Managerial communication skills

UNIT-1
COMMUNICATIONS:
Communication might be defined as the transfer of – facts, information, ideas,
suggestions, orders, requests, grievances etc. from one person to another so as to
impart a complete understanding of the subject matter of communication to the
recipient thereof; the desired response from the recipient to such communication.

“Communication is a way that one organization member shares meaning and

understanding with another.” -Koontz and O’Donnell

“Communication is the process of passing information and understanding from one

person to another.” -Keith Davis

Objectives of communication:
1) Building Awareness

Building awareness is essential for businesses and people these days. Most
companies these days want to make sure that they can spread the message about
their products and services in the best way.

This is where communication helps them out for sure. There are some benefits that
a company might get from proper communication. The better they can
communicate with the people, the more awareness they are going to get for the
brand.

2) Providing Information or Educating

When your client is seeking something, you need to ensure that you can provide
them with the exact things.
This is where you need to communicate with them to make them realize that you
can provide them with information and other essential things as well. Describing
and explaining your agenda to provide more information can work in your favor.

3) Creating Interest

In some instances, some clients have an interest in the product or are just familiar
with the product or service. So, you need to ensure that they can move from
awareness of the product to show great interest in it. This is something that you can
achieve with the help of communication.

When you are properly communicating with the clients, they will be able to
understand the need for the product and hence will show an interest in it.

4) Motivating People/Audiences
Either you are running a business, or channelizing any social or educational
endeavors, you must motivate your audiences in the right manner, so they can stay
motivated in accomplishing the goals.

When communication is done with the right inclusion of emotional intelligence, it

empowers the audiences to opt for a higher level of performance in a dedicated and
enthusiastic manner.

5) Promoting the brand, product or service

Publicity, marketing, advertising, public relations, product releases, customer
education, etc. are the parts of the promotion strategy, and communication plays
the most significant role in channelizing all the activities.

So, when it comes to discussing the objectives of communication, we ought to say

here that communication is the base of all sorts of promotional and branding
activities of individuals, businesses or brands.

The way you communicate with your target audiences decides how productive
your relationship is with them.
6) Organizing Resources

There are different resources such as financial resources, human resources,

material resources, etc. are integral parts of an organization, and communication
serves an essential role in organizing all these resources.

So, while discussing the objectives of communication, understanding the role of

communication in overcoming the challenges associated with the well-ordered
channelization of different resources is quite essential for the managers and
business owners.

7) Offering better Coordination

It is again one of the most crucial objectives of communication when it comes to

the effective and efficient management of an organization.

With the right use of communication strategies, managers can link different
functional departments of an organization is a result-driven manner. It also plays a
significant role in accomplishing organizational goals in a well-coordinated
manner.

8) Increasing Efficiency
For increasing the efficiency of the workforce, the managers must communicate
the right practices, strategies, and things at the right time in a best-personalized
manner. Effective communication strategy serves this most adeptly.

So, increasing the efficiency of the workforce along with the overall organization
is one of the most fruitful objectives of communication that ultimately get
converted into increased productivity, sales and profits.

9) Harmonious Relationship b/w Management & Workers

Communication is the prime force that can make or break things either on the
personal front or on the organizational front. So, when it comes to objectives of
communication, its role in ensuring the harmonious relationship between
management and workers cannot be ignored.
Here, your communication strategy needs to ensure the unbiased and hassle-free
flow of information in the whole organization, so the productivity keeps on
increasing.

10) Job Satisfaction of the Employees

When businesses or HR managers ensure an environment where employees are

allowed to speak their minds to express their viewpoints, desires, and demands, the
job satisfaction level of the employees will for sure be on the higher side.

Communication strategies are essential for ensuring this. When employees feel full
freedom in expressing themselves, they stay more motivated, and hence they will
for sure be more satisfied.

So, these were the top 10 objectives of communication that plays a crucial role in
effective business management.

Role of communication in business:

Exchanging information:

Communication is mainly the exchange of information between two or more

parties. Through communication, organizations exchange information with internal
and external parties. Communication also brings dynamism in organizational
activities and helps in attaining goals.

Preparing plans and policies:

Communication helps in preparing organizational plans and policies. Realistic

plans and policies require adequate and relevant information. The managers collect
required information from reliable sources through communication.

Execution of plans and polices:

For timely implementation of plans and policies, managers must disseminate those
in the whole organization. In order to disseminate the plans and policies to the
internal and external parties, managers rely on communication.
Increasing employee’s efficiency:

Communication also helps in increasing the efficiency of employees. With the help
of communication, organizational objectives, plans, policies, rules, directives and
other complex matters explain to the employees that broaden their knowledge and
thus help them to be efficient.

Achieving goals:

Effective communication helps the employees at all levels to be conscious and

attentive. It ensures timely accomplishment of jobs and easy achievement of goals.

Solving problems:

Through various communication channels, the managers can be informed of

various routine and non-time problems of the organization and accordingly they
take the necessary actions of steps to solve the problems.

Making decisions:

Making timely decisions requires updated information. Through effective

communication, managers can collect information from different corners and can
make the right decisions.

Improving industrial relation:

Industrial relation is the relation between workers and management in the

workplace. Good industrial relation is always desired for business success.
Communication plays a vital role in creating and maintaining good industrial
relation.

Promotions of goods and services:

In the modern age, business is becoming highly competitive. Almost very

competing manufacturer produces products of common consumption. However, all
of them cannot sell equally well. The organization that can communicate better,
can also sell better.
Removing controversies:

Effective communication allows smooth flow of information among various parties

involved in the negotiation or transaction. As a result, conflicts, controversies and
disagreements can be resolved easily.

Enhancing employee satisfaction:

If there is free and fair flow of information in the organization, it will certainly
bring mutual understanding between management and workers. Such
understanding enhances the satisfaction of employees.

Enhancing loyalty:

Effective communication helps the managers to be aware of the performance of

their subordinates. In such a situation, the subordinates try to show their good
performance. Later on, if management praises their performance, it will enhance
employees’ loyalty

Process of human communication:

Human communication, or anthrop semiotics, is the field dedicated to
understanding how people communicate. The importance of communication in
human society has been recognized for thousands of years, far longer than we can
demonstrate through recorded history.

As humans, we have the communication abilities that other animals do not, such
as being able to communicate aspects like time and place as though they were solid
objects.
Communications is a continuous process which mainly involves three elements viz.
sender, message, and receiver. The elements involved in the communication process
are explained below in detail:

Sender:
The sender or the communicator generates the message and conveys it to the
receiver. He is the source and the one who starts the communication

Message:
It is the idea, information, view, fact, feeling, etc. that is generated by the sender and
is then intended to be communicated further.

Encoding:
The message generated by the sender is encoded symbolically such as in the form of
words, pictures, gestures, etc. before it is being conveyed.
Media:
It is the manner in which the encoded message is transmitted. The message may be
transmitted orally or in writing. The medium of communication includes telephone,
internet, post, fax, e-mail, etc. The choice of medium is decided by the sender.

Decoding:
It is the process of converting the symbols encoded by the sender. After decoding the
message is received by the receiver.

Receiver:
He is the person who is last in the chain and for whom the message was sent by the
sender. Once the receiver receives the message and understands it in proper
perspective and acts according to the message, only then the purpose of
communication is successful.

Feedback:
Once the receiver confirms to the sender that he has received the message and
understood it, the process of communication is complete.

Noise:
It refers to any obstruction that is caused by the sender, message or receiver during
the process of communication. For example, bad telephone connection, faulty
encoding, faulty decoding, inattentive receiver, poor understanding of message due to
prejudice or inappropriate gestures, etc.

Media of communication:

Communication media refer to the ways, means or channels of transmitting

message from sender to the receiver. Communication media indicate the use of
verbal or non-verbal language in the process of communication. Without language,
none can communicate. Whenever communication takes place, media are used
there. In telecommunication, these means are transmission and storage tools or
channels for data storage and transmission. So communication media are regarded
as an integral part of communication process.

According to Defleur and Dennis, “A medium is a device for moving information

through time or space.”

Physical media:

In physical media communication a Person who is talking can be seen and heard
by the audience. It is not only required to that hear the messages but sometimes it
also to see body language and feel the climate. Does not need to be two ways
channel especially used when dealing with high concern messages - organizational
change or downsizing.
Some examples of physical media communication

Large meetings:

Large meetings have got great symbolic value and should be used only at special
occasions. This channel works very well when you need to get across strategic and
important messages to a large group of people at the same time, creating a wide
attention, get engagement or communicate a sense of belonging. Large meetings
are excellent when you want to present a new vision or strategy, inform about
reorganization or share new values. The opportunity for dialogue is limited at large
meeting, of course but you can create smaller groups where dialogue can be
performed.

Department meetings:

In the weekly meetings you and your group communicate daily operative issues,
give status reports and solve problems. Weekly meetings are also used to follow up
on information from large meetings, management team meetings etc from a
“what’s-in-it-for-us-perspective”. This type of smaller group meetings gives good
opportunities for dialogue. This channel is often the most important channel you
have as a manager, because that’s where you have the opportunity to build the big
picture, you can prepare for change, you can create ownership of important
strategies and goals etc. This is a favorite among the types of communication
medium.

