Introduction
Communication underscores the means of exchanging meaningful opinions or ideas verbally or through writing to the concerned people or parties. Communication consists two or more people who have to come together to share information with one another and the material communicated should be clearly understood by all the involved parties.
Effective communication is extremely important especially to business people and managers, as they have to communicate with their staff, shareholders, and the wider community in such a proper way to avoid misinterpretations (Taylor, 2005).
Therefore, poor communication is very catastrophic and the result is the loss of business worth lots of money, loss of customers, and spoiling the good image of an organization. This realization implies that communication is a basic need in business organizations and for success of any business, up to date information should be readily available regarding various aspects of the business. This information should be present to all the interested parties so that it can be utilized effectively for the benefit of the business.
Business communication
Business communication is formal and carefully organized to get things done in the right way and deliver information swiftly and inexpensively rather than exchanging good-natured remarks. Anyone who works to earn a living is involved in business communication and its importance is growing tremendously due to the increase in commercial activities.
In the past, one person could run a business as there were no large organizations, but this aspect has changed in the 21st Century due to the emergence of multi-national businesses and hence the pressing need for effective business communication (Cardon, 2013).
Most successful organizations appreciate that good communication at all levels is essential if they have to succeed in today’s competitive business world. They have to adopt suitable systems of communication and use them in the right way in a bid to convey the right information to the concerned people. For instance, staff members play a vital role in the running an organization, and thus they need to have relevant up to date information so that they can know what is expected of them in a bid to improve their performances.
Most misunderstandings that take place in organizations are mainly the outcomes of ineffective communication, which explains why delegation of tasks and resolving of grievances call for sensitive and careful communication to avoid conflicts in workplaces (Taylor, 2005).
Communication with the suppliers may seem easy, but at times, some organizations order resources verbally, and thus fail to ensure that the supplier has an understanding of what is required of them. Thus, an effective communication system should be in place to ensure that all the involved parties get the intended message from the source.
Business communication media
Good communication in any organization is subject to the chosen channels of communication. The chosen channel determines how the sender will convey the message and how the recipient will interpret the message, and thus choosing the right channel is very crucial.
The communicator has to be careful and judicious when choosing a media and factors like reliability, formality, receiver, confidentiality, urgency, cost, speed, safety, and security should be the guiding principles when choosing a certain medium of communication. Today, a communicator can choose from the various ways of passing information in a bid to help a business function efficiently.
These ways include written communication, which covers everything that is written and has to be communicated in inscribed form, for example letters, press release, reports, telegrams, and memos among others. The benefit of this kind of communication in a business environment is that it is permanent and can be very useful in future reference. In addition, besides being accurate and precise, written documents can be accepted as legal documents.
The other medium of communication is oral communication, which involves the use of spoken words rather than written words and it is a vital part in the contemporary business world.
Oral communication includes conversations over the phone, group discussions, meetings, face-to-face conversations, and speeches among others. If used effectively, oral communication is useful in the development of any kind of business as it saves time and it is a powerful means of persuasion, as most recipients usually find it more dependable for they get an opportunity for clarification and feedback.
Apart from communicating orally, it is also possible to communicate visually using photographs, pictures, facial expression, gestures, charts, diagrams, posters, and tables. Successful conveyers of information make effective use of gestures and facial expressions. This channel of communication is also essential as information can be communicated successfully to the targets audience.
In many cases, this form of communication is more effective than written or communicated words; for example, a poster of products made by a certain company will be conveyed to thousands of potential customers, hence the communication through this media is assured and instantaneous. In a bid to be more effective, visual communication can be combined with written media of communication to convey the message as visual communication alone is not sufficient.
Audio-visual communication is another medium of communication and it involves an amalgamation of sight and sound. Visual communication is not enough and people may not understand the intended message. This aspect explains why audio-visual communication is important, as the recipients will not miss the message since the slides go along with enlightenment and description.
When message is conveyed in such a manner, it is retained for a longer period as compared to any other medium of communication. In a bid to save money, large business organizations should practice this kind of communication when popularizing there products as it is suitable for mass publicity (Flatly, 2002).
