BUS 1105 – Business Communications Learning Journal Unit 3

READING ASSIGNMENT

McLean, S. (2010). Business Communication for Success. The Saylor Foundation. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- Non-Commercial-Share Alike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work’s original creator or licensee.

Chapter 4

Supplemental Readings (these readings are not required but are beneficial for an expanded knowledge base within this unit)

1)      Visit AllYouCanRead.com for a list of the top ten business magazines.

http://www.allyoucanread.com/top-10-business-magazines

2)      Appearance counts. Read an article by communications expert Fran Lebo on enhancing the nonverbal aspects of your document.

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Second-Law-of-Business-Writing—Appearance-Counts&id=3039288

Video Resources

Learning Journal Task

Describe at least two of the barriers to communication mentioned in the textbook(pages 58-63) and write about how a past piece of your writing contained these barriers and what you should have done to rectify the situation.

In addition to this task, please include a vocabulary list of unfamiliar words from the required readings and provide definitions. Remember to cite the sources of these definitions.

Business
Etiquet te
the new rules in a
digital age
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments……………………………………………………………………..1
The New Rules of Etiquette…………………………………………………………. 2
Professional Networking Sites, Including LinkedIn………………………. 3
Social Networking Sites, Including Facebook……………………………… 7
Twitter……………………………………………………………………………………..11
5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Social and
Professional Networking Sites…………………………………………………..13
E-mail……………………………………………………………………………………………..15
Instant Messaging………………………………………………………………………….18
Mobile Devices………………………………………………………………………. 20
Phone, Video and Web Conferencing………………………………….. 22
Sticky Etiquette Questions……………………………………………………… 24
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….. 25
About Robert Half.. ……………………………………………………………. 25
Robe rt Half • Business E tiquette: The New Rules in a D ig ital Age
Acknowledgments
Robert Half International would like to recognize the following individuals for providing their time
and insights on etiquette in the workplace. Their contributions are greatly appreciated.
Janet Aronica, Community Manager, oneforty inc.
Laura Fitton, CEO and Founder, oneforty inc., Co-author, Twitter for Dummies
Vicky Oliver, Author, 301 Smart Answers to Tough Business Etiquette Questions
Tonia Ries, CEO and Founder, Modern Media, Founder of TWTRCON
Tim Sanders, CEO, Deeper Media, Author, The Likeability Factor: How to Boost Your L Factor and Achieve Your Life’s Dreams
Clara Shih, CEO and Founder, Hearsay, Author, The Facebook Era: Tapping Online Social Networks to Build Better
Products, Reach New Audiences, and Sell More Stuff
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1
The New Rules of Etiquette
“Politeness is to human
nature what warmth is to wax.”
~Arthur Schopenhauer, 19 th century philosopher
You’ve mastered traditional business etiquette, seamlessly reaching for the right fork during a
professional dinner while engaging in animated conversation with your dining companions. But at a time
in which more business discussions take place via LinkedIn, Twitter or e-mail than over cocktails and
hors d’oeuvres, it’s just as important – if not more so – to know how to present yourself professionally
using digital tools.
Given the newness of social media and other communications vehicles, it’s easy to say or do the wrong
thing. Unfortunately, missteps in this area can have lasting consequences: An online mistake can show
up next to your name in an Internet search for years to come. To help you avoid falling victim to such
blunders, Robert Half has created this guide offering insights into digital protocols, as well as advice
for handling sticky situations. The information and tips are based on surveys of executives, independent
research, input from social media and etiquette experts, and our own experiences working with job
candidates and clients throughout North America. We hope you find this guide useful and invite you to
contact us at 1.800.803.8367 for more information or help with any of your staffing or employment needs.
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Professional Networking Sites, Including LinkedIn
Are you linking in or being left out? Professional networking sites are among the most
popular ways of nurturing professional relationships today. Networking online is no different
than rubbing shoulders at in-person networking events – it’s important to make a positive
impression and follow the rules of the road. Here are some ways to get the most out of
LinkedIn and similar websites:
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trust the most. Be careful, however,
of what may be perceived as quid
pro quo recommendations: If you
recommend someone just as he or
she has posted some kind words
about you, your kudos may be
viewed as “payback.”
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• Request recommendations
• Complete your profile. Provide as
individually. Treat each request
much information in your LinkedIn
with the same respect you would in
profile as you can. This might
“the real world.” A generic message
include your professional summary,
asking all of your connections
work history and education. Be
to endorse you may fall on deaf
sure to add key accomplishments
ears. Think about it: Why create
so other users get a clear picture
a personal recommendation for
of your capabilities, and request
someone who can’t write personally
recommendations from past
to request one? When appropriate
colleagues and managers. They
(and if it’s permissible by your
can highlight and praise your
company), recommend those
accomplishments in a far richer
whom you know the best and
and more credible way.
Professional Networking Sites,
Including LinkedIn
10 Top LinkedIn Professional Groups
Be a joiner. LinkedIn offers many
groups for people who share certain
passions or interests, and these can
be a valuable asset for keeping pace
with new developments in your field.
When participating in professional
groups, provide useful information and
input. Avoid sending direct messages
to fellow group members unless
you have established a personal
connection beforehand.
1. Linked: HR (#1 Human Resources Group)
2. Job Openings, Job Leads and Job Connections!
3. eMarketing Association Network
4. Job & Career Network
5. Executive Suite
6. On Startups – The Community For Entrepreneurs
7. Consultants Network
8. Job & Career Network – Professions and Industries
9. Telecom Professionals
10. The Project Manager Network – #1 Group For Project Managers
You also may want to find out if your various alumni and
trade associations have any LinkedIn groups. If so, be sure
to join those you find most appealing.
*Ranked as of Jan. 26, 2011. Top listings subject to change.
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• Prioritize quality over quantity.
Network envy can make some people
link aimlessly just to build their number
of contacts. Don’t invite strangers to
your network merely to make it larger,
and don’t be offended when those
you’ve never met or vaguely know ignore
your requests. Your network is only as
strong as its weakest connection.
Good business etiquette on LinkedIn includes participating in discussions and
doing small favors for others. The following are the top 10 LinkedIn Groups
ranked by number of members.* To access the LinkedIn Groups Directory,
go to the search box and click on “Groups” from the pull-down menu:
How to Tend to Your Network in Only Five
Minutes a Day:
Say ‘please’ and be respectful. If you
would like an introduction to someone
in a contact’s network, ask politely and
explain why you hope to meet the other
person. For example, you might point
out that the potential contact is in a
professional association of interest to you.
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• Think twice before you say yes.
When members of your network request
introductions to your other contacts,
don’t immediately agree, particularly if
you don’t know very well the person who
is making the request. Your reputation
is on the line if your contact ends up
becoming a nuisance to that individual.
It also is common practice now for
“hyper networkers” to add as many
LinkedIn connections as possible to
mine data from your profile and those
of your friends.
Networking online doesn’t need to be time consuming. You can
develop your professional reputation and help others in the
process through simple etiquette practices that require only a
few minutes each day.
1. Be the first to have a point of view. Share a relevant news article
and add value by including an observation that may not be so
obvious to others.
2. Let them know they’ve been heard. Listen to what your network
has to say so you can make an informed suggestion or relevant
introduction.
3. Establish yourself as the go-to person. Consider connecting
your LinkedIn and Twitter accounts to establish more visibility.
Tweet your professional ideas and links into your profile using
the hash tag #in. (However, think twice before connecting your
LinkedIn account to sites such as Foursquare, or other locationbased social networks. It’s unlikely people in your professional
network really need to know where you just ate lunch.)
4. Try to add at least one new person to your
network a week. Growing networks are far
more effective than stagnant ones.
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Professional Networking Sites,
Including LinkedIn
• Keep it professional. Think twice
before posting on LinkedIn, and don’t
post too often or on trivial subjects.
Your aim should be to become a
trusted authority rather than a social
gadfly. That said, it’s OK to share
personal interests such as athletics
and hobbies, as well as a profile
picture so that others can begin to
know you.
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• Make a big impact with small
gestures. Pay attention to what
people are saying or working on.
You can offer helpful suggestions,
send useful articles or just leave
comments, letting those in your
network know they are heard and
understood. You also can share
insights and offer introductions to
others. This may take you only 45
seconds of effort but could have a
profound impact on the people with
whom you wish to develop closer
professional relationships.
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• Don’t be one-sided. An “all-aboutme” approach won’t get you very far.
LinkedIn and similar sites allow you
to ask for help from members of your
network quickly and easily, but don’t
abuse this privilege with constant
requests. Also, don’t forget to thank
those who lend you a hand, and
always look to return the favor.
• Act quickly on requests. Patience is
a virtue, but not everyone possesses
it. Respond to requests that come via
your network promptly – within 24
hours, if possible.
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Make the connection clear. Too often,
people connect without thinking.
When seeking to make a new contact,
remind a person of how you know
him or her if it has been a while since
you’ve talked. For example, you might
reference a recent conference you
both attended.
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Professional Networking Sites,
Including LinkedIn
Social Networking Sites, Including Facebook
To friend or not to friend? Social networking websites such as Facebook were initially designed
as a way for individuals to connect with friends and family. Today, these tools are increasingly
used for professional purposes, particularly in industries such as public relations and entertainment.
But for individuals, online social interaction deserves careful thought before deciding to invite
your professional contacts to join your friend list.
Just as you might share some
details about your social life with
a client over lunch, you may decide
that connecting with colleagues on
Facebook allows you to build closer
relationships. Depending on your
industry, you may even find that
Facebook is a useful way to develop
relationships that may lead to new
business.
Whatever your decision, it’s
