1.1 Analyse the Communication Needs of Internal and External Stakeholders

1.1 Analyse the communication needs of internal and external stakeholders

Internal

Internal communication is viewed as being vital for encouraging employee participation and is seen as being an essential ingredient for high performance project teams. In a fast-pace economic environment, managers have to live with rapidly changing business conditions that result in a radical change to their business strategies. This radical change to the business strategies has in turn resulted in overloading their internal communication process leading to severe criticism from employees. Employees complain that they were often confused by conflicting messages, were overloaded with information, had difficulty prioritising their activities, feeling there was insufficient leadership.

This scenario suggests that there is a need for management to introduce a communication configuration that enables the management team to formulate and convey clear and consistent messages to all the employees. There is also a need for management to display leadership by having face-to-face meetings with employees and holding regular team briefing sessions. Moreover, a communication strategy only becomes effective when it is a meaningful two-way process. Employees, either as individuals or as a team, must be given the opportunity to provide their feedback. However, the provided feedback is to be perceived as being seriously taken into consideration by management and be visibly seen to be applied in the organisation's decision-making process.

Although the benefits of effective internal communication are well known, there may be barriers to proper communication. For example, an organisation culture where management talk down to employees allows only one-way communication. An effective internal communication process allows two-way communication to take place. This communication process is built on a partnership between management and employees, working together for the mutual good of the organization and ultimately for their own individual mutual benefit.

The most difficult barrier in the internal communication process is deciding how much to say, when and to whom. On the other hand, in a proper communication environment, openness, honesty, sincerity and trust are essential. If the employees perceive that the purpose of the internal communication strategy is to manipulate them, then only failure will result, with very serious negative performance consequences. There may be other barriers to an effective communications strategy, these include:

• Biased opinions
• Clarity
• Dispersion and distance
• Hierarchical position
• Inadequate communication skills
• Sincerity

It is these barriers that make effective employee communication complex and difficult to achieve. Therefore, it is important for organisations to identify the barriers and take the appropriate measures to mitigate them. It is seen that the most successful channels of two-way communications are:

• Appraisals and feedback forums
• Interactive conferencing
• Intranet site with bulletin board
• One-to-one staff dialogue
• Regular team meetings with quality and assurance sessions
• Talk back sessions with senior management

External

External communications in a business environment has the objective of facilitating cooperation and collaboration with the various stakeholders that are outside the formal structure of the organisation. A variety of communication channels may be utilised for external communication, including the internet, print and broadcast media, face-to-face meetings and establishing virtual discussion forums.

However, the external communication channels utilised will depend on the nature of the relationship with the specific stakeholder. It is therefore important to identify carefully the key external stakeholders. External communication should be interactive and bidirectional. In other words, it should be a two-way communication process similar to internal communication. External communication is a complex issue because there are various stakeholders involved with entirely different agendas and objectives. Stakeholders may be categorised into five groups, namely client, investors and shareholders, contractors and suppliers, employee unions and society in general. The general public becomes an important stakeholder particularly when a project has controversial connotations. The objective of the external communication process is to seek cooperation and where possible collaboration.

The external communication strategy should be presented in an objective manner providing a balanced view to the reader. Trust is a key element and is essential for the acceptance of external communication strategy by the key stakeholders. Acceptance does not mean that the stakeholders will agree to all that is presented. But every attempt should be made to ensure that stakeholders do not perceive the external communication strategy as a tool to manipulate them. The external communication strategy should give the key stakeholders the opportunity to provide their feedback. The stakeholder feedback should be seriously considered and included in future revisions.

1.2 Analyse the different communication models that support administration

Communication today is mainly of three types:

• Written e.g. emails, letters, reports, memos and various other documents
• Oral – this is either face-to-face or over digital devices (phones, web chats)
• Non-verbal e.g. using gestures or even body movements – these too could send various signals to the other party and is an equally important method of communication

Once the methods of communication have been understood, the next step would be to consider various communication models. Due to the importance of communication, different types of models have been introduced by experts over the years.

