Leading through effective communication (1) speaking and writing, and (2) nonverbal communication. & Listening

There are a number of reasons for communicating in business. In order to effectively address the multiple situations that will be encountered, leaders must understand and use a variety of communication styles and methods.

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Leadership Competencies * Communications is the exchange of information and ideas from one person to another. Effective communication occurs when others understand exactly what you are trying to tell them and when you understand precisely what they are trying to tell you. * You communicate to direct, influence, coordinate, encourage, supervise, train, teach, coach and counsel. You need to be able to understand and think through a problem and translate that idea into a clear, concise, measured fashion. * Your message should be easy to understand, serve the purpose and be appropriate for your audience.

Leadership Training: Effective communication - an essential leadership skill
Posted January 11, 2011 in Leadership Training Articles | Leadership Skills by Andrew Sisley http://www.leader3training.com/article/leadership-training3 Some people are naturally better at communicating than others and some more experienced. If we are good at talking, however, we shouldn’t be fooled into believing that we are good at communicating. Likewise, if we happen to be quiet, that doesn’t mean we are bad communicators.
Everything we do in life, and at work, communicates a message to others. And in a leadership role, it is important to make sure we are communicating theright message. Effective communication is therefore one of the most important leadership skills.
Most of us have probably heard this saying:
“It’s not what we say but how we say it.”
This can be true; as effective communicators, however, we should understand that:
“It is what we say and how, when, where and why we say it.”
What, how, when, where and why we communicate is the difference between negative and positive interactions, situations, outcomes and relationships. It can be the key difference between being a poor leader and an exceptional leader.
Having the skills to communicate effectively is one of the keys to leading people effectively.
Effective communication is a very challenging and complex process as there is always the potential for misunderstanding.
There are many, many facets to effective communication, such as using and interpreting body language, receiving criticism positively, assertive communication and managing communication barriers, just to name a few.
1. Consider their perspective
Effective communication is not all about us and it’s not just about communicating our message; it is also about understanding the intended meaning of the other person’s message.
Our communication objective is ‘to achieve mutual respect and understanding’.
This means that when we are communicating with someone, we need to make a conscious effort to consider the message they are communicating to us (both verbally and non-verbally) from their perspective. If we take the information we are receiving and consider it in terms of:
- what is important to them
- what their needs are
- what their preferred way of communicating is
- how they are feeling, and
- what their circumstances are
… we stand a much better chance of achieving our communication objective, ‘mutual respect and understanding.
2. Effective listening
Listening is arguably the most essential skill for effective communication and is a far more difficult process than just hearing the words someone is saying.
Effective listening involves focusing our ears, eyes and minds on the speaker and the mix of verbal and non-verbal (body language) messages they are delivering to us in order to gain a true understanding of the point they are trying to convey.
We need to:
- block out the thoughts that are flowing through our minds (including what we plan to say next)
- ignore the external activity that may be taking place around us
… and focus on listening. Otherwise we are likely to miss a key signal that could help us to understand their message completely.

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1 CHAPTER 12 Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills
Since then he has spent hours talking with his 200 employees and seeking the advice of his nine senior managers—all but one of whom are veterans of the company. He has frequent private meetings with each member of the management team so they will feel freer to be candid with him. In that way, he can ask the important questions: What am I doing wrong?
What would you do differently if you were running the company? What’s the biggest thing getting in the way of you doing your job well?
The executive leader just described acts on an obvious truth that many leaders ignore—open communication between company leaders and group members helps an organization overcome problems and attain success. Effective managers and leaders listen to employees, and open communications contribute to leadership effectiveness. the contribution of nonverbal, written, and supportive communication. In addition, it describes how the ability to overcome cross-cultural communication barriers enhances leadership effectiveness. the basics—such as writing and speaking clearly, maintaining eye contact, and not mumbling—are only starting points. The majority of effective leaders have an extra snap or panache in their communication style, both in day-by-day conversations and when addressing a group.

This chapter (12) the contribution of nonverbal, written, and supportive communication. In addition, it describes how the ability to overcome cross-cultural communication barriers enhances leadership effectiveness.
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INSPIRATIONAL AND POWERFUL COMMUNICATION
Information about communicating persuasively and effectively is extensive. Here we focus on suggestions for creating the high-impact communication that contributes to effective leadership. Effective communication is frequently a criterion for being promoted to a leadership position. In this section, suggestions for becoming an inspirational and emotion-provoking communicator are divided into the following two categories: (1) speaking and writing, and (2) nonverbal communication. We also discuss six basic principles of persuasion.
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Speaking and Writing
You are already familiar with the basics of effective spoken and written communication. Yet the basics—such as writing and speaking clearly, maintaining eye contact, and not mumbling—are only starting points. The majority of effective leaders have an extra snap or panache in their communication style, both in day-by-day conversations and when addressing a group. The same energy and excitement is reflected in both speaking and writing. Suggestions for dynamic and persuasive oral and written communication are presented next and outlined in Table 12-1.