important to understand the social
networking “rules of the road.”
Even if you determine it’s best to
keep your personal and business
profiles separate, you should know
how to handle friend requests
gracefully and the actions you can
take to protect your privacy. And if
you do combine your personal and
professional lives, it’s always wise to
be thoughtful and considerate when
interacting in social communities.
Here are a few tips:
• Secure a vanity URL. Your name
may be more common than you
think. A vanity URL will make it
easier for people to find you.
For instance, instead of a long,
unwieldy user name, consider
facebook.com/yournameofchoice/.
Include it in your e-mail signature
file and on your business cards.
(Visit Facebook to learn more
about usernames and check their
availability.)
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Many people attempt to keep their
Facebook profiles away from the
public eye, or create separate profiles
for social and professional purposes.
Others have decided their work and
personal lives are so tightly linked
that they have no reservations about
friending colleagues as well as pals.
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Social Networking Sites, Including Facebook
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• Include a profile picture. A picture is worth
a thousand words. A personal photo adds
legitimacy and confirms that you’re the right
“Mary Jones.” The image you choose can
be casual, but make sure it’s professional.
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• Respect the wall. If you wouldn’t want
to read it on a billboard, don’t post it to
your Facebook wall – or anyone else’s.
This holds true even if you use Facebook
only to socialize. Remember, anyone you
‘friend’ can see your comments, photos
and YouTube video links. E-mail or use
Facebook’s messaging feature instead.
Facebook Faux Pas: Don’t Make Claims That
Your Profile Doesn’t Substantiate
A woman who called in to work claiming to be too sick to use her
computer got caught updating her Facebook page the same day.
She told her employer she was suffering from a migraine and needed
to lie down in a dark room. The company said its discovery that she
was using Facebook while home sick prompted them to lose trust in
her and resulted in her permanent dismissal.
Source: “‘Ill’ Worker Fired Over Facebook,” BBC News
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• Make the call. Are you using Facebook
for work or personal use? If you decide to
friend coworkers, partners and customers,
maintain full business acumen. Avoid
posting what you ate today or what bar
you are going to tonight for your business
contacts to see.
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Social Networking Sites, Including Facebook
business pitch unless you’ve asked
permission. Remember to check your
own photos periodically to make sure
you haven’t been tagged in one you
may not want to be associated with;
Facebook has settings that allow you
to receive an alert anytime you have
been tagged in a photo.
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• Avoid venting. Big Brother really
is watching, yet people continue
to make the mistake of posting
negative comments or gossiping
about their employers, supervisors,
colleagues, or any other touchy
topic. Don’t do it – chances are the
wrong set of eyes will stumble upon
your remarks. A better approach?
Count to 10 and consider the
consequences.
• Ask before you tag. Check with
people before tagging them in
photos, especially if you think they
might not appreciate it, and don’t
tag someone else’s photo with a
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• Please, don’t poke. Your friends may
get a kick out of your “nudges,” but it
can be interpreted as flirting. Use this
feature for personal interactions only.
It’s never appropriate for professional
purposes.
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• Keep it focused. Likewise, resist the
temptation to post updates about
games, quizzes and groups to which
you belong if you use Facebook for
business. You’ll muddy the waters
and likely lose the interest of (or
even annoy) individuals who want
to know about your professional
activities. Don’t add new applications
lightly! Some automatically post your
activities on the general RSS feed.
Do you really want all of your friends
knowing every time you add a sheep
to FarmVille? Probably not.
Social Networking Sites, Including Facebook
Thinking About ‘Friending’ Your Boss on Facebook?
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• Take ‘no’ for an answer. When trying
to friend someone, once is enough.
There’s no need to bombard the person
with repeated requests. At the same
time, keep in mind that some people
may not want to connect with you,
including your boss or coworkers. Try
not to take it personally; people use
different criteria for building their
online social networks, or they may
not be regular Facebook users.
Your
boss
Your
People you
coworkers
manage
Clients
Vendors
Very Comfortable
15%
10%
10%
6%
5%
Somewhat
Comfortable
23%
37%
27%
27%
17%
Not Very
Comfortable
17%
15%
18%
21%
25%
Not Comfortable
at All
38%
32%
39%
39%
47%
Don’t Know
7%
6%
6%
7%
6%
Source: Robert Half survey of 249 senior executives at the largest companies in the United States
and Canada
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• Keep it private. It’s likely you’ll find
coworkers or other business contacts
on Facebook, and not all of them will use
the site in a professional way. Respect
their privacy, and don’t turn their posts
into fodder for office gossip.
Executives were asked, “How comfortable would you feel about being
‘friended’ by the following individuals on Facebook?” Their responses:
Twitter
Although you may not know what “twibes” are, most people have used or at least heard of
Twitter since it launched in 2006. (FYI: A “twibe” is a group of Twitter users interested in a
common topic.) Twitter is perhaps the least understood of all the major social media services.
How do you find meaningful information in a stream of tweets? What does RT stand for? And
what’s a Fail Whale? The following tips can help you interact with the “Twitterverse” (Twitter
universe) in a professional manner when exploring this real-time information network:
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• Add value. What distinct value
do you offer your followers? Be
helpful and generous. Share
links to relevant articles or online
resources. Tweet out information
your followers can use, not
irrelevant details.
• Tweet regularly. Keep your profile
current by posting information
on a regular basis – a few times
a day, if possible, or as often as
seems natural. It only takes a
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• Pay it forward. Retweeting others’
posts helps you build rapport with
followers, encourage discussion
and show people that it’s not all
about you – others have pertinent
things to say, too!
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• Start by listening. Use Twitter’s
search function to find feeds that
interest you, and then spend some
time learning how people in your
industry use the platform. Tools like
CoTweet, HootSuite and TweetDeck
allow you to create saved search
terms to track topics of interest.
few minutes, and it will help you
connect with others who share
the same interests. Remember,
tweeting is not about a number,
and it shouldn’t feel forced.
• Be human when tweeting. It’s
important to use a human voice.
Keep your tone real and natural.
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• Introduce yourself. Twitter is not
a place for a curriculum vitae. In
your biography, you have a limited
number of characters to explain
what you do and what followers
can expect from your feed. This
makes it easy for people to decide
whether to follow you.
Twitter
Social Networking Lessons From
the Fatty Paycheck
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• Keep it light. You only have 140
characters to make a statement,
so don’t write in too formal a
fashion. Consider using fewer than
140 characters to make it easier
for others to retweet your posts.
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• Be open. Twitter offers a privacy
feature, and, while it’s subject
to change from time to time, 90
percent of users don’t enable
it. Open accounts encourage
the most listening, learning and
sharing, so think twice before
locking an account you use for
business. You can easily block
individual accounts, if necessary.
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• Think before you tweet.
When using Twitter for
business, keep it PG-rated.
Avoid posting any information
about controversial topics or
sharing sensitive information –
you could get into hot water.
• Connect your LinkedIn and
Twitter accounts. You can display
select tweets in your LinkedIn
profile by using the hash tag #in
within your Twitter post. It’s a way
to gain more traction, further build
your reputation and establish
yourself as a go-to person, as
long as you follow Twitter best
practices and use a light hand.
It can be annoying when all of a
person’s tweets indiscriminately
show up via LinkedIn.
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• Offer thanks. Acknowledge
retweets by publicly thanking the
people who shared your information.
But don’t go overboard – it clutters
your followers’ streams. Consider a
direct message (DM) instead.
It’s undeniable that one tweet can set off a firestorm,
or, in some cases, get you fired. A job candidate was
offered a position by Cisco Systems, Inc., but her
angst about the opportunity led her to tweet the pros
and cons. Someone claiming to be a Cisco employee
saw the tweet and responded:
“Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the
utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute
to San Jose and hating the work.”
– via Twitter
“Who is the hiring manager? I’m sure they would
love to know that you will hate the work. We here
at Cisco are versed in the web.”
– via Twitter
Sources: “A Guide to Protecting Your Online Identity,”
Mashable; “Social Networking and Your Job: Lessons From
the ‘Cisco Fatty’,” Excelle, A Monster Community
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• But don’t be too open. Because
of the space limitations, Twitter is
not the best place to resolve sticky
dilemmas. For sensitive issues, use
the DM feature.
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5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Social and
Professional Networking Sites
Overwhelmed by all of the social media possibilities? Don’t worry – you don’t have to do it all.
Use the following questions to help you determine the best medium for your message:
1
2
3
What’s your primary goal?
Which sites do the people you
want to connect with use?
What’s your strategy?
Do you want to connect with friends,
business contacts or both? Are you
looking to build your professional
reputation, relocate to a new city,
find a new job, or stay up-to-date
on industry news? Knowing your
main objective can help you identify
the best social networking tool for
your needs.
LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter
offer the opportunity to reach a
wide audience, but they are used for
different purposes and in different
contexts. Determine the audience
you wish to reach and find out
which sites they use and what
communication style they prefer.
Decide how much time you’re willing
to invest, and then choose specific
tasks that will help you achieve your
goals. You may decide to join five
new LinkedIn groups, follow 10
new people on Twitter each month,
or network on Facebook for a set
amount of time each day. Change
your approach to find out what works
best for you. Investing just a few
minutes a day can help you manage
your time and pay significant returns.
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5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Social
and Professional Networking Sites
Who’s Searching Whom?
– 44% of adults who are online have searched for
information about someone whose services or advice they
seek in a professional capacity.
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What can you offer that’s different from
others?
If you’re an expert in your field or just well
versed on a particular topic, you can share
