BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATION ASSESSMENT FILE

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION- A KEY TO

SUCCESS

SUBMITTED BY

PEEYUSH YADAV
G 31
Group 5
MBA-G 2011

INTRODUCTION
Communication is the process by which people exchange information or express
their thoughts and feelings. Communication is an essential attribute of human life
that is why we all spend most of our time either receiving or requesting for
information or trying to send information to others. Lack of communication
creates tensions and destroys personal and business relationships. The ability to
exchange information or conversation with others is crucial to the success of the
individual, family or business organization. It should be noted, however, that it is
one thing to communicate but quite another thing to communicate effectively.
Ineffective communication usually results in failure, as it doesn’t elicit the desired
response in form of feedback from the receiver. This is the bane of many
business organizations. Many managers do communicate, but often not very
effectively. Lack of capacity to communicate effectively on the part of managers
is the reason for the failure of many businesses. Every firm or business
organization needs an effective communication network in order to function
properly and achieve its set objectives

Looking at the Meaning of Effective Communication from Different Angles

The ultimate goal of every form of communication – face-to-face
meeting, telephone discourse, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, interview,
email, letter or memo – is to get an expected response in form of feedback from
the receiver to the sender. This is what effective communication is about. It is
about ensuring that the information is well-packaged and properly transmitted, so
that the recipient understands the message and responds positively. In other
words, effective communication is the one that achieves the results for which it is
intended.

Communication can be looked at from different angles, such as the mode of

expression (oral or written, or even non-verbal communication), the purpose of
communication, the audience, the information flow (vertical, horizontal or
diagonal), etc. Communication can be internal (within the organization) or
external (with outsiders). It can also be interpersonal or group communication;
interpersonal when it involves two people and group when it takes the forms of
meetings, discussions, symposia, conferences and workshops. There is also
mass communication which has to do with communicating with the masses by
the means of the radio, the television, the newspaper, the internet, etc.). From
whichever angle it is looked at, communication can only be considered to be
effective when it results in the desired feedback.

Oral communication involves the use of spoken words and could take the form of
face-to-face conversation, interview, telephone discourse, voice mail, meetings,
group discussions, oral instructions, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, etc.
Oral communication is quick and permits immediate feedback as well as
immediate response to feedback. Participants can ask questions and get
immediate clarification. Moreover, gesture and facial expression can be used to
reinforce the intended message. The limitations of oral communication include
susceptibility to errors and misinterpretation and lack of permanence.

Written communication, as the name implies, involves the use of written words. It
can come in the forms of business letters, memoranda, reports, minutes of
meetings, written speeches, etc. Written communication has the advantages of
revision before transmission, permanence and accessibility for reference
purposes. It also reduces the risk of distortion in meaning; thus, it can be
considered as an ideal medium for long and complex messages which, if relayed
orally across many intermediaries, can easily be distorted or misinterpreted.
Another advantage of the written medium is that it can easily be reproduced in
many ways (e.g. photocopying) and distributed to many recipients. One of its
major limitations is delayed feedback; the reading of long documents may be
boring and the writing of a reply could also be delayed by a number of other
factors. Written communication also lacks the presence of gesture, facial
expression and other forms of body language capable of reinforcing meaning in
communication.
The choice of medium of communication depends on the nature of the message
to be transmitted. As earlier observed, while the written medium is the perfect
medium for transactions that require permanent documentation, the oral medium
is ideal for messages that require immediate feedback. One has to consider the
circumstances in order to determine whether to use a telephone call, a face-to-
face meeting, an email, a typed and signed document, etc. The factors to be
considered when choosing the medium of communication include: urgency,
formality, risk of misinterpretation, confidentiality, legal implications or the need
for future reference, the nature and size of the audience, etc.

