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

2. COMMUNICATION

3. 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

4. Activity Pg 100 – Business in Context  A01: Knowledge

6. 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?’

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

8. 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.

9. 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

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

11. Why is effective communication important? Pg 106

12. To be effective, it must be…. Pg 106

13. 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

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

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

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

17. 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

18. 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

19. Need for confidentiality Pg 109

20. 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).

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

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

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

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

27. Activity Exam question exemplar Page 109  A03: Analysis

28. 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.

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

30. 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

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

32. 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

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

34. 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.

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

36. A model of communication

37. 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

39. 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

40. 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

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

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

43. 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

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

45. 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

46. Activity Ways to overcome barriers Pg 103  A01: Knowledge

47. 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

48. 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

49. 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.

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

51. 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.

52. 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