Essentials of Business Communication 11th Edition Ebook PDF
Essentials of Business Communication 11th Edition Ebook PDF
Essentials of Business Communication 11th Edition Ebook PDF
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in the Digital Age
1 Succeeding in the Social and Mobile
Workplace 2
1-1 Mastering the Tools for Success in the Summary of Learning Outcomes 23
Twenty-First-Century Workplace 2 Chapter Review 25
1-2 Developing Listening Skills 10 Critical Thinking 26
1-3 Learning Nonverbal Communication Activities and Cases 26
Skills 12 Grammar/Mechanics Checkup 1 31
1-4 Recognizing How Culture Influences Editing Challenge 1 32
Communication 15 Communication Workshop 33
1-5 Becoming Interculturally Proficient 20
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the Information Age
2 Planning Business Messages 36
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
3-5 Drafting Well-Organized, Effective Writing Improvement Exercises 78
Paragraphs 74 Radical Rewrites 83
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup 3 84
Summary of Learning Outcomes 76 Editing Challenge 3 85
Chapter Review 77 Communication Workshop 86
Critical Thinking 78
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5 Short Workplace Messages and Digital Media 114
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
7 Negative Messages 186
9-1 Preparing Reports in the Digital Age 252 Critical Thinking 278
9-2 Report Formats and Heading Levels 256 Activities and Cases 278
9-3 Identifying the Problem, Defining Grammar/Mechanics Checkup 9 281
the Purpose, and Collecting Data 259 Editing Challenge 9 283
9-4 Preparing Short Informational Reports 262 Communication Workshop 284
9-5 Preparing Short Analytical Reports 268
viii Contents
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10 Proposals and Formal Reports 285
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Meetings, and Speaking
Skills
Contents ix
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Unit 6 Employment
Appendixes
Appendix A Document Format Guide A-1
Appendix B Documentation Formats B-1
Appendix C Correction Symbols and Proofreading Marks C-1
Appendix D Grammar/Mechanics Handbook D-1
End Matter
Notes N-1
Index I-1
x Contents
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Are You Job-Ready?
Employers today often complain that many new graduates are simply not job-ready.
As a matter of fact, writing, communication, and other so-called soft skills consistently
rank high on recruiters’ wish lists. Most students realize this and chose this class to
develop these necessary workplace skills as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Essentials of Business Communication is the tool to make this happen.
This time-honored, tried-and-true text will guide you in developing the job-readiness
you need for the twenty-first century. Essentials highlights best practices and strate-
gies backed by leading-edge research to help you develop professionalism, expert writ-
ing techniques, workplace digital savvy, and the latest job-search and résumé-building
skills.
Yes, you must be literate in all current communication technologies. The good
news is that Essentials effectively addresses best practices for social media as well
as for mobile technology. You will learn how to build credibility online as well as
offline, and understand that writing is central to business success, regardless of the
communication channel. It is a foundational skill. Employers want good writers and
communicators. This is why Essentials continues to provide grammar exercises and
documents for editing and grammar practice that our competitors have abandoned.
You need a diversity of skills beyond tech savvy alone—now more than ever!
Guided by traditional rigor, Essentials of Business Communication addresses
both contemporary student needs as well as those of instructors.
Perfecting Professionalism “I picked this text with its excellent resources for our new Business
The Eleventh Edition emphasizes positive work- Communication class that was added as a core class in the College of
place behavior and clearly demonstrates the Business. All instructors who teach that class use this text. This is the only
course in the university that emphasizes professionalism.”
importance of professionalism. Today’s busi-
Dr. Mary Kiker, Auburn University, Montgomery
nesses desire workers who exhibit strong com-
munication skills and project positive attitudes.
Employers seek team members who can effec-
tively work together to deliver positive results that
ultimately boost profits and bolster the company’s image. Graduates who possess
these highly desirable soft skills excel in today’s challenging job market. In this edi-
tion you will discover how to perfect those traits most valued in today’s competitive,
mobile, and social workplace.
Unprofessional Professional
Uptalk, a singsong speech pattern, making
sentences sound like questions; like used as
Speech Recognizing that your credibility can be
seriously damaged by sounding uneducated,
a filler; go for said; slang; poor grammar and
profanity.
habits crude, or adolescent.
Sloppy messages with incomplete sentences, Messages with subjects, verbs, and punctuation,
misspelled words, exclamation points, IM slang, free from IM abbreviations; messages that are
and mindless chatter. E-mail addresses such as
partyanimal@gmail.com, snugglykitty@icloud.
E-mail concise and spelled correctly even when brief.
E-mail addresses that include a name or a
com, or hotmama@outlook.com. positive, businesslike expression.
Voice mail
An outgoing message with strident background An outgoing message that states your name or
music, weird sounds, or a joke message. phone number and provides instructions for
leaving a message.
tablets
fellow employees; raising your voice (cell yell); using your smart devices only for meeting-
forcing others to overhear your calls. related purposes.
Texting
Sending and receiving text messages during Sending appropriate business text messages
meetings, allowing texting to interrupt face-to- only when necessary (perhaps when a
face conversations, or texting when driving. cell phone call would disturb others).
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Developing Expert Writing Techniques for a
Digital Workplace
Abundant before-and-after documents with descriptive callouts create
a clear road map to perfecting the writing process. These documents
failures (we are no longer using and many mix-ups in the past), Brian revised his
demonstrate how to apply expert writing messagetechniques, as wellhow
to explain constructively asreporting
high- should be handled.
light the critical significance of the revision
Whenprocess.
writing messages that deliver instructions, be careful of tone. Today’s
managers and team leaders seek employee participation and cooperation. These goals
can’t be achieved, though, if the writer sounds like a dictator. Avoid making accusa-
tions and fixing blame. Rather, explain changes, give reasons, and suggest benefits to
the reader. Assume that employees want to contribute to the success of the organiza-
tion and to their own achievement. Notice in the Figure 6.4 revision that Brian tells
readers that they will save time and reduce mix-ups if they follow the new method.
