Ninth
Canadian
Edition
Mary Ellen Guffey
Dana Loewy
Richard Almonte
CEofsosBmeunmstiiuannlesiscsation
09EDITION Essentials of
Business Communication
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
This is an electronic version of the print textbook. Due to electronic rights restrictions,
some third party content may be suppressed. The publisher reserves the right to remove content
from this title at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it. For valuable information
on pricing, previous editions, changes to current editions, and alternate formats, please visit
nelson.com to search by ISBN#, author, title, or keyword for materials in your areas of interest.
Essentials of Business
Communication, Ninth Canadian
Edition
Mary Ellen Guffey, Dana Loewy,
and Richard Almonte
VP, Product Solutions, K–20: Senior Production Project Manager: Design Director:
Claudine O’Donnell Natalia Denesiuk Harris Ken Phipps
Publisher: Production Service: Higher Education Design PM:
Alexis Hood MPS Limited Pamela Johnston
Executive Marketing Manager: Copy Editor: Interior Design:
Amanda Henry Kate Unrau Dave Murphy
Content Manager: Proofreader: Cover Design:
Lisa Peterson Lakshmi John Montgomery
Photo and Permissions Researcher: Indexer: Compositor:
Jessica Freedman Edwin Durbin MPS Limited
COPYRIGHT © 2019, 2016 by Nelson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of Library and Archives Canada
Education Ltd. this work covered by the copyright Cataloguing in Publication
herein may be reproduced,
Adapted from Essentials of Business transcribed, or used in any form Guffey, Mary Ellen, author
Communication, Tenth Edition, by or by any means—graphic, Essentials of business
Mary Ellen Guffey and Dana Loewy, electronic, or mechanical, including
published by Cengage Learning. photocopying, recording, taping, communication / Mary Ellen Guffey,
Copyright © 2016 by Cengage Web distribution, or information Professor Emerita of Business, Los
Learning. storage and retrieval systems— Angeles Pierce College, Dana Loewy,
without the written permission of Business Communication Program,
Printed and bound in Canada the publisher. California State University, Fullerton,
1 2 3 4 20 19 18 17 Richard Almonte, George Brown
For permission to use material College. — Ninth Canadian edition.
For more information contact from this text or product,
Nelson Education Ltd., submit all requests online at Includes bibliographical references
1120 Birchmount Road, Toronto, cengage.com/permissions. and index.
Ontario, M1K 5G4. Or you can visit Further questions about Issued in print and electronic
our Internet site at nelson.com permissions can be emailed to formats.
[email protected] ISBN 978-0-17-672124-4 (softcover).
Cognero and Full-Circle Assessment —ISBN 978-0-17-682714-4 (PDF)
are registered trademarks of Every effort has been made to
Madeira Station LLC. trace ownership of all copyrighted 1. Business writing—Textbooks.
material and to secure permission 2. English language—Business
from copyright holders. In the event English—Textbooks. 3. Business
of any question arising as to the use communication—Textbooks.
of any material, we will be pleased 4. Textbooks. I. Loewy, Dana, author
to make the necessary corrections in II. Almonte, Richard, author III. Title.
future printings.
HF5718.3.G84 2018 808.06’665
C2017-906968-3
C2017-906969-1
ISBN-13: 978-0-17-672124-4
ISBN-10: 0-17-672124-X
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
09EDITION Essentials of
Business Communication
Mary Ellen Guffey
Professor Emerita of Business
Los Angeles Pierce College
Dana Loewy
Business Communication Program
California State University, Fullerton
Richard Almonte
George Brown College
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Learning With Guffey…
From the emphasis on writing in an increasingly
digital workplace to updated model d ocuments,
Guffey, Loewy, and Almonte have updated tools
and created new ways to keep you interested and
engaged.
The following six pages describe features that
will help you succeed in today’s technologically
enhanced workplace.
Essentials of Business Communication offers a three-in-one learning package that gets
results:
• A uthoritative textbook
• Practical workbook
• Self-teaching Grammar/Mechanics Handbook
EMPHASIS ON GRAMMAR
Throughout the text, you are encouraged to build on your basic grammar skills. The
Grammar/Mechanics Handbook coupled with the Web-based Grammar/Mechanics
Checkups and Grammar/Mechanics Challenges help you practise and sharpen your
skills.
EMPHASIS ON PROFESSIONALISM
The Ninth Canadian Edition increases its emphasis on professional workplace
behaviours and illustrates the importance of professionalism. Businesses have a keen
interest in a professional workforce that effectively works together to deliver positive
results that ultimately boost profits and bolster a company’s image. In this edition,
you’ll discover the professional characteristics most valued in today’s competitive
workplace.
CAREER RELEVANCE
Because employers often rank communication skills among the most requested
competencies, the Ninth Canadian Edition emphasizes the link between excellent
communication skills and career success—helping you see for yourself the critical role
business communication will play in your life.
iv NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
It’s Just That Easy!
FIGURE 2.6 | Applying Expert Writing Techniques to Improve an Email
DRAFT
Christina Watkins <[email protected]>
All BioTech Team Members
Focuses on sender e Negative-sounding More Before-
rather than subject line and-After Model
presenting ideas with Our company faces harsh governmental penalties if we fail to comply with the Air Quality Documents
audience bene ts Management District’s program to reduce the number of automobile trips made by Uses unfamiliar words
employees. (aforementioned, Before-and-after sample
Presents ideas The aforementioned program stipulates that we offer incentives to entice employees to stipulates, entice) documents and descrip-
negatively (penalty, discontinue driving their vehicles as a means of transportation to and from this place of tive callouts create a
must not drive, employment. Doesn’t use plain road map to the writing
will not be limited, will First, we are prepared to offer a full day off without penalty. However, the employee must English or process, demonstrating
not be forced) and not drive to work and must maintain a 75 percent vanpool participation rate for six months. conversational tone the effective use of the
assumes driver will be Second, we offer a vanpool subsidy of $100 a month, and the vanpool driver will not be (pertaining to, skills being taught, as
male limited in the personal use he makes of the vehicle on his own time. Third, employees in herewith, facilitating, well as the significance
the vanpool will not be forced to park in outlying lots. above-referenced) of the revision process.
Pertaining to our need to have you leave your cars at home, all employees are herewith
instructed to communicate with Saul Salazar, who will be facilitating the above-referenced
program.
REVISION
Positive-sounding Christina Watkins <[email protected]>
subject line All BioTech Team Members
Opens with “you” Great Perks for Driving Less
view and audience Hi, Team,
bene ts Want to earn a full day off with pay, reduce the stress of your commute, and pay a lot less
Phrases option in As part of the Air Quality Management District’s Trip Reduction Plan, you can enjoy the
bulleted list with :
“you” view
highlighting bene ts Full Day Off. If you maintain a 75 percent participation rate in our ride-share program
(day off, less driving for a six-month period, you will receive one day off with pay.
stress, lower gas bill) Vanpool Subsidy. By joining a vanpool, you will receive assistance in obtaining a van
along with a monthly $100 subsidy. Even better, if you become a vanpool driver, you will
Repeats audience also have unlimited personal use of the vehicle off company time.
bene ts with Preferential Parking. By coming to work in vanpools, you can park close to the building
conversational tone in reserved spaces.
and familiar words Why not help the environment, reduce your gas bill, and enjoy other perks by joining
this program? For more information and to sign up, please contact Saul Salazar at
© Cengage Learning [email protected] before February 1.
Chris
Christina Watkins
Senior Coordinator, Human Resources
[email protected]
(902) 349-5871
NEL v
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Learning With Guffey…
Office Insider OFFICE
INSIDER
To accentuate
how excellent “Civility on the job creates
communication skills an atmosphere of respect
translate into career and appreciation that ulti-
success, the Office mately translates to a better
Insider demonstrates reputation and, hence, to
the importance of better business.”
communication skills in
real-world practice. —Ronald M. Bosrock, founder and
director of The Global Institute, a
research centre
Workplace in WORKPLACE IN FOCUS GaudiLab/Shutterstock
Focus Photo
Essays At credit card company Amex’s Canadian
headquarters in Toronto, brainstorming and
Vivid photos with informal research is built right into the office
intriguing stories architecture. In a recent head-office move, Amex
demonstrate real-world decided to devote 20 percent of its office floor
applications of business space—on every floor—to “open, collaborative
communication con- spaces so employees can set up meetings
cepts. Each photo essay in the conference room, grab a couch by a
concludes with a criti- window, or enjoy a whiteboard brainstorming
cal thinking question. session over lunch with a colleague—all without
1 Encouraging
employees to seek out information in this way,
of research gathering necessary in an ideas-
Millennial workers who appreciate collaboration
and informality in the workplace. What type
vi NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
It’s Just That Easy!
WRITING PLAN FOR PROFESSIONAL EMAILS Writing Plans
• Subject line: Summarize the main information/request in condensed Ample step-by-step
writing plans help you
form. get started quickly
on organizing and
• Greetings: Say hello and goodbye politely. formatting messages.
• Opening: Reveal the reason for writing immediately in a more
expanded form than in the subject line.
• Body: Explain or justify the reason using headings, bulleted lists, and
other high-skim techniques when appropriate.
• Closing: Include (a) action information, dates, or deadlines; (b) a sum-
mary of the message; or (c) a closing thought.
Closes with A number of other payroll services offer outstanding programs. I’m sure we can find Tips for
forward look the perfect partner to enable you to outsource your payroll responsibilities, thus Preparing
allowing your company to focus its financial and human resources on its core Business
business. I look forward to our next appointment when you may choose from a Messages
number of excellent payroll outsourcing firms.
Sincerely, Tips boxes summarize
practical suggestions
Jane Moffatt Tips for Resolving Problems and Following Up for creating effective
Partner Whenever possible, call or see the individual business messages.
involved. Study them before com-
Describe the problem and apologize. pleting your writing
Explain why the problem occurred. assignments.
Take responsibility, if appropriate.
Explain what you are doing to resolve it.
Explain what you are doing to prevent recurrence.
Follow up with a message that documents the
personal contact.
Look forward to positive future relations.
NEL vii
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Learning With Guffey…
Chapter Review CHAPTER REVIEW
and Critical
Thinking 1. Define communication. When is it successful? (Obj. 1)
Exercises 2. List the five steps in the communication process. (Obj. 1)
3. In what ways is business writing different from high school writing and private messages? (Obj. 2)
End-of-chapter ques- 4. Describe the components in each stage of the 3-3-3 writing process. (Obj. 2)
tions reinforce concepts 5. What does WIIFM mean? Why is it important to business writers? (Obj. 3)
covered in each chapter. 6. What seven factors should writers consider in selecting an appropriate channel to deliver a message? (Obj. 3)
7. What is the “you” view? When can the use of the pronoun you backfire? (Obj. 4)
8. How can a business writer sound conversational but also be professional? (Obj. 4)
9. Why is positive wording more effective in business messages than negative wording? (Obj. 5)
10. What are three ways to avoid biased language? Give an original example of each. (Obj. 5)
CRITICAL THINKING
1. Has digital transmission changed the nature of communi- 5. In a letter to the editor, a teacher criticized a newspaper
cation? (Obj. 1) article on autism because it used the term autistic child
rather than child with autism. She championed people-
2. Why do you think employers prefer messages that are not first terminology, which avoids defining individuals by their
written like high school writing? (Obj. 2) ability or disability.6 For example, instead of identifying
someone as a disabled person, one would say, she has
3. Why should business writers strive to use short, familiar, a disability. What does people-first language mean? How
simple words? Does this “dumb down” business mes- can language change perceptions? (Obj. 5)
sages? (Obj. 5)
4. A wise observer once said that bad writing makes smart
people look dumb. Do you agree or disagree, and why?
(Objs. 1–5)
viii NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
It’s Just That Easy!
ACTIVITIES AND CASES Activities
and Cases
5.1 EMAIL THAT INFORMS AND REQUESTS: DRESS CODE
CONTROVERSY (OBJ. 1) Chapter concepts are
As the Montreal-based director of Human Resources at Sensational, you have not had a good translated into action as
week. The national media recently reported the fact that Sensational—a leading women’s you try out your skills
fashion chain—has been taken before the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission to defend in activities designed
against a claim by a young woman. The young woman recently applied for a job at a Halifax to mirror real-world
Sensational location and was told in a pre-interview with a manager that “she’d never be hired experiences.
if she wore her headdress to work.” Citing the Commission’s website claim that “It’s against
the law to fire an employee because he wears clothing that is required by his religion,” the
young woman lodged a complaint.44 Head office in Vancouver has been in damage-control
mode ever since.
Your Task. Quickly realizing the effects the negative media reporting will have, you draft an
email to all employees. The purpose of the email is to reaffirm that Sensational abides by
and supports all Canadian human rights legislation and, at the same time, that employees
should not talk to any media that may ask them for comments. You realize that these two
messages are somewhat contradictory (one positive, one negative), but you feel time is of
the essence.
Related website: Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission (www.gov.ns.ca/humanrights).