Up close and personal:

Form of meetings where, often, a senior manager meets with a “random” selection
of employees to discuss and answer questions. Used in specific projects or
campaigns e.g. launching new strategies.

Viral communication:

Marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to increase brand

awareness (such as product sales). Can be delivered by word of mouth or enhanced
by the network effects of the Internet. May take the form of video clips, interactive
flash games, eBooks, images, or text messages.
Mechanical media:
The second of the two types of communication medium is mechanical media. With
mechanical media we mean written or electronic channels. These channels can be
used as archives for messages or for giving the big picture and a deeper
knowledge. But they can also be very fast. Typically though, because it is written,
it is always interpret by the reader based on his or her mental condition. Irony or
even humour rarely travels well in mechanical channels.

E-mail

E-mail is a good channel for the daily communication to specific target groups. It
is suitable mainly for up-to-date and “simple” messages and where there is no risk
of misunderstanding; E-mail is an important supplement to weekly meetings and
the Intranet. Invitation to and agenda for meetings can with advantage be sent out
with e-mail before the meeting.

Weekly letters

Managers that have large groups of employees and who has difficulties in meeting
all of them often choose to publish a personally weekly letter. It is sort of a short
summary of news with personally reflections. Many employees often appreciate it
because it has the potential to give the “what’s-in-it-for-us” angle. They can also
contain summaries and status in tasks, projects or issues – yesterday, today and
tomorrow.

Personal letters

At special occasions it can be justified to send a personal letter to employees in

order to get attention to a specific issue. E.g. pat on the back letter after extra
ordinary achievements. Or it can be a letter with your personal commentary on an
ongoing reorganization that affects many employees. One other example is a letter
that summarizes the past year and wishes all the best for the holidays.

Billboard

One of the most forgotten types of communication medium is clearly the billboard.
Especially today, when everything is about social media. But the good thing with
the billboard is that you can use billboards to inform people who do not have
computers and/or access to the Intranet.
Magazines or papers:

A Magazine offers the opportunity to deepen a specific issue, explain context,

describing consequences or tell a story. If you want to create a broad internal
understanding of strategic messages.

Social media

“Media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using

highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media supports the
human need for social interaction, using Internet- and web-based technologies to
transform broadcast media monologues (one too many) into social media dialogues
(many to many). Businesses also refer to social media as user-generated content
(UGC) or consumer-generated media (CGM).”

Finally, we can conclude that media of communication are the ways, channels, or
means that are employed in establishing communication. The communicator
develops message and sends it to the receiver through a medium.

Written communication:
The Written Communication refers to the process of conveying a message
through the written symbols. In other words, any message exchanged between two
or more persons that make use of written words is called as written
communication.

The written communication is the most common and effective mode of business
communication. In any organization, the electronic mails, memos, reports,
documents, letters, journals, job descriptions, employee manuals, etc. are some of
the commonly used forms of written communication.

Qualities of written communication:

Composed correctly - Check your grammar and spelling. When in doubt,

have your writing checked by an expert Module
Clear - Read your text aloud to make sure it’s understandable. Better yet,
read it aloud to someone else
Comprehensive - Double check to make sure all the important details are
included.
Accurate - Check all the details to make sure they are correct.
 Appropriate - Make sure you are using the proper tone and level of
formality

Types of written communication

Transactional Written Communication

It refers to those written communications where a message is sent to get a response

from the reader. It includes requesting a meeting, asking a favor, or a quick
clarification.

The sender can choose the tone and voice because, ultimately, they will receive a
message back. The best medium for this is usually an online medium. It is the
fastest medium and thus most appropriate for transactional written communication
purposes.

Informational Written Communication

It includes the sender delivering a message for the benefit of the receiver. It is less
dependent on the reader, and thus no response is required here except in case the
reader has some queries or doubts.

It can be done through offline or online channels. Examples of this can be an email
or a memo sent to an individual or a group.

Instructional Written Communication

It gives the receiver instructions or directions regarding a specific task. Thus, these
messages should be detailed and easy to understand. It includes the basics, which is
also a good idea to give the receiver a clear and thorough understanding of the
topic.

The format here is more important than the method. Step by step instructions,
along with making use of bullet points or numbering phrases is always advisable
and a great idea.
Advantages of written communication:

1. It is suitable for long distance communication and repetitive standing orders.

2. It creates permanent record of evidence. It can be used for future reference.

3. It gives the receiver sufficient time to think, act and react.

4. It can be used as legal document.

5. It can be sent to many persons at a time.

6. It is suitable for sending statistical data, chart, diagram, pictures, etc.

7. Order, allocation of work, job distribution, etc. in written form reduce

ambiguity and help in fixation of responsibility.

8. Uniformity in work procedure can be maintained through written

communication.

9. It is easy to send unpleasant or bad news through written communication.

10. A good written communication can create goodwill and promote business.

Limitations or Disadvantages of Written Communication:

1. It is time-consuming. Composing a message in writing takes much time.
Writing letters, typing orders, notices, etc. and sending to appropriate
destination require time. Feedback process also is not instant.

2. It is expensive not so much due to postal charges but in terms of so many

people spending so much of their time.

3. It cannot maintain strict secrecy which would have been possible in oral
communication.
 4. Written communication has no scope for immediate clarification if not
understood properly.

5. Being written in nature it is less flexible and cannot be changed easily.

6. It is not effective in the case of emergency.

Oral communication:

Oral communication is communicating with spoken words. It’s a verbal form of

communication where you communicate your thoughts, present ideas and share
information. Examples of oral communication are conversations with friends,
family or colleagues, presentations and speeches.

Oral communication helps to build trust and reliability. The process of oral
communication is more effective than an email or a text message. For important
and sensitive conversations—such as salary negotiations and even conflict
resolution, you can rely on oral communication to get your point across, avoid
misunderstandings and minimize confusion.

Types of Oral Communication:

Elevator Pitch
Imagine you meet the CEO of your organization in the elevator. Now, you have 30
seconds to introduce yourself before they get out on the next floor. This is your
elevator pitch. It’s a form of oral communication where you have to succinctly
explain who you are and what you want from the other person.
Formal Conversations
These are common at work because you have to constantly interact with your
managers, coworkers and stakeholders such as clients and customers. Formal
conversations are crisp, direct and condensed. You have to get your point across in
a few words because everyone has only limited time to spare.

Informal Conversations
These are conversations that you have with your team members or friends and
family. They are mostly without an agenda. You can talk about your day, what
you’re going to eat for lunch or discuss weekend plans. These are friendly
conversations peppered with light banter.

Business Presentations
This is where you need to make the best use of your speaking skills. Public
speaking is an important skill to develop if you want to command a room full of
people. For this, you need to leverage Harappa’s LEP and PAM Frameworks as
well as the Four Ps of Pitch, Projection, Pace and Pauses.

Speeches
Speeches are important in businesses like event management or community
outreach. In a corporate setup, speeches are reserved for top management and
leaders.
Modes of Oral Communication:
Research studies have shown that 80% of communication by executives of a
company is in the oral form. The modes of Oral Communication include:

• Telephone/Cellular phone
• Face-to-face discussion
• Meetings/Conferences
• Presentation
• Conversation
• Radio
• Teleconferencing
• Speeches
• Brainstorming sessions
• Interview

Advantages of Oral Communication:

Immediate Feedback
The biggest advantage of oral communication is that it provides immediate
feedback to both the sender and the receiver. Each can therefore ask for
clarification and elaboration on the spot.
The speaker can immediately understand the reaction of the audience or group, she
/he is addressing while the hearers get a number of clues about how their behavior
is being perceived by the speaker.

Time Saving
Oral communication is very fast. It saves the time involved in writing the message
and delivering it through a channel like the postal or courier services.

Economical
Oral communication saves the money spent on stationery and the channel of
communication.

Personal Touch
Oral communication builds up a healthy climate in the organization by bringing
superiors and subordinates closer. It is also an effective tool for persuasion.

Flexibility
Oral communication provides an opportunity to the speaker to correct himself and
make himself clear by changing his voice, pitch, tone, etc. A number of other
factors like context, body language, etc. can be used to reinforce and modify what
is spoken through the words.

Group Communication
Oral communication is extremely useful for communicating with groups in
meetings, conferences, etc. No classroom teaching would be possible without oral
communication.

Effectiveness
Because oral communication involves the real or virtual presence of both the
parties, therefore, the message transfer is more effective and that helps in achieving
the goal of the communication more efficiently.

Disadvantages of oral communication:

Poor Retention
The listener cannot retain oral messages in his memory for a long time. The
speaker himself may not recall what he actually said.

No Record
Oral communication does not provide any record for future reference. In the
absence of a record, oral messages have no legal validity.

Time Consuming
Oral communication may not always be time saving. Precisely because there is no
binding medium like a page or a book, this form of communication is virtually
endless. Sometimes meetings continue for a long time without arriving at any
satisfactory conclusion.

Misunderstanding
Oral communications are likely to be misunderstood due to poor expression and
noise. The speaker may not be able to make him quite clear or the listener may be
inattentive. This is likely to be truer when the two individuals are not on good
terms with each other.

