BUSINESS

COMMUNICATIO
N
 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION DESCRIPTION
*This course presents communication as a critical component for success in
the workplace. In this session, you will develop a foundation for designing
effective messages, both written and oral, from concept to delivery.

*You will use a communication model to identify objectives, analyze

audiences, choose information, and create the most effective arrangement
and channel for that message.

*Particularly, the course emphasizes elements of persuasive communication:

how to design messages for diverse and possibly resistant audiences and how
to present that information in a credible and convincing way.
 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION DESCRIPTION
• Specifically, you will practice drafting and editing clear, precise,
and readable written business documents as well as learn to
design documents to make information easily accessible to a busy,
executive-level reader.
• In addition, you will develop and deliver an individual
presentation, using appropriate and effective visual support, in
which you present a persuasive argument that demonstrates
relevance and benefits to an audience at different levels of
expertise or interest.
SESSION 1

Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace

Communication is the process of transferring information and meaning
between senders and receivers, using one or more written, oral, visual,
or electronic media.
The essence of communication is sharing—providing data,
information, insights, and inspiration in an exchange that benefits both
you and the people with whom you are communicating.
No matter what career path you pursue communication skills will be
essential to your success at every stage. You can have the greatest ideas
in the world but they're no good to your company or your career if you
can't express them clearly and persuasively.
Aside from the personal benefits communication should be important to you because it
is important to your bank, effective communication helps businesses and numerous
ways it provides:
• Opportunities to influence conversations, perceptions, and trends
• Increased productivity and faster problem solving
• Better financial results and higher return for investors
• Earlier warning of potential problems, from rising business costs to critical safety
issues
• Stronger decision making based on timely, reliable information
• Clearer and more persuasive marketing messages
• Greater employee engagement with their work, leading to higher employee
satisfaction and lower employee turnover
Effective communication strengthens the connections between a company and all of its
stakeholders, those groups affected in some way by the company's actions: customers,
employees, shareholders, suppliers, the community and the nation
To make your communication efforts as effective as possible focus on making them
practical, factual, concise, clear, and persuasive so:
• provide practical information
• give facts rather than vague impressions
• present information concise, efficient manner
• clarify expectations and responsibilities
• offer compelling persuasive arguments and recommendations
 Communicate as a professional in a business context.

A good place to start to consider what it means to be a professional.

Professionalism is the quality of performing at a high level and conducting
oneself with purpose and pride. It means doing more than putting in the
hours and collecting a paycheck true professionals go beyond minimum
expectations and commit to making meaningful contributions.
Professionalism can be broken down into six distinct traits: striving to
excel, being dependable and accountable, being a team player,
demonstrating a sense of etiquette making ethical decisions, and
maintaining a positive outlook.
Given the importance of communication in business, employers expect you
to be competent at a wide range of communication tasks, these include:
• organizing ideas and information logically and completely
• expressing yourself coherently and persuasively in a variety of media
• building persuasive arguments to gain acceptance for important ideas
• evaluating data and information critically to know what you can and
cannot
• trust actively listening to others
• communicating effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and
experiences
• using communication technologies effectively and efficiently
• following accepted standards of grammar spelling and other aspects of
high quality writing and speaking
• adapting your message and communication styles to specific audiences
and situations
• communicating in a civilized manner that reflects contemporary
expectations of business etiquette
• communicating ethically even when choices aren't crystal clear
• respecting the confidentiality of private company information
• following applicable laws and regulations
• managing your time wisely and using resources efficiently
Every company has a unique communication system that connects people within
the organization and connects the organization to the outside world. The system
in this broad sense is a complex combination of communication channels such as
the internet and department meetings, company policies organizational structure
and personal relationships.
To succeed in a job you need to figure out how your company's system operates
and how to use it to gather information you need and to share information you
want others to have.
Successful business professionals take an audience centered approach for their
communication meaning that they focus on understanding and meeting the
needs of the readers and listeners Providing the information your audiences
need is obviously an important part of this approach, but it also involves such
elements as your ability to listen your style of writing and speaking and your
ability to maintain positive working relationships.
 Communication process model, and social media are changing the nature of business communication.