NEL ix
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Brief Contents
Preface xvi
Acknowledgments xxi
Unit 1: Business Communication in the Digital Age 1
1. Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace 4
Unit 2: The Business Writing Process 26
2. Planning Your Message 28
3. Organizing and Drafting Your Message 46
4. Revising Your Message 61
Unit 3: Writing at Work 79
5. Daily Workplace Writing Channels 82
6. Persuasive Writing Situations 106
7. Negative Writing Situations 127
Unit 4: Business Reports and Proposals 151
8. Informal Reports 153
9. Proposals and Formal Reports 179
Unit 5: Professionalism and Speaking Skills 215
10. Communicating Professionally in Person 218
11. Business Presentations 244
Unit 6: Communicating for Employment 269
12. The Job Search, Résumés, and Cover Letters 272
13. Interviews and Follow-Up 302
Appendixes 327
A. A Guide to Document Formats 327
B. Correction Abbreviations and Proofreading Marks 337
C. Documentation Formats 339
D. Style in Writing 349
Grammar/Mechanics Handbook 359
Key to Grammar/Mechanics Checkups 417
Notes 419
Index 427
x NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Contents
Preface xvi
Acknowledgments xxi
Unit 1: Business Communication in the Digital Age 1
Chapter 1: Communicating in the 1.4a Context 16
Digital-Age Workplace 4 1.4b Individualism 17
1.1 The Relationship Between Solid Communication 1.4c Time Orientation 18
1.4d Power Distance 18
Skills and Workplace Success 4 1.4e Communication Style 18
1.1a Solid Communication Skills: Your Path to Success 4 1.4f Intercultural Communication, Social Media,
1.1b The Digital Revolution: Why Writing Skills Matter
and Communication Technology 19
More Than Ever 5 1.5 Building Intercultural Workplace Skills 20
1.1c What Employers Want: Professionalism 6
1.1d How Your Education Drives Your Income 7 1.5a Curbing Ethnocentrism and Stereotyping 20
1.1e Meeting the Challenges of the Information-Age 1.5b Successful Spoken Communication With
Workplace 8 Intercultural Audiences 21
1.2 Developing Listening Skills 9 1.5c Successful Written Communication With
1.2a Overcoming Barriers to Effective Listening 9 Intercultural Audiences 21
1.2b Building Powerful Listening Skills 12 1.5d Globalization and Workplace Diversity 22
1.3 Learning Nonverbal Communication Skills 13 1.5e Benefits of a Diverse Workforce 22
1.3a Your Body Sends Silent Messages 13 1.5f Tips for Communicating With Diverse Audiences
1.3b Time, Space, and Territory Send Silent Messages 14
1.3c Appearance Sends Silent Messages 14 on the Job 22
1.3d Building Strong Nonverbal Skills 15
1.4 Recognizing How Culture Affects Communication 16 Summary of Learning Objectives 23
Chapter Review 24
Critical Thinking 24
Activities and Cases 24
Unit 2: The Business Writing Process 26
Chapter 2: Planning Your Message 28 2.5 Using Additional Expert Writing Techniques 39
2.1 Understanding the Communication Process 28 2.5a Be Positive Rather Than Negative 39
2.5b Express Courtesy 39
2.1a Sender Has Idea 28 2.5c Employ Bias-Free Language 41
2.1b Sender Encodes Idea 29 2.5d Choose Plain Language and Familiar Words 42
2.1c Sender Selects Channel and Transmits Message 29 2.5e Use Precise, Vigorous Words 43
2.1d Receiver Decodes Message 30
2.1e Feedback Returns to Sender 30 Summary of Learning Objectives 43
2.2 Using the 3-3-3 Writing Process as a Guide 30 Chapter Review 44
2.2a Defining Business Writing Goals 30 Critical Thinking 44
2.2b Introducing the 3-3-3 Writing Process 31 Activities and Cases 44
2.3 Analyzing and Anticipating the Audience 33
2.3a Know Your Purpose 33 Chapter 3: Organizing and
2.3b Anticipate and Profile the Audience 33 Drafting Your Message 46
2.3c Make Choices Based on Your Audience Profile 34 3.1 Drafting Workplace Messages 46
2.3d Select the Best Channel 34
2.4 Use Expert Writing Techniques to Adapt to Your 3.1a Researching Background Information 46
Audience 36 3.1b Informal Research Methods 47
2.4a Spotlight Audience Benefits 36 3.1c Research Methods 47
2.4b Cultivate a “You” View 36 3.2 Organizing Information to Show Relationships 49
2.4c Sound Conversational but Professional 37 3.3 Composing Drafts With Effective Sentences 51
NEL xi
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
3.3a Achieve Variety With Four Sentence Types 51 4.2a Keep It Short and Simple 66
3.3b Avoid Three Common Sentence Faults 52 4.2b Dump Trite Business Phrases 67
3.3c Consider Short Sentences 53 4.2c Drop Clichés 68
3.4 Developing Business Writing Techniques 53 4.2d Avoid Slang and Buzzwords 68
3.4a Show Emphasis 53 4.2e Rescue Buried Verbs 68
3.4b Use the Active and Passive Voice Effectively 55 4.2f Control Exuberance 70
3.4c Develop Parallelism 56 4.2g Choose Clear, Precise Words 70
3.4d Escape Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers 57 4.3 Enhancing Readability Through Document
3.5 Drafting Well-Organized, Effective Paragraphs 57 Design 70
3.5a Craft a Topic Sentence 57 4.3a Use White Space 70
3.5b Develop Support Sentences 57 4.3b Understand Margins and Text Alignment 71
3.5c Build Paragraph Coherence 58 4.3c Choose Appropriate Typefaces 71
3.5d Control Paragraph Length 58 4.3d Capitalize on Type Fonts and Sizes 72
4.3e Number and Bullet Lists for Quick Comprehension 72
Summary of Learning Objectives 59 4.3f Add Headings for Visual Impact 73
Chapter Review 59 4.4 Proofreading to Find Errors 73
Critical Thinking 60 4.4a What to Watch for in Proofreading 75
4.4b How to Proofread Routine Documents 76
Chapter 4: Revising Your Message 61 4.4c How to Proofread Complex Documents 76
4.1 Taking Time to Revise: Applying Phase 3 of the 4.5 Evaluating the Effectiveness of Your
Message 77
Writing Process 61
4.1a Tighten Your Message by Revising for Conciseness 62 Summary of Learning Objectives 77
4.1b Write Concisely When Microblogging and Posting Chapter Review 78
Critical Thinking 78
on Social Media 65
4.2 Making Your Message Clear 66
Unit 3: Writing at Work 79
Chapter 5: Daily Workplace Chapter 6: Persuasive Writing Situations 106
Writing Channels 82 6.1 Persuasion in the Digital Age 106
5.1 Writing at Work in the Digital Age 82
6.1a How Has Persuasion Changed in the Digital Age? 107
5.1a Email: Love It or Hate It—But It’s Not Going Away 83 6.1b A Time-Proven Persuasion Technique 107
5.1b Why People Complain About Email 83 6.1c The AIRA Technique 108
5.1c When Email Is Appropriate 84 6.2 Persuasive Situation: Asking for Help 109
5.1d How to Draft a Professional Email 84 6.3 Persuasive Situation: Making Claims and
5.1e Control Your Inbox 86 Complaints 111
5.1f Reply Efficiently With Down-Editing 86 6.4 Persuasive Situation: Getting Coworkers and
5.1g Writing Memos and Letters 86 Managers Onside 112
5.2 Workplace Messaging and Texting 90 6.5 Persuasive Situation: Sales and Promotional
5.2a Impact of Instant Messaging and Texting 91 Messages 116
5.2b How to Use Instant Messaging and Texting on the Job 93 6.5a Sales Messages 116
5.2c Text Messaging and Business Etiquette 94 6.5b Promotional Messages 121
5.3 Using Podcasts and Wikis in Business 94
5.3a Business Podcasts or Webcasts 94 Summary of Learning Objectives 124
5.3b Collaborating With Wikis 95 Chapter Review 124
5.4 Blogging for Business 96 Critical Thinking 125
5.4a How Companies Blog 96 Activities and Cases 125
5.4b Blog Best Practices: Seven Tips for Master Bloggers 98
5.5 Social Networking in Business 99 Chapter 7: Negative Writing Situations 127
5.5a Tapping Into Social Networks 99 7.1 Your Goals When Communicating
5.5b How Businesses Use Social Networks 100
5.5c Potential Risks of Social Networks for Businesses 101 Negative News 127
5.5d Using Social Networking Sites and Keeping Your Job 101 7.1a Top Goals in Communicating Negative News 128
7.1b The Importance of Timely Responses in Negative
Summary of Learning Objectives 103
Chapter Review 103 Situations 128
Critical Thinking 104 7.2 The Choice Between Direct and Indirect Negative
Activities and Cases 104
News Strategies 129
7.3 The Four Components of Effective Indirect
Negative Messages 131
7.3a Buffer the Opening 131
7.3b Present the Reasons for the Negative News 133
xii Contents NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
7.3c Present the Negative News in a “Cushioned” Way 135 7.5b Refusing Workplace Requests 144
7.3d Close Pleasantly 136 7.5c Announcing Negative News to Employees 144
7.4 Writing Negative Messages for Customer/Client 7.5d Keeping the Indirect Strategy Ethical 146
Situations 136
7.4a Collections 136 Summary of Learning Objectives 148
7.4b Refusals and Responses to Criticism 138 Chapter Review 148
7.5 Writing Negative Messages for Internal Situations 142 Critical Thinking 149
7.5a Delivering Bad News in Person 143 Activities and Cases 149
Unit 4: Business Reports and Proposals 151
Chapter 8: Informal Reports 153 Chapter 9: Proposals and Formal Reports 179
8.1 The Function and Organization of Informal 9.1 Writing Business Proposals 179
Reports 153 9.1a Types of Proposals 179
8.1a Functions of Reports 154 9.1b Components of Informal Proposals 181
8.1b Report Organization 154 9.2 A Plan for Writing Formal Business Reports 184
8.2 Informal Formats and Headings 155 9.2a Steps in the Report Process 184
8.2a Typical Report Formats 155 9.2b Editing Formal Business Reports 185
8.2b Effective Report Headings 159 9.3 Researching Primary and Secondary Data 187
8.3 Determining the Problem and Purpose in Informal 9.3a Locating Secondary Research Sources 187
Reports 161 9.3b Generating Primary Data 190
8.3a Problem and Purpose Statements 161 9.4 Documenting and Citing Sources in Business
8.3b Gather Data 162 Reports 192
8.4 Writing Informal Informational Reports 163 9.4a Documentation Guidelines 192
8.4a Trip, Convention, and Conference Reports 163 9.5 Convert Your Data Into Meaningful Graphics 194
8.4b Progress, Status, and Milestone Reports 164 9.5a Matching Graphics and Objectives 194
8.4c Minutes Reports 164 9.5b Creating Tables, Charts, and Infographics 194
8.4d Summary Reports 167 9.6 Drafting and Sequencing the Report 199
8.5 Writing Informal Analytical Reports 169 9.6a Front Matter Contents 199
8.5a Justification/Recommendation Reports 170 9.6b Body Contents 200
8.5b Feasibility Reports 171 9.6c Back Matter Contents 201
8.5c Yardstick Reports 173 9.6d Model Formal Report 202
Summary of Learning Objectives 176 Summary of Learning Objectives 211
Chapter Review 177 Chapter Review 212
Critical Thinking 177 Critical Thinking 212
Activities and Cases 178 Activities and Cases 212
Unit 5: Professionalism and Speaking Skills 215
Chapter 10: Communicating 10.3c Using Smartphones for Business 228
Professionally in Person 218 10.3d Making the Most of Voice Mail 229
10.1 Understanding Professionalism, Business 10.4 Adding Value in Professional Teams 230
10.4a The Importance of Teams in the Workplace 231
Etiquette, and Ethical Behaviour 218 10.4b Positive and Negative Team Behaviour 231
10.1a Defining Professional Behaviour 219 10.4c Characteristics of Successful Teams 232
10.1b T he Relationship Between Ethics and 10.5 Conducting Professional Business Meetings 234
10.5a Preparing for Meetings 234
Professional Behaviour 220 10.5b Managing the Meeting 237
10.1c Professionalism Gives You an Edge 221 10.5c Ending With a Plan and Following Up 237
10.2 Successful Face-to-Face Workplace 10.5d Preparing for Virtual Meetings 238
Communication 222 10.5e Interacting Professionally in Virtual Meetings 240
10.2a Using Your Voice as a Communication Tool 222
10.2b Making Workplace Conversation Matter 223 Summary of Learning Objectives 241
10.2c Responding Professionally to Workplace Criticism 225 Chapter Review 241
10.2d Offering Constructive Criticism at Work 225 Critical Thinking 242
10.3 Phone and Voice Mail Etiquette 226 Activities and Cases 242
10.3a Making Professional Phone Calls 226
10.3b Receiving Phone Calls Professionally 227
NEL Contents xiii
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Chapter 11: Business Presentations 244 11.4a Analyze the Situation and Purpose 255
11.1 Types of Business Presentation and Preparation 244 11.4b Anticipate Your Audience 255
11.4c Adapt Text and Colour Selections 256
11.1a Speaking Skills and Your Career 244 11.4d Organize Your Visuals 256
11.1b Understanding Presentation Types 245 11.4e Design Your Visuals 257
11.1c Preparing for a Presentation 245 11.4f Revise, Proofread, and Evaluate Your Slide Show 259
11.2 Organizing Presentations for Impact and Rapport 247 11.4g Use Slides Effectively in Front of an Audience 260
11.2a Capture Attention in the Introduction 247 11.5 Polishing Your Delivery and Following Up 262
11.2b Organize the Body of the Presentation 247 11.5a Consider Your Delivery Method 262
11.2c Summarize in the Conclusion 250 11.5b Consider Delivery Techniques 263
11.2d Build Audience Rapport 251
11.3 Types of Presentation Aids 253 Summary of Learning Objectives 266
11.3a Types of Visual Aids 253 Chapter Review 267
11.4 Designing Effective Presentations 255 Critical Thinking 267
Activities and Cases 268
Unit 6: Communicating for Employment 269
Chapter 12: The Job Search, Critical Thinking 300
Résumés, and Cover Letters 272 Activities and Cases 300
12.1 Preparing for Employment 272
Chapter 13: Interviews and Follow-Up 302
12.1a Identify Your Interests 273 13.1 Purposes and Types of Employment Interviews 302
12.1b Assess Your Qualifications 273
12.1c Explore Career Opportunities 274 13.1a Purposes of Employment Interviews 303
12.2 Searching for Jobs in the Open and Hidden 13.1b Types of Employment Interviews 303
Markets 275 13.2 Before the Interview 305
12.2a Use Leading “Open Market” Employment Sites 276 13.2a Use Professional Phone Techniques 305
12.2b Go Beyond the Big Employment Sites 276 13.2b Make the First Conversation Impressive 306
12.2c Use LinkedIn and Other Social Networking Sites 278 13.2c Research the Target Company 306
12.2d Network to Find “Hidden Market” Opportunities 278 13.2d Prepare and Practise 307
12.2e Building a Personal Brand 280 13.2e Get to Your Interview 309
12.3 Creating Persuasive Résumés 281 13.2f Fight Fear 309
12.3a Choose a Résumé Style 281 13.3 During the Interview 310
12.3b Decide on Length 281 13.3a Send Positive Nonverbal Messages and Act
12.3c Organize Your Information Under Headings 282
12.3d Online Résumé Reading Patterns 288 Professionally 310
12.3e Polish Your Résumé and Keep It Honest 290 13.3b Answer Typical Questions Confidently 311
12.3f Proofread Your Résumé 290 13.3c Ask Your Own Questions 317
12.4 Increasing Your Chances With Digital Tools 290 13.3d End Positively 318
12.4a G et Your Résumé Selected: Maximize Keyword Hits 290 13.4 After the Interview 318
12.4b Expand Your Résumé’s Appeal: Add Video 291 13.4a Thank Your Interviewer 318
12.4c Translate Into Pictures: The Infographic Résumé 292 13.4b Contact Your References 319
12.4d Submitting Your Résumé 293 13.4c Follow Up 320
12.5 Persuasive Cover Letters 293 13.5 Other Employment Documents 321
12.5a Gain Attention in the Opening 293 13.5a Application Form 321
12.5b Build Interest in the Body 296 13.5b Application or Résumé Follow-Up Message 321
12.5c Motivate Action in the Closing 297 13.5c Rejection Follow-Up Message 322
12.5d Avoid “I” Dominance 298 13.5d Job Acceptance and Rejection Messages 322
12.5e Send Your Cover Letter by Email 298 13.5e Resignation Letter 323
Summary of Learning Objectives 299 Summary of Learning Objectives 324
Chapter Review 300 Chapter Review 324
Critical Thinking 325
Activities and Cases 325
xiv Contents NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Appendixes 327 Grammar/Mechanics Handbook 359
Appendix A: A Guide to Document Formats 327 Key to Grammar/Mechanics Checkups 417
Appendix B: Correction Abbreviations and Notes 419
Proofreading Marks 337 Index 427
Appendix C: Documentation Formats 339
Appendix D: Style in Writing 349
NEL Contents xv
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Preface
Today’s graduates enter working environments with ever-increasing demands. As a
result of growing emphasis on team management and employee empowerment, they
will be expected to gather data, solve problems, and make decisions independently.