The models help business organisations and other institutions to understand how communication works, how messages are transmitted, how it is received by the other party, and how the message is eventually interpreted and understood.

Shannon's Model

One of the earliest models of communication to be established was Claude Shannon's model, and was introduced in 1948.

This laid the foundation for the different communication models that we have today, and has greatly helped and enhanced the communication process in various fields/

The diagram above clearly illustrates how communication takes place, and also helps one to determine what could go wrong.

In Shannon's model, the information source typically refers to a person, who then sends a message with the use of a transmitter.

This transmitter could be any instrument today, from phones to computers and other devices. The signals that are sent and received can vary depending on the method of communication.

The box at the bottom called 'NOISE' refers to any signals that may interfere with the message being carried. This again would depend on the method of communication. The receiver is the instrument or the person on the other side that receives the message.

Berlo's Model

Another famous communication model is Berlo's model. In this model, he stresses on the relationship between the person sending the message and the receiver.

According to this model, for the message to be properly encoded and decoded, the communication skills of both the source and the receiver should be at best. The communication will be at its best only if the two points are skilled.

Berlo's model has four main components and each component has its own sub components describing the assisting factors for each.

Schramm's Model

However, Schramm created a different model in 1954, emphasising that both the sender and the receiver take turns playing the role of the encoder and the decoder when it comes to communication.

These models have been followed by various other models such as the 'Helical' model, Aristotle's models and several other

Overall, I agree with elements of all models discussed. I think Schramm makes an important point that the sender and the receiver do take it in turns to communicate and therefore I think the idea of a 'cycle' diagram is essential. I also agree with Berlo's model since I think it is significant to present all the different factors that go into the process. I like the simplicity of Shannon's model and also how he portrays the point of any interference.

1.3 Evaluate the effectiveness of different communication systems

Circle

In the circle pattern, the sender (Group Leader) can communicate with the receivers (group members) who are next to him/her. No other group members can receive the sender's message directly and they receive messages from the other group members who share the message from the sender. In this pattern of communication the sender's message travels all over the group through sharing by its members.

This circle communication supports a shared leadership in which all individual and unique perspectives are engaged to create the common ground for action. Therefore, the circle has no leader; here there is total quality. Each member of the circle has exactly the same authority or power to influence the group.

The main problem is that information moves rather slowly, and might be distorted. However morale is high because everyone takes part in decision making.

All group members cannot communicate with the leader in circle communication pattern which is another disadvantage of this communication pattern. They can only do it through other group members senior to them.

Chain

The chain is where one person passes information to the others, who then pass it on.  This approach tends to be the formal approach adopted by hierarchical organisations, such as the Civil Service.  It allows only vertical Movement and is strictly hierarchical.

The main advantage is that there is a leader at the top of the hierarchy who can oversee communications downwards and upwards to different areas of the business. A leader is useful for tasks that have to be performed within a given time and without any deviation.

One problem may be the isolation felt by those at the bottom of the network. Their motivation may be less than others if they feel at the periphery. There is also likely to be a loss of information by editing at every level. The leader won't even be aware what distorted message others lower in the command got.

Y

The Y pattern of communication is more complicated as there are different sub-groups within a group. In the centre is a leader who manages these sub-groups. According to Leavitt, there are 3 subgroups being controlled by a single leader. There are 3 members in each sub-group. The message sent by the leader also communicates from top-to-bottom approach. The sub-groups cannot communicate with each other. They need to pass the information through the leader to send any message to other sub-groups. It is a variation of chain; messages move vertically.

An advantage of this network is that the top level managements can inform lower levels of goals and information changes. They can also ensure jobs are being done properly and information is passed to the correct person.

However, this pattern also has the communication problem which appears in both circle and chain pattern. There is often a delay with the receiving of messages, a possible loss of information and distortion. There is also a chance of resistance from subordinates.

