Chapter 17 : Creativity and Visual Design

Chapter17: Creativity and Visual Design

Chapter 16:Interviewing to get the job

Chapter15:Creating Career and Designing Resumes

Chapter14: The Business of change and Conflict

Chapter13: Interpersonal and Collaborative Messages

Chapter12: Culture Inside and Outside

Chapter 12: Culture Inside and Outside

Culture is a communally produced and shared model of reality that communicates how people are expected to behave, think, and feel. The best way of learning culture is through socialization where the human interaction very important. We all develop expectations based on our early experiences. Part of this is biological, such as the food we eat, the comforts or pain we feel and the clothing we wear. But expectations are also greatly affected by experiences from all kinds of sense stimuli all around us. We learn that certain kinds of things will happen in certain kinds of situations, as a result of certain sets of conditions.
We learn to organize these expectations, by probability and according to priorities. Organization comes in part from the society around us. It comes in part from our own analytical faculties, as we respond to the societal influences. So our first experiences, which we did not get to choose, gave us a frame of reference for later experiences. I think this is a common, simple way to understand how we learn. Both Direct and indirect Strategy can be used to learn and teach the culture. Communication is very important for culture, communication involves A. Direct and indirect
B. Rank, status, and age
C. Discussion and debate
D. Working together
A Macro View of Workforce Inclusion and Diversity tells us people from many different backgrounds and perspective
. Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own culture is superior to others. Gender Differences
Women and Men

•Sexual Orientation
•Physical Disabilities
are also considered while talking culture .


Basic learning theory needs to take into account the basic skills or capacities we were born with that enable us to learn from experience. With this ability to learn, God has given us a part of who He created us to be.We see this when a child is learning language. You can almost see them mentally processing what they hear and see. The more they listen and practice, the closer they get to what they are hearing. Before long they are generating their own sentences, which they have not heard before. We do not have to learn every new sentence first. But we do have to learn some model sentences, which become the basis upon which we develop some expectations of how sentences should be made. We try to express our new ideas in new sentences that we have not heard before.
Corporate culture
the way the organization operates, how it is structured, how members are expected to behave, and what the organization believes is important
Co-cultures
like organizations, are smaller groups that exist within the larger culture and have their own values, beliefs, and codes for behavior
Deep culture
◦the organization’s identity or personality, what it believes, perceives, and considers important
Observable culture
involves the aspects of culture that can be seen, heard, or directly experienced by people
Heroes
◦organizational members who best demonstrate and symbolize company values
Lore
Involves stories or legends shared by members that reveal company history, appropriate conduct, and values

Every organization has the own culture associated with it. Our culture is something that shapes our view of ourselves and how we fit in the world.

Chapter11: Writing Atrategies for the Report and Proposal

Chapter 11: Writing Strategies for the Report and Proposal

A report and a proposal are very similar in organization. Their differences, however subtle, are worth noting: A report: 1. Written to someone with authority (e.g. manager, boss, director, public official, etc.) or peer (e.g. colleague, associate, classmate, etc.) 2. Usually formal in register 3. Writer uses language related with expressing opinion, listing reasons, making recommendations 4. Written to people who can take action or affect outcome 5. May or may not have headings The general purpose of a report is to identify a specific problem, explain it and recommend action that will lead to a solution. A proposal: 1. Written to someone who needs to make a decision usually which involves spending or investing money (e.g. a client or customer, a committee, someone responsible for finances within company or organization, etc.) 2. Usually formal in register, but could also be semi-formal when addressed to a committee of peers 3. Writer uses language in such a way that he is persuasive, besides listing reasons and making suggestions 4. Written to someone whose decision will directly benefit the writer in some way (e.g. writer is a salesperson) or a group writer belongs to (e.g. a local amateur athletic team that needs support) 5. May or may not have headings
The general purpose of a proposal is the identify a particular need, explain it and recommend how this need can best .To prepare a report we usually have a two choices: direct and indirect strategy. The direct strategy is best when nothing is needed and the indirect strategy is best in use when if an investment of some kind is required. Besides, there are different types of reports when strategy is considered they include; informative (direct), persuasive (indirect) and analytical (direct/indirect).Report should be effective and should include more details and explanation so, that unknown audience may understand the purpose of reports easily. In order the report to be more functional, understandable and more manageable the organization of the arguments in the report is also so much important. Basically we can classify the components of reports and design strategy as; executive summary and sample executive summary. In executive summary typical sources of key points in a report are; headings, topic sentences, enumerations, cause and effect statements and essentials. Introduction, background, goal and objectives, solutions and recommendations and conclusion are the more important parts in the sample executive summary.
The Report and the proposals are important for our daily life, especially when the message is negative End the Report on the positive note .

