Communication Architecture for Professional Success

Introduction to Business Communication

Prof (Dr) Uma Bhushan

The Business Presentation/UB/SIMSR 2

A 20-year study of MBA graduates from Stanford University concluded that no skill is more important to business success than good communication – especially the desire and ability to persuade

(Harrel & Harrel, 1984)

• And the further away your job is from manual work, the larger the organization of which you are an employee, the more important it will be that you know how to convey your thoughts in writing or speaking. In the very large organisation …. This ability to express oneself is perhaps the most important of all the skills a person can possess”.

Drucker on Communication

Writing for your present and future

• Jonathan Swift defined good writing as “proper words in proper places”.

• Tone – neither overly formal or inappropriately casual

• Word choice – Mark Twain said “I never write `metropolis’; when I get paid the same for writing `city’

• Length – length means more work

Speaking for your present and future

• Pronunciation, enunciation, vocal variety, gestures, eye contact – speaking manner skills continue to be important

• Mastery of the medium of oral and visual communication is very important – video conferences, videotape roles, streaming Internet contacts,

Listening for your present and future

• Sheer volume of listening in management careers is huge

• Listening intelligently – learn and practice new types of listening skills

• to listen to what is not said• what is overstated• Listening through slickness• Keeping up with voice messages

Challenges of the communication age

• More words• More information• More ready-made messages and documents• Handle more business messages and docs• Understand more information• Sift through to reach the right information• Communicate effectively with all stakeholders

Introduction to Business Communication/UB/KJSIMSR

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Types of Communication Skills

• Visual Skills• Spoken Skills• Reading Skills• Technological Skills • Written Skills

Listening45%

Writing9%

Reading16%

Speaking30%

ReceivingSend

ing

Usage of Business Communication Channels

… But not taught enough

9%

16%

30%

45%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Writing Reading Speaking Listening

Amount taught

you need to be a highly skilled communicator

What is communication?

• Latin verb – Communicare -“to make common”• Sanskrit - `sadharinikaran’• It is NOT to recite, deliver, speak, write or sermonize • All these fall short of `making common’ the flow of

ideas and feeling• Mere speaking/writing is a one-way activity• communication involves common(communal)

interests shared by all parties involved in the communication

Basic Communication Model

• The sender encodes the message and selects a channel. The receiver decodes the message and uses feedback to respond.

13Comm in Organisations

Communication Process


Communication in Organizations

Organisational Communication Goals

Who matters most ?

• Audience/Receiver/recipient

• Making FEEDBACK extremely important

2004 Communication Basics/UB/KJSIMSR 18

Flow of communication

• Downward • Upward• Lateral or horizontal• Diagonal or cross-wise


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Communication Networks

1. Chain network2. Y-network3. Wheel network4. Circle network5. All-channel network


Chain network

• Only vertical – upward or downward


Y-network

• Multi-level hierarchy – combination of horizontal and vertical flow


Wheel network

• Several subordinates reporting to a superior – combination of horizontal and diagonal flow


Circle Network• Allows employees to interact with adjacent members but no further –

vertical communication between superiors and subordinates and horizontal communication at the lowest level


All-channel network• Least structures – enables each employee to communicate freely with

others


Informal Network Models


Grapevine

• Informal network models– Single strand– Gossip– Probability– cluster


Single StrandY

A

B

C

•Most people view grapevine as single strand

•Message is passed from one person •to another along a single strand


Gossip

J

I

HG

F

ED

B

C

One person passes information to all the others

A


Probability

Each person tells others at random

H

AI

D

J

GK

F

B

CE


Cluster

HF

GB

E

D

A

C •Most popular pattern of grapevine communication• Some people tell a selected few of the others


Grapevine +ves and -vesPositives Negatives

Not expensive Reveal some degree of error

Rapid Harmful in case it is baseless or imaginary

Multidirectional Lead to misunderstanding because fo incomplete information

If carefully cultivated, is capable fo resolving conflicts

Not reliable, as no one takes responsibility for it

A measure of public opinion Cause damage to organisation due to excessive speed of flow

Serves as an outlet for anxieties, worries, frustration

Promotes unity, solidarity

Voluntary and unforced

1. Completeness2. Conciseness3. Consideration4. Concreteness5. Clarity6. Courtesy7. Correctness


Grapevine +ves and -ves

Communication

SENDER RECEIVER

Feedback

receiver sender

Communication is the process of sending and receiving information among people…

Messages not delivered due to “distortion”

Sender Receiver

Feedback

Distortion

What causes distortion?• Speaker

– Language– Wordiness– Emotions

• Listener– Perceptions– Preconceived

notions/expectations– Physical hearing problem– Speed of thought– Personal interests– Emotions– Attention span– No active listening!

Barriers to Communication

1. Physical/Mechanical2. Cultural3. Experiential4. Perceptual5. Motivational6. Emotional7. Organisational8. Nonverbal9. Linguistic10. Competition from other stimuli

Communication Architecture for Modern Businesses

• Need-based communication planning• Who needs to talk to whom ? Why? What barriers come in the way?

• Sufficient Bandwidth– What quantity and quality of comm can various channels carry within the

organisation?• Scalability and Convertibility of Communication media

– In times of crisis or opportunity, can various types and channels of communication expand to reach all stakeholders

• Sensing Systems– Formal employee surveys or supervisors keeping open lines of

communication• Monitoring and Maintenance of Communication Channels

– Handled by skilled communicators, installation of suggestion boxes, etc


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Media Richness

LEANERLEANER Unaddresseddocuments

Unaddresseddocuments

AddresseddocumentsAddresseddocuments

Telephoneand emailTelephoneand email Face-to-faceFace-to-face RICHERRICHER

Including fliers, bulletins,and standard reports

Including notes, memos and letters

Including Voice mailand teleconferencing

Including conversations,meetings, presentations,

videoconferences

Documents

Communication Architecture for Professional Success