In addition to learning the preferred style of your communication partners, When sending written communication to businesspeople rom another culture, familiarize yourself with their written communication preferences and adapt your approach, style and tone to meet their epectations. To help you prepare effective written communications for multicultural audiences, follow these recommendations:
Use simple, clear language. Use precise words that do not have the potential to convey multiple meanings. For eample, the word rich has at least half a dozen different meanings whereas wealthy has exctly one, leaving no room for ambiguity.
Be brief. Use simple sentences and short paragraphs, breaking information into smaller chunks that are easier for your reader to capture and translate.
Use transitional elements. Help readers follow your train of thought by using transitional words nd phrases. Precede related points with epressions such as "in addition" and "first, second and third."\]
Address interational correspondance properly. Be on the lookout for different address elements and salutations commonly used in foreign countries.
Cite numbers and dates carefully. In the United States, 12-05-16 means December 5, 2016, but in France, Germny and many other countries it means May 12, 2016. Dates in Japan and China are usually expressed with the year first, followed by the month, then the day. Therefore, to write about December 5, 2016 in Japan, write it 2016-12-2016. Similarly, 1.000 means one with three decimal places in the United States and Great Britain, but means 1 thousand in many European countries.
Avoid slang and idiomatic phrases and business jargon. Every day speech and writing is full of slang and idiomatic phrases, phrases that mean more than the sum of their literal parts. Many of these informal usages are so deeply ingrained that you may not even be aware that you are using them. Examples from U.S. English include phrases like "Face the music", "Off the top of my head" and "Crossing the finish line." Your foreign correspont may have no idea what you are talking about when you use such phrases.
Avoid humor and other references to poular culture. If your everyday business correspondance is sprinkled with jokes, references to TV shows and other cultural tidbits, make a conscious effort to avoid these when writng to people from another culture (Business Communication Today 8th ed. by Courtland L. Bovee and John V. Thill; pgs. 76 - 77).
Speaking Clearly
Whether you are traveling to another country or teaming up with someone who is visiting or immigrating to your country, chances are good that sometime in your career, you will need to converse with people whose native language is different from yours.
These guidelines will help you be more effective with intercultural conversation:
Speak slowly and clearly. Your listener may need to consciously work through several steps - steps that you do automatically and nearly instantly in your language - from decoding what the sounds mean, to translating individual words, to even rearrangng the order of words in a sentence, if necessary.
Do not rephrase unless it is necessary. A common mistake is quickly rephrasing a statement or question if you think the other pperson does not immediately grasp what you have just said. Rather than helping, this often makes the situation worse because your listener now has two sets of words to translate and comprehend. Be paitient while he or she tries to extract the meaning from your message. If you get a clear sign that he or she does not understand what you have said, then try another angle. And when you rephrase, choose simpler words and more concrete language. Do not fall into the mistake of simply saying the same thing again but louder.
Look for - and ak for - feedback. Be alert to signs of confusion in your listener. Realize that nods and smiles do not necessarily mean understanding. If the other person's body language seems at odds with the flow of conversation, ask questions to see if your message is getting through.
Do not talk down to the other person. Try not to overpronunciate. Do not simplify sentences to the point of spouting gibberish and do not get frustrated with the listener for not undertanding;
Learn foreign phrases. Learn common greetings and a few basic phrases in the other person's native language. Even something as simple as knowing how to say "please" and "thank you" in the other language will show your good intentions and respect for others.
Clarify what will happen next. At the end of the conversation be sure that you and tre other person agree on what has been said and decided. If appropriate, follow up by writing a letter or a memo that summarizes the conversation and thanks the person for meeting with you.(Bovee, Thill; pgs. 77 -80).
Recognizing Nonverbal Communication by: Charles Lamson
You have been tuned into nonverbal communication since your first contact with other human beings. However special attention to these signals in the workplace will enhance your ability to communicate successfully. Moreover, as you interact with business associates from other cultures you will discover that some nonverbal signals do not necessarily translate across cultures. The range and variety of nonverbal symbols is almost endless but you can grasp the basics by studying five general categories:
Facial expression. Your face is the primary site for expressing your emotions; it reveals both the type and the intensity of your feelings. Your eyes are especially effective for indicating attention and interest, influencing others, regulating interaction and establishing dominance.