Increasingly, consumers resort to telephone calls, they e-mail their claims, or—as
we have seen—they vent their peeves in online posts. Large companies can afford to
Emphasizing Grammar and Writing Fundamentals
employ social media specialists who monitor and respond to comments. However,
small and midsized businesses often have few options other than Google Alerts and
Throughout thelimited
their own text,forays
proven learning
into social features help you review and rebuild vital
networking.
basic grammar This is skills.
why in anIn ageevery
of digital communication,
chapter claims written as letters of Checkups system-
Grammar/Mechanics
complaint still play an important role even as they are being replaced by telephone
calls, e-mails, and social media posts. atically
Depending on review the fundamentals
the circumstances, letters more and are keyed
convincingly establish a record of what happened. Some business communicators
“I really love Essentials of Business Communication
opt for
for my students.
letters they canI’m
to an authoritative and streamlined
either attach to e-mail messages or fax. Regardless of the
Grammar/
always alarmed at how poor their grammar andchannel, skills are, andclaims use aMechanics
writingstraightforward direct approach. Handbook.
Claims that requireEditing
a per- Challenge and
suasive
skillsresponse are presented in Chapter 8.
this is one of the few books that addresses those effectively.” Radical Rewrite exercises also provide innu-
Shawnna Patterson, Chemeketa Community College, Salem Oregon
6-3a Stating a Clear Claim in merable opportunities for you to sharpen your
the Opening
When you, as a consumer, have a legitimate grammar, claim, you can punctuation,
expect a positive response spelling, capitalization,
from a company. Smart businesses want to hear from their customers. They know
that retaining a customer is far less costly andthan writing
recruiting askills new customer. by editing typical business
Open your claim with a compliment, documents.
a point of agreement, a statement of the
problem, a brief review of action you have taken to resolve the problem, or a clear
statement of the action you want. You
grammar/mechanics might
Checkup 4 expect a replacement, a refund, a new
order, credit to your account, correction of a billing error, free repairs, or cancella-
tion of an order. Whenand
Adjectives theAdverbs
remedy is obvious, state it immediately (Please correct an
erroneous double charge
Review Sections of 1.17
1.16 and $59 toGrammar/Mechanics
of the my credit card forThen
Handbook. Laplink migration
select the correct software.
form to complete each of the
following statements. Record the appropriate G/M section and letter to illustrate the principle involved. When you finish,
I accidentallycompare
clicked the Submit
your responses with those button twice).
provided at the bottom of the page. If your answers differ, study carefully the principles
shown in parentheses.
Chapter 6: Positive and Neutral Messages 159
b (1.17e)
ExamplE Surprisingly, most of the (a) twenty year old, (b) twenty-year-old equipment is
still working.
b (1.17e) 1. The newly opened restaurant offered many (a) tried and true, (b) tried-and-true menu items.
b (1.17c) 2. Although purchased twenty years ago, the equipment still looked (a) brightly, (b) bright.
a (1.17e) 3. The committee sought a (a) cost-effective, (b) cost effective solution to the continuing problem.
b (1.17d) 4. How is the Shazam app able to process a song so (a) quick, (b) quickly?
86494_ch06_hr_150-185.indd 159 9/5/17 7:51 PM
a (1.16) 5. Of the two plans, which is (a) more, (b) most comprehensive?
a (1.17e) 6. Employees may submit only (a) work-related, (b) work related expenses to be reimbursed.
b (1.17g) 7. Amy and Marusia said that they’re planning to open (a) there, (b) their own business next year.
b (1.17e) 8. Haven’t you ever made a (a) spur of the moment, (b) spur-of-the-moment decision?
a (1.17e) 9. Not all decisions that are made on the (a) spur of the moment, (b) spur-of-the-moment turn out
badly.
a (1.17e) 10. The committee offered a (a) well-thought-out, (b) well thought out plan to revamp online
registration.
b (1.17e) 11. You must complete a (a) change of address, (b) change-of-address form when you move.
a (1.16) 12. Employment figures may get (a) worse, (b) worst before they get better.
b (1.17b) 13. I could be more efficient if my printer were (a) more nearer, (b) nearer my computer.
a (1.17c) 14. Naturally, our team members felt (a) bad, (b) badly when our project was canceled.
b (1.17d) 15. The truck’s engine is certainly running (a) smooth, (b) smoothly after its tune-up.
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Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Learning Workplace Best Practices
Most students arrive in the classroom with some work Getting Started Replying Observing Etiquette Closing Effectively
experience and technology skills, but many are not aware of • Don’t write in another • Scan all e-mails, especially • Obtain approval before • End with due dates, next
channel—such as IM, those from the same forwarding. steps to be taken, or a
what businesses expect of them when they use digital tools. social media, or a phone
call—might work better.
person. Answer within 24
hours or say when you will.
• Soften the tone by including
a friendly opening and
friendly remark.
• Add your full contact
the professional use of e-mail, texting, instant messaging, • Write compelling subject
lines, possibly with
names and dates:
below yours.
• Practice down-editing;
include only the parts from
and tone of voice, humor
can be misunderstood.
• Avoid writing in all caps,
Proofread for typos or
unwanted auto-corrections.
• Double-check before hitting
blogging, and social media. You will master best practices Jake: Can You Present at
January 10 Staff Meeting?
the incoming e-mail
to which you are
which is like SHOUTING. Send.
responding.
that clearly demonstrate how to avoid damaging your • Start with the main idea.
• Use headings and lists.
Don’t download free software and utilities to Be careful when blogging, tweeting, or posting on social
company machines. Employees can unwittingly networking sites. Unhappy about not receiving a tip, a Beverly
introduce viruses, phishing schemes, and other Hills waiter lost his job for tweeting disparaging remarks about
cyber bugs. an actress. Forgetting that his boss was his Facebook friend, a
British employee was fired after posting, “OMG, I HATE MY
Don’t store your music and photos on a company JOB!” and calling his supervisor names.
machine (or server) and don’t watch streaming
videos. Capturing precious company bandwidth for Keep sensitive information private. Use privacy settings, but
personal use is a sure way to be shown the door. don’t trust the “private” areas on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and
other social networks.
Don’t share files, and avoid file-sharing services.
Clarify whether you may use Google Docs and other Avoid pornography, sexually explicit jokes, or inappropriate
services that offer optional file sharing. Stay away from screen savers. Anything that might poison the work
distributors or pirated files such as LimeWare. environment is a harassment risk and, therefore, prohibited.
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Establish your credibility. Consider the reach and permanence of posts. Writing Online Reviews and Complaints
• Zero in on your objective and make your comment • Know that your review may be posted indefinitely,
as concise as possible.
