1 Welcome to BA205 Business Communication Using Technology

2 Topics for Week 1  Introductions  Course Syllabus and Course Outline  Communicating at Work  Culture and Diversity

3 Introduction Activity  Form groups of 4 or 5  Introduce self.  Identify at least 5 things that you all have in common.  Identify a spokesperson to report out. Time: 5 minutes

4 Building Your Communication Skills Instructor PowerPoint presentations covered in class Assignments Study Guides Review quizzes Glossary of key terms Online exercises to strengthen language skills PowerPoint presentations covered in class Assignments Study Guides Review quizzes Glossary of key terms Online exercises to strengthen language skills Textbook Useful Resources

5 Transmission of information and meaning from one person or group to another. What is Communication?

6 Communication skills are essential for  Job placement  Job performance  Career advancement  Success in the new world of work

7 Topics for Week 1  Introductions  Course Syllabus and Course Outline  Communicating at Work  Culture and Diversity

8 Position: Senior Accountant at Kaiser Permanente: Requirements: The qualified candidate will possess a Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or business administration with an emphasis in accounting (CPA or CIA preferred), thorough knowledge of GAAP, and working knowledge of automated financial systems. A minimum of 5 years of progressive general accounting experience including financial statement preparation, proficiency with Excel and MS Word, as well as strong analytical and problems solving skills are essential. Strong interpersonal and communication ability are equally important.

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10 What the customer wanted As Maintenance installed It As Production manufactured It As Engineering designed it As Sales ordered ItAs Marketing requested it

11 The Process of Communication

12 The Process of Communication Verbally or nonverbally. By speaking, writing, gesturing. How may the sender encode a message? Letters, , IM, memos, TV, cell phone, voice, body. Others? What kinds of channels carry messages?

13 Hearing, listening, reading, observing. How does a receiver decode a message? When a message is understood as the sender intended it to be. When is communication successful? Ask questions, observe responses, check for reciprocity of communication. How can a communicator receive feedback?

14 Balancing between Speaking and Listening Speaker’s responsibility Listener’s responsibility

15 Physical barriers Hearing disabilities, noisy surroundings Psychological or emotional barriers Tuning out ideas that counter our values Language problems Unfamiliar or charged words Nonverbal distractions Clothing, mannerisms, appearance Barriers to Effective Listening

16 Thought speed Our minds process thoughts faster than speakers express them Faking attention Pretending to listen GrandstandingTalking all the time or listening only for the next pause

17 So True!  One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears – by listening to them. --- Dean Rusk  The reason why we have two ears and one mouth is that we may listen the more and talk the less. ---Zeno of Citium

18 Listening Practice Purpose: Improve listening skills 1.Select a partner 2.At instructor signal, person 1 talks while person 2 only listens—person does not talk during that time 3.At instructor signal, person 2 tells person 1 what person 1 said—person 1 does not talk 4.Two partners do 1 minute debrief with each other

19 A Classic Case of Miscommunication In Center Harbor, Maine, local legend recalls the day when Walter Cronkite steered his boat into port. The avid sailor was amused to see in the distance a small crowd on shore waving their arms to greet him. He could barely make out their excited shouts: “Hello Walter, Hello Walter!”

20 A Classic Case of Miscommunication As his boat came closer, the crowd grew larger, still yelling. Pleased at the reception, Cronkite tipped his white captain's hat, waved back, even took a bow. But before reaching dockside, Cronkite's boat abruptly jammed aground. The crowd stood silent. The veteran news anchor suddenly realized what they'd been shouting: “Low water, low water!”

21 Analysis of Flawed Communication Process Sender has idea Warn boater Sender encodes message “Low water!” Channel carries message Message distorted Receiver decodes message “Hello Walter!”

22 Barriers That Caused Cronkite Miscommunication  Frame of reference  Language skills  Listening skills  Receiver accustomed to acclaim and appreciative crowds.  Maine accent makes "water" and "Walter" sound similar.  Receiver more accustomed to speaking than to listening.