They will be working with global trading partners and collaborating with work
teams in an increasingly diverse workplace. And they will be using sophisticated
technologies to communicate.
Surprisingly, writing skills are becoming more and more important. In the past
businesspeople may have written a couple of business letters a month, but now
they receive and send hundreds of emails and texts weekly. Their writing skills
are showcased in every message they send. To help students develop the skills they
need to succeed in today’s technologically enhanced workplace, we have responded
with a thoroughly revised Ninth Canadian Edition of Essentials of Business
Communication.
Effective Features That Remain Unchanged
The Ninth Canadian Edition maintains the streamlined, efficient approach to com-
munication that has equipped past learners with the skills needed to be successful
in their work. It is most helpful to postsecondary and adult learners preparing
themselves for new careers, planning a change in their current careers, or wanting
to upgrade their writing and speaking skills. The aim of this edition is to incorporate
more of the comments, suggestions, and insights provided by adopters and reviewers
over the past few years. For those new to the book, some of the most popular fea-
tures include the following:
• Text/Workbook Format. The convenient text/workbook format presents an all-
in-one teaching–learning package that includes concepts; workbook application
exercises; writing, speaking, and interpersonal challenges; and a combination
handbook/reference manual.
• Comprehensive but Concise Coverage. An important reason for the enor-
mous success of Essentials of Business Communication is that it practises what it
preaches. The Ninth Canadian Edition follows the same strategy, concentrating
on essential concepts presented without wasted words.
• Writing Plans and Writing Improvement Exercises. Step-by-step writing plans
structure the writing experience so that novice writers get started quickly—
without struggling to provide unknown details to unfamiliar, hypothetical cases.
Many revision exercises build confidence and skills.
• Wide Coverage of Communication Technology. All relevant chapters build
technology skills by including discussions and applications involving email,
instant messaging, texting, cellphones, Web research, contemporary software,
online employment searches, and electronic presentations. The Ninth Canadian
Edition stays on top of the use of mediated communication within organizations,
including the use of social media sites, like Twitter, and blogs for both business
and marketing communication.
• Challenging Cases. The reality of the work world is that communication situa-
tions will not always easily fit the models provided in a business communication
textbook. As a result, we have threaded ambiguity and complexity into the tasks
xvi Preface NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
so that students have a chance to use their critical thinking skills as well as their
business communication skills regularly.
• Workplace in Focus Feature. Chapters contain a Workplace in Focus feature
that connects the content being discussed in the chapter to a real-world example.
These features make ideal starting points for in-class discussion.
• Communication Technology in the News Feature. Units open with articles from
Canadian media outlets that bring home the relevance of business communica-
tion to today’s technology-driven workplace. Topics covered range from texting
lingo in the workplace to mastering anger when sending email.
• Plagiarism. An unfortunate reality of the Internet age is the difficulty today’s
students have in understanding the need for proper citation and documentation,
as well as the difficulty in understanding the seriousness of plagiarism and its
difficult repercussions. We address the issue of plagiarism by offering concrete
examples of the real-world ramifications of this behaviour.
Revision Highlights
The following features were updated for the Ninth Canadian Edition:
• Situational Focus. The reality of business communication is that people need to
be able to respond effectively and professionally in a variety of workplace situa-
tions. This is different from memorizing a number of genres or formats. For this
reason, while the Ninth Canadian Edition includes a rich introductory chapter
covering a multitude of daily forms of communication (e.g., text, email, Web
conference, social media), it expands on this generic way of thinking by consid-
ering important, realistic, and recurring business situations divided into three
categories: daily, persuasive, and negative.
• New and Revised End-of-Chapter Exercises and Activities. This edition fea-
tures a significant revision of the end-of-chapter exercises, activities, and cases.
The Chapter Review, Critical Thinking questions, and Activities and Cases fea-
ture more than 15 percent new content. As with the last edition, these new cases
recognize the pedagogical usefulness of scripting, role play, and performance as
effective means of practising business communication skills.
• New Technology in the News Boxes. Every unit opens with a new and current
Canadian newspaper article focusing on technology and communication in the
workplace. Covering a wide range of topics, from creating online profiles for job
seekers to the rise of incivility in the increasingly technological workplace, these
articles are timely and relevant, and they will enhance students’ understanding of
how communication can be influenced by shifts in technology.
• New Workplace in Focus Boxes. These boxes have been refreshed to reflect
c urrent trends in communication in the workplace.
• Increased Analysis of New Communication Technologies. Technology
manufacturers’ ability to innovate can seem to outstrip teachers’ ability to con-
textualize the changes happening to communication. This edition stays ahead of
the curve by contextualizing podcasts, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, wikis, blogs,
and other of-the-moment technologies in more detail than any other business
communication textbook.
Other Features That Enhance Teaching
and Learning
Although the Ninth Canadian Edition of Essentials of Business Communication
packs considerable information into a small space, it covers all of the critical topics
NEL Preface xvii
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
necessary in a comprehensive business communication course; it also features many
teaching–learning devices to facilitate instruction, application, and retention.
• Focus on Writing Skills. Most students need a great deal of instruction and prac-
tice in developing basic and advanced writing techniques, particularly in view
of today’s increased emphasis on communication by email. Writing skills have
returned to the forefront since so much of today’s business is transacted through
written messages.
• Realistic Emphasis. Essentials devotes a chapter to the writing of email, texts,
and instant messages, plus other daily forms of communication, recognizing that
the business world no longer operates via letter or memo except in certain spe-
cialized situations (e.g., direct-mail sales letter, collection letters, cover letters for
job applications, etc.).
• Listening, Speaking, and Nonverbal Skills. Employers are increasingly seeking
well-rounded individuals who can interact with fellow employees as well as rep-
resent the organization effectively. Essentials provides professional tips for man-
aging nonverbal cues; overcoming listening barriers; developing speaking skills;
planning and participating in meetings; and making productive telephone calls.
• Coverage of Formal and Informal Reports. Two chapters develop functional
report-writing skills. Chapter 8 provides detailed instruction in the preparation
of six types of informal reports, while Chapter 9 covers proposals and formal
reports. For quick comprehension, all reports contain marginal notes that pin-
point writing strategies.
• Employment Communication Skills. Successful résumés, cover letters, and other
employment documents are among the most important topics in a good busi-
ness communication course. Essentials provides the most realistic and up-to-date
résumés in the field. The models show chronological, functional, combination,
and computer-friendly résumés.
• Focus on Oral Communication Skills. Chapter 10 looks at oral interpersonal
skills: person-to-person conversations, telephone communication (including cell-
phone etiquette), and business meeting skills, while Chapter 11 specifically dis-
cusses business presentation skills.
• Employment Interviewing. Essentials devotes a chapter to effective interviewing
techniques, including a discussion of screening interviews and hiring interviews.
Chapter 13 also teaches techniques for fighting fear, answering questions, and
following up.
• Models Comparing Effective and Ineffective Documents. To facilitate speedy
recognition of good and bad writing techniques and strategies, Essentials presents
many before-and-after documents. Marginal notes spotlight targeted strategies
and effective writing. We hope that instructors turn this before-and-after tech-
nique into effective pedagogy whereby all their students’ written assignments
undergo the scrutiny of an editing and revising process before being handed in as
final products.
• Variety in End-of-Chapter Activities. An amazing array of review questions,
critical-thinking questions, activities, and realistic case problems holds student
attention and helps them apply chapter concepts meaningfully.
• Grammar/Mechanics Handbook. A comprehensive Grammar/Mechanics
Handbook supplies a thorough review of English grammar, punctuation, capital-
ization style, and number usage. Its self-teaching exercises may be used for class-
room instruction or for supplementary assignments. The handbook also serves as
a convenient reference throughout the course and afterwards.
xviii Preface NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Student Resources
MindTap
Stay organized and efficient with MindTap—a single destination with all the course
material and study aids students need to succeed. The MindTap that accompanies
this textbook includes the following:
• Animated model documents
• Videocases and interviews with Canadian industry professionals
• Aplia™ offers high-quality, auto-graded assignments that ensure students put
forth effort on a regular basis throughout the term.
• YouSeeU is an interactive platform where students can record and upload
videos using easy-to-use recording tools that are accessible on multiple devices.
Instructors can easily view and grade submitted video assignments and offer valu-
able commentary at a precise frame for targeted feedback.
• Study tools like practice quizzes, chapter PowerPoint summaries, and flashcards
• ReadSpeaker will read the text aloud.
• Highlight the text and make notes in the MindTap Reader. Notes will flow into
Evernote, the electronic notebook app that is accessible anywhere when it’s time
to study for the exam.
• All written assignments can be uploaded into Pathbrite, our e-portfolio app.
Access to Pathbrite continues after the MindTap access expires.
Visit nelson.com/student to start using MindTap. Enter the Online Access Code
from the card included with the textbook. If a code card is not provided, instant
access can be purchased at NELSONbrain.com.
Instructor Resources
The Nelson Education Teaching Advantage (NETA) program delivers research-based
instructor resources that promote student engagement and higher-order thinking to
enable the success of Canadian students and educators. Visit Nelson Education’s
Inspired Instruction website at nelson.com/inspired/ to find out more about NETA.
The following instructor resources have been created for Essentials of Business
Communication, Ninth Canadian Edition. Access these ultimate tools for custom-
izing lectures and presentations at nelson.com/instructor.
NETA Test Bank
This resource was written by Karen McLaren, Cambrian College. It includes over
325 multiple-choice questions written according to NETA guidelines for effective
construction and development of higher-order questions. Also included are over
195 true/false questions and over 130 fill-in-the-blank questions.
The NETA Test Bank is available in a new, cloud-based platform. Nelson Testing
Powered by Cognero® is a secure online testing system that allows instructors to
author, edit, and manage test bank content from anywhere Internet access is avail-
able. No special installations or downloads are needed, and the desktop-inspired
interface, with its drop-down menus and familiar, intuitive tools, allows instruc-
tors to create and manage tests with ease. Multiple test versions can be created in
an instant, and content can be imported or exported into other systems. Tests can
be delivered from a learning management system, the classroom, or wherever an
instructor chooses. Nelson Testing Powered by Cognero for Essentials of Business
Communication, Ninth Canadian Edition, can be accessed through nelson.com/
instructor.
NEL Preface xix
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
NETA PowerPoint
Microsoft® PowerPoint® lecture slides for every chapter have been created by
Lisa Jamieson, Red River College. There is an average of 30 slides per chapter,
many featuring key figures, tables, and photographs from Essentials of Business
Communication, Ninth Canadian Edition. The Notes feature also includes addi-
tional activities and ideas for discussion. NETA principles of clear design and
engaging content have been incorporated throughout, making it simple for instruc-
tors to customize the deck for their courses.
Image Library
This resource consists of digital copies of figures, short tables, and photographs used
in the book. Instructors may use these jpegs to customize the NETA PowerPoint
or create their own PowerPoint presentations. An Image Library Key describes the
images and lists the codes under which the jpegs are saved.
NETA Instructor Guide
The Instructor’s Manual to accompany Essentials of Business Communication,
Ninth Canadian Edition, has been prepared by Karen McLaren, Cambrian College.
This manual contains sample lesson plans, learning objectives, and suggested class-
room activities to give instructors the support they need to engage their students
within the classroom.
Instructor’s Solutions Manual
This manual, prepared by Karen McLaren of Cambrian College, contains complete
solutions to Critical Thinking Questions, Chapter Review Questions, and Activities
and Cases.