Chapter10 : The Business Reports

Chapter 10: The Business of Reports


Oral presentation or written business document that provides information, requests funding or approval, analyzes company or market data, or makes recommendations for innovation and change.
Direct Approach
When you use the direct approach, the main idea (such as a recommendation, conclusion, or request) comes in the "top" of the document, followed by the evidence. This is a deductive argument. This approach is used when your audience will be neutral or positive about your message. In the formal report, the direct approach usually mandates that you lead off with a summary of your key findings, conclusions, and recommendations. This "up-front" arrangement is by far the most popular and convenient for business reports. It saves time and makes the rest of the report easier to follow. For those who have questions or want more information, later parts of the report provide complete findings and supporting details. The direct approach also produces a more forceful report. You sound sure of yourself when you state your conclusions confidently at the outset.
Indirect Approach
In the indirect approach, the evidence is presented first, leading therefore to the main idea. This is an inductive argument. This approach is best if your audience may be displeased about or may resist what you have to say.
At times, especially if you are a junior member of an organization or if you are an outsider, writing with an extremely confident stance may be regarded as arrogant. In such cases, or if your audience will be skeptical or hostile, you may want to use the indirect approach: Introduce your complete findings and discuss all supporting details before presenting your conclusions and recommendations. The indirect approach gives you a chance to prove your points and gradually overcome your audience’s reservations. By deferring the conclusions and recommendations, you imply that you’ve weighed the evidence objectively without prejudging the facts. You also imply that you’re subordinating your judgment to the audience, whose members are capable of drawing their own conclusions when they have access to all the facts.
Although the indirect approach has its advantages, some readers will always be in a hurry to get to "the answer" and will flip to the recommendations immediately, thus defeating your purpose. Therefore, consider length before choosing the direct or indirect approach. In general, the longer the message, the less effective an indirect approach is likely to be. Furthermore, an indirect argument is harder to follow than a direct one.
Because both direct and indirect approaches have merit, businesspeople often combine them. They reveal their conclusions and recommendations as they go along, rather than putting them first or last. As a result, the approach strategy of business reports can sometimes be hard to classify.

Chapter 9 :Direct and Indirect Strategy

Chapter 9 :Direct and Indirect communication Strategy

In your communication toolbox, direct and indirect skills are like a hammer and screwdriver: both are helpful, but you need to use the right tool at the right time. Trying to hang a picture with a screwdriver is frustrating. And not very effective. Direct Communicators say exactly what they think and attempt to convince others that they are right. Indirect Communicators are more likely to observe, ask questions, and present possibilities.
Direct Communication
Direct communication can be defined as speech that specifically states and directs an action. Most of us grew up hearing direct speech from our parents or teachers: “Get that homework done before you go out to play,” or, from our boss today we might hear: “I need this on my desk by Friday.”
When someone hears direct speech, they know immediately what needs to be done. There is no question about who is in charge, and usually no need for discussion. The speaker in this situation is positioned as “one up”-above the listener-as their communication style proclaims their right and authority to direct the action. The listener, consequently, is “one down,”-below the speaker-as the listener’s input is not being solicited.
Indirect Communication
Unlike direct communication, a indirect style of speech is not typically authoritative, rather it encourages input from the listener. By using this method, you give the other person the opportunity to speak up. An indirect style, makes them feel as if their ideas are important. This style of communication places the listener in the “one-up” position.
To maximize your ability to influence, you need to equip your communication toolbox with both direct and indirect skills. You must be able to make conscious choices about your behavior and not be blindly driven by your natural habits. So look for role models and practice the skills that are less comfortable for you. Developing any ability takes time and practice, so be patient with yourself and don’t give up. After all, you couldn’t drive a car the first time you got behind the wheel, but now you’re probably pretty good at it!