Gesture and posture. By moving or not moving your body you express both specific and general messages some voluntary and some involuntary. Many gestures - a wave of the hand, for example - have a specific and intentional meaning. Other types of body movement are unintentional and express a more general message. Slouching, leaning forward, fidgeting and walking briskly are all unconscious signals that reveals whether you feel confident or nervous, friendly or hostile, assertive or passive, powerful or powerless.
Vocal characteristics. Your voice always carries both intentional and unintentional messages. Consider the sentence "What have you been up to?" If you repeat that question changing your tone of voice and stressing various words you can consciously convey considerably different meanings. However, your voice can also reveal things of which you are unaware. Your tone and volume, your accent and speaking pace and all the little um's and ah's that creep into speech say a lot about who you are, your relationship with the audience and the emotions underlying your words.
Personal appearance. People respond to others on the basis of their physical appearance, sometimes fairly and other times unfairly. Although an individual's body type and facial features impose limitations, most people are able to control their appearance to some degree. Grooming, clothing accessories, style - you can control all of these. If your goal is to make a good impression, adopt the style of people you want to impress.
Touch. Touch is an important way to convey comfort and reassurance. In fact, touch is so powerful that it is governed by cultural customs that establish who can touch whom and how in various circumstances. For exampe, in the United States and Great Britain, people usually touch less frequently than people in France or Costa Rica. However, even in each culture's norms, individual attitudes toward touch can vary widely. A manager might be comfortable using hugs to express support or congratulations, but his or her subordinates might interpret those hugs as either a show of dominance or sexual interest. Touch is a complex subject. The best advice: when in doubt, do not touch.
Time and space. Like touch, time and space can be used to assert authority, imply intimacy and send other nonverbal messages. For example, some people try to demonstrate their own importance or disregard for others by making other people wait. Others show respect by being on time. The manipulation of space works in a similar way. When top executives gather for lunch in a private dining room, they send a strong signal to all the employees crowding into the cafeteria downstairs. The decision to respect or violate someones private space is another powerful nonverbal signal. Again attitudes toward time and space vary from culture to culture (Business Communication Today 8th ed. by Courtland L. Bovee and John V. Thill; pgs. 53 - 54).
No matter which mode of listening you use in a given conversation, it is important to recognize that listening is a far more complex process than most people think. As a consequence, most of us are not very good at it. Given such complexity, it is no wonder most of us listen at or below a 25 percent efficiency rate, remember only about half of what is said during a 10 minute conversation, and forget half of that within 48 hours. Furthermore, when questioned about material we have just heard we are likely to get the facts mixed up (Business Communication Today 8th ed by Courtland L. Bovee and John V. Thill; pg. 50).
Why is such a seemingly simple activity so difficult? The answer lies in the complexity of the process. To listen effectively, you need to successfully complete 5 separate steps.
Receiving: You start by physically hearing the message and acknowledging it. Physical reception can be blocked by noise, impaired hearing or inattention. Some experts also include nonverbal messages as part of this stage, since these factors influence the listening process as well.
Interpreting: Your next step is to assign meaning to sounds which you do according to your own values beliefs, ideas, expectations, roles, needs and personal history.
Remembering: Before you can use the information, you need to store it for future processing. First, you need to need to capture it in short-term memory, which is your brain's temporary notepad. Information disappears from short-term memory quickly though, so you need to transfer it to long-term memory for safekeeping.
Evaluating: With the speaker's message captured, your next step is to evaluate it by applying critical thinking skills. Separate fact from opinion and evaluate the quality of the evidence.
Responding: After you have evaluated the speaker's message, you now react. If you are communicating one-on-one or in a small group the initial response generally takes the form of verbal feedback. If you are one of many in an audience, your initial response may take the form of applause, laughter or silence. Later on, you may act on what you have heard (Bovee, Thill; pg. 50).
If any one of these steps breaks down, the listening process becomes less effective or even fails entirely. For example, if you work in a noisy environment, you may never hear a message intended for you. If you do receive the message, a lack of shared meaning or shared language between you and the speaker might lead to a different interpretation than the speaker intended. Or you might have looked away when the person was speaking and thereby missed an important nonverbal clue that would have helped you decipher the intended meaning. And even if you did interpret the meaning as the speaker hoped, you might forget it before you get around to acting on the information(Bovee, Thill; pg. 50).
As both a sender and receiver you can reduce the failure rate by recognizing and overcoming a variety of physical and mental barriers to effective listening
Improving Your Listening Skills by: Charles Lamson The success of meetings and teams of individuals and companies depends on effective listening. The importance of listening is self-evident. If a person will not or cannot listen, the speaker's message simply will not get through. Some 80 percent of top executives say that listening is the most important skill needed to get things done in the workplace (Business Communication Today 8th ed; by Courtland L. Bovee and John V. Thill; pg.49).
Effective listening strengthens organizational relationships, enhances product delivery, alerts the organization to opportunities for innovation and allows the organization to manage growing diversity both in the workforce and in the customers it serves. Companies that listen effectively stay informed, up to date and out of trouble, those that do not so lose millions of dollars each year. Effective listening is vital to the process of building trust not only between organizations but also between individuals. Effective listening will give you a competitive edge, enhancing your performance, and thus, the influence you have within your company (Bovee, Thill; pg. 49).
Recognizing Different Types of Listening
Understanding the nature of listening is the first step toward improving your listening skills. People listen in a variety of ways although how they listen is often an unconscious choice. An employee who values teamwork and relationships will naturally be inclined to look for ways to bond with a speaker. An action-oriented listener might miss important information related to tasks that need to be completed (Bovee, Thill; pg. 49).
In either case, relying on a single approach to listening limits your effectiveness. A people-oriented listener might miss important information about an upcoming deadline, whereas an action-oriented listener might miss an important clue that there are personal problems brewing between two team members (Bovee, Thill; pg. 49).
The primary goal of content listening is to understand and retain the speaker's message. When you are listening for content, the emphasis is on information and understanding. Ask questions to clarify the material and probe for details. Since you are not evaluating at this point it does not matter whether you agree or disagree, approve or disapprove - only that you understand. Just focus on the information (Bovee, Thill; pg. 49).
The goal of critical listening is to understand and evaluate the meaning of the speaker's message on several levels: the logic of the argument, the strength of the evidence, the validity of the conclusions, the implication of the message for you and your organization, the speaker's intentions and motives, and the omission of any important or relevant points. Be on the lookout for bias that might color the way the information is presented and be careful to separate opinions from facts (Bovee, Thill; pg. 49).
The goal of empathic listening is to understand the speaker's feelings, needs and wants so that you can appreciate his or her point of view, regardless of whether you share that perspective. By listening in an empathic way, you help the individual vent the emotions that prevent a calm, clear-headed approach to the subject. Sometimes the only thing an upset colleague is looking for is somebody to listen. To avoid the temptation to jump in with advice unless the person asks for it, do not judge the speaker's feelings and do not try to tell people they should not feel this or that emotion. Instead, let the speaker know that you appreciate his or her feelings and understand the situation. Once you establish that connection you can then help the speaker move on to search for a solution (Bovee, Thill; pg. 49).
Communication in Organizational Settings by: Charles Lamson
In every part of the business organization communication provides the vital link between people and information. Whether you are a top manager or an entry-level employee, you have information that others need in order to perform their jobs, and others have information that is critical to you. When you exchange information with people inside your organization, it is called internal communication. When you exchange information and ideas with others outside your organization, it is called external communication. This information travels over both formal and informal channels (Business Communication Today 8th ed; Courtland L. Bovee and John V. Thill; pg. 8).