Media Guide
The Media Guide includes teaching materials for all video cases selected to accom-
pany Essentials of Business Communication, Ninth Canadian Edition.
xx Preface NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Acknowledgments
The Ninth Canadian Edition of Essentials of Business Communication includes
many of the constructive suggestions and timely advice provided by professional
communicators, educators, and students who use the book across Canada. These
dedicated reviewers include the following:
Bob Ackroyd, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
Marie Brodie, Nova Scotia Community College Truro
Katherine Dyck, Saskatchewan Polytechnic
Lara Loze, Durham College
Heather Lundy, RCC Institute of Technology
Catrina McBride, Algonquin College
John McLean, Humber College
Tetiana Seredynska, HEC Montréal
Panteli Tritchew, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
A new edition like this would not be possible without the development team
at Nelson. Special thanks go to Alexis Hood, Lisa Peterson, Amanda Henry, and
Natalia Denesiuk Harris. We would also like to thank Megha Bhardwaj and the
team at MPS. Thanks also go to the copy editor, Kate Unrau.
Mary Ellen Guffey
Dana Loewy
Richard Almonte
NEL Acknowledgments xxi
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
UNIT Business
Communication in
01the Digital Age
CHAPTER 1
Communicating
in the Digital-Age
Workplace
LDprod/Shuttterstock
NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE NEWS
The next big thing in video communications
Gillian Shaw, Vancouver Sun, May 6, 2015
Vancouver start-up Perch launched with a video- availability and let people know that you are avail-
messaging service but it has morphed into an able to talk,” said Rodgers.
always-on video portal that allows companies with
employees around the globe to create virtual offices. Unlike video calling services such as Skype or
FaceTime, Perch doesn’t require a call—you can just
It’s the third incarnation for Perch’s product, first walk up to it and start talking.
conceived as a security system that turned old iPods
into home monitoring cameras. That was before the That’s what Carman Neustaedter’s one-and-
company’s cofounder and CEO Danny Robinson’s a-half-year-old son does when he wants to get grand-
kids started using the system to leave him video mes- ma’s attention—or at least his version of talking.
sages, turning beta testing into video messaging. Grandma’s in Kelowna, but connected via a portal
in the family’s kitchen.
As with many tech start-ups, that turned out to
be only a stepping stone to the commercial product “When my one-and-a-half-year-old was born, we
that’s now being used by employees at hundreds of had already started using Perch,” said Neustaedter,
companies around the globe and most recently had an assistant professor in Simon Fraser University’s
Perch named of one of five Cool Vendors in Unified School of Interactive Arts & Technology, whose
Communications for 2015 by industry analyst research focuses on human-computer interaction
Gartner. and interaction design. “He can push a stool to the
kitchen counter and when he climbs up to look at the
“The aha moment was when my daughter came screen, he knows he’s looking at grandma’s house.
home and held up her report card to the iPad to
show Danny,” said Maura Rodgers, Robinson’s “He’ll start squawking to get her attention.”
wife. She is founder of the social promotions plat- Neustaedter said video calling and connection ser-
form Strutta and Perch’s vice-president of marketing. vices such as Skype, FaceTime and Google Hangout
“We thought, this is very cool, the kids are using it to are designed with a calling mode.
communicate directly. What if it could be live.” “To me what Perch is doing that’s really smart is
changing the connection model that people use,” he
The way Perch works is by using a dedicated iPad said.
mounted at work or at home with the Perch app Neustaedter said the traditional calling mode “is
(though you can use Perch anywhere you have an growing stale,” and while people will try leaving con-
Internet connection with an iPad or iPhone). You can nections open on other video calling services, they’re
set up a Perch portal using your email (although for not designed for it and the result he said is “clunky.”
security reasons not free online services like Gmail “Perch is designed for that purpose to leave a con-
and others) and once that’s verified you can invite nection open for a long period of time and so I see
colleagues. this as a transition to this new way of connecting
that makes more sense for people as they begin to
Users can control their availability. The can opt to rethink the way they connect with their family and
turn Perch on and let others in their network use the friends and coworkers.”
iPad’s camera to see that they’re available to chat. If Perch is based on a freemium model. It’s free for
you want to talk to someone, walk up to the Perch download but with added features at a fee for large
screen and the face detection automatically unmutes corporate users that want to use the system to keep
the microphone. their employees connected.
Rodgers, who uses Perch to stay connected
“You can use it in live mode, where you essentially with her mother in Boston, said she is also increas-
create a virtual window to connect spaces or you ingly hearing from companies and individuals who
can use it where it’s online but more of an ambient
mode, where there are images that broadcast your
2 NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
are using Perch to connect to elderly parents and and say ‘I haven’t see you in a couple of days, what
relatives. have you been up to?’
“It’s so simple for my Mom to use,” said Rodgers. “It lets me know how she’s doing and I get to see
“She knows when I’m there and she’ll just pop in how she’s doing.”
Summarize the article you’ve just read in a two- to three-sentence paragraph. Answer the following questions, either
on your own or in a small group. Be prepared to give your answers in a short presentation or in an email to your
instructor.
QUESTIONS: 3. Come up with pro and con arguments for the fol-
lowing debate/discussion topic: In the digital age,
1. How does what you’ve learned in this article change should employees who work from home expect the
your perception of what business communication is or same kind of privacy as people who are not working
is not? from home? In other words, is it reasonable for an
employer to expect an employee working from home
2. How might what you’ve learned in this article be to have an application like Perch installed so they can
useful in changing your own school or workplace be available at all times?
communication?
NEL 3
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
1C H A P T E R Communicating in the Digital-Age
Workplace
OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter,
you should be able to
1.1 Describe how solid
communication skills
will improve your
career prospects.
1.2 Confront barriers to
effective listening.
1.3 Explain the impor-
tance of nonverbal
communication.
1.4 Understand five
common dimen-
sions of culture and
how they affect
communication.
1.5 Use intercultural
communication
strategies to prevent
miscommunication.
Yuri_Arcurs/istock by Getty Images
1.1 The Relationship Between Solid
Communication Skills and Workplace
Success
You may wonder what kind of workplace you will enter when you graduate and
which skills you will need to be successful in it. Expect a fast-moving, competitive,
and information-driven digital environment. Communication technology provides
unmatched mobility and connects individuals anytime and anywhere in the world.
Today’s communicators interact using mobile electronic devices and access informa-
tion stored on remote servers, in the cloud. This mobility and instant access explain
why increasing numbers of workers must be available practically around the clock
and must respond quickly.
1.1a Solid Communication Skills: Your Path to Success
Your ability to communicate is a powerful career sifter.1 Strong communication
skills will make you marketable even in a tough economic climate. When jobs are
few and competition is fierce, superior communication skills will give you an edge
over other job applicants. Recruiters rank communication high on their wish lists.2
In a poll, 1,000 executives cited writing, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills
4 NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
along with self-motivation and team skills as their top choices in new hires. Effective Because communi-
writing skills can be a stepping stone to great job opportunities; poorly developed cation skills are learned,
writing skills, on the other hand, will derail a career. Given the increasing emphasis you control how well
on communication, Canadian corporations are paying millions of dollars to commu- you communicate.
nication coaches and trainers to teach employees the very skills that you are learning
in this course. For example, Toronto-based Livewire, a leading provider of business OFFICE
communication services, and the winner of a 2017 International Association of INSIDER
Business Communicators Award of Excellence, lists among its clients well-known
Canadian companies like BMO, Four Seasons, McCain Foods, and Telus.3 “Communicating clearly
and effectively has NEVER
1.1b The Digital Revolution: Why Writing Skills Matter been more important than
More Than Ever it is today. Whether it’s fair
or not, life-changing critical
People in today’s workforce communicate more, not less, since information tech- judgments about you are
nology and the Internet have transformed the world of work. Thanks to technology, being made based solely on
messages travel instantly to distant locations, reaching potentially huge audiences your writing ability.”
with a minimum of expense and effort. Work team members collaborate even when
they are physically apart. Moreover, social media are playing an increasingly promi- —Victor Urbach, management
nent role in business. In such a hyperconnected world, writing matters more than consultant
ever. Digital media require written communication, and workers’ skills are always Office Insider based on Canavor, N.
on display.4 (2012). Business writing in the
digital age. Los Angeles: Sage, p. 4.
As a result, employers seek employees with a broader range of skills and with Note: Small superscript numbers
higher levels of knowledge in their field than in the past.5 Unfortunately, a great in the text announce information
number of workers can’t deliver.6 A survey of corporations revealed that two thirds sources. Full citations begin on
of salaried employees have some writing responsibility. About one third of them, page 4 near the end of the book.
however, do not meet the writing requirements for their positions.7 “Businesses are This edition uses a modified APA
crying out—they need to have people who write better,” said Gaston Caperton, busi- reference format.
ness executive and former College Board president.8
Not surprisingly, many job listings mention the need for excellent oral and
written communication skills. In a poll of recruiters, oral and written communica-
tion skills were, by a large margin, the top skill set sought.9 Among the top choices
in two other surveys were teamwork, critical-thinking, analytical-reasoning, and
oral and written communication skills.10 In addition, as you will learn in later chap-
ters, recruiters will closely examine your social media presence to learn about your
communication skills and professionalism. Naturally, they will not hire candidates
who write poorly or post inappropriate content online.11
TECHIES WRITE TOO. Even in technical fields such as accounting and informa-
tion technology, you will need strong communication skills. An Accountemps poll
of 1,400 chief financial officers revealed that 75 percent said that verbal, written,
and interpersonal skills are more important today than they were in the past.12
Technical experts must be able to communicate with others and explain their work
clearly, says an IBM systems specialist.13 A survey of Web professionals showed that
those with writing and copyediting skills were far less likely to have their jobs sent
offshore.14 Another survey conducted by the Society for Information Management
revealed that network professionals ranked written and oral communication skills
among the top five most desired skills for new hires.15
BUSINESSES GENERATE A WIDE RANGE OF MESSAGES. Be prepared
to use a variety of media. In addition to occasional traditional letters and memos,
expect to communicate with the public and within the company by email,* instant
messaging and texting, company blogs, collaboration software such as wikis, and
social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. You will
learn more about workplace communication technology in Chapter 5.
*The usage standard in this book is Canadian Oxford Dictionary, Second Edition. Words such as email and
Web are in a state of flux, and a single standard has yet to establish itself. The Canadian Oxford Dictionary
continues to show conventional usage patterns.
NEL Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace 5
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
FIGURE 1.1 | Professional Email Message
Ron P. Loon <[email protected]>
Customer Service Improvement Team
Starts with casual Social Media Strategy Meeting: Wednesday, February 11 Uses precise subject
greeting to express line to convey key
friendliness Hi, Team, information quickly
Sets off meeting As recommended at our last meeting, I have scheduled an e-marketing and social media specialist Announces most
information for easy to speak to us about improving our social media responses. Social media consultant Patricia important idea first
recognition and Adams, founder of Optima Marketing Solutions, has agreed to discuss ways to turn our social with minimal back-
retrieval media presence into a competitive advantage. Mark your calendars for the following: ground information
Bullets action Social Media Strategy Meeting Provides details about
requests and places Wednesday, February 11, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. meeting with transition
them near message Conference Room to action requests
end where readers
expect to find them In previous meetings our team acknowledged that customers are increasingly turning to our Closes by telling where
website, blogs, and Facebook pages to locate information, seek support, and connect with us. to find additional infor-
Provides contact However, we are experiencing problems in responding quickly and effectively. Ms. Adams promises mation; also expresses
information similar to address these concerns. She will also tell us whether we need to establish a presence in additional appreciation
to that in business social media networks. Ms. Adams will help us decide whether we should hire an in-house social
letterheads media manager or pay for an external service. To make this meeting most productive, she asks
that each team member submit at least three questions or problem areas for discussion.
© Cengage Learning
Action Requests:
• Please send three discussion questions to Jeff ([email protected]) by February 9
at 5 p.m. so that he can relay them to Ms. Adams.
• Because we will be ordering box lunches for this meeting, please make your selection on the
intranet before February 9.
If you have any questions, drop by my office or send a note. Thanks for your continued efforts to
improve our customer service!
Ron
Ron P. Loon
Director, Customer Service, Lumitech Resources, Inc.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (514) 468-3290
Cell: (514) 329-5581
WRITING IS IN YOUR FUTURE. Regardless of career choice, you will probably
be sending many digital messages, such as the email shown in Figure 1.1. In fact,
email is “today’s version of the business letter or interoffice memo.”16 Because
email and other digital media have become important channels of communica-
tion in today’s workplace, all digital business messages must be clear, concise, and
professional. Notice that the message in Figure 1.1 is more professional than the
quick email or text you might send socially. Learning to write professional digital
messages will be an important part of this course.
1.1c What Employers Want: Professionalism
Your future employer will expect you to show professionalism and possess what
are often referred to as “soft skills” in addition to your technical knowledge. Soft
skills are essential career attributes that include the ability to communicate, work
well with others, solve problems, make ethical decisions, and appreciate diversity.17
Sometimes called employability skills or key competencies, these soft skills are desir-
able in all business sectors and job positions.18
6 Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Not every job seeker is aware of the employer’s expectations. Some new hires OFFICE
have no idea that excessive absenteeism or tardiness is grounds for termination. INSIDER
Others are surprised to learn that they are expected to devote their full attention to
their duties when on the job. One young man wanted to read novels when things got “The ability to write well
slow.19 Some recent graduates had unrealistic expectations about their salaries and is unquestionably a skill
working hours.20 Moreover, despite well-publicized warnings, some people continue necessary for 21st-century
to post racy photos and otherwise questionable content online, thus sabotaging their success in college and the
careers.21 workplace…. Strong writing
skills are essential.”
Projecting and maintaining a professional image can make a real difference in
helping you obtain the job of your dreams. Figure 1.2 reviews areas you will want —Gaston Caperton, former presi-
to check to be sure you are projecting professionalism. You will learn more about dent, College Board
soft skills and professionalism in Chapter 10.
Office Insider based on Lewin, T.