• Focus only on the facts and be able to support
even if you change your mind and modify a post later.
• Be open; even anonymous comments can be tracked
Social media posts have a way of ending up in the wrong
them. down. Privacy policies do not protect writers from
subpoenas. hands, making vicious complainers seem irrational. In this
edition you learn to write well-considered private social
Check posting rules. Accept offers to help.
media messages as well as professional responses that
• Understand what’s allowed by reading the terms • Reply if a business offers to help or discuss the
and conditions on the site. problem; update your original post as necessary. increase the credibility and reputation of employers.
• Keep your complaint clean, polite, and to the point.
Finding a Job in Today’s “I was blown away by the exceptional personal service from the author.
Challenging Job Market All of the Guffey supplementary materials are unbelievably helpful. This
is one author who works hard to make me look good in my classes.”
One of the most important chapters in the book, Staci Groeschell, South Puget Sound Community College, Olympia,
Washington
Chapter 13 updates you on the latest trends,
technologies, and practices affecting today’s job
search, résumés, and cover letters. Thorough revi-
sions will prepare you for a labor market that is
more competitive, more social, more mobile, and
more dependent on technology than ever before. Mobile technologies are on the rise.
You will learn how to network, employ current Candidates use apps to apply for jobs, and recruiters use mobile devices
technologies, build your own brand, and prepare to post jobs, contact candidates, and forward résumés to colleagues.
sending customized résumés that appeal to both Communication and interpersonal skills are in high demand.
ensure that you will have the finely honed writing the dust.
digital understanding for exceptional job success. boards, or publish them on their own Web pages.
▪ Identify your interests ▪ Search the open job market. ▪ Choose a résumé style. ▪ Submit a résumé,
and goals. ▪ Pursue the hidden job market. ▪ Organize your info concisely. application, or e-portfolio.
▪ Assess your qualifications. ▪ Cultivate your online presence. ▪ Tailor your résumé to each ▪ Undergo screening and
▪ Explore career ▪ Build your personal brand. position. hiring interviews.
opportunities. ▪ Network, network, network! ▪ Optimize for digital ▪ Accept an offer or reevaluate
technology. your progress.
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Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Developing Your Own Brand Using LinkedIn to Land a Job
BRA
ND
Branding You
MY
BR A
Y
ND
M
Create your
Courtesy of Linkedln
own tagline.
Briefly describe what Build a powerful
distinguishes you, such online presence.
as Talented at the Internet; Distribute a Prepare a strong LinkedIn
Working harder, smarter; business card. profile dictating what comes
Super student, super worker;
Love everything digital;
Include your name, tagline, and Prepare an up when people Google
Ready for a challenge;
an easy-to-remember e-mail elevator speech. your name. Consider adding
address. If you feel comfortable, Facebook and Twitter profile
Enthusiasm plus fresh skills. In 60 seconds, you need to be able pages. Be sure all sites promote
include a professional headshot
to describe who you are and what your brand positively.
photo. Distribute it at all
problems your skills can solve. Tweak
opportunities.
your speech for your audience, and
practice until it feels natural.
How to make
Why create a and publish it?
career e-portfolio? ▪ Use a portfolio or blog template.
▪ Design your own website.
▪ Demonstrate your technology skills.
▪ Host at a university or private site.
▪ Support and extend your résumé.
▪ Publish its URL in your résumé
▪ Present yourself in a lively format.
▪ Make data instantly accessible.
What goes in it? and elsewhere.
“One year I decided to try a business communication textbook from “I am astounded at the resources for the instructor. Last quarter, I had to
another publisher, but I immediately returned to the Guffey text this create the examples and documents for revision and business scenarios
year. The quality of the content and support resources for Essentials of for document creation. Thanks for allowing me to spend time on
Business Communication just can’t be matched.” planning and instruction rather than on creating quizzes, tests,
Laurie Johnson, Manhattan Area Technical College, Manhattan, worksheets, and PowerPoint presentations.”
Kansas Beverly Miller, Miller-Motte Technical College, Lynchburg, VA
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Appreciation for Support
No successful textbook reaches a No. 1 position without a great deal of help. We are exceedingly grateful to the
reviewers and other experts who contributed their pedagogic and academic expertise in shaping the many edi-
tions of Essentials of Business Communication.
We extend sincere thanks to outstanding professionals at Cengage Learning, including Erin Joyner, senior vice
president, Higher Education; Michael Schenk, vice president, Product Management; Heather Mooney, product
manager, Business Communication; John Rich, content development manager; Eric Wagner, marketing manager;
Bethany Bourgeois, senior art director; and Kim Kusnerak, senior content project manager. We are also grateful
to Crystal Bullen, DPS Associates, who ensured premier quality and excellent accuracy throughout the publishing
process. Our very special thanks go to Bethany Sexton, content developer, for her meticulous planning, project
management, and always-helpful assistance.
For their expertise in creating superior instructor and student support materials, our thanks go to Jane Flesher,
Chippewa Valley Technical College; Carol Hart, Columbus State Community College; Nicole Adams, University
of Dayton; Janet Mizrahi, University of California, Santa Barbara; Kathleen Bent, Cape Cod Community College;
Susan Schanne, Eastern Michigan University; and Thanakorn Kooptaporn, California State University, Fullerton.
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Lise H. Diez-Arguelles Susan E. Hall Karen Kendrick
Florida State University University of West Georgia Nashville State Community College
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Kenneth R. Mayer Susan Peterson Nicholas Spina
Cleveland State University Scottsdale Community College Central Connecticut State University
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
About the Authors
Dr. Mary Ellen Guffey Dr. Dana Loewy
A dedicated professional, Dana Loewy taught
Mary Ellen Guffey has business communica-
taught business com- tion at California State
munication and busi- University, Fullerton for
ness English topics for nineteen years. Previ-
over thirty-five years. ously, she also worked as
She received a bachelor’s a composition instructor
degree, summa cum at various Los Angeles
Dana Loewy
laude, from Bowling area community colleges,
MaryEllen
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
1
Business
Communication
in the Digital Age
Chapter 1
Succeeding in the
Social and Mobile
Workplace
kined/Shutterstock.com
Pla2na/Shutterstock.com
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Succeeding in the Social
and Mobile Workplace
Chapter
1
INSTRUCTOR: Visit the
Instructor Companion
Website for lecture notes,
solutions, discussion guides,
and other resources.
