Executive Summary
Channels are the modes by which communication is transferred. The selection of the appropriate channel is fundamental to reaching your audience. The evolution of communication channels corresponds to the development of spoken, written and printed languages and more recently to electronic language. The speed and interactivity of computers and technology are reshaping communication methods.
Oral communication – face-to-face communications, speeches and meetings – is less formal and the most personal form of communication
We can see the messenger, hear the message with a minimal amount of noise and ask for the message to be repeated if necessary.
Written communication – letters, memos and reports – is more explicit and can be accessed again and again and stored indefinitely
While less personal, the tone of the communication offers the reader clues about the sender.
Well-designed presentation materials reinforce message content, and listenability and readability of messages are important considerations
Electronic communication – email, faxes, instant messages, teleconferences and presentation software – continues to evolve in style, structure and format
Organizing information is fundamental to effective messaging, regardless of the communication channel
Subject material should fit your audience and include key elements to attract and hold the attention of the receiver.
Effective oral communication is an art and can be learned with practice and attention to delivery styles and methods
Your choice of delivery channel must meet the needs and expectations of your audience.
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Communication Channels
- “When we make ourselves understood, we always speak well.Molie
Introduction to Message Delivery
An important component of our transactional communication model is the channel. A channel is the mode by which a communication is transferred. This chapter examines how channels influence message delivery in spoken language, written language, printed language and electronic language.In the communication model below, messages and feedback travel along arrows that represent various transmission channels. There are many channels: face-to-face meetings, seminars, newspapers, radio, billboards, company newsletters, email, letters, memos, brochures, annul reports, phone calls, body language, books, tabloid magazines, respected journals, employee presentations and so on.
Each channel requires a specific format and language. Your choice of channel should add to the efficacy of your message. Using the appropriate transmission channel is important for business communicators and can establish your reputation as an effective communicator
Transactional communication model. Notice that communication channels are represented by double-headed arrows that reach senders and receivers and provide a means of transmitting both messages and feedback.
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Consider this example. A new employee for a food manufacturer began her career in a small community, but she wanted a more cosmopolitan territory. When her local team travelled to a larger city for a district meeting, the supervisor requested a presentation on selling to small grocery chains.
The young woman sensed her opportunity and volunteered. Instead of a simple verbal report, she decided to prepare an electronic presentation that included pictures of store layouts and charts of product shelving options. The regional vice-president who was at the meeting was so impressed with her presentation that he invited the woman to the regional meeting.
She was excited about a free trip to a vibrant metropolis, but, more than that, she felt empowered and in control of her career. At this regional meeting, she met another executive who would soon request her transfer to his team.
Within six months of joining the company, the young woman gave up her apartment in the small country town; she had been relocated to one of her dream cities.
A sender should select a channel on the basis of the receiver's needs and expectations as well as the content of the message itself. Channels may be divided into oral and written methods of delivery. Oral channels include person-to-person communication, phone conversations, small group discussions, speeches, teleconferencing, etc. Written channels are email, letters, advertising, newsletters, brochures, etc.
Let's first look at the beginnings of communication for a perspective on the various forms of communication used today.Spoken Language
Early humans tried to communicate orally. Grunts eventually became a formal language with rules and structure. People communicated not only basic needs and wants, but also complex concepts that transcended local boundaries. The early history of civilization records the political and philosophical influence of great orators such as Aristotle and Demosthenes in Greece and Cicero and Cato in Rome.Written Language
While spoken language was being codified, a written language also was being developed. The Sumerians used a cuneiform or pictograph script on commerce tokens, and the Egyptians used hieroglyphics to depict sounds.The Chinese, Mayans and Olmecs also had early alphabets. The creation of the first modern alphabet is usually credited to the Phoenicians of Western Asia who developed a limited alphabet around 1700 BC.
The Greeks took this alphabet, added vowels and began recording the events of their time and culture. The Romans and Etruscans also adapted the alphabet and used it as they traded and travelled throughout the civilized world. The written word has since been used to inform, persuade and entertain.
Printed Language
The next new “language” that developed was the printed language. Somewhere around 1450, some scholars say it was more than 20 years before this widely accepted date, the printing press was invented. While the Chinese had a method of printing more 106107than 400 years earlier, it was Johann Gutenberg's use of movable type that ensured the success of the printing press.Historians have also credited Dutchman Laurens Janszoon with the invention of movable type and believe he may have preceded Gutenberg. However, Gutenberg won his place in history as the inventor of the printing press allowing the printed word to be recorded in book form for the common man.