Lengthy Messages
Oral communication is not suitable for transmitting lengthy messages. Some parts
of vital importance may not receive adequate attention.
Lack of Responsibility
Oral messages are not recorded. Therefore, it becomes difficult to hold persons
responsible for mistakes, inaccuracy or falsity in oral communication.

Imprecise
People usually take less care when speaking than when writing. Therefore, spoken
words tend to be less precise than written words. Often the exact point the speaker
is trying to make is lost in a mass of words.

Listening skills:
Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the
communication process. Listening is keys to all effective communication, without
the ability to listen effectively messages are easily misunderstood. Listening is one
of the most important skills you can have. An active process of getting
information, ideas. Listening is the process of receiving, constructing meaning
from, and responding to spoken.

Just Listening to words is not enough; a good Listener has to pay attention to the
non-verbal communication of the speaker.

Process of listening .
Types of Listening
Listening skills can be developed, but it takes practice. Whether you’re interested
in improving your networking, landing a new client, or connecting better with your
family, strong listening skills can help. Below are just a few effective listening
styles.
1. Deep Listening
Deep listening occurs when you’re committed to understanding the speaker’s
perspective. It involves paying attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues, such as
the words being used, the speaker’s body language, and their tone. This type of
listening helps build trust and rapport, and it helps others feel comfortable in
expressing their thoughts and opinions.
2. Full Listening
Full listening involves paying close and careful attention to what the speaker is
conveying. It often involves the use of active listening techniques, such as
paraphrasing what’s been said to the person you’re speaking with to ensure you
understand their messaging. Full listening is useful in the classroom, when
someone is instructing you on how to complete a task, and when discussing work
projects with superiors.
3. Critical Listening
Critical listening involves using systematic reasoning and careful thought to
analyze a speaker’s message and separate fact from opinion. Critical listening is
often useful in situations when speakers may have a certain agenda or goal, such as
watching political debates, or when a salesperson is pitching a product or service.
4. Therapeutic Listening
Therapeutic listening means allowing a friend, colleague, or family member to
discuss their problems. It involves emphasizing and applying supportive nonverbal
cues, such as nodding and maintaining eye contact, in addition to empathizing with
their experiences.
Developing listening skills:
Make consistent eye-contact while talking– Body language has a significant
role in communication. Maintaining eye contact communicates interest, focus,
and understanding with the other person. Make sure to tailor your eye contact
as per the need of others.

Avoid distractions – Always focus on the conversation and do not let your
mind wander. Do not let random thoughts disturb your flow and break your
concentration.

Understand the context of the speech – While communicating, focus on the

specific words and phrases and try to understand the content and context of the
conversation before replying.

Show you are an effective listener by nodding – Other than eye contact, you
should nod and smile while talking as it is the best way to show your agreement
and interest in what the speaker is saying. Do not interrupt while someone is
talking. Wait for them to finish and then raise open-ended questions in a polite
manner.

Avoid conversation when stressed or overworked–Try to avoid or postpone

important meetings or discussions if you are overstressed. It gets difficult to
concentrate when you are exhausted, and you end up wasting time. A bit of
Yoga or meditation helps you distress in such situations.

Pick up important points and let the speaker know – Sometimes, our
attention gets drifted and we face trouble focusing on the conversation. For
such instances, try to pick up a few significant points and discuss them when
the speaker finishes talking. Make an honest effort and clarify your doubts.

Ask open-ended questions – If you did not understand some parts of the
conversation, encourage them to elaborate and ask open-ended questions to get
lengthy responses from the speaker. This helps in understanding the big picture.
 Stay equipped with knowledge–Gather relevant information on the topic so
that you can not only contribute effectively to the conversation but also listen
patiently when the speaker discusses the same or related topics.

Provide small encouragements – You can fight silence and build rapport with
the speaker by using small verbal encouraging words such as “right”, “sure”,
“yes”, “that makes sense”, “I understand”, and others.

Practice listening at home – Listen to podcasts on developing listening skills

and learn from them. You can also play an audio and try to gauge your
listening ability. Recollect from what was played and make pointers. Seek
assistance from a friend to help you evaluate your listening skills.

Non verbal communication:

Non-verbal communication comprises of all forms of communications other than
the verbal one. Although world has become more aware of it in the last 50 years,
its role and relevance is increasing at a higher rate than the requisite knowledge
about it. Human body movements, postures, gestures including appearances etc are
guided by inner thoughts, emotions and feelings. Just as any language uses a set of
symbols to represent letters and words to convey the meanings, body language,
mostly unconsciously, carries messages, attitudes, status, mood etc of the person.
Although dress, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics are used to convey own
feelings consciously but most persons doing so are unaware of their importance in
interpersonal communications.

IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT BODY LANGUAGE:

According to Albert Meharbian, the average proportions of different

types of communications are:

Words (verbal communication) = 07 %

Tone, pitch of the sound (Vocal communication) = 38 %
Non-verbal communication (body language) = 55 %

Total = 100 %
According to Prof Birdwhistle, it is estimated that the proportion
between verbal (face to face) and non-verbal communication is:

Verbal (face to face) communication = 35 %

Non-verbal communication (Body Language) = 65 %

Total = 100 %

Advantages:
Easy demonstration -Information can simply be offered in non-verbal
communication through using noticeable, audio-visual and silent means of non-
verbal communication.
The substituting -Non-verbal message may alternative for spoken message
especially if it is obstructed by disturbance, disturbance, long-distance etc. for
example gestures-finger to mouth to indicate the need for quite, face expressions- a
nod instead of a yes.

Easy understanding -This communication depends on upon these factors facial

expression, eye contact, proximity, touching etc. which can help illiterate people to
understand that what speaker want to share .

Less wastage of time -The message from the non-verbal interaction is received by
the recipient very fast. For this reason, it decreases the waste of time of the
speaker.
Disadvantages:

1. Cultural Difference:

Every culture uses nonverbal communication and they have their way of
communicating that can be different from ours. The difference in message can lead
to negativity and offensive. For example People perceive silence as a negative trait
suggesting rejection, unhappiness, depression. However, the Japanese admire
silence and consider it is a key to success.

2. No rules:
Nonverbal communication should not follow any rules, structure like other
communication therefore people unconsciously engage in nonverbal movements.
For example, some people have a habit of shaking a leg while talking.
3. Distant conversations aren't possible:
One cannot express the feeling while communicating off face. Therefore the
second person can never know the "real" intention of the speaker.
4. Not everyone prefers:
Few people do not prefer to use nonverbal skills. They think it may be
unprofessional, unimpressive and less influential.

5. Imprecise and inaccurate:

Nonverbal messages can be quite inaccurate because there is no use of verbal
words so it becomes very difficult how the other perceives. The meaning varies not
only by the cultures but also with the degree of intention. In fact no dictionary can
accurately classify them.
Business Etiquettes:

Etiquettes are the rules and conventions governing correct or polite behavior used
in society, in a particular social or professional group setting. Business
Etiquette is all about building relationships with people within and outside a
business organization. In the business world, it is people that influence your
success or failure. Etiquette, and in particular business etiquette, is simply a means
of maximizing your business potential.

Business etiquette revolves around two things. Firstly, thoughtful consideration of

the interests and feelings of others and secondly, minimizing misunderstandings.
Both are dependent upon self conduct. Business etiquette polishes this conduct.

The Importance of Business Etiquette:

Etiquette can help businesses improve the following areas:

• Branding: Everything we do will reflect on our company and our products. By

acting professionally, we send the message that our business is credible and
trustworthy. Personalized care may very well be your edge against the competition.

• Customer Care: The best way to show customers that their patronage is valued
is to treat them with respect and consideration. This in turn can inspire customer
loyalty and positive feedback.

• Employee Engagement: Good manners will help improve morale and

confidence between employees and team members.

• Team Synergy: Good manners will help establish smooth working relationships
within a team, which contributes to greater productivity.
 Unit-2
FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION:
The Formal Communication is the exchange of official information that flows
along the different levels of the organizational hierarchy and conforms to the
prescribed professional rules, policy, standards, processes and regulations of the
organization.

The formal communication follows a proper predefined channel of communication

and is deliberately controlled. It is governed by the chain of command and
complies with all the organizational conventional rules. In the organizational set up
the formal communication can observe any of the following forms:

1. Downward Communication: The downward communication is when the

information passes from the management level to the subordinate level. This is the
most common form of formal communication wherein communication flows
downwards, i.e. from the people occupying top positions in the organization to the
people at lower levels.
It mainly includes orders and instructions and can either be written or oral
depending on the importance of the message and also the status of individuals
involved in the communication process. Reports, emails, letters, manuals, etc. are
the commonly used communication tools.