Learning Outcomes
After studying this chapter,
you should be able to do
the following:
2 Confront barriers to
effective listening, and start
building your listening skills.
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
increasing numbers of workers must be available practically around the clock and
must respond quickly. Your communication skills will always be on display and will
determine your credibility.
Learning
Outcome
Describe how strong
1
This first chapter presents an overview of communication in business today. It communication skills will
addresses the contemporary workplace, listening skills, nonverbal communication, improve your career outlook,
strengthen your credibility,
the cultural dimensions of communication, and intercultural job skills. The remain-
and help you succeed in
der of the book is devoted to developing specific writing and speaking skills. today’s competitive digital
age marketplace.
1-1a Strong Communication Skills: Your Key to Success
Effective writing skills can be a stepping-stone to great job opportunities; poorly
developed writing skills, on the other hand, will derail a career. When competition is
fierce, superior communication skills will give you an edge over other job applicants.
In survey after survey, recruiters place communication high on their wish lists.1 In
one recent study, employers ranked writing and oral communication among the
five top attributes in job seekers, after teamwork and problem-solving skills.2 Your
ability to communicate is a powerful “career sifter.”3 Strong communication skills
will make you marketable even in a challenging economic climate.
Perhaps you are already working or will soon apply for your first job. How do your
skills measure up? The good news is that you can learn effective communication. This
textbook and this course can immediately improve your communication skills. Because
the skills you are learning will make a huge difference in your ability to find a job and “Communicating
to be promoted, this will be one of the most important courses you will ever take. clearly and effectively
has NEVER been more
1-1b The Digital Revolution: Why Communication Skills important than it is
Matter More Than Ever today. Whether it’s fair
or not, life-changing
Since information technology, mobile devices, and social media have transformed critical judgments
the workplace, people in today’s workforce communicate more, not less. Thanks to about you are being
technology, messages travel instantly to distant locations, reaching potentially huge made based solely on
audiences. Work team members can collaborate across vast distances. Moreover, your writing ability.”4
social media are playing an increasingly prominent role in business. In such a hyper-
Victor Urbach,
connected world, writing matters more than ever. Digital media require “much more management consultant
than the traditional literacy of yesterday,” and workers’ skills are always on display.5
As a result, employers seek employees with a broader range of skills and higher
levels of knowledge in their field than in the past; hiring standards are increas-
ing.6 Educators are discussing “essential fluencies”—twenty-first-century skills that Note: Small superscript
include analytical thinking, teamwork, and multimedia-savvy communication.7 Pew numbers in the text announce
Research found that 90 percent of the Americans polled consider communication the information sources. Full
No. 1 skill for a successful life.8 Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson concurs, citations are near the end
of the book. This edition
calling communication “the most important skill any leader can possess.”9 Further-
uses a modified American
more, jobs relying heavily on people skills such as communication are less likely to Psychological Association
be killed by automation and will offer the most opportunities in the future.10 (APA) reference format.
Skills Gap. Unfortunately, a great number of workers can’t deliver. More than half
of the respondents in an employer survey criticized applicants for their lack of com-
munication, interpersonal, and writing skills. Staffing company Adecco reported
that 44 percent of its respondents cited a similar skills gap.11 Recruiters agree that
regardless of the workplace media used, “the ability to communicate an idea, with
force and clarity” and with a unique voice is sorely needed.12 In a PayScale study,
44 percent of bosses felt new graduates lacked writing skills as well as critical-
thinking and problem-solving skills (60 percent).13
Communication and Employability. Not surprisingly, many job listings require
excellent oral and written communication skills. An analysis of 2.3 million LinkedIn
profiles revealed that oral and written communication skills were by a large margin
the top skill set sought, followed by organization, teamwork, and punctuality.14 In
Chapter 1: Succeeding in the Social and Mobile Workplace 3
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
addition, as you will learn in later chapters, recruiters will closely examine your
online persona to learn about your communication skills and professionalism. Natu-
rally, they will not hire candidates who write poorly or post inappropriate content.15
Your reputation and personal credibility are vital assets you must guard.
Techies Write Too. Even in technical fields such as accounting and information
technology, you will need strong communication skills. A researcher suggests that
“The days of being able to plug away in isolation on a quantitative problem and
be paid well for it are increasingly over.”16 In an economy relying on innovation,
generating ideas isn’t enough; they must be communicated clearly, often in writing.17
A recruiter in the high-tech industry explains, “Communication is KEY. You can
have all the financial tools, but if you can’t communicate your point clearly, none
of it will matter.”18 A poll of nearly 600 employers showed that they are looking
for “communicators with a capital C,” people who offer superb speaking, writing,
listening, presentation, persuasion, and negotiation skills.19
Writing Is in Your Future. Regardless of career choice, you will probably be send-
ing many digital messages, such as the e-mail shown in Figure 1.1. Because electronic
mail and other digital media have become important channels of communication
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in today’s workplace, all digital business messages must be clear, concise, and pro-
fessional. Notice that the message in Figure 1.1 is more businesslike and more pro-
fessional than the quick text or e-mail you might send socially. Learning to write
professional digital messages will be an important part of this course.
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Figure 1.2 Projecting Professionalism When You Communicate
Unprofessional Professional
Uptalk, a singsong speech pattern, making
sentences sound like questions; like used as
Speech Recognizing that your credibility can be
seriously damaged by sounding uneducated,
a filler; go for said; slang; poor grammar and
profanity.
habits crude, or adolescent.
Sloppy messages with incomplete sentences, Messages with subjects, verbs, and punctuation,
misspelled words, exclamation points, IM slang, free from IM abbreviations; messages that are
and mindless chatter. E-mail addresses such as
partyanimal@gmail.com, snugglykitty@icloud.
E-mail concise and spelled correctly even when brief.
E-mail addresses that include a name or a
com, or hotmama@outlook.com. positive, businesslike expression.
Voice mail
An outgoing message with strident background An outgoing message that states your name or
music, weird sounds, or a joke message. phone number and provides instructions for
leaving a message.
tablets
fellow employees; raising your voice (cell yell); using your smart devices only for meeting-
forcing others to overhear your calls. related purposes.
Texting
Sending and receiving text messages during Sending appropriate business text messages
meetings, allowing texting to interrupt face-to- only when necessary (perhaps when a
face conversations, or texting when driving. cell phone call would disturb others).