Communication in business is usually intended to achieve specific purposes,

such as giving information, making inquiries, providing explanation, persuasion,
reassurance, making transactions, etc. Communicating to inform is frequently an
act of introducing, notifying, announcing or reporting; it is usually aimed at
informing people about new product lines, prices, names, addresses, etc. If the
purpose of communication is to persuade, the message has to be packaged with
a view to moving the audience to action by the use of words. This type of
communication is ideal for advertising a product or motivating employees. When
communication is purely for business transactions, such as contracts,
agreements, receipts, etc., the message has to be packaged in a way that gives
no room for misinterpretation or legal actions. In this type of communication, the
emphasis is on the accuracy and appropriateness of given information, such as
the date of transaction, the agreed terms and conditions, the agreed prices, the
total sum and currency, names, addresses and signatures of parties to the
agreement, etc. The point being made here is that, in order to achieveeffective
communication, the message must be packaged to serve the specific purpose as
well as the particular occasion of communication.

How to Ensure Effective Communication in Business

It is important to note that poor or ineffective communication is responsible for a
situation where the receiver doesn’t understand what he or she has read or
heard and thus cannot give any positive feedback. This implies that the hallmark
of effective communication is a well-packaged and properly transmitted message
– that is, a message that is capable of attracting the receiver’s response in form
of positive feedback.

Language should be seen as the most important form of effective

communication. The communicator must ensure that the language he or she
uses is clear, accurate and appropriate to the audience, purpose and occasion
for which the message is intended. The use of informal language where a polite
and formal register is required, for instance, can render the message ineffective.
Wordiness or the use of unnecessarily complex constructions can only create
room for misinterpretation; hence the acronym ‘KISS’: Keep it short and simple.
Also, the use of expressions, jargons and buzz-words that the audience is
unfamiliar with can present barriers to them and thus hinder communication.
Where technical language and terms are used, they must be defined and
explained in accordance with the knowledge of the audience. Whatever is the
purpose of the communication, the communicator must connect with the
audience by using clear and precise language and removing every form of
ambiguity or barrier so the audience can have a full understanding of the
message.

Effective communication is best achieved when the purpose or central idea of the
message is stated clearly and the subordinate ideas effectively identified and
related to the main purpose in a naturally convincing manner. It is important to
ensure that the material is arranged in a logical and coherent order, with each
paragraph containing only one main idea that is clearly stated and supported with
relevant, sufficient and persuasive points. To achieve coherence, new
information must be linked to previously discussed information in a way that
engages the reader and reinforces the main points. The conclusion of the
message must restate the main purpose and specify the action to be taken.

Ensuring correctness or grammaticality is also a vital aspect of effective

communication, because ungrammaticality is capable of distorting meaning or
undermining credibility, thereby hindering communication. It is very important to
ensure that rules of grammar and syntax are followed, that correct words are
used to convey the intended meaning and that punctuation reflects standard
usage. Finally, the entire work must be proofread to ensure that the final copy is
free of mechanical errors.

Above all, it should be noted that the purpose of business communication is, in
broad terms, buying and selling. Business communication is usually about
practical matters, such as products, prices, discounts, sales, delivery, payments
and so forth. The successful businessman is one who achieves his goals, and to
achieve his goals, he must communicate effectively through clearness of
expression. He has to present his messages to his audiences in the clearest and
most straightforward manner. Every business communication aims to invoke
some material and immediate response or action. Whether it is a face-to-face
meeting, a telephone discourse, a sales letter, a letter of inquiry, a memo or a
report, the aim is to get something done. Therefore, every business
communication has to use clear and persuasive language in conjunction with
appropriate action in order to connect with the audience and invoke the desired
response.

COMMUNICATION IN ORGANIZATION

Organizational communication lays the keystone to every organization for

upbringing and grooming the environment of that particular organization. It could
be categorized in three different categories as follows.

Upward Communication:
It is the communication that occurs in an organization from peer to the
managerial level and has formal tone included in it. It can be the feedback of the
employee towards the manager about some specific report or task.
Downward Communication:
The communication that takes place from the upper echelon that is from
manager towards its employees and can be in the shape of some orders and
instructions that are required to be followed.

