1. Communication

2.  Communication defined  Internal communication  External communication

3.  Training  Problem solving  Meetings  Interviews  Appraisals/feedback  Presentations  ‘Water cooler conversations’  Written  Letters  Memos  Reports  Notices  Executive Summaries  Abstracts  Research Proposals  Visual Communication  Visual Aids/Images  Charts/Graphs  Sign/Body Language VerbalNon-Verbal

4.  Unofficial  Naturally forms  Grapevine communication  Official  Often written  Work related Informal CommunicationFormal Communication

5.  Email  Fax  Video Conferencing  Telephone/Mobile Phone

6.  Personal preference  Organizational structure  Security issues and concerns  Skills and training  Ease of use  Size of business  Storage issues  Geographic location  Urgency  Cost

7.  Technology Failure  Language/Accent  Jargon  Culture  Attitude  Geographical Location  Internal Politics  Poor Presentation Skills  Negative Body Language  ‘Chinese Whispers’ (telephone game)  Physiological Barriers

8.  Low morale  Errors, reworking, wastage  Decreased productivity  Lack of control  Delayering is a technique to improve speed/accuracy of communication due to reduced layers in the hierarchy.  Another trend is the demand for bilingual and multilingual employees in all industries.