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Be Credible
Attempts at persuasion, including inspirational speaking and writing, begin with the credibility of the message sender. If the speaker is perceived as highly credible, the attempt at persuasive communication is more likely to be successful. The perception of credibility is influenced by many factors. Being trustworthy heavily influences being perceived as credible. A leader with a reputation for lying will have a difficult time convincing people about the merits of a new initiative such as outsourcing. Being perceived as intelligent and knowledgeable is another major factor contributing to credibility.
A VARIETY OF INSPIRATIONAL TACTICS
Be credible.
Gear your message to the listener.
Sell group members on the benefits of your suggestions.
Use heavy-impact and emotion-provoking words.
Use anecdotes to communicate meaning.
Back up conclusions with data (to a point).
Minimize language errors, junk words, and vocalized pauses.
Write crisp, clear memos, letters, and reports, including a front-loaded message.
Use business jargon in appropriate doses.
THE POWER-ORIENTED LINGUISTIC STYLE a variety of factors such as downplaying uncertainty, emphasizing direct rather than indirect talk, and choosing an effective communication frame.
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Gear Your Message to the Listener
An axiom of persuasive communication is that a speaker must adapt the message to the listener’s interests and motivations. The average intelligence level of the group is a key contingency factor in designing a persuasive message. People with high intelligence tend to be more influenced by messages based on strong, logical arguments. Bright people are also more likely to reject messages based on flawed logic.4
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Sell Group Members on the Benefits of Your Suggestions
A leader is constrained by the willingness of group members to take action on the leader’s suggestions and initiatives. As a consequence, the leader must explain to group members how they can benefit from what he or she proposes. For example, a plant manager attempting to sell employees on the benefits of recycling supplies as much as possible might say, “If we can cut down enough on the cost of supplies, we might be able to save one or two jobs.”
Selling group members is quite often done more effectively when the persuader takes the time to build consensus. Instead of inspiring the group in a flash, the leader wins the people over gradually. One caution is that this deliberate method of persuasion through consensus is poorly suited to crises and other urgent situations.
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Use Heavy-Impact and Emotion-Provoking Words
Certain words used in the proper context give power and force to your speech. Used comfortably, naturally, and sincerely, these words will project the image of a self-confident person with leadership ability or potential. Two examples of heavy-impact phrases are “We will be outsourcing those portions of our knowledge work that are not mission critical,” and “We will be innovational in both product development and business processes.” However, too much of this type of language will make the leader appear that he or she is imitating a Dilbert cartoon (a long-running cartoon satire about managers and businesspeople).
Closely related to heavy-impact language is the use of emotion-provoking words. An expert persuasive tactic is to sprinkle your speech with emotion-provoking— and therefore inspiring—words. Emotion-provoking words bring forth images of exciting events. Examples of emotion-provoking and powerful words include “outclassing the competition,” “bonding with customers,” “surpassing previous profits,” “capturing customer loyalty,” and “rebounding from a downturn.” It also helps to use words and phrases that connote power. Those now in vogue include virtual organization, transparent organization, and knowledge management.
A large vocabulary assists using both heavy-impact and emotion-provoking words. When you need to persuade somebody on the spot, it is difficult to search for the right words in a dictionary or thesaurus. Also, you need to practice a word a few times to use it comfortably for an important occasion.
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Use Anecdotes to Communicate Meaning
A carefully chosen anecdote is also useful in persuading group members about the importance of organizational values. So long as the anecdote is not repeated too frequently, it can communicate an important message.
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Back Up Conclusions with Data
You will be more persuasive if you support your spoken and written presentations with solid data. One approach to obtaining data is to collect them yourself—for example, by conducting an email survey of your customers or group members.
Published sources also provide convincing data for arguments. Supporting data for hundreds of arguments can be found in the business pages of newspapers, in business magazines and newspapers, and on the Internet.
Relying too much on research has a potential disadvantage, though. Being too dependent on data could suggest that you have little faith in your intuition. For example, you might convey a weak impression if, when asked your opinion, you respond, “I can’t answer until I collect some data.” Leaders are generally decisive. An important issue, then, is for the leader to find the right balance between relying on data and using intuition alone when communicating an important point.
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Minimize Language Errors, Junk Words, and Vocalized Pauses
Using colorful, powerful words enhances the perception that you are self-confident and have leadership qualities. Also, minimize the use of words and phrases that dilute the impact of your speech, such as “like,” “y’ know,” “you know what I mean,” “he goes” (to mean “he says”), and “uhhhhhhh.” Such junk words and vocalized pauses convey the impression of low self-confidence, especially in a professional setting, and detract from a sharp communication image.
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An effective way to decrease the use of these extraneous words is to tape-record or video-record your side of a phone conversation and then play it back. Many people are not aware that they use extraneous words until they hear recordings of their speech.
A good leader should be sure always to write and speak with grammatical precision to give the impression of being articulate and well informed, thereby enhancing his or her leadership stature.
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Use Business Jargon in Appropriate Doses
Business and government executives and professionals make frequent use of jargon. Often the jargon is used automatically without deliberate thought, and at other times jargon words and phrases are chosen to help establish rapport with the receiver.
Sprinkling business talk with jargon does indeed help establish rapport, and adds to a person’s popularity. But too much jargon makes a person seem stereotyped in thinking, and perhaps even unwilling to express an original thought—and therefore lacking power.
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Write Crisp, Clear Memos, Letters, and Reports, Including a Front-Loaded Message
Business leaders characteristically write easy-to-read, well-organized messages both in email and more formal reports. Writing, in addition to speaking, is more persuasive when key ideas are placed at the beginning of a conversation, email message, paragraph, or sentence.9 Front-loaded messages (those placed at the beginning of a sentence) are particularly important for leaders because people expect leaders to be forceful communicators.
One way to make sure messages are front-loaded is to use the active voice, making sure the subject of the sentence is doing the acting, not being acted upon. Compare the active (and front-loaded) message “Loyal workers should not take vacations during a company crisis” to the passive (non-front-loaded) message “Vacations should not be taken by loyal company workers during a crisis.” Recognize, however, that less emphasis is placed on the active voice today than several years ago.
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Use a Power-Oriented Linguistic Style
A major part of being persuasive involves choosing the correct linguistic style, a person’s characteristic speaking pattern. According to Deborah Tannen, linguistic style involves such aspects as amount of directness, pacing and pausing, word choice, and the use of such communication devices as jokes, figures of speech, anecdotes, questions, and apologies.10
Linguistic style is complex because it includes the culturally learned signals by which people communicate what they mean, along with how they interpret what others say and how they evaluate others.
■ Speak loud enough to be heard by the majority of people with at least average hearing ability. Speaking too softly projects an image of low self-confidence. * ■ Downplay uncertainty. If you are not confident of your opinion or prediction, make a positive statement anyway, such as saying, “I know this new system will cure our inventory problems.” * ■ Use the pronoun I to receive more credit for your ideas. (Of course, this could backfire in a team-based organization.) * ■ Minimize the number of questions you ask that imply that you lack information on a topic, such as, “What do you mean by an IPO?” * ■ Minimize self-deprecation with phrases such as “This will probably sound stupid, but …” Apologize infrequently, and particularly minimize saying, “I’m sorry.” * ■ Offer negative feedback directly, rather than softening the feedback by first giving praise and then moving to the areas of criticism. * ■ Make your point quickly. You know you are taking too long to reach a conclusion when others look bored or finish your sentences for you. * ■ Emphasize direct rather than indirect talk: say, “I need your report by noon tomorrow,” rather than, “I’m wondering if your report will be available by noon tomorrow.” * ■ Weed out wimpy words. Speak up without qualifying or giving other indices of uncertainty. It is better to give dates for the completion of a project rather than say “Soon” or “It shouldn’t be a problem.” Instead, make a statement like “I will have my portion of the strategic plan shortly before Thanksgiving. I need to collect input from my team and sift through the information.”
■ Know exactly what you want. Your chances of selling an idea increase to the extent that you have clarified the idea in your own mind. The clearer and 354355more committed you are Despite these suggestions for having a power-oriented linguistic style, Tannen cautions that there is no one best way to communicate. How you project your power and authority is often dependent on the people involved, the organizational culture, the relative rank of the speakers, and other situational factors. The power-oriented linguistic style should be interpreted as a general guideline. * ■ Speak at length, set the agenda for a conversation, make jokes, and laugh. Be ready to offer solutions to problems, as well as to suggest a program or plan. All of these points are more likely to create a sense of confidence in listeners. * ■ Strive to be bold in your statements. As a rule of thumb, be bold about ideas, but tentative about people. If you say something like “I have a plan that I think will solve these problems,” you are presenting an idea, not attacking a person. * ■ Frame your comments in a way that increases your listener’s receptivity. The frame is built around the best context for responding to the needs of others. An example would be to use the frame “let’s dig a little deeper” when the other people present know something is wrong but cannot pinpoint the problem. Your purpose is to enlist the help of others in finding the underlying nature of the problem.