your knowledge with others. Provide links to
relevant articles or videos. Ideally, you can
offer insights on industry trends or share
some unique expertise of your own.
– 31% of employed Internet users have searched online
for information about coworkers, professional colleagues
or business competitors, up from 23 percent in 2006.
Who’s Sharing What?
– 65% of adult social networking users have changed the
privacy settings on their profile to limit what they share
with others online.
– 27% of employed Internet users now work for an
5
How will you monitor your progress?
The more you participate in your network,
the more you’ll gain from it. But don’t get
hung up on the numbers. There are many
ways to get more “followers,” but those
large follower or friend numbers don’t
necessarily mean you’re getting more from
your network. Instead, focus on the value
of the new relationships you’re developing.
You’ll see a much higher return if you
focus on quality versus quantity.
employer that has policies about how they present
themselves online – such as what they can post on blogs
and websites, or what information they can share about
themselves.
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project, A Project of the
Pew Research Center, “Reputation Management and Social
Media,” by Mary Madden and Aaron Smith, May 26, 2010
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E-mail
Although most professionals are well versed in using e-mail, many still struggle with the finer
points. It’s commonly known that typing in all CAPS is equivalent to “cybershouting” – but here
are some other protocol points to consider:
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• Consider your e-mail account
when job hunting. It may go
without saying, but don’t use
your current work e-mail to send
resumes to prospective employers.
Also, avoid using overly personal
e-mail handles when job hunting,
such as “partyanimal@
.com.”
Not everyone will appreciate your
sense of humor and “too much
information” can be a turn-off.
• Be crystal clear. In your subject
line (and you should always have
one!), explain what you want: Do
you need someone to review
or approve something, or is the
message simply an FYI? In the
message itself, get to the point
and use bullets, which are easier
to scan than large blocks of text.
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• Be considerate, not cryptic. Don’t
expect others to decipher what
you mean by reviewing an entire
e-mail thread. Just because you
are on the go doesn’t mean you
should expect others to piece
together what’s being requested.
• Respond in a timely manner.
Try to respond to all messages
within 24 hours, but don’t say
you’ll reply with a more detailed
response at a later date unless
you really intend to follow through.
If you’re in consecutive meetings
or away from the office, put an
out-of-office message on so people
aren’t left wondering when you’ll
get back to them.
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• Make every e-mail fight for its right
to be sent. The less you send, the
more likely your messages will
be read. Don’t copy others unless
they really need to read it.
• Use only one account for work.
Keep work-related e-mails coming
and going from your work account
only. Having a single address
makes it easy for people to find
your messages. And it will prevent
business messages from getting
tangled with your personal e-mail –
and perhaps neglected as a result.
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• Be kind. Don’t use e-mail to say no,
argue, criticize or deliver bad news.
Pick up the phone or deliver the
information face to face.
E-mail
• Think before you send. Always
review the distribution list when
sending a sensitive message. Many a
message has erroneously been sent
to the wrong person with disastrous
consequences.
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• Watch the size. An e-mail with
a mega-attachment might never
reach its recipient, and if it does, it
could overload the inbox. Consider
zipping the file or utilizing a service
• Don’t cry wolf. Is it really urgent or
are you simply feeling impatient?
Resist the temptation to flag your
messages with a big red exclamation
point when they’re really not that
time sensitive. The result of doing so
constantly? People simply will stop
paying attention.
• Reply with care. When responding
to an e-mail with multiple recipients,
think twice about whether you really
need to reply to all, and double-check
your response before doing so. Bad
“Reply to All” threads run rampant
throughout organizations.
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like YouSendIt that allows you to
transmit large files over the Internet.
(Be sure to check your company’s IT
policy first.)
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• Don’t get too fancy. Avoid bright
colors, odd fonts or extra-long
signature lines. Some people find
these distracting or just plain annoying.
Include your personal or business
links to social and professional
networking sites when appropriate.
Are Tech Etiquette Breaches a Career Killer?
Executives were asked, “To what extent, if any, can technology etiquette breaches, for example, sending
e-mail messages to unintended recipients, checking e-mail on a BlackBerry during meetings, etc.,
adversely affect a person’s career prospects?” Their responses:
Greatly
15%
Don’t know – 1%
Not at all
Somewhat
61%
23%
Source: Robert Half survey of 659 human resources managers in the United States and Canada
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E-mail
E-mail Mistakes on the Job
Executives were asked, “Have you ever mistakenly e-mailed someone the wrong message or copied someone
on a message without intending to?” Their responses:
Yes
78%
22%
No
Source: Robert Half survey of 250 advertising and marketing executives in the United States
Among the Most Embarrassing Blunders Reported Were the Following:
• “Someone sent out confidential
salary information to the whole firm.”
• “I once sent a job offer to the wrong
person.”
• “An employee sent his resume to me
by mistake. It was supposed to go to
an outside company.”
• “A person called another employee
an idiot in an e-mail to everyone in
the company.”
• “Someone made a nasty comment
• “My receptionist sent a very gossipy
about a supervisor and it was sent to
and catty e-mail about another
the supervisor by mistake. It eventually
employee to the wrong person. It
led to dismissal.”
was so unprofessional that she was
terminated.”
• “We sent an e-mail to a client that was
meant for a vendor. It made it difficult
when the client had seen our costs.”
• “Confidential information about one
client was sent to a different client.
It was certainly embarrassing.”
• “Someone crafted a scathing,
sarcastic e-mail about a customer
and did not mean to hit ‘send.’ It
caused problems.”
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Instant Messaging
Could it be the “instant” in instant messaging that makes this form of online chat so appealing?
It isn’t used in every office, but it is becoming more common as a business communication tool.
One of the reasons its popularity is growing is because it allows you to send and receive messages
so quickly. But before sending your next IM, make sure you follow these etiquette rules:
And if your overall exchange is
taking up too much time or text,
a phone call or in-person meeting
can yield quicker results.
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• Restrain yourself. IMs can be
distracting because they often
pop up in front of other open
computer windows and are
usually accompanied by a noise
trumpeting their arrival. Don’t
overdo it.
• Keep it short and sweet. A good
rule of thumb is to consider the
length of a “tweet” for your instant
messages. IMs are best for quick
back-and-forth conversations;
many IM programs even limit
the amount of text. If you’re
approaching that limit, it’s a sign
that you need to switch to e-mail.
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• Avoid pop-ups. There’s a time
and place for IMs, but not during
meetings. Remember to log
out of your chat feature before
presenting in a meeting using
your computer or laptop. Constant
IMs popping up, especially if they
aren’t business-related, can be
distracting.
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• Be unassuming. When using
this medium, remember that
your colleagues have their own
schedules and deadlines. Don’t
assume a coworker is available
just because the person’s IM
status indicates he or she is
logged on. Your colleague may
have forgotten to change the
status to “busy” or could simply
prefer to concentrate on a
different task for the time being.
Instant Messaging
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• Be responsive, not dormant. When
chatting on IM, return your reply in a
timely fashion. Try to respond to the
other person within a few minutes
and generally not longer than five
minutes. If you are going to be away
from your computer temporarily but
wish to continue your IM exchange,
tell the other person you will BRB
(be right back).
• Sign off properly. There’s nothing
more frustrating than having a fiveminute IM conversation that ends with
someone waiting for a final response.
Let the person on the other end know
if you must curtail a chat session.
It’s nice to offer a short reason
why you are signing off, such as a
scheduled call, or simply a “TTYL”
(talk to you later).
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• Watch your tone. Attempts at
humor or sarcasm can fall flat or be
misinterpreted in an IM. Make sure
you are familiar with the recipient’s
sense of humor before attempting
to be funny. Using emoticons can
indicate a more lighthearted message,
but when used excessively, they can
come off as unprofessional. When
in doubt, be straightforward.
• Go with the flow. After a 10-minute
IM exchange with your manager, he
writes, “Back to my work” and ends
the conversation. Don’t take offense
at his brevity or perceived tone.
Because IM involves quick volleys
of conversation, it’s easy to appear
abrupt or rude when no offense
is meant.
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• Exercise caution. People frequently
use IM at work, but it’s easy to send
a message to someone you didn’t
intend to contact – particularly
when chatting with multiple people
at once. When in doubt about the
appropriate use of IM at work, check
your company’s policy.
Mobile Devices
Mobile devices such as BlackBerrys, Droids and iPods are pervasive, but others can take
offense when they’re always turned on. As new products are released and these tools become
even more ubiquitous, it pays to understand proper workplace decorum. Here’s some advice:
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• Distinguish between 911 and 411.
Think about it. Can your question
or request wait? If a colleague
provides a cell phone number to use
in emergencies, honor that request.
What’s urgent for you might not
be so for the company or your
contact, so ask yourself honestly:
Is this a 911 or a 411 issue?
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• Turn it off. Are you guilty of a loud
ringtone, or a phone vibrating on
the conference table? Both will
annoy coworkers during a meeting.
So, when in doubt, turn it off
completely. If you need to be
• Know your location. Unless you
work in TV, you don’t want to be
known as the “broadcaster.” Too
often, conversations that should be
confined behind closed doors take
place in coffee shops, grocery
store lines, airport gates and even
restrooms. Would you have the
conversation if the guy behind you
in line worked for the competition
or was related to one of your
company’s executives? Make –
and take – sensitive calls from a
private place.
• Disconnect the Bluetooth.
Always being plugged in doesn’t
necessarily make you look
indispensible, but it may give
you the nickname “cyborg.” Your
“always accessible” demeanor
may imply that you can’t give your
full attention to the matter right
in front of you.
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reachable, set the phone to vibrate
and keep it in your pocket or bag
to muffle the sound.
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• Take a break. Give your colleagues
the courtesy of keeping your
devices out of sight during
meetings. Constantly checking