Reading and writing were no longer reserved for the wealthy who could afford to educate themselves or for religious figures who could spend years pouring over manuscripts, interpreting their meanings and recording books by hand. In Western civilization, the Protestant Reformation and the Age of Exploration owe their origins to the versions of the Bible and the tales of wondrous lands across the sea that the printing press put into the hands of everyday people.
Electronic Language
Now we are in a new “language” era, the Electronic Age. Computers brought about new forms of communication, and with those new forms came new sets of rules. Some rules are still being codified and what was considered a correct form yesterday may not be proper today.Just a few years ago, email was not an accepted form of business correspondence, but today it is more pervasive than the paper interoffice memo. What was initially an informal communiqué has gained new stature, and with this commercial usage have come formal rules. Emails, which were initially sent to friends and buddies and contained lower-case “i” or smiley faces, have now taken on an appropriate seriousness for the office and adhere to grammatical and spelling standards.
However, not everyone is excited about, or rushing to embrace, this form of communication. Critics suggest email threatens the richness of our language and predict abbreviated word usage, iconography and loss of creativity.
Charlene Spretnak, an ecological and social critic, points out that an average 14-year-old's vocabulary has declined from 25 000 words in 1950 to 10 000 words today (Spretnak, 1997). This decline in the working vocabulary of a teenager is related to a significant decrease in the capacity to think analytically and critically.
Paul Hawken, environmentalist and educator, makes the analogy that young people can recognize over 1000 corporate logos but can name only a handful of garden plants or animals (Hawken, 1993). This, however, could be viewed as a positive sign by marketers of these branded products.
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Other scholars differ from this view, saying that vocabularies are not declining but merely changing. People are becoming bilingual, speaking a new language called technology. Dictionaries publish additional words every year as new words and expressions are needed to communicate in a new world.A school in the USA prides itself in its adoption of technology in the educational arena. A technology curriculum begins in preschool, and an objective for the second grade reads: “Begin to develop a vocabulary of technology terms”. This objective is carried forward each year, moving into developing a working vocabulary of technology terms in the fourth grade and an introduction to Internet terminology in the seventh grade. By the eighth grade, students will “continue to develop a technology vocabulary” and will incorporate “the Internet in their five-page paper” (Rhodes, 2006). A recent debate centres on whether email with its short-cut punctuation and language will bring the demise of written communication as we know it. Will potential wordsmiths be snuffed out in their infancy? Will the craft of letterwriting die in our lifetime? Will history no longer benefit from the individual perspective of those who put their thoughts to paper?
Many critics say email is an assault on proper language. Others say it just adds to the informality of language brought on by television, catchy song lyrics and pervasive ungrammatical advertising slogans.
The lack of facility with the process of formal writing has spawned a new industry. Firms like Business Writing at Its Best (BWB) charge top dollar to teach business executives, attorneys, doctors and other corporate bigwigs the art of writing, a skill many admit they didn't learn in school. BWB calls itself the “Rolls-Royce of business and legal writing workshops” (Agress, 2006).
Advantages and Disadvantages of Oral and Written Channels
If communication is the life blood of good business, then one of the first things a new executive must understand is that clear and effective communication is necessary to meet objectives because misdirected or confusing communication results in unresolved problems.While some communication messages demand a specific channel over another, channel selection is often a judgement call. Making the right decision about which one to use is crucial because the channel itself brings added meaning to the message.
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Oral communication
Oral communication is more personal and less formal. It conveys sincerity for the message and respect for the receiver. For example, if bad news is to be imparted, face-to-face oral communication is usually seen as most respectful. Face-to-face communication allows us to use all of our senses – we can see the messenger deliver the message, read his or her body language, hear the message with a minimal amount of external noise, ask for a repeat of the message, if necessary, and assess the tone of the message. It continues to be the most personal form of communication.Sometimes, however, oral communication is not personal at all. Have you ever broken up with someone via phone voice mail? It might have been easy on you, but the person receiving the message probably would rather have received an explanation in person or at least in a personal phone conversation.
Recently, a student reported he had been fired by email. The student felt this method of letting him go was an added insult. “Why didn't he just tell me himself?” he asked.
Disadvantages of oral communication are misinterpretation of words, misread meanings, unrecorded facts and figures and lack of remembering. Of course, technology increasingly enables oral communication to be recorded and reaccessed.
