PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION IN THE DIGITAL WORLD,
SOCIAL MEDIA, AND MOBILE
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
COM 259 - COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS AND THE PROFESSIONS
SPRING 2024
Brief Description:
It will initially explain the importance of effective communication for your career and the
company in which you will work; what it means to communicate as a professional in a
business context; models of the communication process; challenges and opportunities of
mobile communication in business; general guidelines for using communication
technologies effectively; definitions of ethics, the difference between ethical dilemmas and
ethical mistakes; and guidelines for making ethical communication choices.
Material Description:
Essential Communication for Careers.
Improving your communication skills is probably the most important step you can take in
your career. You can have the best ideas in the world, but they are useless if you cannot
express them clearly and persuasively. Some jobs such as sales and customer service require
communication skills. Even in engineering jobs, the ability to connect with people is as
important as your technical skills. On the job, you will share ideas with executives,
customers and colleagues. You will need to communicate with a variety of audiences from
investors, bankers, government regulators to employees, customers and even business
partners. You will need to 'sell yourself' into every job contract, in every work situation, and
take full responsibility for your career growth and success. If you enter a corporate executive
role, most of your time will be spent communicating. Business people who can't
communicate well don't have much chance of making it to the top.
Employers are sometimes frustrated with employees who lack communication skills,
especially with college graduates who have not yet learned how to communicate.
communicate in a professional business environment. If you learn to write well, speak well,
listen well, and recognize the right way to communicate in any situation, you will gain great
benefits that you will have throughout your career.
Communication in an Organizational Context:
In addition to the personal benefits, communication is also important for companies.
Effective communication helps businesses in a variety of ways, with:
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Stronger mutual trust between individuals and organizations.
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Closer relationships with key communities in the market.
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Opportunities to influence conversations, perceptions and trends.
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Increased productivity and faster problem solving.
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Better financial results and higher returns for investors.
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Early warning of potential problems, ranging from improving business safety, costs, and
social security issues.
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More effective decision-making based on timely and reliable information.
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Clearer and more persuasive marketing messages.
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Greater employee engagement with their work, higher employee satisfaction, resulting in
lower employee turnover.
What Makes Business Communication Effective?:
Effective communication strengthens the relationship between a company and all its
stakeholders, i.e. all groups affected by the company's actions such as: customers,
employees, shareholders, suppliers, communities, nations, and the world. Make your
communication effective. Focus on delivering messages in a practical, factual, concise, clear
and persuasive manner:
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Provide PRACTICAL information. Provide useful information, whether it will help
them take the desired action or understand new company policies.
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Provide FACTS rather than vague information. Use concrete language, details,
specifics, and information that is clear, convincing, accurate, and ethical.
Even when an opinion is required, provide strong evidence to support your conclusion.
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Provide EFFICIENT information. Respect other people's time, make sure you don't
make it difficult for your audience to understand your message. This requires your
ability to explain simply.
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Clarify expectations and responsibilities. Clarify your message to generate specific
responses. If necessary, explain what you expect from your audience or what you can do
for them.
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Offer convincing arguments and recommendations, PERSUASIVE. Show the audience
how they will benefit by responding to your message the way you want them to.
Communicate as a Professional
You've been communicating your whole life, but if you don't have work experience,
you'll need some adjustments to meet the expectations of a professional environment. It
starts with understanding what it means to be a professional. Professionalism is the quality
of performing at a high level and doing so with purpose and pride. True professionals go
beyond minimum expectations and are committed to making meaningful contributions.
Professionalism consists of 6 different traits: striving for excellence, being reliable and
accountable, a team player, demonstrating ethics, making ethical decisions, and maintaining
a positive outlook. The figure above shows how much the elements of professionalism
depend on effective communication. For example, to be a team player, you need to be able
to collaborate, resolve conflicts, and interact with a wide range of personalities. Without
good communication skills, you will not be able to perform to your potential, and others will
not recognize you.
Communication in an Organizational Context
You need to learn how to apply communication skills in a business environment, which
can be very different from a social environment. Every organization has a formal
communication network, where ideas and information flow along the lines of command
(hierarchical levels) in the company's organizational structure. Through the formal network,
information flows in 3 directions: 1). Downward communication flows from executives to
employees. Examples: relaying executive decisions and providing information that helps
employees do their jobs. 2). Upward communication flows from employees to executives.
For example: providing insight into issues, trends, opportunities, complaints, and
performance, thus enabling executives to solve problems and make smart decisions. 3).