2. Upward Communication: The upward communication is when the message

passes from the subordinate level to the management level. Here, the
communication flows upwards i.e. from the subordinates to the managers in the
form of request, reports, suggestions, complaints, and instructions.
3. Horizontal or Lateral Communication: Horizontal communication means when
the Co-workers with different areas of responsibilities, but at the same level in the
organization communicate with each other. The communication between the
managers of a different department, such as marketing, finance, production, HR, is
the best example of horizontal communication.
4. Diagonal or Crosswise Communication: When the employees of different
departments at different levels communicate with each other irrespective of the
chain of command, then the communication is said to be a diagonal or a cross-wise
communication. The communication between the floor manager and the sales team
is the example of diagonal communication.

Characteristics:
Written and Oral
Formal communication can both be written and oral. Daily works are handled
through oral communication, while the policy matters require written
communication.

Formal Relations:
This communication is adopted among those employees where formal relations
have been established by the organization. The sender and the receiver have some
sort of organizational relations.

Prescribed Path:
The communication has to pass through a definite channel while moving from one
person to another. For example, to convey the feelings of a worker to the manager,
the foreman’s help has to be sought.

Organizational Message:
This channel is concerned with the authorized organizational messages only and
the personal messages are out of its jurisdiction.
Deliberate Effort:
This channel of communication is not established automatically but effort has to be
made for its creation. It is decided keeping in view the objectives of the
organization.

Advantages:
Maintenance of Authority of the Officers:
Formal communication maintains constant relations among the superiors and the
subordinates as a result of whom the dignity of the line superiors is maintained.
Consequently, it is convenient to control the subordinates and fix their
responsibility which is absolutely needed for effective and successful control.

Clear and Effective Communication:

In formal communication, there is a direct contact among the managers and the
subordinates. Both understand the capability, habits, feelings, etc. of one another.
Managers know as to when and under which conditions their subordinates need
information. In this way, this communication is capable of making available timely
information. Hence, it is clear and effective.

Orderly Flow of Information:

The information has to pass through a definite route from one person to another.
Hence, the flow of information is systematic.

Easy Knowledge of Source of Information:

In this type of communication, the source of each information can be easily
located.
Limitations:
Wastage of Time: Formal communication process passes through various stages
or levels of an organization and therefore requires more time to reach to its
destination. This is ultimately wastage of time.
Delay in Decision Making: Everyone has to maintain specific framework of
communication in case of formal communication. Therefore management requires
more time which delays decision making process.
Lack of Initiative: In such communication there is no option to select any other
system which is the best one compared to the prescribed system. As a result
creative ideas are ignored here.
Behavior: This type of communication reflects authoritarian pattern of behavior
in the organizational structure. Such negatively affects the mind of the employees.
Costly: This sort of communication maintains all formalities of communication for
which it involves more cost.

INFORMAL COMMUNICATIONS:

The Informal Communication is the casual and unofficial form of

communication wherein the information is exchanged spontaneously between two
or more persons without conforming the prescribed official rules, processes,
system, formalities and chain of command.

The informal communications are based on the personal or informal relations such
as friends, peers, family, club members, etc. and thus are free from the
organizational conventional rules and other formalities. In the business context, the
informal communication is called as a “grapevine” as it is difficult to define the
beginning and end of the communication.
Types of Informal Communication:

1. Single Strand Chain

This is the type of communication where A shares an idea or information with
B, who then passes it to C, and so on.
2. Cluster Chain
Have you ever noticed how a social media challenge becomes viral? People
start something unique and tag, say, three friends for the challenge. They
complete the challenge and tag three more people each, and so on. That’s how
a cluster chain communication is formed and continues.
3. Gossip Chain
Think of the college canteen conversations, where one person vividly
describes her recent adventures to a group of friends gathered around the table
to listen. That’s how the gossip chain works. One person initiates the
conversation and shares information with a group of people, who then pass on
the information to more people.
4. Probability: In this type of network, the person communicates with the other at
random.

Characteristics of Informal Communication:

There are a number of characteristics that distinguish this form of communication
from formal communication. Here is a couple that you should know about:

• Multidirectional Flow of Communication: The most prominent trait is that it

flows in a multidirectional way. As the network is stretched and easily
available to a large number of people, the information may cater to the
interests of the majority. This could be workplace gossip that multiple people
are interested in.

• Not Controlled by Authority: With grapevine and other similar types of

communication, the narrative is not controlled by the management or the
 authorities. And since regular people or employees are responsible for the flow
of information, it could either be accurate or could be deemed as inaccurate.

• Rapid Flow of Information: Unlike formal communication, its counterpart

flows at an incredibly rapid pace. Because of this, rumors can spread at an
alarmingly fast rate.

• Generally Via Verbal Means of Communication: Typically, this type of

communication takes place verbally instead of written form.

• Message Can Get Distorted: As with the case of grapevine, you can expect
the message to get distorted along the way because of the system.

• Spontaneous: This form of communication is more spontaneous in nature. As

a result of this spontaneity, the receiver may often not know what to expect.

• Flexible: Unlike formal communication, its counterpart is more flexible in

nature since it is free from formal restrictions.

ADVANTAGES:

• Interpret: The information is given by the top-level management under the

formal system. It is easy for the employees to take the explanation by
informal system. So this system plays a vital role to complete the work
properly.
• Present grievance: Under the informal system the employees disclose their
needs, sentiment and their emotions to others authority without feeling any
hesitation.
• Alternate system: The management sometimes does not able to reach all
information by formal system. Informal system covers the gap or familiarity
of formal system.
• Improved relationship: Any problem between the workers and the
management can be solved by informal system. So it makes good
relationships among the employees and the management.
• Increase efficiency: Under the informal system, the employees discuss their
problems openly and they can solve it. For this, the work is done properly
and it develops the efficiency of the employee.
 • Providing recommendation: In this system the employees inform their
superior about their demands, problem and the way to develop the
implementation system of the work. As a result it creates an opportunity to
send the recommendation to their management.
• Flexibility: Informal communication is more flexible than formal
communication because it is free from all types of formalities.
• Rapid communication: Informal communication transmits very fast.
Especially miss-information or rumor spread rapidly to others in the
organization.
• Improve interpersonal relationship: Cooperation and coordination in
informal communication leads to improve interpersonal relationship which
is very much essential to carry out the business activity smoothly.

DISADVANATGES:
• Distort meaning: Something the meaning and the subject matter of the
information is distorted in this system.
• Spread rumor: In this system, the miss-information or rumor spread
rapidly. The original information may be transformed to wrong information.
• Misunderstanding: Under this system, generally, the employees do not
obey the formal authorization system. So it creates the opportunity to
develop misunderstanding.
• Maintaining secrecy is impossible: In informal communication system
maximum communication is made by open discussion. So it is impossible to
maintain the secrecy of the information.
• Difficulty in controlling: Under informal communication system no
established rules or policy is obeyed. So it is very much difficult to control
the information.
• Non-cooperation: Informal communication system sometimes develops the
adversary culture among the employees. So they are not to be cooperative
with each other and their efficiency may be reduced.
INTER PERSONAL COMMUNICATION:

Interpersonal communication is the process of exchange of information, ideas and

feelings between two or more people through verbal or non-verbal methods.
It often includes face-to-face exchange of information, in a form of voice, facial
expressions, body language and gestures. The level of one’s interpersonal
communication skills is measured through the effectiveness of transferring
messages to others.
Commonly used interpersonal communication within an organization includes
daily internal employee communication, client meetings, employee performance
reviews and project discussions. In addition, online conversations today make a
large portion of employees’ interpersonal communication in the workplace.

MODELS OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION:

Johari window:
The Johari Window model is a simple and useful tool for illustrating and
improving self-awareness, and mutual understanding between individuals within a
group. The Johari Window model can also be used to assess and improve a group's
relationship with other groups.

Founders
The Johari Window model was devised by American psychologists Joseph Luft
and Harry Ingham in 1955, while researching group dynamics at the University of
California Los Angeles.

The model was first published in the Proceedings of the Western Training
Laboratory in Group Development by UCLA Extension Office in 1955, and was
later expanded by Joseph Luft.

Formation of Name
Luft and Ingham called their Johari Window model 'Johari' after combining their
first names, Joe and Harry. In early publications the word appears as 'JoHari'.
Influence Today the Johari Window model is especially relevant due to modern
emphasis on, and influence of

• Soft skills

• Behavior

• Empathy

• Cooperation

• inter-group development

• Interpersonal development.
Use of Johari Model
• The Johari Window soon became a widely used model for understanding and
training self-awareness, personal development, improving communications,
interpersonal relationships, group dynamics, team development and intergroup
relationships. What actually Model Represents

• The Johari Window model is also referred to as a 'disclosure/feedback model of

self awareness’ and by some people an 'information processing tool'.

• The Johari Window actually represents information - feelings, experience, views,

attitudes, skills, intentions, motivation, etc - within or about a person - in relation
to their group, from four perspectives.

Johari quadrant 1

Johari region 1 is also known as the 'area of free activity'. This is the information
about the person - behavior, attitude, feelings, emotion, knowledge, experience,
skills, views, etc - known by the person ('the self') and known by the group
('others').
Johari quadrant 2

Johari region 2 is what is known about a person by others in the group, but is
unknown by the person him/herself.

Johari quadrant 3

What is known to ourselves but kept hidden from, and therefore unknown to
others.