Chapter 8: Business Writing Design

Business Writing Design (Mind Map)

Business Writing Design (Summary )

The Author in the chapter 8 focus on the business writing.writing in business should be concise, precise, and clear. You should try to eliminate as much communication noise as possible; such as mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation, vagueness, and unfamiliar language. There is a process one should follow when designing a business message. Start by asking yourself questions such as, what is it that I am trying to communicate? Who is my audience? What is the purpose of my message? These questions will help you generate ideas and develop a starting point for your writing. Freewriting writing is the process of writing all the thing that comes in our mind nonstop without lifting the pen or pausing he computer. Some of the other writing includes writing the things by gathering the information and considering the strategy. There is direct strategy which states the message goal first and next one is indirect strategy which means warm up the audience with information and goodwill before delivering the message goal. Once you have decided on a strategy you can go on to the outlining and drafting step. An outline is a structured list of the information to be included in the message. Your outline will help you organize your ideas and incorporate them with your gathered information. Now you can write the first draft of your message. Drafting is getting the text down on paper or a computer screen in its first version. Include your main points and details for message clarity. You will refine it later on. Once your first draft is complete, you then have to revise it. Make sure you included your message goal, its explanation and development, and included enough details to make it clear to your audience. If you are not satisfied with your draft you can re-outline it. Re-outlining involves writing a new outline based on the original document you wrote. Or you can use the slash and burn method, which is a total revision strategy in which you select certain points of a document and then rewrite it using only those points from the original work. When you have finally written a draft that you are satisfied with you can go on to edit and proofread it to create your final draft. When I proofread, I have to read out loud to hear myself. Examine the language and style you have chosen. Eliminate unnecessary words and phrases. Replace negative words when possible with positive expressions. There are several styles when it comes to writing business messages or documents. The “You” view style is focused on the interests of the readers. This is a good strategy to use when trying to create good public relations, if the information in your message is negative then this probably isn’t the strategy you want to use. Make sure your message emphasizes what you can do instead of the things you can’t do. Keep your reader interested by using active sentence constructions and vivid language. Make sure your message is free of grammatical errors. Errors make it difficult for your audience to grasp the meaning of your message, and it’s a big turn off. Memos and letters usually have the same components. Memos are internal, written channel of communication. Letters are external written channel of communication. While we design memos and letter at first it should write introduction and then body and finally closing.

Business writing is action-oriented, rhetorical, and user-centered. It aims to effect positive change, through both persuasive and informative strategies. Hence ,it is essential that you have a clear understanding of the purpose of your document.

Chapter 1 : The Basics

The Basics (Mind Map )

The Basics (Summary)

More and more, business today considers communication a valued tool. Technology has brought us email and the ability to communicate instantly with others from around the world. Good skills can help your business career.
Most importantly you want your message, no matter in what form it is delivered, to be concise and clear. Don’t flower your message with pretty words or long descriptions. Be exact. For instance, don’t use, “The Smith Company order needs to be shipped.” Instead, “The Smith Company order must be shipped by 8 a.m. on Monday.” The first example leaves the shipping time open to interpretation, the second is clear as to when the order should go out. Always make sure your meaning is clear. Ask for feedback from the receiver of the message to be sure that they understand. Miscommunication can cost your company thousands of dollars, or more! Do not use slang or profanity. Profanity is just bad business (and bad manners). Slang words may have different meanings to different people and can cause embarrassment and confusion.
Don’t use “fancy” language. Simple words are easier to comprehend. If you have a wide grasp on the English language, good for you! You don’t need to show it off. Use simply, easy to understand wording.
Stay away from jargon. That is to say, words that may mean something to those in a certain job field but mean nothing to the rest of us. Legal and medical terms are good examples. Not many outside those fields understand them. Again, use simple concise wording that anyone can understand.
When speaking of writing to someone, consider whether to use a formal or casual tone. In a meeting with a client, for example, it is probably best to use a formal tone. When working with a small group of coworkers, say on a committee, it may be fine to use a more casual style. In written communications, informal is usually okay with memos or emails whereas a report would require more formal wording.
When communicating in person, be aware of your body language. Often what you don’t verbally say is as important, if not more-so, than the spoken word. Body language gives off silent clues as to the speaker’s true feelings behind his or her words.
Good communication skills are vital to you, as an employee as well to your company. Practicing them can make your job, and the jobs of those who you communicate with, much easier.

