Business Communication:

Concepts & TheoriesBusiness Communication – 7 Cs of Communication - Modes of Communication -

Process of Communication - Levels of Communication - Flow of Communication - Barriers to Communication

What is Communication?• A process of expressing ideas and feelings or of giving people

information.• Plays a central role in our lives• Is essential for the existence of our society • Plays a prominent role in the functioning of different

professional organisations

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communication

‘communicare’

share

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Communication Competence• Is the ability to express views in an effective manner, enabling

one to achieve goals and enhance relationships• Is situational• It is not an inherent personal quality• A person can be proficient in some aspects of communication

and less proficient in others• However, this quality can be developed• Merely processing a large array of communication skills is not

a guarantee of communication competence• To develop such competence, one must acquire the ability to

choose the most appropriate behavior in given situation4

Process of Communication

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1. Idea/message

2. sender

3. encoding

4. Medium/channel

5. Noise

6. Receiver

7. Decoding

8. feedback

The Source – Planning Your Message

• Before you start communicating, take a moment to figure out what you want to say, and why.

• Don't waste your time conveying information that isn't necessary – and don't waste the listener or reader's time either.

• Too often, people just keep talking or keep writing – because they think that by saying more, they'll surely cover all the points.

• Often, however, all they do is confuse the people they're talking to.

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• To plan your communication: • Understand your objective. Why are you

communicating? • Understand your audience. With whom are you

communicating? What do they need to know?• Plan what you want to say, and how you'll send the

message. • Seek feedback on how well your message was

received. • When you do this, you'll be able to craft a message

that will be received positively by your audience.• Good communicators use the KISS ("Keep It Simple

and Straightforward") principle. They know that less is often more, and that good communication should be efficient as well as effective.

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Encoding – Creating a Clear, Well-Crafted Message

• When you know what you want to say, decide exactly how you'll say it.

• You're responsible for sending a message that's clear and concise.

• To achieve this, you need to consider not only what you'll say, but also how you think the recipient will perceive it.

• We often focus on the message that we want to send, and the way in which we'll send it.

• But if our message is delivered without considering the other person's perspective, it's likely that part of that message will be lost. To communicate more effectively:

• Understand what you truly need and want to say. • Anticipate the other person's reaction to your message. • Choose words and body language that allow the other person

to really hear what you're saying.

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• With written communication, make sure that what you write will be perceived the way you intend. Words on a page generally have no emotion – they don't "smile" or "frown" at you while you're reading them (unless you're a very talented writer, of course!)• When writing, take time to do the following:

• Review your style.• Avoid jargons or slangs.• Check your grammar and punctuation.

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• Check also for tone, attitude, and other subtleties. If you think the message may be misunderstood, it probably will. Take the time to clarify it!• Familiarize yourself with your company's writing policies. • Another important consideration is to use pictures,

charts, and diagrams wherever possible. As the saying goes, "a picture speaks a thousand words." • Also, whether you speak or write your message, consider

the cultural context. • If there's potential for miscommunication or

misunderstanding due to cultural or language barriers, address these issues in advance. • Consult with people who are familiar with these, and do

your research so that you're aware of problems you may face. 11

Choosing the Right Medium/Channel

• Along with encoding the message, you need to choose the best communication channel to use to send it. • You want to be efficient, and yet make the most of your

communication opportunity. • Using email to send simple directions is practical. However, if

you want to delegate a complex task, an email will probably just lead to more questions, so it may be best to arrange a time to speak in person. • And if your communication has any negative emotional

content, stay well away from email!

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• Make sure that you communicate face to face or by phone, so that you can judge the impact of your words and adjust these appropriately.• When you determine the best way to send a

message, consider the following: • The sensitivity and emotional content

of the subject. • How easy it is to communicate detail.• The receiver's preferences. • Time constraints. • The need to ask and answer

questions.13

• Medium : oral / written• Channel: phone / email / memos / etc.• Feedback: the sender becomes the receiver

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Decoding – Receiving and Interpreting a Message

• It can be easy to focus on speaking; we want to get our points out there, because we usually have lots to say.

• However, to be a great communicator, you also need to step back, let the other person talk, and just listen .

• Receiver should be careful to decode the message properly and correctly.

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Feedback/Response• You need feedback, because without it, you can't be sure that

people have understood your message.• Sometimes feedback is verbal, and sometimes it's not.