Dydic Communication:
More friendly and informal communication that occurs between the peers of
same organization. It takes place as exchanging ideas amongst each other being
the subordinate of that organization.

Principles of Communication:
Communication is based upon following seven principles,
These are known as 7 C's of communication.

1- Conciseness: It should be notified that the message should be concise in

nature so that it will be easy to catch the readers' attention.

2- Concreteness: Message should be concrete as having all the meanings

conveyed in it but should be shorter in length.

3- Clarity: It must give appropriate and explicit meaning that would not diversify
and confuse the reader at any instance. By placing prominence and
consequences with all the facts and figures.

4- Completeness: Also it is important that the message must have complete

meaning that will providing the sufficient information to its reader.

5- Courtesy: Another important feature is that the sender must be emphasizing

on the courteous tone and must give some compliments and benefits to its
readers.
6- Correctness: The message conveyed must be checked for correctness and
should be free from all grammatical errors

7- Consideration: There must be proper consideration in the message and it

should emphasize on you attitude rather than 'I' and 'we' kind of words.

Process and components of communication:

Here are following components on which communication is preceded in any

organization.

1. Context: It is the theme that a message must have.

2. Sender: Sender acts as encoder from where the message is sourced.

3. Message: The purpose of context and detail information is provided in this

component.

4. Medium: It is the channel from where the message is bypassed and

information flows towards receiver.

5. Receiver: It acts as an encoder that understands the message, sent by the

sender and where information sinks.

6. Feedback: The final phase where the sender gets its audience and readers
response in form of criticism or appreciation.

Also effective communication is based upon the knowledge of the 5 W's as

When, Who, Where, Why, What? which makes it more complete. This is how
communication plays its role in any organization through its vital features and
grooms the structure within the organization as well as externally enhancing the
repute of the whole organization. By just simply improving these components and
considering all the necessary elements, the end result can be a successful and a
productive organization.

Need of Good Strategy for Communication in Business

No matter the size of the business, one needs a sound and effective internal
communications strategy. Many times developing an effective communications
strategy is a neglected area in strategic planning. The topic of communications is
very broad and there’s a lot to be said but if one could just get down the basics
then business can move forward from there. Many companies put more focus on
external communications than internal communications. Then other companies
take a deliberate approach to ensuring sound communications by developing a
communications plan.

Effective communication leads to effective collaboration and that’s very important

in today’s business environment. It takes teamwork to produce effective
communications. Proper and effective communication stems from openly sharing
knowledge, not knowledge hoarding.

Does your company have an effective communications plan?

It is highly important because one has to be able to address the concerns or
problems within its organization. Without a sound and effective internal
communications strategy, the business could fall apart. When one takes time out
to look at one’s internal communication structure, does he/she sees where it
needs to make changes?
Problems with communications can happen at any stage of the communication
process. So therefore, sound strategies are needed to avoid problem areas or
ways deal with them. An effective strategy for communications brings about
organization and clarity within a business. One should always have a strategic
plan for how the organization operates internally & externally. Planning is the
key to success; it helps to keep everyone on track and gives you a reference
point. Having a written strategic operations plan is great because everyone
doesn’t remember everything. Everyone should be aware of the plan, if not then
get them up to date.