1.1d How Your Education Drives Your Income (2008, April 25). Informal Style
of Electronic Messages Is
As tuition rises steeply and student debt mounts, you may wonder whether going to Showing Up in Schoolwork, Study
college or university is worthwhile. Yet the effort and money you invest in earning Finds. Retrieved from http://
your degree or diploma will most likely pay off. Graduates earn more, suffer less www.nytimes.com/2008/04/25/
unemployment, and can choose from a wider variety of career options than workers education/25writing.html?mcubz=1
without a postsecondary education. Moreover, graduates have access to the highest-
paying and fastest-growing careers, many of which require a degree.22 As Figure 1.3
on page 8 shows, graduates with college diplomas and bachelor’s degrees earn sig-
nificantly higher salaries than high school diploma earners, and are much less likely
to be unemployed.23
Writing is one aspect of education that is particularly well rewarded. A survey of
employers confirms that soft skills such as communication ability can tip the scales
in favour of one job applicant over another.24 Your ticket to winning in a tight job
market and launching a successful career is good communication skills.
FIGURE 1.2 | Projecting Professionalism When You Communicate
UNPROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL
Speech habits Speaking in uptalk, a singsong speech pattern that has a Recognizing that your credibility can be seriously dam-
rising inflection making sentences sound like questions; using aged by sounding uneducated, crude, or adolescent.
like to fill in mindless chatter; substituting go for said; relying
on slang; or letting profanity slip into your conversation.
Email Writing emails with incomplete sentences, misspelled words, Employers like to see subjects, verbs, and punctuation
exclamation points, IM slang, and senseless chatting. Sloppy, marks. They don’t recognize IM abbreviations. Call it
careless messages send a nonverbal message that you don’t crazy, but they value conciseness and correct spelling,
care or don’t know what is correct. even in brief emails.
Internet Using an email address such as [email protected], An email address should include your name or a relevant,
[email protected], or [email protected]. positive, businesslike expression. It should not sound
cute or like a chat room nickname.
Voice mail An outgoing message with strident background music, weird An outgoing message that states your name or phone
sounds, or a joke message. number and provides instructions for leaving a message.
Telephone Soap operas, thunderous music, or a TV football game A quiet background when you answer the telephone, espe-
playing noisily in the background when you answer the phone. cially if you are expecting a prospective employer’s call.
Cellphones Taking or placing calls during business meetings or during Turning off phone and message notification, both audible
and conversations with fellow employees; raising your voice (cell and vibrating, during meetings; using your cell only when
smartphones yell) or engaging in cell calls that others must reluctantly over- conversations can be private.
hear; using a PDA during meetings.
© Cengage Learning
NEL Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace 7
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
FIGURE 1.3 | The Education Bonus: Higher Income, Lower
Unemployment
EDUCATION EARNINGS* UNEMPLOYMENT RATE**
High School Graduate $38,808 6.5%
Trades Certificate/Diploma $46,176 6%
College/CEGEP $46,176 5%
Bachelor’s Degree or Above $70,779 5%
*Average employment income, for graduates of Ontario postsecondary institutions, 25 to 64 year olds, by location
of study, 2011.
**Unemployment rate for Ontarians 25 years of age and over, by educational attainment from Statistics Canada,
Labour Force Survey.
Source: http://cou.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/COU-University-Works-Report-2015.pdf
1.1e Meeting the Challenges of the Information-Age
Workplace
Today’s digital workplace is changing profoundly and rapidly. As a business com-
municator, you will be affected by many trends, including new communication
tools such as social media, the “anytime, anywhere” office, and team-based p rojects.
Other trends are flattened management hierarchies, global competition, and a
renewed emphasis on ethics. The following overview reveals how communication
skills are closely tied to your success in a constantly evolving networked workplace.
• Rapidly changing communication technologies. New communication tech-
nology is dramatically affecting the way workers interact. In our always-
connected world, businesses exchange information by email, instant messaging,
text messaging, smartphones, fax, voice mail, powerful laptop computers, and
tablets. Satellite communications, wireless networking, teleconferencing, and vid-
eoconferencing help workers conduct meetings with associates around the world.
Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube as well as
blogs, wikis, forums, and peer-to-peer tools help businesspeople collect informa-
tion, serve customers, and sell products and services. Figure 1.4 on pages 10–11
illustrates many new technologies you will encounter in today’s workplace.
• “Anytime, anywhere” and nonterritorial offices. High-speed and wireless
Internet access has freed millions of workers from nine-to-five jobs in brick-and-
mortar offices. Flexible working arrangements allow them to work at home or
on the road. Meet the “work shifter,” a telecommuter or teleworker who largely
remains outside the territorial office. The “anytime, anywhere” office requires
only a mobile electronic device and a wireless connection.25 Teleworkers now
represent almost 20 percent of the working adult population.26 To save on office
real estate, some industries provide “nonterritorial” workspaces, or “hot desks.”
The first to arrive gets the best desk and the corner window.27 At the same time,
24/7 availability has blurred the line between work and leisure, so some workers
are always “on duty.”
• Self-directed work groups and virtual teams. Teamwork has become a reality
in business. Many companies have created cross-functional teams to empower
employees and boost their involvement in decision making. You can expect to
collaborate with a team in gathering information, finding and sharing solu-
tions, implementing decisions, and managing conflict. You may even become
part of a virtual team whose members are in remote locations. Increasingly,
organizations are also forming ad hoc teams to solve particular problems.
Such project-based teams disband once they have accomplished their objec-
tives.28 Moreover, parts of our future economy may rely on “free agents” who
8 Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
will be hired on a project basis, a far cry from today’s full-time and relatively OFFICE
steady jobs. INSIDER
• Flattened management hierarchies. To better compete and to reduce expenses, “Rare is the new college hire
who lacks skills involving
businesses have for years been trimming layers of management. This means that as Facebook, texting, or any
a front-line employee, you will have fewer managers. You will be making decisions other form of electronic
and communicating them to customers, to fellow employees, and to executives. communication. But face
to face, many of these
• Heightened global competition. Because many Canadian companies continue same people have difficulty
reading interpersonal sig-
to move beyond domestic markets, you may be interacting with people from nals and communicating,
many cultures. To be a successful business communicator, you will need to learn especially in the increasingly
about other cultures. You will also need to develop intercultural skills including multigenerational workplace.
sensitivity, flexibility, patience, and tolerance. Most of the gaps I see are
on the social, soft skills
• Renewed emphasis on ethics. Ethics is once again a hot topic in business. side.”
On the heels of the banking crisis and the collapse of the real estate market, a —Cindy Warkentin, CIO, Maryland
calamitous recession followed, caused largely, some say, by greed and ethical Automobile Insurance Fund
lapses. The government now requires greater accountability. As a result, busi-
nesses are eager to regain public trust by building ethical environments. Many Office Insider based on King, J.
have written ethical mission statements, installed hotlines, and appointed com- (2009, September 21). Crossing the
pliance officers to ensure strict adherence to their high standards and the law. skills gap. Computerworld, p. 30.
Retrieved from http://search
These trends mean that your communication skills will constantly be on display. .ebscohost.com
Those who can write clear and concise messages contribute to efficient operations
and can expect to be rewarded.
1.2 Developing Listening Skills OFFICE
INSIDER
In an age that thrives on information and communication technology, listening is an
important skill. However, by all accounts most of us are not very good listeners. Do Did you know?
you ever pretend to be listening when you are not? Do you know how to look atten- • It is estimated that more
tive in class when your mind wanders far away? How about “tuning out” people than 50 percent of our work
when their ideas are boring or complex? Do you find it hard to focus on ideas when time is spent listening.
a speaker’s clothing or mannerisms are unusual? • Immediately following a
ten-minute presentation,
You probably answered yes to one or more of these questions because many of average people retain about
us have poor listening habits. In fact, some researchers suggest that we listen at only half of what they hear
25 to 50 percent efficiency. Such poor listening habits are costly in business, and they and only one quarter after
affect professional relationships. Messages must be rewritten, shipments reshipped, 48 hours.
appointments rescheduled, contracts renegotiated, and directions restated. • Sixty percent of all man-
agement problems are
To develop better listening skills, we must first recognize barriers that prevent related to listening.
effective listening. Then we need to focus on specific techniques for improving lis- • We misinterpret, misun-
tening skills. derstand, or change 70 to
90 percent of what we hear.
1.2a Overcoming Barriers to Effective Listening
—Valarie Washington, CEO, Think 6
As you have seen, bad habits and distractions can interfere with effective listening. Office Insider based on Washington,
Have any of the following barriers and distractions prevented you from hearing V. (n.d.). The high cost of poor lis-
what has been said? tening. EzineArticles.com. Retrieved
from http://ezinearticles
• Physical barriers. You cannot listen if you cannot hear what is being said. Physical .com/?The-High-Cost-of-Poor-
Listening&id=163192
impediments include hearing disabilities, poor acoustics, and noisy surroundings. It
is also difficult to listen if you are ill, tired, or uncomfortable.
• Psychological barriers. Everyone brings to the communication process a unique
set of cultural, ethical, and personal values. Each of us has an idea of what is right
and what is important. If other ideas run counter to our preconceived thoughts,
we tend to “tune out” speakers and thus fail to receive their messages.
• Language problems. Unfamiliar words can destroy the communication pro-
cess because they lack meaning for the receiver. In addition, emotion-laden, or
“charged,” words can adversely affect listening. If the mention of words or phrases
NEL Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace 9
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Photos, top to bottom: Bangkokhappiness/Shutterstock; © Jochen Tack/Alamy; Asia Images Group/Getty Images; © photos.com; Hero Images/Getty Images; Oleksiy Maksymenko Photography/Alamy FIGURE 1.4 | Communication and Collaborative Technologies
Communication Technologies Reshaping the World of Work
Becoming familiar with modern communication technology can help you be successful on the job. Today’s
digital workplace is changing dramatically as a result of innovative software; social media networks; super-
fast broadband and wireless access; and numerous technologies that allow workers to share information,
work from remote locations, and be more productive in or away from the office. With today’s tools you can
exchange ideas, solve problems, develop products, forecast performance, and complete team projects any
time of the day or night anywhere in the world.
Cloud Computing and Web 2.0
Increasingly, applications and data are stored in remote locations online, in the cloud. Cloud computing
means that businesses and individuals no longer need to maintain costly hardware and software in-house;
instead, they can pay for digital storage space and software applications offered by providers online. Photo-
and video-sharing sites such as 500 Pixels and Flickr keep your photos in the cloud. Similarly, Dropbox, a
popular file-synchronization service, and Carbonite, an online backup provider, allow users to edit and sync
files online independent of the device used to access them. Websites and Web applications have moved
from “read only” to “read–write,” thus enabling users to participate, collaborate, and network in unprec-
edented ways.
Telephony: VoIP
Savvy businesses are switching from traditional phone service to voice over Internet protocol (VoIP). This
technology allows callers to communicate using a broadband Internet connection, thus eliminating long-
distance and local telephone charges. Higher-end VoIP systems now support unified voice mail, email,
click-to-call capabilities, and softphones (phones using computer networking). Free or low-cost Internet
telephony sites, such as the popular Skype, are also increasingly used by businesses, although their sound
and image quality is often uneven.
Voice Recognition
Computers equipped with voice recognition software enable users to dictate up to 160 words a minute
with accurate transcription. Voice recognition is particularly helpful to disabled workers and to professionals
with heavy dictation loads, such as physicians and attorneys. Users can create documents, enter data, com-
pose and send emails, browse the Web, and control their desktops—all by voice. Smart devices can also
execute tasks as directed through voice command apps.
Voice Conferencing
Telephone “bridges” join two or more callers from any location to share the same call. Voice conferencing
(also called audio conferencing, teleconferencing, or just plain conference calling) enables people to collab-
orate by telephone. Communicators at both ends use enhanced speakerphones to talk and be heard
simultaneously.
Open Offices
The widespread use of laptop computers, tablets, and other smart devices; wireless technology; and VoIP
have led to more fluid, flexible, and open workspaces. Smaller computers and flat-screen monitors enable
designers to save space with boomerang-shaped workstations and cockpit-style work surfaces rather than
space-hogging corner work areas. Smaller breakout areas for impromptu meetings are taking over some
cubicle space, and digital databases are replacing filing cabinets. Mobile technology allows workers to be
fully connected and productive on the go.
Smart Mobile Devices and Digital Convergence
A new generation of lightweight, hand-held devices provide phone, email, Web browsing, and calendar
options anywhere there is a cellular or Wi-Fi network. Tablets and smartphones such as Android devices,
iPhones, and iPads now allow workers to tap into corporate databases and intranets from remote locations.
They can check customers’ files, complete orders, and send out receipts without returning to the office.
Increasingly, businesses are issuing smartphones to their workforces, abandoning landlines completely. At
the same time, the need for separate electronic gadgets is waning as digital smart devices are becoming
multifunctional and highly capable. With streaming video on the Web, connectivity between TVs and com-
puters, and networked mobile devices, technology is converging, consolidating into increasingly powerful
devices. Many smart devices today are fully capable of replacing digital point-and-shoot still photography
and video cameras. Mobile smart devices are also competing with TVs and computers for primacy.
10 Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Photos, top to bottom: Erik Von Weber/Jupiter Images; © Andresr/Shutterstock; © photos.com; © StockLite/Shutterstock; iStockphoto.com/hocus-focus; jacoblund/istock by Getty Images Presence Technology
Presence technology makes it possible to locate and identify a computing device as soon as users con-
nect to the network. This technology is an integral part of communication devices including smartphones,
laptop computers, tablets, and GPS devices. Collaboration is possible wherever and whenever users are
online.
Web Conferencing
With services such as GoToMeeting, WebEx, and Microsoft Live Meeting, all you need is a computer or a
smart device and an Internet connection to hold a meeting (webinar) with customers or colleagues in real
time. Although the functions are constantly evolving, Web conferencing currently incorporates screen
sharing, chats, slide presentations, text messaging, and application sharing.
Videoconferencing
Videoconferencing allows participants to meet in special conference rooms equipped with cameras and
television screens. Individuals or groups see each other and interact in real time, although they may be far
apart. Faster computers, rapid Internet connections, and better cameras now enable 2 to 200 participants
to sit at their own computers or mobile devices and share applications, spreadsheets, presentations, and
photos. The technology extends from the popular Internet applications Skype and FaceTime to sophisti-
cated videoconferencing software that delivers HD-quality audio, video, and content sharing.