Chapter 2 : How Business Communicates

How Business Communicates

How Business Communicates (Summary)

When someone mentions the word communication, one’s thoughts turn to a newspaper, the radio, television, or another more common means of mass-type communication. One does not usually make the connection between communication and other institutions such as business. Good business, however, goes hand in hand with good communication. Good managers and professionals realize that the ability to communicate is not a silly frill; it is a necessity that helps employees accomplishes their work. Therefore the question is often posed: Are these problems of poor communications that face managers and professionals becoming more and more critical? The evidence suggests the answer to be yes, these problems are serious and are growing more and more serious every day. This maxim emphasizes the need for better communication in organizations such as big business. What would happen if that organization did not fix its structure to better handle increasing communication needs. Values of good downward communication include the ability to help a manager’s authority to be accepted.

The 21st century has brought different ways of business directions. There are also different maze of information management and they are Management information system (MIS), Management decision support system (MDSS), Information overload. There are various way of technology such as Internet, World Wide Web, and Wireless hand held devices. Structural message, relational message and change message are types of business message. Exchange of message between employees inside the organization is called internal communication whereas exchange of message between the organization and external environment is called external communication. Communication network is the pathway through which messages travel among employees in an organization

If you are going to communicate effectively in business it is essential that you have a solid grasp of these elements. When you match consumer psychology with effective communication styles you get a powerful combination

Chapter 3 : Creating Effective Messages

Creating Effective Messages (Summary )

Effective messages are not the same as talking to someone face-to-face or even over the telephone. When we talk face-to-face, we pick up meaning from facial expressions, body language, specific gestures, and, of course, tone of voice. Even telephone conversations preserve the meanings conveyed by tone of voice. But messages lose these extra ways of conveying meaning as we exchange messages, and so writers need to take care when writing email messages, even though they seem impromptu or off-the-cuff. The best general advice: What you include in your email message depends on why you are writing and to whom. Effective messages are short and to the point. Receivers don't want to scroll through two or more screens of text to get your message. On the other hand, don't make your messages so short that the receiver doesn't understand you. Provide enough information so that the receiver understands both the context and the details of the message. As with any email message, make your message clear and direct. But especially as you write to specific individuals, anticipate what that particular reader will want or need to know about you and your request or your information.

There are eight steps of communication design and they are map out message goals, evaluate your audience, shape message content, select channel, acquire resources, generate social creditability, eliminate design flaws and send message. Outcome that we want to achieve and the reason we are communicating is a goal. There are two types of Goal and they are primary goal which means outcome that we want to achieve and secondary goal is one which helps us to achieve primary goal. While we map our message goal we have to know whether our goal is feasibility or not, what is my intention, what response do I want etc.We also have to evaluate the audience (individual or group who receive message).While we shape our message we have to take care about main idea, theme. There are different channel through which the message can be delivered through different medium such as sight, sound, smell, taste and touch....
I think one of the best things designers can do is teach, inspire; help others to realize the designing capabilities within themselves in places or times when those skills would go unfortunately undiscovered or uncultivated.’ Communication design is the purposeful use of words and images to transform information into understanding. My experience is that nobody communicating cannot determine another's understanding.

