Business Communication

Business Communication

In today’s world communication is an indispensable asset for any successful business leader. Guffey et al. (2006) asserts that the customized CV (curriculum vitae or resume) is most likely the most significant message a businessperson will ever write. While that statement does not include documents, one may still disagree, but doubtless that piece of paper is an important one to draft.

Introductory business communication courses teach how to write a customized CV, cover letter and follow-up correspondence (after an interview and even post rejection for a job position) while remaining to appear confident, competent, requisite for the company and without becoming a pest.

A lovely Portuguese lady once said that what makes one powerful is the ability to write well. In all honesty she was an English literature and creative composition teacher so one may take that with a grain of salt, but with the ever-augmenting reliance on text and instant messaging as well as e-mail, one can easily see her point.

The methods of communication have changed. Instead of paying for long-distance calls, people use voice and video conferencing such as Skype. In addition to landlines, cell phones are increasingly relied on since the 1990s. Class or trade presentations are done using Power Point or other similar software. Also, in today’s high impact and fast paced world, one expects dramatic visual aids such as colorful slides and embedded videos.

Teapot. Conflict to resolve in Erickson’s psychosocial stages: 1) Trust against Mistrust 2) Autonomy against Shame and Doubt 3) Initiative against Guilt 4) Industry against Inferiority 5) Identity against Role Confusion 6) Intimacy against Isolation 7) Generativity against Stagnation 8) Ego Integrity against Despair. Photo : © Megan Jorgensen (Elena)

Further, intergenerational communication is an interesting phenomenon since. The decade following the advent of the new millennium has seen “for the first time in history members of four generations working together”. Moreover, cross-cultural communication is gaining in significance with globalization, outsourcing, migration and multiculturalism. Both are important to understand if one wants to communicate effectively in the workplace and elsewhere.

About cross-cultural misunderstanding, the HSBC bank has made a funny commercial. The advertisement portrays a meeting of businessmen that, presumably, takes place in the People’s Republic of China. On the one hand, Chinese custom dictates that one must leave a bit of food in one’s plate so as not to question the host’s generosity. On the other hand, English tradition states the reverse; if one fails to clean up one’s dish, then perhaps one is dissatisfied with the cooking that has been served. The ad shows the English businessman being brought delicacies (ever-bigger sea snakes) over and over, while the vicious circle of misunderstandings continues.

Reliance on teamwork, cooperation and collaborative projects is ubiquitous in the business world. Surely, that is the reason why in most undergraduate and graduate business oriented programs, such as Bcom (Bachelor of Commerce) and MBA (Master of Business Administration) group assignments are mandatory. In the modern era, employers seek reliable employees proficient in communication as well as good team players. To sum up, computer literacy, writing, interpersonal and interaction skills are crucial to secure financially rewarding and psychologically fulfilling employment.