Horizontal communication between departments. Examples: helps employees share
information, coordinate tasks, and solve complex problems.
Every organization also has an informal communication network, often referred to as the
grapevine or rumors, which includes all communications that occur outside of the formal
network. Some of these informal communications occur naturally as a result of employee
interactions in the workplace and in social settings, and some of them occur when formal
networks do not provide the information employees want. In fact, The inherent limitations of
formal communication networks helped spur the growth of social media in the business
environment.
Adopt an Audience-Centered Approach
An audience-centered approach involves understanding and respecting your audience
members and making every effort to deliver your message in a way that is meaningful to
them. This approach is also known as adopting 'you'. An audience-centered approach
involves understanding, respecting, and fulfilling the needs of the message that pertains to
you. Learn as much as you can about your recipient's biases, education, age, status, style,
and personal and professional issues. If you are talking about people you don't know and
you can't find out more about them, try to project yourself into their shoes by using common
sense and imagination. The ability to relate to the needs of others is an important part of
emotional intelligence, the combination of emotional and social skills is widely regarded as
an important characteristic of successful managers. The more you know about the people you
are communicating with, the easier it is to concentrate on their needs. This in turn will make
it easier for them to hear your message, understand it, and respond positively.
A vital element of audience-centered communication is ethics, the norms of behavior
expected in a given situation. In today's busy and competitive world, etiquette may seem
strange and outdated. But the way you behave and interact with others can have a huge
influence on your company's success and career. When executives hire and promote you,
they expect your behavior to protect the company's reputation. The more you understand
such expectations, the better your chances of avoiding career-damaging mistakes.
Process Communication
By viewing communication as a process (pictured above), you can identify and improve the
skills needed to be more successful. There are many variations on this process model, but
these 8 steps provide a practical overview:
1. The sender has an idea. Effective communication starts here and depends on the nature
of the idea and the motivation for sending it. For example, if your motivation is to offer
a solution to a problem, you have a better chance of crafting a meaningful message than
if your motivation is simply to solve a problem.
2. The sender encodes the idea as a message. When someone puts an idea into a message,
they are 'encoding' or expressing the idea in words or images. It takes skill to encode
your ideas into effective messages.
3. The sender produces a message in a medium that can be transmitted. With a suitable
message to express an idea, the sender needs a communication medium to convey that
message to the intended audience. For example, to give a report to your boss about a
project, you will have a dozen or more media options. They range from a phone call, to
instant messaging, to a slide-assisted presentation.
4. The sender transmits the message through a channel. Technology continues to increase
the number of media options you can use. Technology continues to provide new
communication channels that can be used to transmit messages. The distinction between
media and channels is somewhat blurred, but think of media as the form of the message
(such as updates on twitter) and channels as the system used to transmit the message
(such as cell phones).
5. The audience receives the message. If the channel functions correctly, then the message
will reach the intended audience. However, the message reaching the recipient is not a
guarantee that the message will be noticed or understood correctly. Many messages are
ignored or misinterpreted (read how audiences receive messages).
6. Audience decodes the message. Once the message is received, the receiver needs to
extract ideas from the message, this step is known as 'decoding' (how the audience
'decodes' the message).
7. The audience responds to the message. The sender structures the message in various
ways to get the desired response. Thus the sender can increase the likelihood of the
receiver responding in a positive way. However, does the receiver respond as the sender
expects? That will depend on the receiver, (1) remembering the message long enough to
act on it (2) being able to act on it, (3) being motivated to respond.
8. Audiences provide feedback. In addition to responding (or not responding) to the
message, the audience can provide feedback that helps the sender evaluate the
effectiveness of the communication. Feedback can be verbal (using written, or spoken
words), non-verbal (using gestures, facial expressions, or other signals), or both. This
feedback from the receiver also needs to be interpreted carefully. A smile, for example,
can have many meanings.
Considering the complexity of this process and the barriers and distractions that often
occur between the sender and receiver, it's no surprise that communication efforts often
fail to achieve the sender's goals. Fortunately, the better you understand the process, the
better your chances of success.
Barriers in the Communication Environment
In any communication environment, messages can be disrupted by various communication
barriers. These barriers include noise and distraction, competing messages, message filters,
and channel interference:
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Noise and distractions. External distractions range from an uncomfortable meeting room
to a computer screen full of instant messages popping up everywhere. Internal
distractions are thoughts and emotions that prevent the audience from focusing on the
incoming message. The common habit of multitasking is guaranteed to create
communication breakdowns. Multitasking will increase the workload on your brain.
