‘Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.’ Yeats (1865 – 1939) Thought for the day:

COMMUNICATION

TargetLearning Objective Who?Keywords  Explain the different means of communication All C-B A03  Communication  Channels of communication  Communication media  Show Awareness of the barriers to effective communication Understand how the barriers to communication can be overcome. Understand methods of internal & external communication Understand the need for effective communication MOST B A03  Comment on the appropriateness of different means of communication SOME A A04

Activity Pg 100 – Business in Context  A01: Knowledge

ACTIVITY Sit back to back. One person has an image One person has pen and paper Draw an object described only in the spoken word ‘What did you find hard in this task?’

Defined What do you think? Communication is the process by which information is exchanged between a group or person and another

Purpose of Communication Communication is aiming to exchange of information, ideas, opinions and feelings. Communication is said to be effective when it is received and understood in the manner intended by the sender.

What makes communication? A message: people communicate in order to pass a message A Sender: the transmitter – all messages arise from a source A medium: transmission – there are many formal methods that a person can use to transmit information A Receiver: Communication only becomes complete when a message is received Feedback: the receipt of a message normally creates a response from the recipient. Pg 105 diagram

Which is which? Message/ Sender/ Medium/ Receiver/ Feedback

Why is effective communication important? Pg 106

To be effective, it must be…. Pg 106

Forms of communication Communication can take a number of forms, including: Oral (spoken) pg 106 Written (Letters, memos, Reportas, Notices, Executive Summaries, Abstracts, Research proposals) pg 107 Technology pg 109

Remember communication is: - Not always Word! What are these people communicating to you?

How many different messages can you communicate with these same four words? ‘What are you doing?’ What are you doing?

Who must managers communicate with? The government The local community/ Media Employees/ Shareholder/ Potential Investors Customers Suppliers MANAGER Financiers

Purpose of communication in Business: Communication is essential to the achievement of business objectives. This is because the basic purpose of any communication is to influence the actions of others. Effective communication is therefore an essential aspect of management

Reasons for communication Informing – Presenting facts Commanding – giving instruction Negotiating – Presenting a case Reporting – Presenting findings Co-ordinating – organising people Co-operating – involving teamwork Motivating – influencing attitudes

Need for confidentiality Pg 109

Classification of communication: Formality Formal and Informal Formal – Using channels of communication Informal– Channels established by the employees themselves (passes information quickly but usually distorted).

Communication by Formality Formal communication = arranged, approved or official Informal communication = unofficial, unplanned They help: i)satisfy personal needs ii)counter monotony at work iii)provide an alternative source of job-related information

Direction Where there is no facility for a reply (feedback), it is called one-way communication Feedback built into two-way communication is a feature of a democratic leadership style Sender Receiver

Feedback Sender receives feedback e.g manager discusses an issue with an employee at a meeting. This is slower than one way but sender gains more information. SenderReceiver

Why is the facility for feedback important? Feedback ensures message is fully understood Feedback enables subordinates to contribute to the process of decision making

Activity What factors do you think would effect the choice of communication method? Pairs ‘thought shower’ Page 105  A01: Knowledge

Selecting an appropriate channel & method Need to build in a feedback mechanism

Activity Exam question exemplar Page 109  A03: Analysis

Internal communication The purpose of most formal communication is to initiate action The performance and efficiency of an employee will be influenced by the effectiveness of internal communication.

INTERNAL COMMUNICATION Head office One department Manager Staff Branch Manager Another Department Staff Colleagues, Superiors & subordinates

The importance of internal communications To achieve business aims, functional areas must support each other, eg Operations and sales must agree delivery dates Finance must know what has been sold Sales staff must know credit limits Customer service must know about problems and delays Human resources must know about training requirements GOOD COMMUNICATIONS ARE ESSENTIAL

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION Business Staff Business Other Businesses Customers Shareholders The community Customers, suppliers, financial institutions, government agencies

The importance of external communications External communications are critical to sales, eg Customer enquiries must be handled promptly Product/service information must be accurate/attractive Customer invoices must be correct Customer and supplier problems must be resolved quickly

Communication – Internal/External Internal Communication e.g Directors Managers Employees Other businesses Government Local Community Potential Investors Shareholders Suppliers

Good communication Good Internal communication makes sure everyone within the business is aiming towards the same goal. It makes sure people know what they are expected to do and why they are doing it It also co-ordinates the activities of different parts of the business.

Activity What is a barrier to communication? Pairs ‘thought shower’ Pg 102  A01: Knowledge

A model of communication

Transmission can be affected by noise Noise is anything that distracts the recipient and causes either a failure to receive the message or a misinterpretation of the message But there are many other barriers… Here are a few…. Pg 102

Barriers to communication Language Problems – Jargon and abbreviations, ambiguity, different languages Jargon – A word or phrase which has technical or specialised meaning. Atmosphere – e.g relationship

Barriers to communication Location – Geographical or people always out of the office. Different countries/ different cultures/ time difference play 16:36 Wed 01:36 Thu

Barriers to communication Length of ‘chain of command’ or distance – word of mouth through a number of people - distorted

Barriers to communication Problems with ICT – Information overload, introduction of ICT (training), confidentiality & other physical barriers

Barriers to communication Form of the message – We probably forgotten half of what we hear within a few hours, no more than 10% remains after two or three days. Sender must make sure it: 1.does not contain too much information 2. is not poorly written 3.is not presented too quickly 4.written in a way which is understood. Wrong target for the message – wrong information to wrong person

Think about it! What are the consequences of poor communication?

Communication failure Communication problems result in: Inefficiency Failure to achieve organisational goals, and Employment relations problems Low morale Errors – reworking Loss of competitiveness (low productivity) Lack of control

Activity Ways to overcome barriers Pg 103  A01: Knowledge

Symptoms of poor communication Low morale Errors or re-working Higher labour turnover Unwillingness to make decisions and/or accept responsibility Loss of cometitiveness (low productivtiy etc) Lack of control Conflict and/or aggression Absenteeism More production errors or higher ‘scrap rate’ Evidence of lack of control and discipline

Improving communication Ensuring employees are aware of communication problems Using more than one communication net/system Minimising communication chain linkages Reducing status differentials e.g open plan offices or all staff using the same cafeteria Careful composition of messages, encouraging simplicity and clarity

Improving communication Using different media to reinforce the message Encouraging recognition of cultural and social differences, prejudices and interdepartmental rivalries Using and encouraging upward communication channels e.g appraisal, staff meetings, suggestion boxes, procedures for solving grievances, for feedback.

Why effective communication is essential? Because employees need to know what is expected of them and what they should be trying to achieve.

Meeting Objectives All businesses work towards achieving objectives. These objectives can be met by means of clear plans. The implementation of plans involves establishing policies which govern the way things are done in the organisation.

TargetLearning Objective Who?Keywords  Explain the different means of communication All C-B A03  Communication  Channels of communication  Communication media  Show Awareness of the barriers to effective communication Understand how the barriers to communication can be overcome. Understand methods of internal & external communication Understand the need for effective communication MOST B A03  Comment on the appropriateness of different means of communication SOME A A04