BsCom 100.3: BsCom 100.3: Introduction to Introduction to

Business Business CommunicationCommunication

Course Overview; Listening Skills

Isobel M. Findlay

BsCom 100 Lecture Week 1

Course ObjectivesCourse Objectives

understand centrality of communications to understand centrality of communications to commerce, community, and culture commerce, community, and culture

understand communication theories and understand communication theories and practice in diverse organizations & culturespractice in diverse organizations & cultures

enhance research, critical and creative enhance research, critical and creative thinking, and active listening skillsthinking, and active listening skills

apply reasoned, practical, and ethical apply reasoned, practical, and ethical principles to analyzing, evaluating, principles to analyzing, evaluating, designing, and delivering business designing, and delivering business messagesmessages

work effectively in independent and team work effectively in independent and team settingssettings

strengthen presentation and job-search skillsstrengthen presentation and job-search skills

Today’s ObjectivesToday’s Objectives

review course outline and web sitereview course outline and web site appreciate course objectives, appreciate course objectives,

methodology, expectations, assignments methodology, expectations, assignments and evaluation and evaluation

understand importance of course in understand importance of course in Commerce and careersCommerce and careers

understand role and nature of listeningunderstand role and nature of listening identify elements of active listeningidentify elements of active listening reflect on experience in and expectations reflect on experience in and expectations

of business communicationsof business communications

Reviewing BsCom Reviewing BsCom 100.3100.3

See web site at See web site at

http://www.commerce.usask.ca/classes/bscom1http://www.commerce.usask.ca/classes/bscom100/00/

Contemporary ContextContemporary Context

In companies with over 50,000 In companies with over 50,000 employees, communication skills employees, communication skills

were cited as the single most were cited as the single most important criterion in choosing important criterion in choosing

managers.managers.

--Survey cit. CBC 4 --Survey cit. CBC 4

Contemporary ContextContemporary Context

In a 1988 review of US business In a 1988 review of US business education, academics, students, education, academics, students,

alumni, managers, and alumni, managers, and executives identified executives identified

leadership/interpersonal and leadership/interpersonal and communication (oral and written) communication (oral and written) skills as the most important skills.skills as the most important skills.

--Porter and McKibbin (1988) --Porter and McKibbin (1988)

Contemporary ContextContemporary Context

Business IS Business IS communicatingcommunicating

90% of all business 90% of all business transactions transactions involves written involves written communication communication (Guffey et al, (Guffey et al, 2001)2001)

Knowledge WorkersKnowledge Workers

Canada is a world leader with 32.8 % Canada is a world leader with 32.8 % knowledge workers in labour force; knowledge workers in labour force;

US, 31.9%; Japan, 16.1%.US, 31.9%; Japan, 16.1%.

——Nuala Beck, Nuala Beck, The Next Century: Why The Next Century: Why Canada Wins Canada Wins (HarperCollins, 1998)(HarperCollins, 1998)

Business Business Communication: What Communication: What it is and isn’tit is and isn’t

focuses on internal and external focuses on internal and external communications in an organizationcommunications in an organization

Is an important functional area in Is an important functional area in contemporary businesscontemporary business

Represents knowledge and skills Represents knowledge and skills that cross all functionaL areasthat cross all functionaL areas

Is not synonymous with marketingIs not synonymous with marketing

Business Business Communication: A Communication: A HistoryHistory roots in speech communication roots in speech communication

and rhetoric and compositionand rhetoric and composition bscom transformed by global, bscom transformed by global,

technological, cultural, social, and technological, cultural, social, and other changesother changes

bscom transformed by diverse bscom transformed by diverse workplace, new management workplace, new management styles, tools, office environments, styles, tools, office environments, and team workand team work

Business Business Communication and Communication and Employment Employment practitioners are practitioners are

consultants, managers, consultants, managers, market research and market research and human resources human resources analystsanalysts

publicists, counsellors, publicists, counsellors, researchers, researchers, communications communications officersofficers

Research Research opportunitiesopportunities communicating in a global economycommunicating in a global economy intra- and inter-cultural communicationintra- and inter-cultural communication diversity in the workplacediversity in the workplace legal/ethical dimensionslegal/ethical dimensions technological opportunities and technological opportunities and

challengeschallenges issues of gender, age, disability, and issues of gender, age, disability, and

diversitydiversity

Commerce Professors’ Commerce Professors’ ExpectationsExpectations

Students should be able to develop a well-Students should be able to develop a well-grounded argument, not a string of grounded argument, not a string of disconnected statements culled from disconnected statements culled from sources.sources.

Students need to analyze issues and judge Students need to analyze issues and judge their relative importance.their relative importance.

We need to stress revision and editing We need to stress revision and editing because often I can’t figure out what they because often I can’t figure out what they are trying to say.are trying to say.

Academic and Business Academic and Business Communication Communication Adapted from P. Goubil-GambrellAdapted from P. Goubil-Gambrell

Show teacher what Show teacher what you’ve been toldyou’ve been told

teacher checks teacher checks accuracyaccuracy

teacher tries to teacher tries to figure out and fill figure out and fill in blanksin blanks

don’t repeat to don’t repeat to teach the teacherteach the teacher

effort for writing effort for writing 10pp rewarded10pp rewarded

Deliver a message Deliver a message that will be usefulthat will be useful

busy professional busy professional may not read all at may not read all at once or in orderonce or in order

needs frequent needs frequent guideposts, guideposts, headingsheadings

needs restatementsneeds restatements no extra detail; no extra detail;

clear focusclear focus

Technology as the Technology as the AnswerAnswer

Spell Checkers Are Spell Checkers Are Wonderful, But . . . Wonderful, But . . . Guffey et al 135Guffey et al 135I have a spell checkerI have a spell checker

That came with my PC.That came with my PC.

It plainly marks four my reviewIt plainly marks four my review

Mistakes I cannot sea.Mistakes I cannot sea.

I’ve run this poem threw it,I’ve run this poem threw it,

I’m sure your pleased too noI’m sure your pleased too no

Its letter perfect in it’s weigh--Its letter perfect in it’s weigh--

My checker tolled me sew.My checker tolled me sew.

Other Consoling MythsOther Consoling Myths

Communication is common sense.Communication is common sense.

Common sense is critical thinking.Common sense is critical thinking.

My parent, partner, roommate will My parent, partner, roommate will proofread for me.proofread for me.

My secretary will tidy up my writing.My secretary will tidy up my writing.

Accountants deal with numbers and not Accountants deal with numbers and not words and people.words and people.

The Role of ListeningThe Role of Listening Effective communicators are good listeners.Effective communicators are good listeners.

People spend on average 45-53% of time People spend on average 45-53% of time listeninglistening. (. (Barker et al, 1981; Weaver, 1972).Barker et al, 1981; Weaver, 1972).

80% of N. American executives rated listening 80% of N. American executives rated listening the most important work skill the most important work skill (Locker et al, (Locker et al, 2002)2002)..

““Students listen to the equivalent of a book a Students listen to the equivalent of a book a day;. . . read . . . a book a month; and write day;. . . read . . . a book a month; and write the equivalent of a book a year” the equivalent of a book a year” (Buckley, 1992)(Buckley, 1992)

The Role of ListeningThe Role of Listening

Executives spend 60 to 70 percent of Executives spend 60 to 70 percent of their time listening their time listening (K. Steil, L. I. Barker, and (K. Steil, L. I. Barker, and K. W. Watson, K. W. Watson, Effective Listening: Key to Your Effective Listening: Key to Your Success Success (Addison-Wesley, 1983).(Addison-Wesley, 1983).

People can process information at People can process information at least three times faster than the 125 least three times faster than the 125 word/minute they can speak word/minute they can speak (Guffey & (Guffey & Nagle, 2003).Nagle, 2003).

We remember only 25 percent of We remember only 25 percent of what we hear what we hear (CBC 15).(CBC 15).

Listening Process:Listening Process:Four Stages Four Stages CBC 14-19CBC 14-19

SensationSensation

InterpretationInterpretation

EvaluationEvaluation

ReactionReaction

Listening ProcessListening Process

SensationSensationlistening begins when you listening begins when you

observe sounds and choose observe sounds and choose to hear because to hear because – you think the message you think the message

is important is important – you are interestedyou are interested– you are in the moodyou are in the mood

Listening ProcessListening Process

SensationSensation InterpretationInterpretation

– meanings filtered meanings filtered through expectations through expectations and experiences and experiences

– your cultural, your cultural, educational, and educational, and social frame of social frame of referencereference

– questions to clarifyquestions to clarify

Listening ProcessListening Process

SensationSensation InterpretationInterpretation EvaluationEvaluation

– separating fact from separating fact from opinion, opinion,

– trying to avoid trying to avoid prejudgments, prejudgments,

– avoiding hasty avoiding hasty conclusionsconclusions

– diminishing cognitive diminishing cognitive dissonancedissonance

Listening ProcessListening Process

SensationSensation InterpretationInterpretation EvaluationEvaluation ReactionReaction

– remembering for future remembering for future use use

– supplying feedback for supplying feedback for effective effective communicationcommunication

Truth or Fiction?Truth or Fiction?Adapted from Guffey et alAdapted from Guffey et al

Listening is a matter of intelligence.Listening is a matter of intelligence.

Hearing ability determines listening.Hearing ability determines listening.

Listening is easy and requires little Listening is easy and requires little energy.energy.

Listening is an automatic reflex.Listening is an automatic reflex.

Truth or Fiction?Truth or Fiction?Adapted from Guffey et alAdapted from Guffey et al

Speakers are totally responsible for Speakers are totally responsible for communication success.communication success.

Listening is only a matter of Listening is only a matter of understanding a speaker’s words.understanding a speaker’s words.

Daily practice eliminates the need for Daily practice eliminates the need for listening training.listening training.

Active (not Polite) Active (not Polite) Listening Listening

positive attitudepositive attitude opennessopenness involvementinvolvement retentionretention

Improving Listening Improving Listening SkillsSkills value silencevalue silence be patient and be receptivebe patient and be receptive manage distractionsmanage distractions monitor emotional filters and biasesmonitor emotional filters and biases consider what is in it for youconsider what is in it for you put self in speaker’s shoesput self in speaker’s shoes attend to subtexts and ask questionsattend to subtexts and ask questions restate your understanding of key pointsrestate your understanding of key points be alert to reinforcing cuesbe alert to reinforcing cues anticipate, evaluate, review pointsanticipate, evaluate, review points take notes and remain engaged take notes and remain engaged

Experience and Experience and ExpectationsExpectations

Write a paragraph on the relevant Write a paragraph on the relevant experience you bring to BsCom 100 experience you bring to BsCom 100 and your expectations of the class.and your expectations of the class.

Retain and bring to the next lecture Retain and bring to the next lecture for further reflection/comment.for further reflection/comment.