All businesses communicate – send and receive information.
Businesses communicate with many stakeholders – individuals and groups – using different communication methods. They also receive messages from others.
Effective communication is the lifeblood of any successful organization. In the corporate world, clear and concise communication across all levels is crucial for building trust, driving productivity, and achieving goals.
What is business communication?
Communication can be defined as the exchange of information between one person, group or party to another person, group or party.
Business communication is when a message is transferred from someone in a business to someone else, or between businesses.
Th communication between people within the same business organization is called internal communication. And, the communication with people or groups outside the business organization is called external communication.
Business managers spend a large chunk of their time communicating with both internal stakeholders and external stakeholders.
Purpose of business communication
The objective of communication is the creation of meaning through text both oral and written for storytelling, information exchange, relationship building and enhancement.
There are several specific reasons why we communicate such as:
- Starting actions. Communication can get new ideas for goods and services off the ground. It can also help directors to introduce a major change in firm. Finally, communication can bring everyone together to support a specific cause that matters to employees’ lives.
- Gathering information. Communication can help employees in a business to collect information that is necessary to make decisions. This can include gathering sales data from different regions, number and causes of accidents in the workplace or asking suppliers for the price of different raw materials.
- Sharing information. Communication can give information to different stakeholders. For example, managers tell other about meetings, sales people inform customers about new products being launched to the market, the business tells customers through promotion about new holiday discounts, etc.
- Clarifying issues. Communications can clarify anything that happens in a business organization, but what might be too vague to understand or confusing. For example, employees may be not sure who they should report to after hearing customer complaints or what to do when they are absent from work.
- Reassuring points. Communication can pass information needed to reassure people that they are doing the right things right, and that that everything that is happening in a business organization is just fine. Some employees need a positive comment from their supervisor to feel better about their work. While some directors may want a report from lower-level manager to reassure customer that all safety checks are being carried out properly.
- Influencing events. Communication is required to make sure that important things in a business happen in a desired way. When sales of products are falling, business managers may need to warn employees that things need to be improved and that the business will need to improve, otherwise they may lose their jobs when the company shuts down.
Importance of business communication
Business communication is vital to the success of any business organizations, so each and every worker is be aware of his or her roles and the expectations.
The purposes of business communication include to instruct, clarify, interpret, notify, warn, receive feedback, review and inform. In that way, business managers can gather information and act upon feedback from both employees, customers and other business stakeholders.
Effective communication in a business enables all employees to have a better understanding of what their daily job is and what is required from them
Corporate requirements for communication
Here’s a breakdown of the five key requirements for communication in a corporate setting:
1. ANALYSIS:
– Gathering and processing information. Accurately gathering and analyzing relevant data is essential for making informed decisions and crafting effective messages. This might involve internal reports, market research, customer feedback, competitor analysis, and industry trends.
– Problem-solving and critical thinking. Strong analytical skills are needed to identify problems, evaluate potential solutions, and anticipate potential outcomes of communication strategies.
2. PRESENTATION:
– Clarity and Conciseness. Delivering information in a clear, concise, and organized manner is paramount. Tailor your message to your audience, using appropriate language and avoiding jargon.
– Visual Communication. Utilize visuals like charts, graphs, and infographics to enhance understanding and engagement.
– Effective Delivery. Whether written or verbal, communication should be delivered with confidence and professionalism. Consider factors like tone, body language, and eye contact.
3. EVALUATION:
– Feedback and measurement. Actively seek feedback on your communication to identify areas for improvement. Utilize metrics to measure the effectiveness of your messages, such as employee engagement surveys, customer satisfaction scores, or website traffic data.
– Adaptability and adjustment. Be prepared to adapt your communication strategies based on feedback and evaluation results. The ability to course-correct is crucial for effective communication.
4. REPRESENTATION:
– Brand advocacy. Effectively communicate the company’s values, mission, and brand identity to both internal and external audiences. Be a positive and professional ambassador for the organization.
– Building relationships. Establish and maintain strong relationships with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders through open and honest communication.
5. NEGOTIATION:
– Persuasion and influence. Clearly articulate your points and effectively persuade others to your position. Active listening and understanding different perspectives are crucial for successful negotiation.
– Conflict resolution. Effectively navigate disagreements and conflicts through assertive and respectful communication.
By mastering these five key requirements, individuals can become effective communicators within any corporate environment. Remember, communication is a two-way street – always strive to listen actively, build trust, and foster collaboration.
Main communication activities
Communication is a very critical skill. Studies indicate that 70% to 80% of a person’s time is spent communicating. Judy C. Nixon and Judy F. West give the following breakdown for the average individual time spent communicating. That breakdown reveals how much time the average person spends in different communication activities:
- Listening (45%). It takes up the largest chunk of our communication time. This includes actively listening to others in conversations, presentations, meetings, and media like podcasts or audio books.
- Speaking (30%). It comes in second, encompassing expressing ourselves verbally in conversations, meetings, presentations, and public speaking.
- Reading (16%). It involves consuming written content like books, articles, reports, emails, and online content.
- Writing (9%). It takes up the least amount of time, but still plays a crucial role in communication through emails, messages, reports, creative writing, and online interactions.
It is worth noting that these are just average percentages, and individual communication patterns can vary greatly depending on factors like profession, personality, lifestyle, and media consumption habits. For example, someone who works in a writing-intensive job like business journalism might spend a much higher percentage of their time writing than the average person.
Typical communication process
There are five distinct elements in a typical communication process including:
- Information. An idea to be shared with others.
- Sender of the message. The sender codes the idea by putting it into a clear message form.
- Appropriate medium. The message is sent by the sender being transmitted through a specific channel.
- Receiver gets the messages. The receiver decodes the message by hearing it, reading it or looking at it. It must be understood and will be stored in the receiver’s mind. The received will confirm receipt and understanding.
- Response. The receiver responds by sending feedback to the original sender. This enables the sender to effectively evaluate the idea.
Any barriers in the communication process must be reduced or eliminated to ensure effective communication.
Ethical business communication
The attributes of ethical communication and differences between an ethical dilemma and ethical lapse.
- Ethical communication is accurate and sincere. It avoids language that manipulates, discriminates, or exaggerates, do not hide negative information behind and optimistic attitude.
- Ethical dilemma involves choosing among alternatives that are neither clearly ethical nor clearly unethical.
You can communicate ethically with other by seeking common ground, withholding judgment, sending honest messages and respecting cultural differences. In short, effective communication is essential to all businesses. Without it, business life would stop!
