ENG 201 - Lecture notes 7 PDF

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Academic and Technical Writing Study Material 2020 Contents Page Number Introduction to Communication 1 Basics of Communication (7Cs) 4 Process of Communication 7 Barriers to Effective Communication 10 Types and Methods of Communication 11 Letter Writing 21 Sample Letter 28 Writing 32 Sample CV 33 R...

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ENG-201 Academic and Technical Writing Study Material 2020

Contents

Page Number

Introduction to Communication

1

Basics of Communication (7Cs)

4

Process of Communication

7

Barriers to Effective Communication

10

Types and Methods of Communication

11

Letter Writing

21

Sample Letter

28

CV/Resume Writing

32

Sample CV

33

Report Writing

36

Sample Report

41

Introduction to Communication What is Communication? The term communication has been derived from the Latin word ‘Communis’ that means common. Thus communication means to develop commonness and mutual understanding through interaction. So far as the term communication is concerned, it has been defined in different ways. We analyze a few definitions of communication here: According to Keith Davis, Communication is “the process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behaviour”. Oxford English Dictionary defines communication as “it is imparting, conveying or exchange of ideas, knowledge, etc. (whether by speech, writing or signs). Professor Rudolph regards communication as “the process of creating or sharing meaning in informal conversation, group interaction, or public meeting”. Gregory Terry says, “Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions between two or more persons”.

While keeping in view the above given and many other definitions, we may define communication as “the process of exchanging ideas, conveying thoughts and sharing information by using different ways”. In order to transfer an idea, we must use symbols (words, Signs, pictures, sounds) which stand for the idea. The symbols must be understood by the person or persons with whom we intend to communicate. Both must assign the same meaning to the symbols used; otherwise, there is miscommunication. Unless there is a common understanding of the symbols, it is not possible to communicate. The word communication is used in common talk, usually, to mean speaking or writing or sending a message to another person. Communication is really much more than that. It involves ensuring that your message has reached the target audience, (that is, the persons to whom it is sent) and that the receiver understands and responds as you want them to. It also involves ensuring that you yourself are able to understand, interpret, and respond to messages that you receive.

Business Communication The term business communication is used for all messages that we send and receive for official purposes like running a business, managing an organisation, conducting the formal affairs of a voluntary organisation and- so on. Business communication is marked by formality as against personal and social communication. It includes both written and oral communication. Letters, reports, memos, notices are all formal and part of commercial and business activity; so are interviews, meetings, conferences, presentations, negotiations. Some of these are more formal than others; a group discussion would be less formal than a company meeting; a letter is less formal than a report. Friendly chatting, letters between friends and family, reciting poetry for one's own pleasure or telling stories to entertain friends, are not included in business communication. The study of communication and efforts to develop skills of communication are needed because communication is absolutely necessary for business. And there is no one who does not have to engage in some kind of business activity. Persons in all professions need to cultivate skills as needed for their work. Doctors, engineers, chartered accountants, actors and others in the entertainment industry, managers of all kinds of organisations, educators, besides persons engaged in business enterprises have to engage daily in some kind of business communication.

Role of Communication in Business The importance of communication can be gauged from the fact that we are communicating in some form or other almost every moment of our lives. Whether we are working, talking, playing, sitting or sleeping, a message is being formulated and transmitted. Communication is inevitable for any organization. Communication is essential for life in general but in business settings, it is critical. Communication is more than just a matter of speaking and hearing, especially within a

business setting. Communication skills are increasingly necessary for businesses and business people to succeed. People have to communicate to plan, to produce, to hire, to train, and to motivate workers in organizations. The success of every organization depends on good communication skills. Let’s discuss the importance of communication under different headings. Lifeblood of an Organization Herta. A Murphy regards communication as the life blood of an organization. He opines that the internal and the external flow of communication functions as a soul in the body of an organization. From the top management to the lower staff and from the internal terminals to external world, organizations require effective network of communication. For Effective Management Communication is a key to effective management. Management needs to communicate policies, objectives, orders and instructions so that all the employees may understand them. All managerial problems stem from ineffective communication. To Plan Business Matters The management of an organization not only issues orders but also plans and controls the business matters. Being the students of business studies we know that planning is an important feature of any business. To plan and control the business matters, the management needs extensive communication inside the organization from upper to lower level. Building Good Relations Communication establishes good relations between the senior and the junior, between the management and the workers, between the employers and the employees, between the sellers and the customers. Good relations help in building goodwill, promoting business and developing understanding inside or outside of an organization. We may say that the quality of relationship revolves around the nature of communication. To Increase Productivity Effective communication helps a lot in increasing productivity. Employees can be better motivated and encouraged by it. Outside of an organization communication is vital to satisfy and win the customers. All these things direct affect the production rate of a company. In this respect, business firms send information about their goods and services to consumers and customers. For Smooth Functioning

