Effective Communication for Business “Human Beings Create the Symbols of Communication, and Then They Cannot Understand the Symbols They Create.” Anonymous By Cosimo Cannata, I.T.C.G. Piazza Armerina, a.s

Types of Communication Formal and informal Upward, downward, and horizontal Spoken and written Electronic

Business Communication Developing excellent communication skills is absolutely essential to effective leadership. The leader must be able to share knowledge and ideas to transmit a sense of urgency and enthusiasm to others.

Objectives Define and give examples of types of communication. Describe the six functions of nonverbal communication. Describe and explain the role of the eight types of nonverbal symbols. Differentiate between formal and informal communication

Basic Communication Model The sender encodes the message and selects a channel. The receiver decodes the message and uses feedback to respond. Message Feedback Sender Receiver

Communication Processes Communication is the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, by speech, signals, writing, or behaviour between a sender and a receiver.

Types of Communication Formal and informal Upward, downward, and horizontal Spoken and written Electronic Non Verbal

Types of Communication Formal - the official communication that travels through the structured (formal) organization. Informal (grapevine) - rumours, statements, or reports whose truth any known authority cannot verify and which may not regard the functioning of the organization.

Types of Communication Upward communication - is the flow of communication from managers to managers. Downward communication - is the flow of communication from managers to managers or from upper management to middle management or lower management. Horizontal communication - is the flow of communication moving laterally or at the same level in the organization.

The Communication Processes Feedback - a verbal or nonverbal response by a receiver to the sender’s message. Encoding - selecting words and their order for a message by a sender. Decoding - the translation of a message by a receiver. Noise - literally or figuratively, anything that interferes with a message. Message channel - the conduit or medium that will carry a message from the sender to the receiver.

Thee Communication Processes FEEDBACK FEEDBACK SENDER RECEIVER MESSAGE NOISE

Message Channel Face-to-face Face-to-group Telephone Written Third party

Communication Through Technology s Cell phones Video conferencing AIM Blogging Internet (MySpace, Facebook, and Google) Faxing Text messages

What Are Words Really Like? Two communication rules: ❏ Don’t assume/pretend that everyone knows what you are talking about. ❏ Don’t assume/pretend that you know what others are talking about without asking them questions to make certain.

Functions of Nonverbal Communication Accent- punctuating or drawing attention to a verbal message. Complement- expressions or gestures that support, but could not replace a verbal message. Contradict-expressions or gestures that convey a meaning opposite that of a verbal message.

Use of various signs in non verbal communication

Functions of Nonverbal Communication Regulate- expressions or gestures that control the pace or flow of communication. Repeat- a gesture or expression that can be used alone to send the same meaning as a verbal message. Substitute- a nonverbal cue that replaces a verbal message.

Types of Nonverbal Symbols The eyes The face and head Gestures Touch Posture Territory Walking Status symbols

Gestures and Postures Positive Gestures Open Palms Eye-to-eye confrontation Smile Equal Handshake Postures Standing position Walking style Hand Movements

Summary Definition of nonverbal communication. Describe the six functions of nonverbal communication. Describe and explain the role of the eight types of nonverbal symbols. Differentiate between formal and informal communication.

Objectives Identify and describe 14 barriers to communication. Explain the importance of listening and identify methods to improve listening. Describe methods to break down communication barriers.

Barriers to Effective Communication Lying ❏ Facial indicators ❏ General indicators Perceptions Over-eagerness to respond Closed words Judging Credibility gap Noise

Barriers to Effective Communication Wasting the thought-speech differential (Perdita rapporto) Emotions Snap judgments (giudizi immediati) Attacking the individual Rank Gatekeepers Poor listening

Importance of Listening Time. Good relationship. Prevent misunderstanding and rumors. People perform better. Prevents complaints from exploding. Good decision making. Prevents haste conclusions. Requires full attention.

Developing Listening Skills Listening responses. ❏ Nod - nodding the head slightly and waiting. ❏ Pause - looking at the speaker, but without doing or saying anything. ❏ Casual remark - “I see,” “uh-huh,” or “is that so?” ❏ Echo - repeating the last few words the speaker said. ❏ Mirror - showing you understand by reflecting what has just been said: “you feel that…….” Phrasing questions. ❏ Open. ❏ Closed.

Break Down Communication Barriers Encourage upward communication. Have an open-door policy. Use face-to-face communication when possible. Avoid credibility gaps. Write for understanding. Watch your timing. Be sensitive to needs and feelings of others. Identify and manager conflict.

The Four C’s of Written Communication Complete Concise Correct Conversational

Do’s of Listening Eliminate distractions by holding telephone calls and choosing a quiet place to talk. Allow adequate time for discussion. Take note of nonverbal cues. When you are unsure of what was said, restate what you think you heard in the form of a question.

Do’s of Listening Show interest. Express empathy. Be silent when silence is needed. When you think that something is missing, ask simple, direct questions to get the necessary information.

Do’s of Listening Argue. Interrupt. Engage in other activities. Pass judgment too quickly. Jump to conclusions. Let the other person’s emotions act too directly on your own.

Summary Identify and describe 14 barriers to communication. Explain the importance of listening and identify methods to improve listening. Describe methods to break down communication barriers.

Objectives Diagram and explain the basic communication model. List and explain the five message channels. List and explain components of a message and the contribution each makes to the total message.

What Are Words Really Like? Words have regional and international meaning. Words develop new meaning. Double-speaking. The development of new words. Tone affects meaning.

Summary Diagram and explain the basic communication model. The five message channels. ❏ Face-to-face. ❏ Face-to-group. ❏ Telephone. ❏ Written. ❏ Third party. The components of a message and the contribution each makes to the total message. ❏ Nonverbal. ❏ Tonal. ❏ Verbal.