Feedback through body language is perhaps the most important source of clues to the effectiveness of your communication. • By watching the facial expressions, gestures, and posture of

the person you're communicating with, you can spot:• Confidence levels. • Defensiveness. • Agreement. • Comprehension (or lack of understanding). • Level of interest. • Level of engagement with the message. • Truthfulness (or lying/dishonesty).

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• As a speaker, understanding your listener's body language can give you an opportunity to adjust your message and make it more understandable, appealing, or interesting.

• As a listener, body language can show you more about what the other person is saying.

• You can then ask questions to ensure that you have, indeed, understood each other. In both situations, you can better avoid miscommunication if it happens.

• Feedback can also be formal. If you're communicating something really important, it can often be worth asking questions of the person you're talking to make sure that they've understood fully.

• And if you're receiving this sort of communication, repeat it in your own words to check your understanding.

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Seven C’s of Communication

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1. Clear• When writing or speaking to someone, be clear about your

goal or message. • What is your purpose in communicating with this person?• If you're not sure, then your audience won't be sure either. To

be clear, try to minimize the number of ideas in each sentence. • Make sure that it's easy for your reader to understand your

meaning. • People shouldn't have to "read between the lines" and make

assumptions on their own to understand what you're trying to say.

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2. Concise• When you're concise in your communication, you stick to

the point and keep it brief. Your audience doesn't want to read six sentences when you could communicate your message in three.• Are there any adjectives or "filler words" that you can

delete? You can often eliminate words like "for instance," "you see," "definitely," "kind of," "literally," "basically," or "I mean."• Are there any unnecessary sentences? • Have you repeated the point several times, in different

ways?

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3. Concrete• When your message is concrete, then your audience has a

clear picture of what you're telling them. • There are details (but not too many!) and vivid facts, and

there's laserlike focus. • Your message is solid

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4. Correct

• When your communication is correct, it fits your audience. • And correct communication is also error-free

communication.• Do the technical terms you use fit your audience's level

of education or knowledge?• Have you checked your writing for grammatical errors?

Remember, spell checkers won't catch everything.• Are all names and titles spelled correctly?

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5. Coherent

• When your communication is coherent, it's logical. • All points are connected and relevant to the main topic• the tone and flow of the text is consistent

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6. Complete

• In a complete message, the audience has everything they need to be informed and, if applicable, take action.• Does your message include a "call to action", so

that your audience clearly knows what you want them to do?• Have you included all relevant information –

contact names, dates, times, locations, and so on?

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7. Courteous

• Courteous communication is friendly, open, and honest. • There are no hidden insults or passive-aggressive

tones. • You keep your reader's viewpoint in mind, and

you're empathetic to their needs.

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Modes of Communication

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Modes of Communication

Modes of Communication

Formal & Informal Oral & Written Internal &

ExternalVerbal & Non-

Verbal

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Formal & Informal Communication

• The formality or informality of communication depends on one’s relationship with the sender or receiver.• When working directly for the goal of the organisation,

formal communication is used.• Both are equally important• The mode used is decided by the relationship, purpose,

and occasion• Informal communication may also be known as

grapevine.

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Oral & Written• Two equally important categories: written & oral• Written mode has several advantages over the oral mode• But it has its disadvantages too!!

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S. No. Written Oral

1. Delayed feedback Immediate feedback

2. Formal Conversational

3. Focus on content Focus on interpersonal relations

4. Complex constructions Simpler constructions

5. Delayed action Prompt action

6. Permanent record; documentation No records can be kept

Forms of Oral & Written CommunicationO

ral C

omm

unic

ation • Face - to - face conversations

• Telephone conversations• Meetings• Seminars• Conferences• Presentations• Group Discussions• Interviews

Writt

en C

omm

unic

ation • Memos

• Letters• Emails• Faxes• Notices• Circulars• Reports• Proposals• Research Papers• Bulletins• Manuals

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Internal

Within the organisation

Usually planned, Preset Formats

Used to inform the members

Dissemination of information to

various depts. & employees

External

Outside the organisation

To expand the boundaries of

business

Coordinates with external agencies

Verbal & Non-verbal Communication

Verbal Communication

• Verbal communication includes both written and oral.• It is related to the use of words in communication.• Anything that we speak or write comes under the

category of verbal communication.

