Business Communications: Interaction & Trends
Business Communications
Interaction & Trends
Discussion Introduction
Many times we find ourselves thinking about what to eat for dinner and whether or not we put the towels in the dryer when someone is talking to us. Their voice is a distant drone and their mannerisms lack the charisma to compete with our own preoccupied and meandering mind.
Inevitably, you have zoned out when listening to someone speak. However, you likely also encountered someone you thought was a master of communication. This person was so dynamic and engaging that you and anyone listening were enraptured, uplifted, and inspired. Whether or not you agreed with or were interested in the message, an effective communicator commands attention.
But can you pinpoint what makes them so moving and memorable?
Review the Current Trends in Business Communication download infographic. With so many more ways than an in-person conversation to connect and express ourselves, becoming an effective communicator takes more skill and consideration than ever before. However, despite the medium, many characteristics that make communication effective – knowledge, enthusiasm, clarity – are still quite critical.
Discussion Question
Which of the current trends in business communication from the infographic did you find most surprising and why?
Describe the most memorable communication interaction you have ever experienced. For example, this might have been with a teacher, coach, entertainer, friend, speaker, boss, etc. It could have been through text, via phone, in-person, etc. Also, it could have been negative or positive.
Could the method of communication changed your opinion of the communicator – why or why not?
DQ2 Look, Listen, Learn
Discussion Introduction
Effective communication consists of more than just speaking and listening. Tone, style, body language, facial expression, and more all add to the content of our message. Without isolating each of these elements, we often do not appreciate just how much they add – or detract.
To prepare for this discussion, watch a newscast with the sound off for several minutes and consider:
The content of the newscast
The body language of the newscaster
Next, turn up the volume and consider:
The newscasters’ tone of voice,
Any apparent attitude of the newscaster
The ability of the newscaster to report the news effectively
Discussion Question
Discuss the challenges of gaining a complete and unbiased message from the newscast.
What were the benefits of volume?
What were the benefits of NO volume?
How can what you learned help you communicate more effectively?
ENG115 Business Communications
Module 2 Discussion
DQ1 Communication & Culture
Discussion Introduction
In his international best-selling book, The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century, author Thomas L. Friedman introduces the theory that technological advances have enabled us to communicate so rapidly and so easily that the world has essentially become “flat,” meaning the possibility and likelihood of encountering diverse people and ideas requires us to understand a broader audience if we want to compete and connect.
In the spirit of exploring our newly leveled landscape, choose a country or culture and research their communication norms. For instance, what gestures or communication situations are common in the US, but inappropriate in that country, or vice versa?
Please do not overlap with your classmates. ONLY choose a country or culture that has not already been chosen. Also, don’t forget to include a properly formatted APA citation, since giving credit where it is due is certainly an aspect of effective communication that is both right and an effective demonstration of our knowledge, conscientiousness, and reliability.
Since you will likely use a web source, here is a sample reference for your convenience. If there is no author, always lead with the article title. Capitalize only the first letter of the first word and the first letter of the subtitle if there is one.
Author’s Last Name, First Initial. (Publication Year). Article/webpage title. Publication/Website Title. Retrieved from www.internet.com
Nicholson, F. G. & Carlsbadd, R. Q. (2019). Communicating across cultures. Flat Earth Global. Retrieved from www.flatearthcommacrosscultures.org
Discussion Question
Identify the country or culture you chose.
Explain what you learned about their communication and why exploring other cultures’ communication is important.
Identify three specific steps you can take to expand your knowledge of diverse communication styles and preferences.
DQ2 Social Networking Know-How
Discussion Introduction
Social media has had a major impact on the way people communicate. However, this method is primarily associated with informal communication. On the other hand, its reach and speed make it ideal for connecting with others and promoting our ideas.
For example, according to the Advantages of Social Media and Websites for Business (Links to an external site.) infographic, 85^ of internet users have Facebook accounts and 20% of Facebook users have been influenced by Facebook ads and user comments to make a purchase. That is a big bump for business!