Wheel

In wheel pattern, there is a leader at the centre of all communication. All others are members that stand at the same level in structure. Here, all members can communicate with the leader and vice versa. But, members cannot interact with each other. Sometimes, members do not even know of the existence of other members of the same group. This pattern is seen as the best pattern of communication for any organization as the leader can have direct contact with all.

An example of this in my work place, is head office (where I am based) communicating with staff at our field centres, operating in different regions.

Communication problems are less and the method is quick. There is no distortion of information by other members of the group while passing the message. Prompt and simultaneous feedback is also encouraged in the communication pattern. This network is particularly good at solving problems.

Decisions can be made quickly but group morale is low since others do not take an active part in decision making. The leader may feel very important and powerful. Another issue is that there is no collaboration as only one person has a complete picture of information.

All-channel/Star

The all-channel network is a communication pattern in which anyone can communicate with anyone else as per their needs and requirements. In this network, communication differs due to physical proximity and organizational structures too. This system might be used in small group workings. The all-channel pattern is like the circle, in that all members are equal and all have exactly the same amount of power to influence others, except that each member in this pattern may communicate with any other member. This pattern allows for the greatest member participation.

I think a lot of communication in my workplace is done via this method. An example of this, is our frequent staff meetings where everybody gets the chance to speak and update the rest of the staff on recent events.

An advantage of this is that it provides the best solution to complex problems due to its participatory style, and more open communication system.  This type of network may be used when a department decides to "brainstorm"

Its disadvantages are that it is slow and it tends to disintegrate under time pressure to get results when operated in a group. Confidentiality is also very low, and since this is a more informal network, it is more difficult to communicate important messages.

1.4 Explain the factors that affect the choice of communication media

In today's multichannel world, providing service through the channels that customers want has never been more vital. To determine the appropriate communication media, you must identify the people you want to communicate with, research how they obtain information, consider the complexity of the message you want to communicate, calculate the cost of communicating and decide whether you want the communication to be interactive.

So it is important to understand what channels customers are likely to use most. There are a number of factors to take into account, including:

1. Age of audience

Many companies decide on their way of communication by looking at customer demographics, particularly age. Lots of research indicates Generation Y (born in the 1980s and 90s) is turning their back on telephone communications in favour of social media and real-time messaging such as web chat and text. And there's a belief in many circles that the older Baby Boomer generation has a stereotyped preference for talking on the phone compared to newer digital channels. While those in the middle – Generation X (1960s and 70s) – are happy using the phone and email but perhaps still not totally comfortable with real-time messaging. This is a definite factor in choice, but not the only one.

2. Context

In an emergency where we need a fast answer, we pick up the phone, disregarding our demographic group. However, if you are then told you'll be on hold for 15 minutes and live chat is available, you may hang up and switch to this form of communication.

In contrast, for less time-critical interactions sending an email provides the security of a written audit trail. Therefore companies need to look at why consumers are contacting them, particularly how urgent their query is, when balancing resources between channels.

3. Personality of audience

Another perspective is to examine how the personality types of customers might drive their preferences for customer service communication. Extroverts, with confident and outgoing personalities, will be happier getting on the phone and might even enjoy some light-hearted conversation and/or putting their point across to a contact centre agent.

In contrast, those with a reserved and introverted personality might prefer non-verbal/real-time methods such as email contact for customer service. This means they don't need to talk to someone and they can avoid the need to think on their feet when communicating with a representative on the phone. Email gives them plenty of time to consider and get across what they want to say.  And they can avoid being put on the spot with difficult questions while on the phone or in a real-time dialogue on text or web chat.

However, this factor is very difficult to gauge as it is almost impossible to know the personality of all your customers.

4. Type of business

With is being difficult to analyse customers based on personality without asking intrusive questions, if you look at the type of business you are, it is possible to build a picture of the sort of customers you'll attract. For example, a youth fashion retailer is obviously going to attract a different demographic than my company FSC, a provider of environmental education. If you can understand your customers and use this information to your advantage, it will assist in planning your multichannel strategy.

These are just a handful of the many factors that affect a company's choice of communication media. Many others include; cost, speed of communication, whether feedback is required, security and distance.

For most businesses, they will always need to maintain a mix of channels in order to cater for every customer. However many organisations are struggling to deliver this. What is needed is a balanced, multichannel approach that delivers the same high levels of service, however a customer contacts you.

1.5 Explain the importance of using correct grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, spelling and conventions in business communications

There are many reasons why you should make sure that companies' written material is grammatically correct; that spelling mistakes are eliminated and that the correct punctuation is used. Some of these include the following:

First impressions matter: You want to make sure you come across as the business professional you are. You want to give your readers a good first impression. Not only do you want to get their attention, but you also want to earn their respect. Good spelling, correct grammar and the appropriate use of punctuation will give them more confidence in the person (or the company) communicating with them.

Good reputation: Similarly, clients and suppliers are more likely to trust a company that communicates clearly and correctly. The use of proper grammar will help maintain your business' credibility and reputation as a professional, trustworthy enterprise that views all of its interactions with its customers and traders as equally important.

Avoid miscommunication and misunderstanding: Incorrect spelling or a lack of punctuation may create confusion. Your audience may be left guessing what you are trying to say. Spelling errors and grammatical mistakes may also change the meaning of your message, which might result in misinformation. Some readers may get back to you to clarify, others might not; which, in the case of new prospects / customers, is something you want to avoid. You do not want poor grammar to cost you business opportunities.

Make your communications more effective: It is likely that you do not want to distract your readers from the message you are trying to convey by giving them grammar and spelling mistakes to take note of. Also, such errors make your writing harder to read. You wouldn't want to create any distraction in your audience's mind, particularly if you are trying to get them to take some form of action – such as following a hyperlink on your website or signing up for a service.

Reduce the risk of costly lawsuits: In this day and age where most businesses operate on a global basis with teams of people scattered across every corner of the planet, written communications – particularly emails and other instant messaging applications – have become an essential part of their operations. Grammatically incorrect documents may convey misinformation, misguiding the reader into taking the wrong action or their reaction to it. This, in turn, may leave your business open to costly legal action, on the basis that the information provided was false or misleading in some way – maybe simply because of some typographical errors or other mistakes in the final communication.

Keep your business' competitive edge: Bad grammar affects business. Research has shown that many customers would hesitate in making a purchase from a website that has obvious grammar and spelling errors. Competition is tough; you only have a short time to impress a potential new customer (particularly online). You do not want to present your products or services in an unfavourable light or make your readers lose interest with poor grammar. Instead, you want to gain and maintain your readers' trust and attention at all times. The ability to communicate clearly and effectively is likely to give your company a definite advantage over less articulate rivals.

Increase productivity: Many businesses rely on written guidelines (for instance, memos or emails) among team members. Correct spelling and grammar will help your employees understand your instructions better, thus avoiding any confusion or misunderstanding about what is expected of them. The result will be less time wasted trying to work out poorly worded instructions and more time spent doing the job. This may also help to maintain harmonious working relationships between colleagues, as a result of better and clearer communication.

The importance of good grammar in business communications is definitely something that all companies should keep in mind, regardless of their size or the industry they operate in. The first and most basic check should be the use of your computer, tablet or smart phone spellchecking facility; however, you should not rely only on spellcheckers to catch mistakes, as they will not pick up the wrong word being used (e.g. 'there' instead of 'their').

1.6 Explain the factors to be taken into account in planning and structuring different communication media

Planning communication media

• Factors: e.g. audience, communication objective, message, channel,

timing, preparation

Structuring different communication media

• Factors: introduction, e.g. background, basics; details, e.g. facts and

figures; response or action, e.g. conclusion; close

1.7 Explain ways of overcoming barriers to communication

Communication is the key factor in the success of any organisation. When it comes to effective communication, there are certain barriers that every organisation faces. People often feel that communication is as easy and simple as it sounds. But what makes it complex, difficult and frustrating are the barriers that come in its way.

Here are a few of the most commonly-found barriers in communication in an organisation:

• Perceptual Barriers: The most common problem faced these days is that of the difference in opinion between two people. The varied perceptions of every individual give rise to a need for effective communication.
• Emotional Barriers: Another main barrier is the fear and mistrust that form the roots of our emotional barrier which stop us from communicating effectively with our co-workers.
• Language Barriers: Language that describes what we would want to express and communicate to others, may at times, serve as a barrier to them. In today's global scenario, the greatest compliment we can pay to another person is by speaking and effectively communicating to them in their local language. We need to understand that the native language of employees can be different from anyone else's.
• Cultural Barriers: The world is made up of diverse cultures. A cultural barrier arises when two individuals in an organisation belong to different religions, states or countries.
• Physical Barriers: Research shows that one of the key factors in building strong and integrated teams is proximity. Most offices have closed doors and cabins for those at higher levels of the organisational ladder while the large working areas are physically placed far apart. This kind of barrier forbids team members from effective interaction with each another.

We can improve effective organisational communication by changing one's thoughts and feelings with one's colleague. In this way, we don't just break down communication barriers, but also build relationships that work successfully for a long period of time.

Therefore, overcoming communication barriers in businesses is very important. Communication is much more than just trading words. It also encompasses the emotions and intentions of the people involved. Overcoming communication barriers can be achieved through proper training interventions. These include programs to improve listening and written skills, build conversational skills, trainings on verbal and non-verbal communications skills, giving and receiving feedback, negotiation skills, etc.

Most companies today have a healthy mix of employees from all across the world – employees of all races, ethnicities, and religions. Hence, it is very important to ensure they all work together harmoniously and contribute to organisational success.

Diversity and inclusivity trainings help businesses groom their employees on embracing their inherent differences and taking advantage of diversity to build efficiencies. These training programs focus on building a culture of unity, promote inclusivity and help employees see others' point of view – to agree to disagree – that helps break down perceptual differences.

It is also very important to train employees on developing effective interpersonal relationships, this entails sensitising them on the importance of interpersonal relationships, the various styles of communication, educating them about emotional intelligence, conflicts, trust, creating a healthy work environment, etc.

To overcome language barriers, learn at least the basics of your employees' language and communicate with them in the same. Translating communication aids (such as emails) and training materials into the respective languages will also help. You can also train employees on the English language and help them use it effectively.

Physical barriers can be overcome by training your managers, supervisors, and heads on dealing effectively with their subordinates. These training programs focus on several aspects such as giving proper feedback, conducting performance review meetings, coaching and mentoring skills, grooming future leaders, etc.

1.8 Explain the use of communications theories and body language

Mehrabian – Silent Messages

According to Mehrabian, three elements account differently for our liking for the person who puts forward a message concerning their feelings: words account for 7%, tone of voice accounts for 38%, and body language accounts for 55% of the liking.

For effective and meaningful communication about emotions, these three parts of the message need to support each other – they have to be "congruent". In case of any incongruence, the receiver of the message might be irritated by two messages coming from two different channels, giving cues in two different directions.

The following example should help illustrate incongruence in verbal and non-verbal communication:

Verbal: "I do not have a problem with you!"

Non-verbal: person avoids eye-contact, looks anxious, has a closed body language, etc.

It becomes more likely that the receiver will trust the predominant form of communication, which to Mehrabian's findings is the non-verbal impact of tone and gestures (38% + 55%), rather than the literal meaning of the words (7%). This is known as "the 7%-38%-55% Rule".

I think this theory is very valid, with evidence to support its claims through numerous experiments. I can also see the truth in it, since you can use the same words to mean completely different things through the expression of your body language and the actual way you speak. This is seen a lot in sarcastic comments. This think this theory is also very useful as it emphasises to everyone how important it is to be careful with how you communicate, in order get your message across correctly.