Formal and Informal Communication
Every organization has a formal communication network, in which ideas and information flow along the lines of command (the hierarchical levels) in your company's organization structure. Throughout the internal formal network, information flows in three directions:
Downward flow. Downward communication flows from executives to employees, sharing executive decisions and providing information that helps employees do their jobs.
Upward flow. Upward communication flows from employees to executives, providing accurate and timely reports on problems, trends, opportunities, grievances and performance - thus allowing executives to solve problems and make intelligent decisions.
Horizontal flow. Lateral or diagonal communication flows between departments to help employees share information and coordinate tasks. Such communication is especially useful for solving complex and difficult problems (Bovee, Thill; pg. 8).
Every organization also has an informal communication network - a grapevine that operates anywhere two or more employees are in contact, from the lunchroom to the golf course to the company's email and instant messaging systems. Some executives are wary of the informal network, but savvy managers tap into it to spread and receive informal messages. Grapevines tend to be most active when employees believe the formal network is not providing the information they want or need (Bovee, Thill; pg. 8).
External communication flows into and out of the organization along formal lines (carefully prepared letters, announcements, email messages, face-to-face meetings and so on). It can also take place by informal means such as discussing work with your friends, meeting potential sales contacts at industry gatherings, networking at social events, talking with customers and so on. Although these interactions are informal, they can still be vital to the company's success so they require the same care and skill as formal communication (Bovee, Thill; pg. 8).
Preface of Analysis of Business Communication Today, 8th ed by Courtland L. Bovee and John V. Thill
by Charles Lamson
Technology plays a central role in business communication. Technology also plays a central role in Business Communication Today. The eighth edition builds on 20 years of success with an extensive revision that integrates every vital form of technology that students will be expected to use on the job.
It is part of The Rant's mission to provide readers with a solid background in communication and a realistic look at the challenges of working in today's demanding business environment, and the skills they need to compete and succeed. Business Communication Today helps readers use technology wisely, work quickly under time and budget constraints and communicate with close attention to ethics and etiquette.
Business Communication Today helps readers take full advantage of new advances in technology that can have a positive effect on learning. The blending of this book and technology make the text an effective teaching and learning tool.
Because of its vivid insights into real world communication situations and lively conversational writing style, this text holds interest.The text has been awarded the Award of Excellence by the Text and Academic Authors Association, and is the leading text in the field
This textbook offers an extraordinary number of devices to simplify teaching, promote active learning, stimulate critical thinking and develop career skills.
Every organization depends on mutually beneficial relationships with its key publics in order to meet its business objectives. For multinational corporations seeking to do business outside their home countries, especially in less-developed regions of the world, establishing and maintaining those relationships often requires overcoming a perception that foreign companies are investing in developing countries just to make a quick profit. This challenge is particularly significant in Latin America, a region characterized by large socioeconomic differences, mistrust of large institutions and corruption both in government and the private sector. Companies have learned that for them to be successful in this environment they must be socially responsible corporate citizens. Only when their key publics see them as socially responsible entities that listen to their publics, will their publics be ready to listen to and trust them.
As a foreign investor, a large multinational corporation and a relative newcomer doing business in Latin America, BellSouth needed to develop a public relations strategy for the region that would allow it to overcome the cultural challenges of the business environment, and position itself as a socially responsible company interested in the long-term well being of the countries in which it operated. BellSouth needed to find a way to give a soul to its corporate brand by demonstrating a commitment to local communities stretching from Guatemala to Nicaragua in Central America to Chile at the tip of South America.
BellSouth is strongly associated with community involvement in the USA, emphasizing innovative educational projects. But research indicated that merely stating that the company had a proven track record of community involvement back home would not be enough. The company needed to create a regional community relations program for Latin America that was consistent with the focus on education that characterized its corporate giving in the USA.
Many worthy causes were considered for possible sponsorship: popular sports, mental health issues, drug abuse and the arts. Eventually, BellSouth decided to focus on the education of Latin America's working children. As many as 29 million children from 3 to 4 years old, up into their teens, were working and could not attend school at all because they were needed to help their families by working full time selling flowers and gum in the streets, shining shoes, working in the fields or serving as full-time domestic help. They entered adulthood without a basic education and typically sent their own children to work rather than to school perpetuating the cycle of poverty and illiteracy. BellSouth research showed that the plight of working children was an "orphan issue": an issue not yet adopted for assistance or solution by any government body or non-government organization (NGO).