However, in 19 Massive Corporate Social Media Horror Stories (Links to an external site.), Griffith (2018) notes that large corporations fail big when a lack of due diligence turns into major social media mishaps like vulgar messages and unfortunate word choices.
The best way to communicate effectively is to know all perspectives before forming and sharing an opinion. So, what do you think?
Discussion Question
Is it possible to communicate effectively for business purposes completely through social networking sites – why or why not?
Would any popular platforms – like TikTok – not be effective?
ENG115 Business Communications
Module 3 Discussion
DQ1 Bearer of Bad News
Discussion Introduction
Communication comes most easily when it is a pleasant, when it is a topic in which we have interest or for which we have passion, when it is content we know our audience will enjoy, or when it serves a positive purpose. However, part of mastering communication skills is communicating effectively when news is not the kind we want to deliver.
Bad news is a fact of life. It is truly not a matter of if we will have to deliver it, but when. Breaking bad news badly, though, can make a tough situation worse; and the old adage about blaming the messenger, unfortunately, does hold true.
There is a strategy for softening the blow, though. After all, bad news can often be spun in a constructive way that can actually leave an audience feeling almost grateful for the message thanks to your expertise in communicating it. The introduction and lesson resources explored some strategies for making this happen. Review and consider those before joining in to this discussion.
Discussion Question
Think of the last time you gave and received bad news. What were the best and worst parts of each delivery?
Being specific by using examples, explain how each delivery could have been better. Consider yourself as well as the person who was the bearer of bad news to you.
DQ2 Vital Vocabulary
Discussion Introduction
Words are the vehicles of our expression. Without them, we would literally be speechless. And while – as we have explored in earlier Modules – it is certainly possible to communicate effectively without words, such as through elements like gesture – it is words, especially the right word, that enables us to share what we know and think in ways that move our audience.
Regardless of whether or message is bad news, good news, or neutral, attention to word choice is essential. It is critical, for instance, to understand denotation and connotation to choose words well. Denotation is the dictionary definition of a word. You can remember it because denotation and dictionary both begin with the letter “d.” Connotation is our connection to a word. You can remember it because connotation and connection both begin with the letter “c.” Denotation conveys straightforward logic. Connotation evokes multilayered emotion.
One example of deliberate word choice can be found in restaurant menus. Even though we know what a cheeseburger tastes like, reading about a quarter pound of juicy char-grilled beef smothered in melted cheese and piled with crispy seared onions on a soft, fresh baked bun and served with a side of crispy, salty, golden fries is nearly enough to put a vegetarian in the mood!
The best words paint a mental picture. Our word choice should be determined on the picture we want to paint. Consider what you want your audience to know – and how you want them to feel. If you choose the right words, even bad news can seem good.
Discussion Question
Find an example of at least one sentence – online, in print, in music, etc. – that uses words extremely effectively. Reply with your sentence and your explanation of why and how the words are used well. Be sure to address both connotation and denotation.
List at least one specific everyday step (i.e. one so easy and natural you will actually do it) to enhance your vocabulary, choose words more wisely, and communicate more effectively.
ENG115 Business Communications
Module 4 Discussion
DQ1 Rave Reviews
Discussion Introduction
Being persuasive is a component of rhetoric, which is the art of communication. Rhetoric means knowing our audience and developing our message in direct consideration of that knowledge; appealing to audience logic with research and fact; and appealing to audience emotion without being biased.
We use rhetoric daily, most times without even realizing we do. For example, rhetoric is what enables us to decide on the most effective way to ask a friend for a favor – and knowing how that plan would differ if we were asking a professor, a supervisor, or someone we just met.
Employing the rhetorical appeals thoughtfully is what enables us to be successfully persuasive, whether we are sharing our low stakes recommendation on something like the best show on TV or the best car on the road, or we are arguing for something more significant like the unparalleled benefits of your business product or service or support for your workplace promotion.
However, becoming aware of a concrete and proven framework for effective persuasion enables us to construct an argument more thoughtfully, deliberately, and convincingly. Review that framework in the introduction and lesson resources in this Module before joining in to this discussion.