and texting tells others that your
focus is elsewhere, and it could
snowball – when one person uses
a device, other people will think it’s
OK and start using theirs. Step out
if you need to respond to an urgent
message or make a call.
Mobile Devices
phone. If you text coworkers, be
sure to identify yourself.
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• Text selectively. Texting a colleague
is helpful when sending directions to
a lunch meeting or letting the person
know you’re running late. But it’s not
the tool for meaningful dialogue.
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Tech Etiquette Outlaws: Are You One of Them?
Chief information officers were asked, “In your opinion, has the increased use of mobile electronic
gadgets – such as cell phones, smartphones, handheld devices and laptops – increased or decreased
the number of breaches in workplace etiquette in the past three years?” Their responses:
Increased somewhat
Increased significantly
21%
29%
Don’t know/no answer – 2%
Decreased significantly – 2%
Decreased somewhat – 4%
42%
Remained the same
Source: Robert Half survey of 1,718 chief information officers in the United States and Canada
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• Identify yourself. Don’t assume
your recipients have your contact
information programmed into their
• Go light on the text speak. Cryptic
code, such as AFC (away from
computer) or CYE (check your
e-mail) makes texting shorthand
a whole new language, but not
everyone is fluent. Don’t send
messages full of confusing acronyms
and abbreviations. Though perfection
is not always necessary when texting,
remember to remain professional.
Phone, Video and Web Conferencing
No doubt about it, today’s technology can make distance irrelevant. As the workforce
becomes more dispersed and companies recognize the cost savings of connecting remotely,
phone, video and web conferencing – and especially, applications like Skype – are growing in
popularity. It can be difficult, however, to know how to interact with colleagues and business
contacts who are in different locations. Follow these tips to stay on the up-and-up:
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• Be a good host. Here’s your
chance to show your true skills
as a facilitator. If you’re leading
the call, make appropriate
introductions before giving a brief
overview. Keep the discussion
moving and have an eye on the
clock so you can leave a few
minutes at the end to address
questions, recap, and confirm
next steps and deadlines.
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• Watch the clock. Would your
colleagues in Asia appreciate a
conference call at 3 a.m. their
time? When scheduling a meeting
that involves individuals from
several locations, keep their local
• Get the team ready. In advance of
a conference call, give attendees
what they’ll need for the meeting
– dial-in number, pass code, login
information and attachments
(e.g., presentations, sales reports).
If you want them to review the
materials in advance, say so. Include
a brief agenda so people can come
prepared with some thoughts
instead of coming in cold.
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times in mind. Websites such as
timeanddate.com can help you
decipher time zones. Avoid hosting
a meeting very early, late or during
lunch, if possible.
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• Take a trial run. Know how to use
the conferencing technology prior
to scheduling a meeting. If you’re
not familiar with the video screen,
web-hosting software, webcam or
telephone features, plan a practice
run so you can troubleshoot issues
without wasting others’ time.
Phone, Video and Web Conferencing
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• Don’t put people on hold. More
than one conference has ended
prematurely because on-hold music
has prevented the conversation from
proceeding. Remind attendees at the
beginning of the meeting to hang up
if they must attend to something else.
• Use mute. It’s just common courtesy
to limit distracting background noises
when you’re listening to others.
Remember to turn your mute button
off before it’s your turn to speak.
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• Pay attention. Don’t get caught
daydreaming. It’s easy to let your mind
wander during a remote meeting, or
you may begin to multitask if you’re
not being directly addressed.
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• Make the introduction. You may
think your voice is distinctive, but it’s
not always easy to tell who’s talking.
Encourage everyone to introduce
themselves before they speak. Also,
be sure to acknowledge someone
who joins midway through the call.
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• Enjoy the silence. It can be a virtue,
and who enjoys being interrupted?
In virtual meetings, it can be difficult
to determine whose turn it is to speak.
A lag in the connection may also
cause a delayed response. Allow
for pauses in the conversation so
everyone can weigh in and catch up.
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• Be inclusive. Out of sight shouldn’t
mean out of mind. If part of the
group is meeting in person, don’t
forget about those joining via phone
or online. Ask them for their thoughts
if they seem quiet.
Conference Call Culprits
Executives were asked, “When you participate in meetings via teleconference, how frequently do you do
other things, like answer e-mail or surf the Internet, during the meeting?” Their responses:
Very frequently
Never
12%
19%
33%
36%
Somewhat frequently
Not frequently
Source: Robert Half survey of 763 advertising and marketing executives in the United States and Canada
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23
Sticky Etiquette Questions
Occasionally we all come across situations in which we wonder, “Would Miss Manners approve?”
But in the digital age of social networking, the etiquette lines can become even blurrier. Following
are some common sticky etiquette questions and tips to help tackle them:
Should I personalize my LinkedIn
requests to connect with others?
It’s perfectly fine to use the form
letter, even when connecting with
close contacts. But if you wish to
connect to someone you haven’t
seen in a while, take the time to
personalize the message.
What’s the right way to decline a
request to connect with someone?
No response at all might be your
best bet. Don’t feel pressured to
connect with someone you would
rather not form a relationship with,
and don’t feel the need to explain
your decision. Simply click “Ignore.”
Should I friend my boss or coworkers?
This is the $64,000 question, and
those on the receiving end may provide
the answer. (See “Thinking About
‘Friending’ Your Boss on Facebook?”
on Page 10.) If you do connect, utilize
privacy settings and different friend
lists to control how – and with whom
– you share content. Be sensitive to
how engaged your company is in
digital networking.
If someone follows me on Twitter,
should I follow him or her back?
No, because you may end up
unfollowing the person later. Before
following people, check out their
feed, bio and previous tweets to get
a sense of them or their organization,
and determine if you’ll be interested
in seeing the kind of content they
share. Although it’s considered good
etiquette to follow someone back, don’t
do it indiscriminately. It’s your feed, and
you want to make it valuable to you.
Uh oh. I sent a confidential e-mail to
the wrong person. What do I do now?
First, try to use the recall function
if your e-mail program offers this
option. If this step doesn’t solve
the problem, contact those who
are affected, and explain your error
and whether you need their help
correcting it. You also may need to
inform your manager of the mistake.
For more sticky situations, visit roberthalf.us/BusinessEtiquette.
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Conclusion
Social media and other technology tools have created new forums for connecting, sharing and, unfortunately, blundering.
Workplace controversies have ensued, but we can learn from our own and others’ missteps. The occasional “oops”
is inevitable when using a new device or becoming accustomed to an emerging online platform. When that happens,
rectify mistakes as soon as possible, apologize to those who may have been affected and forgive others when they
make gaffes. Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and forgiving quickly could indeed be the best etiquette
lesson of all.
About Robert Half
Founded in 1948, Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm, with more than 350 offices
worldwide. The company’s professional staffing divisions include Accountemps®, Robert Half® Finance &
Accounting and Robert Half® Management Resources, for temporary, full-time and senior-level project professionals,
respectively, in the fields of accounting and finance; OfficeTeam®, for highly skilled office and administrative support
professionals; Robert Half® Technology, for project and full-time technology professionals; Robert Half® Legal,
for project and full-time staffing of lawyers, paralegals and legal support personnel; and The Creative Group®, for
interactive, design and marketing professionals. For more information about the specialized staffing and recruitment
divisions of Robert Half, visit roberthalf.com.
All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
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Robe rt Half • Business E tiquette: The New Rules in a D ig ital Age
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25
Connect with us:
roberthalf.com • 1.800.803.8367
t
©2011 Robert Half. An Equal Opportunity Employer. RH-0111
Additional Resources for ENGL 1103, Business English
Unit 1
1) Read the National Commission on Writing’s findings about the importance of
communication skills in business.
https://archive.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/2432
2) Dale Carnegie, author of the classic How to Win Friends and Influence People,
may have been one of the greatest communicators of the twentieth-century
business world. The Dale Carnegie Institute focuses on giving people in
business the opportunity to sharpen their skills and improve their performance
in order to build positive, steady, and profitable resultshttp://www.dalecarnegie.com
3) To communicate ethically, check your facts. FactCheck is a nonpartisan project
of the Annenberg Center for Public Policy at the University of Pennsylvania.
http://www.factcheck.org
Unit 2
1) The “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most
famous speeches of all time. View it on video and read the text
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm
2) To learn more about being results oriented, visit the Web site of Stephen
Covey, author of the best seller The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
https://www.stephencovey.com
Unit 3
1) Visit AllYouCanRead.com for a list of the top ten business magazines.
http://www.allyoucanread.com/top-10-business-magazines
2) Appearance counts. Read an article by communications expert Fran Lebo on
enhancing the nonverbal aspects of your document.
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Second-Law-of-Business-Writing–AppearanceCounts&id=3039288
Unit 4
1) The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University includes an area on e-mail
etiquette.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/636/01
2) The OWL at Purdue also includes pages on memo writing and a sample memo.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/590/01;http://owl.english.purdue.edu/o
wl/resource/590/04
3) Your online profile counts as much as your résumé.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105483848&sc=nl&cc=es2
0090628
4) Read a Forbes article on “Ten Ways to Torpedo Your Sales Pitch.”
http://www.forbes.com/2007/08/01/microsoft-ebay-symantec-entsalescx_mf_0801byb07_torpedo.html
Unit 5
1) Oral communication skill is key to success in politics. Visit the C-SPAN Web
site to watch and listen to speeches, interviews, and other public speaking
events.
http://www.c-span.org/
2) The Copyright Office of the Library of Congress offers a wide variety of
resources for understanding copyright law and how to avoid plagiarism.
http://www.copyright.gov
Unit 6
1) Watch a YouTube video of a persuasive speech on becoming a hero.