Chp 7 : Designing Oral Presentation

Summary : Designing Oral Presentation

The ability to speak effectively is as crucial as the ability to write effectively, according to studies about kinds of communications most often required of employees. During a routine week, employees will actually spend more time speaking than writing; using the phone; conversing informally with colleagues, subordinates, and superiors on routine office topics; conducting meetings; working in problem solving groups; conducting employee evaluation sessions; participating in teleconferences and sales presentations; and frequently becoming involved in formal speaking situations before groups inside and outside the organization. Communication research also reveals that the higher an employee moves in an organization, the more important speaking skills become.
Being an effective speaker and an effective writer requires you to:
1.Understand the context of your presentation
2. Analyze your audience
3. Understand and articulate your presentation's purpose
4. Choose and shape your presentation's content
5. Organize your presentation
6. Choose an appropriate speaking style
7. Practice an effective delivery style
8. Select and use visual aids effectively
Because listening is a different information-processing method than reading, you will need to know how to adapt guidelines for organization, style, and graphics to fit the speaking situation. However, you will see that writing and speaking, despite their differences, are similar communication activities. So, Before I start writing my speech I have to determine what I want to write about, such as my interests, or skills and abilities. Sometimes you won’t have choice and the topic will be selected for you. Now I have to decide what my speech goal will be. What do I want from my audience and what do I want to communicate to them? There are four speech goals: informative, persuasive, requesting, and entertaining. Informative speeches can build audience awareness, knowledge, and memory about a subject. A persuasive speech intends to influence a change in an audience’s attitude, behavior, or belief. A requesting speech is a type
of persuasive speech, but its aim is to gain funding or approval for a specific product, program, or proposal. Entertainment or special occasion speeches mark special occasions, and arouse emotions through celebration. My introduction has to gain the attention of my audience. I have to make a connection between my listeners, the occasion, and myself.
For example, delivering a presentation at a meeting of project directors is different from briefing other people in your team about what you've been doing. Making a presentation at a company picnic is different from delivering a presentation at the annual meeting of a professional society. Knowing the situation is as important as knowing your audience and your purpose. In many cases, situation will be inextricably bound up with questions of audience attitude and the way you shape your purpose. Audience attitude frequently results from situational problems or current issues within the organization, and what you can or should say in your presentation, your purpose and the content you choose to present may be dictated by the context surrounding your presentation and the perspective that your audience brings.
How you sound when you speak is crucial to the success of your presentation. You may have effective content, excellent ideas, and accurate supporting statistics. However, if the style you use in speaking is inappropriate to the occasion, to the audience (as individuals and as members of an organization), or to the purpose you are trying to achieve, your content will more than likely be ineffective.
In general, you want to sound respectful, confident, courteous, and sincere. However, the precise tone and degree of formality will be dictated by your organizational role and your relationship to your audience.

Chapter 6 , Designing Message with Words ,Summary

Designing Message with Words

In the chapter six the author explain about the words and the way we use them to create messages . Words have power , so words should be chosen to give message clarity and avoid misunderstanding .Verbal communication is the use of any linguistic symbols spoken, sign, or written language to accomplish message goals, while verbal style is a set of behaviors that reflect aspects of our individual personality, it also varies depending on the context in which the verbal interaction occurs.There are nine primary verbal communications styles, all of which are used for different purposes. .There are four rules for speaking, : Grammatical rules which include sentence construction, word arrangements, syntax, and language fluidity, talking and interaction rules include topic relevance, length of talking time, clarity, and silence, social rules include greetings, correct word usage, expression styles, and ambiguity, and finally semantic rules include denotative and connotative meanings. Physicians, attorneys, and engineers sometimes use a specialized language known as jargon. Speech rules are a set of verbal speech conventions in message exchange, they includes rules of grammar, interaction, social style and semantics to accomplish. Individuals who are members of a specific community use jargon to describe concepts and tools used in their particular field. social groups and cultures sometimes use slang to informally describe or imply meaning about a subject. The verbal problems may make your message less powerful and more vague like abstraction which is the use of complicated rather than concrete language, bypassing which happens when different meanings are associated with the same word symbol or when different symbols are used to identify the same idea or project, fact inference, this problem arises from insufficient information, misused words which means that words are misapplied, overgeneralization is the use of sweeping statements that do not provide enough information, extremism that means to see the world simplistically. The fear we experience when faced with a certain type of communication interaction called communication apprehension and the key to reduce this is done by preparation. Both persuasion and argumentation come into play often in our role as business communicators to influence behavior, the process of making connections between ideas and evidence is called reasoning , while the reasons are a statement of evidence, support used in an argument. The arguments like one sided and two sided are also clearly defined in this chapter ,One sided argument involves the presentation of only one point of view or one side of an issue, while the two-sided argument presents both sides of an issue- not only the speaker’s position but also opposing views.

The English language is full of words that have different meanings. If you use the word "Crazy " to describe someone's behavior , it can be compliment or a serious perhaps libelous statement . In a social context , describing someone as crazy typically means they are lots of fun, unpredictable and a joy be around . In a clinical context describing someone as crazy implies impairment of mental ability , mental illness or perhaps lack of emotional control. Hence same word can give different meaning depending upon its use to create message .

