Chapter 1

© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Communication Skills as Career Filters

 Communication Skills and Careers

Your ticket
to work...
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

OR

Your ticket out the door!

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 2
 Good Communication Skills Needed

 Job placement
 Job performance
 Career advancement
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

 Success in a
challenging world
of work

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 3
 What Do Employers Want?
• Communication Skills
Today’s workers communicate more because of technology, the Web, mobility,
globalization, and the anytime-anywhere workplace.
• Professionalism
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Employers demand
professionalism and
other “soft skills” such
as the ability to work
with others.

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 4
 Writing Skills Matter

"Businesses are crying out—they need

to have people who write better.”
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Gaston Caperton, business

executive and president,
College Board

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 5
 Build Your Communication Skills

Textbook Your
Your Guide
Guide

Instructor Your
Your Coach
Coach
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Bonus See
See
Resources http://www.cengagebrain.com
http://www.cengagebrain.com

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 6
 Heightened
Heightened
global
global
competition
competition
Renewed
Renewed Flattened
Flattened
emphasis
emphasis management
management
on
onethics
ethics hierarchies
hierarchies
Advancing
Advancinginin
aaChallenging
Challenging
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Anytime-
World
WorldofofWork
Work
Anytime-
anywhere
anywhereand
and Emphasis
Emphasison on
nonterritorial
nonterritorial work
workgroups
groups
offices
offices
Innovative
Innovative and
andvirtual
virtualteams
teams
communication
communication
technologies
technologies

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 7
 The Communication Process
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 8
 The Communication Process

• Verbally or nonverbally
How may the sender
• By speaking, writing,
encode a message?
gesturing
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

What kinds of • E-mail, texts, memos,

channels carry letters, phone, body
messages? • Other?

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 9
 The Communication Process

How does a receiver Hearing, reading,

decode a message? observing

When is When a message is

© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

communication understood as the sender

successful? intended
How can a Ask questions, check
communicator reactions, don’t dominate
provide for feedback? the exchange

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 10
 Why Good Listening Skills Count
“No man ever listened himself out of a job.”

--Calvin Coolidge
30th U.S. President
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

(1923-1929)

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 11
 Barriers to Effective Listening

Physical Hearing disabilities, noisy

barriers surroundings
Psychological Tuning out ideas that counter
barriers our values
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Language Unfamiliar or emotionally

problems charged words
Nonverbal Clothing, mannerisms, radical
distractions hairstyle, appearance

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 12
 Barriers to Effective Listening

Thought speed Minds processing thoughts

faster than speakers say
them

Faking Pretending to listen

© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

attention

Grandstanding Talking all the time or

listening only for the next
pause

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 13
 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
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

the communication process.

FACT: Speaking and listening are equally
important.

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 14
 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.
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

FACT: Listening is a conscious, selective

process. Hearing is an involuntary act.

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 15
 Misconceptions About Listening

5. Speakers are able to command listening.

FACT: Speakers cannot make a person really
listen.
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

6. Hearing ability determines listening ability.

FACT: Listening happens mentally—between
the ears.

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 16
 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
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

speaker’s words.
FACT: Nonverbal signals also help listeners
gain understanding.

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 17
 Misconceptions About Listening
9. Daily practice eliminates the need for
listening training.
FACT: Without effective listening training,
most practice merely reinforces negative
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

behaviors.
10. Competence in listening develops naturally.
FACT: Untrained people listen at only 25
percent efficiency.

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 18
 Building Powerful Listening Skills
• Stop talking.
• Control your surroundings.
• Establish a receptive
mind-set.
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

• Keep an open mind.

• Listen for main points.
• Capitalize on lag time.

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 19
 Building Powerful Listening Skills

• Listen between the lines.

• Judge ideas, not appearances.
• Hold your fire.
• Take selective notes.
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

• Provide feedback.

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 20
 Nonverbal Communication

Eye contact, facial expressions, and

posture and gestures send silent
messages.
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 21
 Nonverbal Communication
Time, space, and territory send silent
messages.
 Time (punctuality and structure)
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

 Space (arrangement of objects)

 Territory (privacy zones)

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 22
 Social Interaction in North America
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 23
 Social Interaction in North America
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 24
 Nonverbal Communication
Appearance sends silent messages.
 Business documents
 People
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 25
 Building Strong Nonverbal Skills

• Establish and maintain eye contact.