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Figure 1.3 The Education Bonus: Higher Income, Lower Unemployment
and sell products and services. Figure 1.4 illustrates many technologies you will
encounter in today’s workplace.
▪▪ Anytime, anywhere availability and nonterritorial offices. High-speed and wire-
less Internet access has freed millions of workers from nine-to-five jobs in brick-
and-mortar offices. Flexible working arrangements allow them to work at home
or on the road. Meet the work shifter, a telecommuter or teleworker who largely
remains outside the territorial office. The anytime, anywhere office the work
shifter needs requires only a smart mobile device and a wireless connection.28 If
the self-employed are factored in, teleworkers now represent almost 30 percent of
the U.S. working adult population.29 To save on office real estate, some industries
provide “nonterritorial” workspaces, or “hot desks.” The first to arrive gets the
best desk and the corner window.30 At the same time, 24/7 availability has blurred
the line between work and leisure, so that some workers are always on duty.
▪▪ Self-directed work groups and virtual teams. Teamwork has become a reality
in business. Many companies have created cross-functional teams to empower
employees and boost their involvement in decision making. You can expect to
collaborate with a team in gathering information, finding and sharing solu-
tions, implementing decisions, and managing conflict. You may even become
part of a virtual team whose members are in remote locations. Increasingly,
organizations are also forming ad hoc teams to solve particular problems. Such
project-based teams disband once they have accomplished their objectives.31
Moreover, parts of our future economy may rely on “free agents” who will be
hired on a project basis in what has been dubbed the gig economy, a far cry
from today’s full-time and relatively steady jobs.
▪▪ Flattened management hierarchies. To better compete and to reduce
expenses, businesses have for years been trimming layers of management.
This means that as a frontline employee, you will have fewer managers. You
will be making decisions and communicating them to customers, to fellow
employees, and to executives.
▪▪ Heightened global competition. Because many American companies continue
to move beyond domestic markets, you may be interacting with people from
many cultures. To be a successful business communicator, you will need to
learn about other cultures. You will also need to develop intercultural skills
including sensitivity, flexibility, patience, and tolerance.
▪▪ Renewed emphasis on ethics. Ethics is once again a hot topic in business. The
Great Recession of 2007–2009 was caused largely, some say, by greed and ethi-
cal lapses. With the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the U.S. government
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Figure 1.4 Communication and Collaborative Technologies
Communication
alphaspirit/Shutterstock.com
Technologies
Cloud Computing: © vinzstudio/Shutterstock.com; Telephony: VoIP: © Magics/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Voice Recognition: © iStockphoto.com/ichaka Voice Conferencing: © Aspireimages Royalty-Free/Inmagine; Open Offices: © Inmagine
Communication Technologies at Work
Cloud Computing, Web 2.0, and Beyond Becoming familiar with modern communication
Increasingly, applications and data are stored in remote locations technology can help you succeed on the job. Today’s
online, in the cloud. This ability to store and access data on remote
servers is called cloud computing. Cloud computing means that busi- digital workplace is shaped by mobile devices, mobile
nesses and individuals no longer need to maintain costly hardware apps, social media networks, superfast broadband
and software in-house; instead, they can centralize data on their
own remote servers or pay for digital storage space and software and wireless access, and other technologies that
applications offered by providers online. Photo- and video-sharing allow workers to share information, work from
sites such as Instagram, Flickr, and YouTube keep users’ media in the
cloud. Similarly, Dropbox, a popular file-synchronization service, remote locations, and be more productive in or away
and online backup provider Carbonite allow customers to edit and from the office. With today’s tools you can exchange
sync files online independent of the device used to access them.
Websites and Web applications have shifted from one-way, read-only ideas, solve problems,
communication to multidirectional, social, read-write communica- develop products, fore-
tion. This profound change, dubbed Web 2.0, has allowed workers to
participate, collaborate, and network in unprecedented ways. More cast performance, and
changes on the horizon include the Internet of things, the storing and complete team projects
making sense of big data, artificial intelligence, and self-driving cars.
Continuous automation will make many current jobs obsolete. any time of the day or
night anywhere in the
Telephony: VoIP world.
Paul Bradbury/Getty Images
iStock.com/ichaka
Savvy businesses are Denys Prykhodov/Shutterstock.com
switching from traditional
phone service to voice over Speech
Internet protocol (VoIP). This Recognition
technology allows callers to
communicate using a broad- Computers equipped with
band Internet connection, speech-recognition software
thus eliminating long-distance and local telephone charges. Higher-end enable users to dictate up
VoIP systems now support unified voice mail, e-mail, click-to-call capabili- to 160 words a minute with
ties, and softphones (Web applications or mobile apps, such as Google accurate transcription. Speech
Voice, for calling and messaging). Free or low-cost Internet telephony recognition is particularly Wearable
sites, such as the popular Skype and FaceTime, are also increasingly used helpful to disabled workers
and to professionals with
Devices
by businesses, although their sound and image quality is often uneven.
heavy dictation loads, such The most recent trend in
Open Offices as physicians and attorneys. mobile computing is wear-
Users can create documents, able devices. Fitbit, Google
The widespread use of laptop enter data, compose and send Glass, Apple Watch, and
Exactostock / SuperStock
computers, tablets, and other smart e-mails, browse the Web, similar accessories do more
devices, wireless technology, and and control their notebooks, than track fitness activities.
VoIP have led to more fluid, flex- laptops, and desktops—all They are powerful mobile
ible, and open workspaces. Smaller by voice. Smart devices can devices in their own right that
computers and flat-screen monitors also execute tasks with voice can sync with other smart
enable designers to save space with command apps—for example, electronics.
boomerang-shaped workstations and to dial a call, find a route, or
cockpit-style work surfaces rather than space-hogging corner work areas. transcribe voice mail.
Smaller breakout areas for impromptu meetings are taking over some
cubicle space, and digital databases are replacing file cabinets. Mobile
technology allows workers to be fully connected and productive on the go.