Birdwhistell – Theory of Kinesics

Kinesics is defined as the study of the way in which certain body movements and gestures serve as a form of non-verbal communication.

Birdwhistell has seven assumptions where his theory was based:

1. All movements have potential meaning. Even a simple blink of an eye has a meaning.
2. Behaviour can be analysed because it is patterned.
3. Different groups will use different gestures.
4. People are influenced by the use of the bodily activities that others do. It's simple and automatic. You will be influenced by the people around you especially if you are attached to each other.
5. Non-verbal activities of a person can be investigated.
6. The kinesics' result came from the behaviour being studied.
7. A person's use of bodily activities will have its own personal characteristics and will become a part of a larger society shared with others.

I think Birdwhistell's theory is important as it is very analytic and micro, focusing on the smallest of things. This allows people to be aware of these tiny ways of communicating so they can make sure to notice them.

Argyle – Communication Cycle

In 1972, Argyle developed the communication cycle theory which sets out to understand, explain and predict how communication occurs between people in one-to-one situations.

1. An idea occurs: You think of something you want to communicate about
2. Message coded: You consider what you're going to say and how you're going to say it, and decide what form of communication you should use (e.g. languages, gestures, spoken words).
3. Message sent: You send the message in a way that you think is appropriate and you feel comfortable in doing so.
4. Message received: The other person notices that you've sent them a message and hears/sees it.
5. Message decoded: The person you're communicating with has to interpret what you have communicated, using their knowledge of communication skills.
6. Message understood: At this stage, the message should be understood by the other person, through clear communication. The participant can then give feedback which repeats the process and builds into the communication cycle.

I think this theory is useful because it almost shows a step-by-step as to how one-to-one communication works. However, it Argyle doesn't provide any explanation as to how groups communicate, and this is especially important in a business environment.

1.9 Explain proof-reading techniques for business communications

As the writer of a document, it's harder to spot any errors in it. You know what you meant to say, and so your brain will conveniently skip over missing words, typos and jumbled sentences. For this reason, it's always best to get someone else to proofread your work. But even then, if your colleague doesn't have a toolkit of proofreading techniques, they can wade through your words without really improving your work.

Whether you're writing for an internal or an external audience – you need to make sure that your writing is accurate. This means always checking your work (and that of others) thoroughly. A speedy skim before you hit the send button or distribute a document will rarely be enough.

Below are important techniques for proof-reading:

• Print out a hard copy while proofreading on screen.
• Ensure the document makes sense. Correcting grammar and punctuation can often seem to be the point of proofreading. But your top priority should be ensuring the document is readable. If it's difficult to understand, change it. Plain English is best, so weed out all the complicated words and replace them with no-nonsense alternatives.
• Use your computer spellchecker. But always remember, spellcheckers don't read for sense, only accuracy – it doesn't know whether you mean mountain 'peak' or 'peek'. Always use a dictionary if you're not sure.
• Use a pencil to point to every single word. Scientists have found that in normal reading we don't scan every word. Instead, our eyes move in little jumps, fixating on key words. Using a pencil and ruler slows your brain down.
• Check the title or headline. It's easy to overlook the most obvious thing on the page and get lost in the details. Also, make sure the title is relevant to the document.
• Check telephone numbers by calling them. It's surprisingly easy to transpose numbers when writing them. Misplacing one digit can ruin a marketing campaign, for instance. Don't waste valuable time and money by sending out documents with incorrect phone numbers.
• Make sure you're not the only person to read the last proof. If the document is important and you're the only one who's seen it, do not send it until you can get a second pair of eyes to see it.

1.1 Analyse the Communication Needs of Internal and External Stakeholders

Source: https://jodiesbusinessadminblog.wordpress.com/2017/10/10/unit-1-communicate-in-a-business-environment/

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