CHAPTER 1

Career Success
Begins With
Communication
Skills
Instructor Only Version
2010 Thomson South-Western

Communication Skills:
Your ticket
to work...
OR
Your ticket out the door!
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 2

Good communication skills

are essential for
Job placement
Job performance
Career advancement
Success in the new world
of work

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 3

Writing skills are increasingly

significant.
"Businesses are crying outthey
need to have people who write
better.
Gaston Caperton, business
executive and president,
College Board

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 4

Information
Information
as
asaa
corporate
corporateasset
asset

New
New
work
work
environments
environments

Flattened
Flattened
management
management
hierarchies
hierarchies

Trends
Trendsin
in
the
thenew
new
workplace
workplace

Innovative
Innovative
communication
communication
technologies
technologies
MaryMary
EllenEllen
Guffey,
Guffey,
Essentials
Essentials
of Business
of Business
Communication,
Communication,
8e 8e

More
More
participatory
participatory
management
management

Increased
Increased
emphasis
emphasis
on
onteams
teams

Heightened
Heightened
global
global
competition
competition
Chapter 1, Slide 5

The Process of Communication

MaryMary
EllenEllen
Guffey,
Guffey,
Essentials
Essentials
of Business
of Business
Communication,
Communication,
8e 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 6

The Process of Communication

How may the sender

encode a message?

Verbally or nonverbally.
By speaking, writing,
gesturing.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 7

The Process of
Communication

What kinds of
channels carry
messages?

Letters, e-mail, IM,

memos, TV, telephone,
voice, body. Others?

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 8

The Process of Communication

How does a receiver
decode a message?

Hearing, reading,
observing

When is
communication
successful?

When a message is
understood as the sender
intended it to be.

How can a
Ask questions, check
communicator
reactions, dont dominate
provide for feedback? the exchange.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 9

Barriers to Effective Listening

Physical
barriers

hearing disabilities, noisy

surroundings

Psychological
barriers

tuning out ideas that counter

our values

Language
problems

unfamiliar or charged words

Nonverbal
distractions

clothing, mannerisms,
appearance

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 10

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 11

Barriers to Effective Listening

Thought speed our minds process
thoughts faster than
speakers say them
Faking
attention

pretending to listen

Grandstanding

talking all the time or

listening only for the next
pause

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 12

Ten Misconceptions
About Listening
1. Listening is a matter of intelligence.
FACT: Careful listening is a learned
behavior.
2. Speaking is more important than
listening in the communication process.
FACT: Speaking and listening are
equally important.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 13

Ten Misconceptions
About Listening
3. Listening is easy and requires little
energy.
FACT: Active listeners undergo the same
physiological changes as a person
jogging.
4. Listening and hearing are the same
process.
FACT: Listening is a conscious, selective
process. Hearing is an involuntary act.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 14

Ten Misconceptions
About Listening
5. Speakers are able to command listening.
FACT: Speakers cannot make a person
really listen.
6. Hearing ability determines listening
ability.
FACT: Listening happens mentally
between the ears.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 15

Ten Misconceptions
About Listening
7. Speakers are totally responsible for
communication success.
FACT: Communication is a two-way
street.
8. Listening is only a matter of
understanding a speakers words.
FACT: Nonverbal signals also help
listeners gain understanding.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 16

Ten Misconceptions
About Listening
9. Daily practice eliminates the need for
listening training.
FACT: Without effective listening
training, most practice merely reinforces
negative behaviors.
10. Competence in listening develops
naturally.
FACT: Untrained people listen at only 25
percent efficiency.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 17

Keys to Building
Powerful Listening Skills
Stop talking.
Control your surroundings.
Establish a receptive
mind-set.
Keep an open mind.
Listen for main points.
Capitalize on lag time.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 18

Keys to Building
Powerful Listening Skills
Listen between the lines.
Judge ideas, not
appearances.
Hold your fire.
Take selective notes.
Provide feedback.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 19

Nonverbal Communication
Eye contact, facial expression, and
posture and gestures send silent
messages.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 20

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 21

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 22

Nonverbal Communication
Time, space, and territory send
silent messages.
Time (punctuality and structure)
Space (arrangement of objects)
Territory (privacy zones)

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 23

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 24

Nonverbal Communication
Appearance sends silent
messages.
Appearance of business
documents
Appearance of people

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 25

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 26

Four Space Zones for Social

Interaction Among Americans

MaryMary
EllenEllen
Guffey,
Guffey,
Essentials
Essentials
of Business
of Business
Communication,
Communication,
8e 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 27

Four Space Zones for Social

Interaction Among Americans

MaryMary
EllenEllen
Guffey,
Guffey,
Essentials
Essentials
of Business
of Business
Communication,
Communication,
8e 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 28

Keys to Building
Strong Nonverbal Skills

Establish and maintain eye contact.