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Smart Mobile Mobile Apps
Scanrail1/Shutterstock.com
Devices and Digital Mobile apps are the software
that enables smartphones to
Convergence run and accomplish amazing
Lightweight, ever-smaller devices feats. Despite their natural size
limitations, mobile apps rival
maxsattana/Getty Images
provide phone, e-mail, Web browsing,
and calendar options anywhere there is the capabilities of full-fledged
a cellular or Wi-Fi network. Tablets and software applications on laptops,
Smart Mobile: © iStockphoto.com/hocus-focus; Presence Technology: © Javier Larrea/age fotostock/Getty Images; Web Conferencing: © Andreas Pollok/The Image Bank/Getty Images; Videoconferencing: ©iStockphoto
Videoconferencing allows
participants to meet in special
conference rooms equipped
Social Media
Source: Polycom, Inc.
with cameras and television Broadly speaking, the term social media describes technology
screens. Individuals or groups
see each other and interact in
Web Conferencing that enables participants to connect and share in social networks
online. For example, tech-savvy companies and individuals use
real time, although they may be With services such as Twitter to issue up-to-date news, link to their blogs and websites,
far apart. Faster computers, rapid GoToMeeting, WebEx, and and announce events and promotions. Microblogging services,
Internet connections, and better Microsoft Live Meeting, all such as Twitter and Tumblr, also allow businesses to track what is
cameras now enable 2 to 200 you need is a computer or a being said about them and their products. Similarly, businesses
participants to sit at their own smart device and an Internet use social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, and others to
computers or mobile devices and connection to hold a meeting interact with customers and build
share applications, spreadsheets, (webinar) with customers their brands. Companies may also
presentations, and photos. or colleagues in real time. prospect for talent using social media
The technology extends from Although the functions are networks. Efforts to launch corporate
OmniArt/Shutterstock.com
the popular Internet applica- constantly evolving, Web social networks have seen mixed
tions Skype and FaceTime to conferencing currently incorpo- results. So far workers have been slow
sophisticated videoconferencing rates screen sharing, chats, slide in embracing SharePoint, Jive, Yammer,
software that delivers HD-quality presentations, text messaging, Telligent, and similar enterprise-
audio, video, and content sharing. and application sharing. grade collaboration platforms, social
networks, and community forums.
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now requires greater accountability. As a result, businesses are eager to regain
public trust by building ethical corporate cultures. Many have written ethical
mission statements, installed hotlines, and appointed compliance officers to
ensure strict adherence to their high standards and the law.
These trends mean that your communication skills will constantly be on display,
and that missteps won’t be easily erased or forgotten. Writers of clear and concise
messages contribute to efficient operations and can expect to be rewarded.
Learning
Outcome 2 1-2 Developing Listening Skills
Confront barriers to effective TV and radio host Larry King said, “I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say
listening, and start building this day will teach me anything. So if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening.”32
your listening skills. In an age that thrives on information and communication technology, listening is
an important skill. However, by all accounts most of us are not very good listeners.
Do you ever pretend to be listening when you are not? Do you know how to look
attentive in class when your mind wanders far away? How about tuning out people
when their ideas are boring or complex? Do you find it hard to focus on ideas when
a speaker’s clothing or mannerisms are unusual?
You probably answered yes to one or more of these questions because many of
us have poor listening habits. In fact, some researchers suggest that we listen at only
25 to 50 percent efficiency. Such poor listening habits are costly in business and
affect professional relationships. Messages must be rewritten, shipments reshipped,
appointments rescheduled, contracts renegotiated, and directions restated. Listen-
ing skills are important for career success, organization effectiveness, and worker
satisfaction. Numerous studies and experts report that good listeners make good
“Did you know? managers and are sought after by recruiters.34
• I t is estimated To develop better listening skills, we must first recognize barriers that prevent
that more than effective listening. Then we need to focus on techniques for improving listening skills.
50 percent of our
work time is spent 1-2a Overcoming Barriers to Effective Listening
listening.
As you have seen, bad habits and distractions can interfere with effective listening.
• I mmediately fol- Have any of the following barriers and distractions prevented you from hearing
lowing a 10-minute what has been said?
presentation, aver- ▪▪ Physical barriers. You cannot listen if you cannot hear what is being said.
age people retain Physical impediments include hearing disabilities, poor acoustics, and noisy
about half of what surroundings. It is also difficult to listen if you are ill, tired, or uncomfortable.
they hear and only
one quarter after ▪▪ Psychological barriers. Everyone brings to the communication process a unique
48 hours. set of cultural, ethical, and personal values. Each of us has an idea of what is
right and what is important. If other ideas run counter to our preconceived
• S ixty percent of all thoughts, we tend to tune out speakers and thus fail to receive their messages.
management prob-
▪▪ Language problems. Unfamiliar words can destroy the communication pro-
lems are related to
cess because they lack meaning for the receiver. In addition, emotion-laden, or
listening.
charged, words can adversely affect listening. If the mention of words such as
• W
e misinterpret, bankruptcy or real estate meltdown has an intense emotional impact, a listener
misunderstand, or may be unable to focus on the words that follow.
change 70 to 90 ▪▪ Nonverbal distractions. Many of us find it hard to listen if a speaker is different
percent of what we from what we view as normal. Unusual clothing or speech mannerisms, body
hear.”33
twitches, or a radical hairstyle can cause enough distraction to prevent us from
Valarie Washington, CEO, hearing what the speaker has to say.
Think 6 Results
▪▪ Thought speed. Because we can process thoughts at least three times faster than
speakers can say them, we can become bored and allow our minds to wander.
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▪▪ Faking attention. Most of us have learned to look as if we are listening even
when we are not. Such behavior was perhaps necessary as part of our socializa-
tion. Faked attention, however, seriously threatens effective listening because it
encourages the mind to engage in flights of unchecked fancy. Those who fake
attention often find it hard to concentrate even when they want to.
▪▪ Grandstanding. Would you rather talk or listen? Naturally, most of us would
rather talk. Because our own experiences and thoughts are most important to
us, we often want to grab the limelight in conversations. We may fail to listen
carefully when we are just waiting politely for the next pause so that we can
have our turn to speak.
“Listening is hard
work. Unlike hear-
1-2b Building Solid Listening Skills ing, it demands total
You can reverse the harmful effects of poor habits by making a conscious effort to concentration. It is
become an active listener. This means becoming involved. You can’t sit back and an active search for
hear whatever a lazy mind happens to receive. The following keys will help you meaning, while hear-
become an active and effective listener: ing is passive.”35
▪▪ Stop talking. The first step to becoming a good listener is to stop talking. Let Alfonso Bucero, consultant
others explain their views. Learn to concentrate on what the speaker is saying, and author
not on what your next comment will be.
▪▪ Control your surroundings. Whenever possible, remove competing sounds. Close
windows or doors, turn off TVs and smartphones, and move away from loud
people, noisy appliances, or engines. Choose a quiet time and place for listening.
▪▪ Establish a receptive mind-set. Expect to learn something by listening. Strive
for a positive and receptive frame of mind. If the message is complex, think of it
as mental gymnastics. It is hard work but good exercise to stretch and expand
the limits of your mind.
▪▪ Keep an open mind. We all sift through and filter information based on our
own biases and values. For improved listening, discipline yourself to listen
objectively. Be fair to the speaker. Hear what is really being said, not what you
want to hear.
▪▪ Listen for main points. Heighten your concentration and satisfaction by look-
ing for the speaker’s central themes. Congratulate yourself when you find them!
▪▪ Capitalize on lag time. Make use of the quickness of your mind by reviewing
the speaker’s points. Anticipate what is coming next. Evaluate evidence the
speaker has presented. Don’t allow yourself to daydream. Try to guess what the
speaker’s next point will be.
▪▪ Listen between the lines. Focus both on what is spoken and what is unspoken.
Listen for feelings as well as for facts.
▪▪ Judge ideas, not appearances. Concentrate on the content of the message,
not on its delivery. Avoid being distracted by the speaker’s looks, voice, or
mannerisms.
▪▪ Hold your fire. Force yourself to listen to the speaker’s entire argument or
message before responding. Such restraint may enable you to understand the
speaker’s reasons and logic before you jump to false conclusions.
▪▪ Take selective notes. In some situations thoughtful notetaking may be neces-
sary to record important facts that must be recalled later. Select only the most
important points so that the notetaking process does not interfere with your
concentration on the speaker’s total message.
▪▪ Provide feedback. Let the speaker know that you are listening. Nod your head and
maintain eye contact. Ask relevant questions at appropriate times. Getting involved
improves the communication process for both the speaker and the listener.
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Learning
Outcome 3 1-3 Learning Nonverbal Communication Skills
Explain the features of non- Psychologist and philosopher Paul Watzlawick claimed that we cannot not commu-
verbal communication, and nicate.36 In other words, it’s impossible to not communicate. This means that every
recognize the importance behavior is sending a message even if we don’t use words. The eyes, face, and body
of improving your nonverbal convey meaning without a single syllable being spoken.
communication skills.
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United States and Canada, for example, forming the thumb and forefinger in a circle
means everything is OK. But in parts of South America, the OK sign is obscene.
In the workplace you can make a good impression by controlling your posture
and gestures. When speaking, make sure your upper body is aligned with the person
to whom you’re talking. Erect posture sends a message of confidence, competence,
diligence, and strength. Women are advised to avoid tilting their heads to the side
when making an important point to avoid seeming unsure and thus diminishing the
impact of the message.38
© Kablonk Royalty-Free/Inmagine
iStock.com/Dean Mitchell
iStock.com/lewkmiller
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Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
DANCE ON STILTS AT THE GIRLS’ UNYAGO, NIUCHI
I see increasing reason to believe that the view formed some time
back as to the origin of the Makonde bush is the correct one. I have
no doubt that it is not a natural product, but the result of human
occupation. Those parts of the high country where man—as a very
slight amount of practice enables the eye to perceive at once—has not
yet penetrated with axe and hoe, are still occupied by a splendid
timber forest quite able to sustain a comparison with our mixed
forests in Germany. But wherever man has once built his hut or tilled
his field, this horrible bush springs up. Every phase of this process
may be seen in the course of a couple of hours’ walk along the main
road. From the bush to right or left, one hears the sound of the axe—
not from one spot only, but from several directions at once. A few
steps further on, we can see what is taking place. The brush has been
cut down and piled up in heaps to the height of a yard or more,
between which the trunks of the large trees stand up like the last
pillars of a magnificent ruined building. These, too, present a
melancholy spectacle: the destructive Makonde have ringed them—
cut a broad strip of bark all round to ensure their dying off—and also
piled up pyramids of brush round them. Father and son, mother and
son-in-law, are chopping away perseveringly in the background—too
busy, almost, to look round at the white stranger, who usually excites
so much interest. If you pass by the same place a week later, the piles
of brushwood have disappeared and a thick layer of ashes has taken
the place of the green forest. The large trees stretch their
smouldering trunks and branches in dumb accusation to heaven—if
they have not already fallen and been more or less reduced to ashes,
perhaps only showing as a white stripe on the dark ground.
This work of destruction is carried out by the Makonde alike on the
virgin forest and on the bush which has sprung up on sites already
cultivated and deserted. In the second case they are saved the trouble
of burning the large trees, these being entirely absent in the
secondary bush.
After burning this piece of forest ground and loosening it with the
hoe, the native sows his corn and plants his vegetables. All over the
country, he goes in for bed-culture, which requires, and, in fact,
receives, the most careful attention. Weeds are nowhere tolerated in
the south of German East Africa. The crops may fail on the plains,
where droughts are frequent, but never on the plateau with its
abundant rains and heavy dews. Its fortunate inhabitants even have
the satisfaction of seeing the proud Wayao and Wamakua working
for them as labourers, driven by hunger to serve where they were
accustomed to rule.
But the light, sandy soil is soon exhausted, and would yield no
harvest the second year if cultivated twice running. This fact has
been familiar to the native for ages; consequently he provides in
time, and, while his crop is growing, prepares the next plot with axe
and firebrand. Next year he plants this with his various crops and
lets the first piece lie fallow. For a short time it remains waste and
desolate; then nature steps in to repair the destruction wrought by
man; a thousand new growths spring out of the exhausted soil, and
even the old stumps put forth fresh shoots. Next year the new growth
is up to one’s knees, and in a few years more it is that terrible,
impenetrable bush, which maintains its position till the black
occupier of the land has made the round of all the available sites and
come back to his starting point.
The Makonde are, body and soul, so to speak, one with this bush.
According to my Yao informants, indeed, their name means nothing
else but “bush people.” Their own tradition says that they have been
settled up here for a very long time, but to my surprise they laid great
stress on an original immigration. Their old homes were in the
south-east, near Mikindani and the mouth of the Rovuma, whence
their peaceful forefathers were driven by the continual raids of the
Sakalavas from Madagascar and the warlike Shirazis[47] of the coast,
to take refuge on the almost inaccessible plateau. I have studied
African ethnology for twenty years, but the fact that changes of
population in this apparently quiet and peaceable corner of the earth
could have been occasioned by outside enterprises taking place on
the high seas, was completely new to me. It is, no doubt, however,
correct.
The charming tribal legend of the Makonde—besides informing us
of other interesting matters—explains why they have to live in the
thickest of the bush and a long way from the edge of the plateau,
instead of making their permanent homes beside the purling brooks
and springs of the low country.
“The place where the tribe originated is Mahuta, on the southern
side of the plateau towards the Rovuma, where of old time there was
nothing but thick bush. Out of this bush came a man who never
washed himself or shaved his head, and who ate and drank but little.
He went out and made a human figure from the wood of a tree
growing in the open country, which he took home to his abode in the
bush and there set it upright. In the night this image came to life and
was a woman. The man and woman went down together to the
Rovuma to wash themselves. Here the woman gave birth to a still-
born child. They left that place and passed over the high land into the
valley of the Mbemkuru, where the woman had another child, which
was also born dead. Then they returned to the high bush country of
Mahuta, where the third child was born, which lived and grew up. In
course of time, the couple had many more children, and called
themselves Wamatanda. These were the ancestral stock of the
Makonde, also called Wamakonde,[48] i.e., aborigines. Their
forefather, the man from the bush, gave his children the command to
bury their dead upright, in memory of the mother of their race who
was cut out of wood and awoke to life when standing upright. He also
warned them against settling in the valleys and near large streams,
for sickness and death dwelt there. They were to make it a rule to
have their huts at least an hour’s walk from the nearest watering-
place; then their children would thrive and escape illness.”
The explanation of the name Makonde given by my informants is
somewhat different from that contained in the above legend, which I
extract from a little book (small, but packed with information), by
Pater Adams, entitled Lindi und sein Hinterland. Otherwise, my
results agree exactly with the statements of the legend. Washing?
Hapana—there is no such thing. Why should they do so? As it is, the
supply of water scarcely suffices for cooking and drinking; other
people do not wash, so why should the Makonde distinguish himself
by such needless eccentricity? As for shaving the head, the short,
woolly crop scarcely needs it,[49] so the second ancestral precept is
likewise easy enough to follow. Beyond this, however, there is
nothing ridiculous in the ancestor’s advice. I have obtained from
various local artists a fairly large number of figures carved in wood,
ranging from fifteen to twenty-three inches in height, and
representing women belonging to the great group of the Mavia,
Makonde, and Matambwe tribes. The carving is remarkably well
done and renders the female type with great accuracy, especially the
keloid ornamentation, to be described later on. As to the object and
meaning of their works the sculptors either could or (more probably)
would tell me nothing, and I was forced to content myself with the
scanty information vouchsafed by one man, who said that the figures
were merely intended to represent the nembo—the artificial
deformations of pelele, ear-discs, and keloids. The legend recorded
by Pater Adams places these figures in a new light. They must surely
be more than mere dolls; and we may even venture to assume that
they are—though the majority of present-day Makonde are probably
unaware of the fact—representations of the tribal ancestress.
The references in the legend to the descent from Mahuta to the
Rovuma, and to a journey across the highlands into the Mbekuru
valley, undoubtedly indicate the previous history of the tribe, the
travels of the ancestral pair typifying the migrations of their
descendants. The descent to the neighbouring Rovuma valley, with
its extraordinary fertility and great abundance of game, is intelligible
at a glance—but the crossing of the Lukuledi depression, the ascent
to the Rondo Plateau and the descent to the Mbemkuru, also lie
within the bounds of probability, for all these districts have exactly
the same character as the extreme south. Now, however, comes a
point of especial interest for our bacteriological age. The primitive
Makonde did not enjoy their lives in the marshy river-valleys.
Disease raged among them, and many died. It was only after they
had returned to their original home near Mahuta, that the health
conditions of these people improved. We are very apt to think of the
African as a stupid person whose ignorance of nature is only equalled
by his fear of it, and who looks on all mishaps as caused by evil
spirits and malignant natural powers. It is much more correct to
assume in this case that the people very early learnt to distinguish
districts infested with malaria from those where it is absent.
This knowledge is crystallized in the
ancestral warning against settling in the
valleys and near the great waters, the
dwelling-places of disease and death. At the
same time, for security against the hostile
Mavia south of the Rovuma, it was enacted
that every settlement must be not less than a
certain distance from the southern edge of the
plateau. Such in fact is their mode of life at the
present day. It is not such a bad one, and
certainly they are both safer and more
comfortable than the Makua, the recent
intruders from the south, who have made USUAL METHOD OF
good their footing on the western edge of the CLOSING HUT-DOOR
plateau, extending over a fairly wide belt of
country. Neither Makua nor Makonde show in their dwellings
anything of the size and comeliness of the Yao houses in the plain,
especially at Masasi, Chingulungulu and Zuza’s. Jumbe Chauro, a
Makonde hamlet not far from Newala, on the road to Mahuta, is the
most important settlement of the tribe I have yet seen, and has fairly
spacious huts. But how slovenly is their construction compared with
the palatial residences of the elephant-hunters living in the plain.
The roofs are still more untidy than in the general run of huts during
the dry season, the walls show here and there the scanty beginnings
or the lamentable remains of the mud plastering, and the interior is a
veritable dog-kennel; dirt, dust and disorder everywhere. A few huts
only show any attempt at division into rooms, and this consists
merely of very roughly-made bamboo partitions. In one point alone
have I noticed any indication of progress—in the method of fastening
the door. Houses all over the south are secured in a simple but
ingenious manner. The door consists of a set of stout pieces of wood
or bamboo, tied with bark-string to two cross-pieces, and moving in
two grooves round one of the door-posts, so as to open inwards. If
the owner wishes to leave home, he takes two logs as thick as a man’s
upper arm and about a yard long. One of these is placed obliquely
against the middle of the door from the inside, so as to form an angle
of from 60° to 75° with the ground. He then places the second piece
horizontally across the first, pressing it downward with all his might.
It is kept in place by two strong posts planted in the ground a few
inches inside the door. This fastening is absolutely safe, but of course
cannot be applied to both doors at once, otherwise how could the
owner leave or enter his house? I have not yet succeeded in finding
out how the back door is fastened.