Business Communication

Business
Communication
Communication
 The term communication is derived from the Latin
word „communis‟, which means common, that is
communication is the process of commonness of
thought between a sender and a receiver of a
message.
 It is the meaningful exchange of information
between two or more people.
Definitions of Communication
 “Communication is the sum of all the things, a
person does when he/she wants to create an
understanding in the mind of another.
 It involves a systematic and continuous process of

telling, listening and understanding”.
- Allen Louis.
Definitions of Communication…
 Communication is defined as “the process of
passing information and understanding from one
person to another.
 It builds, bridges of meaning between people,

enabling them to safely cross the rivers of
misunderstanding”.
– Keith Davis.
Important Features of
Communication
Communication is Unavoidable:
 Communication is always an existing and

unavoidable phenomenon.
 Facial expression, gestures and other behavioral

ways, even silence also conveys a lot about the
person‟s attitude.
Communication…
Continuous Process:
 Communication is not an art or event at an

instance of time rather it is a continuous process,
 incorporating various events and activities that

are inter-related and interdependent.
Communication…
Two way traffic:
 Communication is not complete unless the

receiver understands the message.
 To ensure that the receiver has understood the

message, there should be some sort of feedback.
Communication…
The role of perception:
 Human perceptions, the process of interpreting

and giving meaning to the objects or signs,
through five senses (seeing, hearing, touching,
tasting and feeling) plays a dominant role in the
communication process.
Communication…
Universal:
 Communication is universal phenomenon.
 All living creatures communicate through their

own symbols and signs.
Communication…
Social Process:
 Communication is a social process as it enables

everyone in the society to satisfy his/her basic needs
and desires through exchange of written, spoken or
non-verbal message.
 It is through communication that two or more

persons interact and influence each other and
consequently bridge the gap in their understanding.
Elements of Communication
Sender/Encoder/Speaker:
 The person who initiates the communication process
is normally referred to as the sender.
 He/she is the person who transmits, spreads, or
communicates a message and
 is the one who visualize and intimates the message
with the purpose of
informing/persuading/influencing/changing the attitude,
opinion, or behaviour of the receiver
(audience/listener).
Elements of Communication…
Message:
 The physical form of the idea or information

conveyed which can be understood through receiver‟s
sensory receptors (hearing, seeing, smelling, feeling,
touching).
 Message are not the meanings but indicative of

meanings.
 Meaning lies in the receiver‟s mind not in the

message.
Encoding:
 Is putting the meaning of the message into

appropriate words, symbols, gestures or other
form of expression for the purpose of sending a
planned message.
Channel/Medium:
 Is the method or vehicle used to transmit the

message.
 For business communication, commonly used

channels are telephones, letters, memos, E-mail
etc.
Receiver:
 The person or group who receives the message

and attaches some meaning to the message, is the
receiver.
 By definition, if there is no receiver, there is no

communication.
Decoding:
 Even if message is received, it is possible that it is not

understood in the same sense and spirit, as the
sender intended to be, because the receiver decodes
it differently.
 The more the sender‟s message commensurate with

the receiver‟s understanding, the more effective the
communication will be.
Feedback:
 It is the reversal of the communication process in

which the receiver expresses the response to the
sender‟s message.
 The response or reaction may be smiles or may

be asking question or calling further explanation
or confirmation.
Communication Process Models
One-Way Communication Model:
 In one way communication, there is no feed back from
the receiver to sender.
 Here sender is not sure about the receipt of information
as well as its understanding by the recipient.
SENDER RECEIVER
RECEIVER
MESSAGE ENCODING CHANNEL DECODE
MEANING
Communication Process Models…
 Two-Way Communication Model:
Unlike one way communication, in two-way
communication there is active feedback from the
receiver to the sender to ensure that the receiver has
understood the same meaning which the sender
intended to convey.
SENDER RECEIVER
RECEIVER
MEANING
ENCODE AS
DECODE AS CHANNEL MESSAGE SENDER
RECEIVER
Communication Process Models…
 Role of Noise and Communication Model:
*Noise is any unpleasant sound or undesirable distraction that

prevents easy and effective transmission of communication.
*Physical noise consists of forces within the sender or receiver that

interfere with his/her understanding, ie. Egotism, enmity,
discrimination, etc.
Noise Noise Noise Noise
SENDER RECEIVER
RECEIVER
MEANING
ENCODE AS
DECODE AS CHANNEL MESSAGE SENDER
RECEIVER
Objectives/Purpose of
Communication
 Communication within a family,
 classroom,
 Theatre, clubs,
 Seminar hall, boardroom,
 organization has different objectives which depend

on the purpose that has to be achieved.
Communication…
To Inform:
 This is the foremost objective of any

communication.
 Information is power and information needs within

and outside the organization are usually met
through communication.
Communication…
To Persuade:
 Business work through persuasion.
 It is important to persuade employees to work

