Topic covered-Meaning, Types of communication, Barriers of Communication, Effective communication

1. BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
By Zaibun Nisa, Guest Faculty,
Department of Commerce,
KMCUAFU, Lucknow.

2. INTRODUCTION
 What is Communication?
 Communication is a process that involves exchanging facts, ideas, opinion or emotions
between two or more persons.
 Feedback is essential component of communication.
 The main purpose of business communication is to inform, or to bring something round to
a certain point of view, or to elicit action to achieve organisational goals.
COMMUNICATION CYCLE

3. ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION
 Sender
 Receiver
 Message
 Medium
 Feedback
SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATION
 The sender should formulate the message to suit the receiver.
 Sender should select the message in light of:
 Receiver’s needs, receiver’s location, facilities available, need for speed,
confidentiality, safety and security, whether written record is required.
 Receiver should decode the message objectively, send feedback promptly

4. Effective communication
 Effective communication is vital to the smooth and successful functioning of any
organisation.
 Effective internal communication implies
• Better coordination among various departments
• Conducive work atmosphere
• Improved management-labour union relations
➢ Effective external communication implies
▪ Better relations with government and financial institutions
▪ Increased sales
▪ Better public image
➢ For an individual, effective communication skills are
▪ An essential job requirement
▪ An important factor for promotion

5. Objectives of communication
1. To get Information
 Executives need information to plan and organise: employees need it
to execute their job satisfactorily
 Information can be collected from variety of sources, including old
files, news papers, internat, questionnaire etc.
 External information relates to job assignments, procedures, power
centres, organisational policies etc.
 Information must be
▪ From Reliable source
▪ Accurate
▪ Complete
▪ latest

6. ..continued
2. Advice
 Effective advice
▪ Is both individual oriented and work oriented
▪ Does not make worker feel inferior
▪ Is given in workers’ interest
▪ Promoting understanding
▪ Can become a two way channel of communication
3. Counselling
▪ Is impersonal
▪ Is often sought
▪ Eagerly
▪ Often means psychological handling
4. Orders
▪ Orders are directives to a subordinate to do something in a particular way
▪ Order must be downward

7. …continued
5. Instructions
Instructions are orders with guidance
6. Suggestion
▪ Suggestions are welcome, for it is not obligatory
7. Persuasion (ability to convince)
➢ You can persuade others if
➢ You are yourself convinced
➢ Do not impose
➢ Not be rigid
8. Education
9. Warning
10. Raising morale

8. Communication Media

9. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
ADVANTAGES
▪ Accurate
▪ Precise
▪ Permanent record
▪ Legal document
▪ Can reach large number of people simultaneously
▪ Helps to fix responsibility
▪ Suitable for complex information and statistical data
▪ Formal and authoritative

10. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
ADVANTAGES
▪ Accurate
▪ Precise
▪ Permanent record
▪ Legal document
▪ Can reach large number of people
simultaneously
▪ Helps to fix responsibility
▪ Suitable for complex information and
statistical data
▪ Formal and authoritative
DISADVANTAGES
 Time consuming
 Expensive not in terms of
postage but of the time of so
many people
 Quick clarification not possible
 Literate skill
 Risk of leakage

11. ORAL COMMUNICATION
ADVANTAGES
 Saves time
 Saves money
 More forceful
 Conveys shades of meaning
 Immediate feedback
 Immediate clarification
 Can be informal, good for
interpersonal relationship
 More effective with groups
DISADVANTAGES
 Not possible for distant
people in the absence of
mechanical devices
 Unsuitable for lengthy
messages
 No legal validity
 Greater chances of
misunderstandings
 Not easy to fix responsibility

12. Seven c’s of effective communication
by Francis J. Bergin
1. Candid
2. clear
3. complete
4. concise
5. concrete
6. correct
7. courteous

13. TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
Types of
Communication
Formal
Downward
Upward Horizontal Diagonal
Informal /
Grapevine

