Transcript chapter 1

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
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Chapter 1
Understanding
Business Communication
in Today’s Workplace
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Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
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Define communication and explain the importance of effective business
communication
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Explain what it means to communicate as a professional in a business context
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List four general guidelines for using communication technology effectively
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Explain how cultural diversity affects business communication and describe the
steps you can take to communicate more effectively across cultural boundaries
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Define ethics, explain the difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical
lapse, and list six guidelines for making ethical communication choices
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Understanding Why
Communication Matters
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Communicating Is Important
to Your Career
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Communication Is
Important
to Your Company
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Important community ties
Opportunities to influence
Productivity and problem solving
Improved financial results
Warning of potential problems
Better decision making
Persuasive marketing messages
Better employee engagement and,
satisfaction and lower employee
turnover
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What Makes Business Communication Effective?
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION:
1. Practical
2. Factual
3. Concise
4. Clear
5. Persuasive
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Communicating as a
Professional
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Strive to excel
Be dependable and accountable
Be a team player
Demonstrate etiquette
Make ethical decisions
Maintain a positive outlook
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Understanding
What Employers Expect
From You
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Organizing ideas
Expressing yourself
Persuasive arguments
Evaluating data
Listening
Understanding diversity
Tech savvy
• High-quality writing
• Adapting your message
• Business etiquette
• Ethical
• Confidentiality
• Laws and regulations
• Time management
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Committing to Ethical Communication
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Omitting essential information
Plagiarism
Selective misquoting
Misrepresenting numbers
Distorting visuals
Failing to respect privacy or
information security needs
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Distinguishing Ethical Dilemmas from Ethical Lapses
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Communicating in a World of Diversity
A broad and
useful definition
of diversity:
All the characteristics
and experiences that
define each of us as
individuals.
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The Advantages and Challenges
of a Diverse Workforce
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Social Customs
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Differences – There can be a lot!
Ability
Gender
Age
Religious
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Advice for Improving Intercultural Communication
AVOID:
Ethnocentrism
Stereotyping
Assumptions
TOLERATE:
Differences
Ambiguity
Superficial factors
LEARN:
Respect for cultures
Your own cultural biases
To be flexible
Be prepared to change your habits and attitudes;
observe and learn – the more you know, the more effective you’ll be.
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Writing for Multilingual Audiences
• Be brief and clear –
use plain language
• Avoid words with
multiple meanings
• Avoid slang, and
abbreviations
• Cite numbers carefully
• Use short paragraphs
• Use transitions
generously
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Using
Technology
to
Improve
Business
Communication
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Using
Tools
Productively
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Guarding Against Information Overload
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Reconnecting with People Frequently
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Learning Objectives: Check Your Progress
1. Define communication and explain the
importance of effective business
communication.
2. Explain what it means to communicate as
a professional in a business context.
3. List four general guidelines for using
communication technology effectively.
4. Explain how cultural diversity affects business communication and
describe the steps you can take to communicate more effectively across
cultural boundaries.
5. Define ethics, explain the difference between an ethical dilemma and an
ethical lapse, and list six guidelines for making ethical communication
choices.
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