efficiently,
 to persuade customers to buy the firms products,
 to persuade investors to invest in the company and

so on.
 The objective of communication is therefore also to

persuade.
Communication…
To Educate:
 To disseminate knowledge and develop skills and

attitudes among people working in the organization
and
 also to educate the customers about the product

features is another objective of communication.
Communication…
To Train:
 Communication is an integral part of any training

programme.
 Training is required to achieve proficiency in specific

skills.
 Organizations need to give the right training for the

employees at the right time.
Communication…
To Motivate:
 High level of morale/self esteem and motivation are

a must to ensure high levels of productivity and
efficiency, on a sustainable basis.
 Communication provides a means to keep these

motivation levels high.
Communication…
To Integrate:
 Large business organizations have different business

units, departments and territorial divisions which
pursue different targets.
 Communication provides the means for an

integrated approach in pursuing organizational
goals.
Communication…
To Relate:
 Good business relations are a must for the

continued success of any business organization.
 Communication provides the means for building

and nurturing mutually beneficial relationships.
Communication…
To Entertain:
 Whatever be the nature of business, there is always

a time for entertainment.
 Communication facilitates social bonding and brings

lighter moments that help in creating stunning
moments and in relieving tension.
Types of Communication
1. One Way Communication and Two Way
Communication
2. Verbal Communication and Non-verbal

Communication
3. Formal Communication and Informal

Communication
4. Interpersonal Communication and Intrapersonal

Communication.
One way Communication
 Here role of the sender and receiver are isolated,
not interdependent.
 The sender conveys the message and the receiver

has to make out the meaning on his own as there is
no scope for checking back.
One way Communication…
 The effectiveness of this way of communication
depends upon the speaker‟s inferential ability and
the receiver‟s listening skill.
Eg: The news reader reading news on television set

or radio etc.
Two way Communication
 It involves active feedback from the receiver to the
sender to ensure that the receiver has understood
the same message which the sender intended to
convey.
 This form of communication being more interactive

and interpersonal, allows better mutual
understanding.
Verbal Communication
 Verbal communication is communication through
spoken or written words. This verbal communication
can be oral as well as written.
 Oral communication may be face to face, or by

telephone or by video conferencing system.
 Written communication can take the form of

letters, memos, reports etc.
Non-verbal Communication
 It means transmission of meaning other than oral or
written words.
 Messages can be communicated

through gestures, body language or posture, physical
distance, facial expression and eye contact, which are
all types of nonverbal communication.
 Studies reveal that about 55% of human

communication is through non verbal clues than
through written or spoken words.
Non-verbal Communication…
 That is according to Albert Mehrabian (Professor
Emeritus of Psychology, University of California Los
Angels);
 Only about 7 percent of the emotional meaning of a

message is communicated through explicit verbal
channels.
 About 38 percent is communicated by paralanguage,
which is basically the use of the voice.
 About 55 percent comes through nonverbal, which

includes such things as gesture, posture, facial
expression, etc.
Formal Communication
 It is communication structured on the basis of
hierarchy, authority and accountability.
 This is designated to ensure uniformity in

dissemination of information and to ensure
accountability.
Eg: Departmental meetings, conferences, circulars,

company news, interviews etc.
Formal Communication…
Advantages:
 Ensures the maintenance of authority as well as
accountability of the executives in charge.
 Helps to develop intimate relations between
immediate boss and his subordinates.
 Ensures authenticity and genuineness of the matter
communicated because of responsibility of the person
involved.
 Keeps uniformity in the dissemination of information.
Disadvantages:
 Increases the workload of various managers as all

communications are to be transmitted through
them.
 Widens the communication gap between top

executives and employees at the lower level.
 Dilutes the accuracy of the message when filtering
and coloring take place at the middle level.
 Encourages the tendencies of red tapism, delay

tactics and suppressing of information by boss for
causing unnecessary harassment to the subordinate.
Informal Communication
 It takes place outside the formally prescribed and
planned network or channel.
 Unlike formal communication which is deliberately

created or documented; it is spontaneous and off the
records and beyond organizational hierarchy.
 It has no set of rules and regulations and no

particular direction. It is also called Grapevine.
Informal Communication…
Advantages:
 Flows to any direction and degree with no

constraint.
 Strengthens the social dimensions of the

organization as it provides platform for employees‟
social gatherings not only in organization but
outside the organization also.
 Enables the employees to discharge their negative
emotions and to feel relieved through talking and
meeting each other.
 Helps to bypass official channels which are

unnecessarily cumbersome and time consuming.
Disadvantages:
 Carries half-truths, rumors, false and fabricated

stories etc.
 Because of lack of their accuracy and authenticity,

they misinform employees or even mislead them.
 Increases chances of distortion of the message as
every person hearing the message tries to add, mould
or color the message according to his/her whims and
wishes.
 Creates misunderstandings among employees and

adversely affect their relations.
Intrapersonal Communication
 It is the internal dialogue occurring within the mind
of an individual.
 It may be clear or confused, depending upon the

individual‟s state of mind.
 If the individual‟s mind is in trouble and turmoil, the

message will be unclear, vague and confused.
What is included in Intrapersonal
Communication?
 Thoughts about yourself
 Self-Awareness – your level of knowledge about

yourself.
 Self-Esteem – how you feel about yourself.