2) Read an informative article on negotiating face-to-face across cultures called
“Cross-Cultural Face-Negotiation: An Analytical Overview” by Stella
TingToomey, presented on April 15, 1992, at Simon Fraser University,
Vancouver.
http://www.cic.sfu.ca/forum/ting-too.html
3) Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) provides a guide to persuasive
speaking strategies.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/588/04
4) This site from Western Washington University provides information about
persuasive techniques and fallacies.
http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~gmyers/esssa/rhetoric.html
Unit 7
1) Visit ExpatExchange: A World of Friends Abroad to learn about the
opportunities, experiences, and emotions of people living and working in
foreign countries and cultures worldwide.
http://www.expatexchange.com/newsarchiveall.cfm
2) Learn more about Geert Hofstede’s research on culture by exploring his Web
site.

Culture

Unit 8
1)
2)
3)
4)
Read about groups and teams on the business Web site 1000 Ventures.
http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/team_main.html
Learn more about Tuckman’s linear model.
http://www.infed.org/thinkers/tuckman.htm
Read a hands-on article about how to conduct productive meetings.
https://hbr.org/1976/03/how-to-run-a-meeting
Take a (nonscientific) quiz to identify your leadership style.
http://psychology.about.com/library/quiz/bl-leadershipquiz.htm
This text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under a Creative
Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without
attribution as requested by the work’s original creator or licensee.
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Preface
Business Communication for Success (BCS) provides a comprehensive, integrated approach to the
study and application of written and oral business communication to serve both student and
professor.
This series features chapters with the following elements:

Learning Objectives

Introductory Exercises

Clear expectations, relevant background, and important theories

Practical, real-world examples

Key Takeaways or quick internal summaries

Key terms that are easily identified

In-chapter assignments

Postchapter assessments linked to objectives and skills acquisition
Each chapter is self-contained, allowing for mix-and-match flexibility and custom or course-specific
design. Each chapter focuses on clear objectives and skill demonstrations that can be easily linked to
your syllabus and state or federal requirements. Supported by internal and external assessments,
each chapter features time-saving and learning-enhancement support for instructors and students.
BCS is designed to help students identify important information, reinforce for retention, and
demonstrate mastery with a clear outcome product.
The text has three content categories:
1.
Foundations
2. Process and products
3. Contexts
The first three chapters form the core foundation for the study of oral and written business
communication. The next sequence of chapters focus on the process of writing, then oral
performance with an emphasis on results. The final sequence focuses on contexts where business
communication occurs, from interpersonal to intercultural, from groups to leadership.
In each of the process and product chapter sequences, the chapters follow a natural flow, from
prewriting to revision, from preparation for a presentation to performance. Each sequence comes
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together in a concluding chapter that focuses on action—where we apply the skills and techniques of
written or oral communication in business, from writing a letter to presenting a sales speech. These
performances not only serve to reinforce real-world applications but also may serve as course
assessments. All chapters are compartmentalized into sections so you can choose what you want to
use and eliminate the rest.
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Chapter 1
Effective Business Communication
Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual
valuing.
Rollo May
I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure
you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.
Robert J. McCloskey, former State Department spokesman
Getting Started
INT RODU CT ORY E XE RCIS ES
1. Write five words that express what you want to do and where you want to be a year
from now. Take those five words and write a paragraph that clearly articulates your
responses to both “what” and “where.”
2. Think of five words that express what you want to do and where you want to be five
years from now. Share your five words with your classmates and listen to their
responses. What patterns do you observe in the responses? Write a paragraph that
addresses at least one observation.
Communication is an activity, skill, and art that incorporates lessons learned across a
wide spectrum of human knowledge. Perhaps the most time-honored form of
communication is storytelling. We’ve told each other stories for ages to help make sense
of our world, anticipate the future, and certainly to entertain ourselves. The art of
storytelling draws on your understanding of yourself, your message, and how you
communicate it to an audience that is simultaneously communicating back to you. Your
anticipation, reaction, and adaptation to the process will determine how successfully
you are able to communicate. You were not born knowing how to write or even how to
talk—but in the process of growing up, you have undoubtedly learned how to tell, and
how not tell, a story out loud and in writing.
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You didn’t learn to text in a day and didn’t learn all the codes—from LOL (laugh out
loud) to BRB (be right back)—right away. In the same way, learning to communicate
well requires you to read and study how others have expressed themselves, then adapt
what you have learned to your present task—whether it is texting a brief message to a
friend, presenting your qualifications in a job interview, or writing a business report.
You come to this text with skills and an understanding that will provide a valuable
foundation as we explore the communication process.
Effective communication takes preparation, practice, and persistence. There are many
ways to learn communication skills; the school of experience, or “hard knocks,” is one of
them. But in the business environment, a “knock” (or lesson learned) may come at the
expense of your credibility through a blown presentation to a client. The classroom
environment, with a compilation of information and resources such as a text, can offer
you a trial run where you get to try out new ideas and skills before you have to use them
to communicate effectively to make a sale or form a new partnership. Listening to
yourself, or perhaps the comments of others, may help you reflect on new ways to
present, or perceive, thoughts, ideas and concepts. The net result is your growth;
ultimately your ability to communicate in business will improve, opening more doors
than you might anticipate.
As you learn the material in this text, each part will contribute to the whole. The degree
to which you attend to each part will ultimately help give you the skills, confidence, and
preparation to use communication in furthering your career.
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1.1 Why Is It Important to Communicate Well?
L EA RNING O B JEC T IV ES
1. Recognize the importance of communication in gaining a better understanding of
yourself and others.
2. Explain how communication skills help you solve problems, learn new things, and build
your career.
Communication is key to your success—in relationships, in the workplace, as a citizen of
your country, and across your lifetime. Your ability to communicate comes from
experience, and experience can be an effective teacher, but this text and the related
business communication course will offer you a wealth of experiences gathered from
professional speakers across their lifetimes. You can learn from the lessons they’ve
learned and be a more effective communicator right out of the gate.
Business communication can be thought of as a problem solving activity in which
individuals may address the following questions:

What is the situation?

What are some possible communication strategies?

What is the best course of action?

What is the best way to design the chosen message?