BellSouth's program, BellSouth Pronino, was simple: provide small scholorships - enough to cover tuition, uniform, school supplies, tutoring, transportation, tutoring and extra-curricular activities - so children could go to school. The company made a $6 million commitment over a five-year period to the program, half of it coming from BellSouth's 10 Latin American operations and half from the BellSouth foundation. To give the program greater credibility, BellSouth partnered with a local NGO in each of the 10 countries to administer the awarding of the scholarships. The BellSouth public relations manager/director in each of the ten countries managed by BellSouth Pronino. The first scholarship grants were made in 2001, and over a period of four years BellSouth made awards to more than 9,000 children. BellSouth sold its Latin American operations at the end at the end of 2004 to Telefonica of Spain. Telefonica liked the Pronino program so much it agreed to continue and support it.
BellSouth's Pronino program met the company's overall goal of positioning itself as a socially responsible investor in Latin America and a partner in the long-term development of the countries in which it operated. Especially valuable were the relationships it was able to establish with the region's new generation of leaders who welcomed initiatives from the private sector to help them address the needs of their countries' underpriviliged groups. The program also proved a useful public relations tool offering many opportunities to reach the company's publics through events, press conferences, meetings with opinion leaders and visits to schools.
And most important of all, the program strengthened the relationship with one of BellSouth's most important publics, its own employees. Employees were not only proud of working for a socially responsible company but also stepped forward to volunteer time and money to BellSouth Pronino.
Source: Don James Tilson and Maria Schnabel, "The Social Role of Public Relations in Latin America: A 10-Country Community Relations Program Becomes an Effective Public Relations Tool for a US Multinational," in The Evolution of Public Relations in Transition, 2nd ed - 2004
Crisis PR: Media Headquarters in Emergencies Your operation must contain two specific areas that serve as a central clearing for reporters and company PR personnel in a serious emergency. These areas should be equipped with several telephones and with one place for people to sit and write ("This is PR: The Realities of Public Relations - 9th ed.;" by Doug Newsom, Judy VanSlyke Turk and Dean Kruckeberg). If the emergency is centered in the area of one of the headquarters, the alternate location should be used. Company employees should be informed of this fact so they are able to attract reporters to the area from which news will be forthcoming (Newsom, Turk, Kruckeberg). At least two secretaries should be made available to the staff member handling public relations if the emergency takes place during working hours since there will be times when this individual will be away from news headquarters (Newsom, Turk, Kruckeberg). If no news headquarters needs to be established all calls from the newsmedia should be diverted to one or two designated lines. While the PR person is out assessing the situation, names and phone numbers of callers should be taken (Newsom, Turk, Kruckeberg). Handling PR in an Emergency
Need for establishing the new headquarters will be determined by the PR person.
The person handling public relations will maintain contact with reporters, making sure they stay in approved locations while on plant property and provide as quickly as possible all information determined to be in the company's best interest.
The person handling public relations will check with a designated representative of management on the text of announcements and help formalize answers to questions.
The person handling public relations will be responsible for guiding reporters into the disaster area, if company management will permit such a visit.
The fundamental responsibility for which facts are to be given to the press and ultimately to the public must remain with top management. It is the responsibility of the person handling public relations to cooperate with the approval of top management.
Maintain close contact with member of media. More often than not they will be able to tell you things you do not already know. This is a great way to stem the flow of false information.
Keep a log of all facts given out with times they were released. This avoids duplication and conflicting reports if new developments should change facts.
Do not release the name of victims until you know for a fact that the families involved have been notified. Tell the reporters that the name of the victim will be made available as soon as the next of kin has been told of the mishaps.