Types of oral business message
More traditional forms of oral business communication include face-to-face meetings, one-on-one conversations, small group presentations, oral reports, videoconferencing and phone conversations. Oral communication enables immediate feedback and is most effective when there is an emotional component of the message that would affect the success of the communication.Written communication
Written communication is more explicit. It can be read over and over again to ensure complete understanding. However, while there is less personality and emotional/visual appeal in a written message, the vocabulary, sentence structure, punctuation and grammar selected by the sender reveals the sincerity and intent of the message.
A business message can be delivered in numerous ways. Each channel has its own rules and standards that can be interpreted by the receiver in specific and diverse ways. 109110What you should know is that each message you send will carry a contextual meaning that is as important as the content.
How you say something, and where and when you say it, will carry as much, if not more, weight than what you are actually saying. You must give each message deliberate thought and consideration as to the words, tone, adherence to rules, language style, etc. The receiver will read between the lines, looking for clues into the true meaning and intent of the message.
The 10 Cs for writing effectively:
- 1. Content Are you saying exactly what you want to say?
- 2. Completeness Have you included all the necessary information your receiver may need?
- 3. Correctness Have you checked your communication to be sure your facts are accurate?
- 4. Clarity Have you made your message clear to your receiver?
- 5. Coherence Does your language contribute to an understandable message?
- 6. Conciseness Have you eliminated words that might mislead or dissuade a receiver?
- 7. Connection Have you appealed to the needs of your specific audience?
- 8. Creativity Have you developed your message in a new and unique manner?
- 9. Courtesy Have you used a sincere and appropriate tone?
- 10. Closure Have you asked for the action you want from your receiver?
Types of written business message
Traditional written communications include formal letters, memos and reports. They usually address complex issues that need to be presented in a structured format or used as reference material. Effective written communications are dependent on how well you have thought out your purpose and then how you have structured the message. For example, memos can do the following:
- • create a record that can be useful in the future;
- • allow for detailed reporting;
- • give recipients the opportunity to think about the content and return to it if necessary;
- • facilitate a broad distribution (Business Communication, 2003, p. 63).
Types of electronic communication
Technology in the workplace has brought electronic communication to the forefront of the business day at all levels of hierarchy, from the CEO to the administrative assistant to the order filler on the production line. Email, faxing, instant messaging, teleconferencing, presentation software, phone messaging options and global visual connections (possibly even more options have been developed since this book was printed) are used to communicate to the person sitting in the office next to you or with thousands of people around the world.
Electronic charts, graphs, budget numbers and annual reports can be recorded, distributed, stored on disks, CDs or flash drives, attached to emails or posted on 110111websites. Pictures, sound, video, graphics, hot links and multimedia effects may be included to add further richness to the message.
Electronic messaging can mean cost savings in paper, printing and postage. Rewrites and revisions are made easily, quickly and inexpensively. Electronic documents use minimal storage space. Instantaneous distribution of electronic documents is feasible across the world to multiple recipients.
Choosing a Channel
The extent of options for sending effective business messages makes choosing the right channel even more complex. When choosing a channel, many factors have to be considered: the intent of the message, the understanding of the receiver and the meaning inherent in the channel itself.
Additionally, a certain expertise is required and expected for using each channel effectively. No longer can you compose an email message and send it off before reviewing it. Spellchecking the document is a necessity, but often this is not enough, as you cannot depend on this limited process to be completely accurate.
You have to reread the email from the perspective of the receiver. Is each word understandable? Will the receiver get what “it” refers to in the first sentence? Is all the necessary information included for a complete understanding of the communication? If any vital element of the message is cloudy or excluded, the communication is ineffective.
Take a look at this internal email memo, sent to 50 people, and see if you can identify some of the communication problems:- TO: Bobby Johnson
- SUBJECT: Retirement Party
- Hello everyone. As you know Joe Banyon is retiring next month. I've been asked by some of his friends to arrange a little farewell party in his honour.
- The date is Friday, 6 p.m. at City Café, and we hope you can make it.
- We would like to give him a gift certificate. We are asking everyone to contribute. Let me know ASAP.
- See you there.
- Bobby
Bobby wants people to contribute, but, for the people receiving the message, this could be a sensitive issue as it is unclear as to whether their contribution goes to a gift certificate or if it covers the party expenses and the gift. The memo is unclear if the party will include a full-course dinner or just drinks at the bar, nor does it state whether spouses are invited. Finally, ASAP is an unclear directive.
