Achieving Success through Effective Business Communication

In chapter 1, we learned about how important communications in business is and how to effectively communicate.

- The new approach to business is know as business communications 2.0. It is a more social communication and is interactive. However many businesses are not using this new method to its full potential. They are adopting a hybrid method:
--- Traditional methods to strategic plans and policy documents
--- 2.0 method for project management updates and customer support messages
- Communications is the single best way to get noticed by an employer.
- Communication is the process of transferring info and meaning between senders and recievers using one or more written, oral, visual, or electronic channel. To provide info or data that benefits both parties who are communicating.
- It helps businesses grow and thrive in numerous ways.
- Communication strengthens connections and realtionships between a company and it's stakeholders

- Internal communications only takes place within a company VS. external communications takes place between the company and outside parties
The following is a link to tell the differences beween internal and external communications:
http://www.myownbusiness.org/s3/

- Formal Communication Network: ideas flow along the lines of command in the company's organizational structure
-Informal Communication Network: all communication that takes place outside of the formal network

- Five ways of Effective Communication:
1. Provide Practical Information: give useful info to make recipiants easily understand
2. Give facts: Use detail, specifics, and make sure info is clear and accurate.
3. Present info in a concise manner: Highlight and summerize essential points for the audience's easy understanding
4. Clarify expectations and responsibilities: create or layout a specific response for the audeince
5. Offer compelling, persuasive arguments and recommendations: show how the audience wll benefit

- Five Issues of Business Communications
1. Globalization of Business and the Increase in workforce Diversity
--- globalization is expanding your company internationally, most company's rely on exports for a majority of sales
--- Workforce diversity is also changing as more people and products are crossing boarders
2. Increasing value of business information
--- Provides competitive insights for the company
--- helps satisfy customer needs to create more useful goods/ services
--- Must follow many gov't regulations and guidelines
--- One of the more important resources
3. The pervasiveness of Technology
--- Heavily depentent on a growing array of technology
--- Influnces every aspect in the field
4. Evolution of Organizational Structures
--- Every firm has a structure that defines the relationship between parts of the company
--- Includes: tall structures, flat structures, matrix structures, and network structures
--- Corporate culture: mix of values, traditions, and habits that give a company its atmosphere and personality
5. Growing reliance on teamwork
--- businesses rely heavily on teamwork
--- Makes sure that a person is the most effective communicator they can be

- Connecting with your audience is the most important part of communication. It starts with a sender, continues through channels to an audience, then back to the sender.
- There are many barriers that can block or change messages including noise and competing messages, filters, and breakdowns
- Your audience should receive and decode your message easily and effectively to create a more easily understood message. It is personalized and the message can be distorted based on the audiences personality. If audiences receive your message effectively, they are more likely to respond--> if you tell an audience how they can benefit, they will respond more quickly

- To ensure powerful messages: minimize your audience's distractions, keept their needs in mind, make sure you have top-notch communication skills, and take constructive criticism and respond.
- Understanding and respecting business etiquette can help you succeed in communication including: repect, courtest, and common sense
- Technology is a huge part in business communication 2.0. It is a necesssity in today's business environment but oo much tachnology can take over the communication. It can lead to an imformation overload--> which is more information than the audience can process. Do not send unnecessary messages
- technology should be used productively to ensure and save time and money. It needs to be used effectively
- Communicating is about people connecting with people and technology can sometimes get in the way
- Ethical communications is a very important part of communication: it makes sure all the information is true in every sense and not deceptive
- Unethical includes plagiarism, omitting info, misquoting, misrepresenting, distorted visuals, misrepresenting privacy/ security.

- Ethical dilemmas: a choice between alternates that may be ethical and valid VS. Ethical Lapse: making a choice that you know to be unethical
- Employers should establish ethical guidelines for their employees and establish a code of ethics
- Communicating has to follow many laws and regulations including: promotional communication, contracts, employment communication, intellectual property, financial reporting, and deflamation.


Interesting Sites:
http://www.bus.wisc.edu/update/winter05/business_communication.asp
This website is an article giving why and how good communication is important in business.