“The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.” Peter Drucker

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.publishing as Pearson [imprint]Professionalism: Skills for Workplace Success, 2/e

Lydia E. Anderson • Sandra B. Bolt

COMMUNICATION

Chapter 9



“The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being

said.”Peter Drucker



OBJECTIVES1. Define the impact effective communication has

in the workplace2. Name the key elements of the communication

process3. Name the three types of communication media4. Describe the dangers of becoming emotional at

work5. Demonstrate proper formatting for business

letters, memos, and emails



WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION and its CHANNELS

• Effective communication is vital to business. What if there is no communication?

• Formal communication: Vertical communication, Horizontal communication

• Informal communication: Grapevine, Gossip



THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

The process of a sender sending a message to a receiver with the

purpose of creating mutual understanding




SENDER RECEIVERNOISE

MESSAGE

FEEDBACK




• Sender: individual sending a message– Encoding: process of sender identifying how the

message will be sent (verbal, non-verbal, or written)• Receiver: individual that receives the message

– Decoding: how the receiver interprets the message that was sent

– Feedback: the message the receiver sends based upon the receiver’s interpretation of the message

• Noise: anything that interferes with the communication process (audible or not)



TALK IT OUT• Identify the noises you

experience during class• Communication exercise:

one group use non-verbal medium to send a message (given by the instructor) to another group.



THE COMMUNICATION PROCESSCommunication Media

VerbalNon-verbal

Written



EMOTIONS AT WORK

• Make every attempt to not become emotional at work

• Emotions take away our ability to think logically

• If you cry or become angry, excuse yourself from the situation

• Deal with your emotion in private• Open displays of anger are inappropriate



THE BUSINESS LETTER• Business letter: formal written form of

communication used when message is being sent to an individual outside the organization

• Use proper business format– Sent on company letterhead – Error-free– Proofread, sign, and date prior to mailing– Include follow-up activity– Use company #10 mailing envelope



THE BUSINESS LETTER• Read example on page 130 and do

activity 9-3



THE BUSINESS MEMO• Business Memo: a formal form of written

business communication set to a receiver within an organization

• Sometimes called Interoffice Memorandum• Used for internal communication• Include receiver’s name, date, and subject• Include all facts, but be brief• Memos should be no longer than one page



THE BUSINESS MEMO• Read page 130- 131 and do activity 9-4



THE BUSINESS E-MAIL• Popular for both internal and external

communications• Utilize software template• Include subject in subject line

– Avoid “Hi,” “Hello,” “Urgent,” “Important,” or “Test”

• Only use for business purposes• Avoid use of emoticons• Maintain confidentiality of electronic

address book

Documents

“The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.” Peter Drucker