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Non-verbal Communication

• Refers to all communication that occurs without the use of words: spoken or written.• It includes all unwritten and unspoken messages; both

intentional and unintentional.• Non-verbal cues, however, speak louder than words• Speech can be made up, bodily expressions can rarely be

masked well• Interpretation of non-verbal cues is a very subjective

concept. 33

Non-verbal Communication

Kinesics

Chronemics Proxemics

Paralinguistic Features

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Kinesics

• The study of the body’s physical movements• Kinesic behaviour can be deliberate as well as

unintentional• It includes:

1. Personal appearance2. Posture3. Gesture4. Facial Expressions5. Eye Contact

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Chronemics

• Is the study of human beings communicate through their use of time• Time is a valuable resource; in the professional

world• Misuse of time can make people react negatively• By valuing someone else’s time we communicate

professionalism or seriousness subtly and explicitly

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Proxemics• Is the study physical space in interpersonal relations• Space is related to behavioural norms• The way people use space say a lot about them• In a professional setting, space is also used to signal power

and status • Four kinds of zones:

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Intimate Personal Social Public

18 inches 1.5 feet – 4 feet 4 – 12 feet 12 – 25 feet or more

Starts with personal touch

colleagues Formal relationship Formal events

Special circumstances

Spontaneous & unplanned comm.

Planned comm. Detached listener-speaker

Paralinguistic Features• Study of human voice and how words are spoken• It determines non-verbal vocal cues that help us give urgency

to our voice

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Quality

Volume

Rate / Pace

Pitch

Articulation

Pronunciation

• Is innate but can be improved by practice• Soft, thin, nasal, hoarse, husky, harsh, irritating etc.Quality • Is different from projection• Should be in accordance with the listenersVolume

• No. of words per minute• Normal rate is 120-150 words/minuteRate / Pace• No. of vibrations of our voice / second• Rise & fall conveys certain emotionsPitch• speaker should be careful not to slop, slurp, chop,

or omit sounds between words or sentences Articulation• Follow standard pronunciation• Consult dictionary, correct stressPronunciation

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Levels of Communication

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Extrapersonal Communication• Communication between human beings and

non-human entities is extra personal communication. For example, when your pet dog comes to you wagging its tail as soon as you return home from work, it is an example of extrapersonal communication.

• A parrot responding to your greeting is an example of extrapersonal communication. This type of communication requires perfect coordination and understanding.

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Intrapersonal Communication• Intrapersonal Communication is defined as

the communication process within an individual. • The communication occurs within one's

mind or when an individual talks to him or herself when nobody is around. • Intrapersonal communication can aid in

helping an individual become more social, like a pat on the back and saying that 'you can do it'.

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Interpersonal Communication

• Interpersonal communication is exchange of information between two or more people. • Related skills are learned and can be improved. • During interpersonal communication there is message

sending and message receiving. • This can be conducted using both direct and indirect

methods. • Successful interpersonal communication is when the

message senders and the message receivers understand the message. 43

• It helps us in understanding that how and why people behave to each other in different ways so constructs and negotiate a social reality. • Interpersonal communication comes from the different

kind of backgrounds. • The people talk in different ways because of their

culture, their gender and how they learned to perceive the world. • Through engaging with each other, interpersonal

communication skills help to get knowledge about other individual. • Every culture is different in number of ways as well as in

verbal or non-verbal languages and consequently cultural diversity can strain the organizational communication.

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Organisational Communication• Takes place within the organisation• Takes place at different hierarchical levels• Inter-operational, External-operational, Personal• Is of three kinds:

• Inter-operational – all communication that occurs in the process of operations within an organization

• External-operational – work related communication that an organisation has with outside the organisation

• Personal – all communication other than that for business purposes

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Mass Communication• Mass communication technically refers to the process of

transferring or transmitting a message to a large group of people.

• typically, this requires the use of some form of media such as newspapers, television, or the Internet.

• The audience is anonymous.• Approach is impersonal.

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• Between human beings & non-human entitiesExtrapersonal

• Takes place within an individual• Without this one cannot move to further levels Intrapersonal

• Sharing of information among people• Roles of sender and receive keep alternatingInterpersonal

• Takes place at different hierarchical levels• Inter-operational, external-operational, personalOrganisational

• Meant for larger audiences; requires a medium to transmit• Audience is heterogeneous and anonymous; approach is

impersonalMass 47

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