What is included in Intrapersonal
Communication?...
 Demonstration of “who you are”
 Personality – emotions, thoughts and behavior

patterns that a person has.
 Self Talk
- is the inner speech that includes the questions

and comments you make to yourself.
Athletes use “self-talk” to reach their
peak performance.
Interpersonal Communication
 It is the communication among two or more
persons.
 Interpersonal communication is a term usually

applied to verbal and nonverbal interactions in one-
on-one or small-group settings.
 “People skills” and “soft skills” are terms often used

to describe someone‟s interpersonal competence.
Interpersonal Communication…
 In the workplace, one who is good in interpersonal
communication can relate to and work with a wide
variety of people, negotiate differences, handle conflicts,
make requests effectively and receive information
objectively.
Other Types of Communication
Group Communication:
 It is an extension of interpersonal communication. It

is an association of two or more persons who
interact with each other in such a way that each
influences the other.
 Group may be formal such as committees, board of

directors, quality circles, teams etc.
 Informal groups are groups which emerge

spontaneously without deliberate design to meet
social needs.
Public Communication
 It involves speech by one person to a large group at
time. This is one way communication as the speaker
gives speech and the audience listens only.
Medias of Communication
 Medias of communication refer to the vehicles or
instruments or channels through which communication
is delivered or channelized.
 Numerous communication channels are used like face

to face conversation, telephones, teleconferencing, E-
Mail, fax, etc.
 The formal medias of communication are divided and

discussed into two broad categories:
1. Oral Communication
2. Written Communication
Oral Communication
 Oral communication is vital for any business, social
or political organization.
 It occurs through spoken words, through speech

either face to face or through any device such as
phone, teleconferencing, public address system etc.
Effective Oral Communication
 Pronunciation: All the words should be pronounced
correctly and clearly. Bad pronunciation creates
adverse image in the mind of the listener.
 Self Confidence: The person speaking must have

self confidence which comes with sufficient
knowledge of the subject and overcoming inner
inhibitions.
Effective Oral Communication…
Concise and Complete Message:
 The message to be presented must be concise and

complete.
 Over-loaded message diverts the listener‟s attention

whereas under loaded message misleads them.
Logical Sequence:
 The speaker should present the message in logical

sequence with organized arguments.
 Only then his/her message will be more vibrant and

forceful.
 Natural Voice: The message should be presented in
the natural voice. This voice should be made pleasing
and clear with practice, confidence, emotional
content etc.
 Tone: The tone of the message should be according

to the situation otherwise the message will not be
appealing.
Variations in the intonation pattern:
 The sound of the voice should not be steady and

flat.
 There should be variations in the intonation

pattern, ie both rising as well falling pitch, according
to the occasion.
Advantages of Oral Communication
 Immediate Clarification: In oral communication,
the communicator can immediately clarify the
message if the receiver has any doubt about the
message.
 Speedy: Oral communication, whether face to face

or through electronic devices, is speedy.
Advantages of Oral Communication…
 Suitable for Emergency: Since oral communication
is the most speedy method of communication, it is
suitable for conveying emergency message.
 Lesser Formal: Oral communication is lesser formal

compared with written communication.
Group Communication:
 Through oral communication group communication is

possible.
 Therefore this type of communication is most used in

conferences, meetings and seminars where different
persons can interact with each other.
Personal Quality:
 Through oral communication, effective impact can be

made on the receiver through personal quality and
influence of the personality.
 Such advantage is not possible in case of written

communication.
Disadvantages of Oral Communication
 No record: Since there is no documentary record of
the oral communication, it does not become legal
evidence.
 Lengthy message: If the message is lengthy the

chances of its misunderstanding, illusion and
forgetting are very high.
Disadvantages of Oral Communication…
 Distortions: In oral communication
misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the
message usually occur because of the distorted
meanings by the receiver. The main theme of the
message is lost as a result of these distortions.
 Speaker’s ineffectiveness: Speaker‟s inability and

ineffectiveness adversely affect the creation and
retention of the listener's interest.
Disadvantages of Oral Communication…
 Limitations of human memory: Human memory
cannot retain all the spoken words even if they have
been clearly heard and understood.
 Oral communication takes place through any of the

following medias:
(i) Face to Face (ii) Teleconferencing
(iii) Telephone (iv) Voice Mail