Electronic Presentations
Business presentations in PowerPoint, Keynote, SlideRocket, or Prezi can be projected from a laptop or
tablet or posted online. Sophisticated presentations may include animation, sound effects, digital photos,
video clips, or hyperlinks to Internet sites. In some industries, electronic slides (“decks”) are replacing or
supplementing traditional hard-copy reports.
Social Media
Never before in history have so many people been connected in online communities called social net-
works. Broadly speaking, the term social media describes technology that enables participants to connect
and participate in social networks online. For example, tech-savvy companies and individuals send tweets,
short messages of up to 140 characters, to other users to issue up-to-date news about their products,
to link to their blogs and websites, or to announce events and promotions. The microblogging service
Twitter also allows businesses to track what is being said about them and their products. Similarly, busi-
nesses use social networks such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram to build their brands and interact
with their customers. Companies may also prospect for talent using social media networks.
Collaboration With Blogs, Podcasts, and Wikis
Businesses use blogs to keep customers and employees informed and to receive feedback. Company
news can be posted, updated, and categorized for easy cross-referencing. An audio or video file streamed
online or downloaded to a digital music player is called a podcast. A wiki such as Google Docs is a real-
time website that allows multiple users to collaboratively create and edit pages. Information can get lost
in emails, but a wiki provides an easy way to communicate and keep track of what has been said.
© Cengage Learning
NEL Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace 11
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
such as bankruptcy or real estate meltdown has an intense emotional impact, a
listener may be unable to focus on the information that follows.
• Nonverbal distractions. Many of us find it hard to listen if a speaker is different
from what we view as normal. Unusual clothing or speech mannerisms, body
twitches, or a radical hairstyle can cause enough distraction to prevent us from
hearing what the speaker has to say.
• Thought speed. Because we can process thoughts at least three times faster than
speakers can say them, we can become bored and allow our minds to wander.
• Faking attention. Most of us have learned to look as if we are listening even
when we are not. Such behaviour was perhaps necessary as part of our socializa-
tion. Faked attention, however, seriously threatens effective listening because it
encourages the mind to engage in flights of unchecked fancy. Those who fake
attention often find it hard to concentrate even when they want to.
• Grandstanding. Would you rather talk or listen? Naturally, most of us would rather
talk. Because our own experiences and thoughts are most important to us, we grab
the limelight in conversations. We sometimes fail to listen carefully because we are
just waiting politely for the next pause so that we can have our turn to speak.
1.2b Building Powerful Listening Skills
You can reverse the harmful effects of poor habits by making a conscious effort to
become an active listener. This means becoming involved. You can’t sit back and
hear whatever a lazy mind happens to receive. The following keys will help you
become an active and effective listener:
• Stop talking. The first step to becoming a good listener is to stop talking. Let
others explain their views. Learn to concentrate on what the speaker is saying, not
on what your next comment will be.
• Control your surroundings. Whenever possible, remove competing sounds. Close
windows or doors, turn off TVs and smartphones, and move away from loud
people, noisy appliances, or engines. Choose a quiet time and place for listening.
• Establish a receptive mindset. Expect to learn something by listening. Strive for
a positive and receptive frame of mind. If the message is complex, think of it as
mental gymnastics. It is hard work but good exercise to stretch and expand the
limits of your mind.
• Keep an open mind. We all sift through and filter information based on our own
biases and values. For improved listening, discipline yourself to listen objectively.
Be fair to the speaker. Hear what is really being said, not what you want to hear.
• Listen for main points. Heighten your concentration and satisfaction by looking
for the speaker’s central themes. Congratulate yourself when you find them!
• Capitalize on lag time. Make use of the quickness of your mind by reviewing the
speaker’s points. Anticipate what is coming next. Evaluate evidence the speaker
has presented. Don’t allow yourself to daydream. Try to guess what the speaker’s
next point will be.
• Listen between the lines. Focus both on what is spoken and what is unspoken.
Listen for feelings as well as for facts.
• Judge ideas, not appearances. Concentrate on the content of the message, not
on its delivery. Avoid being distracted by the speaker’s looks, voice, or mannerisms.
• Hold your fire. Force yourself to listen to the speaker’s entire argument or mes-
sage before responding. Such restraint may enable you to understand the speak-
er’s reasons and logic before you jump to false conclusions.
• Take selective notes. In some situations thoughtful note taking may be neces-
sary to record important facts that must be recalled later. Select only the most
important points so that the note-taking process does not interfere with your
concentration on the speaker’s total message.
• Provide feedback. Let the speaker know that you are listening. Nod your head and
maintain eye contact. Ask relevant questions at appropriate times. Getting involved
improves the communication process for both the speaker and the listener.
12 Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
1.3 Learning Nonverbal Communication Skills OFFICE
INSIDER
Understanding messages often involves more than merely listening to spoken words.
Nonverbal cues, in fact, can speak louder than words. These cues include eye con- “Listening is hard work.
tact, facial expression, body movements, time, space, territory, and appearance. All Unlike hearing, it demands
of these nonverbal cues affect how a message is interpreted, or decoded, by the total concentration. It is an
receiver. active search for meaning,
while hearing is passive.”
WHAT IS NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION? Nonverbal communication
includes all unwritten and unspoken messages, whether intended or not. These —Alfonso Bucero, consultant and
silent signals have a strong effect on receivers. However, understanding them is not author
simple. Does a downward glance indicate modesty? Fatigue? Does a constant stare
reflect coldness? Dullness? Aggression? Do crossed arms mean a person is defensive Office Insider based on Bucero, A.
or withdrawn, or just that the person is shivering? (2006, July). Listen and learn. PM
Network. Retrieved from http://
WHAT IF WORDS AND NONVERBAL CUES CLASH? Messages are even search.ebscohost.com
harder to decipher when the verbal and nonverbal cues do not agree. What will
you think if Scott says he is not angry, but he slams the door when he leaves? What
if Alicia assures the hostess that the meal is excellent, but she eats very little? The
nonverbal messages in these situations speak more loudly than the words. In fact,
researchers believe that the bulk of any message we receive is nonverbal.
1.3a Your Body Sends Silent Messages
Psychologist and philosopher Paul Watzlawick claimed that we cannot not commu-
nicate.29 In other words, it’s impossible to not communicate. This means that every
behaviour is sending a message even if we don’t use words. The eyes, face, and body
convey meaning without a single syllable being spoken.
EYE CONTACT. The eyes have been called the windows to the soul. Even if they
don’t reveal the soul, the eyes are often the best predictor of a speaker’s true feelings.
Most of us cannot look another person straight in the eyes and lie. As a result, in
Canadian culture we tend to believe people who look directly at us. Sustained eye
contact suggests trust and admiration; brief eye contact signals fear or stress. Good
eye contact enables the message sender to see whether a receiver is paying attention,
showing respect, responding favourably, or feeling distress. From the receiver’s view-
point, good eye contact reveals the speaker’s sincerity, confidence, and truthfulness.
FACIAL EXPRESSION. The expression on a person’s face can be almost as
revealing of emotion as the eyes. Experts estimate that the human face can dis-
play over 250,000 expressions.30 To hide their feelings, some people control these
expressions and maintain “poker faces.” Most of us, however, display our emotions
openly. Raising or lowering the eyebrows, squinting the eyes, swallowing nervously,
clenching the jaw, smiling broadly—these voluntary and involuntary facial expres-
sions can add to or entirely replace verbal messages.
POSTURE AND GESTURES. A person’s posture can convey anything from high
status and self-confidence to shyness and submissiveness. Leaning toward a speaker
suggests attentiveness and interest; pulling away or shrinking back denotes fear,
distrust, anxiety, or disgust. Similarly, gestures can communicate entire thoughts
via simple movements. However, the meanings of some of these movements differ
across cultures. Unless you know local customs, such differences can get you into
trouble. In Canada and the U.S., for example, forming the thumb and forefinger
in a circle means everything is OK. But in parts of South America, the OK sign is
obscene.
NEL Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace 13
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
To take stock of the kinds of messages being sent by your body, ask a class-
mate to critique your use of eye contact, facial expressions, and body movements.
Another way to analyze your nonverbal style is to record yourself making a presen-
tation. Then study your performance. This way you can make sure your nonverbal
cues send the same message as your words.
1.3b Time, Space, and Territory Send Silent Messages
In addition to nonverbal messages transmitted by your body, three external elements
convey information in the communication process: time, space, and territory.
TIME. How we structure and use time tells observers about our personalities and
attitudes. For example, when Prem Watsa, famous Canadian investor and philan-
thropist, gives a visitor a prolonged interview, he signals his respect for, interest in,
and approval of the visitor or the topic to be discussed.
SPACE. How we order the space around us tells something about ourselves and
our objectives. Whether the space is a bedroom, a dorm room, or an office, people
reveal themselves in the design and grouping of their furniture. Generally, the more
formal the arrangement, the more formal and closed the communication style. An
executive who seats visitors in a row of chairs across from his desk sends a message
of aloofness and a desire for separation. A team leader who arranges chairs infor-
mally in a circle rather than in straight rows conveys her desire for a more open
exchange of ideas.
TERRITORY. Each of us has a certain area that we feel is our own territory, whether
it is a specific spot or just the space around us. Your father may have a favourite
chair in which he is most comfortable, a cook might not tolerate intruders in the
kitchen, and veteran employees may feel that certain work areas and tools belong
to them. We all maintain zones of privacy in which we feel comfortable. Figure 1.5
categorizes the four zones of social interaction among Americans, as formulated by
anthropologist Edward T. Hall.31 Notice that North Americans are a bit standoffish;
only intimate friends and family may stand closer than about 45 centimetres. If
someone violates that territory, North Americans feel uncomfortable and may step
back to reestablish their space.
1.3c Appearance Sends Silent Messages
Much like the personal appearance of an individual, the physical appearance of a
business document transmits immediate and important nonverbal messages. Ideally,
these messages should be pleasing to the eye.
EYE APPEAL OF BUSINESS DOCUMENTS. The way an email, letter, memo,
or report looks can have either a positive or a negative effect on the receiver. Sloppy
emails send a nonverbal message that you are in a terrific hurry or that you do not
care about the receiver. Envelopes—through their postage, stationery, and printing—
can suggest that they are routine, important, or junk mail. Letters and reports can
look neat, professional, well organized, and attractive—or just the opposite. In suc-
ceeding chapters you will learn how to create business documents that send positive
nonverbal messages through their appearance, format, organization, readability,
and correctness.
PERSONAL APPEARANCE. The way you look—your clothing, grooming, and
posture—telegraphs an instant nonverbal message about you. Based on what they
see, viewers make quick judgments about your status, credibility, personality, and
potential. If you want to be considered professional, think about how you present
yourself. One marketing manager said, “I’m young and pretty. It’s hard enough to
be taken seriously, and if I show up in jeans and a T-shirt, I don’t stand a chance.”32
14 Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
WORKPLACE IN FOCUS Hero Images/Getty Images
One of the latest fads is body art in the form
of tattoos and piercings. Once seen primarily
on bikers, prisoners, and sailors, inked images
increasingly adorn the bodies of Canadians today.
A Pew Research study found the highest inci-
dence of tattoos in 18- to 29-year-olds (38 per-
cent). Canadian HR site HRM Canada points out
that at least one major Canadian employer has
changed its dress code requiring employees to
cover up all large tattoos.33 Conspicuous body
art may make you feel distinctive and slightly
daring, but how might it affect your career?
Workplace in Focus based on Papiernik, R. L.
(1995, October 30). Diversity demands
new understanding. Nation’s Restaurant
News, 29(43), 54. Retrieved from http://
www.nrn.com. © Cengage Learning
FIGURE 1.5 | Four Space Zones for Social Interaction
Zone Distance Uses
Intimate 0 to 45 cm
Personal (1.5 feet) Reserved for members of the family and other loved
Social 45 to 122 cm ones.
(1.5 to 4 feet)
Public 122 to 366 cm For talking with friends privately. The outer limit
(4 to 12 feet) enables you to keep someone at arm’s length.
366 cm and over For acquaintances, fellow workers, and strangers.
(12 feet and over) Close enough for eye contact yet far enough for
comfort.
For use in the classroom and for speeches before
groups. Nonverbal cues become important as aids
to communication.
1.3d Building Strong Nonverbal Skills
Nonverbal communication can outweigh words in the way it influences how
others perceive us. You can harness the power of silent messages by reviewing
the following tips for improving nonverbal communication skills:
• Establish and maintain eye contact. Remember that in Canada appropriate
eye contact signals interest, attentiveness, strength, and credibility.
• Use posture to show interest. Encourage interaction by leaning forward,
sitting or standing erect, and looking alert.
• Reduce or eliminate physical barriers. Move out from behind a desk or
lectern; arrange meeting chairs in a circle.
• Improve your decoding skills. Watch facial expressions and body lan-
guage to understand the complete verbal and nonverbal messages being
communicated.
NEL Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace 15
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Verbal and nonverbal • Probe for more information. When you perceive nonverbal cues that contradict
meanings are even more
difficult to interpret verbal meanings, politely seek additional cues (I’m not sure I understand, Please
when people are from tell me more about . . . , or Do you mean that . . .).
different cultures.
• Interpret nonverbal meanings in context. Make nonverbal assessments only
when you understand a situation or a culture.
• Associate with people from diverse cultures. Learn about other cultures to
widen your knowledge and tolerance of intercultural nonverbal messages.
• Appreciate the power of appearance. Keep in mind that the appearance of your
business documents, your business space, and yourself sends immediate positive
or negative messages to receivers.
• Observe yourself on video. Ensure that your verbal and nonverbal messages are
in sync by recording and evaluating yourself making a presentation.
• Enlist friends and family. Ask friends and family to monitor your conscious
and unconscious body movements and gestures to help you become an effective
communicator.
1.4 Recognizing How Culture Affects
Communication
Global business, new communication technologies, the Internet, and social media
span the world, shrinking distances. However, cultural differences still exist and
can cause significant misunderstandings. Comprehending the verbal and nonverbal
meanings of a message can be difficult even when communicators are from the same
culture. When they come from different cultures, special sensitivity and skills are
necessary.
WHAT IS CULTURE? For our purposes, culture may be defined as “the complex
system of values, traits, morals, and customs shared by a society, region, or country.”