Some may even say, “We don’t need a plan or strategy, blah, blah blah…, many
great leaders just trust their instincts and move forward“. Well let them do that
but need of plan is very necessary. Sometimes all businesses can’t do what
everyone else does & still be successful. Everyone is not going to be successful
without an effective internal communications strategy.
In the communications plan state what actions will be taken to support the
accomplishment of specific business goals, the time frame for implementation,
the budget, and procedures for measuring results.
Set goals and lessen problems in communicating by targeting the audience,
makes the message clear, concise, accurate & well-planned. Lining up
communications with goals; makes sure that the objectives are measurable,
straightforward.
Utilization of the channels of communication to the fullest extent is very critical &
this step provides, like insurance or backing, so to speak, on your behalf. Focus
on getting results by making an assessment of how effective the communications
are. Depending on the type of results, follow-up strategies are developed.
Sometimes the results that one gets can give an idea of what next move will be
or if one needs to improve the communications. The quality of communication is
very important along with the quantity of communications.
When implementing an effective internal communications strategy, it’s good to
apply the strategies that fit and make adjustments as the business grows.
Properly sharing knowledge empowers everyone involved. It’s good to develop
communication skills in order to be successful with business communications.
Constant effective communication among everyone involved in a project or
business operation helps to coordinate action, recognize and solve problems and
react to changes in a timely manner.
Having a strategic internal communications plan will help everyone involved in a
project or operation to know who is doing what, who changed what, where you’re
going and so forth. It helps you to work together more efficiently & achieve
company goals. Redesigning or developing an internal communications plan can
be a big task to take on but it’s easiest managed in parts and well worth it in the
end.

COMMUNICATION AND SUCCESS

We believe the most successful creative solutions are generated through the
communication of great ideas. When searching for that 'winning' creative solution
to a brief the value of one to one communication cannot be underestimated.

At first glance the approach and workflow we apply to creative projects appears
pretty straightforward; the client brief, the brainstorm, the first solutions, etc.
Obviously, it's never that simple and a big part of the creative pie is
communication. We (and me in particular!) love to talk because we understand
the value and importance of sharing knowledge both internally and with the
anyone else who cares to listen.

At Engine the energy of communication is key to the success of our award

winning creative and is the heartbeat of our studio. Communication enables
others to fully understand a projects requirements from the most important
perspective of all, the clients.

Communication with our clients throughout the project life-cycle is of vital

importance and the old adage that 'it's good to talk' is more valid today than
ever. As an industry that embraces new communication technology trends with
enthusiasm (email, social networking, etc) it is sometimes easy to overlook the
king of all communication methods - a one to one conversation.
Why send endless emails when one telephone conversation can achieve the
same result? Picking up the telephone should be the first port of call when and if
any issues arise as speed (and clarity) of communication and an immediate
response are sometimes essential in avoiding any major problems and costly
mistakes. Most importantly, our clients appreciate this personal, proactive
approach to project management. Honesty is always the best policy.

We don't just communicate with our clients whilst we are working on live projects,
we believe that exceptional service is built on regular and consistent
communication. For example, we are proactive in having general catch ups with
our clients to see how things are going in terms of their business requirements
and to suggest new ideas that can help move their business forward. That, after
all is said and done, is what a good business partnership is about.

This personal approach is so successful that our clients often contact us for
general help and advice on a diverse range of issues which we are, of course,
happy to help with. If we don't have the answer at our fingertips we will nearly
always be able to find it (or know someone who can).

CONCLUSION

Communication is not simply the way in which we communicate with another

person. It encompasses many meanings like the way in which we respond to the
person we are speaking, pitch and tone of our voice and a lot of other things,
body gestures including the facial ones; and the importance of communication
skills is not just limited to the management world, since effective communication
skills are now required in each and every aspect of our life. Good communication
skills help the relationships to develop along good lines, and ensure that
arguments and disagreements are kept to a minimum. Good communication will
avoid arguments and insults, as well misunderstanding to the other person.
Another important part of communication in relationships is taking the initiative
yourself; often people have this problem while communicating, which comes from
fear. They always think a thousand times whether to approach a person or not.
But a person with good communication skills is always the first to start a
conversation. Without effective communication skills, a person may find it
impossible to climb up the corporate ladder. Promotions and good ideas always
come from to those who can communicate effectively at all levels, from senior
management level to the lowest employee. Knowing how to communicate with
the world around us bring some benefits like happiness that makes you happier
by having joyous relationships, reduces anger of both parties talking, correctly
expresses yourself, and other reasons; as well makes you attractive because you
attract the people and resources in your life based on your internal self and there
are many earthling factors such as communication and self development that you
can control to attract people in your life