Effective Business Communications and Issues †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Business Communications and Issues. Answer: Effective Business Communications Effective business communication skills are essential to the successful workmates and consumer interactions. Both the communicator and the listener have equal duties to make the message clear, however efficient communication goes far beyond simple hearing and speech. Other than that, other communication methods such as body language, word choice and tone of the voice, communication style, and message clarification among other communication styles must come into play. Therefore, this paper intends to examine five diagnostic tools, two communication issues, reflection of the recent professional interactions, literature review on the two issues, and action plan. Five Diagnostic and Reflection Tools One of the areas that need changes in a business is the communication sector. Business diagnostic communication tools in the current days are helping the small, medium-sized as well as large companies to successfully achieve all of the above. The five diagnostic tools related to communication include social intranet software, private, chat tools and group messaging, issue tracking software, internal blogs and videos, and discussion forums (Bachate, 2016). These tools can be used to analyze assertive communication style in various ways. Assertive is the capability of an individual to clearly express his or her thoughts and feelings through honest, open, and direct communication. This style of communication can be analyzed through the use of the five communications tools. Social Intranet Software Every organization is in a transitional process and needs internal communication improvement for it to adjust to the current technological advancement. The study shows that assertive communication style can be done through the use of information technology by looking at the few symptoms such as: Not having the correct way to stay up to date with what is happening within an organization pronouncement and news. The breakdown of communication between employees and departments Missing of documents Lack of clear and standardized orientation policy for new employees and interns Too much paper work Therefore, it is clear that having social interactive software can help individuals to put forward their assertions where response can get relayed in real time thus improving communication within workplace. (Harris, et al. 2016). Private, Chat, and Group Messaging Tools Private, group messaging, and chatting tools help project teams and groups to be more effective in the workplace. The ability to bring teams together through these tools provides an opportunity for one to communicate his or her views in a more effective and simple way of reporting progress. These tools provide a perfect business communication platform because one is able to ask questions directly for their needs to be met, while willing to accept rejection. (Baesens, et al. 2016). Issue Tracking Software Issue tracking software enables employees to forward a case, get it directed to the concerned employee, and have it resolved on time. It also assists in centralizing customer support questions, tracking team productivity, prioritizing the most vital questions, and collecting essential customer feedback. Internal Blogs and Videos It is also possible to use assertion communication style through internet blogs and videos. It is because people believe in what they see. Any good looking content will attract people to wanting to read. Therefore, one can communicate to the internal teams by providing great content, while being ready to accept comments whether positive or negative (Boyle, et al. 2014). Additionally, creating training videos, video messages, and behind the scenes footage can be helpful in increasing retention and engagement amongst employees. Discussion Forums Lastly, a person can use discussion forums to put a cross his or her thoughts and feelings. Also, an organization can use such forums to provide orientation to the new employees. Moreover, the discussion forums provide a space where employees may ask questions, talk about workplace problems, and discuss projects that may help in bonding everybody in an organization. Findings of the Tools From the five diagnostic tools, it is evident that companies can improve their internal communication strategies through the use information technology platforms. These tools are capable of helping the company to increase efficiency across the board, simplify IT management, discuss issues and find solutions, motivate employees, and to find the best solutions for the employee issues. My opinion from the findings is that IT provides various platforms through which one can use to make simpler all the communications within an organization. The organization can reach to its employees without having to talk to them verbally and still get feedback. Also the employees can raise issues they are facing through the discussion forums, group messaging, charts and social intranet software, and being answered satisfactorily through the same media. Two Main Communication Issues The two main communication issues are: Failure to edit the work, and Not being assertive. When one fails to edit any information before it reaches the recipient and later finds out that it had errors, the sender may end up looking messy and unprofessional. This can result to more serious consequences such as lose of revenue, tarnishing ones reputation and upsetting of customers. (Gray, 2017). On the other hand, not being assertive can lead to disappointment and embarrassment. Assertiveness