Managerial Communication PDF Notes Unit 1 To 5
Managerial Communication PDF Notes Unit 1 To 5
Managerial communication encompasses the various ways in which managers interact with
employees and other stakeholders to convey essential information, instructions, and
feedback. It involves both verbal and non-verbal communication methods, such as face-to-
face conversations, team meetings, written reports, emails, memos, presentations, and
body language. The goal is to create a transparent and cohesive work environment where
everyone understands their roles, responsibilities, and the organization's direction.
Employee Morale: Open and transparent communication fosters trust, mutual respect, and
a positive work culture. Employees who feel heard and valued are more likely to be
motivated and committed to their work.
To Resolve Issues: Communication serves as a powerful tool for addressing and resolving
conflicts, grievances, and problems in the workplace. Open dialogue promotes
understanding and empathy among team members.
Principles of Communication:
Sender: The sender is the initiator of the communication process. It can be a manager, team
leader, or any individual who intends to convey a message to others.
Message: The message is the information, idea, or instruction being communicated. It can
be conveyed through various channels, such as verbal, written, or non-verbal means.
Encoding: Encoding refers to the process of converting the message into a suitable format
for communication. It involves choosing words, symbols, or gestures that best convey the
intended meaning.
Channel: The channel is the medium through which the message is transmitted. Channels
can be face-to-face conversations, emails, memos, reports, presentations, or any other form
of communication.
Receiver: The receiver is the individual or group who receives the message. They interpret
and decode the message to understand its meaning.
Decoding: Decoding is the process through which the receiver interprets the message and
derives its intended meaning.
Feedback: Feedback is the response or reaction given by the receiver to the sender. It
completes the communication loop and helps the sender assess the effectiveness of the
message.
Relevance: Communication should be relevant and meaningful to the recipients' roles and
responsibilities.
Active Listening: Encouraging active listening ensures that the sender's message is
understood correctly.
Feedback: Seeking and providing feedback fosters understanding and addresses any
potential miscommunications.
Forms of Communication:
Formal Channels: Formal channels follow the organization's hierarchical structure, where
information flows through predefined paths. It includes upward communication, downward
communication, and horizontal communication.
7 C's of Communication:
Clarity: Messages should be clear and easily understood by the recipients. Avoiding
ambiguity ensures that the intended meaning is not misinterpreted.
Conciseness: Keeping messages concise and to the point helps in conveying the key
information without overwhelming the recipients with unnecessary details.
Completeness: Providing all relevant information required for recipients to act or respond
appropriately ensures that there are no gaps or misunderstandings.
Correctness: Accuracy and correctness in the message enhance the credibility and reliability
of the communication.
Ensures Understanding: Feedback confirms that the message has been understood correctly
by the recipient. It helps the sender assess whether the intended message was conveyed
accurately.
Quality Improvement: Feedback provides valuable insights for improving communication
effectiveness. By understanding how the message was received, the sender can make
necessary adjustments for future interactions.
Employee Engagement: Actively seeking and encouraging feedback fosters a culture of open
communication and employee engagement. Employees feel valued when their opinions and
ideas are heard and considered.
Importance of Feedback:
Clarity and Understanding: Feedback ensures that the intended message has been
comprehended accurately. It reduces the risk of miscommunication or misinterpretation.
Motivation: Positive feedback and recognition motivate employees to perform better and
contribute to the organization's success.
Types of Feedback:
Positive Feedback: Positive feedback acknowledges and appreciates good performance and
achievements. It reinforces desired behavior and boosts morale.
Urgency: The urgency of the message may dictate the choice of medium. For time-sensitive
information, such as emergencies or critical updates, immediate communication channels
like phone calls or face-to-face meetings may be more suitable.
Complexity: The complexity of the message may influence the selection of the medium. For
detailed and complex information, written communication, such as emails or reports, may
be preferred to ensure clarity and accuracy.
Receiver's Preference: Consider the receiver's preferred communication medium. If they are
more responsive to a specific medium, using that medium enhances receptiveness and
understanding.
Accessibility: The accessibility of the chosen medium is crucial, especially when dealing with
a large audience or diverse stakeholders. Ensure that the medium is accessible to all
recipients.
Communication Models:
Berlo's SMCR Model: Developed by David Berlo, this model highlights four components of
communication - source (sender), message, channel, and receiver. It emphasizes the need
for a shared field of experience between the sender and receiver to ensure effective
communication.