In the modern day, electronic devices such as computers and televisions have made communication much easier. Communication using such electronic devices is referred to as electronic communication. With the use of computers, business communication becomes easier as people can send either internal electronic mail, which operates within the organization or external electronic mail, which can be send to organizations or individuals around the globe as long as there is Internet connection.
Computers have also made it possible for companies to save money that is used while traveling as people can communicate electronically through electronic conferencing (Locker & Kaczmarek, 2004). Thus, these new communication technologies should be used in the right manner as they are critical to success in many businesses and they boost the human ability to communicate as they make communication easier and cheaper.
Types of business communication
Communication in small scale or large-scale organizations should be made clear so that the process of communicating will not be complicated. There are two types of business communication namely external and internal communication. External communication involves the exchange of important messages amongst different organizations or individuals outside the business, for example marketing of products, reports to government departments, and press releases.
This kind of communication is very important to the development of a company or organization as it helps to keep customers informed on the organization’s activities, products, and services and this aspect makes more clientele or people to be more interested in dealing with that particular company, thus leading to an increase in the sale of its products. In addition, apart from establishing a good reputation with its customers, external communication makes it possible for a company to get feedback from its customers and improve on weaknesses by making better products that suit the clients’ needs.
On the other hand, internal communication is the exchange of relevant information amongst people within the same organization. In an organization, having a good internal communication is a very crucial aspect as it helps in improving the relationship between the staff members and their employers.
Having a good flow of communication between the senior and junior staff is highly recommendable as any kind of complaint by the staff is communicated and measures to solve it put in place. This move helps in averting crises like strikes, which affects the overall performance and reputation of the company. Moreover, with sound communication, the management is well informed on any shortcomings like a failure of machines and it takes the necessary steps to avoid any losses.
Therefore, the presence of a good internal communication system enables employees to co-ordinate effectively, hence making them work together towards the same goal of making an organization more successful. Internal communication can take the form of formal or informal meetings between the employees and the management or even internal newsletters.
To keep all communication routes open and effective in an organization, internal communication should flow into different directions depending on the organization’s structure. These directions include downward flow, which moves downwards from the top management depending on the different levels in the organization (Locker & Kaczmarek, 2004).
This kind of communication can be either oral of written and the immediate superior can successfully convey any information to the subordinates. Usually, downward flow of communication follows a chain of command and it is usually dominated by oral means of communication, as it is easier for the superiors to convey the message orally to those under their supervision rather than writing lengthy reports.
Another flow of internal communication is known as upward flow. It the opposite of downward flow and it entails the movement of information from the subordinates to the top most senior officers in an organization. This flow of information helps the senior officers in managing the organization in a better way as they get constructive suggestions to improve performance from the junior employees. In addition, it improves the relationship between employees and the management by creating greater harmony between the two.
However, this flow of communication can only be effective if managers do not exercise excessive strictness by encouraging the subordinates to come out and communicate freely on what they think of the organization and its policies. Feedback is an important aspect in the communication process, and without it, the process becomes unfruitful.
Horizontal communication is a type of communication flow that takes place amongst persons at the same levels of hierarchy and departments within an organization. The main goal of this flow is to cooperate and share any useful information and it is the most common in most organizations as workers are more comfortable while communicating with others of the same hierarchy rather than their superiors.
Though some managers discourage this kind of flow, it is very important as it promotes understanding and coordination of different departments, which is essential in the completion of routine tasks. Due to its informal nature, it is easily carried out through oral means of communication especially face-to-face exchange of crucial information or telephone conversations from one department to the other.
Unlike the formal communication that hinders the free flow of information, the informal environment created by this flow allows staff to express their views freely, thus coming up with solutions to various hitches and misunderstandings affecting the organization. Informal written means of communication like letters and reports can also be used to convey information to staff of the same hierarchy.
Barriers to business communication
Challenges are inevitable and no matter how any organization plans the business communication system carefully, it is likely to encounter some barriers since business communication is a complex process with many sources of possible mistakes. The flow of information in an organization is usually interrupted by either external factors or people tasked with communicating.
These barriers have negative effects as they affect the morale of the staff and the efficient functioning of the organization and thus it is important for the management to identify and take counteractive measures to overcome the same. For instance, language can cause breakdown in communication, as the choice of words is very vital to the effective communication. Many words have different meanings and different people interpret them in a diverse way according to their mental attitude and understanding.