Recipients of this email need more information. Those invited will either send an email asking for more details or place a phone call to get the correct information. Whichever they do, Bobby faces the possibility of 50 email messages or phone calls, all because he didn't take time to read over his memo from an audience-centred perspective.
Accuracy is important no matter which channel you use. Because change is so rapid in the global marketplace, it is imperative that you check and recheck your message for any inaccuracies. Even though senders must file a report quickly, it doesn't mean the message can contain errors. The receivers of messages expect clear, complete and accurate messages. They don't care that you only had an hour to get the report or message out.
The Mechanics of Effective Messaging
In written communication you should take sufficient time to organize your message. Here are some strategies for composing effective messages.Outlining
Outlining may seem to be a strategy of the past, but, whether it is used in an abbreviated format or a more complex plan, an outline has value. Have you ever composed a communication and, as you pressed “send”, remembered something you had wanted to include but forgot? Have you ever thought and thought about all the elements you wanted to cover in a report but, after handing it to the professor, remembered one or two more points you had wanted to include? Have you ever had a conversation with a friend or family member and, after they walked away, realized you had forgotten a crucial point you wanted to make?An outlinecan be as simple as a few phrases on a piece of paper or as complex as a three-page organizational layout. The key is to refer to your written outline beforeyou send the message.
Place your outline, the blueprint of your message, next to the computer as you type your email message or write your report. Look at it during the process and before you finish. For face-to-face meetings, put your main points on an index card and place it in your pocket or briefcase for review.
For complex messages, outlines can be arranged in several organizational patterns as defined below. The goal is to view your information from a receiver's perspective. Which organizational method will make your information easier for your receivers to understand?
You should not choose the one you always seem to use, or the one that is easiest for you. Try to think like your receiver and choose the organizational method that will best fit the content of what you have to say.
Organizational patterns for outlines
There are four major types of organizational patterns. Each one has a specific use depending on the nature of the material and audience. Let's look at some organizational patterns:
- • chronological pattern
- • spatial pattern
- • importance pattern
- • topical pattern.
· For example, if you wanted to request office furniture, you could talk about everything that was needed in the conference room before moving on to the office cubicles and then the lunchroom.
· Spatial organization may also be used when talking about geographical regions. For a report on furniture needed by your company in various branch locations, you might arrange the information according to Eastern division needs, Western division needs or the needs of the offices in France, India and Spain.
· Importance pattern
· The importance pattern presents information by starting with the most significant projects or facts and continuing to the least significant. This format can also be reversed as a report goes from the least important to the most important information. Two terms to know here are primacy and recency. Primacy means putting first the most important information or the most expensive commodity or the most urgent issue, etc. This works well because readers or listeners may be fresher and more ready to listen at the outset of the report than nearer the end. People tend to remember the first things they hear or read rather than information that comes later in a conversation or is buried in paragraph 3 or 4 of the message.
· Recency, on the other hand, means putting the most important information at the end of your message, so it is the most recent point your audience hears or reads before they turn their attention to another matter.
· For example, your report on office furniture needs could begin with the most needed items and continue to the least needed items. Or it could start with the less essential things and end with what is really vitally necessary. You could also start with the most expensive items and work to the least expensive.
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· Topical (relatedness) pattern
· The topicalpattern groups similar topics. In this pattern you would group related facts together to make it easier for the listener or reader to comprehend the information.
· Using an office example, you could first talk about desks, chairs and bookcases. Then you could talk about lamps and accessories. Next you could address computers and wiring needs, then forms, business cards and signs. And finally you could discuss furnishings such as artwork and carpet needs.
· Remember to choose an organizational pattern that fits your material and audience.
· Formal Written Communication Formats
· Choosing the appropriate format for written communication ensures that the message is delivered with minimal noise or static. A personal letter delivered by the post has a different structure and purpose than email or memos.
· Each format has its own “look” and carries certain reader expectations.
· Formal business letters
· Young executives today have never known a world without email and text messaging. Formal letters may seem like something from the Dark Ages; however, there are occasions when formal letters, recommendations, references, letters of credit or letters of introduction are not only appropriate but necessary.
· If you have never studied formal letter composition, be aware that there is a prescribed format. This is important because receivers of these communiqués are judging you, your message and your company or organization by the appearance of the letter and its adherence to the rules of style.
· Formal business letters have seven main parts:
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