UNIT 2
Communication Barriers:
1. Physical Barriers: Physical barriers refer to obstacles that prevent or disrupt the
proper transmission of messages. These barriers can include distance, noise, or any
environmental factors that interfere with communication.
Remedies:
Use appropriate communication channels: Choose communication methods that are
not affected by physical barriers. For example, use emails or written messages when
distance is an issue.
Minimize noise: When communicating face-to-face, choose quiet and private areas
to reduce noise interference.
Use visual aids: Visual aids can help convey information when verbal communication
is difficult due to physical barriers.
2. Organizational Barriers: Organizational barriers arise from the structure and culture
of the organization. Hierarchical structures, complex reporting systems, and rigid
policies can hinder the flow of communication.
Remedies:
Foster an open-door policy: Encourage a culture of open communication, where
employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns with management.
Simplify communication channels: Streamline communication processes and reduce
bureaucratic layers to facilitate efficient communication.
Encourage feedback: Create opportunities for employees to provide feedback on
communication processes and suggest improvements.
Remedies:
Build trust and rapport: Establishing trust among team members promotes open and
honest communication.
Provide training: Offer communication training to employees, including cross-cultural
communication, active listening, and empathy.
Promote cultural sensitivity: Encourage employees to understand and respect
cultural differences to bridge communication gaps.
4. Linguistic Barriers: Linguistic barriers occur when individuals do not speak the same
language or have different levels of language proficiency.
Remedies:
Provide translation services: Offer translation services or language assistance to
facilitate communication for employees with language barriers.
Use simple language: Avoid jargon and complex terminology, especially when
communicating with non-native speakers.
Encourage language learning: Encourage employees to learn and improve their
language skills to enhance communication.
Nonverbal Communication:
Nonverbal communication refers to the transmission of information through gestures, facial
expressions, body language, and other non-verbal cues.
Types of Nonverbal Communication:
1. Kinesics: Kinesics involves the use of body language and gestures to convey
messages and emotions.
2. Proxemics: Proxemics refers to the use of personal space to convey meanings or
show social relationships.
3. Paralanguage: Paralanguage includes tone, pitch, volume, and other vocal cues that
complement verbal communication.
Advantages of Nonverbal Communication:
1. Universality: Nonverbal cues are often understood universally across cultures,
overcoming language barriers.
2. Reinforcement: Nonverbal cues can reinforce the verbal message and add depth to
the communication.
Unit 3
Types of Listening:
1. Active Listening: In active listening, the listener is fully engaged, attentive, and
responsive to the speaker's message.
2. Empathetic Listening: Empathetic listening involves understanding and sharing the
emotions and feelings expressed by the speaker.
3. Critical Listening: Critical listening involves analyzing and evaluating the speaker's
message for accuracy and credibility.
4. Appreciative Listening: Appreciative listening is when the listener enjoys and
appreciates the speaker's message, such as in entertainment or storytelling.
Speeches and presentations are effective tools for conveying information, inspiring, and
influencing an audience. Here are the stages and principles of effective speech:
1. Planning: Clearly define the purpose, audience, and key message of the speech.
2. Research: Gather relevant and reliable information to support the speech's main
points.
3. Organization: Structure the speech logically with an introduction, body, and
conclusion.
4. Practice: Rehearse the speech to improve delivery and confidence.
1. Clarity: Express ideas clearly and concisely to ensure the audience understands the
message.
2. Confidence: Project confidence through body language and tone to engage the
audience.
3. Audience-Centric: Tailor the speech to meet the needs and interests of the audience.
4. Use of Examples: Include relevant examples and anecdotes to illustrate key points.
5. Eye Contact: Maintain eye contact with the audience to establish a connection.
Types of Speeches:
1. Informative speech
Informative speeches aim to educate an audience on a particular topic or message. Unlike
demonstrative speeches, they don't use visual aids. They do, however, use facts, data and
statistics to help audiences grasp a concept. These facts and statistics help back any claims or
assertions you make. For example, a zoo guide gives an informative speech to a group of
people, educating them on a zoo animal using various statistical facts or historical
information. Informative speeches can also cover social or economic topics. Although they're
not designed to get the audience to believe a certain viewpoint or opinion, they inform the
audience with all the relevant details surrounding a particular topic.
