Chapter 2

Mastering Team Skills and

Interpersonal
Communication

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 1
“Who Am I?” paper: this three-page paper should
include your own personal mission statement.

• For example,
Due in the next class
– what is your purpose in life?
– What values are important to you and what do you stand for?
– What do you want to be and do in your life (your life goals)?
– What attributes and capabilities are important to you?
– What experiences have influenced your development?
– What is your theory of leadership and what role will leadership
play in life?

• The paper (hand written) should be written to give insight

2
into the real you.

30/09/2019 Prepared by ANJUM

NISAR QURESHI
 Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you will be able to do the following:

1. List the advantages and disadvantages of working in teams, describe the

characteristics of effective teams, and highlight four key issues of group
dynamics
2. Offer guidelines for collaborative communication, identify major
collaboration technologies, and explain how to give constructive feedback
3. List the steps needed to ensure productive team meetings
4. Identify the major technologies used to enhance or replace in-person
meetings

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 3
 Learning Objectives
5. Identify three major modes of listening, describe the
listening process, and explain the problem of selective
listening

6. Explain the importance of nonverbal communication, and

identify six major categories of nonverbal expression

7. Explain the importance of business etiquette, and identify

three key areas in which good etiquette is essential

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 4
 Communicating Effectively in Teams

• Most businesses require employees to work in teams and

successful group interactions require effective communication
skills.

• This chapter provides information that will help you learn to

collaborate and work well with others.
 Communicating in Teams

• What is a team?

• A unit of two or more people who share a mission and the responsibility
to achieve a common goal.

• Problem-solving teams and task forces assemble to resolve specific issues

and then disband once their goals have been accomplished.

• Such teams are often cross-functional, pulling together people from a variety
of departments with different areas of expertise and responsibility.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 6
 Communicating in Teams

• Committees are formal teams that usually have a longer life

span and can become a permanent part of the organizational
structure.

• Committees typically deal with regularly recurring tasks, such as an

executive committee that meets monthly to plan strategies and
review results.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 7
 Communicating in Teams

• Regardless of the purpose and function of a team,

you and your team members must be able to
communicate effectively with each other and with
people outside your team.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 8
 Communicating in Teams
• The diversity of opinions and experiences can lead to better decisions,
however,

• competing interests often lead to tensions that highlight the need for
effective communication.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 9
 Advantages and
Disadvantages of Teams
Advantages Disadvantages

• Increased Information • Time Issues

• Diversity of Views • Groupthink

• Support for Solutions • Hidden Agendas

• Improved Performance • Increased Costs

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 10
 Characteristics of Effective Teams

Have a clear objective

Share a sense of purpose

Communicate openly and honestly

Reach decisions by consensus

Think in creative ways

Know how to resolve conflict

• To be effective collaborators, you and your colleagues must recognize that

each individual brings valuable assets, knowledge, and skills to the team.

• Remember! Learning these team skills takes time and practice.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 11
Group Dynamics

• The interactions and processes that take place among the members
of a team are called group dynamics.

• Productive teams tend to develop rules of interaction (group

dynamics) that are conducive to business.

• Group dynamics are influenced by several factors:

– the roles that team members assume,

– the current phase of team development, and
– the team’s success in resolving conflict and overcoming resistance.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 12
Factors Influencing Group Dynamics:
Assuming Team Roles

Members of a team can play various roles, which fall into three categories:

The roles that individuals assume often depend on whether they joined the group
voluntarily or involuntarily and their status in the group. Until roles and status have
stabilized, a team may have trouble accomplishing its goals.
30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 13
Factors Influencing Group Dynamics:
Phases of Team Development

• Teams typically evolve through a number of phases:

Forming Storming Norming Performing Adjourning

• These stages are a general framework for team development.

• Some teams may move forward and backward through several stages before they
become productive, while others may start being productive right away.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 14
Factors Influencing Group Dynamics:
Resolving Team Conflict

• Team conflict can arise for a number of reasons. It can both be constructive and
destructive.