Face to Face Communication
 Face to face communication

may be between two
persons or among small
group or gathering of
persons.
 It may also assume the form

of speech or address by one
person to an audience.
Teleconferencing
 The holding of a conference among people remote
from one another by means
of telecommunication devices (as telephones or
computer terminals)
 Through teleconferencing they can hear and see each
other and talk with one another as if they were sitting
together in one room.
 In the present era of globalization people operating in
different countries, can be linked together in global
office through teleconferencing.
Telephone
 Telephone is one of the most frequently used
means of oral communication in the present
business world.
 Most of the urgent matters, are dealt with phone.
 Not only one to one contact but group

communication is also possible through audio
conferencing, when more than two persons sitting
far away and speaks on telephone.
Voice Mail
 Voicemail (also known as voice message or voice bank)
is a computer based system that allows users and
subscribers to exchange personal voice messages;
 to select and deliver voice information; and
 to process transactions relating to individuals,

organizations, products and services, using an
ordinary telephone.
Written Communication
 It includes written words, graphs, charts, reports,
diagrams, pictures etc.
 It comes in variety of forms like, letters, memos,

bulletins, reports etc.
 Whatsoever the form or channel it may assume,

every piece of written communication requires use of
human memory, imaginative power, ability to observe
and think, mastery over language and ability to write.
Advantages of Written Communication
Permanent Records:
 It has the advantage of being stored for future

reference or legal document.
 Therefore policy matters, procedural instructions

and confidential orders are communicated
through written communication.
Advantages of Written
Communication…
Easier to Understand:
 It is easier to understand than speech as it allows

ample time to the reader to read it again at his
leisure time to analyze and think about the
message.
Communication…
 Composing in advance: It can be composed in
advance before it is delivered.
 Accuracy: Written communications are less prone

to errors, as they are organized more carefully than
the spoken message.
 While writing a message, needless words and all

possible errors should be avoided to make it concise,
clear and complete.
Communication…
Wider access:
 Written messages, frequently circulated have

wider access to the employees.
 This is not possible in case of oral message.

Disadvantages of Written
Communication
Time consuming process:
 It involves time in writing, rewriting, proof reading,

printing etc.
 Not only does it take time in drafting and

producing the matter, but also takes time to reach
the receiver.
Disadvantages of Written
Communication…
 Not suitable for illiterate: It is not suitable for
illiterate people as they cannot read or write.
 Formalism: It is more formal and rigid than oral

communication.
 Immediate feedback not possible: Unlike oral

communication, in written communication immediate
feedback is impossible.
Communication Environment
 Communication environment means exchange of
ideas, news, views, messages, information or
emotions, due to influence of various elements that
encompass us.
 The environment may be formal or informal,
 It may be business or non-business entity.
 Any sort of environment may force for

communication to happen.
Communication Environment…
 Some famous authors define communication
environment like the way below:
 Lesikar & Pettit defines communication environment

as,
 'A sensory environment in which communication

occurs; where sensory environment is the real world
surrounding us which our senses can detect.'
 Kapl H.Vesper in his 'New Venture Strategies' stated,
 'Any occasion, event or incident that provoke to

exchange words, ideas or feelings is considered to be
an environment for communication.'
 It includes all the things perceived by the participants
in that environment; namely,
 all things perceived by the senses, seeing, hearing,

touching, smelling, and tasting.
 The communication environment is complex and

distracting.
 Overcoming distraction is necessary to achieve the

goals of business communication.
 In addition, communicators must recognize that each
organization has its own culture,
 a personality that affects the communication

environment and the way the communication process
is implemented.
 Leaders (past and present), traditions, attitudes, and

philosophies determine each organizations culture.
Barriers of Communication
 Communication is complete and perfect when the
receiver understands the message in the same sense
and spirit as the communicator intends to convey.
 But practically it has been noticed that such perfect

and complete communication does not take place
because of certain obstacles or other factors known
as communication barriers.
 These barriers make the communication incomplete,

un forceful and ineffective.
Semantic Barriers
 Semantic barriers are concerned with problems and
obstructions in the process of encoding and decoding
the message into words or other impressions.
Different Languages:
 Employees at organization have no common language.

Semantic Barriers…
 This is obvious barrier when there is no common
vehicle to convey ideas and feelings.
 As company‟s operations expand and extend to

different countries, this language barrier widens.
Different Context for Words and Symbols:
 Words and symbols used have several meanings

depending upon the context in which they are used.
 Unless the context of words and symbols used is

known, the receiver may misinterpret them because
of his preconceived ideas.
Poor Vocabulary:
 Poor vocabulary hinders the communicator to

convey written or verbal message in right sense.
 If inappropriate and inadequate words are used,

they will fail to clear the idea to be communicated.
Physical Barriers
Noise:
 Any disturbance or interface that reduces the clarity

and effectiveness of communication is called noise.
 It may be physical or psychological, written or visual.
 Noise distracts the persons communicating and acts

as barrier to communication.
Physical Barriers…
Improper Time:
 Improper time communication also hinders the

