WHAT IS IT? Communication

The act of exchanging information  Written  Orally  Nonverbal It can be used to inform, command, instruct, assess, influence, and persuade other people.

Communication Communication is important in every aspect of life, especially business. Good manager have good communication skills. They use these skills to absorb information, motivate employees, and deal with customers and co-workers  What would it be like to work for a manager with bad communication skills?

A Managers Job A managers job may involve as much as three-quarters of their time communicating and over half just listening

Communication as a Management Skill Communicating effectively is an important management skill for several reasons. Why is it important to be persuasive as a manager?

Communication as a Management Skill Managers must give direction to the people who work for them.  Managers who fail to give clear guidance often find that employees perform their jobs poorly because they do not understand what is expected of them.

Communication as a Management Skill Managers must be able to motivate people.  Good managers use their ability to communicate to get other people excited about their jobs

Communication as a Management Skill Managers must be able to convince customers that they should do business with them.  Effective communication is the key to convincing a customer to purchase a product or service.  Without good communication skills, managers will find it difficult to attract customers, even if their companies products or services meet the customers needs

Communication as a Management Skill Managers must be able to absorb the ideas of others.  Business managers interact with many people, including co- workers, customers, and suppliers  To be effective, they must be able to understand and accept other peoples viewpoints

Communication as a Management Skill Managers must be able to persuade other people.  Managers often have ideas that others oppose.  To persuade other people to accept their ideas, managers must be able to communicate effectively

LEARNING TO COMMUNICATE Managers communicate in writing and verbally. In order to master either form, they must be able to:  Identify the audience  Develop Good Listening Skills  Understand the importance of nonverbal communication

Understanding the Audience First, must determine who the audience is?  Hotel managers – hotel guests, housekeepers, maintenance, travel agents, furniture salespeople, etc. To communicate, the manger needs to know:  What does the audience already know?  What does it want to know?  What is its capacity for absorbing information?  What does it hope to gain by listening? Is it hoping to be motivated? Informed? Convinced?  Is the audience friendly or hostile?

Understanding the Audience Who might be the audience if you were the manager of a car dealership? Who might be the audience if you were a rental car business? What kinds of business situations may a manager face a FRIENDLY or a HOSTILE situation?

Developing Good Listening Skills One of the most important skills a manager can develop is good listening skills. What percentage of time does a manager spend listening? Good listening skills enable managers to:  absorb the information they need  Recognize problems  Understand other people’s viewpoints Managers need to learn to be ACTIVE LISTENERS

Developing Good Listening Skills ARE YOU A GOOD LISTENER? Are you open to what other people say to you, or do you make up your mind about things before you hear other people’s views? Do you become bored when other people speak? Do you interrupt people when they are speaking? Do you daydream at meetings? Are you hesitant to ask clarifying questions?

Active Listening Involves absorbing what another person is saying and responding to the person’s concerns Active listening involves:  Identify the speaker’s purpose  Identify the speaker’s main ideas  Note the speaker’s tone as well as his or her body language  Respond to the speaker’s with appropriate comments, questions, and body language You must work at active listening to be a good listener. PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS!!!!!

Active Listening Barriers with active listening  Daydreaming  Become angry with what is being said  Impatience  Lack of concentration due to distractions  Preferring to talk rather than listen Using active listening to handle customer complaints  Listening  Responding  Making sure the customer is satisfied

Nonverbal Communication - Nonverbal cues are pieces of information acquired by observing rather than listening to other people. Nonverbal cues sometimes give more info than verbal Ways to communicate nonverbally:  Eye contact  Facial expressions  Hand gestures  Raising or lowering their voices  Fidgeting or restlessness  The way they have dressed. Business, casual, inappropriate

Nonverbal Communication What nonverbal communication should a manager be looking for during a job interview? In what ways do nonverbal cues sometimes lead the listener the wrong way?

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION Managers communicate in writing every day in the forms of:  s  Letters  Reports  Memos To communicate effectively, managers must be able to write clearly, concisely, and persuasively.

Written Communication Before writing a business document, a manager must first determine what he wants to achieve. 3 main thoughts that need to be had:  Purpose  Audience  Main Message

Purpose Why am I writing this document? What action do I want the reader to take after reading it?

Audience Who will read this document? How much does the reader already know about the topic? How will the reader use the document? Are there any special sensitivities I should be aware of?

Main Message What is the main message I want to convey in this document? How will I support that message?

Tips to improve Written Communication Write as simply and clearly as possible  Avoid writing in a way that is difficult to understand Be sure the content and tone of the document are appropriate for the audience.  Don’t waste readers time with info they already know  But don’t assume they are as familiar with the topic as you Always use a polite tone that is not overly emotional Use gender-neutral language. Avoid sexist language Proofread the document  Spellcheck

Types of Written Communication Memo – usually sent inside the organization to inform staff of changes in policy or personnel. May also be used for pertinent info to be distributed – another form of interoffice communication Letter – form of communication from one organization to another. More formal. Report – The most formal. Requires careful planning and includes graphs and visual aids to help explain what the report includes.

Formatting of Documents STEP 1 – Set line spacing and line leading  To set – click on small arrow in bottom right of paragraph tab  Line spacing set to single  Line leading set to 0 pts – set for before and after STEP 2 – Set Margins  To set – Go To Page Layout tab > Margins > Custom margins STEP 3 – Follow formatting directions precisely  DS means double space (hit enter twice)  SS means single space (hit enter once)

Memo Formatting of a MEMO:  2 inch margin at top of page  TO:, FROM:, DATE:, SUBJECT:, all on their own line and double spaced (DS) in between one another.  Greeting Line will be DS before and after.  No indentation on first line of body of memo  DS before and after Salutation at the end

Formatting of an  2 inch margin at top of page  SEND TO:, SUBJECT:, Carbon Copy:, on their own lines DS.  No need for FROM or DATE, it is automatically entered by the server.  No greeting at the top  No indentation for the body  Salutation at the end

Letter Formatting for a letter. It is more official  2 inch margin at the top  Centered on top line needs to be Your Company name  Next line (SS) YOUR company address, next line company phone and address.  DS then place the date, aligned left  DS then place the receivers name, SS job title, SS Company, SS address,  QS place the greeting, professional  DS, no indentation on the body. Body needs to be multiple paragraphs  DS place the salutation  QS, place your name (typed), SS place your job title

Oral Communication Oral communication may be formal or informal  Formal takes place at meetings or interviews  Informal takes place in hallways, next to water fountain, cafeteria, and over the telephone Why is it important for business managers to be able to communicate well verbally?

Oral Communication Communicating effectively is important for managers Managers must give clear instructions, motivate their staff, and persuade other people “Good morning” is a great pathway to start of the day communicating with employees  Allows the conversation barrier to be broken  Allows the employee to give their input on certain areas Compared to isolating executives from operatives  The small differences can have a big impact on employee morale!!

Developing Oral Communication No matter who or how many they are speaking, managers should follow these rules:  Make emotional contact with the listeners by addressing them by name when possible  Avoid speaking in a monotone  Be enthusiastic and project a positive outlook  Avoid interrupting others  Always be courteous  Avoid empty sounds or words: such as “uh” “um” “like” “you know”

Choosing the Best Method of Communication In general, verbal communication is most appropriate for sensitive matters  Reprimanding or dismissing an employee Written communication is most appropriate for routine information  Changes in company policy  Changes in staff or master schedule Choosing the best method will help you relay information in an appropriate and professional manner.