Creating and Using Meaning

In chapter five the author states the definition of meaning.“Meaning is a difficult concept to define or describe.”We assume when we create and transmit messages to others our meanings are always understood.What means one thing to one person may mean something very different to another person, hence, the meaning we say may not be accepted in the way we intend it to be, and this is caused by the differences on our personal histories ,our sets of experience, and ideas.Differences in meaning can often lead to miscommunication. We assume when we create and transmit messages to others our meanings are always understood. We forget that other people see the world through their own eyes, just as we see it through our own eyes. My understanding of a meaning might completely different from someone else’s understanding of the same meaning. Conveyor-belt flaw is what this flaw is called. We assume when we transmit a message to another person they will automatically understand our message. They will physically get our message but that doesn’t guarantee our meaning will be accepted the way we intended it to beThe messages contain both intended and interpreted meaning. Intended meaning is the meaning the sender has in mind when designing his message, interpreted meaning is the meaning the receiver interprets from the message, when intended and interpreted meaning match, shared meaning created.In order to create meaning the author advice us to come up with a perception, organizing, interpretation, to become aware of what we have received, to ordering and categorizing the information we received like a story, and to analyzing what our experience may mean.
The main lesson of this chapter is just sending the physical message doesn't gurantee the listener can interpret as it would be , the context and the condition really matters .

Listening : A Silent Hero

In the chapter four , the auther is mainly focused on the listening skill that is most frequently used. The auther try to differentiate hearing with listening.Listening is needed for more than just learning and remembering. It is also needed to make important decisions and to understand your fellow employee and client needs.Hearing is defined as, the involuntary physiological process of receiving sound waves through receptors in the ear that transmit them to the brain. Hearing is not the same as listening. You can hear sounds without actually listening to them. When you listen, you are hearing, selecting, attending, interpreting, and remembering sounds.There are several different types of listening processes. Active listening is intrapersonal and interactive. You actively focus on, interpret, and respond verbally and nonverbally to messages. Critical listening requires the listener to comprehend information, make assessments, and decisions about the information they are hearing. Sensitive listening is a supportive process. The listener demonstrates empathy towards the speaker, when the speaker is sharing their thoughts and feelings. This process requires full attention from the listener, and judgment making towards the speaker is out of the question. You must allow the speaker to vent and pay attention to their point of view. When a group discussion is taking place, and people are sharing, identifying, and exploring each other’s meanings and perspectives, it is called dialogue listening. Listening to the sound of waves, or leaves rustling in the wind is called pleasure listening. The sounds are enjoyable, comforting, and relaxing. Casual listening is an informal process of listening. During conversational casual listening, the listener has to listen and speak, but they don’t listen effectively and they don’t concentrate on all the messages or respond to all of them. Polite casual listening is applied when an uninterested listener has to listen to a speaker. The listener appears to be paying attention but is really not, they are just doing it to be polite. It is important to hone one’s listening skills since it’s used more frequently than any other skill in the business world. Hearing a person talk is not the same as listening to them speak. Being a good listener is highly beneficial in the business world.
The human brain is built for conversation, but we achieve better results when we think strategically about listening and make a few simple, deliberate choices that support our conversational goals. Your skill as a listener can make or break your success in leadership, teams, customer relationships, and negotiation.

Mohan Ghimire
Date :01 feb 2009

Assignment 1

Business communication

(Letter of introduction)

I am Mohan Ghimire , currently studying MBA with specialization in Management information System. I did my bachelor degree in computer science from Nepal. It has just four monnth that i have been to US.

I chose this course for the master degree because it is both the combination of the business and the computer technology . I have keen interest particularly in the field of business and information technology. Studying the books related to business and technology, travelling to different places , listening to music , moving through the different internet website with the intent of finding something new in the fielf of technology are the main of hobbies of me .

My family consist of six members . My father is the vice -president and mother is the house wife. My brother has the strong determination in the business field , he has owened his own cloth store.

After completion of the Degree , I have planned to go back to my country and contribute the knowledge that i gained in the business and technolokgy field.

With regards ,

Mohan Ghimire

hello