Knowledge Bank
Contains information about using a combination of influence tactics to persuade others. www.cengage.com/management/dubrin -------------------------------------------------
The Six Basic Principles of Persuasion
Persuasion is a major form of influence, so it has gained in importance in the modern organization Managers must often influence people for whom they have no formal responsibility. The trend stems from leaner corporate hierarchies and the breaking down of division walls. Managers must persuade peers in situations where lines of authority are unclear or do not exist.12 One way to be persuasive is to capitalize on scientific evidence about how to persuade people.
1. Liking: People like those who like them. As a leader, you have a better chance of persuading and influencing group members who like you. Emphasizing similarities between you and the other person and offering praise are the two most reliable techniques for getting another person to like you. The leader should therefore emphasize similarities, such as common interests with group members. Praising others is a powerful influence technique and can be used effectively even when the leader finds something relatively small to compliment. Genuine praise is the most effective.
2. Reciprocity: People repay in kind. Managers can often influence group members to behave in a particular way by displaying the behavior first. The leader might therefore serve as a model of trust, good ethics, or strong commitment to company goals. In short, give what you want to receive.
3. Social proof: People follow the lead of similar others. Persuasion can have high impact when it comes from peers. If you as the leader want to influence a group to convert to a new procedure, such as virtually eliminating paper records in the office, ask a believer to speak up in a meeting.)
4. Consistency: People align with their clear commitments. People need to feel committed to what you want them to do. After people take a stand or go on record in favor of a position, they prefer to stay with that commitment. If the team members talk about their plans to get involved and also put their plans in writing, they are more likely to follow through. If the people involved read their action plans to each other, the commitment will be even stronger.
5. Authority: People defer to experts. As explained in our study of expert power and credibility, people really do defer to experts. The action plan here is to make constituents aware of your expertise to enhance the probability that your plan will persuade them. A leader might mention certification in the technical area that is the subject of influence. For example, a leader attempting to persuade team members to use statistical data to improve quality might mention that he or she is certified in the quality process Six Sigma (is a Six Sigma Black Belt).
6. Scarcity: People want more of what they can have less of. An application of this principle is that the leader can persuade group members to act in a particular direction if the members believe that the resource at issue is shrinking rapidly. They might be influenced to enroll in a course in outsourcing knowledge work, for example, if they are told that the course may not be offered again for a long time. Another way to apply this principle is to persuade group members by using information not readily available to others. The leader might say, “I have some preliminary sales data. explains that they should be applied in combination to multiply their impact. For example, while establishing your expertise you might simultaneously praise people for their accomplishments. It is also important to be ethical, such as by not fabricating data to influence others.14
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Nonverbal Communication Including Videoconferencing
Effective leaders are masterful nonverbal as well as verbal communicators. Nonverbal communication is important because leadership involves emotion, which words alone cannot communicate convincingly. A major component of the emotional impact of a message is communicated nonverbally.
A self-confident leader not only speaks and writes with assurance but also projects confidence through body position, gestures, and manner of speech. Not everybody interprets the same body language and other nonverbal signals in the same way, but some aspects of nonverbal behavior project a self-confident, leadership image in many situations.15
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* ■ Using an erect posture when walking, standing, or sitting. Slouching and slumping are almost universally interpreted as an indicator of low self-confidence. * ■ Standing up straight during a confrontation. Cowering is interpreted as a sign of low self-confidence and poor leadership qualities. * ■ Patting other people on the back while nodding slightly. * ■ Standing with toes pointing outward rather than inward. Outward-pointing toes are usually perceived as indicators of superior status, whereas inward-pointing toes are perceived to indicate inferiority. * ■ Speaking at a moderate pace, with a loud, confident tone. People lacking in self-confidence tend to speak too rapidly or very slowly. * ■ Smiling frequently in a relaxed, natural-appearing manner. * ■ Maintaining eye contact with those around you. * ■ Gesturing in a relaxed, nonmechanical way, including pointing toward others in a way that welcomes rather than accuses, such as using a gesture to indicate, “You’re right,” or “It’s your turn to comment.”
A general approach to using nonverbal behavior that projects confidence is to have a goal of appearing self-confident and powerful. This type of autosuggestion makes many of the behaviors seem automatic. For example, if you say, “I am going to display leadership qualities in this meeting,” you will have taken an important step toward appearing confident.
Your external image also plays an important role in communicating messages to others. People pay more respect and grant more privileges to those they perceive as being well dressed and neatly groomed. Even on casual dress days, most effective leaders will choose clothing that gives them an edge over others. Appearance includes more than the choice of clothing. Self-confidence is projected by such small items as the following: * ■ Neatly pressed and sparkling clean clothing * ■ Freshly polished shoes * ■ Impeccable fingernails * ■ Clean jewelry in mint condition * ■ Well-maintained hair * ■ Good-looking teeth with a white or antique-white color
What constitutes a powerful and self-confident external image is often influenced by the organizational culture. Your verbal behavior and the forms of nonverbal behavior previously discussed contribute more to your leadership image than your clothing, providing you dress acceptably.
A subtle mode of nonverbal communication is the use of time. Guarding time as a precious resource will help you project an image of self-confidence and leadership. A statement such as “I can devote fifteen minutes to your problem this Thursday at 4:00 P.M.” connotes confidence and being in control. (Too many of these statements, however, might make a person appear unapproachable and inconsiderate.) Other ways of projecting power through the use of time include such 357358behaviors as being prompt for meetings and starting and stopping meetings on time. It may also be helpful to make references to dates one year into the future and beyond, such as, “By 2013 we should have a 25 percent market share.” * ■ Choose what you wear carefully, remembering that busy (confusing and complex) patterns look poor on video. Also do not wear formal attire mixed with running shoes because you might move into full camera view. * ■ Speak in crisp conversational tones and pay attention. (The tone and paying attention are the nonverbal aspects of communication.) * ■ Never forget the video camera’s powerful reach such as catching you rolling your eyes when you disagree with a subordinate. * ■ Avoid culturally insensitive gestures including large hand and body gestures that make many Asians feel uncomfortable. Asians believe that you should have long-term relationships before being demonstrative.17
An effective way of sharpening your videoconferencing nonverbal skills, as well as other nonverbal skills, is to be videotaped several times. Make adjustments for anything you don’t like, and repeat what you do like. Feedback on your behavior from another observer can be quite helpful.
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LISTENING AS A LEADERSHIP SKILL
Listening is a fundamental management and leadership skill. Listening also provides the opportunity for dialogue, in which people understand each other better by taking turns having their point of view understood. For a leader to support and encourage a subordinate, active listening (as described in the discussion of coaching) is required. Also, effective leader–member exchanges require that each party listen to one another. The relationship between two parties cannot be enhanced unless each one listens to the other. Furthermore, leaders cannot identify problems unless they listen carefully to group members. today’s complex, fast-paced organization, effective communication— including listening—is essential. But all too frequently, messages are misinterpreted, ignored, or missed altogether. As a result, creativity is stifled, morale is lowered, and goals may go unmet.18
Two major impediments face the leader who wants to be an effective listener. First, the leader is so often overloaded with responsibilities, including analytical work, that it is difficult to take the time to carefully listen to subordinates. Second is the speed difference between speaking and listening. The average rate of speaking is between 110 and 200 words per minute, yet people can listen in the range of 400 to 3,000 words per minute. So the leader, as well as anybody else, will often let his or her mind wander.
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Selective Listening to Problems
Organizational leaders are so often bombarded with demands and information that it is difficult to be attentive to a full range of problems. So the leader makes an intentional or unintentional decision to listen to just certain problems. Erika H. James notes that despite how our brains ordinarily work, success is dependent on staying open to all incoming information.19 The busy leader must avoid listening to limited categories of information such as good news, bad news, or financial news. A CEO with a propensity to listen only to financial results might ignore any word of problems so long as the company is earning a profit.