This element is a barrier for the information being communicated by the messenger may not convey the intended meaning to the recipient, which results in distortion of the message. However, the miscommunication can be sorted out if the transmitter puts into consideration dialects, educational, and regional accents as peoples’ different backgrounds affect how they interpret different words.
Noise, “which is a physical barrier, also affects effective communication in an organization” (Locker & Kaczmarek, 2004, p.104). Interruptions of this kind can be very disruptive, as oral method of communication is rendered useless in a noisy working environment.
Noise is also used to “refer to all kinds of physical interferences like poor telephone connections, illegible writings, and filthy copies of spare typescript and in addition to noise, time and distance also affect the smooth flow of information in an organization” (Locker & Kaczmarek, 2004, p.106).
Despite the technology evolution, modern communication systems are not available everywhere and at times mechanical breakdowns render these facilities useless hence affecting communication. Therefore, the geographical distance between the sender and the recipient can act as a barrier to successful communication.
All the available media of communication have their advantages and disadvantages and hence the wrong choice of media to convey information can act as a barrier. A sender who has an idea of what the communication aims to achieve can choose the wrong medium and the recipient will misinterpret message.
For example, an employee who wants to inform the employer about his misconduct should choose face-to-face communication rather than written formal communication as the supervisor is likely to be more satisfied. In addition, the use of a medium, which the recipients are not familiar with, turns the medium into a barrier.
Another barrier to effective communication is psychological barriers, which occur due to psychological or social problems. Different individuals have different ways of interpreting messages due to their own perceived opinions. Thus, if the message under communication is in tandem with the individuals’ sentiments and positions, they are likely to accept it easily and this aspect acts as a barrier to business communication.
Emotions also play a crucial role in the transmission of information because if a sender is worried or excited, the state of his/her mind will be reflected in the message and it may not be organized properly. Therefore, it is very important not to allow emotions to hinder the smooth flow of communication in an organization.
Measures to ensure effective business communication
Since business communication is the lifeblood of a successful business, measures should be taken to mitigate the aforementioned barriers in a bid to ensure effective transmission of ideas from one person to another in an organization. One way of achieving this goal is by ensuring that the business communication is well planned so that the contents are well organized, relevant, and complete.
Completeness in communication is very necessary as the receiver will get the right message and avoid wrong actions and decisions, which can emerge from incomplete messages. The sender should ensure the completeness of a message as this aspect would help in avoiding miscommunication and misunderstanding between the sender and the receiver.
In organizations, there has been an explosion of information, and thus for business communication to succeed, careful processing of information should be practiced to eliminate all the unwanted irrelevant information. This element is important as it ensures that the communication channels are not overloaded and hence the flow of communication in the organization is regulated.
Additionally, the involved parties should identify and solve all weakness in a communication system of an organization in a bid to maintain the optimum flow of information. An example of a weakness that can affect the flow of information is relationship barriers, and thus the management should work hard to remove this barrier by creating firm relationships and a climate of confidence to facilitate honest feedback from subordinates.
Conclusion
Business communication is the cornerstone of coordination in any business environment. However, for business communication to be effective organizations should choose wisely their media of communication in a bid to ensure proper communication and mitigate any barriers that might arise in the process of communication. Therefore, all business organizations should try to establish good business channels.
This aspect will be of great benefit to organizations as communication is a vital tool in any successful workplace, as it contributes to a better understanding among employees, commitment, and better decision making. Proper channels should be organized and the right media chosen for information to flow in any organization, as this element ensures that the message reaches the intended user without being distorted in any way.
Reference List
Cardon, P. (2013). Business Communication: Developing Leaders for a Networked World. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, Inc.
Flatly, L. (2002).Basic Business Communication: Skills of Empowering the Internet Generation. West Patel Nagar, DL: Tata McGraw Hill.
Locker, K., & Kaczmarek, S. (2004). Business Communication: Building Critical Skills. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, Inc.
Shutterstcok. (2013). Business communication Stock Photos, Illustrations, and Vector Art. Retrieved from https://www.shutterstock.com/
Taylor, S. (2005). Communication for Business: A Practical Approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Ltd.