1. Business Communication Skills for Managers
Module 1: Communicating in Business

2. Effective Communication in Business

3. Becoming a Better Employee
How can things go wrong in communication?
How can communication be improved?
How to improve result:
Meet with project sponsor
Specify project request
Clarify design, production, installation
Listen, reinforce, and repeat
Image: Becoming a Better Employee. Authored by: Freedom Learning Group. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution

4. The Business Audience Primary vs. secondary audience
the audience that your communication is intended for
the group of people that aren’t real stakeholders in your communication
Manage information, language, depth of topic

5. The Business Audience (cont.)
Social Communication Model
Social Communication Model - linear process
If recipient misunderstands, repeat message, ask clarifying questions
Image: The Business Audience.
Authored by: Freedom Learning Group. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution

6. Writing in Business Rely on seven principles of business communication
clear
concise
objective
consistent
complete
relevant
considerate of audience knowledge
Personal vs. professional communication: level of formality
7 principles: clear, concise, objective, consistent, complete, relevant, considerate of audience knowledge
Professional - more of an effort to appeal, avoid political beliefs
Personal - relaxed language

7. Writing in Business (cont.)
Phone System Outage
If you had to write a communication to your team about a phone system outage, what should you include to make the message effective?
A full breakdown of this case study is available in the course:
Image: Vintage telephone. Authored by: Alexander Andrews. Provided by: Unsplash. Located at: License: CC0: No Rights Reserved

8. Methods of Communication

9. Listening
Active listening - feedback, confirmed understanding, body language
Listening assesses audience’s needs - ensure you are heard
Image: Five key skills for active listening. Authored by: Freedom Learning Group. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution

10. Verbal Communication Less Formal Synchronous Build a sense of trust
Spoken Communication
Written Communication
Less Formal
Synchronous
Build a sense of trust
More Formal
Asynchronous
More impersonal

11. Verbal Communication (cont.)
Benefits of Spoken Communication
easier to understand
more chance for feedback
emotional
allows for input
creates relationships,
bonds to listeners,
higher degree of certainty

12. Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal: showing forms of interest Reveals type of communicator Maximizes impact
Nonverbal - facial expressions, gestures, proximity, touch, eye contact, appearance

13. Ethics in Business Communication

14. Guidelines for Ethical Communication
Follow the seven principles: stay clear, concise, support audience Honesty, accuracy, support, credit
Image: Doors. Authored by: qimono. Located at: choices-choose-open-decision /. License: CC0: No Rights Reserved

15. Guidelines for Ethical Communication (cont.)
Examples of Unethical Practices:
Daily World Update
General Motors
Daily World Update - spun false news story about governor arrested for election fraud
General Motors - over 100 people died to to faulty ignition switches but was mis-labeled by news

16. Principles of Ethical Decision Making
No particular set, but seven common principles
Principles - Legal requirements, Long-term self-interest, Personal virtue, Utilitarianism, Individual rights, Distributive justice, Religious injunction
Video:

17. Being Ethical Online
When posting: factual information, ensure confidentiality
When using materials: check sources, integrity/copyright
When posting - develop trust with audience, no questionable information, line between personal and professional
Materials - fact check information, use citations
Internet for All. Authored by: World Economic Forum. Located at: License: CC0: No Rights Reserved
Image:

18. Staying Connected

19. Staying Connected: Colleagues
Document and work sharing tools (OneNote)
Private messaging, “chat” tools (texting, Slack)
Video communication (Skype, Google Hangouts)
Work tools (upload photos, links, create lists, etc.)
Private messaging (tone isn’t easily communicated but still effective)
Video communication (verbal and nonverbal, more feedback)
Authored by: typographyimages. Located at: messaging-texts / . License: CC0: No Rights Reserved

20. Staying Connected: Customers
Communication sharing tools
Company website
Social Media
Private messaging/video chat
Social media can be more one-sided
Private messaging - nonverbal
Video chat- similar to face-to-face

21. Quick Review Evaluate conversations using seven principles
Social communication model
message
noise
feedback
Verbal vs. nonverbal communication
Ethical communication