Essentials of communication
Today’s
Communication
Challenges
Trends in the New Workplace
 Flattened management hierarchies
 More participatory management
 Increased emphasis on self-directed work and
teams
 Heightened global competition
 Innovative communication technologies
 New work environments
 Move to knowledge economy
Trends in the New Workplace
Communication Skills:
Essential for succeeding in the new
world of work.
Trends in the New Workplace
Communication within the workplace
 Information flow is crucial to any organization
and the better the flow the more successful
the company or organization
 Being an effective communicator means being
 Honest with yourself and others
 It means having the ability to say what you
want or feel but not at the expense of others
 Not about getting your own way and winning
every time/by manipulating/
 Effective communicator avoids quick fix tricks
or techniques
Trends in the New Workplace
Communication within the workplace(contd)
 Information flow is crucial to the success of
any organization
 For business decisions to be effective and
relevant
-Timely and appropriate information has to be
obtained and communicated throughout the
organization
 The successful organization is the one that
has effective communication both within the
organization and with other companies &
clients
Trends in the New Workplace
Communication within the workplace(contd)
 Using listening , speaking, questioning and
feedback skills when dealing with clients about
simple ,routine matters
 Effective communicators will also use their
internal personal skills
 These interpersonal skills are used to greet
the clients, find out and satisfy their
expectations and needs and finish the
interaction courteously
Trends in the New Workplace
Communication within the workplace(contd)
Communication barriers can be caused by the
 sender
 the receiver
 Lack of feedback
 A poor choice of channel
 The wrong context or any other element in the
communication model
Trends in the New Workplace
Communication within the workplace(contd)
Communication barriers can be caused by the
 Physical Distractions(attending phone calls etc
while talking to a person)
 Semantic Problems-poor choice of wordsKISS principle(we solicit any recommendation
that you wish to make, and you may be
assured that any such recommendations will
be given our careful consideration)simplify it
 Mixed messages-persons word communicate
one thing while his body language
communicate quite another
 Absence of feedback-voiceemail,memo,letters
Trends in the New Workplace
Contd of communication barrier
Status Effects
 Status differences in organiizations create
potential communication barriers between
persons of higher and lower ranks-managers
do a lot of telling than listening
 Mum effect(occurs when people are relutant to
communicate bad news)
 MBWA –Management by wandering (involves
getting out of the office to directly
communicate with others)
Barriers to Effective
Listening
Physical barriers—hearing disabilities, noisy
surroundings
Personal barriers—tuning out ideas that
counter our barriers
Language problems—unfamiliar words or
incorrect pronunciation
Nonverbal distractions—clothing,
mannerisms, appearance
Barriers to Effective
Listening
Thought speed—our minds process thoughts
faster than speakers express them
Faking attention—pretending to listen
Grandstanding—talking all the time or
listening only for the next pause
Barriers to Effective
Listening
 Listening is a matter of intelligence.

Fact: Careful listening is a learned behaviour.
 Speaking is more important than listening
in the communication process.

Fact: Speaking and listening are equally
important
Barriers to Effective
Listening
Listening is easy and requires little energy.

Fact: Active listeners incur physiological
changes similar to a person engaged in
intense physical activity such as long distance
running.
 Listening and hearing are the same
process.

Fact: Listening is a conscious, selective
process. Hearing is an involuntary act.
Barriers to Effective
Listening
Speakers are able to command listening.

Fact: Speakers cannot make a person actually
listen.
 Hearing ability determines listening
ability.

Fact: Listening happens mentally—between
the ears.
Barriers to Effective
Listening
Speakers are totally responsible for
communication success.

Fact: Communication is a two-way street.
 Listening is only a matter of
understanding a speaker’s words.

Fact: Nonverbal signals also help listeners
gain understanding.
Tips for Becoming an
Active Listener
Stop talking.
Control your surroundings.
Establish a receptive mind-set.
Keep an open mind.
Listen for main points.
Capitalize on lag time.
Listen between the lines.
Tips for Becoming an
Active Listener
Judge ideas, not appearances.
Be patient.
Take selective notes.
Provide feedback.
Nonverbal Communication
The eyes, face, and body send silent
messages.
Eye contact
 Facial expression
 Posture and gestures

Appearance sends silent messages.
Appearance of business documents
 Appearance of people

Nonverbal Communication
Time, space, and territory send silent
messages.
Time (punctuality and structure of)
 Space (arrangement of objects in)
 Territory (privacy zones)