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Making the Rounds
A robust communication channel for the leader/manager is to engage in face-to-face communication with direct reports and others, with an emphasis on listening.Making the rounds refers to the leader casually dropping by constituents to listen to their accomplishments, concerns, and problems and to share information.Rounding is a well-established concept from health care in which the physician talks to patients and other health care workers to observe problems and progress firsthand.20 Through rounding, vital information is gathered if the physician or manager listens carefully. Making the rounds is also referred to as management by walking around, yet “rounding” seems more focused and systematic.
From the perspective of listening, the leader stays alert to potential problems.
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OVERCOMING CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION BARRIERS
Another communication challenge facing leaders and managers is overcoming communication barriers created by dealing with people from different cultures and subcultures. In today’s workplace, leaders communicate with people from other countries and with a more diverse group of people in their own country. Because of this workplace diversity, leaders who can manage a multicultural and cross-cultural work force are in strong demand. Here we give some guidelines for overcoming some cross-cultural communication barriers.
1. Be sensitive to the fact that cross-cultural communication barriers exist. Awareness of these potential barriers is the first step in dealing with them. When dealing with a person of a different cultural background, solicit feedback to minimize cross-cultural barriers to communication. For example, investigate which types of praise or other rewards might be ineffective for a particular cultural group. Being alert to cultural differences in values, attitudes, and etiquette will help you communicate more effectively with people from different cultures. Observe carefully the cultural mistakes listed in Table 12-3. At the same time, recognize that these mistakes are based on cultural stereotypes and reflect typical or average behavior of members of a particular cultural group.
2. Challenge your cultural assumptions. The assumptions we make about cultural groups can create communication barriers. The assumption you make about another group may not necessarily be incorrect, but stopping to challenge the assumptions may facilitate communication. An American leader, for example, might assume that the norms of independence and autonomy are valued by all groups in the workplace.
3. Show respect for all workers. The same behavior that promotes good cross-cultural relations in general helps overcome communication barriers. The attitude of highest respect is to communicate your belief that although another person’s culture is different from yours, it is not inferior to your culture. Showing respect for another culture can be more important than being bilingual in overcoming communication barriers.22
4. Use straightforward language, and speak slowly and clearly. When working with people who do not speak your language fluently, speak in an easy-to-understand manner. Minimize the use of idioms and analogies specific to your language
Speaking slowly is also important because even people who read and write a second language at an expert level may have difficulty catching some nuances of conversation. Facing the person from another culture directly also improves communication because your facial expressions and lips contribute to comprehension. And remember, there is no need to speak much louder.
5. Look for signs of misunderstanding when your language is not the listener’s native language. Signs of misunderstanding may include nods and smiles not directly connected to what you are saying, a lack of questions, inappropriate laughter, and a blank expression. If these signs are present, work harder to apply the suggestions in point 4.23
6. When the situation is appropriate, speak in the language of the people from another culture. Americans who can speak another language are at a competitive advantage when dealing with businesspeople who speak that language. The language skill, however, must be more advanced than speaking a few basic words and phrases. Speaking the local language will often bring a person more insight and prevent misunderstandings. Equally important, being bilingual helps bring a person the respect that a leader needs to be fully credible.24
7. Observe cross-cultural differences in etiquette. Violating rules of etiquette without explanation can erect immediate communication barriers. A major rule of business etiquette in most countries is that the participants conducting serious business together should first share a meal. So if you are invited to a banquet that takes place the night before discussions about a major business deal, regard the banquet as a major opportunity to build a relationship. To avoid the banquet is a serious faux pas.
8. Do not be diverted by style, accent, grammar, or personal appearance.
Although these superficial factors are all related to business success, they are difficult to interpret when judging a person from another culture. It is therefore better to judge the merits of the statement or behavior. A highly intelligent worker from another culture may still be learning English and thus make basic mistakes. He or she might also not yet have developed a sensitivity to dress style in your culture.
9. Avoid racial or ethnic identification except when it is essential to communication. Using a person’s race or ethnicity as an adjective or other descriptor often suggests a negative stereotype.
10. Be sensitive to differences in nonverbal communication. A person from another culture may misinterpret nonverbal signals. To use positive reinforcement, some managers will give a sideways hug to an employee or will touch the employee’s arm. People from some cultures resent touching from workmates and will be offended. Koreans in particular dislike being touched or touching others in a work setting.
11. Be attentive to individual differences in appearance. A major cross-cultural insult is to confuse the identity of people because they are members of the same race or ethnic group. However, people can learn to search for more distinguishing features, such as a dimple or eye color, and expression (serious or not so serious).26
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SUMMARY
Open communication between company leaders and employees helps an organization overcome problems and attain success. Effective communication skills contribute to inspirational leadership. Nonverbal skills are also important for leadership effectiveness.
Inspirational and powerful communication helps leaders carry out their roles. Suggestions for inspirational and powerful speaking and writing include the following: (1) be credible; (2) gear your message to your listener; (3) sell group members on the benefits of your suggestions; (4) use heavy-impact and emotion-provoking words; (5) use anecdotes to communicate meaning; (6) back up conclusions with data; (7) minimize language errors, junk words, and 374375vocalized pauses; (8) use business jargon in appropriate doses, and (9) write crisp, clear memos, letters, and reports, including a front-loaded message.
Using a power-oriented linguistic style is another way to communicate with inspiration and power. The style includes a variety of techniques, such as downplaying uncertainty, emphasizing direct rather than indirect talks, and choosing an effective communication frame. Leaders can also improve their communication skills by following the six principles of persuasion: liking, reciprocity, social proof, consistency, authority, and scarcity.
Skill can also be developed in using nonverbal communication that connotes power, being in control, forcefulness, and self-confidence. Videoconferencing places heavy demands on nonverbal communication. Among the suggestions for nonverbal communication are to stand erect; speak at a moderate pace with a loud, clear tone; and smile frequently in a relaxed manner. A person’s external image also plays an important part in communicating messages to others. People pay more respect and grant more privileges to those they perceive as being well dressed and neatly groomed.
Listening is a fundamental management and leadership skill. Two impediments for the leaders who wants to listen well are (1) leaders are already overloaded, and (2) people can listen to more words per minute than others can speak. Leaders have to be careful about listening selectively. A robust communication channel for the leader/manager is to engage in face-to-face communication with direct reports by making the rounds.
Overcoming communication barriers created by dealing with people from different cultures is another leadership and management challenge. Guidelines for overcoming cross-cultural barriers include the following: (1) be sensitive to the existence of cross-cultural communication barriers; (2) challenge your cultural assumptions; (3) show respect for all workers; (4) use straightforward language, and speak slowly and clearly; (5) look for signs of misunderstanding when your language is not the listener’s native language; (6) when appropriate, speak in the language of the people from another culture; (7) observe cross-cultural differences in etiquette; (8) do not be diverted by style, accent, grammar, or personal appearance; (9) avoid racial or ethnic identification except when it is essential to communication; (10) be sensitive to differences in nonverbal communication; and (11) be attentive to individual differences in appearance.
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GUIDELINES FOR ACTION AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT
A subtle part of being an effective communicator is to avoid language that discourages another person from expressing his or her opinion, or worse, shuts the person up. At times you may feel like putting the lid on a subordinate. However, in the long run silencing your team will backfire because you will lose valuable input. Here are three examples of statements leaders and managers frequently use that clamp down on communication: “I already know that,” “Why would you want to change that? It’s not broken,” and, “Well it’s my decision and I say no.”43
Another technique for curtailing communication is to react to a comment with a blank stare and no comment of your own. Such behavior implies that you either don’t care or are denying the reality of what the person is saying.