Discussion Question
First:
Think of what you consider to be the best product on the market today. Convince your classmates to buy it. For a scaled down version of the effective persuasive structure, address the five following minimum points in your argument. Also, don’t forget to choose words wisely!
*Gain three bonus points for successfully incorporating (and identifying) each of the elements of rhetoric.
Your clear and detailed opinion of the product
Three distinct and different reasons for your opinion
Evidence, by way of research or examples, in support of your reasons
Acknowledgement and response to at least one opposing opinion
Details that enable the audience to take action to purchase
Second:
Compare and contrast, then critique the recommendations of any two (or more) of your classmates and answer explain who was more effectively persuasive – and explain, specifically, why.
DQ2 Convincing Candidates
Discussion Introduction
At any point during any day we are experiencing someone’s attempt to persuade us of something. We pass billboards advertising community events, tickertapes reassuring us of investments, churches beckoning us to come in with clever messages on sandwich boards, retail merchandisers offering special discounts, radio stations repeating songs until we can’t get them out of our head, and so on and on.
But nowhere is this as prevalent or obvious – as well as more potentially impactful – as in politics. Each candidate runs on a platform built on persuasion. And based on how well they construct their argument, an entire school, team, community, organization, city, state, or country puts its trust in these candidates’ skills, abilities, and promises.
Further, politics are developed on carefully constructed messages steeped in rhetoric. Endorsements enable the audience to feel comfortable in the reliability of a candidate (ethos), facts and figures provide supporting evidence that makes each argument seem logical (logos), and attention to the causes closest to our heart inspires an emotional connection (pathos).
However, rhetoric is a word as powerful as any, and it also experiences the impact of connotation and denotation as discussed in the previous Module. Political rhetoric – especially in evidence of candidates’ failed follow-through – is a most common culprit for rhetoric’s connotation as negative.
It is a reminder, though, that a well-constructed argument – even constructed without the best intent – can still be impactful. It is therefore necessary to be able to recognize when each of its elements is being presented more as hyperbole than discourse. Great practice is in analyzing political promises.
To engage in this discussion, check out the 2020 Presidential election (Links to an external site.) hopefuls and dropouts. Choose any one of them and engage in some research to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their argument.
Avoid duplicating a candidate a classmate has already analyzed.
Discussion Question
Identify your candidate and explain the most convincing and unconvincing elements of the campaign.
What is your opinion on where, why, or how this candidate most effectively and/or ineffectively communicated a political platform?
ENG115 Business Communications
Module 5 Discussion
DQ1 Selling Your Skills
Discussion Introduction
One of the best ways to land the job of your dreams is to network. We spent last Module examining the value of knowing your audience, and networking engages you in getting to know an audience of your peers. Not only can this be fruitful in terms of making connections that open doors, but it can also be an inspiring way to generate ideas among diverse thinkers who can, together, advance the field. Plus, it is healthy and wise to know your competition, since it is the best way to surpass them.
In this discussion you will network with one another as you share your current resume and a cover letter with one another. Work with one another to provide suggestions to improve based on your knowledge of the skills, education, and experience required for your field. Also, use the resources from this Module’s Introduction and Lesson to make recommendations that make sense.
Review and comment on as many cover letters and resumes as you can, as comparing and contrasting your peers’ representations of themselves to your own can give you ideas on how to improve even without their suggestions.
However, be sure to look for a classmate who did not receive a review rather than giving advice to someone who already has a reply. This way, everyone will receive some sort of feedback.
At the end of the week you will turn these materials in as an assignment. Be sure to make the revisions recommended to you by your classmates and by me to earn your best grade but, more importantly, to prepare these important materials well enough to earn you the job you want.
Discussion Question
Whose resume and cover letter are you reviewing?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of this cover letter?
Address at least one specific piece of advice from the Introduction or Lesson materials and identify the specific resource from which the advice came.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of this resume?
Address at least one specific piece of advice from the Introduction or Lesson materials and identify the specific resource from which the advice came.
DQ2 You’re Hired!
Discussion Introduction
If your resume is strong enough to earn you an interview, you have already made a good first impression. But to keep that impression strong enough to stand apart from the sea of other qualified candidates and actually land the job, effective communication in the interview is more important than ever.
As you have learned through each Module’s reading, notes, and discussions so far, effective communication requires thought and planning. Communicating during an interview is no different.
Before engaging in this discussion, review the following two articles, which offer advice for preparing to answer common interview questions in a memorable and impressive way that showcases your skills, experience, and knowledge.
The Balance’s Job Interview Questions, Answers, and Tips to Prepare (Links to an external site.)
Monster’s 100 Top Job Interview Questions (Links to an external site.)
Discussion Question
Choose two classmates to “interview” and ask the same two questions to each classmate. Respond to their answers to engage them more deeply in answering your interview question so you have a thorough knowledge of whether or not they would be a good fit. Would you want to work with this person based on their answer?
Once you are satisfied with their responses, hire one of your classmates. Discuss and explain the strengths and weaknesses of each classmate’s response and clarify what specifically led to your hiring decision.
Remember to incorporate what you learned about developing good news and bad news messages into your explanations.
ENG115 Business Communications
Module 6 Discussion
DQ1 Ethical decisions, as explored in this Module’s Lesson, are a part of the daily workday experience. If you stop to consider what is fair and right, you will see there is opportunity to use ethical thought processes around every bend of every decision. Raising your awareness of perspectives in any given situation enables you to recognize the value of thinking ethically. It is consideration of more than one view that leads to more thorough knowledge and, thus, better decisions with less regrets.
Moreover, the ethical thought process matches the critical thought process. You begin by fact finding and work your way up to solutions and alternatives by synthesizing all the information and viewpoints to arrive at a decision that works for everyone.
Applying ethics provides structure by which to make tough decisions, too. Plus, when you recognize how much ethics can improve outcomes, you are more motivated to use the ethical thought process consistently, which means you become better and better at it as you do.
For this discussion, you will use actual case studies based on ethical dilemmas real businesses have faced to practice applying the steps in ethical thinking. Before moving on to the discussion, review each of these three case studies and decide which one you wish to address; then review the notes to understand and apply each of the ethical-decision making steps in your response.
Case Study 1
You are the president of a health food manufacturer. Your vice president is frantically informing you of incoming reports from several county health departments confirming links between 100 cases of acute food poisoning and two of your products in completely different parts of the country. How would you deliver the news, showing concern and care to your customers while being careful not to risk admitting liability?
Case Study 2
Production costs are rising and your company can make more money for shareholders by relocating your plants to a country with lower labor costs and fewer regulations. How do you inform employees that they will lose their job unless they would like to relocate to Mexico or South Africa?
Case Study 3
Choose any story from local business news network, CNBC (Links to an external site.). Use your critical thinking to identify the potential bad news within the story. How would you effectively deliver that bad news to those involved?
Discussion Question
First:
Identify and briefly summarize the case study you chose.
Explain your decision by identifying and addressing each of the steps in the ethical decision-making process.
Second:
Evaluate and make suggestions to your peers about their strategies. Did they miss or misuse any of the steps? Is their decision ethical? Why or why not?
DQ2 hile supporting your opinion with the details of your own experience is certainly valuable, an effective message requires more than your own experience. After all, your audience may not know you personally, so why would they trust your experience? Supporting your opinion meaningfully requires evidence.
In Module 4 we examined the value of using evidence to persuade. Evidence is not only important for the purposes of convincing or supporting details, though; it is also a matter of ethics.
It is the evidence, explanation, and information the audience does not already have that make a message worth knowing. If your message consists of common knowledge, that means the audience has it, too. Failing to appreciate your audience’s time and needs and failing to contribute to your industry’s advancement each pose an ethical dilemma.
