Review of ICBC 201 course

The Communication Process Introduction to basic concepts

Another Definition of Communication The sending of stimuli through some channel by a sender so that a receiver translates the stimuli into a message and then feeds back additional stimuli as a message monitor to the sender (Casagrande & Casagrande, 1986).

Which channel to use? Amount of Information conveyed Control over how message is composed and delivered Control over receiver’s attention Effective for detailed messages Face-to-faceHighestModerateHighestWeak TelephoneHighModerateHighWeak LowHighLowWeak Hard copy (letters, memos & reports) HighHighLowGood

Cross-Cultural Communication Source: kwintessential.com

Written Communication

Internal Audiences President VP Production VP Marketing VP Sales Sales Manager North Sales Manager Bangkok YOU District Manager 1 Assistant Sales Manager 1 District Manager 2 Sales Manager South VP Finance VP Human Resources

Internal Documents Document Transmittal Reports Policy updates Memos s Description Memo that explains what is being forwarded Summarizing information that is used for future planning Statement of instructions Multi purpose functions

Components of a formal report Prefatory PartsText of the ReportSupplementary Parts Cover Title Page Letter of Transmittal Table of Contents List of Illustrations Executive Summary Introduction Body Conclusion/Summary Recommendations References Appendixes *Components in a report often vary depending on formality and purpose

External Audiences Your Company Customers Suppliers Retailers Outlets Agents Government agencies Regulators The MediaCompetitors The general public Stockholders Investors

External Documents Document Quotations Orders/Claims Annual Reports Customer information Letters s Description Letters stating price for services/products Letters dealing with customer orders/claims Report to stockholders containing summarized performance information Information about new products/services/policy changes

Questions for analysis 1.Who is (are) your audience(s)? What characteristics are relevant to this message? If you are writing to more than one person, how do the people differ? 2.What are your purposes in writing? 3.What information must your message include? 4.How can you build support for your position? What reasons or reader benefits will your reader find convincing? 5.What objections can you expect your reader(s) to have? What negative elements must you de-emphasize or overcome? 6.What aspects of the total situation may affect readers response?

Organizing Informative and Positive Messages 1.Give any good news and summarize main points. Include dates and share good news immediately 2.Give details clarification, background. Don’t repeat information. Be focused and present accurate information. Present details in order of importance. 3. Present any negative elements as positively as possible. Make the negatives clear but present them in a good light. 4.Explain any reader benefits. Most informative memos need reader benefits. Show that the policy helps readers –not just the organization. If possible combine the reader benefit with the goodwill ending. 5.Use a goodwill ending: positive, personal, and forward looking. Focusing on the personal well-being of the reader shows that you are concerned.

Interviews A systematic approach

Planning the interview Choosing the best interview structure 1. Highly structured interview -standardized list of pre-formulated questions. Common in market research. 2. Unstructured interview -consists of topical agenda without specific questions or only few key questions. 3. Moderately structured interview -combination of 1. & 2. Allows for a flexible approach.

Differences in structural approaches Highly Structured Interview Usually takes less time Easier for interviewer to control Provides quantifiable results Requires less skills by interviewer Low flexibility in exploring responses Unstructured Interview Usually takes more time More difficult to control Results more difficult to quantify Requires high degree of interviewer skills Highly flexible in exploring responses

Open vs. Closed Questions When to use open questions 1.To relax the interviewee 2.To discover the interviewee’s opinions 3.To evaluate the interviewee’s communication skills 4.To explore the interviewee’s possession of information 5.To discover the interviewee’s feelings or values When to use closed questions 1.To maintain control over the situation 2.When specific information is needed 3.When time is short 4.When interviewer is not highly skilled 5.When a high degree of standardization between interviews is important

Conducting the Interview: The Opening The Opening shapes the whole interview. Greeting and building rapport Begin with a greeting and self-introduction A few minutes of informal conversation make everybody feel comfortable.

Conducting the Interview: Orientation Give the respondent an overview of what is to follow -this makes the respondent relax and establishes control at the same time. Explain the reason for the interview Explain what information is needed and how it will be used Mention the approximate length of the interview

Conducting the Interview: Body In this part you will ask your questions Try to use a systematic sequence Funnel sequence > Start with a open ended-question and begin to narrow down with closed-ended questions. Inverted Funnel < Start with an closed-ended question followed by open-ended questions. Diamond structure <> Begin closed-ended questions then go to open-ended questions and end in closed-ended questions.

Conducting the Interview: Closing End your interview by establishing goodwill Signal the end of the interview If possible review some of the key parts Establish future actions -repeat what the information will be used for: a term project/report/presentation etc. Conclude with thanking your respondent and engaging in informal ‘ small talk’ After the interview Write a follow-up Thank you letter

How to Develop a Communications Plan

What Is a Communication Plan? A communication plan is a written document that describes what you want to accomplish with your communication (your objectives), ways in which those objectives can be accomplished (your goals or program of work), to whom your solution will be addressed (your audiences), how you will accomplish your objectives (the tools and timetable), and how you will measure the results of your program (evaluation).

Working in Groups Decision-making processes

8 shared characteristics of a successful team Clear & inspiring shared goals – Successful teams know why the team exists and believe the purpose is important and worthwhile. Result-driven structure – Successful teams organize themselves in a manner that ensures effective accomplishment of goals Competent team members – Successful teams have necessary skills to get the job done

8 shared characteristics of a successful team Unified commitment – Successful team members are committed to each other. – Groups’ goals are above their personal interests. Collaborative climate – Successful teams trust and support each other. Standards of excellence – Doing outstanding work is the norm in successful teams. – Each member is expected to do his/her best

8 shared characteristics of a successful team External support & recognition – Successful teams need an audience that shows appreciation for their dedication Principled leadership – Successful teams usually have leaders who can create a vision – Leaders can identify talents of members

Leadership styles Authoritarian – provide clear expectations for what needs to be done, when it should be done, and how it should be done. – clear division between the leader and the followers. – Authoritarian leaders make decisions independently with little or no input from rest of the group. – best applied to situations where there is little time for group decision-making or where the leader is the most knowledgeable member of the group.

Leadership styles Democratic – leaders offer guidance to group members, but they also participate in the group and allow input from other group members – encourage group members to participate, but retain the final say over decision-making process – Group members feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and creative. – generally the most effective leadership style

Leadership styles Laissez-faire – leaders offer little or no guidance to group members and leave decision-making up to group members – can be effective in situations where group members are highly qualified in an area of expertise – often leads to poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation.