LECTURE NOTES ON Business Communication 1st SEMESTER Mrs. Rupalll Singh ASST. PROFESSOR DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION GANDHI INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT(GITAM) Affiliated to BPUT & SCTE&VT, Govt. of Odisha Approved by AICTE, New DelhiBusiness Communication Module | The term © Communication is a — derivation from © communis, communicatio and communicare which are two Latin words. Communis is a noun, which means common, or sharing. Communicare is a verb, which means ‘make something common’. ‘Communicatio’ is also a Latin noun which means sharing or imparting. The Oxford Dictionary defines communication as, “the transfer or conveying of meaning’, Communication as a term has a broad spectrum of definitions based on the context in which it is used. It is signalling in the animal kingdom; it is sharing ideas in the human world; itis transmission in the domain of engineers and technologists; it is an expression of fantasies and feelings in the artistic universe; it is a behavioural transaction in psychology; it is language in use for linguists; it is a tool to make decisions explicit in an organisation. With so many facets, Communication is a field of study that is entangled with all other fields of study. Thus, it is important for a manager to understand communication as a process and its implication in the field of management. What is communication? Communication can be defined as a transactional process that involves an exchange of ideas, information, feelings, attitudes, or beliefs and impressions; multi-level process in an organization because it involves the organizational hierarchy, from the top to the bottom, and across the horizontal levels; cultural interaction with people in groups for conversing and sharing ideas in social gatherings; disseminating information to masses through the media; transformational process that motivates and fosters growth and mutual understanding; dynamic process that challenges ‘what you say’ and ‘how you say’ at that particular moment; - mental/psychological process of ae talking to oneself in mind, and(an) interaction process with the corporate. Ina nutshell, Communication is a process of sharing of ideas, information, knowledge, attitude or feelings among two or more persons through certain signs and symbols or language. It is Notte the transfer of understanding ~ or meaning, An idea by itself cannot be understood. It has to be encoded either in words or in signs and symbols. Then it has to be transmitted to a receiver or receivers. The receiver, in turn will decode the message and reciprocate to the Figure 1 Page |1encoder or the sender. A communication process comprises the following elements and activities: + The sender (Element) ‘+ The sender has an idea (Activity) + The sender encodes the idea into a message(Activity) + Message (Element) + Channel/Medium (Element) + The message travels through the channel (Activity) + Noise in the transmission process (Barriers) + The receiver (Element) ‘+ The receiver gets the message (Activity) ‘+ The receiver decodes the message (Activity) ‘+ The receiver provides the feedback (Activity) ‘+ The frame of reference of the sender and the receiver (Individual Factors) ‘+ The context (External Environment) + Feedback (Element) The process of Communication can be explained as under: SENDER The person who wants to send a message is called the sender. The person may have an idea. IDEATION Ideation is the first stage of communication, and it consists of 'What" of communication As it refers to the formation of the idea or selection of a message to be communicated, its scope is determined by the sender's knowledge, experiences, and abilities, as well as the context of the communicative situation. ENCODING Encoding is the next step in communication. It is the process of changing the information in some form of logical and coded message. Encoding involves selecting language, selecting a medium of communication, and selecting an appropriate ‘communication form. As selecting the right medium involves making the right choice out of many available options, it determines the effectiveness of encoding. Itis vital asthere are somany options for transmitting interpersonal messages available to ‘a communicator that heor she may get confused. Making the right choice is the beginningof effective communication. There arethree basic options forsending interpersonalmessages, i., speaking, writing and nonverbal signs and symbols. The spoken word involves vocalization while nonverbal message cues are generally visual (auditory and tactile). Nonverbal clues play a significant Page | 2role in oral communication. These clues include body movements, facial expressions touching patterns and speech mannerisms writing TRANSMISSION Transmission is one of the most basic aspects of communication. _Itis basically the flowof message over the chosen channel. Itis important to keep thecommunication channel free from any interference or noise so that the message reaches the receiver without any disturbance. Transmission, thus, involves choosing proper time (when to communicate), proper place (where to communicate) and a proper way (how to communicate). Choosing the right time, the right place and the right way is essential for effective communication DECODING Decoding involves interpretation and analysis of a message. Decoding in oral ‘communication includes listening and understanding while in written communication, it refers to reading understanding a written message. Effective decoding is very important for success communication as any misinterpretation of a message leads to communication _breakand creates confusion and misunderstanding RESPONSE (FEEDBACK) Response being the last stage of communication process refers to the action or reaction of furreceiver_ to the message. Ithelps the sender know that the message was received understood. The feedback that goes to the sender makes it clear whether the receiver has accepted the information and filed it in his/her memory or rejected it He or She may ask for more information or clarification Feedbackis, thus, the key to communication _as fur effectiveness of communication depends on how congruent a receiver's response is with meaning the sender intended Types Communication Communication is a complex process yet people do not fail often. Perhaps, communication succeeds because people develop skills to manage messages across situations. In an organisation, managers need to be well-versed with art of communication management since employees get connected with each other and with the management only through communication. Employees communicate with their superiors, subordinates, peers, customers and other stake holders in a formal manner. They also interact informally within the office premises to get their ideas delivered. During this process both verbal and non-verbal codes come into play. Therefore, communication acquires various Page | 3forms while in action, For the purpose learning more about communication process, communication is categorized into types. Please remember that these categories are not mutually exclusive rather they are interrelated. Category 1: verbal and non-verbal based on use of language; Dict erro ro Category 2: oral or written or audio-visual based on the medium used; Category 3: formal and informal based on the channel; Category 4: upward, downward, horizontal or diagonal based on formal organisational structure; Category 5: interpersonal, group or mass based on number of people involved in the process of communication Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Verbal communication consists of words. It is not only oral but also written. Generally, people consider oral communication synonymous to verbal communication. Well, it is because one of the meanings of “verbal" is “oral” in the dictionary. Verbal communication can be broadly categorized into speech and writing. Speech communication includes face- to-face conversation, talking over the phone, public address, presentation, meetings and so on. Written communication involves writing letters, emails, memos, proposals, reports and the like. Both oral and written communications are important for a manager in the organisation. According to various surveys conducted across globe, about 80% of the time a manger in the organisation spends communicating with others. And most of the communication is oral in nature which is assisted by nonverbal communication. As discussed earlier, verbal communication uses “words” or “language” for disseminating information whereas, nonverbal communication does not. For example the expression "Parking Area” is verbal, but “© is nonverbal as it is a symbol. Oral and written expressions may be different in different languages. Therefore, it is important to use language carefully. As it is said that “what we say is not important but how we say is important", so managers need to carefully craft their statements or draft their documents while communicating. It is necessary to differentiate between oral and written language in a formal setup. Oral expressions in writing could sound casual, Whereas written expressions in spoken language could be tagged as pompous or ornamental. For instance, a manager may speak to the subordinate, "There is a meeting today. You should be present’, and not “You are informed to attend the meeting toda: However, the linguistic divide between oral and written communication is slowly Page | 4diminishing due to the prevalence of the principle of directness in communication especially due to acceptance of text messaging/ WhatsApp chats. There are many benefits of oral communication. This form of communication is a quick and direct method of communication. Be it a criticism or praise or information, it helps to convey the message immediately to the receiver. This method of communication enables in obtaining immediate feedback and hence is a form in which two-way communication can be enabled The other main advantage of this communication method is that it helps in conveying the message with the desired pitch and tone that is needed for the message. ‘+ Italso saves on time in a huge way and saves enormously on effort that is spent. ‘* Oral communication is a less formal method as compared to others and hence adds a personal touch to your message. ‘* Combined with the right kind of verbal communication, oral forms can create confidence and loyalty on the sender from the receiver ,s side. There are many ways to create an effective oral communication. It is important to ensure that the words are framed properly and are delivered in the right pitch and tone. Clarity, brevity and precision are mandatory features of an effective oral communication system. It is advisable to avoid complicated sentences and jargons so as to make sure that the message is conveyed across properly. It is important to establish an eye contact and to modulate body language based on the message. For example, a strict order can be conveyed better when communicated with a formal and stern body language as opposed to a casual and friendly one Though it has many advantages, oral communication has its set of limitations also. ‘+ This form of communication can be misinterpreted or misunderstood very easily, ‘* Communicating effectively through oral forms require high skills and is not something that everyone can master. ‘+ Itis also not a form of communication that can be used as a form of documentary evidence, WRITTEN COMMUNICATION Next to oral communication, written communication is the oldest known form of communication. Any form of communication which is written and documented from the sender to the receiver is known as written communication. Examples of written communication include letters, memos, research papers, reports, etc, Itis a very concrete form of documentary evidence and can also be used for future reference purposes. As the information is written, it can be easily distributed to many people thus making it a bulk communication method, As the information does not change from person to person, the accuracy of the information conveyed is same across the entire audience, Page | 5To ensure an effective written communication form, it is a must to follow completeness, clarity and correctness in your writing. As there is no immediate feedback that can be received, itis important that written communication is detailed and accurate to ensure that the write message is communicated. Keep the communication simple and without any errors. Written communication also has its limitations like lack of feedback, absence of modulations to convey message effectively, etc. These can be overcome effectively by mixing oral communication with written so as to combine the advantages of both along with eliminating the disadvantages. Nonverbal communication basically unveils an individual's behaviour. It reflects the personality and temperament of a person. Therefore, managers are expected to understand the meaning of nonverbal cues- singular and clusters. Nonverbal cues consist of kinesics, proxemics, paralanguage, sign language, time language, object language, action, silence, and demonstration. Body Language Often, people are judged by their looks. One who stands straight is considered to be smart, and the one who has drooping shoulders and is slow in moving is tagged as lazy. These kinds of judgments affect our communication pattern. For instance, people prefer to listen to or talk to one who appears smart, rather than someone who looks lazy Body language is into two categories namely, Kinesics and Postures, Some scholars from the U.S have tried to develop a vocabulary of body language called kinesics. This is. based on the supposition that body movements may also generate a vocabulary of communication, unique to each culture. Thus, kinesics can be studied through facial expression, gestures, eye contact, appearance, space, tactile and odour. Facial expressions convey a lot more information than words can ever say. A frown on the face shows discontent, a smile shows joy, engrossed look with palm on the chin shows thinking and red face with a stern look and clipped lips under teeth conveys anger. These instances prove how important are facial expressions for effective communication Gestures are expressions communicated through body movements especially with the help of hands, neck and shoulder. Curling of the fingers in and out at someone means “come here’, waving of hand means “good bye”, shrugging of shoulders shows “not aware or not knowing", thumbs up means “all the best” etc... But these gestures are not universal in nature. Gestures have different meanings in different cultures. Smile and cry are the only universal gestures that human beings across globe use to express pleasure and despair respectively. Eye contact is quite helpful in learning about a person. Looking at someone in a face-to- face discussion usually refers to looking into the eyes of person. The eyes along with the eyebrows, eyelids and pupils convey feelings of people. For example, raised eyebrows with dilated pupils show that the person is surprised, excited or frightened. On the other Page | 6hand contracted pupils with eyelids in closing position convey that the person is in pain or is angry. Appearance includes the body structure, shape and posture. People with heads held high with a straight body posture are considered to have a good personality. These people are perceived as ones with great integrity, confidence and self-respect as against ones who bow their heads down or keep leaning, Body shapes also create an impression on the on- looker. Fat and soft people, often evoke laughter as they are perceived as lazy and inactive. Tall, thin and youthful people are accepted better in the society than their fatter Proximal Behaviour counterparts. Utilization of space is also a part of non-verbal | intimate: Physical contact to 18 inches communication, The distance between people while they are conversing face-to-face is an | Personal: 18inches to. feet important aspect of communication. The distance between persons conversing face-to-face can be | Social 4feetto 12 feet divided into intimate, personal, social and public space. According to Edward, T.Hall,social scientist, intimate distance is from physical contact to 18” (between close friends and relatives), personal distance is from 18” to 4" (between comrades, peers etc..), social distance is from 4” to 12" (between officials of various cadres) and public distance is 12" and above (while communicating with a large audience). This type of space distancing between people is called proxemics. Space also includes the space around i.e. the area of the room, the height of the walls etc... The movable assets in an office also constitute space. This includes the furniture used, room partitions etc.. The space utilized and the ambience of an organisation communicates nonverbally. Public: 12 feet and above a Touch (tactile) is also a non-verbal form of communication. This referred to as haptics. While shaking hands with a stranger, one 3 can realize whether the person is tough, warm, gentle or flirtatious. This can be made out through touch. A child reciprocates well to its mother’s touch, whereas it retaliates when the touch sounds unfamiliar. Thus, touch is an integral part of communication that can help understand a person better, Many cultures in the world have often emphasized the importance of smell (olfactics) in knowing about an individual's personality. This is included in the non-verbal communication as odour. With the western corporate culture growing, people are getting used to various kinds of deodorants to hide their body smell. In few cultures fragrance is an important part of one’s personality like in middle-east Asian counties. In India too, women are supposed to possess sweet smell to depict their gentle nature. Heavy smell of sweat denotes more of physical labour and sweet fragrance is related to femininity Page | 7Posture is a part of body language. It has been discussed in brief in the section “appearance”, Posture is not just an aspect of appearance, but is an effective form of non- verbal communication. Standing erect with straightened shoulders communicates that the person is dynamic and active. At the same time, a person with leaning back and drooping shoulders appears to be lazy. Similarly sitting postures also effect communication. These examples can be visualized in a seminar situation, If the speaker is leaning or bending, audience loses interest very easily. But if the speaker is maintaining a straight posture, the audience appears active. This is true even while people are in a meeting. Here sitting postures communicate the degree of attentiveness of an individual. Therefore it is important to maintain right kind of posture for effective communication. Paralanguage Para means “like”. Paralanguage refers to the manner in which language is spoken. To understand this better, let us consider this sentence- "She is clever”. This sentence can be spoken in different ways a) 'She is ‘clever. (Fallin the tone indicates a statement) b) |She is/clever. (Rise in the tone indicates a question.) ©) |She is ‘clever. (Fall- rise tone indicates that the speaker is implying something that is not spoken.) Thus, paralanguage is the “how” in spoken language, while the words and sentences are a part of “what” in oral communication. Paralanguage includes voice, volume, speed, stress, intonation, pitch and pause. This is quite apparent when we listen to a speech. The voice quality attracts us to the speaker. For example, voice of the famous film star Amitabh Bachchan attracts audience due to its clarity, modulation and depth. This can be contrasted with the voice of the famous comedian Johnny Lever; his voice evokes laughter because of unwanted modulation in the voice. Volume and speed are also important in oral communication. Loudness of voice, usually, depends on the audience a speaker addresses. Any unusual use of loudness can lead to poor communication. Proper use of volume is related to confidence, assertiveness and effective communication, whereas wrong use of loudness in speech can lead to negative discernment. For example a speech in an auditorium cannot be whispered, similarly an interpersonal talk cannot be shouted out. Pace of the speech is considered an essential aspect of effective speech. Being too fast can curb comprehensibility and being too slow can make the speech boring, Though the fastness and slowness in speech are relative | Clocks, jewellery, hairstyle, interior but, the human brain is capable enough to judge it well decorative items, ethnic wear of people of different countries, Object Language uniforms of military personnel, attire The objects that people possess have a language of their own. This includes the dress that is worn, the accessories and other of religious heads ete... are all examples of object language. Page | 8possessions that are carried or exhibited. For example, one can make out that a person is a lawyer by his or her coat. The association of a stethoscope is always with a doctor, and a pen with a literate. People wearing watch are considered to be time conscious and those with gorgeous ornaments are perceived to be rich, Similarly, clean dress with polished shoes is a symbol of smartness. Thus, objects and dresses communicate about a person and cannot be neglected as petty things. Time Language (Chronemics) ime and tide wait for none’- this an age old saying and so people who respect time communicate sincerity, discipline and alertness. Time is also equated with money. A latecomer is not perceived to be sincere and people avoid giving such a person responsible tasks. Similarly procrastination is considered to be a symbol of irresponsibility. Thus, time communicates about a person's nature. It is also true that the importance that we attribute to time is culture specific. In westem culture, there is nothing more important than time. But in Indian culture, we have a relaxed attitude to time. Sign Language Signs and symbols are the most primitive forms of communication. The cave paintings by early man are examples that our ancestors used signs and symbols to express themselves in times, as early as, the Stone Age. The sign language is a part of modern day communication also. The visual or graphical signs like no parking, no smoking, traffic lights etc... are good examples of modern day sign language. The following graphical signs communicate better than words can say. Sign language can be visual and audio. All the pictorial, graphical and physical representations come under sign language. Even the gestures meant to communicate with people who are hearing impaired come under sign language. The jingle associated with a particular object, organisation or person is an example of audio sign language. Fire alarm, police siren or siren of the ambulance communicate emergency. Thus, signs and symbols are an important part of nonverbal communication. Action, Silence and Demonstration Action language is a combination of body language and other forms of non-verbal communication, When we see a man, from a distance, with a spade in his hand and going up and down with the spade, we can make out that he is digging. We guess that because of his action. Various forms of dances and dramas are examples of action language. In a corporate situation, effectiveness of communication is judged by the following course of action. Thus, action is vital form of communication. Silence is also a form of communication. Though silence is interpreted in different ways in different circumstances, nevertheless it is very important for proper understanding. Silence while working means concentration and discipline. Silence in a funeral is respect. Silence in a work place without any work means protest. Silence of an accused in the court room Page | 9is acceptance of guilt, and silence of the top management on the bonus issue means non- acceptance. Thus, silence communicates. Pictorial demonstration in the manual that is given with electronic equipment helps in learning the operation of the equipment. Most of the time, pictorial instructions are understood better than the written instructions. This is a form of non-verbal communication that is demonstration Demonstration can be of two types viz... pictorial or graphical and physical. Physical demonstration is done under simulated situation. Demonstrating an operation in the operation theatre or a director enacting a character for the benefit of the actor, are examples of live or physical demonstration. Salespersons display and demonstrate their products in kiosks along pedestrian paths, office exits and petrol pumps. This is done to give customers a first-hand experience of the product and lure them into buying the product. Test drives are excellent examples of live demonstration. Formal and Informal Communication Formal Communication It is in the form of official messages and news that flow through recognized channels or routes formally laid by the organization. This communication may take place between a superior and subordinate, a subordinate and superior or among employees at same level or departmental managers. The formal network flow often follows a company,s formal organization chart, which is created by management to control Tome] individual and group behaviour and to |” ron ea | ee achieve the organization,s goals. Formal communication refers to interchange of information officially. The flow of communication is controlled and is a deliberate effort This makes it possible for the information to reach the desired place without any hindrance, at a little cost and in a proper way. This is also known as "Through Proper Channel Communication.” The formal system is dictated by the cultural, technical, political and economic environment of the organization, Informal Communication It is in the form of unofficial messages (work related or people related) that flow outside the officially designed channels. Technically called as grapevine communication, Result of natural desire to communicate with each other freely and frequently. The informal network flow develops as people interact within the formal communication system and certain behaviour patterns emerge, patterns that accommodate social and psychological needs, Because the informal network undergoes continual changes, it generally cannot be depicted accurately by graphic means. Page | 10FORMAL NETWORK FLOW The direction in which communication flows formally within an organization may be downward, upward, horizontal or lateral, diagonal and external. Although the concept of flow seems simple, direction has meaning for those participating in the communication process In an organization, communication flows in 5 main directions- 1. Downward 2. Upward Intemal 3. Lateral / Horizontal 4, Diagonal 5. External _ Internal Organisational Communication Channel Downward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows from a higher level in an organization to a lower level is a downward communication. In other words, communication from superiors to subordinates in a chain of command is a downward communication, This communication flow is used by the managers to transmit work- related information to the employees at lower levels. Employees require this information for performing their jobs and for meeting the expectations of their managers. Downward ‘communication is used by the managers for the following purposes — ‘+ Providing feedback on employees, performance. ‘+ Giving job instructions. ‘+ Providing a complete understanding of the employees, job as well as to ‘communicate them how their job is related to other jobs in the organization. + Communicating the organization,s mission and vision to the employees. ‘+ Highlighting the areas of attention. Organizational publications, circulars, letter to employees, group meetings etc. are all examples of downward communication. In order to have effective and error-free downward communication, managers must ‘* Specify communication objective. ‘+ Ensure that the message is accurate, specific and unambiguous. ‘* Utilize the best communication technique to convey the message to the receiver in right form. Page | 11Upward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows to a higher level in an organization is called upward communication. It provides feedback on how well the organization is functioning. The subordinates use upward communication to convey their problems and performances to their superiors. The subordinates also use upward ‘communication to tell how well they have understood the downward communication. It can also be used by the employees to share their views and ideas and to participate in the decision-making process. Upward communication leads to a more committed and loyal workforce in an organization because the employees are given a chance to raise and speak dissatisfaction issues to the higher levels. The managers get to know about the employees feelings towards their jobs, peers, supervisor and organization in general. Managers can thus accordingly take actions for improving things. Grievance Redressal System, Complaint and Suggestion Box, Job Satisfaction surveys etc. all help in improving upward communication. Other examples of Upward Communication are -performance reports made by low level management for reviewing by higher level management, employee attitude surveys, letters from employees, employee-manager discussions etc. Lateral / Horizontal Communication: Communication that takes place at same levels of hierarchy in an organization is callled lateral communication, i.e., communication between peers, between managers at same levels or between any horizontally equivalent organizational member. The advantages of horizontal communication are as follows: + Itis time saving It facilitates co-ordination of the task. It facilitates co-operation among team members. It provides emotional and social assistance to the organizational members. Ithelps in solving various organizational problems. Itis a means of information sharing. It can also be used for resolving conflicts of a department with other department or conflicts within a department. Diagonal Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and employees of other workgroups is called diagonal communication. It generally does not appear on organizational chart. For instance - To design a training module a training manager interacts with Operations personnel to enquire about the way they perform their task. External Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and external groups such as - suppliers, vendors, banks, financial institutes etc. For instance - To raise capital the Managing director would interact with the Bank Manager. INFORMAL NETWORK FLOW (the GRAPEVINE) The grapevine is 2 communication system or process which is informal communication system.More and wide information can be transmitted through grapevine.As people talk casually during coffee breaks and lunch periods, the focus usually shifts from topic to Page | 12topic. One of the usual topics is work — job, company, supervisor, fellow employees. Even though the formal system has a definite pattern of communication flow, the grapevine tends to emerge spontaneously and operates within all organizations. It also comprises gossip and rumour, The grapevine, often called then rumour mill, is perhaps the best - known part of the informal communication system. According to Prof. Keith Davis, "Grapevine arises from social interaction, it is as fickle, dynamic and varied as people are. It is the exercise of their freedom of speech and is a natural, normal activity’ Characteristics Informal or grapevine communication has the following characteristics: (1) Formation through Social Relations:This communication is born out of social relations who mean that it is beyond the restrictions of the organisation. No superior-subordinate relationship figures therein. A more sociable superior can gather much information through this channel. (2) Two types of Information: Through this communication, information about the work and the individual can be collected. (3) Uncertain Path: Since it is beyond the restrictions of the organisation, it follows no definite channel. Like a grapevine, it moves in a zigzag manner. (4) Possibility of Rumour and Distortion: Responsibility for the true or false nature of communication does not lie on any individual and, therefore, not much attention is paid to its meaning while communicating. Consequently, the rumours keep floating. (5) Quick Relay: Informal communication makes news spread like wildfire. Not only this, people start adding something of their own which sometimes changes the real meaning of the communication. Types of Informal Networks: Single-strand - Itis like one person giving information to the second and the second Q 99 os informing the third and the chain continues. 5 Q8.0 ye 9 Single strand Gossip Probability luster Gossip chain — In this type of informal network one © Mcx ° person spreads information to see ° Mex communicates | | Mi: Xnon: randomly with all. Gossip chain is an | wihMrvthroush | selectively || others according || communicates interesting phenomenon; its | interning persons || communietes | | tothelawsot | | with tose he or topics can be varied and wild ina stand with everyone probability. she can trust The discussion may include Page | 13topics like someone"s personality, personal life, ikes and dislikes etc... It can be harmful if the person discussed in the circle is emotionally hurt due to such talks, or the gossip tarnishes the image of the person who is discussed in the group. Probability chain - One person informs, may be, other two randomly and they in turn continue informing others following probability rules. Information spreads quite fast in this manner and manypeople receive information (sometimes) without any indication of the origin of such information. In this kind of a network, some people do not receive information due to random dissemination of information and not due to lack of proximity or closeness. Cluster transmission- One person communicates information to two other employees, who do so in turn, duplicating it throughout the organization. The information is disseminated based on the choice of the sender. The selected receivers of the message could be based on relationship or the nature of information. This practice is very common in organisations. For instance, an employee is unhappy about his pay-hike, he may ‘communicate this to two of his colleagues, who may pass on this message to a few more and so on. E-Communication E-communication is a common form of interaction for many people. The use of e-communication allows people to interact in different ways and combine many forms of media in the process. E-communication makes it easy to interact with groups through chat interfaces or video conferencing. Companies use electronic communications to enhance their business and avoid obstacles, such as long-distance communication with their clients or partners, The Internet and electronic communications (also called computer mediated communications, or CMC) doesn't just mean new tools for communication; it means new ways to communicate. Today an organization interacts with its various constituents differently - employees, board members, customers, partners and others - depending upon the nature of the message, the goals you are trying to achieve and the strengths (and weaknesses) of the available media - telephones, voice mail, fax machines, print, etc, Electronic communications helps us to combine numerous media - text, graphics sound, video, etc. - into a single message. That can result in far more meaningful communications tailored to the nature of your particular audience. In contrast to broadcasting, narrowcasting reflects the ability to develop numerous communications for subsets of your market or constituencies. With the Internet you have the ability to transmit and receive large amounts of information quickly to and from individuals and workgroups around the world. Many organizations are using electronic communications facilities, such as the World Wide Web, as internal communications tools to enhance team work. Many individuals at different locations can work on the same documents, hold meetings and integrate research findings. Page | 14Levels of Communicat When considering the intended audience, communication can be described as taking place on five levels ie. intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, organizational, and Te Teele Lol) public. Intrapersonal Communication- It is ii within oneself because it does not involve a Jeans h yl os separate sender and receiver, some do not fs Wr ae consider intrapersonal communication to be true SS communication. Others, however, believe that intrapersonal communication when conceived of as the degree of our self-awareness is an important foundation of effective communication. Accurate perception of our self and an understanding of how others see us is the first building block of effective communication. Self-awareness is generally achieved through self-reflection or what might be thought of as intrapersonal communication. Interpersonal Communication- It is the communication that occurs between two people. Its goals are to accomplish the tasks and to help the participants to feel better about themselves and each other because of their interaction. Examples of interpersonal communication include that occurring between a supervisor and subordinate and that occurring between two co-workers. Group Communication- It occurs among more than two people, generally in a small group. It,s the goal of group communication to achieve greater output through the collaboration of several individuals than could be produced through individual efforts. Examples of group communication include that occurring within a committee or within a work team Organizational Communication- It generally involves large groups working together in such a way as to accomplish complex, ambitious tasks. The goal of organizational communication is to provide adequate structure communication flow, and channels and media for communication to allow that to happen. Public Communication- This type of communication is intended to help the organization to reach out to its public to achieve its external communication goals. Examples of public communication include advertisements, public relations, crisis management, and website communication about the company and its products and services. Some forms of public communication, such as advertisements and public relations, might be characterised as mass communication since they are often transmitted using media. BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Communicating is not easy as some people think. It is a complex process, and it is essential to take care of barriers to communication, These barriers may hamper the smooth flow of effective communication as they cause confusion and Page | 15misunderstanding. They even may lead to communication breakdown. These barriers may emanate form either the sender/receiver or the circumstances of communication, However, we need to avoid them to become effective communicators. Eric Garner gives 7 great barriers to effective communication. They are physical barriers, perceptual barriers, emotional barriers, cultural barriers, language barriers, gender barriers, and interpersonal barriers. Physical barriers: Physical barriers in the workplace include: ‘+ Marked out territories into which strangers are not allowed. * Closed office doors, barrier screens, separate areas for people of different status, + Large working areas or working in one unit that is physically separate from others. Research shows that one of the most important factors in building cohesive teams is proximity. If the physical distance between employees is large, the communication gap may increase. Perceptual barriers: The problem with communicating with others is that everyone sees the world differently. People develop their perception based on their own backgrounds and this leads to an uneven understanding of messages. What may seem to one person as an “impossible task’, can mean a “great challenge” to the other person. Emotional barriers: One of the chief barriers to open and free communication is the emotional barrier. It comprises mainly fear, envy, mistrust and suspicion Cultural barriers: When a child is born, it is born into a family, community, society etc... There is always a cultural milieu to provide identification to the child. The child imbibes all the cultural nuances of the community and becomes a part of that community or society. Similarly, when people join a group and wish to remain in it, sooner or later they need to adapt to the behavioural pattems of the group. These are the behaviours that the group accepts as signs of belonging. Once a person gets adapted to particular group"s culture, it gets difficult on his/her part to adjust with other groups. Language barriers: Language that describes what a person wants to say may pose barriers to others who are not familiar with those expressions, buzz-words and jargon. For instance, the word “surfing” for a net-user may mean going through various internet sites, but for a person associated with adventure sports it would mean riding on a board across sea waves. Gender barriers: There are distinct differences between the speech patterns in a man and those in a woman, A woman speaks between 22,000 and 25,000 words a day whereas a man speaks between 7,000 and 10,000. Apart from this, men and women have separate needs and they communicate according to their requirements. For example, women may treasure jewellery but men may consider it as wastage of money. Both men and women have their in-group languages that they use privately in their own circles. Page | 16Interpersonal barriers: There are six levels at which people can distance themselves from one another, One of them is withdrawal. Withdrawal is an absence of interpersonal contact. It signifies refusal to be in touch and need to remain alone. This behaviour blocks all communicative entries and thus leads to communication gap. Removing Communication Barriers Communication barriers can be removed (rather lessened) if the communicators are aware of the existing barriers and also if they are open to the methods followed to bridge communication gaps. The result of a communication with least number of barriers is effective interaction, enhanced mutuality and cohesive team building, Following strategies can help in reducing communication barriers: * Carrying a positive attitude while communicating, * Avoiding defensiveness as it interferes with communication * Developing good communication skills. + Making communication goal oriented * Approaching communication as a creative process rather than simply part of the routine. Experiment with communication alternatives. + Empathizing with the communicating partner for “(s)he" is not “you” and "you" are not “her/him”. Try to look at the issue at hand with the other person's perspective as. well * Being human at all times. Remember! Communication is a process that involves “human beings’ so be human and practice the ABC of communication viz accuracy, brevity and clarity. Do not forget to take feedback. Principles of Effective Communication The capacity to communicate effectively and clearly is an important skill. The speakers have to make the message clear and easily understandable, both in work and outside. In any profession, it is not possible to get through without communication. Communication is highly valued in the modern day business world because it acts as a link between all the stakeholders in a business. There are many principles that govern the art of effective communication. 1. Brevity: A message to be delivered should be brief. It should neither be too short nor too long. Lengthy sentences confuse and may lead to misunderstanding. Conversation in short sentences gives the listener time and opportunity to follow what the speaker endeavours to put across. Using precise words, simple and familiar words, and avoiding superfluous words are important factors in effective communication. 2. Clarity: The essential of good communication is clarity. Before communicating, one must think and rethink ideas till they are clear. Then, only can one put ideas in conversation in clear-cut terms, Clarity can be achieved with simple words, short sentences and common words. Page | 173. Choosing Precise Words: Using the precise words means speaking in exact terms using the right words at right place and to the context. As far as possible, vague words should be avoided. 4. Avoiding Cliché: Cliché means a phrase which is used often, and has no meaning. An effective communicator avoids clichés. A speaker may use them unconsciously when he is involved in a conversation. The strongest objection to its use is that as it is too frequently used and in the wrong context, that it is hackneyed. Some of the clichés are’ + The supreme sacrifice. * The order of the day. * Conspicuous by his absence. + Slowly but steadily. * Last but not the least. 5. LogicalSequence: Presentation of matter in a logical sequence is yet another important principle of effective communication. The communicator should not jump points or change the sequence, Consistency, continuity, and logical development of the subject matter should be there. 6. Avoiding Jargon: Jargon is an expression relating to a field, or a particular section of profession, It means language or terminology relating to law, commerce, sports, defence etc... Only people who are well-versed in a particular subject can understand it. It can create communication gap if the receiver does not understand jargon. 7. Avoid Verbosity: To convey meaning is more important than using superfluous words. Verbosity in oral communication is a great! 4 candid -Be honest danger. Using more words dose not assure greater clarity. Using more words will take more time and the 3. Complete ~ Provide all necessary information time of audience is wasted. The | 4, concise- Avoid unnecessary repetition listener may tire and may misunderstand the meaning ‘Seven C's of Effective Communication by Francis J. Betgin: 2. Clear— Use familiar words 5. Concrete - Use specific fact and figure 6. Correct ~Use the right language 8. AppropriatePrepositions: Use of unnecessary prepositions should be avoided. For instance, all employees must follow the safety regulations in regard to work. Here the word ‘about’ can be used in place of “in regard to.” Some other examples are: in connection with, with reference to, in relation to, with regard to etc. 7. Courteous ~Be sincere 9, Adjectives and Adverbs: Adjectives and adverbs should be used only when necessary. They emphasise the meaning with the degree of importance. For instance, the problem is under active consideration; a positive decision will be taken; definite results; comparatively, the results are poor. Filters and barriers Page | 18When we communicate, our personal experience and view of the world has a strong influence on the messages that we form in our minds and communicate to others. Each one of us sees the world through a mental , filter’, which colours our communication.The Sender sees the world through one set of filters and the Receiver sees it through a different set. Each message has to pass, therefore, through two sets of filters. In this case, the filters are mental or psychological. But they can be cultural as well. An American, for example, sees the world differently from an Indian, because of cultural filters.Language itself acts as a filter, because each language forces its users to view the world differently. We shall give some examples of this later. A filter can sometimes be so powerful that it ,blocks" or prevents communication altogether, The filter then turns into a barrier. Noise Anything that hinders or obstructs communication is referred to as noise. Filters as well as bartiers, whether psychological, cultural or linguistic, constitute ,noise". In addition, =noise” can also be physical. For example, if two people are trying to talk to each other in on a crowded street, there may be a lot of physical noise which prevents them from hearing each other. Information loss Because of the presence of , filters” in every system of communication, the ,message" that the Receiver receives is seldom the same as the one which the Sender sends. Some .distortion” of the message is almost inevitable.In some cases, some of the information encoded into the message by the Sender may be lost during the process of communication and may not reach the Sender, resulting in information loss”. It is also possible for a Receiver to ,add” or ,interpolate" some information which was not present in the original message sent by the Sender. The Information Gap principle In any kind of communication, information is transmitted from a Sender to a Receiver. If the Receiver already has the information which the Sender is trying to convey, he/ she is unlikely to be receptive to it. No one likes to be told things that they already know! Communication works on the ,Information Gap" principle. Transmission of information is possible only if there is a gap" between the information which the Sender intends to transmit on any given topic, and the information that the Receiver already possesses on the same topic. The Sender must, therefore, try to make an ,informed guess" about the Receiver's state of knowledge or information.If the Senderbelieves that the Receiver already has the information which he/she is about to transmit, he/ she should not attempt to transmit this information. Information which is already known to the Receiver is called ,old” or While information which the Receiver does not have is referred to as ,ne ven” information, information. Page | 19Every message must communicate some ,new" information. However, if the information is totally new, the Receiver will not be able to understand the message. The Receiver must have some ,background information’ which helps him/her to decode the message Messages should, therefore be a mixture of ,old" and ,new" information, Information overload If too much new information is ,fed" to the Receiver, he/she will be unable to take it in. It is necessary for the Sender, therefore, not only to mix new information with old, but also to break the information down into small ,chunks" - just as a mother breaks food down into small ,bite-size" morsels for her baby. (If this is overdone, however, the Receiver may feel insulted!) After some information has been communicated, the Sender should seek feedback from the Receiver, to make sure that the information has been taken in, before providing some more information.‘Information Overload" also describes a situation where so many different messages are received that the Receiver is unable to cope with the information EFFECTIVE LISTENING Listening is a significant part of communication process. Communication cannot take place until and unless a message is heard and retained thoroughly and positively by the receiversilisteners. Listening is a dynamic process. Listening means attentiveness and interest perceptible in the posture as well as expressions. Listening implies decoding (ie., translating the symbols into meaning) and interpreting the messages correctly in communication process Hearing is simply the act of perceiving sound by the ear. If you are not hearing- impaired, hearing simply happens. Listening, however, is something one consciously chooses to do. Listening requires concentration so that the brain processes meaning from words and sentences. Effective listening requires both deliberate efforts and a keen mind. Effective listeners appreciate flow of new ideas and information. Organizations that follow the principles of effective listening are always informed timely, updated with the changes and implementations, and are always out of crisis situation. Effective listening promotes organizational relationships, encourages product delivery and innovation, as well as helps organization to deal with the diversity in employees and customers it serves. Types of Listening Active Vs Passive Listening Passive listening is hearing. It is like being physically present without any involvement.in passive listening, the listener pays little or no consideration to everything that is being communicated. He or she pays attention to a few areas and phrases. Page | 20Passive listening doesn’t require much effort because the listener chooses what to pay attention to or not. Passive listener hides or denies any form of reasonable engagement and thus avoiding debates or giving options. Passive listener hides or denies any form of reasonable engagement and thus avoiding debates or giving options. Active listening takes place when the listener has a positive attitude which is demonstrated through body language, eye contact and reception. It is more than just hearing. It requires more effort & Concentration.{t involves much of Understanding. Active listening is a two-way communication because both the listener and the communicator are engaging one another. Active listening result in a clear and deeper understanding of the topic under discussion. Other Types of Listening(source: skillsyouneed.com/ips/istening-types.htm)) Discriminative listening develops with normal hearing. As we grow older, our ability to distinguish between different sounds is improved. We recognise different voices and also develop the ability to recognise subtle differences and understand what these sounds mean. Differences include many subtleties, recognising foreign languages, distinguishing between regional accents and clues to the emotions and feelings of the speaker (like laughing or crying or angry etc..) Comprehensive listening involves understanding the message or messages that are being communicated. In order to be able use comprehensive listening, the listener needs appropriate vocabulary and language skills. Use of complicated language or technical jargoncan act as a barrier to comprehensive listening. Comprehensive listening is further complicated by the fact that two different people listening to the same thing may understand the message in two different ways. Critical listening means engaging in what you are listening to by asking yourself questions such as, ,what is the speaker trying to say?" or ,what is the main argument being presented?", how does what I'm hearing differ from my beliefs, knowledge or opinion?", Critical listening is, therefore, fundamental to true learning. Many day-to-day decisions that we make are based on some form of ,critical" analysis. Our opinions, values and beliefs are based on our ability to process information and evaluatei.e. weigh up the pros and cons to make an informed decision Empathic listening involves attempting to understand the feelings and emotions of the speaker - to put yourself into the speaker’s shoes and share their thoughts.Empathy is a way of deeply connecting with another person. Empathic listening can be particularly challenging. Empathy is not the same as sympathy, it involves more than being compassionate or feeling sorry for somebody else - it involves a deeper connection - a realisation and understanding of another person's point of view. We are all capable of empathic listening and may practise it with friends, family and colleagues. Seven Deadly Sins of Active Listening Page | 21+ Filtering: Filtering is based on our prior experiences, learning, personal needs and motivations. The heard message is categorized as wanted or unwanted, useful or useless. The unwanted message is discarded. The sense of judgement of the individual comes into play, that is, the filtering process is subjective and a person chooses to retain what makes sense to him or her. + Second Guessing: Second guessing is a process of criticizing or advising or remaking of something already done. Someone who is second guessing usually misses important details because they are too busy (a) imagining someone has hidden motives for saying what they're saying, and (b) trying to figure out what those hidden motives might be. + Discounting: This sin occurs when a listener lacks respect for a speaker. What the speaker is saying could be 100% correct, but a Discounter will either internally or publicly ridicule at what's being said. The sad thing about Discounters is that they often miss the solutions to the problems before them, simply because they don't like the source. + Relating: It is a process where someone continually finds references from his or her own background and compares or connects them to what the speaker is saying. Relaters often appear self - centered, as everything they hear is compared or contrasted to his or her own experiences; sometimes they are lost in their own related thoughts. + Rehearsing: This sin blocks much listening as it is simply waiting for the other speaker to finish what he or she is saying so the one Rehearsing can start talking again. While someone else is talking, the one Rehearsing is thinking about how to say the next sentence. + Forecasting: Someone who takes an idea from the speaker and runs light years ahead of the topic at hand is forecasting. Forecasting can stem from being bored with the subject matter, or simply because one’s mind automatically thinks ahead. + Placating: One of the worst of all listening sins, placating agrees with everything anyone else says, just to avoid conflict. Effective Listening Skills ‘* Discover your field of interest ‘+ Grasp and understand the matter/content, + Remain calm, Do not lose your temper. Anger hampers and inhibits ‘communication. Angry people jam their minds to the words of others. + Be open to accept new ideas and information. ‘+ Jot down and take a note of important points. ‘+ Work upon listening. Analyze and evaluate the speech in spare time. ‘+ Rephrase and summarize the speaker's ideas. + Keep on asking questions. This demonstrates that how well you understand the speaker's ideas and also that you are listening, * Avoid distractions. Page | 22‘+ Empathy- Step into the shoes of others, i.e., put yourself in the position of the speaker and observe things from his view point. This will help creating an atmosphere of mutual understanding and improve the exchange of ideas in communication process. To improve your communication skills, you must learn to listen effectively. Effective listening gives you an advantage and makes you more impressive when you speak. It also boosts your performance. SPEAKING SKILLS Speaking is perhaps the oldest and most natural form of communication between human beings - the ,mother" of all communication systems. Although a lot of oral communication takes place now through various kinds of electronic devices which enable human voices to be heard across vast distances, speech is still associated, typically, with personal, face-to-face” communication, in situations where two or more individuals can not only hear each other's voices directly, without the intervention of any technology, but also observe each other's body language at close quarters. This gives to speech, at its best, a directness and intimacy which is difficult to re-create in other forms of communication, Speech is said to be a ,warm" medium, capable of conveying feelings and emotions. It is possible to develop, through face-to-face oral communication, a kind of bonding which no other form of communication allows. That is why, whenever an important business deal or agreement has to be initiated or concluded, the parties concerned insist on meeting and talking to each other, face to face. What is required for effective oral communication Any form of communication through language - spoken or written - requires knowledge of the words (vocabulary) of the language as well as knowledge of the grammatical rules by which words are combined to form sentences. Vocabulary and grammar form the -foundation” or core", without which no use of language is possible. Besides vocabulary and grammar, two other kinds of knowledge are required for communication through spoken English: 1. _ knowledge of the phonology (sound system) of English; and 2. knowledge of the rules of interaction through English (English discourse) Since oral communication takes place through sounds, it is important to know which kinds of sounds the English language uses and how these sounds are used in communication When Indians speak in English, there is a tendency to replace the sounds of English with similar sounds from the ,mother-tongue". This is referred to as mother-tongue interference. The English spoken by Indians may therefore sound a little ,strange” to Page | 23people for whom English is the mother-tongue (e.g. people from Britain, America or Australia) as well as to people from other countries whose mother-tongues are different from ours (e.g., people from European, African or South American countries). The term ,accent" is used to describe the manner in which English is spoken when some of the sounds of English are replaced by the sounds of a different language. We say that Indian speakers generally speak English with an ,Indian accent’; in fact, it would be more accurate to say that they speak with a Punjabi, Bengali, Oriya etc. accent, depending upon which Indian language they have as their mother-tongue. Discourse rules Sentences, and not words, are the primary units of communication. Very little communication is possible through language unless one has learnt the rules for forming sentences.However, when we communicate, we use sequences of connected sentences rather than isolated sentences. A sequence is made up of at least two sentences which follow each other and are related to each other. The sentences may be uttered by different speakers or by the same speaker.A sequence of sentences through which messages are exchanged or communicated is known as discourse The discourse must have coherence and cohesion, must be pragmatic and have appropriate function. SPEECH MAKING ‘Speeches can be of various types Read-out, memorized, impromptu or extempore. It has a beginning, structure and the end. (Source: Excerpts from Presentation Skills for Managers by Gerard M Blair) The Beginning Get their attention Too often in a speech, the first few minutes are lost while people adjust their coats and finish the conversation they were having with the person next to them. You only have a limited time and every minute is precious to you so, from the beginning, make sure they pay attention. Establish a theme Basically, you need to start the audience thinking about the subject matter of your speech This can be done by a statement of your main objective. They will each have some experience or opinions on this and at the beginning you must make them bring that experience into their own minds. Structure (Body) Page | 24If you explain briefly at the beginning of a talk how it is to proceed, then the audience will know what to expect. This can help to establish the theme and also provide something concrete to hold their attention. Ultimately, it provides a sense of security in the promise that this speech too will end. The Ending The final impression you make on the audience is the one they will remember. Thus it is worth planning your last few sentences with extreme care. The Techniques of Speech Every speaker has a set of "tricks of the trade" which he or she holds dear - the following are a short selection of such advice taken from various sources. Make an impression The average audience is very busy and although they will be trying very hard to concentrate on your speech, their minds will inevitably stray. Your job is to do something, anything, which captures their attention and makes a lasting impression upon them. Once you have planned your speech and honed it down to its few salient points, isolate the most important and devise some method to make it stick. Repeat, Repeat The average audience is very busy: they have husbands or wives etc, etc - but repetition makes them hear, The average audience is easily distracted, and their attention will slip during the most important message of your speech - so repeat it. You don't necessarily have to use the resonant tonal sounds of the repeated phrase, but simply make the point again and again and again with different explanations and in different ways. The classic advice of the Sergeant Major is: "First you tell ‘em what you are going to tell em, then you tell em, then you tell ‘em what you told ‘em!" The Delivery Whatever you say and whatever you show; it is you, yourself which will remain the focus of the audience's attention. If you but strut and fret your hour upon the stage and then are gone, no-one will remember what you said, The presenter has the power both to kill the message and to enhance it a hundred times beyond its worth. Your job as a manager is to use the potential of the presentation to ensure that the audience is motivated and inspired rather than disconcerted or distracted. There are five key facets of the human body which deserve attention in presentation skills: the eyes, the voice, the expression, the appearance, and how you stand. The Eyes The eyes are said to be the key to the soul and are therefore the first and most effective weapon in convincing the audience of your honesty, openness and confidence in the objectives of your presentation. This impression may of course be totally false, but here is how to convey it. Page | 25Even when in casual conversation, your feelings of friendship and intimacy can be evaluated by the intensity and duration of eye contact. During the presentation you should use this to enhance your rapport with the audience by establishing eye contact with each and every member of the audience as often as possible. For small groups this is clearly possible but it can also be achieved in large auditoriums since the further the audience is away from the presenter the harder it is to tell precisely where he or she is looking. Thus by simply staring at a group of people at the back of a lecture theatre it is possible to convince each of them individually that he or she is the object of your attention. During presentations, try to hold your gaze fixed in specific directions for five or six seconds at a time. Shortly after each change in position, a slight smile will convince each person in that direction that you have seen and acknowledged them, The Voice After the eyes comes the voice, and the two most important aspects of the voice for the public speaker are projection and variation. It is important to realise from the onset that few people can take their ordinary conversation voice and put it on stage. If you can, then perhaps you should move to Hollywood. The main difference comes in the degree of feedback which you can expect from the person to whom you are talking. In ordinary conversation you can see from the expression, perhaps @ subtle movement of the eye, when a word or phrase has been missed or misunderstood. In front of an audience you have to make sure that this never happens. The simple advice is to slow down and to take your time, Remember the audience is constrained by good manners not to interrupt you so there is no need to maintain a constant flow of sound. A safe style is to be slightly louder and slightly slower than a fire-side chat with slightly deaf aunt. As you get used to the sound, you can adjust it by watching the audience, ‘A monotone speech is both boring and soporific, so it is important to try to vary the pitch and speed of your presentation. At the very least, each new sub-section should be proceeded by a pause and a change in tone to emphasise the delineation. If tonal variation does not come to you naturally try making use of rhetorical questions throughout your speech, since most British accents rise naturally at the end of a question. Expression The audience watch your face. If you are looking listless or distracted then they will be listless and distracted; if you are smiling, they will be wondering why and listen to find out. In normal conversation your meaning is enhanced by facial reinforcement. Thus in a speech you must compensate both for stage nerves and for the distance between yourself and the audience. The message is quite simply: make sure that your facial expressions are natural, only more so. Appearance There are many guides to management and presentation styles which lay heavy emphasis upon the way you dress and in the last analysis this is a matter of personal choice. That choice should however be deliberately made, When you are giving a presentation you Page | 26must dress for the audience, not for yourself; if they think you look out of place, then you are. As an aside, it is my personal opinion that there exists a code of conduct among engineers which emphasizes the scruffy look, and that in many organisations this tends to set the engineer apart, especially from management. It conveys the subliminal message that the engineer and the manager are not part of the same group and so hinders communication, Stance When an actor initially learns a new character part, he or she will instinctively adopt a distinct posture or stance to convey that character. It follows therefore that while you are on stage, your stance and posture will convey a great deal about you. The least you must do is make sure your stance does not convey boredom; at best, you can use your whole body as a dynamic tool to reinforce your rapport with the audience The perennial problem is what to do with your hands. These must not wave aimlessly through the air, or fiddle constantly with a pen, or (worst of all visually) juggle change in your trouser pockets. The key is to keep your hands still, except when used in unison with your speech. To train them initially, find a safe resting place which is comfortable for you, and aim to return them there when any gesture is completed, REHEARSAL There is no substitute for rehearsal. You can do it in front of a mirror, or to an empty theatre. In both cases, you should accentuate your gestures and vocal projection so that you get used to the sound and sight of yourself. Do not be put off by the mirror - remember: you see a lot less of yourself than your friends do. CONVERSATION An effective conversation involves relationship building between participants, content and credibility of the discussion, preciseness and completeness of the message, clarity, brevity and timeliness of the speech made. We converse in various situations. Here are a few situations and the rule s governing them: Introduction: ‘+ Rise when introducing or being introduced ‘+ Offer a firm handshake to indicate you are confident and assertive ‘+ Repeat the person's name when introduced so you can recall it later. ‘+ Provide information that will inspire conversation ‘+ Address someone by his or her title and last name ‘+ Present a younger person to an older person ‘+ Present a nonofficial person to an official person Page | 27‘+ Present a junior executive to a senior executive ‘+ Present a colleague to a customer or client Business Conversation: Greetings- Good morning, Good afternoon, good evening etc. ‘Small Talk- Exchange pleasantries first then talk for a while on topics of mutual like (not business talk) ..use discourse markers to converge like “Well now” "Ok let's” ete. Discussion- Discuss business Conclusion- Sum it up, repeat any commitments made Closure- Say Goodbye! Exchanging Business Card: + Never turn down a card someone gives you. * Be selective with distributing cards. * Include cards with business correspondence. + Don"t be anxious to distribute cards * In social functions be unobtrusive while giving cards * Business cards should not surface during meals , -be discreet Using two hands to present and take the cards looks elegant Conversation Control Itis the ability to carry out a conversation effectively. It includes: ‘+ Ability to notice cues and clues + Active listening ‘+ Interpreting signs and signals ‘+ Convergence in conversation and not parallel talk ‘+ Avoiding cross-talking and premature judgment ‘+ Reflection of similar information, thoughts, ideas and feelings ‘+ Showing assertiveness ‘+ Showing empathy + Sense of time ‘+ Using appropriate conversational devices like Discourse Markers (you know, | mean, well, ok, yeah and so on), false Starts (repeating first word phrase/ line while speaking), Tumn-taking devices (words/phrases used to take turn while the other person is speaking), Markers of participation and confirmation, Negation markers and polite refusals + Tum Taking- Turnetaking occurs in a conversation when one person listens while the other person speaks. As a conversation progresses, the listener and ‘speaker exchange roles and continue talking to each other. Page | 28Telephone Etiquette + Introduce yourself, company or office (while opening a call) ‘+ Find out (or tell) the purpose of the call + Be considerate while putting the caller on hold + Keep up the calll back promise + Listen, do not dominate + Use time efficiently «Listen Actively + Be alert © Stop talking + Putthe talker at ease + Show the talker that you want to listen + Remove distractions + Be patient; hold your temper ‘+ Go easy on arguments and criticism * Ask questions Telephone and Voice + Use Friendly Voice + Use Variation in pitch * Adjust Speaking Speed + Lay Vocal Emphasis + Trya Pleasant Voice Quality Mobile Etiquette ‘+ Ringtone- Do not have peppy (frivolous) ringtones and callertunes + Volume- Keep it low! ‘+ Silent Mode- Maintain it as far as possible ‘+ Missed Call- Return the call ‘+ Network Failure- Apologize and text before calling ‘+ Texting- Maintain formal language while texting officials Video Conferencing (source:https:/trueconf.com/what-is-video-conferencing.htm)) Video conferencing is a visual communication session between two or more users. regardless of their location, featuring audio and video content transmission in real time.In broad terms, video conferencing software is a solution that allows two or more persons to talk and see each other remotely. Initially video conferencing software only enabled users to make video calls or hold group video conferences. However, as technology advanced, video conferencing software acquired plenty of helpful tools and features for remote communication and learning. Today, video conferencing is rather a tool for integrated into video collaboration and unified communications platforms that also offer screen sharing, slideshow, recording, Page | 29instant messaging, project management tools, telephony integration among other features. As an increasing number of companies switch to remote work, video conferencing is gradually becoming the new normal, shaping the way we communicate, learn and work. Points to Remember + Logging in + Mute/ Unmute © Chat + Video on/off + Dress code + Ambience ‘+ Talking Style and Technical Know-how + Handling Technical glitch ‘+ Using White board + Doodling + Sharing the Screen + Patience, Politeness + Taking Notes ‘+ Assistance and Support Benefits Remote Working Saving Time Saves Travel Cost Essential in this Pandemic Inclusive in nature oaena Books Referred (primarily): 1, TEACHING PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH AND SOFT SKILLS- A HANDBOOK FOR TEACHERSby Dr. Bikram Das and others Essentials of Communicative English by Dr. S. Subramanian Business Communication by P.D. Chaturvedi & MukeshChaturvedi Page | 30Module II Language Skills: Reading Holistic communication cannot ignore any of the four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing (LSRW). Persons involved in business should be conversant with all the four. A poor reader, for instance, who has not comprehended a written proposal, by close reading, can be easily swayed by listening to an interested party. Persuasive talk motivated by self-interest could compel a manager to accept a proposal which is not in the interest of the company, if the manager is a poor reader. Therefore, reading skills are as important as the other three to a business communicator. The following points are important for understanding Reading Skills: ¢ One reads in order to understand, ¢ Comprehension is the most important reading skill. ¢ tis universally required ¢ Reading comprehension may be described as a generic (or universal) skill. ¢ Reading in a specific context, such as in business communication, makes reading an applied skil ¢ There are 3 reading styles and 4 levels of reading comprehension that constitute reading skills There are three styles of reading which we use in different situations: 1, Scanning: for a specific focus. The technique you use when you're looking up a name in the phone book: you move your eye quickly over the page to find particular words or phrases that are relevant to the task you're doing. It's useful to scan parts of texts to see if they're going to be useful to you i.e. the introduction or preface of a book; the first or last paragraphs of chapters; the concluding chapter of a book. 2 Skimming: for getting the gist of something. The technique you use when you're going through a newspaper or magazine: you read quickly to get the main points, and skip over the detail. It's useful to skim because it helps preview a passage before you read it in detail; it refreshes your understand of a passage after you've read it in detail. Use skimming when you're trying to decide if a book in the library or bookshop is right for you. 3. Detailed reading: for extracting information accurately. Where you read every word, and work to learn from the text. In this careful reading, you may find it helpful to skim first, to get a general idea, but then go back to read in detail. Use a dictionary to make sure you understand all the words used. Active reading: When you're reading for your course, you need to make sure you're actively involved with the text, It's a waste of your time to just passively read, the way you'd read a Page | 1thriller on holiday. Always make notes to keep up your concentration and understanding. Here are four tips for active reading. Underlining and highlighting: Pick out what you think are the most important parts of the text and underline them. Note key words: Record the main headings as you read, Use one or two keywords for each point. Proactive Questions: Before you start reading something like an article, a chapter or a whole book, prepare for your reading by noting down questions you want the material to answer. Summarize: Pause after you've read a section of text. Then put what you've read into your own words; skim through the text and check how accurate your summary is and fill in any gaps. Generic sub-skills of reading: Previewing: reviewing titles, section headings, and photo captions to get a sense of the structure and content of a reading selection Predicting: using knowledge of the subject matter to make predictions about content and vocabulary and check comprehension; using knowledge of the text type and purpose to make predictions about discourse structure; using knowledge about the author to make predictions about writing style, vocabulary, and content Skimming and scanning: using a quick survey of the text to get the main idea, identify text structure, confirm or question predictions. Guessing from context: using prior knowledge of the subject and the ideas in the text as clues to the meanings of unknown words, instead of stopping to look them up Paraphrasing: stopping at the end of a section to check comprehension by restating the information and ideas in the text Strategies for Reading: Strategy (Style) | Definition Slow Reading itis the reading style that is slow and used for the careful reading of important material which is to be thoroughly understood. We use this style for understanding important text books, or complex written matter, or intricate arguments, or any serious content demanding careful attention When we read the text without leaving a single word, it is normal reading. Normal Reading | The more we read, the more we train our eyes to capture more words at a glance, Rapid Reading Rapid reading is quick reading style it includes skimming a document for general information (getting the gist). It also includes surveying and scanning. Example of skimming: Going through the table of contents of a book. ‘Surveying Itis @ process where we read the relevant part of the text that we require. Page | 2For Example: When we read a specific paragraph of a text and leave the others, Scanning Itis @ rapid reading method where we look for specific information. For Example: Looking for a specific terminology in a book or an article. Comprehension Reading cannot exist without comprehension, We need to read to understand the facts, the ideas and the meaning of a written material Therefore, we follow different comprehension strategies like factual comprehension, inferential comprehension, evaluative comprehension and global comprehension For example: When we read companies" reports, the statistics presented is for fact comprehension. From the graphs we can infer whether there is growth or not. On the basis of given information we can evaluate the company that has produced the report and can have an overall understanding of their future prospects. Reading Proficiency can be attained only if we read fast and with appropriate understanding. Therefore, effective reading means reading with considerable speed and comprehension. Reading Mistakes (lessens speed) ¢ Eye-fixation- When we read our eye fixes itself to the word for a split of a second. If it prolongs, we are unable to read fast. Regression- We sometimes re-read the same words or phrases for the fear of having skipped it or because we have actually skipped it. This also slows down reading. ¢ _ Finger-pointing- Many of us use our finger/pen/pencil to focus on reading word by word. This makes reading slow and inappropriate. ¢ — Sub-vocalizing- When we read with a murmuring sound, we call it sub-vocalizing. Here, we are trying to pronounce each word we are reading. ¢ Reading aloud- This is simply reading out the text loudly. Speaking speed is less than the mental pace of assimilating the text. Therefore, we become slow readers. . Indiscriminate use of dictionary- If we don"t understand a text, we try to use the dictionary to learn the meanings thus, making our reading slow and ineffective. Correcting Reading Mistakes 1, Skimming- Not all the texts require critical reading; texts can be read to understand the gist or get a general idea. Thus, skimming can help reducing reading mistakes. 2. Scanning- When we want specific information, we scan the text. For example, we are searching for the venue in an invitation letter or the invite date. Re Phrase reading- We read a group of words together rather than reading word by word. Information words- Similar to scanning, we only look for words of importance or keywords. Page |35. Managing vocabulary- For being a good reader, one needs to build vocabulary. However, we may also gather meaning of words and phrases through the context. 6. Paraphrasing- To remember the meaning of the text, and the original information in details, in one’s own language without any distortion 7. Note taking- Taking down keywords or important information from the text also helps. 8. Reading with Others- When we read with others, we tend to develop better understanding of the text. While, the first 5 points are useful in speed reading, the last three help us in improving our comprehension. Sub-skills of Reading Comprehension Understanding a written text improves with the mastery of several sub-skills. These are: * Local or factual comprehension . Inferential comprehension * Evaluative or critical comprehension Global comprehension Local/Factual Comprehension Factual comprehension refers to an understanding of details of the text in any of its parts, after one has read the text as a whole. These may be facts such as years, characters, places, events and such others. Inferential Comprehension Inferential comprehension involves thinking to arrive at logical conclusions or inferences. Any two facts or ideas in the text are compared, contrasted or otherwise associated to draw a conclusion. Inferences are also drawn from cause effect relationships. Answer to inferential question sometimes requires arguments, Evaluation Comprehension Evaluation or judgement includes inferential skills but it is not just inference. This skill sets up external criteria to judge the content of the text. Evaluation may have many perspectives. One may judge the thought or idea contained in the text to say whether it is logically sound or weak, or another may judge it from the point of view of language and expression a third person may look at it from the point of view of formal organization or its ethical content. Yet another may judge it for its returns or value or utility. Global Comprehension Global comprehension means understanding the general meaning of what one is reading. It can be compared to selective comprehension, which means understanding specific information in the text, and detailed comprehension, which means understanding everything Page | 4Language Skills- Writing Verbal communication consists of words. It can be broadly categorized into speech and writing, While speech communication is ephemeral, written communication is concrete and permanent. It renders language visible. While word of mouth can be easily distorted, anything written is taken as gospel truth. There are many categories of written texts like creative, literary, social, informational, business, legal and so on. But, in business writing we include letters, memos, circulars, messages, emails, office orders, notices, reports, press releases, advertisements, web pages, text messages et The Writing Process se Ey Pedy lit 4 + Analyze yy ‘Organize Revise Study your purpose, layout Define your main idea, limit Evaluate content and review your writing schedule and the scope, group your points, readablity, editing and then profile your audiance. and choose the direct or = rewriting for clarity and investigate indirect approach, conciseness. Satisfy your audience's corner + Produce information needs through formal Control your style through Use effective design elements and informal research methods. level of formality and and suitable delevery ‘Adapt conversational tone, Choose methods. chose ane channel ane your words carefully so that + Proofread Feationship with your audiance eee Review for errorsin layout, sentences and paragraphs. spelling and mechanics. Guidelines for Creating Effective Business Messages: * Use 7 Cs of effective writing * Use Plain English (in memos, with customers and in day-to-day correspondences) * Use appropriate style like KISS, BIF and BILL etc... * Use appropriate format (memo, notice, circular, proposal, invoice, report etc...) * Incase of Emails, follow Netiquette The following are the 7 Cs of effective writing: 1. Completeness - The communication must be complete. It should convey all facts required by the audience. The sender of the message must take into consideration the receiver's mind set and convey the message accordingly. A complete communication has following features: * Complete communication develops and enhances reputation of an organization. Page |5Moreover, they are cost saving as no crucial information is missing and no additional cost is incurred in conveying extra message if the communication is complete. ‘A complete communication always gives additional information wherever required. It leaves no questions in the mind of receiver. Complete communication helps in better decision-making by the audience/ readers/ receivers of message as they get all desired and crucial information. It persuades the audience. Conciseness - Conciseness means wordiness, i.e, communicating what you want to convey in least possible words without forgoing the other C's of communication Conciseness is a necessity for effective communication. Concise communication has following features Itis both time-saving as well as cost-saving. Itunderlines and highlights the main message as it avoids using excessive and needless words. Concise communication provides short and essential message in limited words to the audience. Concise message is more appealing and comprehensible to the audience Concise message is non-repetitive in nature. Consideration - Consideration implies “stepping into the shoes of others’, Effective communication must take the audience into consideration, i.e, the audience's viewpoints, background, mind-set, education level, etc. Ensure that the self-respect of the audience is maintained and their emotions are not harmed, Features of considerate communication are as follows: Emphasize on “you" approach. Empathize with the audience and exhibit interest in the audience. This will stimulate a positive reaction from the audience. Show optimism towards your audience. Emphasize on “what is possible” rather than “what is impossible”. Lay stress on positive words such as jovial, committed, thanks, warm, healthy, help, etc, Clarity - Clarity implies emphasizing on a specific message or goal at a time, rather than trying to achieve too much at once. Clarity in communication has following features: It makes understanding easier. Complete clarity of thoughts and ideas enhances the meaning of message. Clear message makes use of exact, appropriate and concrete words. Concreteness - Concrete communication implies being particular and clear rather than fuzzy and general. Concreteness strengthens the confidence, Concrete message has following features: \tis supported with specific facts and figures. It makes use of words that are clear and that build the reputation, Concrete messages are not misinterpreted. Page | 66. Courtesy - Courtesy in message implies the message should show the sender's expression as well as should respect the receiver. The sender of the message should be sincerely polite, judicious, reflective and enthusiastic. Courteous message has following features: * Courtesy implies taking into consideration both viewpoints as well as feelings of the receiver of the message. * Courteous message is positive and focused at the audience. + Itmakes use of terms showing respect for the receiver of message. «= Itis not atall biased. 7. Correctness - Correctness in communication implies that there are no grammatical errors in communication, Correct communication has following features: + The message is exact, correct and well-timed. + Ifthe communication is correct, it boosts up the confidence level. * Correct message has greater impact on the audience/ readers. It checks for the precision and accurateness of facts and figures used in the message. + Itmakes use of appropriate and correct language in the message Plain English The objective of communication is to create understanding between the sender and the receiver. Thus, language used for communication should be receiver centered. Thus, plain and simple English should be used for effective business communication. The following are the basic attributes of plain English: Simple, concreteand familiar words: Use of simple words against more complex words. For instance, write “so” for ‘accordingly’, “get” for “acquire”, “show” for “demonstrate”, “stop” for “discontinue” etc.. Short sentences: Use short sentences instead of long ones. Long sentences can be confusing. The following sentence runs into forty words “According to many senior managers, a large percentage of newly recruited professionals who in normal course would rise to senior positions in five or ten years, are unable to express themselves clearly and convincingly in written reports, letters or discussions. This sentence can be re-written, “According to many senior managers, a large percentage of newly recruited professionals are unable to express themselves well. They are neither clear nor convincing in written reports, letters or discussions. In normal course, these professionals would raise to senior positions in five or ten years.” These three sentences break the monotony of reading a long sentence. They are also easy to understand. Page |7