2. Entertaining speech
Entertaining speeches aim to amuse a crowd of people. Often less formal and shorter than
traditional speeches, entertaining speeches communicate emotions rather than giving the
audience facts and figures. Rather, they often include humor or funny stories. You can often
find entertaining speeches at a birthday party or a wedding. Some examples of entertaining
speeches include a best man's speech at a wedding or a principal's speech before a school
talent show.
3. Demonstrative speech
Demonstrative speeches serve to educate an audience about a topic or idea they don't have
knowledge of. They often include visual aids to help better demonstrate or describe
something in greater detail. While you can easily confuse a demonstrative speech with an
informative speech, a demonstrative speech actually demonstrates how to do something.
For example, a tech company can give a speech demonstrating their new devices. While
they're informing the public about their new products, they're demonstrating how they
work, thus, making it a demonstrative speech.
4. Persuasive speech
Persuasive speeches help convince an audience that the speaker has the right opinion on a
particular topic. Persuasive speeches can cover any topic from entertainment to something
more serious like politics. Typically, speakers use concrete evidence to better persuade their
listeners and gain their support. When you include evidence, it helps make your stance more
believable and may even be enough to change a listener's mind about the particular topic
you're speaking on. With enough facts to back up your opinion, you have a greater chance of
receiving the audience's support.
When a lawyer gives a speech to a jury about their particular client, for example, they use a
persuasive speech with enough facts and claims to get the jury's support and have them vote
in their favor. Keep in mind that persuasive speeches can also use emotions to help the
audience better understand the speaker's opinions and feelings. For example, if you're trying
to convince someone to help the elderly, you'd likely use emotion to appeal to the audience.
5. Oratorical speech
While oratorical refers to the act of speech giving, an oratorical speech refers to a specific
type of speech. They're typically more formal than other types of speeches. While some
oratorical speeches can be long such as those found at funerals or graduations, others may
be short and more informal such as a toast at a special event. Though oratorical speech
givers don't necessarily want to persuade the audience on a particular topic, they can still
cover certain issues and express their opinion.
6. Debate speech
Debate speeches refer to a type of speech that often follows a certain set of rules and takes
place during a debate event. During a debate, all sides have an equal amount of time to
speak on behalf of their opinion or view. While a debate speech often uses the same
mechanics as a persuasive speech and includes plenty of statistical figures to help support a
claim, it's different from a persuasive speech. For example, rather than trying to convince
someone to join a particular side as with a persuasive speech, debate speeches aim to justify
an opinion on a particular matter.
As you prepare for a debate speech, you get to improve your public speaking, research and
critical thinking skills. It's worth noting that while you can prepare for a debate speech, you
can't anticipate every argument other debaters will bring up. Therefore, continuously giving
this type of speech helps you think more quickly and helps you feel more comfortable in this
setting.
8. Pitch speech
Pitch speeches try to get support or approval for an idea, product or solution. For example, if
you're a salesperson, you may try to sell a customer a new product. You're essentially
pitching the product to them by telling them its best qualities and how the product can
benefit them in their daily life. Pitch speeches can also be part of a greater presentation such
as one found in an office when you're trying to get your colleagues or superiors on board
with a particular idea or approach.
9. Motivational speech
Motivational speeches aim to inspire an audience and give attendees the confidence to do
something better or improve themselves. They essentially serve to lift the audience's spirits
and improve their self-esteem. Motivational speeches help move a person or audience
toward achieving a particular goal. While employers or managers give this type of speech to
motivate their employees to perform better in the workplace, coaches give this type of
speech to inspire their team to perform better on the field or court.
Presentations are a powerful means of sharing information and ideas with an audience.
Here are the elements of a presentation and tips for designing it effectively:
Elements of Presentation:
1. Clear Objective: Define the purpose and desired outcome of the presentation.
2. Audience Analysis: Understand the characteristics and needs of the audience.
3. Structured Content: Organize the presentation with a logical flow of information.
4. Visuals and Multimedia: Use visuals, charts, and multimedia to support key points.
5. Engaging Delivery: Maintain eye contact, use gestures, and vary tone to keep the
audience engaged.
Designing a Presentation:
1. Visuals: Use slides, graphs, charts, and images to present information visually.
2. Audio: Include audio clips, music, or sound effects to enhance the presentation.
3. Videos: Use videos to provide real-life examples or demonstrations.
4. Interactive Tools: Engage the audience through interactive tools like polls or quizzes.
Meetings:
Importance of Meetings:
1. Collaboration: Meetings promote collaboration and teamwork among members.
2. Accountability: Meetings hold participants accountable for their actions and
responsibilities.