Culture is a powerful operating force that moulds the way we think, behave, and
communicate.
So that you will better understand your culture and how it contrasts with other
cultures, we will describe five key dimensions of culture: context, individualism,
time orientation, power distance, and communication style. The section closes with
a look at the interaction between culture and social media.
1.4a Context
Context is probably the most important cultural dimension and also the most dif-
ficult to define. In a model developed by cultural anthropologist Edward T. Hall,
context refers to the stimuli, environment, or ambience surrounding an event. Hall
arranged cultures on a continuum, shown in Figure 1.6, from low to high in rela-
tion to context. This figure also summarizes key comparisons for today’s business
communicators.
Communicators in low-context cultures (such as those in North America,
Scandinavia, and Germany) depend little on the context of a situation to convey their
meaning. They assume that messages must be explicit, and listeners rely exclusively
on the written or spoken word. Low-context cultures tend to be logical, analytical,
and action oriented. Business communicators stress clearly articulated messages that
they consider to be objective, professional, and efficient. Words are taken literally.
Communicators in high-context cultures (such as those in China, Japan, and
Arab countries) assume that the listener does not need much background informa-
tion.34 Communicators in high-context cultures are more likely to be intuitive and
contemplative. They may not take words literally. Instead, the meaning of a message
may be implied from the social or physical setting, the relationship of the commu-
nicators, or nonverbal cues. For example, a Japanese communicator might say yes
16 Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
FIGURE 1.6 | Comparing Low- and High-Context Cultures
Culture has a powerful effect on business communicators. The following observations point out selected differences. However, these
are simplifications and practices within a given culture vary considerably. Moreover, as globalization expands, low- and high-context
cultures are experiencing change and differences may be less pronounced.
South Arabian Asian
African European
South
American
Central
European
Canadian
German American
Northern
European
Swiss
Tend to prefer direct verbal interaction Tend to prefer indirect verbal interaction
Tend to understand meaning at only one Tend to understand meanings embedded
sociocultural level. at many sociocultural levels
Are generally less pro cient in reading nonverbal cues Are generally more pro cient in reading nonverbal cues
Value individualism Value group membership
Rely more on logic Rely more on context and feeling
Say no directly Talk around point, avoid saying no
Communicate in highly structured, detailed messages Communicate in sometimes simple, sometimes
with literal meanings ambiguous messages
Give authority to written information Understand visual messages readily
© Cengage Learning
when he really means no. From the context of the situation, his Japanese conversa- Context means it’s not
tion partner would conclude whether yes really meant yes or whether it meant no. just what’s said or written
The context, tone, time taken to answer, facial expression, and body cues would that’s important, but how
convey the meaning of yes.35 Communication cues are transmitted by posture, voice it’s said or written, as well
inflection, gestures, and facial expression. as the posture, voice,
and facial expression
1.4b Individualism of the communicator.
An attitude of independence and freedom from control characterizes individu-
alism. Members of low-context cultures, particularly North Americans, tend to
value individualism. They believe that initiative and self-assertion result in personal
achievement. They believe in individual action and personal responsibility, and they
desire much freedom in their personal lives.
Members of high-context cultures are more collectivist. They emphasize mem-
bership in organizations, groups, and teams; they encourage acceptance of group
values, duties, and decisions. They typically resist independence because it fosters
competition and confrontation instead of consensus. In group-oriented cultures
such as those in many Asian societies, for example, self-assertion and individual
decision making are discouraged. “The nail that sticks up gets pounded down” is
NEL Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace 17
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
While Canadians value a common Japanese saying.36 Business decisions are often made by all who have
both individualism and competence in the matter under discussion. Similarly, in China managers also focus
collectivism, as well as per- on the group rather than on the individual, preferring a consultative management
sonal responsibility, other style to an autocratic style.37
cultures emphasize group-
and team-oriented values. Many cultures, of course, are quite complex and cannot be characterized as
totally individualistic or group oriented. For example, European Americans are
Canadians equate time generally quite individualistic, whereas African Americans are less so, and Latinos
with productivity, effi- are closer to the group-centred dimension.38
ciency, and money.
1.4c Time Orientation
Canadians consider time a precious commodity. They correlate time with produc-
tivity, efficiency, and money. Keeping people waiting for business appointments is
considered a waste of time and also rude.
In other cultures time may be perceived as an unlimited resource to be enjoyed.
A Canadian businessperson, for example, was kept waiting two hours past a sched-
uled appointment time in South America. She wasn’t offended, though, because she
was familiar with South Americans’ more relaxed concept of time.
The perceptions of time and how it is used are culturally learned. In some
cultures time is perceived analytically. People account for every minute of the day.
In other cultures time is holistic and viewed in larger chunks. People in Western
cultures tend to be more analytical, scheduling appointments at 15- to 30-minute
intervals. Those in Eastern cultures tend to be more holistic, planning fewer but
longer meetings. People in one culture may look at time as formal and task oriented.
In another culture time may be seen as an opportunity to develop interpersonal
relationships.
1.4d Power Distance
One important element of culture is power distance, a concept first introduced by
influential social psychologist Geert Hofstede. The Power Distance Index measures
how people in different societies cope with inequality; in other words, how they
relate to more powerful individuals. In high power distance countries, subordinates
expect formal hierarchies and embrace relatively authoritarian, paternalistic power
relationships. In low power distance cultures, however, subordinates consider them-
selves as equals of their supervisors. They confidently voice opinions and participate
in decision making. Relationships between high-powered individuals and people
with little power tend to be more democratic, egalitarian, and informal in these
cultures.
As you probably guessed, in Western cultures people are more relaxed about
social status and the appearance of power.39 Deference is not generally paid
to individuals merely because of their wealth, position, seniority, or age. In
many Asian cultures, however, these characteristics are important and must be
respected. Walmart, facing many hurdles in breaking into the Japanese market,
admits having had difficulty training local employees to speak up to their bosses.
In the Japanese culture, lower-level employees do not question management.
Deference and respect are paid to those in authority and power. Recognizing
this cultural pattern, Marriott Hotel managers learned to avoid placing a lower-
level Japanese employee on a floor above a higher-level executive from the same
company.
1.4e Communication Style
People in low- and high-context cultures tend to communicate differently with
words. To Canadians, for example, words are very important, especially in con-
tracts and negotiations. People in high-context cultures, on the other hand, place
more emphasis on the surrounding context than on the words describing a negotia-
tion. A Greek may see a contract as a formal statement announcing the intention
18 Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
to build a business for the future. The Japanese may treat contracts as statements Canadians tend to be
of intention, and they assume changes will be made as projects develop. Mexicans direct and to under-
may treat contracts as artistic exercises of what might be accomplished in an ideal stand words literally.
world. They do not necessarily expect contracts to apply consistently in the real
world. An Arab may be insulted by merely mentioning a contract; a person’s word
is more binding.40
In communication style Canadians value straightforwardness, are suspicious of
evasiveness, and distrust people who might have a “hidden agenda” or who “play
their cards too close to the chest.”41 We also tend to be uncomfortable with silence
and impatient with delays. Some Asian businesspeople have learned that the longer
they drag out negotiations, the more concessions impatient Canadians are likely to
make.
1.4f Intercultural Communication, Social Media,
and Communication Technology
Much has been made of the connectedness that social media and communication
technology provide today. With minimal resources, communicators can reach out to
larger and more varied audiences than ever before.
SOCIAL NETWORKING: BRIDGING CULTURAL DIVIDES? What we make
of the potential for intercultural connectedness online is as much up to us as it
would be at a dinner party where we don’t know any of the other guests. “Digital
media is an amplifier. It tends to make extroverts more extroverted and introverts
more introverted,” says Clay Shirky, a social media expert.42 At the same time, the
online environment may deepen feelings of isolation; it can make interpersonal con-
tact more difficult because all contact is mediated electronically.43
In real life, as online, we instinctively tend to gravitate toward people who seem
similar to us, believes Gaurav Mishra, a social media strategist: “[H]uman beings
have a strong tendency to prefer the familiar, so we pay attention to people with
a shared context and treat the rich Twitter public stream as background noise.”44
Twitter and other social media can boost intercultural communication; however, we
must be willing to reach out across the boundaries that separate us. Yet, the public
around the world is witnessing first-hand, real-time accounts of political unrest and
natural and human-caused disasters on social media—often long before traditional
media reporters arrive on the scene.
SOCIAL NETWORKING: ERASING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES? Despite the
equalizing influence of globalization, regional and cultural differences persist, as
Cienpies Design/Shutterstock.com
Whether social media networks will allow business communicators to engage across cultures
and bridge intercultural differences will depend on the users’ attitudes and openness.
NEL Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace 19
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
those who design media for markets in other countries know. Asian users may prefer
muted pastel colours and anime-style graphics that North Americans would find
unusual. Conversely, Korean and Japanese employees may balk at being compelled
to post photos of themselves on company intranet pages. They opt for avatars or
pictures of pets instead, possibly as an expression of personal modesty or due to
expectations of privacy; whereas, North Americans believe photos promote cohe-
sion and make them seem accessible.
It remains to be seen whether social networking will slowly erase many of the
cultural differences present today or whether distinct national, even local, networks
will emerge.45
Ethnocentrism is the belief 1.5 Building Intercultural Workplace Skills
in the superiority of one’s
own culture and group. Being aware of your own culture and how it contrasts with others is a first step in
learning intercultural skills. Another important step involves recognizing barriers
A stereotype is an over- to intercultural accommodation and striving to overcome them. The digital-age
simplified perception of economy needs workers who can thrive on diverse teams and interact effectively
a behavioural pattern with customers and clients at home and abroad.
applied to entire groups.
1.5a Curbing Ethnocentrism and Stereotyping
Developing intercultural
tolerance means practising Two barriers often hamper the process of successfully understanding and interacting
empathy, being nonjudg- with people from other cultures: ethnocentrism and stereotyping. These barriers,
mental, and being patient. however, can be overcome by developing tolerance, a powerful and effective aid to
communication.
ETHNOCENTRISM. The belief in the superiority of one’s own culture is known
as ethnocentrism. This natural attitude is found in all cultures. Ethnocentrism causes
us to judge others by our own values. If you were raised in Canada, values such as
punctuality and directness described previously probably seem “right” to you, and
you may wonder why the rest of the world doesn’t function in the same sensible
fashion.
STEREOTYPES. Our perceptions of other cultures sometimes cause us to form
stereotypes about groups of people. A stereotype is an oversimplified perception of
a behavioural pattern or characteristic applied to entire groups. For example, the
Swiss are hardworking, efficient, and neat; Germans are formal, reserved, and blunt;
Americans are loud, friendly, and impatient; Canadians are polite, trusting, and tol-
erant; Asians are gracious, humble, and inscrutable. These attitudes may or may not
accurately describe cultural norms. Look beneath surface stereotypes and labels to
discover individual personal qualities.
TOLERANCE. As global markets expand and as our society becomes increasingly
multiethnic, tolerance is critical. Tolerance here means learning about and appre-
ciating beliefs and practices different from our own. It means being open-minded
and receptive to new experiences. One of the best ways to develop tolerance is to
practise empathy, defined as trying to see the world through another’s eyes. It means
being less judgmental and more eager to seek common ground.
For example, BMW Group and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations
jointly award projects around the world that promote international understanding
and the overcoming of religious and cultural boundaries. A pair of recent finalists, a
Palestinian school principal and an Israeli school principal, joined forces to counter
the political turmoil in Jerusalem.”46 Students at both schools collaborate on envi-
ronmental protection activities and study each other’s languages. Getting along
well with others is always a good policy, but doubly so in the workplace. Some job
20 Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
descriptions now include statements such as Must be able to interact with ethnically OFFICE
diverse workforce. INSIDER
1.5b Successful Spoken Communication “Not everyone can travel,
With Intercultural Audiences but since we live and work
in a global economy, we
When you have a conversation with someone from another culture, you can reduce should expect undergrad-
misunderstandings by following these tips: uate programs to prepare
students with a fundamental
• Use simple English. Speak in short sentences (under 20 words) with familiar, short understanding of the cul-
tural differences, historical
words. Eliminate puns, sports and military references, slang, and jargon (special perspectives, and common
business terms). Be especially alert to idiomatic expressions that can’t be translated, business practices employed
such as burn the midnight oil and throw a curve ball. by all the major countries
within it.”
• Speak slowly and enunciate clearly. Avoid fast speech, but don’t raise your
—Craig Cuyar, CIO, Omnicom
voice. Overpunctuate with pauses and full stops. Always write numbers for all
to see. Office Insider based on King, J.
(2009, September 21). Crossing the
• Encourage accurate feedback. Ask probing questions, and encourage the lis- skills gap. Computerworld, p. 32.
Retrieved from http://search
tener to paraphrase what you say. Don’t assume that a yes, a nod, or a smile .ebscohost.com
indicates comprehension or assent.
• Check frequently for comprehension. Avoid waiting until the end of a long
explanation to request feedback. Instead, make one point at a time, pausing to
check for comprehension. Don’t proceed to B until A has been grasped.
• Observe eye messages. Be alert to a glazed expression or wandering eyes. These
tell you the listener is lost.
• Accept blame. If a misunderstanding results, graciously accept the responsibility
for not making your meaning clear.
• Listen without interrupting. Curb your desire to finish sentences or to fill out
ideas for the speaker. Keep in mind that North Americans abroad are often
accused of listening too little and talking too much.
• Smile when appropriate. The smile is often considered the single most under-
stood and most useful form of communication. In some cultures, however, exces-
sive smiling may seem insincere.47
• Follow up in writing. After conversations or oral negotiations, confirm the results
and agreements with written messages—if necessary, in the local language.
1.5c Successful Written Communication
With Intercultural Audiences
When you write to someone from a different culture, you can improve your chances
of being understood by following these suggestions:
• Consider local styles and conventions. Learn how documents are formatted
and how letters are addressed and developed in the intended reader’s country.
Decide whether to use your organization’s preferred format or adjust to local styles.
Observe titles and rank. Be polite.