Even with the best intentions communication efforts can fail. Messages can get lost
or simply ignored the. The receiver of a message can interpret it in ways the sender
never imagined. Many variations of the communication process model exist but
these eight steps provide a practical overview :
The sender has an idea
The sender encodes the ideas as message
The sender produces the message in a transmittable medium
the sender transmits the message through a channel
the audience receives the message
the receiver decodes the message
the receiver responds to the message
the receiver provides feedback
The basic communication model illustrates how a single idea moves for
one sender to one receiver. In a larger sense it also helps represent the
traditional nature of much business communication, which was primarily
defined by publishing or broadcasting mindset.
However in recent years a variety of technologies enabled and inspired a
new approach to business communication. In contrast the publishing
mindset the social communication model is interactive and
conversational and usually open to all who wish to participate.
Audience members are no longer passive recipients of messages but
active participants in a conversation. Social media have given customers
and other stakeholders a voice they did not have in the past.
 Ethics: Ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse, and list
six guidelines for making ethical communication
choices
Ethics are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society.
Ethical behavior is a company-wide concern but because communication efforts are
the public face of a company they are subjected to particularly rigors scrutiny from
regulators, legislators, investors, consumer groups, environmental groups, labor
organizations, and anyone else affected by business activities.
Ethical communication includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and is
not deceptive in any way. In contrast unethical communication can distort the truth or
manipulate audiences in a variety of ways. Examples of unethical communication
include:
plagiarism, omitting essential information, selective misquoting, misrepresenting
numbers, distorting visuals, failing to respect privacy or information security needs.
• The widespread use of social media has increased the attention
given to the issue of transparency, which in this context refers to a
sense of openness, of giving all participants in a conversation
access to the information they need to accurately process the
messages they are receiving. A key aspect of transparency is
knowing who is behind the messages one receives.
• Some ethical questions are easy to recognize and resolve but
others are not. Deciding what is ethical and complex business
situations is not always easy. An ethical dilemma involves choosing
among alternatives that are aren't clear-cut.
• Perhaps two conflicting alternatives are both ethical and valid or perhaps
alternatives lies somewhere in the grey area between clearly right and
clearly wrong. Unlike with dilemma an ethical lapse is a clearly unethical
and frequently illegal choice.
• Ensuring ethical business communication requires three elements: ethical
individuals, ethical company leadership, and the appropriate policies and
structures to support ethical decision-making.
• Many companies establish this explicit ethics policy by using a written
code of ethics to help employees determine what is acceptable. Showing
employees if the company is serious about ethical behavior is also vital.
 Cultural diversity affects business communication,
and the steps you can take to communicate more
effectively across cultural boundaries
Throughout your career you will interact with people from a variety of cultures,
people who different in race, age, gender, sexual orientation, national and regional
attitudes and beliefs, family structure, religion, native language, physical and cognitive
abilities life experience, and educational background.
 Although the concept is often narrowly framed in terms of ethnic background, a
broader and more useful definition of a of diversity includes all the characteristics and
experiences that define each of us as individuals. As you learn, these characteristics
and experiences can have a profound effect on the way business people
communicate.
Smart business leaders recognize the competitive advantage of a diverse workforce
that offers a broader spectrum of viewpoints and ideas helps companies understand
and identify with diverse markets and enables companies to benefit from a wider
range of employee talents.
For all their benefits diverse workforces and markets do present some communication
challenges and understanding the effect of culture on communication is essential.
 Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behaviour.
Culture influences the way people perceive the world and respond to others, which naturally affects the
way they communicate as both senders and receivers.
 These influences operate on such a fundamental level that people often don't even recognize the
influence of culture on their beliefs and behaviors. This subconscious affective culture can create friction
because it leads people to assume that everybody thinks and feels the way they do. However differences
between cultures can be profound.
 You don't need to become an expert in the details of every culture with which you do business, but you
do need to attain a basic level of cultural proficiency to ensure successful communication.
 Every attempt at communication occurs within a cultural context the pattern of physical cues,
environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that convey meaning between two members of the
same culture.
 However cultures around Pakistan vary widely in the role that context plays in communication. In a high
context culture people rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions
and environmental setting to convey meaning.
 Cultural context influences legal and ethical behavior which in turn can affect communication. As you
conduct business with colleagues and customers around the world you'll find that legal systems and
ethical standards differ from culture to culture.
 Making ethical choices across cultures can seem complicated but you can keep your messages
ethical by applying four basic principles: actively seek mutual ground, send and receive messages
without judgment, send messages that are honest, show respect for cultural differences.
 The combination of formal and informal rules influences the overall behavior of everyone in a society
in areas such as manners, attitudes toward time, individual versus community values, attitudes
towards status and wealth, respect for authority and degrees of openness and inclusiveness.
 Nonverbal communication (communicating without the use of words) is a vital part of the
communication process. Factors ranging from facial expressions to style of dress can influence the
way receivers decode messages, and the interpretation of nonverbal signals can vary widely from
culture to culture.
 Gestures or clothing choices that you don't think twice about for example might seem inappropriate
or even offensive to someone from another culture.
People whose hearing vision cognitive ability or physical ability to operate computers
or other tools is impaired can be a significant disadvantage in today's workplace. As
with other elements of diversity, success starts with respect for individuals and
sensitivity to differences.
Employers can also invest in a variety of assistive technologies that help create a vital
link for thousands of employees with disabilities, giving them opportunities to
pursue a greater range of career paths and giving employers access to a broader
base of talent.
In any cross-cultural situation you can communicate more effectively if you heed the
following tips; avoid ethnocentrism, avoid stereotyping, don't automatically assume
that others think believe or behave as you do, accept differences and others without
judging them, learn how to communicate respect in various cultures, tolerate
ambiguity and control your frustration, don't be distracted by superficial factors such
as personal appearance, recognize your own cultural biases, be flexible and be
prepared to change your habits and attitudes, observe and learn the more you know
the more effective you'll be.
To write effectively for people who may not be comfortable using your language
remember these tips: use plain language, avoid words with multiple meanings, be
clear, cite numbers Carefully, avoid slang and be careful with technical jargon and
abbreviations, be brief, use short paragraphs, use transitions generously.
When speaking to people whose native language is not your own, you may find these
tips helpful: speak clearly simply and relatively slow, look for feedback but interpret it
carefully, rephrase if necessary, clarify your meaning with repetition and examples,
don't talk down to the other person, learn important phrases in your audience's
language, listen carefully and respectfully, adapt your conversation style to the other
person's, check frequently for comprehension, clarify what will happen next.

