Business Communication for

Managers

Payal Mehra

Chapter 1: Introduction to Business

Communication

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1 Chapter 1
Business Communication for Managers/ Payal Mehra
 Factors contributing towards the growing
importance of effective interpersonal
communication at the workplace
•Increased use of technology at the workplace

•Diversity at the workplace

•Geographical dispersal and decentralization of most global

organizations

•Time constraints

•Legal liability of any organization

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Effective Communication

• Managers use effective communication skills to get work

done. This includes crafting meaningful and persuasive
messages and business correspondence and using new
media
• Communication is effective when it produces the desired
action in the reader or audience. Knowledge alone is
nothing. If ideas are not communicated properly, these are
useless
• Successful communicators build immense goodwill having
a positive impact on the stakeholders within and outside
the organization.

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• Efficient internal and external communication policies
result in cordial relations and willing cooperation among
employees
• Ineffective communication systems, by the same logic,
result in mismanagement. They can destroy trust and
engender ill-will, depending on the context.

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 Goals of Communication

• To inform
The speaker is merely elucidating facts, instructions, rules, guidelines,
explanations, and examples.
• To persuade
The speaker aims to change both perception and mindset. The
communication is intended to bring about a change in the target, from
the current to a desired state, through a series of planned statements
• To mobilize
Communication is considered complete when the target has received
the message and understood it, and agrees to act upon it.

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 Directions of Communication

Vertical communication

•Top-down: Used to give orders or instructions and to provide and ask

for information
•Bottom-up: Used to describe the results of actions, to provide
information that has been requested, and to make requests or appeals

Horizontal communication

Used to keep equals informed of various actions, to see the counsel or

opinion of peers, to discuss problems, and to chat informally.

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 Channels of Communication

•Spoken:
Meetings, presentations, oral instructions, chats, discussions, etc.

•Written:
Bulletin board notices, circulars, letters, memoranda, reports,
proposals, notes, etc.

•Electronic:
E-mail, instant messaging, video conferencing, phone messages, voice
mails, blogs, etc.

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 Methods of Communication

• Meetings • Electronic messages

• Presentations • Telephone
• Written messages conversations
• Public notices on bulletin • Communication through
boards computers
• Memoranda • Video conferences
• Reports • Fax
• Staff bulletins or • E-mail
magazines

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Communication Networks

• Communication channels are linked in a number of ways

to form communication networks.
• A communication network demarcates the positions of
the senders and recipients of information in a
communication loop.
• It affects the quality of team decisions as well as team
dynamics.

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• The questions that need to be resolved while setting up
a communication network are:
– Who should be a part of a particular network?
– What channels of communication should be devised to
carry the information forward?
– Who are the primary and secondary recipients of the
information?
– Who controls or regulates the flow of information from
one point to the other?

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 Communication Networks
• There are two types of communication networks:

• Centralized
– Information is stored and retrieved from a central pool or repository.
The information has to pass through multiple links to reach the
intended audience. This type of network values power over parity
and centralized decision-making over a democratic process.

• Decentralized
– Information is made available to everybody in the network.
Decision-making is consultative and participative. This is particularly
useful when task complexity increases and creative solutions are
required to make effective decisions

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 Communication Networks (Centralized)

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 Communication Networks (Centralized)

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 Communication Networks

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 New Communication Media

• Wikis
• Blogs
• Webcasts
• Instant messaging
• Facebook
• Podcasts
• WhatsApp
• Smartphones
• Instagram
• Short message service (SMS)
• Threads and many
• Twitter (Now X)
more
• Webcasts

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 New Communication Media

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 Verbal and Nonverbal
Communication

Verbal Communication Non Verbal Communication

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Two Essential Tools
• Verbal Communication – How you use words and
language

• Nonverbal Communication – Message components

other than words that generate meaning

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Verbal Communication

• The basis of communication is the interaction between people.

Verbal communication is one way or both ways for people to
communicate face-to-face. Some of the key components of verbal
communication are sound, words, speaking, and language.
• Verbal communication is communication that uses words, either
written or spoken. This is in contrast to non-verbal communication,
such as body language.