When it is necessary to admit a fact already known to the press, be sure confirmation is limited only to definite information that will not change. If firefighters carry a victim from the plant in a bodybag and the reporter sees it, say only that one body has been recovered. DO NOT SAY that you "don't know how many are dead." Never speculate as to the cause of accident, amount of damage, responsibility, possible downtime delays in shipments, layoffs and so on.
In other words, say no more to confirm what is already known and yet give the reporters the impression the company will give all the assistance it possibly can. As facts that will not be harmful become known, clear them and give them to news media people (Newsom, Turk, Kruckeberg).
Questions to Look for in Emergencies
What Reporters Can Get from Other Sources if Forced To
Number of deaths.
Number of injuries.
Damage. (Fire chief will give estimate in dollars; give yours in general terms of what was destroyed as soon as known).
What burned and/or collapsed.
Time.
Location within plant (paint locker, press room, etc.).
Names of dead and injured, following notification of relatives.
Their addresses, ages and how long with company as well as occupation.
Facts Desired But Not Necessarily Desirable To Give
Speculation about anything.
Any delays in delivery and such.
How caused (Let city officials release this - chances are story will die before report is completed).
Specific damage estimate as well as what was destroyed (This information may be extremely valuable to competitors).
Results can be identified on several levels. For example, suppose that you are in charge of public relations for the local public library system. Your first goal may be to get a bond issue passed for a new library. You also want to increase awareness of specific areas of library service and perhaps to stimulate demand for more bookmobiles to serve more distant locations of the library's service area. You may lose the bond issue but if results are positive with the other two objectives, you will have accumulated goodwill that can help at future budget hearings to increase services and to provide more bookmobiles.
Estimates or timetables for achieving results need be no more elaborate than a marked calendar. However, the deadlines must be realistic, given the objectives involved. Allow for foul-up time, and try to finish work ahead of schedule. Avoid the need to explain continually why you are behind. Contingency planning means deciding in advance who will pick up the ball if someone drops it and what effect the substitution will have. Downtime from mistakes can be reduced considerably if you have a realistic timetable. Do not crowd yourself or your staff. Consider how to integrate the project into the overall schedule of PR activities so it will not conflict with regular duties such as writing the annual report or preparing for a stockholders' meeting. If necessary, allow for calling in extra clerical help when there is an overload ("This is PR: The Realities of Public Relations 9th ed.;" by Doug Newsom, Judy VanSlyke Turk and Dean Kruckeberg; pg. 304).
You have to know at this point whether you are working from your department's regular allocated budget or from a special project budget. If it is a special project , you must know its size and be aware of conditions or restrictions that are being placed on it. Alternatively, the budget may be a mixture of your regular budget plus specific additional amounts for specific purposes. It might also be that additional money must be allocated before your budget is complete. Accurate knowledge of your budget will allow you to see what extra help you can contract for, how often you can use these media.
Model of a Successful Organization An Analysis by: Charles Lamson
Model of the Successful Organization
A successful organization begins with and invests much energy in a definitive mission statement (values) - the distilled essence of the organization's reason for being. The definitive mission statement implies the organization's positioning, goals and policies ("This is PR: The Realities of Public Relations 9th ed." by Doug Newsom, Judy VanSlyke Turk and Dean Kruckeberg; pg. 302).
This is carried out by corporate culture (shared values). Corporate culture is demonstrated by role models and heroes, and reinforced by rituals and stories. Corporate culture is the source of teamwork, morale and productivity (Newsom, Turk, Kruckeberg; pg. 302).
This, in turn, lets the organization speak with one clear voice to penetrate the the changing and competitive environment by building positive public relationships (expressed values). More than marketing or communication, positive public relationships are the source of loyalty, credibility and trust (Newsom, Turk, Kruckeberg; pg. 302).
Over time this creates a reputation (understood values). A good reputation generates latent readiness to like accept, trust or believe. Reputation is a serendipitous and self-powering force that lies at the core of all human interface. Reputation is epitomized in the old Squibb motto, "The priceless ingredient in every product is the honor and integrity of it's maker" (Newsom, Turk, Kruckeberg; pg. 302).
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