, were they able earn it back? Please share
your comments with classmates.
EXERCISES
• Does the communicator have a responsibility to the audience? Does the
audience have a responsibility to the speaker? Why or why not? Please
share your comments with classmates.