"Verbal" is sometimes used colloquially in the sense of "spoken",

but it is better to use "oral" in that context, to avoid ambiguity

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1. Verbal Communication

• Verbal communication is an act of conveying messages,

information, ideas or feelings through the use of words spoken or
written
• It consists of 4 elements
– Speaking
– Listening
– Writing
– Reading

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Forms of Verbal Communication

• It may be Oral or Visual

• Oral: Meetings, Discussions, Seminars, Workshops, Video
Conferencing, Oral Presentations, Lectures, Conversations and
Interviews
• Visual: Written, Letters, Memo, Reports, Applications and Drafting

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Characteristics of Effective Verbal Communication

 Consider the objective

 Be sincere
 Use simple language, familiar words
 Be brief and precise
 Assume nothing
 Use polite words and tone
 Say something interesting and pleasing

7 Cs of Communication with examples—Home Assignment

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Merits of Verbal (Oral) Communication

 More personal and often informal

 Makes immediate impact
 Provides opportunity for interaction and feedback
 Help us correct ourselves (our messages according to
the feedback and non-verbal cues from the listener)
 It is fastest and less expensive

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Demerits of Verbal Communication

 It can be quickly forgotten

 A word once uttered cannot be taken back
 There is no legal evidence of oral communication
 Impact may be short lived

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2. Nonverbal Communication

• Nonverbal communication is the process of

communication through sending and receiving
wordless (mostly visual) cues between people
• Transmission of messages by a medium other than
speech or writing

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“Actions speak louder than words.”

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 Cave –men and
Non verbal
communication

•Humans
communication
has existed for
about 30,000 BC .

•Inthe beginning
There was non
verbal
communication not
verbal.
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 Child looks and recognizes
before it speaks
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2. Nonverbal Communication

• Nonverbal communication involves those nonverbal

stimuli in a communication setting that are generated by
both the source [speaker] and his or her use of the
environment and that have potential message value for
the source or receiver [listener]
• Basically it is sending and receiving message in a variety
of ways without the use of verbal codes (words). It is
both intentional and unintentional. Most speakers /
listeners are not conscious of this.

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Example

• A very good example is: A man comes home late, hears

from the kitchen the slamming of pots and pans and
cupboard doors. He enters the kitchen, asks his wife
"What's wrong, honey?" She answers, "Nothing!" as she
slams another cupboard door and rolls her eyes toward
the ceiling.
• She has spoken the word "Nothing", but it is her unspoken
communication that tells him that "nothing" is not the real
answer. It is clearly communicated by her actions.
• A truly effective communicator will train him or herself in
nonverbal communication as well as verbal and oral.

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 Merits of Nonverbal Communication
• You can communicate with someone who is hard of hearing of
deaf
• You can communicate at place where you are supposed to
maintain silence
• You can communicate something which you don't want others
to hear or listen to
• You can communicate if you are far away from a person. The
person can see but not hear you
• Non-verbal communication makes conversation short and brief
• You can save on time and use it as a tool to communicate with
people who don't understand your language

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Demerits of Nonverbal
Communication
• You can not have long conversation
• Can not discuss the particulars of your message—details
• Difficult to understand and requires a lot of repetitions.
• Less influential and can not be used everywhere.
• Not everybody prefers to communicate through non-
verbal communication.
• Can not create an impression upon people/listeners

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Importance of Nonverbal Communication

• Sometimes nonverbal messages contradict verbal; Often

express feelings more accurately than the words spoken
or written
• Studies suggest that from 60-90% of a message’s effect
comes from nonverbal cues

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Components of Nonverbal
Communication
• Nonverbal Communication consists the following three
components
1. Appearance
2. Body Language
3. Silence, Time and Space

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1. Appearance

• Appearance conveys nonverbal impressions that

affect receiver's attitudes towards the verbal
messages
• Appearance as a Nonverbal Communication
concept effects in following two ways
i. Effect on Written Messages
ii. Effect on Oral Messages

