BUS304 Business Communication

Unit 1
Class Topic Welcome and Principles of
Interpersonal Communication
1
In today’s business environment, employees are
expected to have excellent written and oral
communication skills.
At the conclusion of this course, you will have the
skills and knowledge necessary to help you write
and speak effectively, as well as use non-verbal
communication to build and maintain successful
business relationships.
This course is taught from a Christian perspective,
as well as a secular perspective.
2
Welcome to Business Communication
 Introduction
 Class Topics
 Class Objectives
 Lecture
3
Format for Unit Sessions
 Class lectures
 Hearing and seeing
 Textbook
 Reading
 Individual homework
 Analyzing
 Discussion forum
 Applying and
examining
 Completing all
components is very
important to
accomplish the
objectives of the
course.
4
Learning Tools
 Characteristics
 Online learners must
be highly self motivated.
 Online learners must
have high responsibility
for assignments and
discussions.
 Facts
 Online learning is not
easier than traditional
classroom learning.
 Learners must meet
deadlines.
 It’s easy to think we’re
anonymous because
there’s no face time.
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Online Learning
 Course Page
 Activities
 Individual homework
 Discussion forum
 Weekly discussions
 Media
 Module
 Handouts & links
 Class lectures
 Schedule
 Be attentive to
deadlines.
 The week (unit) begins
on Monday and ends
on Saturday.
 Observe Sabbath
 Manage your time
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Tips for Success
 Communicate
 Ask questions
 Participate
 Be engaged in discussion
 Seek handouts
 Contact the professor with
questions or problems
7
Tips for Success, cont.
 Analyze similarities and differences in Biblical
principles of effective communication
 Demonstrate competence in writing business
communications, including letters,
memorandums, and reports
 Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of good
grammar, punctuation, and mechanics
 Recognize differences in intercultural
communication
8
Course Objectives
 Develop an effective oral presentation, including
the preparation of PowerPoint slides and a
meeting agenda
 Develop effective listening skills
 Explain the importance of Emotional Intelligence
when communicating with others.
 Develop a framework for career-long
professional pursuits, including the preparation
of a resume and application letter; letters of
employment; and a LinkedIn profile
9
Course Objectives, contd.
 Welcome to Unit One. In Unit 1, we will discuss
how our interpersonal relationships play a large
role in our day-to-day communication. Our
interpersonal relationships include the way we
interact those people we come into contact with.
In dealing with others, we must be credible in
our communication. It is important that we also
recognize and respect differences in cultures
and values that affect business communication.
 Let’s get started.
10
Introduction
 Credibility of communication
 Interpersonal skills
 Emotional Intelligence
 Active listening process
 Meeting planning
 Dimensions of culture and their application to
business communication
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Unit Topics
 Explain the importance of establishing credibility for
business communication
 Describe the interpersonal communication process and
barriers to effective communication
 Explain how Emotional Intelligence can impact effective
interpersonal communication
 Explain and evaluate the process of active listening
 Describe and demonstrate approached to planning,
running, and following up on meetings
 Explain the major cultural dimensions and how they
affect communication
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Unit Objectives
 Colossians 2:6-10 and Acts 17:24-28 should remind us
that God is with each of us in all that we do and say and,
as Christians, we should walk as Christians, treating
everyone according to the principles of Christ.
 The Lord shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O lord,
according to my righteousness, and according to my
integrity within me. (Psalm 7:8 New King James
Version)
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Biblical Foundation
 Credibility of communication
 Interpersonal skills
 Emotional Intelligence
 Active listening process
 Meeting planning
 Dimensions of culture and their application to
business communication
14
Lecture Topics
 It is your reputation for being trustworthy.
 It is the degree to which others believe or trust in
you.
 Your goal should be to gain trust or credibility
from colleagues, clients, customers, and other
contacts.
15
Lecture – What is Credibility
 Competence
 The knowledge and skills needed to accomplish business tasks,
approach business problems, and get a job done
 Caring
 Understanding the interests of others, cultivating a sense of
community, and giving to others and showing generosity
 Character
 A reputation for staying true to commitments made to
stakeholders and adhering to high moral and ethical
values
16
Lecture – Three Components of
Credibility
 Establishing credibility allows you to
communicate more easily and more influentially.
 Credibility leads to less resistance from others,
an increased willingness to cooperate, and a
reduced likelihood of miscommunication.