process of communication.
Eg: A phone call at midnight, interrupting sleep,

further irritates the receiver, if message is not
urgent.
Physical Barriers…
Distance:
 The distance between sender and receiver acts as a

barrier in the communication process as the sender
has to speak loudly to convey the message.
Inadequate or overloaded information:
 Inadequate information falls short to convey the

message and overloaded information distracts the
receiver‟s attention and dilutes the theme of message.
Organizational Barriers
Organizational Rules and Regulations:
 Observance of rigid rules and regulations relating to

communication, causes delay of message and
discouragement to employees in conveying their
creative and innovative ideas.
 Otherwise employees feel encouraged and

motivated to come up with new ideas and opinions.
Organizational Barriers…
Non conducting of Staff Meetings:
 To overcome the above barrier, certain organizations

conduct staff meetings to know the grievances and
suggestions of employees.
 The organizations were such meetings and

conferences are missing, free flow of communication
is interrupted and the communication gap between
persons being ruled and the ruling, widens.
Wrong choice of channel:
 There are many mediums and channels of

communication available, like face to face, oral
communication, written communication, telephonic,
Email, audio visual etc.
 Each channel is not ideal and perfect in every

situation.
Hierarchical Relationship:
 The greater the difference in hierarchical position,

the greater is the communication gap between
employees and executives.
Psychological Barriers
 Psychological barriers arise from motives,
emotions, social values, different perceptions and
mental limitations of human beings.
 These create a psychological distance, cause

misunderstanding among people at work and
hinder the communication process.
Psychological Barriers…
Selective Perceptions:
 Our sensory receptors have their own limitations.
 As a result we perceive not the whole spectrum,

but a few selective symbols based upon our needs,
motives, experience, background, etc.
Premature Evaluation:
 It is a human tendency that we do not listen or

read the whole, but try to infer from certain part of
the message.
 The moment we try to evaluate, we stop further

message visible to our sensory receptors.
 As a result effective communication does not takes

place because of premature evaluation.
Different comprehension of reality:
 Reality is not absolute concept, it is relative to

different persons.
 Each person has unique sensory receptors and

mental filters.
 As a result our inferences and evaluation are

different.
Attitude of Supervisors:
 If the supervisors are afraid of delegating
authority and lack confidence in themselves as
well as in their subordinates, they will obviously
try to conceal, colour or filter the information.
Attitude of Subordinates:
 The negative attitude of subordinates also affect

the communication flow.
 Their inferiority complexes, unwillingness to share

information and fear of action are the obvious
barrier to communication.
Poor Listening:
 Most of the people just hear, do not listen

attentively.
 If they listen, they listen selectively: taking the

„desired part‟ and ignoring the „undesired part‟ of
the message.
Egocentric Behaviour:
 The self-centered persons think that their own

ideas are more important and others are wrong.
 They keep their minds closed and alienate from

the people with whom they work.
Emotions:
 Positive emotions such as love, affection and

compassion smoothen the flow of communication
whereas,
 negative emotions such as hatred, anger, anxiety

obstruct the communication process.
Physiological Barriers
 These are caused by the individual‟s own personal
discomfort such as sensory dysfunctions.
 This may occur on the part of sender or the receiver.
 These are the barriers that result from performance

characteristics and limitations such as memory,
concentration, mental sharpness and the functioning
of the sensory organs like eyes, ears, nose, etc.
Interpersonal Communication
Barriers
 May be either be related with the other person or
persons one is communicating with (receiver centric)
or they may be due to the individual‟s own
shortcomings (sender centric), or both.
 So interpersonal communication barriers can be

classified into two broad categories, sender centric
barriers and receiver centric barriers.
Sender centric Communication
Barriers
Barriers…
Lack of Emotional Intelligence (EI):
 Emotional intelligence helps in understanding and

exploring our own as well as others emotions in
response to different situations, pleasant or
unpleasant.
 It enables us to consider situations, understand

others feelings resulting from those situations,
 manage our own emotions in tandem with the

situation and get along with each other in a
conductive and productive manner.
Barriers…
Lack of Social Intelligence (SI):
 It encompasses the whole range of our relationships

with other humans and with the world in general.
 The lack of it would mean living in an alienated world

where no one bothers about anyone.
Barriers…
Lack of Cross Cultural Intelligence (CCI):
 Every single culture differs widely from other cultures

in a number of ways.
 It is based on the clear understanding of, firstly our

own self, our culture, then of people around us, and
their culture.
Receiver centric Communication
Barriers
Receiver centric Communication
Barriers…
Paucity of relevant information:
 If the receiver does not have access to the recent

developments and is not abreast with their domain‟s
nitty gritty or lacks conceptual clarity about the topic,
indifference may be developed for the subject matter.
 The receiver would thus not like to waste his time in

listening to or reading the message.
Environmental Communication
Barriers
Barriers…
Chronomatic Barriers:
 It deals with the treatment of time.
 The concept of time in conducting business

schedules, deadlines and appointments,
 but theses matters vary from individual to individual,

organization to organization, country to country and
culture to culture.
Barriers…
Social Barriers:
 People communicate to maintain relationships,

complete tasks, exchange information and manage
many other things.
 Communication is not always easy and can cause

undue stress and conflict when social issues prevent
it.
Barriers…
Gender Barriers:
 Communication between men and women is affected by

various biological, socio economic and cultural factors.
 Each gender has a distinctive communication pattern and

often mistakenly assumes that the opposite gender thinks
and acts as they do.
 This is where miscommunication arises because each side

believes that they are communicating clearly based on
their own communication patterns but they are not.
Essentials of Effective Communication
 Principles of Effective Communication
 An effective communication is most essential for the
organization.
 7Cs of Communication
•Candid •Concrete
•Clear •Correct
•Complete •Courteous
•Concise
Seven Cs of Communication
Candid:
 To make communication effective, it is most

imperative that the message should be frank, truthful
and straight forward and should not be indirect or
untrue.
 There should not be any beating around the bush or

conveying something that hinders the truth.
 It will lead to prejudices and doubts about the

sincerity of the communicator.
Seven Cs of Communication…
Clear:
 The message to be communicated, whether oral or

written, should be crystal clear.
 For this not only clarity of expression is must, but

also clarity of thought is also important.
 Clear message always stems from clear minds and

clear hearts.
 The transmitter should be very careful about the

meanings and organization of words and symbols
used in communication.
Complete:
 The communication must be complete. It should convey
all facts required by the audience.
 A complete communication always gives additional
information wherever required. It leaves no questions
in the mind of receiver.
 Complete communication helps in better decision
making by the audience/ readers/ receivers of message
as they get all desired and crucial information.
 It persuades the audience.
Concise:
 Conciseness means wordiness, i.e, communicating what
you want to convey in least possible words.
 It is both time saving as well as cost saving.
 It underlines and highlights the main message as it
avoids using excessive and needless words.
 Concise communication provides short and essential
message in limited words to the audience.
 Concise message is more appealing and comprehensible
to the audience.
Concrete:
 Concrete communication implies being particular and
clear rather than unclear and general.
 It is supported with specific facts and figures.
 It makes use of words that are clear and that build
the reputation.
 Business professionals who is making use of concrete
facts and figures, are obvious: the receivers know
exactly what is required or desired.
Correct:
 The message to be communicated should be correct

in spelling, grammar, format, contents etc.
 If the communication is correct, it boosts up the

confidence level.
 It checks for the precision and accurateness of facts

and figures used in the message.
 It makes use of appropriate and correct language in
the message.
 Therefore it is essential that the sender should verify

the correctness of the information before presenting
it to the receiver.
Courteous:
 Implies “stepping into the shoes of others”.
 Effective communication must take the audience into

consideration, i.e, the audience‟s view points,
background, mind-set, education level, etc.
 Emphasize on “You” attitude, instead of “I” attitude.

 Show optimism towards your audience.
 Emphasize on “what is possible” rather than “what

is impossible”.
 Lay stress on positive words such as cheerful,

committed, thanks, warm, healthy, help, etc.
4 S’s of effective communication
 Shortness
 Simplicity
 Strength
 Sincerity
Shortness
 “Brevity is the soul of wit”. The same can be said
about communication.
 If the message can be made brief then the

transmission and comprehension of messages is going
to be faster and more effective.
 Flooding messages with high sounding words, do not

create a lasting impact, for most of the time the
receiver will be lost in actually deciphering and
comprehending the message.
Simplicity
 To express ideas, not to impress people with your
vocabulary.
 Use clear, direct language and short sentences,

which are easier to understand.
 Be sure that every word “tells”.

Strength
 The strength of a message originates from the
credibility of the sender.
 If the sender himself/herself believes in a message

that he/she is about to transmit, there is bound to
be strength and confidence in whatever he/she
tries to state.
Sincerity
 If the sender is genuine and sincere, it will be
reflected in the manner he/she communicates.
 Suppose there is a small element of dishonesty

involved in the interaction and the receiver is a
keen observant, he/she would be able to sense the
statement and no concrete relationship between
the sender and receiver will materialize.
The Ten Commandments of
Good Communication
 Seek to clarify your ideas • Take the opportunity to convey
before communicating. something of help or value to
the receiver.
 Examine the true purpose of
each communication. • Follow-up your communication.
 Consider the total physical and • Communicate for tomorrow as

human setting. well as today.
 Consult with others in planning • Be sure your actions support

communications. your communications.
 Be mindful of the overtones as • Seek not only to be understood
well as the basic content of but to understand - be a good
your message. listener.
Listening
 The listening process involves five stages: receiving,
understanding, evaluating, remembering, and
responding.
 Listening is key to all effective communication.
 Without the ability to listen effectively, messages are

easily misunderstood.
 Listening is so important that many top employers

provide listening skills training for their employees.
Listening…
 This is not surprising when you consider that good
listening skills can lead to better customer
satisfaction,
 greater productivity with fewer mistakes, and
 increased sharing of information that in turn can lead

to more creative and innovative work.
 Listening is Not the Same as Hearing.

Listening…
 Hearing refers to the sounds that enter your ears.
 It is a physical process that, provided you do not have

any hearing problems, happens automatically.
 Listening means paying attention not only to the

story, but how it is told, the use of language and voice,
and how the other person uses his or her body.
 In other words, it means being aware of both verbal

and non-verbal messages.
Active Listening
 Active listening is a particular communication
technique that requires the listener to provide
feedback on what he or she hears to the speaker,
 by way of restating or paraphrasing what they have

heard in their own words.
 The goal of this repetition is to confirm what the

listener has heard and to confirm the understanding
of both parties.
Active Listening…
 Active listening is most often used to improve
personal relationships,
 reduce misunderstanding and conflicts,
 strengthen cooperation, and
 foster understanding.
 The below active listening chart shows three main

degrees of listening: repeating, paraphrasing, and
reflecting.
Active Listening…
 Active listening can also involve paying attention to
the speaker‟s behavior and body language.
 Having the ability to interpret a person‟s body

language lets the listener develop a more accurate
understanding of the speaker‟s message.
 There are different types of listening.

Discriminative Listening
 This is the most basic form of listening and does not
involve the understanding of the meaning of words or
phrases but merely the different sounds that are
produced.
 In early childhood, for example, a distinction is made

between the sounds of the voices of the parents –
the voice of the father sounds different to that of the
mother.
Discriminative Listening…
 As we grow older and develop and gain more life
experience, our ability to distinguish between
different sounds is improved.
 Not only can we recognise different voices, but we

also develop the ability to recognise exact differences
in the way that sounds are made – this is fundamental
to ultimately understanding what these sounds mean.
Discriminative Listening…
 Differences include,
 recognizing foreign languages,
 distinguishing between regional accents and
 clues to the emotions and feelings of the speaker.

Comprehensive Listening
 The next step beyond discriminating between
different sound and sights is to make sense of them.
 To comprehend the meaning requires first having a

dictionary of words at our fingertips and also all rules
of grammar and syntax by which we can understand
what others are saying.
Comprehensive Listening…
 The same is true, of course, for the visual
components of communication, and an understanding
of body language helps us understand what the other
person is really meaning.
 In communication, some words are more important

and some less so, and comprehension often benefits
from extraction of key facts and items.
 Comprehension listening is also known as content

listening, informative listening and full listening.
Critical/Evaluative Listening
 Critical listening is listening in order to evaluate and
judge, forming opinion about what is being said.
 Judgment includes assessing strengths and

weaknesses, agreement and approval.
 It requires significant real-time cognitive effort as the

listener analyzes what is being said,
Critical/Evaluative Listening…
 relating it to existing knowledge and rules,
 while simultaneously listening to the ongoing words

from the speaker.
Biased Listening
 Biased listening happens when the person hears only
what they want to hear,
 typically misinterpreting what the other person says

based on the stereotypes and other biases that they
have.
 Such biased listening is often very evaluative in

nature.
Sympathetic Listening
 In sympathetic listening we care about the other
person and show this concern in the way we pay
close attention and
 express our sorrow for their ills and happiness at

their joys.
Empathetic Listening
 When we listen empathetically, we go beyond
sympathy to seek a truer understand how others are
feeling.
 This requires excellent discrimination and close

attention to the nuances of emotional signals.
 When we are being truly empathetic, we actually feel

what they are feeling.
Note Making/Note Taking Skills
 Note making is not just about writing down
everything you hear or read.
 It is a process of reviewing, connecting and producing

ideas from your lectures or reading.
 The noting down of useful concepts and points is the

basis of what one says note making.
 In note making, the writer records the essence of the

information.
Note Making/Note Taking Skills…
 It helps us to understand and clarify thinking.
 Note making saves a lot of time by going through the

notes made.
 One can get a glimpse of a lot of information from a

short note.
 A note making is a skill which improves by practicing.

Advantages of Note Making
 It has great importance in exams or in academic
writing.
 It is an organization of main points for future use.
 Note making helps in keeping the information handy

whenever we require.
 It helps in recollecting and recalling the past events

said or heard.
Advantages of Note Making…
 It helps in concentrating, understanding and provides
a permanent record.
 Note making format helps a writer to go through

bulky documents quicker.
 It helps in understanding a material if the notes are in

own words.
 It distinguishes between main points and details.