23 Barriers That Caused Cronkite Miscommunication  Emotional interference  Physical barriers  Ego prompted receiver to believe crowd was responding to his celebrity status.  Noise from boat, distance between senders and receivers. Which of these barriers could be overcome through improved communication skills?

24 Topics for Week 1  Introductions  Course Syllabus and Course Outline  Communicating at Work  Culture and Diversity

25 Why is effective communication more important with an increasing diverse workforce? Diversity in the Workplace

26 Diverse U.S. Labor Force Workforce 2020, Hudson Institute PopulationPercentage 1995 Percentage 2005 Percentage 2020 Whites, non- Hispanics 76%73%68% Women46%48%50% Hispanic9%11%14% African-American11% Asian-American4%5%6% The civilian labor force is projected to increase by 17 million over the period, reaching 158 million in 2010.

27 Diverse U.S. Labor Force Age groupGrowth in the Workforce age groupWill grow more rapidly than the overall population age groupWill be the only group to decrease in size age groupWill increase by 11 million people over the period – more than any other group According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics

28 Diversity in the Workplace Form groups of  Discuss the benefits of diversity.  Identify an example of when diversity lead to a positive outcome.  Identify a spokesperson to report out. Time: 5 minutes

29 Group think GROUPTHINK

30 Culture and Communication Good communication demands special sensitivity and skills when communicators are from different cultures.

31 Workplace Culture for Different Ages Workplace Culture for Different Ages Workplace Culture according to Career Strategies Pre-Boomer Boomer Cusper Busters or Gen X Netster Work first Work and lifestyle Lifestyle first Loyal to employer Loyal to employer and skills Loyal to skills Value working well with others Want others to work with them Prefer to work alone Like small groups Technically challenged Technically savvy State-of-the- art Strong chain of command Chain of command Individual and chain of command Individual first

32 High-Context Cultures Low-Context Cultures RelationalLinear CollectivistIndividualistic IntuitiveStraight forwardness Contemplative and relaxed Action-oriented and driven Comparison of High- and Low-Context Cultures

33 High-Context and Low-Context Cultures Japanese Arab Latin American Spanish English Italian French North American Scandinavian German Swiss Low Context High Context

34 U.S. Persons’ Views of Themselves Internationals’ Views of U.S. Persons Informal, friendly, casualUndisciplined, overly personal Equality advocatesInsensitive to status Direct, aggressive Blunt, rude, oppressive Efficient Obsessed with time; opportunistic Goal/achievement-oriented Promise more than they deliver Profit-oriented Materialistic Comparing U.S. and International’s Views

35 U.S. Persons’ Views of Themselves Internationals’ Views of U.S. Persons Resourceful, ingeniousWork-oriented; deals more important than people Individualistic, progressive Self-absorbed, equating “new” with “best” Dynamic, find identity in work Driven Enthusiastic, prefer hard- sell Deceptive, fearsome OpenUntrustworthy

36 Improving Communication With Multicultural Audiences  Oral Messages Use simple English. Speak slowly and enunciate clearly. Encourage accurate feedback.

37  Oral Messages (continued) Check frequently for comprehension. Observe eye messages. Accept blame. Listen without interrupting. Remember to smile! Follow up in writing.

38  Written Messages Adapt to local formats. Use short sentences and short paragraphs. Avoid ambiguous wording. Strive for clarity. Cite numbers carefully.

39 Effective Communication With Diverse Workplace Audiences  Understand the value of differences.  Don’t expect total conformity.  Create zero tolerance for bias and stereotypes.  Practice focused, thoughtful, and open- minded listening.  Invite, use, and give feedback.

40  Make fewer workplace assumptions.  Learn about your own cultural self.  Learn about other cultures and identity groups.  Seek common ground.

41 Due Next Week  Read Chapter 1, 11  Submit Class Assignment 1: Student Data Memo