17
Lecture – Credibility and Improved
Work Outcomes
 The process of sending and receiving verbal
and nonverbal messages between two or more
people
 Involves the exchange of simultaneous and
mutual messages to share and negotiate
meaning (thoughts and feelings that people
intend to communicate to one another) between
those involved
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Lecture – Interpersonal Communication
Process
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Lecture-Interpersonal Communication
Process
 One goal of interpersonal communication is to arrive at
shared meaning.
 Shared meaning is a situation in which people involved
in interpersonal communication attain the same
understanding about ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
 Barriers to shared meaning
 External noise
 Internal noise
 Lifetime experiences
20
Lecture – Shared Meaning
 Communicating effectively involves
 understanding emotions
 managing emotions to serve goals
 empathizing with others
 effectively handling relationships with others
 Emotional Hijacking
 A situation in which emotions control our behavior
causing us to react without thinking
21
Lecture – Emotional Intelligence
 Self-awareness
 The foundation for emotional intelligence
 Involves accurately understanding your emotions as they occur
and how they affect you
 Self-management
 The “ability to use awareness of your emotions to stay flexible
and to direct your behavior positively”
 Involves the discipline to hold off on current urges to meet long term intentions
 Involves responding productively and creatively to feelings of
self-doubt, worry, frustration, disappointment, and nervousness
22
Lecture – Four Components of
Emotional Intelligence
 Empathy
 The “ability to accurately pick up on emotions in other
people and understand what is really going on with
them”
 Relationship management
 The “ability to use your awareness of emotions and
those of others to manage interactions successfully”
 Principles for relationship management: adapting
communication to the preferred styles of others and
ensuring civility in the workplace
23
Lecture – Four Components of
Emotional Intelligence, cont.
Lecture – Active Listening
Active Listening
 “A person’s willingness
and ability to hear and
understand”
Components of Active
Listening
 Paying attention
 Holding judgement
 Reflecting
 Clarifying
 Summarizing
 Sharing
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Lecture – Barriers to Effective Listening
 Lack of time
 Lack of patience and
attention span
 Image of leadership
 Communication
technology
 Fear of bad news
 Defending
 “Me too” statements
 Giving advice
 Judging
25
 Set expectations and follow the agenda.
 Encourage participation and expression of
ideas.
 Build consensus and a plan of action.
 Close the meeting.
26
Lecture – Running Effective Meetings
Lecture – Types of Meetings
Coordination meetings
 Primarily focus on
discussing roles, goals,
and accountabilities
Problem-solving meeting
 Typically involve
brainstorming about how
to address and solve a
particular work problem
27
Lecture – Agenda and Meeting Minutes
Agenda
 Should include:
 Date/time of meeting
 Location
 Agenda items
 Time frames
 Participants/roles
 Goals/expected outcomes
Meeting Minutes
 Components include:
 Date and time
 Team members present
 Meeting roles
 Key decisions
 Action items and deadlines
28
 Start the meeting with social chat.
 Start with a contentious question.
 Ask “what do you think about” questions.
 Make sure each team member is involved.
 Articulate views precisely.
 Take minutes in real time.
 Focus on your teammates and avoid
multitasking.
 Use video when possible.
29
Lecture – Conducting Effective Virtual
Meetings
 We view other cultures as having value and
legitimate and valid views when interacting in
business transactions.
 We avoid ethnocentrism.
30
Lecture – Respect, Recognize, and
Appreciate Cultural Differences
 Individualism vs. collectivism
 High power distance vs. low power distance
 Long-term vs. short-term orientation
 Uncertainty avoidance
 Masculine vs. femininity
31
Lecture – Cultural Differences
 Establish trust and show empathy.
 Adopt a learner mind-set.
 Build a co-culture of cooperation and innovation.
 Avoid communication blunders during business
transactions.
32
Lecture – Benefits of Cross-Cultural
Work Relationships
 To recap, we should be credible in our
communications. To be effective, all parties in
the communication process must have trust in
each other and demonstrate mutual respect,
regardless of differences in culture and values.
33
Unit Recap
 Complete reading assignments
 Complete writing assignments
 Answer discussion questions
 Complete unit quiz
34
What’s next?
Cardon, Peter W. (2018). Business Communication Developing
leaders for a networked world 4
th ed. New York: McGraw Hill
Education
35
References

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