means stating what one needs, while considering the needs of others. Assertive person may not get his or her way, but has a high chance of reaching a compromise due to being clear about an agenda. Two Recent Professional Interactions In a previous companys weekly meeting Tom undermined Brandy and Brandys patience started to wear thin. Tom did the same in the next meeting; Brandy again got humiliated and decided to tell him how he made her feel. However, when she was about to face him, she lost her nerve. Tom continued with his comment, but she couldnt have courage to speak to him. She feels disappointed with herself, but gave up to the situation. In this case, if Brandy could have learnt to be more assertive, she could have stood up for herself, and became strong and confident communicator. Other than that, in another situation George who is an employee wrote a letter to his employer explaining the reason why he was not able to go to work. In his letter, he failed to mention the duration he will be out of work. He later realized his mistake of not editing his letter and got disappointed and got worried about his job retention. If he could have edited his letter then the communication could have been clear and effective. Literature Review The two issues from my diagnosis and reflection of the communication diagnostic tools are: Lack of assertiveness, and Not preparing thoroughly. Not being assertive means the desire to win without considering for the other peoples view or feelings. It means failing to state what you want and standing up for your point of view, while disrespecting the rights and believes of others. On the other hand, not preparing thoroughly is the failure of an individual to correct mistakes or think before communicating. Lack of Assertiveness It is not always easy to identify the exact assertive character. This is because there is a thin line between assertiveness and anger, and the difference is confusing. However, the difference is that assertiveness is centered on balance. This means that it requires a person to be straightforward about what he or she needs, but bearing in mind the rights and needs of others. An assertive person is self assured and is able to get his or her view across in a firm, fair, and an empathy way (Gray, 2017). On the other hand, aggressive centered on winning. An aggressive person do what is in his best interest regardless of the rights, feelings, and needs of others. Such people use the power of selfishness. An aggressing boss is the one who places a pile of job on the desk of an employee in the afternoon before the employee go on vacation, and demands the work to be done immediately (Yordanova, 2016). The work needs to be done but placing it inappropriate time shows that he disregards your ri ghts, needs, and feelings. People who are assertive have features such as speech expressiveness, emotional speech, easy to oppose and counter suggestions of others, refusal, impulsive in his acts, and ready to accept praises. While those who are non-assertive do not have the ability to maintain acceptable limits between his or her needs and wants and those of others (Holland Albrecht, 2013). Non-assertive individual tends to adopt strains and feelings and to experience stressful emotions such as fatigue, anxiety, depression, and fear. The evaluation on assertiveness generated other related concepts, for example assertive communication, conflict management, and self-confidence. Other than that, assertiveness is a desirable and healthy character for every individual who communicate in a group state of affairs as long as it influences against personal weaknesses. It can lead to personal empowerment that can benefit the workplace in general. Moreover, it is possible to say that assertiveness is the product of expectations and values, which means that individuals who believe that high assertiveness expectation is harmful could be simply concerned with conserving relationships (Lear, Hodge Schulz, 2015). Further, the research from various studies show that assertiveness does not involves excess or undue amount of anxiety and fear, but represents practicing individuals rights without breaching the rights of other people. The same argument has been lauded by the scholars who said that assertiveness is learned and rely on the situation to situation. Finally, being assertive means that one should find the correct balance between apathy and aggression. It means respecting and valuing oneself, and recognizing that you are justified to get what you want. On the contrary, assertive does not mean acting in your own interest without considering the desires, rights, needs, or feelings. It is also important to know that assertive behavior might not be applicable in all workplaces. Certain national and organizational norms might prefer persons to be passive and interpret assertive behavior as bad-mannered or even aggressive. Not Preparing Thoroughly Communication issues can have more serious consequences. It is because they can tarnish ones reputation, lead to loss of revenue, or upset customers. People sometimes write emails, letters, chat, or video message without confirming grammar, tone, and spelling mistakes. This can lead passing of distorted information that could be harmful to either the sender or the recipient. The common mistake that people do when chatting, sending e-mail, and group messaging, is that they trust using spelling checkers to help correct mistakes in their messages. The problem with the spelling checkers is that they do not pick up words that are used incorrectly (Leaf, Taubman, Milne, Dale, Leaf, Townley-Cochran, McEachin, 2016). The best thing is to proofread