• Use posture to show interest.
• Improve your decoding skills.
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

• Probe for more information.

• Avoid assigning nonverbal
meanings out of context.

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 26
 Building Strong Nonverbal Skills

 Associate with people

from diverse cultures.
 Appreciate the power of
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

appearance.
 Observe yourself on video.
 Enlist friends and family.

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 27
 Culture and Communication

Good communication
demands special sensitivity
and skills when
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

communicators come from

different cultures.

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 28
 Dimensions of Culture

Context

Time Individualism
Orientation
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Culture
Communication
Formality
Style

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 29
 Dimensions of Culture: Context

High-Context Cultures
• Relational, collectivist, intuitive, contemplative
• Japan, China, Arab countries
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 30
 Dimensions of Culture: Context

Low-Context Cultures
• Logical, individualistic, linear, action-oriented
• North America, Scandinavia,
Germany
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 31
 Dimensions of Culture: Individualism

High-Context Cultures
Tend to prefer groups values,
duties, decisions

Low-Context Cultures
Tend to prefer individual
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

initiative, self-assertion,
personal achievement

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 32
 Dimensions of Culture: Formality

High-Context Cultures
Tend to place more emphasis
on tradition, ceremony,
and social rules
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Low-Context Cultures
Tend to place less
emphasis on tradition,
ceremony, and social
rules

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 33
 Dimensions of Culture: Communication
Style
High-Context Cultures
Rely on nonverbal cues and total picture to communicate

Low-Context Cultures
Emphasize words,
straightforwardness,
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

and openness

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 34
 Dimensions of Culture: Time
North Americans
Correlate time with productivity, efficiency, and money

Some Other Cultures

See time as an unlimited and
never-ending resource to be
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

enjoyed

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 35
 Proverbs Reflect Culture
What do these U.S. proverbs tell us
about this culture and its values?
1. The squeaking wheel gets the grease.
2. Waste not, want not.
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

3. He who holds the gold makes

the rules.
4. If at first you don’t succeed,
try, try again.
5. The early bird gets the worm.

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 36
 Proverbs Reflect Culture
What do these Chinese proverbs tell us
about the Chinese culture and its values?
1. A man who waits for a roast duck to fly into his
mouth must wait a very long time.
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

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 & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 37
 Proverbs Reflect Culture
What do these proverbs suggest about
each culture and its values?

1. No one is either rich or poor who

has not helped himself to be so.
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

(German)
2. Words do not make flour. (Italian)
3. The nail that sticks up gets
pounded down. (Japanese)

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 38
 Intercultural Workplace Skills
Barriers
• Ethnocentrism: the belief in the superiority of one’s own
culture
• Stereotypes: oversimplified perceptions of behavioral
patterns or characteristics applied to an entire group
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 39
 Intercultural Workplace Skills
Overcoming Barriers
• Tolerance: learning about and appreciating other cultures
• Empathy: seeing the world through another’s eyes, being
nonjudgmental
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 40
 Communicating Interculturally
Oral Communication
• Use simple English.
• Speak slowly and
enunciate clearly.
• Encourage accurate
feedback.
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

• Check frequently for

comprehension.

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 41
 Communicating Interculturally

Oral Communication
• Observe eye messages.
• Accept blame.
• Listen without
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

interrupting.
• Smile when
appropriate.
• Follow up in writing.

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 42
 Communicating Interculturally

Written Communication
• Consider local styles.
• Consider hiring a translator.
• Use short sentences and
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

short paragraphs.
• Avoid ambiguous wording.
• Cite numbers carefully.

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 43
 Communicating Effectively With Diverse
Audiences on the Job
• Understand the value of differences.
• Seek training.
• Learn about your cultural self.
• Make few assumptions.
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

• Build on similarities.

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9 th Edition Chapter 1, Slide 44
 “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get
them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere.”

--Lee Iacocca, former

president and CEO,
Chrysler Corporation
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved

Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business

Chapter 1, Slide 45
Communication, 9th Edition
 END
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved