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Getting the Message Across

Introduction
Why is communication important?
o For your career
o In the current workplace

What is communication?
Communication in organizations

Communicating for Change in the

New Economy
The top skill recruiters look for is
effective communication
Employers want you to
o structure and organize information
effectively
o speak and write so your audience
understands

Communicating in the Current

Workplace
Organizational change:
o Flatter organizations
o Team work environments
o Business on a global scale
o Diverse employee base

Communicating in the Current

Workplace, contd
Technological change:
o The knowledge economy
o Advancing communication technologies
o Web 3.0, apps, and social media

Communicating in the Current

Workplace, contd
New needs:
o Managing risk
o Sustainability

Communication Defined
We use symbols (words, images and
gestures) to create meaning
We share stories to influence the
world around us

Communication as a
Field of Study
Communication theory
o explains what happens when we
communicate
o describes why certain symbols can
mean different things

The Communication Process

Communication is
o situated
dependent on the culture/environment

o relational
may be different at different times

o transactional
cooperativepeople adapt to one another
and respond to each other

Elements of the Communication

Process

Elements of the Communication

Process, contd
Sender
o Person has an idea and encodes it in a
message directed at an audience

Encoding
o Converting ideas into words, gestures, or
other symbols to convey a message

Channel
o Communication pathway or medium over
which a message travels

Elements of the Communication

Process, contd
Receiver
o Person/group to whom the message is directed

Decoding
o Understanding and interpreting spoken,
written, and non-verbal communication

Feedback
o Responding to the message
o Confirming if the receiver got it and
understood it

Barriers to Effective
Communication
Channel
overload
o Too many
messages

Information
overload
o Too much
information

Emotional
interference
o Feelings get in the
way

Semantic
interference
o Interpret words
differently

Barriers to Effective
Communication, contd
Physical and technical interference
Mixed messages and channel
barriers
Environmental interference
o Interpret messages differently based on
previous experiences

Barriers to Effective
Communication, contd
To overcome barriers, be
o timely and time-sensitive
o purposeful
o a good listener and a careful reader
o context-sensitive
o proactive

Communication Contexts
Interpersonal communication
Small-group communication
Organized communication
Intercultural communication
Mass communication

Non-Verbal Communication
Gestures
Eye contact
Facial expressions

Non-verbal Communication, contd

Roles:
o Repetition
o Contradiction
o Regulation
o Substitution
o Accenting and complementing

Non-verbal Communication, contd

Three domains of non-verbal skills
o Encoding
o Decoding
o Regulation

Components of Non-Verbal
Communication
Use of space (proxemics)
Use of time (chronemics)
Paralanguage (vocalics)
Body language (kinesics)

Communicating in Organizations
Internal
o Audience is within organization

External
o Audience is outside organization

Essential Skills for Workplace

Communication
Reading
Active listening
o Interaction between speaker and
listener

Informal and Formal Channels

Formal network
o Letters, memos, reports, proposals

Informal network
o Through the grapevine

The Flow of Information

Formal communication channels:
o Upward
Subordinates to superiors

o Downward
Superiors to subordinates

o Horizontal
Same organizational level

Ethical Communication
Business ethics
o Socially accepted moral principles and
rules of business conduct
o May be based on code of ethics

Be aware of how your

communications affect others
Business documents are often legally
binding

Ethical Lapses and

Why They Happen
Why do ethical lapses happen?
o Safety in numbers
o Head in the sand
o Between a rock and a hard place
o Its no big deal
o Entitlement
o Team player

Ethical Lapses and

Why They Happen, contd
To avoid ethical lapses
o Tell the truth
o Communicate clearly, carefully, and
respectfully
o Take responsibility for your
communications
o Dont suppress, delay, or de-emphasize
important information

Cross-Cultural Communication
BELF (Business English as a Lingua
Franca)
o Vernacular of the new global economy
o Simple, clear, free of idioms, anchored
in serviceable business vocabulary

Understanding Cultural Differences

Culture
o Shared customs and patterns of
behaviour of a particular group or
society
o Includes language, rules, beliefs, and
social structures

Ethnocentrism
o Believing ones culture is superior to
others

Intercultural Communication
Defined
Cultures differ in terms of
o power distance
o uncertainty avoidance
o individualism vs. collectivism
o masculinity vs. femininity
o short-term vs. long-term orientation

High- and Low-Context

Communication Styles
Low-context cultures:
o Direct, explicit communication
o What you say is what you mean

High-context cultures:
o Social conventions, context, and
courtesy are important
o Emphasis on how you say it
o Be aware of what is not being said
o Direct communication may seem rude

Communicating Interculturally
Adjust to your audience:
o Express yourself politely
o Keep language simple, literal, and
direct
o Be respectful and flexible

Privacy in the Workplace

Privacy Act
Personal Information Protection and
Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)

Privacy in the Workplace, contd

Organizations must
o provide accountability
o identify reason for collecting
information
o gain consent
o collect only necessary information
o use information for intended purpose

Privacy in the Workplace, contd

Organizations must
o maintain accuracy
o provide safeguards
o tell people how information will be used
o give people access to their own
information
o develop straightforward complaints
procedures