The business of an organization is run on interchange of information, plans, ideas, proposals, use of data, conducting meetings and discussions which are all different forms of communication. We may say that without communication, no organization can function properly. For Decision Making What to do and what not to do? This question may confuse a manager while working in an organization. Communication helps in decision making. A good manager always prefers to listen to others when he finds himself in a position where he cannot take any decision alone. When a decision is made in the light of the comments and opinions, it will be accepted by everyone. Therefore, both the activities of decision making and its implementation need effective flow of communication. Summing up, we may say that the success of an organization is built upon effective communication. Effective communication is the life blood of every organization and a key to success in our business career and our personal life.

Basics of Communication (7 Cs) To write business messages is really painstaking. While composing and writing business messages, the writer must follow the basic principles of communication. These principles help the writer to adopt the most appropriate words, style and approach for his message. Having read a variety of business letters, we may say that these principles are common to almost all the business letters. These principles are seven in number and each term representing each principle starts with letter ‘C’ that is why these principles are called 7Cs. Let us discuss the principles or qualities of a business message in detail. THE SEVEN CS These seven principles are: 1.

Clarity

2.

Conciseness

3.

Completeness

4.

Courtesy

5.

Concreteness

6.

Consideration

7.

Correctness

1.

Clarity

Clarity is the most striking feature of a business message. Clarity means that the receiver is able to comprehend our message without any difficulty. There should not be any ambiguity in your message. Clarity can be achieved only when we have clear idea of what we want to say. The writer, therefore, should think deeply over the main points of his subject matter. The sender or the writer must use simple language. Do not use technical terms and business jargons when the message is sent to the people who are not acquainted with business terms. Use also short sentences, and divide the message in properly sized paragraph. The writer must prepare a rough draft of his message before making final draft. 2.

Conciseness

Business executives do not have time to read unnecessary lengthy messages, due to their busy routine. Conciseness makes the message more understandable. The writer should not beat about the bush because time is valuable for both the writer and the reader. Wordy messages create a bad impression. Do not include the information already known to the reader. To achieve conciseness omit hackneyed expressions and include only relevant facts. Use minimum words instead of long phrases. For example: Instead of using “due to the reason that” use "because”. Instead of using “at the present time” use "now”. 3.

Completeness

The message should be complete to bring desirable results. It should include everything the reader wants or needs. We should be able to know the reader’s background, viewpoints, needs and emotions. Ensure to answer 5 Ws which are; Why, What, Where, When and Who. For example, while writing an order letter the writer should give full description of the item, quantity, size, mode of transportation and mode of payment as well. In the same way, while responding an inquiry give answer to all the questions asked in inquiry. 4.

Courtesy

Another important principle of writing business message is courtesy. Courtesy builds goodwill and it strengthens present relations and makes new friends. Sometimes, a businessman has to write letters dealing with unpleasant matters like making a serious complaint or writing letters of collection. Such letters must be written very tactfully with a courteous approach. Be tactful and appreciative. Omit the expressions that may annoy the reader. Reply promptly Grant and apologize candidly 5.

Concreteness

The business writing should be specific, definite and vivid rather than vague and general. Concreteness means giving the fullest possible information consisting of facts and figures. The writer should be firm in his opinions. Sometimes, a letter fails to convey the exact sense and spirit of the message. It happens when the message is not concrete enough to make the ideas clear. The following guidelines lead to concreteness. Use specific facts and figures Use action verbs and building words Be definite and clear Avoid words like few, quick, soon etc 6.

Consideration

Consideration refers to attitude, the human thought and understanding of human nature. A successful business message must concentrate on the reader’s interests and take into account his problems. The best way to achieve this principle is to act on the ‘you attitude’. ‘you’ attitude means writing from the reader’s point of view rather than your own point of view. For example, it may not be desirable to say “We offer the crockery items for your kitchen”. Instead it should be described as “Select your desired crockery items for your kitchen”. The writer of a business letter must show interest in the benefit of the reader. It means that the writer should personalize the reader’s benefit. The writer should also stress the positive and pleasant facts. Consideration can be achieved through the following: Emphasize ‘you’ instead of ‘I’ or ‘we’.

Your message should convey truth. Stress the positive aspects of facts Offer a service of value to the reader. 7.