Ch. 1-19
Tips for Improving Your
Nonverbal Skills
Establish and maintain eye contact.
Use posture to show interest.
Improve your decoding skills.
Probe for more information.
Avoid assigning nonverbal meanings out of
context.
Tips for Improving Your
Nonverbal Skills
Associate with people from diverse cultures.
Appreciate the power of appearance.
Observe yourself on videotape.
Enlist friends and family.
Communication Barriers
Cause of Barrier
Outcome
Strategies to avoid
barrier
Difference in
perception
People often see and
interpret the same
event or action in a
different way
Listen carefully speak
clearly and directly to
the other person
Ask questions. Give
feedback
Differing attitudes and
values
People often form
different interpretation
Listen carefully speak
clearly and directly to
the other person
Ask questions. Give
feedback
Inconsistency
between spoken and
nonverbal
communication
Poor communication
and confusion
because of the
ambiguous message
Match the verbal and
nonverbal parts of the
total message
Communication Barriers
Cause of Barrier
Outcome
Strategies to avoid
barrier
Witholding information
Others operate with
only part of the
message so mistakes
are more likely to
occur
Plan and structure the
message to include all
necessary information
Passing judgment by
telling people their
reaction is stupid
The receiver can
become angry and
retaliate
Listen actively. Ask
questions. Give
feedback
Dismissing the
concerns or point of
view of others
The receiver may
withdraw
Listen carefully. Show
you are aware of the
others points of
view.Ask
questions.Give
feedback
Culture and
Communication
Good communication demands special
sensitivity and skills when communicators
are from different cultures.
Culture and Communication
Intercultural communication
 Intercultural communication is communication
between people living in the same country but
from different cultural backgrounds
 Over time a culture develops distinctive
national patterns of communication and social
behaviour
 These patterns are the customs and
conventions regarded as the characteristics of
a particular culture
 They affect the way people communicate and
act as individuals or in groups
Culture and
Communication
Key Canadian Beliefs:




Individualism
Initiative, self-assertion, personal achievement
Informality
Less emphasis on rituals, ceremonies, rank; preference
for informal dress, direct business dealings
Direct communication style
Straightforward, literal, suspicious of evasiveness
Importance of time
Precious, correlates with productivity
Cultural Values
Comparison
Compared to Americans, Canadians
tend to be more
collective
 conforming
 conservative
 supportive of civil and political institutions
and collective decision making

Cross Cultural communication
People must always exercise caution
when they are involved in cross cultural
communication
Whether between persons of different
geographic or ethnic groupings within
one country or between persons of
different national cultures
Common problem is ethnocentrismbelieve one’s culture and its values are
superior to those of others
Cross Cultural communication
Difficulties with cross cultural
communication –respect to language
differences
Advertising message-work well in one
country but encounter difficulty when
translated into the language of others
Ka –mosquito in Japanese(introduction
of Fords Europeans model)
Crossed legs rude in Saudi Arabia
acceptable in UK. Pointing at someone
not considered appropriate in Asia
Cross Cultural communication
Awareness of the different
customs,rules and social behaviour in
different cultures reduces the barriers
caused by prejudice, stereotypes and
discrimination
Culture and
Communication
Overcome misunderstanding by developing
tolerance.



Empathize with others.
Try to see the world through another person’s eyes.
Accept others’ contributions in solving problems.
Improving Communication
With Multicultural
Audiences
Oral Messages
Use simple English.
 Speak slowly and enunciate clearly.
 Encourage accurate feedback.
 Check frequently for comprehension.
 Observe eye messages.

Improving Communication
With Multicultural
Audiences
Oral Messages (continued)
Accept blame.
 Listen without interrupting.
 Remember to smile!
 Follow up in writing.

Improving Communication
With Multicultural
Audiences
Written Messages
Adopt local formats.
 Consider hiring a translator.
 Use short sentences and short paragraphs.
 Avoid ambiguous expressions.
 Cite numbers carefully.

Effective Communication
With Diverse Workplace
Audiences
Understand the value of differences.
Don’t expect total conformity.
Create zero tolerance for bias and
stereotypes.
Practise focused, thoughtful, and openminded listening.
Invite, use, and give feedback.
Effective Communication
With Diverse Workplace
Audiences
Make fewer workplace assumptions.
Learn about your cultural self.
Learn about other cultures and identity groups.
Seek common ground.
Effective Communication With
Diverse Workplace Audiences
Different cultural groups have different rules for
Use of humour and irony
Courtesies in speech such as when to say
please ,thankyou or excuse me
The meaning of yes and no
Rules of politeness –who can speak to whom
and who can begin a conversation
Dress
Use of time
Check your Cross cultural belief
Naming systems
1.In the chinese naming system the surname is
placed first
2.In China,descent is traced though the female
line
3.In Vietnamese naming system the surname is
placed first
4.In the Arabic naming system the surname is
placed last
Check your Cross cultural belief
Etiquette
5.In Australia direct eye contact is a sign of
discourtesy
6.In Asia avoidance of eye contact is a sign of
respect
7.To touch South –East Asians on the head is an
act of extreme discourtesy
8.In a Muslim culture, people do not pass things to
each other with the left hand
9.In Asian cultures people find it easy to say No
10.For Thais to share the cost of an outing is
against accepted custom
Check your Cross cultural belief
Answers
1.True
2.False
3.True
4.True
5.False
6.True
7.True
8.True
9.False
10.True