Finally remember that oral communication can be more difficult for audiences because
it happens in real time and in the presence of other people.
General Guidelines for using communication technology effectively.
Today's businesses rely heavily on technology to facilitate the communication process in
fact many of the technologies you might use in your personal life, from Facebook to
Twitter to video games are also used in business.
The benefits of Technology are not automatic of course. To communicate effectively you
need to keep technology in perspective, use technological tools productively, guard
against information overload, and disengage from the computer frequently to
communicate in person.
Remember that technology is an aid to communication like ChatGPT, not a replacement
for it. Technology can't think for you, make up for a lack of essential skills or ensure that
communication really happens. No matter how innovative or popular it may be, a
technology has value only if it helps deliver the right information to the right people at the
right time.
You don't have to become an expert to use most communication technologies effectively,
but to work efficiently you do need to be familiar with basic features and functions.
Conversely don't worry about learning advanced features unless you really need to use them.
Many software packages contain dozens of obscure features that typical business
communicators rarely need.
The overuse or misuse of communication technology can lead to information overload. in
which people receive more information than they can effectively process. Information overload
makes it difficult to discriminate between useful and useless information inhibits the ability to
think deeply about complex situations, lowers productivity, and amplifies employees stress
both on the job and at home. Even to the point of causing health and relationship problems.
As a sender, make sure every message you send is meaningful and important to receivers.
Even the best technologies can hinder communication if they are overused. For instance a
common complaint among employees, is that managers rely too heavily on email and don't
communicate face-to-face often enough.
Speaking with people over the phone or in person can take more time and effort, and can
sometimes force you to confront unpleasant situations directly, but it is often essential for
solving tough problems and maintaining productive relationships.
 Elements of Professionalism
1. Be the best

2. Be dependable

3. Be a team player

4. Be respectful

5. Be ethical

6. Be positive