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1. Appearance

i. Effect on Written Messages:

• An envelope's appearance (Size, color, weight, postage) may
impress the receiver as important, routine or junk mail
• Mailgrams, Express mail and Pvt. Courier mail also have
distinctive envelopes that shows urgency and importance
• Letter, Report or Title Page communicates nonverbally by the
kind of paper used, its length, format and paper used before
its contents are read by the reader
• Language itself communicates nonverbally and it must be
carefully worded and generally correct in mechanics as
spelling, grammar and punctuations

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1. Appearance

ii. Effect on Oral Messages:

• When you communicate face to face or to a
group in a meeting personal appearance and
appearance of your surroundings convey
nonverbal stimuli that affects attitude towards
your spoken words
•It consists of the following two appearances
1. Personal Appearance
2. Appearance by Surroundings

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1. Appearance

Personal Appearance
• Clothing, hairstyles, neatness, jewelry,
cosmetics, posture, stature are part of personal
appearance
• They convey impressions regarding occupation,
age, nationality, social and economic level, job
status and good or poor judgment, depending on
circumstances

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1. Appearance

• Appearance by Surroundings
• Aspects of surroundings including room size,
location, furnishings, machines, architecture, wall
decorations, floor, lightening, windows, views and
other related features wherever people
communicate orally
• Surroundings will vary according to status and
according to country and culture

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2. Body Language

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2. Body Language

Definition:
“The conscious and unconscious movements and
postures by which attitudes and feelings are
communicated, is called body language”.
• Body language can also vary depending on the culture.
There are a set of universally recognized gestures but
many are influenced by our social settings
•Body language may provide clues as to the attitude or
state of mind of a person. For example, it may indicate
aggression, attentiveness, boredom, a relaxed
state, pleasure, amusement, and intoxication

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2. Body Language

• Body Language consists of the following four components

○ i. Facial Expressions
○ ii. Gestures, Postures and Movement
○ iii. Smell and Touch
○ iv. Voice and Sounds

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2. Body Language

i. Facial Expressions:
• It is said that face is the index of mind
• Eyes and face are especially means of
communicating nonverbally and they can reveal
hidden emotions including anger, confusion, fear,
joy, surprise, uncertainty and others
• Conventions of eye contact are specific to each
culture (e.g. In USA direct eye contact is
encouraged and eye drop or shift away from listener
is thought to be either shy, dishonest and
untrustworthy)

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2. Body Language

ii. Gestures, Body Postures and Movement:

• Gesture and Body Movements: A movement of part of the body,
especially a hand or the head, to express an idea or meaning, is
called Gestures
• Gestures and body movements of a person reflects his state of
mind
• One can be easily judged from the gestures and movements either
he is confident or nervous
• Handshakes reveal attitude
• Gestures may be warm or cold

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2. Body Language

• Postures:
• Posture is the position of a body while standing or sitting
• The way a person stands, sits, leans or shift expresses his interest
in the matter under discussion
• The posture of a person expresses his personality
• An unbecoming and bad posture sends a bad signal
• An interested listener may lean towards the speaker, and one who
is bored may lean away, slump or glances towards the clock

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2. Body Language

iii. Smell and Touch:

•Ifreceiver is sensitive to scents then various
odors and fragrances convey the emotions of
the sender and affect the reactions of receiver
•Touching people can communicate friendship,
love, approval, hatred, anger or other feelings
•A mother’s kiss on cheek of her son, pat on a
shoulder or slap on the back is prompted by
various actions

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2. Body Language

iv. Voice and Sounds:

• Paralanguage: While speaking the extra sounds you make

and voice quality also a part of nonverbal communication
• Paralanguage includes voice, volume, rate, articulation, pitch
and other sounds you make such as clearing and sighing
• Examples: A loud voice shows urgency and soft one is
something calming
• Lack of pitch variation becomes monotone and too much
variation becomes artificial and dramatic
• Throat clearing may distract from the words spoken
• Emphasis on certain words in a sentence indicate the
importance of message