SkillSoft: * Overview to Effective Business Communication * Last revision:
March 9, 2004 * Course #:
ADM0102
http://www.skillsoft.com
SkillSoft Corporation
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Telephone (603) 324-3000
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The Components of the Communication Process | The successful administrative support professional should not only have highly developed organizational skills, but also should possess effective communications skills. Why do you need to be a good communicator to be an effective administrative support professional? Because an administrative support professional assists everyone in the running of an office, and to do this job properly, you must be able to communicate well.In a single day, it would not be extraordinary for an administrative support professional to respond to a business letter, send a company-wide e-mail, greet prospective clients, transcribe an oral memo, or send a voice mail message. Effective communications skills can help you accomplish all these tasks properly and professionally.To send clear messages, and to ensure the messages you send are correctly received, you first have to understand how the communication process works, especially within a business context. The communication process involves a series of actions that bring about a result—and that result is information exchange.This process is composed of five major components: the sender, the receiver, the message, the response, and mental filters. Keep in mind that these five components are active in every communication, but they are not necessarily all active at the same time. The five components of the communication process are described below.1. The Sender
Two components of the communication process are linked—the sender and the receiver. The sender transmits the message to the receiver. If you have a sender and no receiver, or a receiver and no sender, the communication process would be incomplete.Senders are the source of messages, which they send to receivers. They use different media, such as speaking face-to-face or on the telephone, letters, e-mail, or video to transmit or give information to receivers.2. The Receiver
The receiver gets information—the message—from a source such as letters, literature, photographs, or people.3. The Message
In the communication process, a message includes all the information sent. A message has quantitative elements—the actual words or images used in a message. A message can also include qualitative elements—the information that comes along with the words, which communicates feelings and emotions through techniques such as intonation or body language.4. The Response
The response is a confirmation that the message has been received and can include a desire for clarification or a paraphrase of the message to demonstrate understanding. Depending on the method of communication, the response may be delayed or there may be no response at all. There can be a response only if there is a message, although not every message requires a response.5. Mental filters
Mental filters are created by experiences, upbringing, and culture. Consider how certain scents evoke vivid memories and certain words elicit certain emotions in people. Messages pass through these filters as they are sent and received. These filters affect how we perceive messages and responses.Mental filters encode messages as they are sent and decode messages as they are received. They affect how you transmit messages—word choice, medium, and emotional content—and affect how you understand a message that has been sent to you. Keep this in mind when sending or receiving messages, since you need to account for how each person's mental filters affect the information sent and received.Remember, effective business communication is fundamental to your success as an administrative support professional. By understanding the five components of the communication process, you'll be on your way to communicating more effectively. | Course: Overview to Effective Business Communication
Topic: The Communication Process |