• The following seven measures can help team members to successfully resolve
conflict:

– Proactive behavior. Deal with a minor conflict before it becomes a major conflict.
– Communication. Get those directly involved in the conflict to participate in resolving it.
– Openness. Get feelings out in the open, then deal with the main issues.
– Research. Seek factual reasons for the problem before seeking solutions.
– Flexibility. Do not let anyone lock into a position before considering other solutions.
– Fair play. Do not avoid a fair solution by hiding behind the rules.
– Alliance. Get parties to fight together against an “outside force” instead of against each
other.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 15
Overcoming Resistance

• Part of dealing with conflict is learning how to persuade other people to

accept your point of view.

• However, you may sometimes encounter people who react emotionally.

• When you face irrational resistance, try to remain calm and detached to
avoid destructive confrontations and present your position in a convincing
manner.

– Express understanding. Most people are ashamed of reacting emotionally in

business situations.
• Help the other person relax and talk about his or her anxiety so that you have a
chance to offer reassurance.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 16
Overcoming Resistance
• Make people aware of their resistance. When people are noncommittal and
silent, they may be tuning you out without even knowing why.

– Continuing with your argument is futile. Deal directly with the resistance, without being
accusing.

• Evaluate others’ objections fairly. Focus on what the person is expressing, both
the words and the feelings.

– Get the person to open up so that you can understand the basis for the resistance.

• Hold your arguments until the other person is ready for them. Getting your point
across depends as much on the other person’s frame of mind as it does on your
arguments.

– Do not assume that a strong argument will speak for itself. Address the other person’s
emotional needs first.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 17
 Collaborating on Communication
Efforts

• You should expect to collaborate on a wide variety of research, writing,

design, and presentation projects in your career.

• When teams collaborate, the collective energy and expertise of the

various members can lead to results that far exceed what each
individual could do otherwise.

• However, collaborating on team messages requires special effort; the

following section offers a number of helpful guidelines.
Guidelines for Collaborative Writing

• Collaborating on communication projects gives teams the opportunity to

capitalize on each person’s unique skills.

• However, collaborating effectively requires special efforts, such as the

following:

Select collaborators carefully. Choose a combination of people who have the

experience, information, and talent needed for each project.

Agree on project goals before you start. Starting without a clear idea of what
you hope to accomplish often leads to frustration and wasted time.

Give your team time to bond before diving in. If people have not had the
opportunity to work together before, make sure they can get to know each other
before being asked to collaborate.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 19
Guidelines for Collaborative Writing

Clarify individual responsibilities. Since members will be depending on each

other, make sure individual responsibilities are clear, including who is supposed to do
what and when it must be done.

Establish clear processes. Make sure everyone knows how the work will be done,
including checkpoints and decisions to be made along the way.

Avoid writing as a group. In most cases, the best approach is to plan, research,
and outline together, but assign the actual writing to one person or divide larger
projects among multiple writers. If you divide the writing, have one person do a final
revision to ensure a consistent style.

Make sure tools and techniques are ready and compatible across the team.
Even minor details such as different versions of software can delay projects.

Check to see how things are going along the way. Do not assume that everything
is working just because you do not hear anything negative.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 20
Giving Constructive Feedback

• Collaborative communication often involves giving and

receiving feedback about writing efforts.

– Constructive feedback, sometimes called constructive criticism,

focuses on the process and outcomes of communication, not on
the people involved

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 21
So, What is Feedback Anyway?

Feedback
is a Signal or a
Statement
that is used
as an active
listener/Speaker to
confirm
understanding of any
Communication.
Monday, September 30, 2019 Anjum N. Qureshi
What is Feedback?
• Feedback is a private, confidential conversation,
usually between two people

– Should be face-to-face, rather than by memo, letter, email or

telephone

• Remember! The overall purpose of feedback is to be

helpful not to criticize

9/30/2019 Anjum N. Qureshi

23
 Giving Constructive Feedback

• When giving feedback, avoid personal attacks and give the

person clear guidelines for improvement.

– Think carefully about which media to use when you give feedback.

• For example, you might find it helpful to convey details in writing

but discuss “big picture” issues or sensitive matters in person or on
the phone.

