Chapter 4 - Communication Flashcards
Effective communication enables a business to….
- Ensure accurate flow of information between interested parties, including customers
- achieve objectives
- Communicate a consistent message about standards required
1 way communication includes…
- letters
- reports
- memos
- minutes
- circulars
- notice boards
- Internet/ intranet
- fax
- text
- emails
- webinars / conferences
Advantages of 1 way communication
Sender can think about what they want to say
written record
message is consistent
may be time effective
Disadvantages of 1 way communication
offers little opportunity to judge recipients reaction
no immediate feedback to check understanding
sender cannot influence circumstances or time message is read or ensure it is actually read
reader could read between the lines / interpret incorrectly
dependent on skill of the writer to convey the message well
may not be appropriate for all situations I.e. redundancy threat
Internet, intranet and email - worth mentioning in businesses. Internet allows access to company documents such as the staff handbook, T&C scheme & company news.
Benefits of this include….
Speed - information available almost instantly
Cost saving- no publishing/ printing costs. E learning can be cheaper than other training resources
Access - information can be made available to all simultaneously
Ability to test knowledge using online systems
Examples of 2 way communication include…
- Telephone calls
- Face to face meetings
- Team meetings
- Video links such as Zoom, Teams or Facetime
Advantages of 2 way communication include…
Preferable for sensitive or personal issues to be discussed
Instant exchange of ideas/ views
Immediate feedback can be obtained
Team briefings - everyone gets the same message (although could be interpreted differently)
More likely to encourage buy in
Disadvantages of 2 way communication include…
- Relies on skill of communicator - may not be received as intended
- Unlikely to be written record
- Time consuming if people have to be seen individually
- Difficult to orcastrate if people in different locations
- Technology could be subject to technical issues
Letters/memos - pros & cons
Pro
Written record
Can compose at leisure
Good for long, complex messages
Cons
Delay before delivered
No immediate feedback
May be misinterpreted if writing skills not good
Reports - Pros and cons
Pros
Written record
Good for large amounts of data
Good for policy/strategy issues
Cons
Often not read in full
Time consuming to produce
Meeting minutes - pros and cons
Pros
Written record
Good aide memoire
Give consistent view of what occurred at meeting
Cons
Usually a delay before are produced
Cirulars/ newsletters pros and cons
Pros
Economical way of contacting large numbers of staff or clients
Written record
Cons
Often not read properly
Can be seen as of little importance as generic
Little opportunity for feedback
Noticeboard pros and cons
Pros
Cheap
visable
Cons
Often ignored
No way to check they’ve been read
Info can become out of date
Not accessible for home working
Conference pros and cons
Pros
Motivating by getting people together
Deliver message to wide audience
Provides rewards and recognition
Cons
Expensive and time consuming
Content not specific to all attendees
Size restricts individual involvement/ activities
Email/ text pros and cons
Pros
Cheap
Quick
Good for sending large quantities of data
Good for communicating with lots of people simultaneously
Cons
Not suitable for sensitive info
May not be seen as important - “just another email”
Reliant on being read
1 way communication - could be misinterpreted
Telephone/ video call pros and cons
Pros
Cheap
Quick
2 way communication - instant feedback
Informal
Can guage reaction/ body language
Cons
Number of participants restricted
No record of what was said (unless recorded)
Could be time consuming if communicate with each team member individually
No body language on phone call
Video calls may have poor connection
Small meetings pros and cons
Pros
Can communicate with multiple people at once
Communicate at several levels - verbal, visual, body language
Allows for interaction and feedback- 2 way communication
1-2-1s good for sensitive issues
Cons
Individual meetings time consuming
Can be demotivational if not done well
Often difficult to keep written record - could lead to disagreement about what was decided
Intranet/Internet pros and cons
Pros
Good for large audience
Accessible
Feedback via email
Cons
Slow connection frustrating
Not always easy to navigate
1 way communication
Social media pros and cons
Pros
Reaches large audienc
Instant
Enables feedback
Informal
Cons
Difficult to control
Some restrict length I.e. twitter
Not good for communicating detail
Cannot contol feedback messages
What is passive communication?
Body language - how we stand, facial expressions, gesture
Albert Mehrabian found the total impact of a message is:
7% verbal
38% vocal (tone of voice, inflection)
55% non verbal
Silence is another form of passive communication.
What does active listening involve?
Asking questions
Summarising
Confirming understanding by asking other person to recap
Encouraging with appropriate verbal cues and body language
Not interrupting
What is the grapevine?
Grapevine - passive or informal communication - network for rumours and gossip.
Spreads fast through organisations.
Disadvantages
Info can be inaccurate or distorted
Use to spread potentially damaging rumours or gossip
Whether true or not can lead to some staff feeling demoralised
When open, trusting culture grapevine becomes less important.
Benefits of effective communication
- Accurate transmission of data and knowledge helps with efficiency day to day & for planning
- Avoids misunderstandings
- Provide focus and clarity on team and individual objectives
- keep up staff morale and staff effectiveness
- reinforce relationship of trust between manager and staff
- facilitate the effective use of time - people know what they need to do and avoid info overload.
What are barriers to communication?
- Wording or terminology - unsuitable language, jargon
- Clarity of message - poor verbal skills, accent or language may impact ability to deliver clear, complete message
- How message is interpreted - cultural differences or perceptual selectively (hearing what you want to hear)
- Environmental factors - background noise, psychological noise such as tiredness, anger, resentment
- Information overload - technology may result in this
- Personal differences - age, social or business background, status
- Method of communication used - may choose most appropriate