Johari quadrant 4

It contains information, feelings, talent abilities, aptitudes, experiences etc that are
unknown to the person him/herself and unknown to others in the group.

Drawbacks of Johari window

• Something are perhaps better not to Communicated (like mental or health

problem)

• Some people may pass on the information they received further then we desire.

• Some people may react negatively.

• Using johari window is useless exercise if it is not linked to the activities that
reinforce positive behavior or that correct negative behavior.

• Some cultures have a very open and accepting approach to feedback and others
do not.

• Some people take personal feedback offensively.

Transactional analysis:

The Transactional Analysis refers to the psychoanalytic process wherein the

interpersonal behaviors are studied. In other words, a social psychological model
that talks about the personal growth and personal change, i.e., identifying the ego
states of each individual to understand their behaviors and altering them to solve
the emotional problems.

It was developed by Eric Berne, a psychotherapist. He observed there are several

‘people’ inside each person who interact with other people in different ways.

To understand TA, one should understand the following:

Ego States,

2. Life Position and

3. Analysis of Transactions.

1. Ego States:
It represents a person’s way of thinking, feeling and behaving. There are three ego
states present in everyone: child, parent and adult. They are related to behavior of a
person and not his age. There may be more of one ego state than another at a
specific point of time. When two persons communicate with each other,
communication is affected by their ego states. These are

(a) Child ego:

Child behavior reflects a person’s response to communicate in the
form of joy, sorrow, frustration or curiosity. These are the natural
feelings that people learn as children. It reflects immediate action and
immediate satisfaction. It reflects childhood experience of a person
gained generally up to the age of five years.
A child can be:
Natural child:
He is naturally curious, joyous or scornful. He does what comes his
way naturally.

Adaptive child:
He reacts the way his parents want him to react. He is trained to act.

Rebellious child:
He has the experience of fear, frustration and anger.

(b) Parent Ego:

Parent behavior is acquired through external environment. It usually
reflects protection, displeasure, reference to rules and working on the
basis of past precedents.

This can be:

Nurturing parent ego:
As nurturing parents, managers praise good performance of the
workers. They interact with them and help them during times of
distress. They reflect nurturing behavior towards others.

Negative or critical parent ego:

As critical parents, managers criticize or ignore poor performance of
the workers rather than help them to improve. They have a critical
attitude while interacting with others.

(c) Adult ego:

Adult behavior reflects the ability to analyze the situation and take
logical decisions. He overcomes the emotional feelings and takes
decisions based on facts and figures. This state is based upon
reasoning, thinking, experience, rationality and discussion based on
facts.

It updates the parental ego to determine what is right and wrong and
child ego to determine what feelings to express and what not to
express.
2. Life Position:
Behavior of a person depends upon his experience at different stages of his life. He
develops a philosophy towards work from early childhood which becomes part of
his identity and remains with him for lifetime unless some external factor changes
it. These positions are called life time positions.

They fall into four categories:

(a) I am OK, You are OK.

(b) I am OK, You are not OK.

(c) I am not OK, You are OK.

(d) I am not OK, You are not OK.

(a) I am OK, You are OK:

This life position represents adult ego of a person. It becomes the philosophy of a
person who has good and positive experiences with others. They feel confident
about themselves and others. Managers with this life position believe in give and
take. They are competent to take decisions and also allow others to participate in
the decision-making processes.

(b) I am OK, You are not OK:

This life position represents parent ego of a person who is brought up as a
rebellious child. They have critical attitude towards others. They believe whatever
they do is right and blame others for their wrong acts.

Managers with this life position have critical attitude towards others. They find
faults with others and lack trust, faith and confidence in them. They believe
whatever they do is right and, therefore, do not delegate tasks to others.

(c) lam not OK, You are OK:

This life position represents a state of distrust in the person himself. He lacks
confidence in whatever he does. He believes he cannot do things that people
around him can do.
Managers with this life position are usually not good managers. They do not
perform well, have an erratic behavior, feel guilty for their acts and often use
excuses to act against others.

(d) I am not OK, You are not OK:

This life position represents a desperate state of persons who have lost interest in
life. They have been brought up as neglected children and, therefore, have negative
attitude towards life. In extreme situations, they may even commit suicide.

Managers with this life position do not believe in themselves and others. They
make mistakes in work, do not make proper decisions and also do not believe in
decisions made by others.

One of these life positions dominates every person at a point of time. The optimum
position is ‘I am OK, You are OK where a person believes in himself and others. It
represents an adult- adult transaction and a psychologically matured state of mind.
This position can be achieved through education and managers should try to reach
this stage through training and development programmes in their interest and
interest of the organization.

3. Analysis of Transactions:
When two persons interact or communicate with each other, there is a transaction
between them. While transacting, both of them are at different ego states.

Based on the ego states, two types of transactions can take place:
a) Complementary and

(b) Crossed.

(a) In complementary transactions, sender of information gets an expected

response from the receiver.

People get expected response from each other because both are in the expected ego
states. Both are, therefore, satisfied and communication is complete. In
complementary transactions, ego states of two persons are parallel to each other.
Stimulus and response patterns are as predicted.
There can be nine types of complementary transactions:
adult – adult Parent – parent child – child

adult – parent Parent – child child – parent

adult – child Parent – adult child – adult

(b) In crossed transactions, sender gets unexpected response from the receiver
which obstructs the process of communication. Stimulus – response lines are not
parallel in these transactions. Rather, they cross each other. The person who
initiates the transaction or creates a stimulus gets a response he does not expect.
 UNIT-3
Importance of Perception or role:

1. Perception is very important in understanding human behavior because every

person perceives the world and approaches life problems differently. Whatever we
see or feel is not necessarily the same as it really is. When we buy something, it is
not because it is the best, but because we take it to be the best.
2. If people behave on the basis of their perception, we can predict their behavior in
the changed circumstances by understanding their present perception of the
environment. One person may be viewing the facts in one way which may be
different from the facts as seen by another viewer.
3. With the help of perception, the needs of various people can be determined,
because people’s perception is influenced by their needs.
4. Perception is very important for the manager who wants to avoid making errors
when dealing with people and events in the work setting. This problem is made
more complicated by the fact that different people perceive the same situation
differently. In order to deal with the subordinates effectively, the managers must
understand their perceptions properly.
5. Perception can be important because it offers more than objective output; it ingests
an observation and manufactures an altered reality enriched with previous
experiences.
6. Perception builds character (not necessarily good or bad character) that defines
different roles individuals fall into the clown, the hypocrite, the self-righteous, the
victim, etc..
7. It is vitally important if we want to get along with others to try to see things from
their perspective or walk in their shoes for a while. If we walk in their shoes we
will gain a new perspective about things and in that understand the other and also
can love and help the other more appropriately.

Thus, for understanding human behavior, it is very important to understand their

perception, that is, how they perceive the different situations.

People’s behavior is based on their perceptions of what reality is, not on reality
itself. The world as it is perceived is the world that is important for understanding
human behavior.
Motivation:
Assertive communication style:

This is the best style of communication. It is the most effective communication

style. It is born of high self-esteem and is neither too passive nor too aggressive.
People using this style of communication have the confidence to communicate
without having to employ games or manipulation. They know their limits and don’t
allow people to push them beyond the limit just because the other person needs or
wants something from them. The surprise is that this is the least used style of
communication.

This type of person strives to achieve their goals without hurting others. They are
emotionally and socially expressive and they make their own choices and take
responsibility. They ask directly and accept the possibility of being rejected. They
go with a medium pitch, speed, and volume. They have good eye contact, relaxed,
have an open posture, and don’t fidget. The way they communicate builds trust and
the other person feels they can take them for their words.

Aggressive communication style:

This type of people can focus on winning even if it is on the other person’s
expense. They behave as if their needs are more important, have more to
contribute, and have more rights than other people. This is not a healthy style of
communication because the content of the message can be lost because people
become too busy reacting to the way it is delivered.

They are frightening, threatening and hostile. They are out to win and the use
different methods such as bullying, intimidation, abrasiveness, demanding,
unpredictability, and belligerence. They volume is loud and the posture is bigger
than others. They invade other people’s spaces and try to stand over them. Their
facial expressions can be glaring, frowning, and scowling. The other person is
likely to feel defensive, hurt, humiliated, resentful, afraid, and ultimately does not
respect the other person.
The Passive-Aggressive Communication Style:

This is a communication style where a person appears to be passive on the outside,

but is indirectly acting out their anger. People employing this style of
communication usually feel powerless, and undermine the object of their
resentments subtly to express how they feel, even if it means sabotaging
themselves. A good expression that can be used to describe them is “cutting off
your nose to spite your face”

They are indirectly aggressive and sarcastic. They are not reliable and can be
dubious, sulky, gossips, patronizing, and complainers. Their expressions are
inconsistent with their true feelings and will be pleasant to your face but poisonous
behind your back. They have a sugary sweet voice and an asymmetrical posture.
They have a sweet and innocent facial expression. People on the receiving end will
feel confused, resentful, angry, and hurt.