– Written feedback by itself can be jarring to the recipient, so a phone

call to accompany your notes can help you maintain a positive working
relationship.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 24
 Giving Constructive Feedback

• When you receive constructive feedback, resist the temptation

to defend your work or deny the validity of the feedback.
– Remaining open to criticism isn’t easy when you’ve poured your heart
and soul into a project, but good feedback provides a valuable
opportunity to learn and to improve the quality of your work.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 25
Making Your Meetings More Productive

• Meetings are a primary form of communication in businesses.

• Well-run meetings can;

• help solve problems,

• develop ideas, and
• identify opportunities.

• Since much of workplace communication takes place in small-group

meetings; your ability to contribute to the company and to be
recognized, will depend on your meeting participation skills.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 26
Making Your Meetings More Productive

• Unfortunately, many meetings are unproductive.

• The three most frequently reported problems with meetings are;

• getting off the subject,

• not having an agenda, and
• running too long.

• You will help your company make better use of meetings by;

• preparing carefully,
• conducting meetings efficiently, and
• using meeting technologies wisely.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 27
 Preparing For Meetings
• The key to productive meetings is careful planning of purpose,
participants, location, and agenda.

• Most meetings have either an informational or a decision-making

purpose.

– Informational meetings allow participants to share information and perhaps

coordinate action.

– Decision-making meetings involve persuasion, analysis, and problem solving.

• Invite only participants whose presence is essential and can contribute.

– The more people who attend, the more comments and confusion you are
likely to receive, and the longer the whole process will take.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 28
 Preparing For Meetings
• Decide on the time when you will hold the meeting, and reserve the
facility.

– Morning meetings are usually more productive than afternoon sessions.

– Also consider the seating arrangements, and give some attention to details such as
room temperature, lighting, ventilation, acoustics, and refreshments.
– If the meeting will take place online, you will need to consider a variety of other factors.

• The success of any meeting depends on the preparation of the

participants.

– An agenda will aid in this process by putting the meeting plan into a permanent, written
form.
– Distribute the agenda to participants several days before the meeting so that they will
know what to expect and can come prepared.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 29
Conducting and Contributing to Effective Meetings

• Everyone in a meeting shares the responsibility for keeping the meeting

productive and making it successful.

• Remember, if you are the designated leader of a meeting, you have an

extra degree of responsibility and accountability.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 30
Conducting and Contributing to Effective Meetings

• Guidelines for productive meetings:

– Keep the meeting on track. The leader is responsible for keeping the meeting
moving along and pacing the presentation and discussion according to the
agenda.

• However, allow enough time for all the main ideas to be heard, and give
people a chance to raise related issues.

– Follow agreed-upon rules. One way a leader can improve the productivity of a
meeting is by using parliamentary procedure.

• Parliamentary procedure can help teams conduct business, protect

individual rights, maintain order, and accomplish team and organizational
goals.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 31
Conducting and Contributing to Effective Meetings

• Encourage participation. Some participants are too quiet and others are too
talkative.

– The best meetings are those in which everyone participates, so a leader must not let
one or two people dominate the meeting while others doodle on their notepads.

• Participate actively. If you are a meeting participant, try to contribute to both

the subject of the meeting and the smooth interaction of the participants.

– Speak up if you have something useful to say, but do not monopolize the discussion.

• Close effectively. At the end of the meeting, the leader should summarize the
discussion or list the actions to be taken and specify who will take them and
when.

– It ensures that all participants agree on the outcome and gives people a chance to
clear up any misunderstandings.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 32
 Using Meeting Technologies

• A growing array of technologies enables professionals to enhance or even

replace traditional meetings.

• Replacing in-person meetings with long-distance, virtual interaction can

dramatically reduce costs and resource usage, and give teams access to a
wider pool of expertise.

• For example, by meeting customers and business partners online instead of in

person, during a recent 18-month period Cisco Systems cut its travel-related
costs by $100 million, reduced its carbon footprint by millions of tons, and
improved employee productivity and satisfaction.
Using Meeting Technologies

• The focus of most meeting technologies is to enable participation among

people in two or more locations.

– Instant messaging and teleconferencing, in which three or more people are

connected by phone simultaneously, are the simplest forms of virtual
meetings.