Correctness

A good business message should be correct in form as well as in language. The business letter must be free from mistakes and errors of punctuation, spelling, grammar and format. Correctness also means accuracy of facts and contents. The information that you give in your message should be accurate. Correctness builds confidence and it leaves a pleasant and favorable impression on reader’s mind. The error or mistake of a single letter in the spellings of words or a mistake of a single digit in a figure may change the whole message. Such mistakes destroy confidence. To be correct in communication the following points should be kept in mind: a)

Use correct level of language.

b)

Include only accurate facts and figures

c)

Use writing mechanics carefully.

Process of Communication In order to analyse the activity of communication, we must know the process and the elements involved in the process of communication. Elements/components of Communication Six fundamental elements of communication are: I-

Context

II-

Sender (Encoder)

III-

Message

IV-

Medium

V-

Receiver (Decoder) VI-

1.

Context

Feedback

Context may well be called any specific setting that works as a stimulus and rouses a person to take an action. Context plays a very vital role in how a message is encoded and decoded. The same message may have a quite different meaning depending on the situation. Whether we communicate orally or in written form, every message begins with context. The stimulus may be internal or external.

2.

Sender / Encoder

A person who starts or initiates the process of communication is normally referred to as the sender. From his personal data bank he selects ideas, encodes and finally transmits them to the receiver. The entire burden of communication rests upon the sender or encoder. His choice of words and images, and the combination of the two is what makes the receiver listens carefully. The sender should also decide first what specific outcomes he wants from communication. This will help you to choose appropriate language. The External Stimuli External stimulus may include a letter, a memo, telephone call etc. Some external factors make the sender start communication and function as stimuli. The Internal Stimuli Internal stimulus includes sender’s own idea, observation, thought, urge, experience etc. The most important thing is to understand and analyze the receiver’s needs, culture and attitude. In order to make message effective, all these aspects of context must be understood.

3.

Message:

Message is the encoded idea that is transmitted by the sender to receiver. The formulation of the message is very important because an incorrect patterning can turn the receiver hostile or make him lose interest. At this very stage the sender has to be extremely cautious. No message can achieve its goals unless it has unity of thoughts, simple language, consistency in expression and emphasis on main point. The message may be oral or written. The sender must be very much clear about his message and its contents. The sender must design his message in view of the receiver. 4.

Medium:

Another important element of communication is the medium or channel. It could be oral, written or non-verbal. Prior to the composition of the message, the medium should be decided. For example, in oral communication one can afford to be a little informal but in written communication, all rules of communication need to be observed. We may say that each medium follows its own set of rules and regulations. The medium chosen for communicating any message will depend on various factors such as cost, urgency, confidentiality and influence. Written media used inside an organization may be memos, letters, fax, etc. Oral communication within an organization may take place in the form of meetings, presentations, interviews etc. External written and oral communication may be reports, letters, group presentations, teleconferences, advertisements in newspapers, commercials on T.V etc.

5.

Receiver / Decoder

The person who receives the message sent by the sender is called receiver. The receiver attempts to decode the message that is why he may be called the decoder. If the goal of the sender is envisioned as similar to his own, the listener becomes more receptive. For the decoding of the message is done in almost the same terms as were indicted by the sender. The receiver must consider carefully the tone used in the message so that the correct message is received. He should also give the attention to every message which that deserves. 6.

Feedback

This is the most important element of communication. Effective communication takes place only when there is feedback. The errors and flaws that abound in business situations are a result of lack of communication. Feedback can be oral or written, in action or silence depending upon the situation or the choice of the receiver. We may say that it is the part of communication that completes the entire loop. A good strategy for giving feedback is to follow the following steps: Read or listen to what the sender is trying to communicate. Repeat the crux of the message to ensure that your intention has been rightly understood. One-way and Two-way Communication Process Models The following figure shows the steps in the one-way process of communication in a linear form.

This one-way routine is only a part of the communication process. For the communication to be complete, the sender must know whether the receiver has got the message, understood it in the way it was intended, and has received it well. The sender can find out this only on getting a chance to note the reaction and response of the receiver. The response may be in words (spoken or written), signs, or behaviour, both conscious and unconscious. The response or return message is feedback. When the feedback is got by the sender, one cycle of communication is complete. This may be represented roughly by the following diagram.

Common Barriers to Effective Communication The process of communication has multiple barriers. The intended communique will often be disturbed and distorted leading to a condition of misunderstanding and failure of communication. The Barriers to effective communication could be of many types like linguistic, psychological, emotional, physical, and cultural etc. We will see all of these types in detail below. Linguistic Barriers The language barrier is one of the main barriers that limit effective communication. Language is the most commonly employed tool of communication. The fact that each major region has its own language is one of the Barriers to effective communication. Sometimes even a thick dialect may render the communication ineffective. As per some estimates, the dialects of every two regions changes within a few kilometers. Even in the same workplace, different employees will have different linguistic skills. As a result, the communication channels that span across the organization would be af...