The Submissive Communication Style:

This type of people try their best to please others and avoid conflict. They treat the
needs of other as more important than theirs. They behave as if the other person
has more rights and more to contribute. They are apologetic because they feel as if
they are imposing when they want something. They try their best to avoid any
confrontation and will yield to preferences of other people. They feel like the
victim and they refuse compliments. They don’t express their desires or how they
are feeling.

They use a soft volume and try to make themselves as small as possible. They tend
to fidget a lot and will portray submissive behaviors. People on the receiving end
will feel guilty, frustrated, exasperated, and don’t know what they want.

The Manipulative Communication Style:

People employing this style are scheming, shrewd and calculating. Manipulative
communicators are great at influencing and controlling others for their own
benefit. They have an underlying message when they speak, and many times the
other person is unaware. They are cunning; control other people in an insidious
way such as sulking, using fake tears, indirectly asking for their needs to be met,
and making the other person feel sorry or obliged to help them.
They can a patronizing, ingratiating, envious, and often high pitched voice.
Barriers of communication:

Linguistic Barriers

Psychological Barriers

There are various mental and psychological issues that may be barriers to effective
communication. Some people have stage fear, speech disorders, phobia, depression
etc. All of these conditions are very difficult to manage sometimes and will most
certainly limit the ease of communication.

Emotional Barriers
The emotional IQ of a person determines the ease and comfort with which they can
communicate. A person who is emotionally mature will be able to communicate
effectively. On the other hand, people who let their emotions take over will face
certain difficulties.

A perfect mixture of emotions and facts is necessary for effective communication.

Emotions like anger, frustration, humour, can blur the decision-making capacities of
a person and thus limit the effectiveness of their communication.

Physical Barriers to Communication

They are the most obvious barriers to effective communication. These barriers are
mostly easily removable in principle at least. They include barriers like noise, closed
doors, faulty equipment used for communication, closed cabins, etc. Sometimes, in a
large office, the physical separation between various employees combined with
faulty equipment may result in severe barriers to effective communication.

Cultural Barriers of Communication

As the world is getting more and more globalized, any large office may have people
from several parts of the world. Different cultures have a different meaning for
several basic values of society. Dressing, Religions or lack of them, food, drinks,
pets, and the general behavior will change drastically from one culture to another.
Hence it is a must that we must take these different cultures into account while
communication. This is what we call being culturally appropriate. In many
multinational companies, special courses are offered at the orientation stages that let
people know about other cultures and how to be courteous and tolerant of others.

Organizational Structure Barriers

As we saw there are many methods of communication at an organizational level.
Each of these methods has its own problems and constraints that may become
barriers to effective communication. Most of these barriers arise because of
misinformation or lack of appropriate transparency available to the employees.

Attitude Barriers
Certain people like to be left alone. They are the introverts or just people who are not
very social. Others like to be social or sometimes extra clingy! Both these cases could
become a barrier to communication. Some people have attitude issues, like huge ego
and inconsiderate behaviors.

Perception Barriers
Different people perceive the same things differently. This is a fact which we must
consider during the communication process. Knowledge of the perception levels of
the audience is crucial to effective communication. All the messages or communiqué
must be easy and clear. There shouldn’t be any room for a diversified interpretational
set.

Physiological Barriers
Certain disorders or diseases or other limitations could also prevent effective
communication between the various channels of an organization. The shrillness of
voice, dyslexia, etc are some examples of physiological barriers to effective
communication. However, these are not crucial because they can easily be
compensated and removed.
Technological Barriers & Socio-religious Barriers
Other barriers include the technological barriers. The technology is developing fast
and as a result, it becomes difficult to keep up with the newest developments. Hence
sometimes the technological advance may become a barrier. In addition to this, the
cost of technology is sometimes very high.
 Unit-4
Meaning of Business Correspondence
Any communication in the form of the letter is correspondence. Any person related to
a business expresses oneself though business correspondence. One can also ask any
doubt or uncertainty through business correspondence.

A businessman writes and receives letters in his day to day life. A correspondence
between two organizations or within an organization comes under this category. A
letter to a supplier, complaint letters, letter of inquiry, job application letters are some
of its examples.

Importance of Business Correspondence

A business correspondence has numbers of importance. Its most important feature is

the ease of reaching and communicating with different parties. It is not always
possible to meet persons face to face.

A business correspondence helps to meet some organizational goals. One can achieve
the objectives through it. Let us study some of them in details.

1. Maintaining a Proper Relationship

It is not always possible for any business or organization to reach to any person in
particular. This will cost any business. Here, the business correspondence will be a
rescue for any business.

It helps in maintaining the proper relationships between the parties. Business

correspondence strengthens the business. It also helps in the internal communication.
It makes communication within the organization more clear and precise.
2. Serves as Evidence
Any written form of communication serves as evidence. A business correspondence
helps the person in a business to keep a record of all the facts. These written records
will serve as evidence.

3. Create and Maintain Goodwill

It helps in creating and maintaining goodwill between a business and a customer.
Any letter to enquire, complaint, suggestion or feedbacks helps a company to grow
and maintain goodwill.

4. Inexpensive and Convenient

It is a cheap and convenient form of business communication.

5. Formal Communication
A business communication serves as a formal communication between two persons.
It may be a seller and a buyer. It can be between an employee and the employer. The
language used is formal and logical.

It helps in removing the ambiguity and the doubts of the person involved in the
business. The formal communication in business is followed and acceptable.

6. Helps in the Expansion of Business

A business correspondence helps a business to achieve the set goal. It also ensures
the expansion of a business. With no waste of time and proper utilization of
manpower and resources, a business can expand.

Any information regarding some resources or any product or market can be easily
done. Even the news of the expansion of business can be spread by it.
Types of Business Correspondence

A correspondence is of many types. Let us get ourselves familiar with some of them.

1. Internal Correspondence
It refers to the correspondence between the individuals, departments, or branches of
the same organization.

2. External Correspondence
It refers to the correspondence between two individuals. These are not of the same
organization. Any correspondence outside the organization is external
correspondence. Customer and suppliers, banks, educational institutions, government
departments come under this category.

3. Routine Correspondence
It refers to the correspondence on routine manners. A correspondence made for
inquiries, orders, replies, acknowledgments, invitation, and appointment letters are
routine correspondence.

4. Sales Correspondence
It refers to the correspondence related to the sale. Sales letters, sales reports, invoice,
and confirmation of orders are sale correspondence. Delivery letters, statement of
accounts etc. are also some of its examples.

5. Personalized Correspondence
It refers to the correspondence based on emotional factors. Letters of the request,
recommendation, and congratulations are personalized correspondence. Letter of
introduction, granting and the refusal of terms are some of its examples.

6. Circulars
It refers to the communication of common matter to a large number of persons or
firms. Circulars, notices of tenders, change of address, an opening of the new branch
come under this category. An introduction of new products is also its example.
Essential of effective business correspondence:
There are 7 C’s of effective communication which are applicable to both written
as well as oral communication. These are as follows:

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.
▪ 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.
2. 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:
▪ It is both time-saving as well as cost-saving.
▪ It underlines 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.
3. Consideration - Consideration implies “stepping into the shoes of others”.
Effective communication must take the audience into consideration, i.e, the
audience’s view points, background, mind-set, education level, etc. Make an
attempt to envisage your audience, their requirements, emotions as well as
problems. Ensure that the self-respect of the audience is maintained and their
emotions are not at harm. Modify your words in message to suit the
audience’s needs while making your message complete. 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.
4. 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.
5. Concreteness - Concrete communication implies being particular and clear
rather than fuzzy and general. Concreteness strengthens the confidence.
Concrete message has following features:
▪ It is supported with specific facts and figures.
▪ It makes use of words that are clear and that build the reputation.
▪ Concrete messages are not misinterpreted.
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.
▪ It makes use of terms showing respect for the receiver of message.
▪ It is not at all 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.
▪ If the 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.
▪ It makes use of appropriate and correct language in the message.

Awareness of these 7 C’s of communication makes you an effective

communicator.
 Presentation skills:
Presentation skills can be defined as a set of abilities that enable an individual to:
interact with the audience; transmit the messages with clarity; engage the audience
in the presentation; and interpret and understand the mindsets of the listeners.
These skills refine the way you put forward your messages and enhance your
persuasive powers.
The present era places great emphasis on good presentation skills. This is because
they play an important role in convincing the clients and customers. Internally,
management with good presentation skills is better able to communicate the
mission and vision of the organization to the employees.

Importance of Presentation Skills

Interaction with others is a routine job of businesses in today’s world. The
importance of good presentation skills is established on the basis of following
points:

• They help an individual in enhancing his own growth opportunities. In addition, it

also grooms the personality of the presenter and elevates his levels of confidence.
• In case of striking deals and gaining clients, it is essential for the business
professionals to understand the audience. Good presentation skills enable an
individual to mold his message according to the traits of the audience. This
increases the probability of successful transmission of messages.
• Lastly, business professionals have to arrange seminars and give presentations
almost every day. Having good presentation skills not only increases an
individual’s chances of success, but also enables him to add greatly to the
organization.