• Hire a translator. Engage a professional translator if (a) your document is impor-
tant, (b) your document will be distributed to many readers, or (c) you must be
persuasive.
• Use short sentences and short paragraphs. Sentences with fewer than 20 words
and paragraphs with fewer than 8 lines are most readable.
• Avoid ambiguous wording. Include relative pronouns (that, which, who) for
clarity in introducing clauses. Stay away from contractions (especially ones such
as here’s the problem). Avoid idioms (once in a blue moon), slang (my presenta-
tion really bombed), acronyms (ASAP for as soon as possible), abbreviations
(DBA for doing business as), jargon (ROI, bottom line), and sports references
(play ball, slam dunk). Use action-specific verbs (buy a printer rather than get a
printer).
NEL Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace 21
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
OFFICE • Cite numbers carefully. In international trade learn and use the metric system.
INSIDER
In citing numbers, use figures (15) instead of spelling them out (fifteen). Always
“I need to find the best set convert dollar figures into local currency. Spell out the month when writing
of skills to do the assign- dates. In North America, for example, March 5, 2018, might be written as 3/5/18,
ment rather than someone whereas in Europe the same date might appear as 5.3.18.
who looks like me, acts like
me, or went to the same 1.5d Globalization and Workplace Diversity
school or fits into the old
mould.” While Canadian companies like Shopify are expanding global operations and
adapting to a variety of emerging markets, the domestic workforce is also becoming
—Ken Henderson, former managing more diverse. This diversity has many dimensions—race, ethnicity, age, religion,
director of IMCOR, a national exec- gender, national origin, physical ability, sexual orientation, and other qualities.
utive search firm
No longer will the workplace be predominantly male or Caucasian. According
Office Insider based on Papiernik, to Douglas Quan of the National Post, “In 2011, the percentage of visible minorities
R. L. (1995, October 30). Diversity was 19.1 percent, according to Statistics Canada. By 2031, that number is expected
demands new understanding. to grow to 30.6 percent, with South Asian and Chinese immigrants driving much
Nation’s Restaurant News, 29(43), 54. that growth. Vancouver and Toronto are expected to become ‘majority-minority’
Retrieved from http://www.nrn.com cities with three out of five people—60 percent—belonging to a visible minority
group by then.”*48 In the near future, women will comprise nearly 50 percent of the
workforce, and the number of workers aged 55 and older will grow to 20 percent.49
What do all these changes mean for you? Simply put, your job will require
you to interact with colleagues and customers with backgrounds from around the
world. You will need to cooperate with individuals and teams. What’s more, your
coworkers may differ from you in race, ethnicity, gender, age, and other ways.
1.5e Benefits of a Diverse Workforce
As society and the workforce become more diverse, successful communication
among various identity groups brings distinct advantages. Customers want to deal
with companies that respect their values. They are more likely to say, “If you are a
company whose ads do not include me, or whose workforce does not include me, I
will not buy from you.”
A diverse staff is better able to respond to the increasingly diverse customer
base in local and world markets. “We find that more and more of our clients are
demanding that our partners and staff—involved in securing new business as well as
delivering the work—reflect diversity within their organizations,” said an employee
at accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers.50 Theo Fletcher, a vice president
at IBM, agrees: “It is important that we have a supply base that looks like our
employee base and that looks like the market we are trying to attract.”51
Most important, though, is the growing realization among organizations that
diversity is a critical bottom-line business strategy to improve employee relation-
ships and to increase productivity. Developing a diverse staff that can work together
cooperatively is one of the biggest challenges facing business organizations today.
1.5f Tips for Communicating With Diverse Audiences
on the Job
Harmony and acceptance do not happen automatically when people who are dissim-
ilar work together. This means that companies must commit to diversity. Harnessed
effectively, diversity can enhance productivity and propel a company to success.
Mismanaged, it can become a drain on a company’s time and resources. The following
suggestions can help you find ways to improve communication and interaction:
• Seek training. Look upon diversity as an opportunity, not a threat. Intercultural
communication, team building, and conflict resolution are skills that can be learned
in diversity training programs.
*Material republished with the express permission of: National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
22 Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
• Understand the value of differences. Diversity makes an organization innova-
tive and creative. Sameness fosters an absence of critical thinking called group-
think. Real-world examples like the Lac-Mégantic derailment disaster suggest
that groupthink may prevent alternatives from being considered. Even smart
people working collectively can make dumb decisions if they do not see different
perspectives.52
• Learn about your cultural self. Begin to think of yourself as a product of your
culture, and understand that your culture is just one among many. Try to look at
yourself from the outside. Do you see any reflex reactions and automatic thought
patterns that are a result of your upbringing? These may be invisible to you until
challenged by people who are different from you. Be sure to keep what works
and yet be ready to adapt as your environment changes.
• Make fewer assumptions. Be careful of seemingly insignificant, innocent work-
place assumptions. For example, don’t assume that everyone wants to observe the
holidays with a Christmas party and a decorated tree. Moreover, in workplace
discussions don’t assume anything about others’ sexual orientations or attitudes
toward marriage. For invitations, avoid phrases such as managers and their wives.
Using spouses or partners is more inclusive. Valuing diversity means making
fewer assumptions that everyone is like you or wants to be like you.
• Build on similarities. Look for areas in which you and others not like you can
agree or at least share opinions. Be prepared to consider issues from many per-
spectives, all of which may be valid. Although you can always find differences, it
is much harder to find similarities. Look for common ground in shared experi-
ences, mutual goals, and similar values.53 Concentrate on your objective even
when you may disagree on how to reach it.
SUMMARY OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1.1 Describe how solid communication skills will improve • Poor listening can be overcome as long as we stop
your career prospects. talking, focus fully on others, control distractions,
keep an open mind, and listen for the speaker’s
• Employers hire and promote job candidates who main ideas.
have excellent communication skills; writing skills
make or break careers. • Capitalizing on lag time, listening between the lines,
judging ideas instead of appearances, taking good
• Because workers interact more than ever using notes, and providing feedback are other methods
communication technology, even technical fields for building listening skills.
require communication skills.
1.3 Explain the importance of nonverbal communication.
• New hires and other employees must project a
professional image and possess soft skills. • Be aware of nonverbal cues such as eye contact,
facial expression, and posture that send silent,
• Job challenges in the information age include highly believable messages.
changing communication technologies, mobile
24/7 offices, flatter management, an emphasis on • Understand that how you use time, space, and ter-
teams, and global competition. ritory is interpreted by the receiver, who also “reads”
the eye appeal of your business documents and
1.2 Confront barriers to effective listening. your personal appearance.
• Most of us are poor listeners; we can learn active • Build solid nonverbal skills by keeping eye contact,
listening by removing physical and psychological maintaining good posture, reducing physical bar-
barriers, overlooking language problems, and elim- riers, improving your decoding skills, and probing
inating distractions. for more information.
• A fast processing speed allows us to let our minds • Interpret nonverbal meanings in context, learn
wander; we fake attention and prefer to talk than about other cultures, and understand the impact
to listen. of appearance—of documents, your office space,
and yourself.
NEL Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace 23
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
1.4 Understand five common dimensions of culture and how 1.5 U se intercultural communication strategies to prevent
they affect communication. m iscommunication.
• Culture is a complex system of values, traits, and cus- • Beware of ethnocentrism and stereotyping; instead,
toms shared by a society; culture moulds the way we embrace tolerance and keep an open mind.
think, behave, and communicate both offline and online.
• When communicating orally, use simple English, speak
• Culture can be described using key dimensions such slowly, check for comprehension, observe eye mes-
as context, individualism, time orientation, power dis- sages, accept blame, don’t interrupt, smile, and follow
tance, and communication style. up in writing.
• Today’s communicators need to be aware of low- and • When writing, consider local styles, hire a translator,
high-context cultures, individualistic versus collectivist use short sentences, avoid ambiguous wording, and
societies, differing attitudes toward time, clashing per- cite numbers carefully.
ceptions of power, and varying reliance on the written
word. • As the domestic workforce becomes more diverse,
appreciate diversity as a critical business strategy.
• Whether social media and technology can bridge cul-
tural divides and erase differences will depend on the • To communicate well with diverse audiences, seek
users as much as it would among strangers who meet training, understand the value of diversity, learn about
at a dinner party. your own culture, make fewer assumptions, and look
for similarities.
CHAPTER REVIEW
1. Based on what you have learned in this chapter, describe the kind of work environment you can expect to enter when you
graduate. (Obj. 1)
2. Why are writing skills more important in today’s workplace than ever before? (Obj. 1)
3. List six trends in the information-age workplace that affect business communicators. Be prepared to discuss how they might
affect you in your future career. (Obj. 1)
4. List bad habits and distractions that can act as barriers to effective listening. (Obj. 2)
5. List 11 techniques for improving your listening skills. Be prepared to discuss each. (Obj. 2)
6. What is nonverbal communication, and are nonverbal cues easy to read? (Obj. 3)
7. How do we send messages to others without speaking? (Obj. 3)
8. What is culture, and what are five key dimensions that can be used to describe it? (Obj. 4)
9. List seven or more suggestions for enhancing comprehension when you are talking with non-native speakers of English. Be
prepared to discuss each. (Obj. 5)
CRITICAL THINKING
1. Do you consider your daily texting, Facebook updates, culture, say, China, meet their counterparts from a low-
blog entries, emails, and other informal writing to be “real context culture, Canada, for the first time to negotiate and
writing”? How might such writing differ from the writing sign a manufacturing contract. What could go wrong?
done in business? (Obj. 1) How about conflicting perceptions of time? (Obj. 4)
2. Why do executives and managers spend more time lis- 5. A stereotype is an oversimplified perception of a behav-
tening than do workers? (Obj. 2) ioural pattern or characteristic applied to entire groups.
For example, Germans are formal, reserved, and blunt;
3. What arguments could you give for or against the idea Americans are loud, friendly, and impatient; Asians are
that body language is a science with principles that can gracious, humble, and inscrutable. In what way are such
be interpreted accurately by specialists? (Obj. 3) stereotypes harmless or harmful? (Obj. 5)
4. Consider potential culture clashes in typical business situ-
ations. Imagine that businesspeople from a high-context
ACTIVITIES AND CASES
1.1 INTRODUCE YOURSELF (OBJ. 1)
Your instructor wants to know more about you, your motivation for taking this course, your career goals, and your writing skills.
24 Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Your Task. Send an email or write a memo of introduction to your instructor. See Chapter 5
for formats and tips on drafting emails. In your message include the following:
a. Your reasons for taking this class
b. Your career goals (both short term and long term)
c. A brief description of your employment, if any, and your favourite activities
d. An evaluation and discussion of your current communication skills, including your
strengths and weaknesses
For online classes, write a message of introduction about yourself with the preceding infor-
mation. Post your message (memo or letter) to your discussion board. Read and comment on
the posts of other students. Think about how people in virtual teams must learn about each
other through online messages.
Alternatively, your instructors may assign this task as a concise individual voice mail mes-
sage to establish your telephone etiquette and speaking skills.
1.2 SMALL-GROUP PRESENTATION: INTRODUCE EACH OTHER
(OBJS. 1, 2)
Many organizations today use teams to accomplish their goals. To help you develop speaking,
listening, and teamwork skills, your instructor may assign team projects. One of the first jobs
in any team is selecting members and becoming acquainted.
Your Task. Your instructor will divide your class into small groups or teams. At your instruc-
tor’s direction, either (a) interview another group member and introduce that person to the
group or (b) introduce yourself to the group. Think of this as an informal interview for a team
assignment or for a job. You will want to make notes from which to speak. Your introduction
should include information such as the following:
a. Where did you grow up?
b. What work and extracurricular activities have you engaged in?
c. What are your interests and talents? What are you good at doing?
d. What have you achieved?
e. How familiar are you with various computer technologies?
f. What are your professional and personal goals? Where do you expect to be five years
from now?
To develop listening skills, practise the listening techniques discussed in this chapter and
take notes when other students are presenting. In addition to mentioning details about each
speaker, be prepared to discuss three important facts about each speaker.
1.3 REMEMBERING A TIME WHEN SOMEONE DIDN’T LISTEN
TO YOU (OBJ. 2)
Think of a time when you felt that someone didn’t listen to you—for example, on the job, at
home, at the doctor’s office, or at a store where you shop. Your instructor will split the class
into pairs of speakers and listeners. The speakers will share their stories. The listeners must
try to recognize two things: (a) what the poor listener in the story did that demonstrated nonlis-
tening and (b) what impact this had on the speaker’s feelings. The speakers and listeners then
reverse roles. After this second round, the class compares notes to debrief. All ideas are col-
lected to identify patterns of nonlistening behaviour and its negative impact on the speakers.
Your Task. In pairs or individually, identify behaviour that would reverse what happened in
the stories told in class. Based on your insights, write an email or memo that describes sev-
eral principles of good listening illustrated with brief examples. You could end by concisely
telling of an encounter that shows ideal active listening.
Visit MindTap for a variety of videos, additional exercises, activities, and quizzes to
support your learning.
NEL Chapter 1: Communicating in the Digital-Age Workplace 25
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
02U N I T The Business
Writing Process
CHAPTER 2
Planning Your
Message
CHAPTER 3
Organizing and
Drafting Your
Message
CHAPTER 4
Revising Your
Message
Chris Schmidt/istockphoto
NEL
Copyright 2019 Nelson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content
may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Nelson Education reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
The words you are searching are inside this book. To get more targeted content, please make full-text search by clicking here.
Home
Explore
Essentials of business communication by Guffey, Mary EllenLoewy, DanaAlmonte, Richard (z-lib.org)
View in Fullscreen
Essentials of business communication by Guffey, Mary EllenLoewy, DanaAlmonte, Richard (z-lib.org)
Discover the best professional documents and content resources in AnyFlip Document Base.
Search
Essentials of business communication by Guffey, Mary EllenLoewy, DanaAlmonte, Richard (z-lib.org)
- 1 - 50
- 51 - 100
- 101 - 150
- 151 - 200
- 201 - 250
- 251 - 300
- 301 - 350
- 351 - 400
- 401 - 450
- 451 - 459
Pages: