Understanding the Communication Process Business Comm Mrs Morris

Understanding the Communication Process Business Comm. Mrs. Morris

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WHAT DOES COMMUNICATION MEAN TO YOU? Text Message Cell Phone Snapchat Instagram Twitter Postcard/Letter

What is Communication? • Why is it fundamental to human interaction? • Are there times when you need to stop and think before you speak? • Over the last decade, communication has changed more rapidly than any other time in history…why? – Snail mail vs. email/skype/facetime

Communication Process • Why do you communicate? – Share info, create relationships, persuade, and entertain others. • Six parts of the Communication Process – Sender, Message, Channel, Receiver, Translation, and Feedback • Essential element of being receptive to messages is having an open mind. • Making an assumption before someone speaks, might cause you to ignore words.

Communication Process

Sender • Begins the communication process. • Decides there is a need to relay information to the receiver. • Success of communication begins with sender. • Responsibility to clearly state the purpose of the message and to provide relevant detail.

Message • Sender decides what format the message will take. • May be in words, pictures, or even video. • What is encoding?

Channel • Sender decides the best channel to send the message. • Face-to-face, telephone, letter, or email… among other options • Factors influence how you choose to transmit the message. – Level of formality – Proximity, how close you are to the receiver? Do you want others to hear? – # of people receiving the message. – Need for a written record? – Receive info immediately?

Receiver • Receive message through the channel the sender selected. • Receiver has a responsibility to the sender. Why? – How do you feel when you send a text and no one responds? • Paying attention is a matter of courtesy and necessity.

Translation • What is decoding? • The message is not actually received if the receiver does not understand the content of the message.

Feedback • Receiver’s response to a message. • Was the message understood as intended? • When sending a text, and the receiver does not respond, the sender has no idea you actually received the message. • Many places have “read receipt” on emails. At least the sender knows it was read, but it does not tell if it was understood.

Informal vs Formal Communication • Informal is casually sharing with no customs or rules of etiquette involved. – Could be a text, phone call, or just talking at work • Formal is a protocol of how to interact with each other. Usually happens according to the level within an organization. – Downward – Upward – Lateral

Written vs. Verbal Communication • Written means recording words through writing or keying to communicate • Verbal means speaking words to communicate. • Have you ever had a miscommunication with someone through a written conversation?

Written Communication • Accurate written message are vital in the business world. – Directions/steps to complete a process, how to complete CPR on a patient… • Use standard English; not texting language. • Email is primary means of communication in most businesses. • Records and conveys info with varying levels of importance • SKIM, SCAN, and READ for detail – important for all written communication

Verbal Communication • Conversations about work tasks, asking and answering questions, making requests, giving information, and participating in meetings. • Plan and organize your thoughts before speaking. – Think before you speak OR outline your thoughts – Making notes before a phone call, agenda for a meeting, researching info – Planning also involves who you are going to be talking to. • What about socializing at work?

Nonverbal Communication • Actions, as opposed to words, that send messages. • Often called body language, but behavior is also a part of non verbal communication. • Can be subtle (posture) or overpower what you might say. • What would you think… – If your client left their coat on and stood by the door… – Someone said they weren’t busy but kept their eyes on the computer screen and kept clicking the mouse while you were talking to them… – Failing to offer a handshake…

Body Language • Sending messages through gestures, facial expressions, and other body actions or posture. • Receiver picks up on these cues. • Why do you need to be aware of body language as a business skill? – In business world, you must be aware of the messages you send and receive. • A smile can mean funny or could mean they don’t believe you. • What about eye contact in America? • How can you tell someone to go away without speaking?

Touch and Space • A firm handshake, eye contact, and a smile means what? • A handshake is the only form of touch that is acceptable in the business world. • A dentist may touch your face, but if someone touched your face at work, it might upset you. • What is personal space like in America?

Behavior • If you say one thing and do another, your verbal messages are likely to be ignored. • These need to match up… • Ex: Arrival time to work is 9 am and lunch is one hour. You notice that others arrive after 9 and take a longer lunch. What should you do?

Paralanguage • Attitude you project with the tone and pitch of your voice. • Reflect the speakers true attitude. • If you say you are not angry but you raise your voice, the receiver will know you are really angry. • What about telephone conversations? How do you answer the phone?

Anything that prevents clear, effective communication. May occur in written, verbal, and nonverbal communication. BARRIERS

Routine Habit • The weekly budge meeting at Leading Edge Productions was routine: same day, time, place, and participants. Charlie made it a habit to arrive at every meeting 10 minutes late. On Friday, as Charlie walked in, Harold stopped presenting and sneered momentarily before turning back to the board and continuing his presentation. Charlie ignored Harold’s nonverbal communication signals and went to his place at the meeting table and took a seat. A few moments later, Charlie started checking emails on his cell phone.

• What message is Charlie sending by arriving late to budget meetings and not paying attention? • How important were the nonverbal messages the speaker was sending Charlie? • What could happen as a result of his behavior?

Matter of Time • Lisa Shaw returned from lunch to find an email from the executive vice president, Angela Herrera. Ms. Herrera wanted to know when Lisa’s manager, Bert would return from his trip so a meeting could be arranged. Lisa checked Bert’s itinerary and saw that his flight was scheduled to land the next day at 9: 56 am. She informed Ms. Herrera that Bert would return “around 10 am” tomorrow and come straight to the office. Ms. Herrera scheduled a meeting for 10: 30 the next morning; Bert arrived 40 minutes late.

• What did Lisa neglect to think about? What should she have done differently? • As the receiver, what part did Ms. Herrera play in the miscommunication? • What part of Lisa’s feedback did Ms. Herrera miss? What feedback did she fail to give?

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