How to Improve Presentation Skills

Development of good presentation skills requires efforts and hard work. To
improve your presentation skills, you must:

• Research the Audience before Presenting: This will enable you to better
understand the traits of the audience. You can then develop messages that can be
better understood by your target audience. For instance, in case of an analytical
audience, you can add more facts and figures in your presentation.
• Structure your Presentation Effectively: The best way to do this is to start with
telling the audience, in the introduction, what you are going to present. Follow this
by presenting the idea, and finish off the presentation by repeating the main points.
• Do a lot of Practice: Rehearse but do not go for memorizing the presentation.
Rehearsals reduce your anxiety and enable you to look confident on the
presentation day. Make sure you practice out loud, as it enables you to identify and
eliminate errors more efficiently. Do not memorize anything as it will make your
presentation look mechanical. This can reduce the degree of audience engagement.
 Unit-5
Report writing:
A report is a presentation of facts and findings, usually as a basis for
recommendations; written for a specific readership, and probably intended to be
kept as a record.

It is purely based on observation and analysis.

A report gives an explanation of any circumstance.

A report discusses a particular problem in detail.

Reports are required for judging the performances of various departments in an

organization.

A good report is always fact finding and not fault finding. It should be prepared in
an impartial manner. The writers of the report should be impartial in their outlook
and approach.

• A means to convey some information to others.

• An organized, factual, objective presentation of information.
• Organized’ since it follows a systematic pattern.
• Objective' means it should not be influenced by our personal feelings.
• Report is a comprehensive document and covers all aspects of the subject
matter of study.

Importance of report writing:

1. Decision Making Tool: Today's complex business organizations require

thousands of information. Reports provide the required information. A large
number of important decisions in business or any other areas are taken on
the basis of information presented in the report.
2. Investigation: Whenever there is any problem, a committee or
commission or study group investigates the problem to find out the reason
behind the problem and present the fount output with or without the
recommendation in the form of a report.

3. Evaluation: Large scale organizations is engaged in multidimensional

activities. It is not possible for a single top executive to keep personal watch
on what others are doing.
So, the executive depends on reports to evaluate the performance of various
departments or units.

4. Quick Location: There is no denying the fact that business executives

need information for quick decision making. As top executive are found to
be busy for various purposes, they need vital sources of information. Such
sources can be business report.

5. Development of Skill: Report writing skill develops the power of

designing, Organization co-ordination, judgment and communication.
Therefore such skill acts as a catalyst.

6. Neutral Presentation of Facts: Facts are required to be presented in a

neutral way. Such presentation is ensured through a report as it investigates,
explains and evaluates and much more about any fact independently.

7. Professional Advancement: Report also plays a major role in

professional progress and advancement.
For promotion to the rank and file position, satisfactory job performance is
enough to help a person. But for promotion to high level position,
intellectual ability is highly required. Such ability can be expressed through
the report submitted to higher authority.
 8. Proper Control: Whether activities are happening according to plan or
not is expressed through a report.
So, controlling such activities is implemented based on the information of a
report.

9. A Managerial Tool: Various reports make activities easy for the

managers. For planning, organizing, coordinating, motivating and
controlling, a manger may find help from a report which acts as a source of
information.

10. Encountering Advance and Complex Situation: In a large business

organization, there is always some sort of labor problems which may bring
complex situations. To tackle that situation, managers take the help of a
report.

Structure of report:
➢ Title Page
➢ Table of Contents
➢ Executive Summary

➢ Introduction
➢ Findings BODY OF REPORT
➢ Conclusions
➢ Recommendations

➢ Bibliography/References
➢ Appendices
The content of a business report will depend on what you are writing about. Even the
writing style may depend on who you are writing for (although clear, concise and formal
is usually best). However, there is a general structure that most business reports follow.
In this post, then, we’ll look at how to structure a business report for maximum clarity
and professionalism.

1. Title Page
Every business report should feature a title page. The title itself should clearly set out
what the report is about. Typically, you should also include your name and the date of
the report.

2. Summary
Most business reports begin with a summary of its key points. Try to include:

• A brief description of what the report is about

• How the report was completed (e.g., data collection methods)
• The main findings from the research
• Key conclusions and recommendations

A paragraph or two should suffice for this in shorter business reports. However, for
longer or more complex reports, you may want to include a full executive summary.

3. Table of Contents
Short business reports may not need a table of contents, especially if they include a
summary. But longer reports should set out the title of each section and the structure of
the report. Make sure the headings here match those used in the main text. You may
also want to number the sections.

4. Introduction
The introduction is the first part of the report proper. Use it to set out the brief you
received when you were asked to compile the report. This will frame the rest of the
report by providing:

• Background information (e.g., business history or market information)

• The purpose of the report (i.e., what you set out to achieve)
• Its scope (i.e., what the report will cover and what it will ignore)

These are known as the “terms of reference” for the business report.
5. Methods and Findings
If you are conducting original research, include a section about your methods. This may
be as simple as setting out the sources you are using and why you chose them. But it
could also include how you have collected and analyzed the data used to draw your
conclusions.

After this, you will need to explain your findings. This section will present the results of
your research clearly and concisely, making sure to cover all the main points set out in
the brief.

6. Conclusions and Recommendations

The last main section of your report will cover conclusions and recommendations.
The conclusion section should summarize what you have learned from the report. If you
have been asked to do so, you should also recommend potential courses of action
based on your conclusions.

If you are not sure what to suggest here, think back to the objectives set out in your
brief.

7. References
If you have used any third-party sources while writing your report, list them in
a bibliography after the main report. This could include other business documents,
academic articles, or even news reports. The key is to show what you have based your
findings and conclusions upon.

8. Appendices (If Applicable)

Finally, you may have gathered extra documentation during your research, such as
interview transcripts, marketing material, or financial data. Including this in the main
report would make it too long and unfocused, but you can add it to an appendix (or
multiple appendices) at the end of the document. It will then be available should your
reader need it.
NEGATIVE REPORT WRITING
A negative message is a message written to convey an unpleasant and unfavorable
information without provoking the annoyance of the readers.

Goals or purpose of negative report

➢ To convey the bad news.

➢ To gain acceptance for it.
➢ To maintain as much good will as possible.
➢ To maintain a good image for our organization.
➢ To eliminate the need for future correspondence on the matter, if
appropriate.

Persuasive Reporting

Persuasive writing intends to convince readers to believe in an idea or opinion

and to do an action. Many writings such as criticisms, reviews, reaction papers,
editorials, proposals, advertisements, and brochures use different ways of
persuasion to influence readers. Persuasive writing can also be used in
indoctrination.

Tips for Better Persuasive Writing

In order to be a more influential writer, there are a few persuasive writing
techniques a writer may utilize:

1. Pick a topic you’re passionate about.

You’ll do your best persuading when it’s something you truly believe in.
If you have the option to pick a topic, choose one that appeals to your own
sensibilities. There will be research to do regardless, but already having a
strong opinion about your subject will make its defense a bit easier.

2. Know your audience.

If you want to convince readers to believe and agree with you, know who
you’re talking to first. For example, if you’re writing a persuasive letter
about why standardized testing should be removed from school systems,
your audience will likely be parents: Keep that in mind when writing to
your targeted demographic.
3. Hook the reader’s attention.

A persuasive writer should present their opinion with a declarative

statement that clearly expresses their point of view. Starting with a fact,
research findings, or any other evidence that explicitly states information
supportive of your thesis will immediately clue the reader in to what the
essay will be about, what your position is, and if they’re interested enough
to read on to see if they’ll be on your side.

4. Research both sides.

In order to convince the reader to agree with you, you also have to know
what you’re trying to get them to disagree with. Your audience may be
completely stuck in their ways, so knowing both sides of your argument—
and how to effectively counter the opposition—will assuage any followup
questions a reader may have that can cast doubt on your position.

5. Be empathetic.

An effective persuasion technique is the use of empathy. A reader is more

inclined to believe you if they feel like you can relate to and understand
their experiences. Emotional appeal is important for persuasive writing, as
it targets the audience’s sensitivities, while also providing a logical
explanation for why their beliefs should change.

6. Ask rhetorical questions.

Presenting questions that the reader will be forced to answer for them later
on is another good persuasive strategy, especially when the information
provided to help make that decision is supportive of your point of view.

7. Emphasize your point.

The use of exaggeration in order to express urgency, exclusivity, or just to

make a point is another useful persuasive technique. Hyperbolic
statements aren’t meant to be taken literally, but are used instead to
convey an impactful image. For example, if you’re attempting to persuade
a reader not to go to a restaurant, you might say their bad service “nearly
starved you to death.” Although likely untrue, it still creates a vivid
picture. In marketing, another example is Disney’s slogan: “The happiest
place on Earth.” It’s a subjective statement that makes use of hyperbole to
 immediately create a desirable feeling for its audience—children and their
parents. Find out more about hyperbole in our guide here.

8. Repeat yourself.

Strategic repetition can be an effective way to gradually remind the reader

of your message. Finding different ways to make the same point by use of
rephrasing, true stories, metaphors, or other literary devices all serve to
reinforce your point without bogging down the reader with repetitiveness.

Special reports:
All organizations including companies, institutions, government department and
research establishments depend on routine reports for various management
decisions. Content – simple production information to complex marketing research
data. These reports are informational or analytical depending on the purpose.