14. Downward Communication:
It flows from a superior to the subordinate staff
Objectives
▪ To explain the rationale of the job
▪ To coordinate the functioning of performance
▪ To convey assessment of performance
▪ To motivate employees
▪ To explain policies and procedures
➢ To make it effective
▪ Managers should be adequately informed
▪ Managers should be clear how much to
communicate
▪ Information should be passed on to the correct
person
Limitations
▪ Under communication
▪ Overcommunication
▪ Delay
▪ Loss of information
▪ Distortion
▪ Filtering
▪ Hardly any feedback
▪ Resentment by subordinate

15. UPWARD COMMUNICATION:
It moves from the subordinate staff to the superiors
• ADAVANTAGES
• Providing feedback to the
superiors
• Reporting job progress
• Seeking the superiors’ intervention
for problem solving
• Releasing the pent-up emotions
of the subordinate staff
• Providing the superiors with useful
suggestions
• Making the introduction of new
schemes easier
• Promoting harmony
LIMITATIONS
• Awe of authority
• Fear of adverse reaction
• Great possibility of distortion and filtering
• Bypassed superiors feel insulted
• Information overload at the higher levels if
the entire information is allowed to move
upwards.
CHANNELS OF UPWARD COMMUNICATION
• Superior keep an open door
• Complaints and suggestion boxes
• Social gatherings
• Direct correspondence
• Reports
• counselling

16. HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION:
It flows between people at the same level
Advantages
• Job coordination
• Decision making
• Problem solving
• Resolving conflicts
• Sharing ideas & information
LIMITATIONS
• Lack of authoritativeness
• Interpersonal rivalry
• Interdepartmental rivalry
Channel of Horizontal
Communication
• Face to face discussion
• Telephonic talk
• Periodical meetings
• Letters, memos, e-mails, reports,
etc.

17. DIAGONAL COMMUNICATION:
Communication between two individuals at different
levels in different departments.
ADVANTEGES
• Expedition of work
• Quick feedback
• Less distortion and dilution
• Better coordination
• Faster problem solving
DISADVANTAGES
• Normal channels are disrupted
• Bypassed superiors may feel
incensed and refuse to
cooperate
• Too frequent a use of this
channel may cause chaos and
anarchy

18. INFORMAL COMMUNICATION: The Grapevine
Primarily a channel of horizontal communication, it can flow
even vertically and diagonally
TYPES
• Single strand: flows like a chain
• Gossip: one person tells everyone
• Probability: information may move from
anybody to anybody
• Cluster: moves through selected groups
IMPORTANCE
• Emotional relief
• Harmony and cohesiveness in the
organisation
• Supplement to other channels
• A fast channel
• Provides feedback
LIMITATIONS
• Distortion of information
• May transmit incomplete information
• Travels with destructive swiftness
To use it effectively, the manager should
• Keep an eye on rumour-mongers
• Use it primarily for feedback
• Contradict rumours promptly
• Involve the workers in the decision-
making process

19. BARRIERS OF COMMUNICATION
Barriers of communication
Wrong choice of
words
Physical barriers
Noise
Time & distance
Poor timing
Semantic
barriers
Interpretation of
words
Bypassed
instructions
Denotation,
Connotation
Different
comprehensions
of reality
Abstracting
Slanting
Inferring
Socio-
psychological
barrier
Attitude &
opinion
Emotions
Cultural Diversity
Frame of
reference
Closed Mind
Status
conciousness
Conflicting
Goals

20. OVERCOMING BARRIERS: general guidelines
 Choose the right medium; send the message at an appropriate
time.
 Use words that generate positivity.
 Adapt your message to the receiver’s frame of reference.
 See how you would respond if you were to receive the message
you are going to send. Reframe it if you feel it might offend.
 Convey your message in a positive and courteous tone.
 Seek feedback and offer clarification if needed.

21. Effective Communication
Principles of
Effective
Communication
Clarity
Completeness
Conciseness
Courtesy
Correctness
Consideration

22. GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
1. IMROVE YOUR WRITING SKILLS
▪ Use short and precise words
▪ Use specific terms and concrete examples
▪ Avoid using slangs
▪ Use short, simple sentences
▪ Use short paragraphs
2. IMPROVE YOUR ORAL SKILLS
▪ Pronounce words clearly
▪ Make only one point at a time
▪ Seek feedback
▪ Clarify your exact meaning
▪ Don’t blame the listener for not understanding
▪ Adapt your conversation style
▪ Keep observing other person’s body language

23. Thank you