Differences between Note Making in
Lectures and when Reading
Note making in lectures Note making from reading
You can‟t pause the lecturer, You can easily stop and read
rewind, then replay to go over something again if you need to.
something you haven‟t
understood.
If you are reminded of some If you are reminded of some
information you want to look up, information you want to look up,
you have to make a note and you may be able to do it
remember to follow it up later. straightaway.
You can‟t slow down the lecturer You can read and make notes at
if you fall behind with your note the best pace for you, to make
making. sure your notes are complete.
Mind Map
 It allows us to visually structure/organize our ideas to
help with analysis and recall.
 It is often created around a single concept, drawn as

an image in the centre of a blank page,
 to which associated representations of ideas such as

images, words and parts of words are added.
 Major ideas are connected directly to the central

concept, and other ideas branch out from those
major ideas.
Mind Map…
 A mind map can turn a long list of monotonous
information into a colorful, memorable and
 highly organized diagram that works in line with our
brain's natural way of doing things.
Note Taking using Mind Mapping
 Traditional note taking often feels laborious for
us because it bores us mentally while it exhausts
us physically,
 try writing for two hours straight and then see how
our writing hand feels.
 Once a page has been filled, it‟s extremely hard to add

additional information to it.
 A mind map is a visual diagram that lets us

organize our notes in a two dimensional structure.
Note Taking using Mind Mapping…
 As opposed to linear notes, mind maps are usually
created on a blank piece of paper or canvas,
 which is used in landscape mode instead of portrait.
 Instead of starting at the top left and filling the page

until we have reached the bottom right,
 we start our mind map by writing the subject or

headline in the center of the page;
 then we add our notes in the form of branches

that radiate outwards from the center.
 A mind map show relationships, hierarchies and
connections between individuals pieces of
information at a glance.
 Mind maps provide a great overview of a

topic because they store all our notes related to that
topic on one single page.
 Mind maps encourage us to take fewer yet more

meaningful notes.
 While we create the map, our brain actively
processes the information instead of just mindlessly
transcribing it.
 Mind maps use a number of mental triggers such as

images, icons, colors and a two dimensional structure
that help us memorize their contents.
 We can always go back and add more details to our

notes.
 Taking notes in a mind map is fun and feels more like
doodling than actual work.
 Using mind mapping software's, we can also attach

additional notes, links and whole files to our map and
 thus add a whole lot of information to it without

diminishing the great overview it provides.
MACFAST
Thank You…
Dr. Ajai Krishnan G
References
 Courtland L. Bovee, John V Thill, Business Communication Today,
Prentice Hall International
 Raymond V Lesikaret. al., Connecting in a Digital World, 13e,Tata

McGraw Hill, New Delhi.
 Guffey Mary Ellen, Business Communication, South-Western Collage

publishing
 Meenakshi Raman, Sangeetha Sharma, Technical Communication-

Principles and Practice, Oxford
 Argenti Paul A, Irwin, Corporate Communication, McGraw Hill.
 Atkinson, Reynolds, Business Writing & Procedures, American Book

Co.

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Business

 It involves a systematic and continuous process of

 It builds, bridges of meaning between people,

 Communication is always an existing and

 Facial expression, gestures and other behavioral

 Communication is not an art or event at an

 incorporating various events and activities that

 Communication is not complete unless the

 To ensure that the receiver has understood the

 Human perceptions, the process of interpreting

 Communication is universal phenomenon.

 All living creatures communicate through their

 Communication is a social process as it enables

 It is through communication that two or more

 The physical form of the idea or information

 Message are not the meanings but indicative of

 Meaning lies in the receiver‟s mind not in the

 Is putting the meaning of the message into

 Is the method or vehicle used to transmit the

 For business communication, commonly used

 The person or group who receives the message

 By definition, if there is no receiver, there is no

 Even if message is received, it is possible that it is not

 The more the sender‟s message commensurate with

 It is the reversal of the communication process in

 The response or reaction may be smiles or may

*Noise is any unpleasant sound or undesirable distraction that

*Physical noise consists of forces within the sender or receiver that

 Seminar hall, boardroom,

 organization has different objectives which depend

 This is the foremost objective of any

 Information is power and information needs within

 Business work through persuasion.

 It is important to persuade employees to work

 to persuade customers to buy the firms products,

 to persuade investors to invest in the company and

 The objective of communication is therefore also to

 To disseminate knowledge and develop skills and

 also to educate the customers about the product

 Communication is an integral part of any training

 Training is required to achieve proficiency in specific

 Organizations need to give the right training for the

 High level of morale/self esteem and motivation are

 Communication provides a means to keep these

 Large business organizations have different business

 Communication provides the means for an

 Good business relations are a must for the

 Communication provides the means for building

 Whatever be the nature of business, there is always

 Communication facilitates social bonding and brings

2. Verbal Communication and Non-verbal

3. Formal Communication and Informal

4. Interpersonal Communication and Intrapersonal

 The sender conveys the message and the receiver

Eg: The news reader reading news on television set

 This form of communication being more interactive

 Oral communication may be face to face, or by

 Written communication can take the form of

 Messages can be communicated