Ex: daily/weekly/monthly/ reports, sales reports, etc

➢ Special Report conveys specific information related to single condition,

situation, problem or occasion.
➢ Most important decisions in an organization may be made on the basis of the
information contained in the special reports. Special reports could be
information/analytical

Ex: company launching new product based on a report analyzing the market
demand

Ex: inquiry reports, research reports, thesis, dissertation

➢ Special Report conveys specific information related to single condition,

situation, problem or occasion.
➢ Most important decisions in an organization may be made on the basis of
the information contained in the special reports.Special reports could be
information/analytical

Ex: company launching new product based on a report analyzing the market
demand

Ex: inquiry reports, research reports, thesis, dissertation

Proposal :
A term of business proposal is a written offer from a seller to a prospective
sponsor. Business proposals are often a key step in the complex sales process—i.e.,
whenever a buyer considers more than price in a purchase.
A proposal puts the buyer's requirements in a context that favors the seller's
products and services, and educates the buyer about the capabilities of the seller in
satisfying their needs.

Purpose of a Business Project Proposal

• Better planning.

Preparing a project proposal forces you to do research, analyze the client’s

problem, and think through a proposed solution. Lori Smith, CEO of Acu-
Elligent and author of Winning Business Proposal Strategies for Success,
says this helps you to plan better:

• Rock-solid documentation.

A business proposal forms the basis for a contract between you and your
client, sponsor, or partner. No matter how much you trust each other, it’s
best to have everything you agreed on in writing. This can help prevent or
even settle legal disputes.

• Improved project management.

The proposal sets the phases, milestones, and steps of the project. This level
of detail helps you keep track of progress to ensure the project is proceeding
as planned.
Types of Commonly Used Business Project Proposals

There are six different types of business project proposals:

1. formally solicited
2. informally solicited
3. unsolicited
4. continuation
5. renewal
6. supplemental

1. Formally Solicited Proposal

Use this type of proposal when you're responding to an official request for
proposal. In most cases, this will be the easiest type of proposal to write as the
potential client or customer will specify what they're looking for. In some cases,
they'll even outline what they want the proposal to cover.

2. Informally Solicited Proposal

This type of proposal is the same as the formally solicited proposal, but with one
difference. The information in the proposal isn’t clearly specified in an official
document or request.

Typically, you’ll write this proposal when a client or customer is interested in what
you've got to offer and asks for a proposal. Since the client doesn’t specify their
needs, you’ll have to do more research on your part to analyze the client and
understand what they're looking for.

3. Unsolicited Proposal
The unsolicited proposal like a cold call. You could send an unsolicited proposal if
you stumbled upon a potential client and think that your offer is exactly what they
need. This is one of the hardest proposal types to write. You’ll have to do plenty of
research upfront and be very convincing in how you present your project proposal
ideas.

4. Continuation Proposal
Send a continuation proposal when you want to send a reminder or an update about
an ongoing project that’s already been approved. All you’re doing with this
proposal is providing an update on the project and asking for approval to carry on
with the project. These proposal types are the easiest to write unless the client
wants major changes moving forward.

5. Renewal Proposal
Use the renewal proposal after you’ve completed a project and want to make a case
for continued support. When it comes to renewal proposals remember to provide
convincing proof why it’s beneficial to continue with the project.

6. Supplemental Proposal
Lastly, the supplemental project proposal is reserved for when you need approval
for extra resources for the project. Provide reasons and justify why those resources
are needed and create an updated estimate of what the project will take to
complete.

Proposal structure:

• Title and table of contents. This is straightforward. The title and the table
of contents provide a high-level overview of the proposal.
• Executive proposal summary. The summary should include the basic
information about your company, your history, accomplishments, goals, and
milestones.
• The description of the problem. In this section, you’ll provide a
description of the client’s problem and provide a reason for them to find a
solution.
• The proposed solution. In this section, you’ll outline exactly how you’ll
solve their problem and provide them with all the necessary details they
need to know.
• Project timeline and resources. After you explain the solution, add a
section with the project estimated timeline and the resources you need to
complete the project.
• Pricing and legal information. You’ll also need to provide them with the
price, outline payment terms, and provide them with any required legal
information.
• Terms and conditions. Don’t forget to include terms and conditions that
summarize everything you've promised to deliver as well as the client’s
responsibilities.
• The acceptance and call to action. The last section should tell the client
what the next steps are and make it clear how they can get started on the
 project. Include places for all the signatures as well as your contact
information in case they've any questions.

Formal Report
A formal report is an official report that contains detailed information, research,
and data necessary to make business decisions. This report is generally written for
the purpose of solving a problem.
Some examples of formal reports include:

• Inspection Report
• Safety Report
• Compliance Report
• Audit
• Incident Report
• Annual Report
• Situational Report

There are two categories of formal reports: informational and analytical reports.
The informational report gathers data and facts used to draw conclusions.
The analytical report contains the same information as the informational report,
but it also offers recommendations to solve a problem.

Types of Formal Reports

There are many different kinds of formal reports that you may encounter
throughout your career. Here are a few of the more common kinds:

• Research reports gather and explain data; these reports are informational.
Module 4: Research discusses research methods to obtain the data you’ll use
in these reports.
• Proposals may be internal to a company in addressing a business situation, or
they may come from a solicited or unsolicited sales situation. Formal
proposals will include details of the proposed solutions and costs.
• Feasibility reports are a specific type of analytical report. When an
entrepreneur or business manager has a new idea, it is prudent to fully explore
the idea before making major investments. Some think of this report as a
precursor to developing a full business plan. While a business plan may take
 many months to develop, a feasibility report can be developed in much less
time, and it still provides excellent direction for decision makers.
• Business plans are typically informational reports about what a new or
existing company plans to do over the next period of time. A business plan
may take on a bit more of an analytical tone rather than a strictly
informational tone when it is shared with potential investors. In some cases,
the business plan may be presented with a request for funds; in those cases,
the writing is gently more persuasive.
• Other complex recommendations may also come in the form of a formal
report. These recommendations result from a business problem that an
individual or team has been asked to solve.

Sections of Formal Reports

Depending upon the situation and the institution you’re working for or writing to, some or
all of the following sections may be required in a specific formal report. Some guides to
formal reports indicate that specific sections are recommended for each type of formal
report.

In a formal report there are three major sections.

1. The front part includes sections that come prior to the report itself to establish various
items such as authority of the report and intended audience.
2. The body of the report has many sections of key information and possible analysis. It is
the meat of the report.
3. The back matter contains sections of material that support the body.

Front Sections of a Report

In formal reports, you may encounter introductory sections before the actual report
itself. These “front sections” are important for establishing context and structure of
the report for the reader. In some reports, such as sales situations or proposals, the
entire report becomes part of a contract. These front sections aid in that function.

Front sections may include the following:

• Transmittal letter
• Cover page and Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Executive Summary
Transmittal Letter

A transmittal letter is sent to the company or business leader who requested the
report. This letter may be sent separately from the report. This letter can be printed
(especially in situations where the report itself is a paper copy), or it can be sent as
an email.

This letter describes the need for the report and the date of report completion. The
letter includes the background of the project; a reference to the problem analysis.
This letter can be used in both informational and analytical reports.

Cover Page and or Title Page

Almost all formal reports have a Cover or Title Page, perhaps both. These two
pages are used in nearly identical ways. A cover page is a very simple, precise,
brief way to introduce your report to the reader. This should contain:

• A specific title in large font

• Company name
• Name of the author(s)
• Date of the report
• Relevant picture

Table of Contents, Tables of Exhibits, Tables of Illustrations

Executive Summary

An executive summary is just as the name says: it summarizes all the materials that
follow in the report. This section is different from an introduction as it summarizes
the entire report, rather than simply introducing it or laying out the structure for the
reader. A good way to approach the executive summary is to write it as if the
executive or decision maker will only read this section, even though that’s unlikely
to be the case. This section is found in longer reports and is less likely to be found
in a shorter report. It can also be used in both informational and analytical reports.
Body Sections of a Report

The body of a report is what comes to mind when most people think of a report;
it’s the primary content. In this page, we will discuss several sections that are
frequently used in formal reports:

• Introduction
• Background
• Purpose (or problem statement)
• Research (or methods)
• Recommendation (or solution)
• Overview of alternative options
• Evaluation
• Benefits
• Qualification
• Management
• Implementations
• Schedule
• Methods of operation
• Costs
• Conclusion
Organization of Press Report:
Types of Newspaper Reports
•National newspapers will report on national issues like finance, war and politics
such as
•Local newspapers would report on actions and events in the area and tend to lean
towards emotional stories such as
A newspaper report includes the following (in order):
1. Headline and by-line (reporter's name & picture).
2. Opening paragraph (introduction) of about 25-40 words in length and provides
the most important and interesting news first while answering who, what, where,
when (how and why are often reserved for later).
3. Further short paragraphs of about 30-40 words, each one has a main idea and
different fact, includes quotes from people involved or experts.
4. Details are given in order of importance, least important details at the end of the
article.
5. At the end of a newspaper article the facts and opinions are summarised,
detailing the issue or event.