Use posture to show interest.
Improve your decoding skills.
Probe for more information.
Avoid assigning nonverbal meanings
out of context.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 29

Keys to Building
Strong Nonverbal Skills
Associate with people from diverse
cultures.
Appreciate the power of appearance.
Observe yourself on videotape.
Enlist friends and family.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 30

Culture and Communication

Good communication
demands special
sensitivity and skills
when communicators
are from different
cultures.
2008 Image Source Black/Jupiter Images

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 31

Dimensions of Culture
Context
Time
Orientatio
n

Individualism

Culture

Communication
Style
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Formality
Chapter 1, Slide 32

Dimensions of Culture
Context
High-context cultures (those in Japan,
China, and Arab countries) tend to be
relational, collectivist, and contemplative.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 33

Dimensions of Culture
Context
Low-context cultures (those in North
America, Scandinavia, and Germany)
tend to be logical, linear, and actionoriented.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 34

Dimensions of Culture
Individualism
High-context cultures tend to prefer
group values, duties, and decisions.
Low-context cultures tend to prefer
individual initiative, self-assertion, and
personal achievement.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 35

Dimensions of Culture
Formality
North Americans place less emphasis
on tradition, ceremony, and social rules.
Other cultures prefer more formality.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 36

Dimensions of Culture
Communication Style
High-context cultures rely on
nonverbal cues and the total
picture to communicate.
Meanings are embedded at
many sociocultural levels.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 37

Dimensions of Culture
Communication Style
Low-context cultures
emphasize words,
straightforwardness, and
openness. People tend
to be informal, impatient,
and literal.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 38

Dimensions of Culture
Time Orientation
Time is precious to North
Americans. It correlates with
productivity, efficiency, and
money.
In some cultures time is
unlimited and never-ending,
promoting a relaxed attitude.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 39

Comparison of High- and

Low-Context Cultures
High-Context
Cultures

Low-Context
Cultures

Relational

Linear

Collectivist

Individualistic

Intuitive

Logical

Contemplative

Action-oriented

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 40

Proverbs Reflect Culture

What do these U.S. proverbs indicate
about this culture and what it values?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The squeaking wheel gets the grease.

Waste not, want not.
He who holds the gold makes the rules.
If at first you dont succeed, try, try again.
The early bird gets the worm.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 41

Proverbs Reflect Culture

What do these Chinese proverbs
indicate about the Chinese culture and
what it values?
1. A man who waits for a roast duck to fly into his
mouth must wait a very long time.
2. A man who says it cannot be done should not
interrupt a man doing it.
3. Give a man a fish, and he will live for a day;
give him a net, and he will live for a lifetime.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 42

Proverbs Reflect Culture

What do these proverbs indicate about
their respective cultures and what they
value?
1. No one is either rich or poor who has not
helped himself to be so. (German)
2. Words do not make flour. (Italian)
3. The nail that sticks up gets pounded down.
(Japanese)
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 43

Improving Communication With

Multicultural Audiences
Oral Messages

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Creatas / Photolibrary Group / Index Stock Imagery

Use simple English.

Speak slowly and
enunciate clearly.
Encourage accurate
feedback.
Check frequently for
comprehension.
Chapter 1, Slide 44

Improving Communication With

Multicultural Audiences
Oral Messages

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Creatas / Photolibrary Group / Index Stock Imagery

Observe eye messages.

Accept blame.
Listen without
interrupting.
Smile when appropriate.
Follow up in writing.

Chapter 1, Slide 45

Improving Communication With

Multicultural Audiences
Written Messages
Consider local styles.
Consider hiring a translator.
Use short sentences and
short paragraphs.
Avoid ambiguous wording.
Follow up in writing.
Cite numbers carefully.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 46

Improving Communication Among

Diverse Workplace Audiences

Understand the value of differences.

Seek training.
Learn about your own cultural self.
Make fewer workplace assumptions.
Build on similarities.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e

Chapter 1, Slide 47

Have a
Great
Weekend
Instructor Only Version
2010 Thomson South-Western