– Videoconferencing lets participants see and hear each other, demonstrate

products, and transmit other visual information.

• Technology continues to create intriguing opportunities for online

interaction, such as online brainstorming across organizations.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 34
 Listening

God has given us two ears and one

mouth, don’t you think we should
be listening twice as much!

Comment on the above!

30/09/2019
 Improving Your Listening Skills

• Your long-term career prospects are closely tied to your ability and
willingness to listen.

• Throughout your career, effective listening will give you a competitive

edge, enhancing your performance and the influence you have within
your company and your industry.

How?
The Importance of Listening Skills

• Effective listening;

• strengthens organizational relationships,

• alerts the organization to opportunities for innovation, and
• allows the organization to manage diversity both in the workforce and
in the customers it serves

• Companies whose employees and managers listen

effectively;

• stay in touch,
• up to date, and
• out of trouble.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 37
 Listening

Remember! Listening is
a gift you can give to
anyone and it doesn’t
cost you anything

30/09/2019
 Recognizing Types of Listening
• The types of listening differ not only in purpose but also in the amount of
feedback or interaction that occurs.

• As an effective listener you must adapt your listening to different situations.

• The goal of content listening is to understand and retain the speaker’s

message.

1. You may ask questions, but basically information flows from the
speaker to you.

2. It does not matter that you agree or disagree, approve or disapprove—

only that you understand.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 39
Recognizing Types of Listening

• The goal of critical listening is to understand and evaluate the meaning of

the speaker’s message on several levels, including ;

1. the logic of the argument,

2. the strength of the evidence,
3. the validity of the conclusions,
4. the speaker’s intentions and motives, and
5. the omission of any important or relevant points

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 40
Recognizing Types of Listening

• The goal of empathic listening is to understand the speaker’s

feelings, needs, and wants so that you can appreciate his or her
point of view, regardless of whether you share that perspective.

• By listening with empathy, you help the individual express his/her

emotions.

• Avoid the temptation to give advice or judge the individual’s

feelings.

• Just let the other person talk.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 41
Recognizing Types of Listening

• Regardless of the type of listening you are using, effective

listeners try to engage in active listening.
• They make a conscious effort to turn off their own filters and biases to
truly hear and understand what the other party is saying.

• Effective listeners:
• ask questions,
• summarize the speaker’s message to verify key points, and
• encourage the speaker through positive body language and
supportive feedback.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 42
Understanding The Listening Process

• By understanding the listening process, you begin to understand why oral

messages are misunderstood so often.
• Listening seems so simple, yet, most of us are not very good at it.
• To listen effectively, you need to complete five steps successfully:

Sensing

Hearing the message

and recognizing it as
incoming information.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 43
 Understanding The Listening
The Listening
ProcessProcess

Sensing

Sensing what is said to us;

Interpretation

Assigning meaning to sounds according to

your own values, beliefs, ideas, expectations,
roles, needs, and personal history.

30/09/2019
 Understanding The Listening
The Listening
ProcessProcess

Perception

Interpretation

Evaluation

Judging the quality

of the information.

30/09/2019
Understanding The Listening Process

Perception

Interpretation

Evaluation

Action

Storing the statement, and

Responding appropriately to the statement, now, or at a later time.
30/09/2019
Overcoming Barriers to Effective Listening

• Good listeners look for ways to overcome potential barriers throughout

the listening process.

• Selective listening happens when your mind

wanders.

• You stay tuned out until you hear a word or

phrase that gets your attention once more.

• However, by that time, you are unable to

recall what the speaker actually said;
instead, you remember what you think the
speaker probably said.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 47
Overcoming Barriers to Effective Listening

• Selective perception leads listeners to mold messages to fit

their own conceptual frameworks.
• Listeners sometimes make up their minds before fully hearing the
speaker’s message, or

• They engage in defensive listening—protecting their self-esteem by

tuning out anything that does not confirm their view of themselves.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 48
Overcoming Barriers to Effective Listening

• One simple rule: Do not count on your memory if the

information is crucial.
• Record it, write it down, or capture it in some other physical way.

• Remember that you have to do something to make the information

stick.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 49
 Listening Process Barriers
Mental Barriers
• Inattention

• Prejudgment

• Frame of reference (background or belief system)

• Closed-mindedness

• Pseudo listening

30/09/2019
 Listening Process Barriers

Physical and Other Barriers

• Hearing impairment

• Noisy surroundings

• Speaker’s appearance

• Speaker’s mannerisms (gestures)

30/09/2019
 Listening in the Workplace
Improving Listening in the Workplace:

• Stop talking.
• Control external and internal distractions.
• Become actively involved.
• Separate facts from opinions.
• Ask clarifying questions.
• Paraphrase to increase understanding.
• Take notes to ensure retention.
• Be aware of gender differences.
30/09/2019
Improving Your Nonverbal
Communication Skills
 Non-verbal Communication

• Refers to many ways in which people

communicate in face-to-face situations,
either as a means of reinforcing or
replacing the spoken word.

• Sometimes, people use non verbal

communication techniques consciously, at
other times, the process is carried out
subconsciously.

30/09/2019
Understanding Nonverbal Communication

• Nonverbal signals play a vital role in communication

because they can;

• strengthen a verbal message (when the nonverbal

signals match the spoken words),

• weaken a verbal message (when nonverbal signals

do not match the words), or

• replace words entirely

In fact, nonverbal communication often conveys

more to listeners than the words you speak.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 55
 Communicating a message

• Body Language is the most Nonverbal

important factor in communicating Influences
your message. 55% Content
7%

• Tone of Voice communicates more

than the words of the message

• The Least Important Factor is the

words or content of the message.

• Saying, “I need this by 2:00 tomorrow” with equal Vocal Influence

emphasis on all the words is very different that if you 38%
said the same thing with more emphasis on the words,
I NEED.
Nonverbal Communication:
What do you is going on here?

• Nonverbal communication includes all unwritten

and unspoken messages, both intentional and
unintentional.
30/09/2019
Recognizing Nonverbal Communication

• The range and variety of nonverbal signals is almost endless, but you
can grasp the basics by studying six general categories:

– Facial expressions. Your face is the primary site for expressing your
emotions; it reveals both the type and the intensity of your feelings.

• However, facial signals can vary widely from culture to culture.

– Gestures and posture. By moving or not moving your body, you express
both specific and general messages, some voluntary and some involuntary.

• Many gestures—a wave of the hand, for example—have a specific

and intentional meaning.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 58
Recognizing Nonverbal Communication

• Vocal characteristics. Your voice also carries both

intentional and unintentional messages.

– Your tone, volume, accent, and speaking pace say a lot about who you are,
your relationship with the audience, and the emotions underlying your
words.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 59
Recognizing Nonverbal Communication

• Personal appearance. People respond to others on the

basis of their physical appearance, sometimes fairly and
other times unfairly.

– Grooming, clothing, accessories, style—you can control all of

these aspects of your appearance.

– If your goal is to make a good impression, adopt the style of the

people you want to impress.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 60
 Recognizing Nonverbal
Communication
• Touch. Touch is an important way to convey warmth, comfort, and
reassurance.

– Touch is so powerful, in fact, that it is governed by cultural norms.

• Time and space. Like touch, time and space can be used to assert
authority, imply intimacy, and send other nonverbal messages.

– Keep in mind that expectations regarding both time and space vary by
culture.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 61
• Personal territories, however, can vary both culturally.

• Take Saudi Arabia for example, you might find yourself almost nose
to nose with a business associate because their social space
equates to intimate space in North America.

• If, on the other hand, you were visiting a friend in the Netherlands,
you would find the roles reversed, you would be doing the chasing
because their personal space equates to our social space.

• Americans tend to pull in their elbows and knees and try not to touch
or even look at one another while riding the bus.

• In Japan, a country with a population half the size of the United

States crammed into an area half the size of California, subway
passengers are literally pushed into the cars until not even one more
person will fit. You cannot help but be pressed against someone
else's sweaty body.

30/09/2019
 PROXEMICS

Four areas of Personal territory:

Public space ranges from 12 to 25 feet and is the distance maintained between
the audience and a speaker.

Social space ranges from 4 to 10 feet and is used for communication among
business associates.

Personal space ranges from 2 to 4 feet and is used among friends and family
members, and to separate people waiting in lines at teller machines for example.

Finally, intimate space ranges out to one foot and involves a high probability of
touching. We reserve it for whispering and embracing.

30/09/2019
 Developing Your Business Etiquette

The common thread running through the topics of successful

teamwork, productive meetings, effective listening, and nonverbal
communication is mutual respect and consideration among all
participants.

Nobody wants to work with someone who is rude to colleagues or

an embarrassment to the company.
 Developing Your Business Etiquette

Good business etiquette behaviors help contribute to

personal and organizational success while poor
etiquettes do just the opposite. Comment…
 Developing Your Business Etiquette

• Long lists of etiquette rules can be difficult to remember, but

you can get by in almost every situation by ;

• Being aware of your effect on others,

• Treating everyone with respect, and

• Keeping in mind that the impressions you leave behind can have a
lasting effect on you and your company—so make sure to leave
positive impressions wherever you go.
The Importance of Business Etiquette

• Effective listening and nonverbal communication behaviors will contribute to

developing good etiquette skills.

• The following slides present three key areas in which good etiquette is essential:

Effective Listening

The Workplace
Successful Productive
Social Settings
Teamwork Meetings
Online Communication
Nonverbal Communication

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 67
Etiquette In The Workplace
• Workplace etiquette includes:
– Personal appearance in the workplace sends a strong signal to managers,
colleagues, and customers.

• Pay attention to the style of clothes where you work and adjust your style
to match.

• If you are not sure, dress moderately and simply.

– Grooming affects the impression you give others in the workplace.

• Pay close attention to cleanliness and avoid using products with powerful
scents.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 68
Etiquette In The Workplace

– Personal demeanor is a vital element of workplace harmony.

• No one expects (or wants) you to be artificially upbeat and bubbly every
second of the day, but a single negative personality can make an entire
office miserable and unproductive.

• Every person in the company has a responsibility to contribute to a

positive, energetic work environment.

– Phone skills will have a definite impact on your career success.

• Because phone calls lack the visual richness of face-to-face conversations,

you have to rely on your attitude and tone of voice to convey confidence
and professionalism.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 69
 Etiquette in Social Settings
From business lunches to industry conferences, you represent your company
when you are out in public, so make sure that your:

Appearance Personal
and Actions Introductions

Business Mobile Inappropriate

Meals Phones Topics

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 70
• From business lunches to industry conferences, you represent your
company when you are out in public, so make sure that your appearance
and actions are appropriate for the situation.

– First impressions last a long time, so get to know the customs of the company
culture when you meet new people.

• When introducing yourself, include a brief description of your role in the

company.

• Business is often conducted over meals, and knowing the basics of dining
etiquette will make you more effective in these situations.

– Choose foods that are easy to eat while you are trying to carry on a
conversation.

– Leave business papers under your chair until entrée plates have been removed.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 71
• Misuse of mobile phones in restaurants and other public
places is a common etiquette blunder.

– When you use your cell phone in public, you send the message that people
around you are not as important as your call and that you do not respect your
caller’s privacy.

• Business meals are a forum for business, period.

– Do not talk about politics, religion, or any other topic likely to stir up emotions.
Some light chatter and questions about personal interests is fine, but do not get
too personal.
– Do not complain about work, avoid profanity, and be careful with humor.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 72
 Business Etiquette Online
• Electronic media seem to be a breeding ground for poor etiquette.

• Here are some guidelines to follow whenever you are representing

your company while using electronic media:

– Avoid personal attacks.

– Stay focused on the original topic.
– Do not present opinions as facts, and support facts with evidence.
– Follow basic rules for spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
– Use anti- virus programs and keep it up to date.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 73
 Business Etiquette Online

• Ask if this is “a good time” for an IM chat.

• Watch your language and control your emotions.

• Never assume that your online activities are private.

• Do not use “reply all” in email unless everyone can benefit from your
reply.

• Do not waste other people ’ s time with sloppy, confusing, or

incomplete messages.

30/09/2019 Chapter 2 - 74