Chronic multitasking often reduces productivity. Having undivided audience attention is
a rare thing. You have to compete with other messages trying to reach your audience at
the same time.
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Message filters. Messages can be blocked or distorted by filters, which are any human
or technological intervention between the sender and receiver. Filtering can be
intentional (such as automatically archiving incoming messages by sender name or
content) or unauthorized (such as spam filters). In some cases, the people or companies
you rely on to deliver messages may alter or filter them to meet their own needs.
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Channel interference. Sometimes a channel breaks down and fails to deliver your
message. A colleague who you rely on to send messages to your boss may forget to do
so, or the computer server may crash, preventing you from updating your blog.
Everyone in the organization can help minimize barriers and distractions. As a
communicator try to be aware of any barriers that may prevent your message from reaching
its destination. As a manager, keep an eye out for any organizational barriers that could
impede the flow of information. Silence your cell phone before coming to a meeting; be
sensitive to the volume when you listen to music or podcasts, or watch videos; even if you
use headphones, audio leaking into your colleagues' space can disrupt their workflow and
concentration.
Finally take steps to protect yourself from distractions. Don't let messages interrupt
you every minute of the day. If the environment is noisy, find ways to block out distractions
such as wearing noise-canceling headphones.
How Audiences Receive Messages
Today's business audiences are similar to drivers on busy roads. They are inundated with
so many messages and noise that they can miss or even ignore messages intended for them.
You will learn different techniques to create messages that recipients will notice. Follow the
5 principles to increase your chances of success.
1. Consider audience expectations. Send messages using the medium and channel that the
audience expects. If colleagues expect meeting notices to be sent via email, don't
suddenly move on and send the message via a blog post without telling anyone. Of
course, going against expectations can sometimes get the audience's attention. That's
why ad makers sometimes do weird and creative things to get noticed. However, for
most business communication efforts following the audience's expectations is the most
efficient way to get your message across.
2. Make sure it's easy to use. Even if your audience is actively searching for your message,
they may not find it if you make it hard to find, hard to navigate, or hard to read.
3. Emphasize familiarity. Use words, images, and designs that are familiar to your
audience, For example, most visitors to a corporate website expect to see company
information on a page called 'About us'.
4. Practice empathy. Make sure your message speaks to the audience clearly according to
their wants and needs, not yours, People tend to pay attention to messages that relate to
their interests.
5. Design compatibility. Be sure to verify technology compatibility with your audience.
For example, if your website requires visitors to have certain capabilities on their
devices, then you will not reach an audience that does not 'install' or update the
software.
How Audiences 'Decode' Messages:
The received message does not mean anything until the receiver interprets and gives
it meaning. There is no guarantee that the receiver will give the same meaning as the sender
intended. Even when well crafted, and with good intentions, communication efforts can fail
at this stage because decoding is a highly personal process influenced by culture, individual
experience, learning and thinking styles, expectations, fears, and even temporary moods.
Cultural and personal beliefs and biases influence the meaning the audience gets from the
message.
For example, the human brain organizes incoming sensations into a mental 'map' that
represents one's 'individual perception' of reality. If the incoming details do not match that
perception, the receiver of the message may simply change the information to make it fit
rather than rearrange his mental 'map', a phenomenon known as 'selective perception'.
Differences in language also affect the meaning received. If you ask an employee to send
you a report on sales figures as soon as possible, does that mean within 10 seconds, 10
minutes, or 10 minutes? 10 days? In general the more experiences you share with others, the
more likely you are to share perceptions and thus share meaning. Individual thinking styles
are another important factor in decoding messages. For example, someone who places a high
value on objective analysis and logic may interpret a message differently, than someone who
values emotion and intuition (reaching conclusions without using a rational process).
How Audiences Respond to Your Message
Your message has been sent, received and translated correctly. Now, will the audience
respond in the way you want them to? That happens when:
First, the receiver must remember the message long enough to act on it. Whatever the
receiver pays attention to will be transferred to short-term memory. Information in short-
term memory will quickly disappear if it is not transferred to long-term memory, which can
be done actively (memorization) or passively (such as when new information relates to other
information that has previously been stored in long-term memory).
Second, the recipient must be able to respond the way you want them to. If the
recipient can't do what you want, they won't respond according to your plan. By
understanding your audience. You can minimize these failures. People are generally more
likely to remember and retrieve information that is important to them personally or
professionally. Communicating by being sensitive to the wants and needs of your audience,
will greatly increase the chances that the message will be remembered and retrieved.
Third, the recipient must be motivated to respond. You will be faced with many
situations where your audience has the option to respond but is not required to. For example,
a record company may or may not offer a contract to a band. You or your boss may or may
not respond to your request for a raise.
Social Communication Model:
The model presented in the figure above illustrates how an idea moves from one
sender to one receiver. It represents the traditional nature of many business communications.
But in recent years, various technologies have enabled and inspired new approaches to
business communication. This social model of communication is interactive, conversational,
and usually open to all who wish to participate. Audiences are no longer passive recipients
of messages but active participants in the conversation. Social media has given a voice to
customers and other stakeholders that may not have been possible in the past. And
businesses are listening to that voice, in fact the most common use of social media is to
monitor online discussions about the company and its brand.
The figure above lists some significant differences between traditional and social
business communication models. The social communication model offers many advantages
but also has disadvantages. Potential problems are: information overload, lower levels of
engagement with tasks and others, fragmented attention, information security risks, reduced
productivity, and difficulty maintaining healthy boundaries between personal and
professional lives. All business professionals and managers need to choose and use digital
tools wisely to control the flow of information they receive.
How Mobile Technology is Changing Business:
The rise of mobile communication has several implications, such as: the need for
websites to be 'mobile friendly'. People will tend to avoid sites that are not optimized for
mobile. As mobile access overtakes computer-based access, some companies are now taking
a "mobile first" approach where websites are designed for optimal viewing on smartphones
and tablets rather than conventional personal computer screens. Just like social media, the
changes brought about by mobile go much deeper than the technology itself. Mobile is
changing the way people communicate. Mobile plays a major and growing role in keeping
people connected wherever they are. People who grew up with mobile communication
technology expect to have immediate access to information and the ability to stay connected
to their various social and business networks. Here are the most significant ways in which
mobile technology is changing business communication practices:
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Constant connectivity is a blessing. As with social media, mobile connectivity can blur
the lines between personal, and professional time and space. Connectivity prevents
people from completely disengaging from work during personal and family time. On the
other hand it can provide more flexibility to meet in person.
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The small displays of mobile present challenges for creating and consuming content, be
it typing an email message or watching a video.
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Mobile users are often multitasking. About half of cell phone use occurs while people
are walking, so they cannot give full attention to the information.
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Mobile communication, particularly text messaging has put pressure on standards of
grammar, punctuation and writing in general.
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Mobile devices can serve as sensory and cognitive extensions. For example they can
help people better perceive their environment (such as 'augmented reality' apps that
place information on a live camera view) and have instant access to information without
relying on damaged and limited human memory.
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Mobile devices create a number of security and privacy concerns for both end users and
enterprises.
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Mobile tools can improve productivity and collaboration by making it easier for
employees to stay connected, and giving them access to information and work tasks
during the workday or while on vacation.
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Mobile apps can help in a variety of business tasks, from research to presentations.
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Mobile connectivity can speed up decision-making and problem-solving by getting the
right information to the right people at the right time.
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Collaboration and problem-solving are two key areas where mobile connectivity can
increase productivity by enabling real-time interaction and access to critical
information.
Using Technology to Improve Business Communication:
Keeping technology in perspective. An important point to remember about technology is
that it is only a tool, a means by which certain tasks can be accomplished. Technology is an
aid to personal communication not a replacement for it. Technology cannot think for you or
communicate for you if you do not have the skills.
Guard against information overload. Misuse of communication technology can lead to
information overload where people receive more information than they can effectively
process. Information overload makes it difficult to distinguish between useful and useless
information, reduces productivity, and increases employee stress at work, at home, and even
causes health and relationship problems. As a sender, you can help reduce information
overload by making sure not to send unnecessary messages. Also, if you are sending non-
urgent or even important messages, let them know by tagging the message, so they can
prioritize it or vice versa.
Using technology tools productively. Facebook, twitter, YouTube, and other technologies
are an important part of the so-called information technology paradox, where information
tools that can take up as much time as they
economize. Social media is a source of specialized attention. While social media can
connect companies with customers and other stakeholders, it has the potential to consume a
lot of employee time. Inappropriate web use not only distracts employees from work
responsibilities, but can leave employers open to lawsuits for sexual harassment if
inappropriate images are ignored. Managers need to guide employees in the productive use
of information tools. The speed and simplicity of information technology is its greatest
weakness. The growing flood of messages from various digital sources can significantly
affect employees' ability to focus on their work. In one study, employees who got a barrage
of emails, instant messages and phone calls, experienced a 10-point drop in their intelligence
on average.
