1 Communication skills are a Play an important part of success b Give an edge over other in a competitive work place c Critical to effective job placement performance career advancement and organizational success d The most required competencies 2 Writing skills a Allow distant people to transmit messages b Are a necessity c Are a responsibility of two thirds of salaried employee and one third of them do not meet the requirements d Determines whether people are hired fired or promoted e Are markers of high skill high wage professional work f Those in the top 20 in writing ability earn more than three times than those with the worst skills g Are used a deciding factor between candidates 3 Workplace diversity a Whites Non Hispanics are decreasing b Hispanics are increasing c Blacks are stagnant d Asians are slightly increasing e Increases are mainly due to immigration f Older workers are increasing g Diversity makes better business sense 4 Communication a The transmission of information and meaning from one individual group to another b Transmission of meaning c Bypassing i happens when people miss each other with their meanings ii leads to miscommunication iii people assume that meanings are contained in words actually meanings are in people 5 3 basic functions of Business Communication a To Inform b To Persuade c To Promote Good Will i Internal Communication superiors coworkers subordinates ii External Communication customers suppliers government agencies public 6 Soft Skills a Listening proficiency b Nonverbal behavior c Proper business etiquette d Comfortable with diverse coworkers e Eye contact f Good workplace manners g Able to work in teams 7 4 Phases of Team Development a Forming i Most important ii Get familiar iii Set goals iv Orientation v Decide how to deal with conflict b Storming i Define roles and responsibilities ii Decide how to reach goals iii Iron out rules for interaction iv Produces conflict Storming v Leader should coach set limits control chaos offer suggestions c Norming i Tensions ease ii Roles are clarified iii Information flows iv Formal leadership is unnecessary v Group moves in single direction d Performing i Some groups never reach this stage ii Gratifying stage iii Routines are established iv Loyalty develops v Willingness to solve problems 8 Conflict a Positive Team Behavior i Members willing to establish and abide by rules ii Warm supportive environment b Negative Team Behavior i Putting down ideas and suggestions of others ii Criticize and aggress others iii Waste time iv Unproductive c 6 Steps for Dealing with Conflict i Listen understand problem ii Understand Other s Point of View show understanding by questions and paraphrasing iii Show a concern for relationship focus on problem not person Show willingness to reach agreement iv Look for Common Ground v Invent New Problem Solving options identify interests of both sides Be open to new options vi Reach an Agreement based on fairness equal isn t always fair Be reasonable 9 Successful Teams a Small size 4 5 members b Diverse c Agreement on purpose d Agreement on procedures goals deadlines assign roles tasks e Ability to control conflict f Use of good communication techniques avoid generalities encourage feedback g Ability to collaborate rather than compete team goal versus individual goal h Acceptance of ethical responsibilities lead by example i Shared leadership no formal leader effectively delegate boost morale 10 Purpose of Meeting and Selecting Participants a Identifying a Problem less than 10 b Solving a Problem 4 5 c Information Review Presentations less than 30 d Motivational unlimited 11 Moving the Meeting Forward a Leader should say as little as possible b Listen to all and give everyone a chance c Avoid and handle digressions d Adhere to agenda and time e At the end when group seems to reach consensus summarize and confirm agreement f End meeting at agreed time g Follow ups At the end ask everyone to summarize their interpretation 12 Virtual Meetings a Gathering of participants who are connected technologically b Audio conferences or videoconferences c Used for training sales presentations coordinating teams activities talking to customers d Saving money e Reducing travel fatigue f Audio conferencing i Speaker phones ii Dial given number iii Speak and heard simultaneously g Video conferencing i See each other ii Share documents iii Utilize extensive conference rooms fitted with technology h Web conferencing i May be with or without pictures ii Present and share slides or spreadsheets iii Useful for trainings presentations iv Whiteboard technology v Instant messaging vi Skype 13 Listening a Listening is a critical skill b Three quarter of high quality communication involves listening c Most of us are poor listeners d We listen at a 25 efficiency e We ignore 75 of everything we hear f Poor listening habits results from i Lack of training ii Many competing sounds and stimuli that interfere with concentration iii We are able to process speech much faster than others can speak a Most speakers talk about 125 175 words per minute b We can listen at 450 words per minute c Resulting lag time fosters daydreaming etc 14 Types of Listening in Workplace a Supervisors i Take good notes ii Listen attentively iii Clarify paraphrase b Colleagues Peers i Critical Listening judge and evaluate ii Discriminative Listening understand and remember c Customers i Serve customers ii Defer judgment iii Be objective iv Pay attention to content not to appearance 15 Casual Apparel in the Workplace a Change the image you project b May affect work style c May lead to related policies and reduced productivity d Relaxed workplace e Increase creativity 16 First Job interview a Polite words b Sincere appreciation and praise c Be selective in sharing personal information d Don t put people down e Repect coworkers space f Rise above others rudeness g Be considerate h Choose high road in conflict i Disagree agreeably 17 Globalization of Market a Adapt to others cultures b When in Rome do as the Romans do c Companies can no longer expect large amounts of growth at home d Domestic markets are maturing e Passage of General Agreement on Tariffs and Tarde allows favorable trade agrements f Expansion of free trade g Increase of robust middle class around the world h Larger market i Less regulation abroad 18 2 most popular destinations for immigration a USA b Canada 19 Writing to Intercultural audience i e French is high context a