The Flow of Business Communication

It is important for an administrative support professional to know how communication travels. This flow of business communication is constantly moving, and you need to know where it is going.
Why is it important for administrative support professionals to understand the flow of business communication? It is administrative support professionals who often send and receive internal and external messages, or set up communication exchanges between two different participants. They need to know who to contact in order to perform these duties. Consider how administrative support professionals in the following roles are involved in the flow of business communication. * Information officers. Administrative support professionals often act as an information nexus. They screen communication. Information flows through them; they direct the flow and distribute the information to those who require it. * Office managers. Administrative support professionals may perform the duties of an office manager. In many large organizations, they manage an office and are responsible for many of the practical details of disseminating information internally and externally. * Administrators. Bosses expect their assistants to look after details—if bosses had to provide detailed instructions for what they wanted done, they would just do it themselves. An administrative support professional needs to be aware of the possible participants in any business interaction.
In one day, you could talk to your boss, a colleague, a supplier, and a client. Talking with these four people can be divided into two broad areas—externally and internally. The flow of business communication externally and internally is examined below.
Externally
External business communication flows from within an organization to destinations outside of that organization, and from outside to inside an organization. The external flow of business communication travels in various directions outside of the company.
Administrative support professionals may have contact with many different external sources. Participants in that communication include clients, suppliers, and partners. These three external communication destinations are all external stakeholders in an organization.
Internally
Internal business communication flows to and from destinations within an organization. It is important to know these internal destinations to ensure a message is received by the appropriate person. The internal flow can be divided into four directions—downward, upward, lateral, and diagonal. * Downward communication takes place when someone communicates to a person who works in a position below them. Downward communication only travels one way. * Upward communication also travels one way. It takes place when someone communicates to a superior within the corporate structure. * Lateral communication is the most common. It takes place when one person communicates with another person at the same responsibility level in the company. Lateral communication travels both ways. * When someone from one department communicates with someone in a different position in another department, or vice versa, it is called diagonal communication. It travels both ways.
Remember, the flow of business communication is constantly moving. As an administrative support professional, you need to know in which directions business communication travels both inside and outside of your organization, so you can communicate more effectively.

Course: Overview to Effective Business Communication
Topic: The Flow of Business Communication

SkillSoft Corporation; Copyright 2001. All brand or product names and their content mentioned in this product are the property, trademark, service mark, or registered trademark of their respective holders.

How to Prepare for a Communication

Clear communication is important to everyone. As an administrative support professional, you need to be able to clearly and effectively communicate with people on all levels both inside and outside your company. To ensure you communicate clearly, you first need to prepare for communication before you can send and receive messages effectively.
Just as you stretch before you exercise, you should prepare before you send a message. Listed below are three steps you can follow to prepare for a communication.
1. Know the purpose for the communication.
The first thing you should consider in the process of preparing to communicate is the reason the message will be sent. In other words, you should know the purpose for the communication. To understand the purpose, you should identify the target, or receiver, of the message you will send. Then you can tailor your message to the specific needs and mental filter of your target.
2. Prepare the information.
Once you have established the purpose of the communication, your next step is to prepare the information. To prepare the information, you first have to gather it. Compile all the necessary concepts, numbers, and visuals for the message. Then you may have to process the information you have gathered. You may have to give it a sense of order, make it presentable and user-friendly, and turn it into a logically flowing and understandable document.
3. Choose the medium.
In the final step of preparing to send a message, you must choose a medium for the message. The word medium is defined as an agency by which information is conveyed or transferred. There are many different media you can use: phone, e-mail, fax, letter, and your own voice. When making decisions on media, consider different aspects of the information you will send, such as style, priority, size, and the receiver.
Remember, it's important to prepare for communication in any business. By following the three steps outlined above, you can ensure that you are prepared to communicate, so that your message is clear and effective and achieves the results you seek.

Course: Overview to Effective Business Communication
Topic: Preparing for Communication

SkillSoft Corporation; Copyright 2001. All brand or product names and their content mentioned in this product are the property, trademark, service mark, or registered trademark of their respective holders.
How to Properly Send Messages

As an administrative support professional, you probably communicate with others in any number of ways—by telephone, fax, e-mail, or face-to-face. No matter what form of communication you use, your success will depend on your ability to communicate your message clearly with people both inside and outside your organization. To do that, you first have to prepare for communication, and then understand how to send a message properly.
To successfully send messages, you have to ensure that they are correctly received and comprehended. For example, a message in a bottle is only successful when it is received and the castaway is rescued. To ensure you send messages properly, you can follow a two-step process, which is discussed below.
1. Transmit the information.
The first step in the process of sending messages is to transmit the information. The information is made of all the concepts, ideas, and facts that need to be communicated through the transmission. In order to have a clear message you need to make sure you transmit the correct and complete information.
2. Verify the message is understood.
To verify a message, you need to make sure that the information you sent was received and understood. Both sender and receiver are responsible for this action. The sender can request verification, and the receiver should then respond in some way. Verification methods include the following. * Paraphrase. A paraphrase is a restatement of a transmission using different words. A paraphrase shows reception and comprehension of a message. * Clarification. Clarification involves asking questions concerning certain details of a transmission while repeating certain parts. It shows that a message is received, but the receiver requires more information in order to fully comprehend the message. * Confirmation. Confirmation establishes that a message has reached its destination. It shows reception. Confirmation can be combined with paraphrase or clarification to help show that the message is understood.
Remember, to properly send a message, you first should transmit the information, and then verify that the message is understood. By following these two simple steps, you can communicate more effectively and successfully, which will help make you a better administrative support professional.