Further, to be transparent in your business communications means being as detailed as possible in presenting both the good and the bad, with evidence to support your assessment. In your Audience Analysis assignment, for example, you presented your audience with the weaknesses of your product or service, but then also offered your intended plan for overcoming those weaknesses. To leave out that your business has any flaws is unethical, as a consumer has a right to all the information necessary to make an educated decision about whether or not to buy or buy in.
Finally, finding the right kind of support for your ideas is a reflection of your own reputation. When the audience can confirm your knowledge through the use of valid and reliable sources, they can be more confident in the ideas and suggestions you present as a result of that knowledge. In the end, that makes them more likely to seek you out as a valuable resource, and more likely to trust you as an ethical one.
It is for all these reasons that effective messages must strive to go beyond superficial by using evidence as support. While the library is filled with such sources, we tend to use the internet for the majority of research. The internet could be useful since the information is often quite current and easy to understand, but it could also be dangerous.
For example, the creators of Wikipedia themselves admit this website, which often comes up first in an internet search, does not always share reliable information. Wikipedia is an open source, which means anyone with an internet connection can change the facts. Therefore, it is important to use cation with internet sources, as delivering a message with incomplete, incorrect, or biased information may perpetuate ignorance, which can lead to negative outcomes like discrimination or slander – more ethical dilemmas! To ensure the information you use to build your knowledge and share with others is accurate, a reputable source is also the most ethical source.
Discussion Question
How do you decide if a source is reputable?
What are some examples of the kind of evidence that is relevant for effective and ethical communication?
ENG115 Business Communications
Module 7 Discussion
DQ1 One of the most common mistakes in communicating is skimping on detail. This is especially easy to do when your topic is one for which you have a great interest and passion. You can get so excited you tend to forget not everyone in your audience has the same level of knowledge and curiosity as you do for a particular topic. The result is our rushed or clipped explanation full of assumptions and lacking in substance.
Another risk of a topic you love is feeling as if you already know so much there is no need to learn more. But it is easy to become so enveloped in confidence about your knowledge, you forget new knowledge is being added to every topic every single day.
Finally, recall the lesson learned about the importance of detail in Module 7. Detail ensures the substance that demonstrates respect for the audience’s time and needs by delivering knowledge they did not already have. And that makes communication more ethical.
As with all aspects of effective communication, it is critical to consider the audience in order to understand the sort of detailed substance to include in a message. An odd but effective mind game is to think of your audience as infant aliens from outer space. Not only have they just been hatched into the world with no prior experience but they are also not from this world, so you need to explain everything to them from scratch, as they have no foundation or starting point on which you can build.
With this in mind, think of the last thing you learned, and engage in the following discussion.
Discussion Question
Did whoever taught you the last think you learned provide enough detail? How do you know?
How did the detail – or lack of detail – impact your interest and/or satisfaction in learning this thing?
What does it mean to have good detail? What, in other words, does good detail consist of?
DQ2 Discussion Introduction
In business, we might think of a presentation as an occasion to dread – time taken away from our already packed workday to listen to a person in a suit at the front of a room reading from a PowerPoint; but there is no reason for a presentation to be so cliché and stale.
Check back to this Module’s Lesson on the top 10 most influential presentations in business. A good presentation is one that should engage the audience, inform them, challenge them, make them think, and motivate them to keep thinking when they leave. A good presentation generates conversation about a topic in a way that enables the presentation to take on a life of its own in the actions it inspires among the audience members. It plants the seeds of inspiration, moving the audience them to think of things in new ways, and eager to try out their ideas.
While some presenters are naturally gifted with crowd-charming charisma, making any topic seem mesmerizing, there are some strategies you can apply to create a presentation that won’t put your audience to sleep. By identifying past presentations that have captured and enraptured you, you can begin to see some common characteristics emerge; and then you can apply those to develop your own unforgettable presentations.
Discussion Question
Describe the best and the worst presentation you have ever seen. It could be a concert, a conference, a classroom lecture – anything.
Tell specifically what made it so good or so bad, and what you learned to enhance your own communication skills.
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