Reconnect with people. Even the best technology can hinder communication if overused.
For example, a common complaint among employees is that managers rely too much on
email versus face-to-face communication. The best communication technology cannot show
people who you really are. Always remember to step out from behind the technology to
learn more about the people you work with and let them learn more about you.
Committed to Ethics and Legal Communication:
Ethics are accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior in society. Ethical
behavior is a concern of all companies, but because communication efforts are the public
face of the company, they are subject to intense scrutiny from regulators, legislators,
investors, consumer groups, environmental groups, labor groups, labor organizations, and
anyone else affected by the business. Ethical communication includes all relevant
information, is truthful in all respects, and does not deceive in any way. Unethical
communication, on the other hand, can distort the truth or manipulate the audience in
various ways:
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Plagiarizing. Plagiarism presents someone else's words as your own. Plagiarism can be
illegal if it violates copyright.
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Omitting important information. Your audience should have all the information needed to
make an objective and intelligent decision.
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Selective misquotation. Distorting or hiding the true meaning of someone else's words.
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Representing the wrong numbers. Statistics and other data can be unethically manipulated
by adding or subtracting numbers, exaggerating, changing statistics, or omitting
numerical data.
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Visual distortion. Images can be manipulated in unethical ways, such as altering photos to
deceive the audience or over-scaling graphs and charts, or hiding differences.
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Failure to determine the privacy or information required. Failing to respect the privacy of
others or failing to protect entrusted information can also be considered unethical (and
sometimes illegal).
Differentiating Ethical Dilemmas from Ethical Lapses:
Some ethical questions are easy to recognize and resolve, but others are not. Deciding
what is ethical can be a major challenge in complex business situations. Ethical dilemmas
involve choosing between alternatives that are unclear. It may be two alternatives that both
contradict each other, or perhaps the alternatives lie in a gray area between right and wrong.
Every company has responsibilities to many people inside and outside the company. Who
often have different interests. For example, employees want higher wages, but investors who
put their money in the company want management to keep costs low so that profits will be
strong to raise the share price. Both sides have potentially ethical and valid concerns. On the
other hand, an ethical mistake is clearly an unethical choice. Telling your potential customer
that you can complete a project by a certain date, when you know you can't is dishonest.
Ensuring Ethical Communication:
Whether or not there are formal guidelines for communicating ethically, every employee
still has a responsibility to communicate ethically. There are no clear guidelines for
communicating ethically. You ask yourself the following questions about your business
communications:
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Have you defined something fairly and accurately?
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What is your intention in communicating this message?
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What impact will this message have on the people who receive it or who might be
affected by it?
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Will the message bring the best possible good while doing the least possible harm?
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Have your assumptions made changes over time? Will the decision seem ethical now, but
seem unethical in the future?
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Are you comfortable with your decision? Will you be embarrassed by the news in
tomorrow's paper or the news that spreads on the internet? Think about someone you
admire and ask yourself what he or she would think about your decision.
Ensure legal communication
In addition to ethical guidelines, business communications are also bound by various
laws and regulations, including the following areas:
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Promotional communication. Marketing specialists need to know more about the laws
that govern advertising. These laws address issues such as product reviews written by
bloggers who receive compensation from the companies involved, false and deceptive
advertising, misleading or inaccurate labeling on product packages, and tactics where
stores advertise products that cost less.
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Contract. A contract legally binds two parties formally where one party makes a specific
offer and the other party accepts. Contracts are essential for every aspect of business from
product sales, to property leasing and credit.
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Employment communications. Various local, state and federal laws govern the
communication of both potential and current employees. For example, job descriptions
must be written in a way that does not intentionally or unintentionally discriminate
against female employees, or people with disabilities.
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Intellectual property. In an age when global connectivity makes copying and
retransmitting digital files easy, intellectual property protection has become a widespread
concern. Intellectual property includes patents, copyrights and trade secrets.
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Financial reporting. Financial professionals and accountants working for trading
companies must comply with strict reporting laws.
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Transparency requirements. Governments around the world are taking steps to help
ensure consumers know who is behind the information they receive, especially when that
information appears online. Written defamation is called libel. A person suing for
defamation must prove 1) that the statement was false 2) that the language damaged the
person's reputation 3) that the statement was published.