What is the best way to deliver the message?
In this book, we will examine this problem solving process and help you learn to apply it
in the kinds of situations you are likely to encounter over the course of your career.
Communication Influences Your Thinking about Yourself and Others
We all share a fundamental drive to communicate. Communication can be defined as
the process of understanding and sharing meaning. [1] You share meaning in what you
say and how you say it, both in oral and written forms. If you could not communicate,
what would life be like? A series of never-ending frustrations? Not being able to ask for
what you need or even to understand the needs of others?
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Being unable to communicate might even mean losing a part of yourself, for you
communicate your self-concept—your sense of self and awareness of who you are—in
many ways. Do you like to write? Do you find it easy to make a phone call to a stranger
or to speak to a room full of people? Perhaps someone told you that you don’t speak
clearly or your grammar needs improvement. Does that make you more or less likely to
want to communicate? For some, it may be a positive challenge, while for others it may
be discouraging. But in all cases, your ability to communicate is central to your selfconcept.
Take a look at your clothes. What are the brands you are wearing? What do you think
they say about you? Do you feel that certain styles of shoes, jewelry, tattoos, music, or
even automobiles express who you are? Part of your self-concept may be that you
express yourself through texting, or through writing longer documents like essays and
research papers, or through the way you speak.
On the other side of the coin, your communications skills help you to understand
others—not just their words, but also their tone of voice, their nonverbal gestures, or the
format of their written documents provide you with clues about who they are and what
their values and priorities may be. Active listening and reading are also part of being a
successful communicator.
Communication Influences How You Learn
When you were an infant, you learned to talk over a period of many months. When you
got older, you didn’t learn to ride a bike, drive a car, or even text a message on your cell
phone in one brief moment. You need to begin the process of improving your speaking
and writing with the frame of mind that it will require effort, persistence, and selfcorrection.
You learn to speak in public by first having conversations, then by answering questions
and expressing your opinions in class, and finally by preparing and delivering a “standup” speech. Similarly, you learn to write by first learning to read, then by writing and
learning to think critically. Your speaking and writing are reflections of your thoughts,
experience, and education. Part of that combination is your level of experience listening
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to other speakers, reading documents and styles of writing, and studying formats similar
to what you aim to produce.
As you study business communication, you may receive suggestions for improvement
and clarification from speakers and writers more experienced than yourself. Take their
suggestions as challenges to improve; don’t give up when your first speech or first draft
does not communicate the message you intend. Stick with it until you get it right. Your
success in communicating is a skill that applies to almost every field of work, and it
makes a difference in your relationships with others.
Remember, luck is simply a combination of preparation and timing. You want to be
prepared to communicate well when given the opportunity. Each time you do a good
job, your success will bring more success.
Communication Represents You and Your Employer
You want to make a good first impression on your friends and family, instructors, and
employer. They all want you to convey a positive image, as it reflects on them. In your
career, you will represent your business or company in spoken and written form. Your
professionalism and attention to detail will reflect positively on you and set you up for
success.
In both oral and written situations, you will benefit from having the ability to
communicate clearly. These are skills you will use for the rest of your life. Positive
improvements in these skills will have a positive impact on your relationships, your
prospects for employment, and your ability to make a difference in the world.
Communication Skills Are Desired by Business and Industry
Oral and written communication proficiencies are consistently ranked in the top ten
desirable skills by employer surveys year after year. In fact, high-powered business
executives sometimes hire consultants to coach them in sharpening their
communication skills. According to the National Association of Colleges and
Employers, [2] the following are the top five personal qualities or skills potential
employers seek:
1. Communication skills (verbal and written)
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2. Strong work ethic
3. Teamwork skills (works well with others, group communication)
4. Initiative
5. Analytical skills
Knowing this, you can see that one way for you to be successful and increase your
promotion potential is to increase your abilities to speak and write effectively.
In September 2004, the National Commission on Writing for America’s Families,
Schools, and Colleges published a study on 120 human resource directors
titled Writing: A Ticket to Work…Or a Ticket Out, A Survey of Business Leaders. [3] The
study found that “writing is both a ‘marker’ of high-skill, high-wage, professional work
and a ‘gatekeeper’ with clear equity implications,” said Bob Kerrey, president of New
School University in New York and chair of the commission. “People unable to express
themselves clearly in writing limit their opportunities for professional, salaried
employment.” [4]
On the other end of the spectrum, it is estimated that over forty million Americans are
illiterate, or unable to functionally read or write. If you are reading this book, you may
not be part of an at-risk group in need of basic skill development, but you still may need
additional training and practice as you raise your skill level.
An individual with excellent communication skills is an asset to every organization. No
matter what career you plan to pursue, learning to express yourself professionally in
speech and in writing will help you get there.
KE Y TA KEA WAY
Communication forms a part of your self-concept, and it helps you understand yourself
and others, solve problems and learn new things, and build your career.
E XE RC IS ES
1. Imagine that you have been hired to make “cold calls” to ask people whether they are
familiar with a new restaurant that has just opened in your neighborhood. Write a script
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for the phone call. Ask a classmate to copresent as you deliver the script orally in class,
as if you were making a phone call to the classmate. Discuss your experience with the
rest of the class.
2. Imagine you have been assigned the task of creating a job description. Identify a job,
locate at least two sample job descriptions, and create one. Please present the job
description to the class and note to what degree communication skills play a role in the
tasks or duties you have included.
[1] Pearson, J., & Nelson, P. (2000). An introduction to human communication: understanding
and sharing (p. 6). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
[2] National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2009). Frequently asked questions.
Retrieved from http://www.naceweb.org/Press/Frequently_Asked_Questions.aspx?referal=
[3] National Commission on Writing for America’s Families, Schools, and Colleges. (2004,
September). Writing: A Ticket to Work…Or a Ticket Out, A Survey of Business Leaders. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.writingcommission.org/pr/writing_for_employ.html
[4] The College Board. (2004, September). Writing skills necessary for employment, says big
business: Writing can be a ticket to professional jobs, says blue-ribbon group. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.writingcommission.org/pr/writing_for_employ.html
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1.2 What Is Communication?
L EA RNING O B JEC T IV ES
1. Define communication and describe communication as a process.
2. Identify and describe the eight essential components of communication.
3. Identify and describe two models of communication.
Many theories have been proposed to describe, predict, and understand the behaviors
and phenomena of which communication consists. When it comes to communicating in
business, we are often less interested in theory than in making sure our communications
generate the desired results. But in order to achieve results, it can be valuable to
understand what communication is and how it works.
Defining Communication
The root of the word “communication” in Latin is communicare, which means to share,
or to make common. [1] Communication is defined as the process of understanding and
sharing meaning. [2]
At the center of our study of communication is the relationship that involves interaction
between participants. This definition serves us well with its emphasis on the process,
which we’ll examine in depth across this text, of coming to understand and share
another’s point of view effectively.
The first key word in this definition is process. A process is a dynamic activity that is
hard to describe because it changes. [3] Imagine you are alone in your kitchen thinking.
Someone you know (say, your mother) enters the kitchen and you talk briefly. What has
changed? Now, imagine that your mother is joined by someone else, someone you
haven’t met before—and this stranger listens intently as you speak, almost as if you were
giving a speech. What has changed? Your perspective might change, and you might
watch your words more closely. The feedback or response from your mother and the
stranger (who are, in essence, your audience) may cause you to reevaluate what you are
saying. When we interact, all these factors—and many more—influence the process of
communication.
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The second key word is understanding: “To understand is to perceive, to interpret, and
to relate our perception and interpretation to what we already know.” [4] If a friend tells
you a story about falling off a bike, what image comes to mind? Now your friend points
out the window and you see a motorcycle lying on the ground. Understanding the words
and the concepts or objects they refer to is an important part of the communication
process.
Next comes the word sharing. Sharing means doing something together with one or
more people. You may share a joint activity, as when you share in compiling a report; or
you may benefit jointly from a resource, as when you and several coworkers share a
pizza. In communication, sharing occurs when you convey thoughts, feelings, ideas, or
insights to others. You can also share with yourself (a process called intrapersonal
communication) when you bring ideas to consciousness, ponder how you feel about
something, or figure out the solution to a problem and have a classic “Aha!” moment
when something becomes clear.
Finally, meaning is what we share through communication. The word “bike” represents
both a bicycle and a short name for a motorcycle. By looking at the context the word is
used in and by asking questions, we can discover the shared meaning of the word and
understand the message.
Eight Essential Components of Communication
In order to better understand the communication process, we can break it down into a
series of eight essential components:
1. Source
2. Message
3. Channel
4. Receiver
5. Feedback
6. Environment
7. Context
8. Interference
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Each of these eight components serves an integral function in the overall process. Let’s
explore them one by one.
Source
The source imagines, creates, and sends the message. In a public speaking situation, the
source is the person giving the speech. He or she conveys the message by sharing new
information with the audience. The speaker also conveys a message through his or her
tone of voice, body language, and choice of clothing. The speaker begins by first
determining the message—what to say and how to say it. The second step involves
encoding the message by choosing just the right order or the perfect words to convey the
intended meaning. The third step is to present or send the information to the receiver or
audience. Finally, by watching for the audience’s reaction, the source perceives how well
they received the message and responds with clarification or supporting information.
Message
“The message is the stimulus or meaning produced by the source for the receiver or
audience.” [5] When you plan to give a speech or write a report, your message may seem
to be only the words you choose that will convey your meaning. But that is just the
beginning. The words are brought together with grammar and organization. You may
choose to save your most important point for last. The message also consists of the way
you say it—in a speech, with your tone of voice, your body language, and your
appearance—and in a report, with your writing style, punctuation, and the headings and
formatting you choose. In addition, part of the message may be the environment or
context you present it in and the noise that might make your message hard to hear or
see.
Imagine, for example, that you are addressing a large audience of sales reps and are
aware there is a World Series game tonight. Your audience might have a hard time
settling down, but you may choose to open with, “I understand there is an important
game tonight.” In this way, by expressing verbally something that most people in your
audience are aware of and interested in, you might grasp and focus their attention.
Channel
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“The channel is the way in which a message or messages travel between source and
receiver.” [6] For example, think of your television. How many channels do you have on
your television? Each channel takes up some space, even in a digital world, in the cable
or in the signal that brings the message of each channel to your home. Television
combines an audio signal you hear with a visual signal you see. Together they convey the
message to the receiver or audience. Turn off the volume on your television. Can you
still understand what is happening? Many times you can, because the body language
conveys part of the message of the show. Now turn up the volume but turn around so
that you cannot see the television. You can still hear the dialogue and follow the story
line.
Similarly, when you speak or write, you are using a channel to convey your message.
Spoken channels include face-to-face conversations, speeches, telephone conversations
and voice mail messages, radio, public address systems, and voice over Internet protocol
(VoIP). Written channels include letters, memorandums, purchase orders, invoices,
newspaper and magazine articles, blogs, e-mail, text messages, tweets, and so forth.
Receiver
“The receiver receives the message from the source, analyzing and interpreting the
message in ways both intended and unintended by the source.” [7] To better understand
this component, think of a receiver on a football team. The quarterback throws the
football (message) to a receiver, who must see and interpret where to catch the ball. The
quarterback may intend for the receiver to “catch” his message in one way, but the
receiver may see things differently and miss the football (the intended meaning)
altogether.
As a receiver you listen, see, touch, smell, and/or taste to receive a message. Your
audience “sizes you up,” much as you might check them out long before you take the
stage or open your mouth. The nonverbal responses of your listeners can serve as clues
on how to adjust your opening. By imagining yourself in their place, you anticipate what
you would look for if you were them. Just as a quarterback plans where the receiver will
be in order to place the ball correctly, you too can recognize the interaction between
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source and receiver in a business communication context. All of this happens at the
same time, illustrating why and how communication is always changing.
Feedback
When you respond to the source, intentionally or unintentionally, you are giving
feedback.Feedback is composed of messages the receiver sends back to the source.
Verbal or nonverbal, all these feedback signals allow the source to see how well, how
accurately (or how poorly and inaccurately) the message was received. Feedback also
provides an opportunity for the receiver or audience to ask for clarification, to agree or
disagree, or to indicate that the source could make the message more interesting. As the
amount of feedback increases, the accuracy of communication also increases. [8]
For example, suppose you are a sales manager participating in a conference call with
four sales reps. As the source, you want to tell the reps to take advantage of the fact that
it is World Series season to close sales on baseball-related sports gear. You state your
message, but you hear no replies from your listeners. You might assume that this means
they understood and agreed with you, but later in the month you might be disappointed
to find that very few sales were made. If you followed up your message with a request for
feedback (“Does this make sense? Do any of you have any questions?”) you might have
an opportunity to clarify your message, and to find out whether any of the sales reps
believed your suggestion would not work with their customers.
Environment
“The environment is the atmosphere, physical and psychological, where you send and
receive messages.” [9] The environment can include the tables, chairs, lighting, and
sound equipment that are in the room. The room itself is an example of the
environment. The environment can also include factors like formal dress, that may
indicate whether a discussion is open and caring or more professional and formal.
People may be more likely to have an intimate conversation when they are physically
close to each other, and less likely when they can only see each other from across the
room. In that case, they may text each other, itself an intimate form of communication.
The choice to text is influenced by the environment. As a speaker, your environment will
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impact and play a role in your speech. It’s always a good idea to go check out where
you’ll be speaking before the day of the actual presentation.
Context
“The context of the communication interaction involves the setting, scene, and
expectations of the individuals involved.” [10] A professional communication context may
involve business suits (environmental cues) that directly or indirectly influence
expectations of language and behavior among the participants.
A presentation or discussion does not take place as an isolated event. When you came to
class, you came from somewhere. So did the person seated next to you, as did the
instructor. The degree to which the environment is formal or informal depends on the
contextual expectations for communication held by the participants. The person sitting
next to you may be used to informal communication with instructors, but this particular
instructor may be used to verbal and nonverbal displays of respect in the academic
environment. You may be used to formal interactions with instructors as well, and find
your classmate’s question of “Hey Teacher, do we have homework today?” as rude and
inconsiderate when they see it as normal. The nonverbal response from the instructor
will certainly give you a clue about how they perceive the interaction, both the word
choices and how they were said.
Context is all about what people expect from each other, and we often create those
expectations out of environmental cues. Traditional gatherings like weddings or
quinceañeras are often formal events. There is a time for quiet social greetings, a time
for silence as the bride walks down the aisle, or the father may have the first dance with
his daughter as she is transformed from a girl to womanhood in the eyes of her
community. In either celebration there may come a time for rambunctious celebration
and dancing. You may be called upon to give a toast, and the wedding or quinceañera
context will influence your presentation, timing, and effectiveness.
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In a business meeting, who speaks first? That probably has some relation to the position
and role each person has outside the meeting. Context plays a very important role in
communication, particularly across cultures.
Interference
Interference, also called noise, can come from any source. “Interference is anything that
blocks or changes the source’s intended meaning of the message.” [11] For example, if you
drove a car to work or school, chances are you were surrounded by noise. Car horns,
billboards, or perhaps the radio in your car interrupted your thoughts, or your
conversation with a passenger.
Psychological noise is what happens when your thoughts occupy your attention while
you are hearing, or reading, a message. Imagine that it is 4:45 p.m. and your boss, who
is at a meeting in another city, e-mails you asking for last month’s sales figures, an
analysis of current sales projections, and the sales figures from the same month for the
past five years. You may open the e-mail, start to read, and think, “Great—no problem—I
have those figures and that analysis right here in my computer.” You fire off a reply with
last month’s sales figures and the current projections attached. Then, at five o’clock, you
turn off your computer and go home. The next morning, your boss calls on the phone to
tell you he was inconvenienced because you neglected to include the sales figures from
the previous years. What was the problem? Interference: by thinking about how you
wanted to respond to your boss’s message, you prevented yourself from reading
attentively enough to understand the whole message.
Interference can come from other sources, too. Perhaps you are hungry, and your
attention to your current situation interferes with your ability to listen. Maybe the office
is hot and stuffy. If you were a member of an audience listening to an executive speech,
how could this impact your ability to listen and participate?
Noise interferes with normal encoding and decoding of the message carried by the
channel between source and receiver. Not all noise is bad, but noise interferes with the
communication process. For example, your cell phone ringtone may be a welcome noise
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to you, but it may interrupt the communication process in class and bother your
classmates.
Two Models of Communication
Researchers have observed that when communication takes place, the source and the
receiver may send messages at the same time, often overlapping. You, as the speaker,
will often play both roles, as source and receiver. You’ll focus on the communication and
the reception of your messages to the audience. The audience will respond in the form of
feedback that will give you important clues. While there are many models of
communication, here we will focus on two that offer perspectives and lessons for
business communicators.
Rather than looking at the source sending a message and someone receiving it as two
distinct acts, researchers often view communication as a transactional process (Figure
1.3 “Transactional Model of Communication”), with actions often happening at the same
time. The distinction between source and receiver is blurred in conversational turntaking, for example, where both participants play both roles simultaneously.
Figure 1.3 Transactional Model of Communication
Researchers have also examined the idea that we all construct our own interpretations
of the message. As the State Department quote at the beginning of this chapter
indicates, what I said and what you heard may be different. In the constructivist model
(Figure 1.4 “Constructivist Model of Communication”), we focus on the negotiated
meaning, or common ground, when trying to describe communication. [12], [13]
Imagine that you are visiting Atlanta, Georgia, and go to a restaurant for dinner. When
asked if you want a “Coke,” you may reply, “sure.” The waiter may then ask you again,
“what kind?” and you may reply, “Coke is fine.” The waiter then may ask a third time,
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“what kind of soft drink would you like?” The misunderstanding in this example is that
in Atlanta, the home of the Coca-Cola Company, most soft drinks are generically
referred to as “Coke.” When you order a soft drink, you need to specify what type, even if
you wish to order a beverage that is not a cola or not even made by the Coca-Cola
Company. To someone from other regions of the United States, the words “pop,” “soda
pop,” or “soda” may be the familiar way to refer to a soft drink; not necessarily the brand
“Coke.” In this example, both you and the waiter understand the word “Coke,” but you
each understand it to mean something different. In order to communicate, you must
each realize what the term means to the other person, and establish common ground, in
order to fully understand the request and provide an answer.
Figure 1.4 Constructivist Model of Communication
Because we carry the multiple meanings of words, gestures, and ideas within us, we can
use a dictionary to guide us, but we will still need to negotiate meaning.
KE Y TA KEA WAY
The communication process involves understanding, sharing, and meaning, and it
consists of eight essential elements: source, message, channel, receiver, feedback,
environment, context, and interference. Among the models of communication are the
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transactional process, in which actions happen simultaneously, and the constructivist
model, which focuses on shared meaning.
E XE RC IS ES
1. Draw what you think communication looks like. Share your drawing with your
classmates.
2. List three environmental cues and indicate how they influence your expectations for
communication. Please share your results with your classmates.
3. How does context influence your communication? Consider the language and culture
people grew up with, and the role these play in communication styles.
4. If you could design the perfect date, what activities, places, and/or environmental cues
would you include to set the mood? Please share your results with your classmates.
5. Observe two people talking. Describe their communication. See if you can find all eight
components and provide an example for each one.
6. What assumptions are present in transactional model of communication? Find an
example of a model of communication in your workplace or classroom, and provide an
example for all eight components.
[1] Weekley, E. (1967). An etymological dictionary of modern English (Vol. 1, p. 338). New York,
NY: Dover Publications.
[2] Pearson, J., & Nelson, P. (2000). An introduction to human communication: Understanding
and sharing (p. 6). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
[3] Pearson, J., & Nelson, P. (2000). An introduction to human communication: Understanding
and sharing. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
[4] McLean, S. (2003). The basics of speech communication. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
[5] McLean, S. (2005). The basics of interpersonal communication (p. 10). Boston, MA: Allyn &
Bacon.
[6] McLean, S. (2005). The basics of interpersonal communication (p. 10). Boston, MA: Allyn &
Bacon.
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[7] McLean, S. (2005). The basics of interpersonal communication (p. 10). Boston, MA: Allyn &
Bacon.
[8] Leavitt, H., & Mueller, R. (1951). Some effects of feedback on communication. Human
Relations, 4, 401–410.
[9] McLean, S. (2005). The basics of interpersonal communication (p. 11). Boston, MA: Allyn &
Bacon.
[10] McLean, S. (2005). The basics of interpersonal communication (p.11). Boston, MA: Allyn &
Bacon.
[11] McLean, S. (2005). The basics of interpersonal communication (p. 11). Boston, MA: Allyn &
Bacon.
[12] Pearce, W. B., & Cronen, V. (1980). Communication, action, and meaning: The creating of
social realities. New York, NY: Praeger.
[13] Cronen, V., & Pearce, W. B. (1982). The coordinated management of meaning: A theory of
communication. In F. E. Dance (Ed.), Human communication theory (pp. 61–89). New York, NY:
Harper & Row.
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1.3 Communication in Context
L EA RNING O B JEC T IV E
1. Identify and describe five types of communication contexts.
Now that we have examined the eight components of communication, let’s examine this
in context. Is a quiet dinner conversation with someone you care about the same
experience as a discussion in class or giving a speech? Is sending a text message to a
friend the same experience as writing a professional project proposal or a purchase
order? Each context has an influence on the communication process. Contexts can
overlap, creating an even more dynamic process. You have been communicating in
many of these contexts across your lifetime, and you’ll be able to apply what you’ve
learned through experience in each context to business communication.
Intrapersonal Communication
Have you ever listened to a speech or lecture and gotten caught up in your thoughts so
that, while the speaker continued, you were no longer listening? During a phone
conversation, have you ever been thinking about what you are going to say, or what
question you might ask, instead of listening to the other person? Finally, have you ever
told yourself how you did after you wrote a document or gave a presentation? As you
“talk with yourself” you are engaged in intrapersonal communication.
Intrapersonal communication involves one person; it is often called “self-talk.” [1]Donna
Vocate’s [2] book on intrapersonal communication explains how, as we use language to
reflect on our own experiences, we talk ourselves through situations. For example, the
voice within you that tells you, “Keep on Going! I can DO IT!” when you are putting your
all into completing a five-mile race; or that says, “This report I’ve written is pretty good.”
Your intrapersonal communication can be positive or negative, and directly influences
how you perceive and react to situations and communication with others.
What you perceive in communication with others is also influenced by your culture,
native language, and your world view. As the German philosopher Jürgen Habermas
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said, “Every process of reaching understanding takes place against the background of a
culturally ingrained preunderstanding.” [3]
For example, you may have certain expectations of time and punctuality. You weren’t
born with them, so where did you learn them? From those around you as you grew up.
What was normal for them became normal for you, but not everyone’s idea of normal is
the same.
When your supervisor invites you to a meeting and says it will start at 7 p.m., does that
mean 7:00 sharp, 7-ish, or even 7:30? In the business context, when a meeting is
supposed to start at 9 a.m., is it promptly a 9 a.m.? Variations in time expectations
depend on regional and national culture as well as individual corporate cultures. In
some companies, everyone may be expected to arrive ten to fifteen minutes before the
announced start time to take their seats and be ready to commence business at 9:00
sharp. In other companies, “meeting and greeting” from about 9 to 9:05 or even 9:10 is
the norm. When you are unfamiliar with the expectations for a business event, it is
always wise to err on the side of being punctual, regardless of what your internal
assumptions about time and punctuality may be.
Interpersonal Communication
The second major context within the field of communication is interpersonal
communication.Interpersonal communication normally involves two people, and can
range from intimate and very personal to formal and impersonal. You may carry on a
conversation with a loved one, sharing a serious concern. Later, at work, you may have a
brief conversation about plans for the weekend with the security guard on your way
home. What’s the difference? Both scenarios involve interpersonal communication, but
are different in levels of intimacy. The first example implies a trusting relationship
established over time between two caring individuals. The second example level implies
some previous familiarity, and is really more about acknowledging each other than any
actual exchange of information, much like saying hello or goodbye.
Group Communication
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Have you ever noticed how a small group of people in class sit near each other? Perhaps
they are members of the same sports program, or just friends, but no doubt they often
engage in group communication.
“Group communication is a dynamic process where a small number of people engage in
a conversation.” [4] Group communication is generally defined as involving three to eight
people. The larger the group, the more likely it is to break down into smaller groups.
To take a page from marketing, does your audience have segments or any points of
convergence/divergence? We could consider factors like age, education, sex, and
location to learn more about groups and their general preferences as well as dislikes.
You may find several groups within the larger audience, such as specific areas of
education, and use this knowledge to increase your effectiveness as a business
communicator.
Public Communication
In public communication, one person speaks to a group of people; the same is true of
public written communication, where one person writes a message to be read by a small
or large group. The speaker or writer may ask questions, and engage the audience in a
discussion (in writing, examples are an e-mail discussion or a point-counter-point series
of letters to the editor), but the dynamics of the conversation are distinct from group
communication, where different rules apply. In a public speaking situation, the group
normally defers to the speaker. For example, the boss speaks to everyone, and the sales
team quietly listens without interruption.
This generalization is changing as norms and expectations change, and many cultures
have a tradition of “call outs” or interjections that are not to be interpreted as
interruptions or competition for the floor, but instead as affirmations. The boss may say,
as part of a charged-up motivational speech, “Do you hear me?” and the sales team is
expected to call back “Yes Sir!” The boss, as a public speaker, recognizes that
intrapersonal communication (thoughts of the individual members) or interpersonal
communication (communication between team members) may interfere with this classic
public speaking dynamic of all to one, or the audience devoting all its attention to the
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speaker, and incorporate attention getting and engagement strategies to keep the sales
team focused on the message.
Mass Communication
How do you tell everyone on campus where and when all the classes are held? Would a
speech from the front steps work? Perhaps it might meet the need if your school is a
very small one. A written schedule that lists all classes would be a better alternative.
How do you let everyone know there is a sale on in your store, or that your new product
will meet their needs, or that your position on a political issue is the same as your
constituents? You send a message to as many people as you can through mass
communication. Does everyone receive mass communication the same way the might
receive a personal phone call? Not likely. Some people who receive mass mailings
assume that they are “junk mail” (i.e., that they do not meet the recipients’ needs) and
throw them away unopened. People may tune out a television advertisement with a click
of the mute button, delete tweets or ignore friend requests on Facebook by the
hundreds, or send all unsolicited e-mail straight to the spam folder unread.
Mass media is a powerful force in modern society and our daily lives, and is adapting
rapidly to new technologies. Mass communication involves sending a single message to
a group. It allows us to communicate our message to a large number of people, but we
are limited in our ability to tailor our message to specific audiences, groups, or
individuals. As a business communicator, you can use multimedia as a visual aid or
reference common programs, films, or other images that your audience finds familiar
yet engaging. You can tweet a picture that is worth far more than 140 characters, and
you are just as likely to elicit a significant response. By choosing messages or references
that many audience members will recognize or can identify with, you can develop
common ground and increase the appeal of your message.
KE Y TA KEA WAY
Communication contexts include intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, public, and
mass communication. Each context has its advantages and disadvantages, and its
appropriate and inappropriate uses.
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E XE RC IS ES
1. Please recall a time when you gave a speech in front of a group. How did you feel?
What was your experience? What did you learn from your experience?
2. If you were asked to get the attention of your peers, what image or word would
you choose and why?
3. If you were asked to get the attention of someone like yourself, what image or
word would you choose and why?
4. Make a list of mass communication messages you observe for a one hour period of
time. Share your list with classmates.
[1] Wood, J. (1997). Communication in our lives (p. 22). Boston, MA: Wadsworth.
[2] Vocate, D. (Ed.). (1994). Intrapersonal communication: Different voices, different minds.
Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
[3] Habermas, J. (1984). The theory of communicative action (Vol. 1, p. 100). Boston, MA:
Beacon Press.
[4] McLean, S. (2005). The basics of interpersonal communication (p. 14). Boston, MA: Allyn &
Bacon.
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1.4 Your Responsibilities as a Communicator
L EA RNING O B JEC T IV E
1. Discuss and provide several examples of each of the two main responsibilities of a
business communicator.
Whenever you speak or write in a business environment, you have certain responsibilities to your
audience, your employer, and your profession. Your audience comes to you with an inherent set of
expectations that you will fulfill these responsibilities. The specific expectations may change given
the context or environment, but two central ideas will remain: be prepared, and be ethical.
Communicator Is Prepared
As the business communicator’s first responsibility, preparation includes several facets
which we will examine: organization, clarity, and being concise and punctual.
Being prepared means that you have selected a topic appropriate to your audience,
gathered enough information to cover the topic well, put your information into a logical
sequence, and considered how best to present it. If your communication is a written one,
you have written an outline and at least one rough draft, read it over to improve your
writing and correct errors, and sought feedback where appropriate. If your
communication is oral, you have practiced several times before your actual
performance.
The Prepared Communicator Is Organized
Part of being prepared is being organized. Aristotle called this logos, or logic, and it
involves the steps or points that lead your communication to a conclusion. Once you’ve
invested time in researching your topic, you will want to narrow your focus to a few key
points and consider how you’ll present them. On any given topic there is a wealth of
information; your job is to narrow that content down to a manageable level, serving the
role of gatekeeper by selecting some information and “de-selecting,” or choosing to not
include other points or ideas.
You also need to consider how to link your main points together for your audience. Use
transitions to provide signposts or cues for your audience to follow along. “Now that
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we’ve examined X, let’s consider Y” is a transitional statement that provides a cue that
you are moving from topic to topic. Your listeners or readers will appreciate your being
well organized so that they can follow your message from point to point.
The Prepared Communicator Is Clear
You have probably had the unhappy experience of reading or listening to a
communication that was vague and wandering. Part of being prepared is being clear. If
your message is unclear, the audience will lose interest and tune you out, bringing an
end to effective communication.
Interestingly, clarity begins with intrapersonal communication: you need to have a clear
idea in your mind of what you want to say before you can say it clearly to someone else.
At the interpersonal level, clarity involves considering your audience, as you will want to
choose words and phrases they understand and avoid jargon or slang that may be
unfamiliar to them.
Clarity also involves presentation. A brilliant message scrawled in illegible handwriting,
or in pale gray type on gray paper, will not be clear. When it comes to oral
communication, if you mumble your words, speak too quickly or use a monotonous tone
of voice, or stumble over certain words or phrases, the clarity of your presentation will
suffer.
Technology also plays a part; if you are using a microphone or conducting a
teleconference, clarity will depend on this equipment functioning properly—which
brings us back to the importance of preparation. In this case, in addition to preparing
your speech, you need to prepare by testing the equipment ahead of time.
The Prepared Communicator Is Concise and Punctual
Concise means brief and to the point. In most business communications you are
expected to “get down to business” right away. Being prepared includes being able to
state your points clearly and support them with clear evidence in a relatively
straightforward, linear way.
It…