the work and to use dictionary where possible to look up any word that you are uncertain about. Additionally, it can be hard to see mistakes in a personal work; it is therefore, commendable to consider asking a teammate to look over the document before distributing it to the discussion group or sending it to a client. Otherwise, read the work loudly to make it easier to recognize tone and typing errors(Mtt, Laakso, Tolvanen, Westerholm, Aro, 2016).After realizing the errors, it is vital to take some time to reflect on the document, and correct the mistakes. Moreover, when sending a sensitive e-mail, it is essential to type the information in word processing program or in a blank email with no recipient, proofread, and then paste the text into the new message area. This way will prevent accidental forwarding the previous information together with the new message (Yordanova, 2016). Again, if you are sending a confidential or sensitive attachment, make sure that there is no tracked changes or commentaries can be found, and ensure that the correct message is sent. Although, everybody makes mistakes most of the time, editing the work before it reaches its recipient can help in protecting ones or an organizations reputation. However, avoiding the most common mistakes, which include failing to edit your work, accidentally breaching individuals privacy when forwarding e-mails, and being non-assertive you will be able to protect your reputation and that of your organization (MacDermott Ortiz, 2017). The key to good business or personal communication is to put into consideration about the needs of the audience. Furthermore, because communication is a two-way process, one should be ready to be asked questions, and listen to the recipients response (Brink Costigan, 2015). Good communication can enhance the relationship in working place, and help in providing job satisfaction. Action Plan My vision is to achieve better communication skills within the next six months. Some of the plans that I will put in include: Undertaking specific short courses such as Communicating with impact Undertaking advanced post graduate communication courses at Bond University a reading plan to acquire conceptual knowledge, that may include specific communication texts and self-help books Maintaining of personal journals reflecting on communication interactions, Identification of a mentor Communicating With Impact In the first and second months, I intend to take Communication and impact course to help me in identifying communication problems and how to overcome them. The course provides the students with an opportunity to ask questions and to get the information. Other than that, the course assists the students to further build the information they already have. Moreover, the student is able to communicate by taking personality differences into account, and recognize and manage body language. Furthermore, the course also helps the student to give and to receive effective feedback (Holley, 2016). Lastly, the course also helps one to craft messages that help in getting communication skills puts across. Having all these will assist my communication skills and make me recognize how to be assertive but not aggressive communicator. Advanced Post Graduate Communication Courses After completing Communication and Impact course, I intend to pursue a Masters of Communication (Professional) at Bond University. This will allow me to further my professions in communication by equipping myself with a suitable mix of practical and theoretical knowledge that will improve my communication skills. It culminates with a professional segment that comprises of expert assortment, field project and the project report (Devi, Rekha, Satpal, 2015). With such knowledge I will be able evaluate my communication style that will best fit my audience. It will also allow me to get what I would need, while respecting the rights and needs of others. A Reading Plan to Acquire Conceptual Knowledge Furthermore, while pursuing my Masters course, I will also set side my free time for a reading plan that will involve looking for resources that are beyond what I have learned in the college and beyond the textbooks provided in the course. It will involve consulting more than one library or internet source. On the other hand, I will have to read books such as Verbal Judo: The Getle Art of Persuasion by George J. Thomson, Just Listen: The Secret to Getting Through to Absolute Anyone by Mark Goulston, and Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Grenny, Patterson, Ron, and Switler. Reading these books and visiting various internet sites will help me to improve my communication skills both in written and verbal forms. Additionally, the books will also assist in improving the language of communication, thus, helping in reducing spelling and grammar mistakes (Anuradha, Thirunagari, 2016). Maintaining of Personal Journals Reflection and Identifying a Mentor Lastly, in the last month, to be able to maintain personal journals reflection on communication interactions, I will have to foster a reflective and creative group that will help me in analyzing phone conversations, text messages, e-mail, face-to-face, and non-verbal gestures. Moreover, I will reach out to the University of Queensland (UQ) mentors for more advice to help me perfect my communication and interpersonal skills. Thus, I believed that adhering to my action plan, I will be able to obtain the best communication proficiency that will assist me solve the communication issues and be a better communicator. References Anuradha, Y. L., Thirunagari, K. C. (2016). 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