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3. Time, Silence and Space

i. Silence:
– How silence communicates?
– Consider how do you feel when you make an oral
request that is met with silence
– Think about the confusion you feel when your
written message generates no response

Example:
Please see the book (Page No. 26)

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3. Time, Silence and Space

ii. Time:
○ In the preceding example should you ask again?
○ How do you feel when you are kept waiting two hours after the
scheduled time for an interview?
○ In US culture being on time is to be considered communicating
nonverbally favorable
○ Concept of time varies across cultures
○ For Example: Americans and Germans are quite punctual
○ Middle eastern people think little to be on time in office on
agreed time, which shows that tasks will be completed
regardless of time
○ In Portugal, if you reach on time for a meeting then your host
will be wondered that why you came so early

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3. Time, Silence and Space

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 Ways of Communicating Non-verbally

• Eye contact

• Facial expressions

• Posture and body orientation

• Proximity

• Appearance

• Vocal elements

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 Miscommunication and Communication Failures

Miscommunication can occur due to lapses on the part of the sender,

the receiver, or the channel used for communicating:

•Thesender: Sometimes a message might not be clear or accurate or

simple enough to understand.

•Thereceiver: Sometimes, receivers might be unwilling to take in the

message because they are too busy or biased.

•Thechannel: The choice of channel may also be the cause of

miscommunication

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 Barriers to Communication

The Noise Barrier

This is any sort of interference that takes place between the sender
and the receiver.

The Feedback Problem

Feedback can manifest itself in the following ways:

• Evaluative (judgement about a person, performance etc)
• Interpretative (seeking clarity, confirmation etc)
• Supporting (to encourage to correct behavior etc)
• Probing (a way to communicate a request for specific information)
• Understanding (to send signals that message received as intended)

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 Barriers to Communication (Continued)

The Problem of Media Selection

If media selection is a personal choice, message transmission depends
on the following:
• Personal inclination
• Personal experience in media selection and message optimization
• Personality characteristics

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 Barriers to Communication (Continued)

Mental Barriers
We all see the world differently, and the perceptual process
determines what messages we select or screen out. Many times, noise
exists in the mind of the sender or the recipient.
Factors
– stereotyping, fixed beliefs, and a closed mindset
– a sense of superiority, and
– egocentricity

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 Barriers to Communication (Continued)

The Problems of Language and Articulation

•Use of improper words
•Use of jargon
•Ambiguity

Physical Barriers
In workplace, physical barriers include marked-out territories into
which strangers are not allowed, closed office doors, barrier screens,
separate areas for people of different statuses, and so on.

Personal Barriers
In workplace, personal barriers include fear, mistrust, and suspicion.

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 Barriers to Communication (Continued)

Cultural Barriers
When we have to be a part of a group, the unwritten understanding is
that we accept the collective code of conduct or behaviour. Inability to
do that results in cultural barriers.

Interpersonal Barriers
There are various levels at which interpersonal barriers occur:
• Withdrawal
• Rituals
• Pastimes
• Working
• Games
• Closeness
• Technology
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 Barriers to Communication (Continued)
Information Overload
This occurs when the volume of information received exceeds the
person’s capacity to process it.

Passive Listening
Passive listening is little more than hearing and occurs when the
receiver of the message has little motivation to listen carefully.
Listening to music, stories, television programmes, or pretending to
listen while merely being polite in another’s company may be cited as
examples of passive listening.

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Good Listeners

❚ They listen more and talk less.

❚ They are not judgmental.
❚ They do not finish the sentences of other
people.
❚ They do not allow bias to creep in.

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 Communication Breakdown: Seven Cardinal
Mistakes Managers Make

• Communicating without adequate preparation

• Underestimating the intelligence of the audience
• Using inappropriate channels of communication
• Believing that words speak louder than actions
• Listening only to good news
• Playing guessing games with employees
• Rarely talking to employees

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 Facilitating Effective Communication

• Develop a genuine desire to communicate

• Understand oneself and others

• Encourage an open climate

• Develop strong internal communications

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 Any Questions?

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