Course: Overview to Effective Business Communication
Topic: Sending a Message

SkillSoft Corporation; Copyright 2001. All brand or product names and their content mentioned in this product are the property, trademark, service mark, or registered trademark of their respective holders.
How to Properly Receive Messages

As an administrative support professional, you can follow several steps to ensure you communicate clearly with others. The first step is to prepare for your communication, and the second step is to send the message. The third element of effective communication—receiving the message—is equally important.
You probably receive various office messages throughout your day. It's important to listen to these messages. Successful administrative support professionals use effective listening skills to help them receive messages. In addition, effective listening skills can help prevent communication barriers.
Listening is a matter of focusing your attention on receiving a message. To listen to messages effectively, you can follow the four tips listed below.
1. Be prepared.
An effective listener is a prepared listener. Prepare to receive a message in any interaction. Preparation helps you focus on receiving a message and avoid distractions. To be properly prepared, you should have a method to record the information, make sure you're in a comfortable position, and ensure you are familiar with the points to be discussed.
2. Listen actively.
Effective listeners are active listeners. Successful listening is not passive because the receiver has responsibilities. Administrative support professionals should employ active listening techniques when they receive messages. These techniques help them to take on the role of an alert participant in the communication process. Specifically, an active listener focuses, interacts with the speaker, and takes notes.
3. Avoid anticipating what will be said.
An effective listener avoids anticipating what will be said in a communication interaction. Simply listen to a message as it is sent. When you anticipate what a speaker will say, you turn your focus inward. You no longer focus on the message. Resist the urge to try and figure out the end of the message before it arrives. Concentrate on the speaker and what is being said.
4. Debrief the message.
Debriefing a message is a great skill for effective listening. A message debrief will ensure that the receiver has the correct information and will act on it, and helps counteract any miscommunication due to individual mental filters.
Debriefing may be a form of self-evaluation, it may be a group discussion, or it may involve only the sender and receiver of a message. There are three main steps of debriefing a message. * Recycling involves considering the message sent to you. Turn it over in your head and make sure you understand the content. Then provide the sender with feedback on the content of the message. * Clarify the content of the message with the sender, if necessary. Always review your own thoughts and notes. Make sure you understand your responsibilities concerning messages sent, ensuring all details are correct. * Perform any actions required by the content of the communication. Take responsibility and ownership of the message that was sent to you.
As an administrative support professional, you need to be able to successfully receive messages. And to receive messages correctly, you will need to develop good listening skills. Remember, properly receiving messages is an important step in effective communication

Course: Overview to Effective Business Communication
Topic: Receiving a Message

SkillSoft Corporation; Copyright 2001. All brand or product names and their content mentioned in this product are the property, trademark, service mark, or registered trademark of their respective holders.
Five Barriers to Effective Communication

As an administrative support professional, you have to be able to communicate clearly with individuals both inside and outside your organization. Clear communication involves a number of elements. You first have to prepare for communication, and then effectively send your message and receive other messages. In addition, you have to be able to identify and remove barriers to communication.
Though there are many possible barriers to effective business communication, five of the most common are discussed below. By working to remove these barriers, you can communicate more clearly and effectively.
1. Different perspectives
One barrier to communication is that people view situations differently, and process and communicate information from different perspectives. You may speak the same language, but you see things entirely differently.
Perspective is defined as appearance of something relative to a viewer. Having differing perspectives can be a barrier to effective communication between two people, but is more likely to occur when communication is taking place within a group. The larger the number of involved individuals, the more differing perspectives there will be. To overcome this barrier, consider whole situations and encourage the participants to see the benefits of others' points of view.
2. Bias
Biases, which can be a barrier to communication in any office, are preconceived judgments or opinions. Bias is not necessarily wrong. Everyone has preferences or "favorites." However, a barrier to communication can arise when people with different biases communicate.
Bias is not necessarily about people, but may include certain words, music, pictures, or presentation styles. Some people have stronger or more comparatively marked biases than others. These biases act as barriers in a few ways—for example, one prejudges a situation and is not able to openly communicate. The stronger the bias, the stronger the mental filter, and the more difficult for that person to receive the message.
Biases can create situations in which people only see what they wish to see. It is important to recognize when bias is the reason for communication problems. Everyone has biases—overcoming them is a matter of communicating beyond them. To resolve the problem, those involved need to consider the other person's values.
3. Different organizational structures
Generally, organizational structures can be either strict or loose. Strict, or formal, organizational structures are characterized by regulated actions, strict rules, and a strong command structure. In a company with a loose organizational structure, any employee has the freedom to communicate with all management levels, and interactions are less structured.
Communication barriers in strict organizations can result from an inability to communicate outside a command chain, and feelings of intimidation. In a loose structure, communication may not arrive at its appropriate destination, or it may be unclear. Communication barriers also can arise when people from conflicting organizational backgrounds interact. To resolve this problem, ensure that all employees understand how to communicate appropriately within the company, and provide training for new employees when necessary.
4. Word choice
Word choice can be a barrier to effective communication. This barrier often creates confused or unclear messages. There are two specific types of problems caused by word choices. One involves semantic differences. This is when the words you use may mean one thing to you but something different to others. The other involves business jargon, which is the inside language of an organization. It can include the use of acronyms and codes.
You need to ensure that the words you say and the meanings you associate with them are clear to the others involved in your communication interactions. Be sure to choose your words carefully, avoid the use of jargon, and always check for understanding when you communicate a message.
5. Difficulty reading the written word
There are many people around the world who have some level of reading difficulty. The difficulty may be the result of dyslexia, illiteracy, or visual impairment. In these cases, the administrative support professional should consider different ways of communicating, make a special effort to communicate clearly, and refrain from making judgments.
Remember, as an administrative support professional, you'll encounter various types of barriers as you strive to communicate clearly with others. Be on the lookout for these barriers, and use the strategies described above to overcome them. Only by recognizing and removing these barriers to communication can you ensure that all your messages are clearly received and understood.

Course: Overview to Effective Business Communication
Topic: Barriers to Effective Communication

SkillSoft Corporation; Copyright 2001. All brand or product names and their content mentioned in this product are the property, trademark, service mark, or registered trademark of their respective holders.
Understanding Verbal and Non-verbal Communication

To communicate clearly and effectively with others both inside and outside your organization, you can use several types of business communication. Understanding the different types of communication will help you to fully and successfully communicate your ideas, and maintain an open dialogue with those involved. The first two types of communication you will use frequently during your business day are verbal and non-verbal communication.
In a face-to-face interaction, approximately 7 percent of a message's meaning is transmitted verbally, and as much as 93 percent is transmitted non-verbally. However, in situations where the non-verbal element is reduced or completely removed from an interaction, the importance of the verbal element of a message can increase up to 93 percent.
Verbal communication consists of two components: written and oral. A written message is just that—anything written. An oral message is anything spoken. Typically, if you work in an office with a lot of human traffic, you would use more oral communication. If you are responsible for document or number processing, you probably would use written communication more often.
The major element of a face-to-face communication is the non-verbal element. There are three components of non-verbal communication. 1. Body language. People use body language to communicate all sorts of messages. Body language is comprised of facial expressions, posture, and movement and positioning of body parts. 2. Physical space. Many people communicate emotions and feelings with the amount of physical space they leave as a buffer between themselves and others. 3. Paralanguage. Paralanguage is composed of the sounds people make that communicate emotion and focus level, such as laughter or saying "uh-huh."
The important point to remember in communication situations that involve both elements is that your verbal and non-verbal messages should match. If they don't, then receivers may be confused by mixed messages.
The verbal and non-verbal messages you send in face-to-face situations need to match. They should also match when you talk on the phone. Think about when you smile on the phone. The person on the other end realizes it. This helps the receiver understand the message you are conveying.
The non-verbal element is non-existent in written verbal communication. If you need to communicate non-verbal tone and emotion in a written document, then you should use appropriate and precise wording.
Remember, to communicate to your full potential, you must ensure that your verbal and non-verbal elements match. Also, when you send written messages, consider how much the written words must compensate for the lack of non-verbal cues. By being aware of the verbal and non-verbal types of communication you use during the business day, you can more effectively and successfully deliver all your messages.

Course: Overview to Effective Business Communication
Topic: Verbal and Non-verbal Communication

SkillSoft Corporation; Copyright 2001. All brand or product names and their content mentioned in this product are the property, trademark, service mark, or registered trademark of their respective holders.
Using Formal Business Communication

Administrative support professionals may not dress in a formal uniform every day, but it is likely they send and receive formal messages often. Formal communication, which is one of four types of business communication you can use, involves a set of six socially known rules, and is determined by an individual's relative position to another individual hierarchically, relationally, or culturally.
Differences in relative position govern your decision to follow the rules of formal communication. Use the formal communication rules when—using yourself as the median—the person with whom you interact has a different position in one, or all, of the following ways. * You may not have the same position hierarchically as the person with whom you are interacting. In other words, you and this person hold different positions of authority and responsibility within your company. * Your relative position relationally with someone dictates the type of interaction. To discover this position, ask yourself how close you are to the receiver on a personal level. * Your cultural position with an individual often depends on the social situations in which you find yourselves. Your culture also can dictate that you use formal communication with certain people no matter what situation you are in.
Communication interactions are generally formal with the following types of people: office superiors, clients, and people you're meeting for the first time. Sometimes it is difficult to identify formal communication situations within an office setting. The main point to remember is this: If you doubt how comfortable your relationship with someone is, use formal communication.
Communicating in formal business interactions is a matter of following certain rules. These rules help guide your actions and manner of communicating. Administrative support professionals should consider these rules and incorporate them into their work habits. The six main rules to follow in formal business communication situations are listed below. 1. Use last names. Using last names maintains a level of formality in any interaction. It also is a way to demonstrate your respect for someone. Include social titles with the last name, such as Mr. or Ms. 2. Refrain from joking and using sarcasm. Some people may not have the same sense of humor as you do. In order not to offend or exclude someone, it is important to refrain from joking or using sarcasm. 3. Show respect for the person. This is characterized by gracious consideration toward others. You should courteously defer to those you interact with in formal situations. 4. Act your title. This means acting only in your capacity as an administrative support professional. Maintain a professional tone during your conversation. 5. Confine communication to business matters. The parameters of your formal conversations should be within the confines of the business realm. Stay away from personal topics such as religion or politics. Generally, stick to business discussions. 6. Use quiet body language. Close physical space implies a close or intimate relationship. Formality requires that a safe relational distance, and thus a safe physical distance, be maintained. Likewise, use small non-verbal actions. Keep your arms next to your sides and make small gestures with your hands.
Don't let formal situations intimidate you. As an administrative support professional, you will deal with them often. Just remember to use formal communication whenever you're in doubt about your relationship with another person, and keep the six rules for formal interactions in mind, and you'll find that you're much more effective and comfortable when communicating with others.

Course: Overview to Effective Business Communication
Topic: Formal Business Communication

SkillSoft Corporation; Copyright 2001. All brand or product names and their content mentioned in this product are the property, trademark, service mark, or registered trademark of their respective holders.
Using Informal Business Communication

Informal business communication is an important type of communication for administrative support professionals, because it promotes openness and friendliness in your office environment. You'll use informal business communication daily in your office in unoffical situations and in situations that are casual, such as relaxed gatherings or conversations with friends.
However, identifying informal business communication situations can be difficult sometimes. Identification depends upon the closeness and equality of your relationship with an individual, and the organizational structure within which you work. You can be fairly certain that in the situations below, you can follow the guidelines for informal communication. * Co-workers. When you are equal relationally, hierarchically, and culturally with your co-workers, you can use informal communication. * Informal work structures. Internal communications in companies that have informal organizational work structures use the informal business communication guidelines. This covers situations such as receiving instructions from your supervisor or giving instructions to someone hierarchically lower than yourself. * Long-time customers. Often, with customers you have known for a long time, you can use informal communication, since your relative position relationally overrides the regular formal situations.
When communicating informally with others, you can follow five main guidelines. Keep in mind that you do not necessarily employ one guideline at a time in informal communication. They work together, though some will be more useful at different points of an interaction than others. The five main guidelines to follow in informal business communication situations are listed below. 1. Use first names. This demonstrates closeness and friendship, and is a major demonstration of informality. Friends may be slightly offended if continually called by their last names or social titles. 2. Respect the other person. This is characterized by gracious consideration toward others. It's important to always respect and be sensitive to individuals. It is easier to respect someone you know because you are already familiar with any issues of contention and can act accordingly. 3. You can talk about personal things. Your discussion does not necessarily have to be confined to business topics. Knowing someone makes conversation "safer." You can range farther in topic discussion. 4. You can use humor and slang. You know each other, you know your sense of humor, and there is less chance of offending anyone. Once again, knowing someone makes conversation "safer" and more navigable. 5. You can use "loud" or big non-verbal actions. Loud non-verbals denote a high level of comfort, such as when you use your hands and make large gestures, or emphasize a point. This also can include reducing the personal space between you and the person with whom you are interacting. It is less likely that you will intimidate the other person.
Remember, informal communication situations involve those individuals with whom you have close relationships culturally, hierarchically, and relationally. You will have these interactions everyday with people you know. Keep in mind that the informal communication guidelines listed above are flexible directions, but you should be familiar with them so you can communicate appropriately and successfully in informal situations.

Course: Overview to Effective Business Communication
Topic: Informal Business Communication

SkillSoft Corporation; Copyright 2001. All brand or product names and their content mentioned in this product are the property, trademark, service mark, or registered trademark of their respective holders.