3. Conflict Resolution: Meetings provide a platform to address conflicts and find
resolutions.
Planning of Meetings:
1. Define the Purpose: Clearly state the objective and purpose of the meeting.
2. Identify Participants: Invite relevant individuals who can contribute to the meeting's
goals.
3. Set the Agenda: Create a detailed agenda with specific topics and time allocation.
4. Choose the Venue: Select a suitable location and ensure necessary resources are
available.
1. Notice: The notice informs participants about the date, time, venue, and purpose of
the meeting.
2. Agenda: The agenda outlines the topics to be discussed and the sequence of
discussions.
3. Minutes: Minutes record the key points discussed, decisions made, and action items
assigned during the meeting.
4. Resolutions: Resolutions are formal decisions or agreements made during the
meeting.
Effective communication is vital for personal and professional success. Understanding the
process, types, and need for listening, as well as the principles of effective speeches,
presentations, and meetings, can significantly improve communication skills. Crafting clear
and engaging messages, using appropriate audio-visual aids, and fostering an audience-
centric approach contribute to effective communication in diverse settings.
Unit 4
Interview Techniques:
Mastering the art of conducting interviews is essential for hiring the right candidates and
ensuring effective communication with employees. Both interviewers and candidates should
be well-prepared for a successful interview process.
Interviewer's Preparation:
1. Understand Job Requirements: Familiarize yourself with the job description and
required skills to ask relevant questions.
2. Review Candidate's Resume: Study the candidate's resume to identify areas for
discussion and potential questions.
3. Prepare Questions: Create a list of structured and behavioral questions to assess the
candidate's qualifications and fit for the role.
4. Establish Evaluation Criteria: Define the criteria for evaluating candidates to ensure a
fair and consistent process.
5. Create a Comfortable Environment: Set up a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere to
help candidates perform their best.
Candidate's Preparation:
1. Research the Company: Understand the company's values, culture, and recent
developments.
2. Know the Job Description: Be familiar with the job requirements and match your
skills to the role.
3. Prepare Examples: Anticipate common interview questions and prepare relevant
examples to demonstrate your skills and experience.
4. Dress Professionally: Dress appropriately to make a positive impression on the
interviewer.
5. Prepare Questions: Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer about the
company and the role.
Types of Interviews:
Participants:
Chairperson:
Conferences and seminars are organized events where experts and professionals gather to
share knowledge and insights on specific topics. Participants and the chairperson have
distinct roles and responsibilities:
Business and social etiquettes are essential in maintaining professional relationships and
creating a positive impression in various settings.
Business Etiquette:
Social Etiquette:
Greet others with a smile and a firm handshake.
Practice good table manners and dining etiquette.
Be considerate of others and avoid interrupting conversations.
Respect personal boundaries and cultural norms.
Express gratitude and appreciation for invitations and gestures.
Email Etiquette:
Writing professional emails is crucial for effective communication in the business world.
Here are some tips for email format, language, courtesy, and common errors:
Email Format:
Use a clear and concise subject line that reflects the email's content.
Begin with a formal greeting (e.g., "Dear Mr./Ms.") if appropriate.
Structure the email with paragraphs and bullet points for clarity.
Check for spelling and grammar errors before sending the email.
Avoid using capital letters, as it may convey shouting or rudeness.
Double-check the recipient's email address to ensure accuracy.
Unit 5:
Business Letters:
Business letters are an essential form of communication in the business world. They serve
various purposes, such as making inquiries, providing information, placing orders, or
addressing complaints. To ensure effective communication, business letters should be
written with a professional style and layout.
Include the sender's address and date at the top, followed by the recipient's address.
Structure the letter with paragraphs and bullet points for readability.
End the letter with a closing phrase (e.g., "Sincerely") and the sender's name and title.
Sales Letters: Letters are designed to persuade potential customers to make a purchase.
Bad News and Persuading Letters: Letters conveying unpleasant news or persuading others
to take specific actions.
Reports:
Analytical Reports: Present data analysis and offer conclusions or recommendations based
on the findings.
Progress Reports: Track the progress of projects or activities and provide updates on their
status.
Financial Reports: Provide financial information and analysis, such as balance sheets and
income statements.
Format of Business Reports:
Title Page: Includes the report title, date, and the names and positions of the individuals
who prepared the report.
Table of Contents: Lists the sections and subsections of the report along with their page
numbers.
Executive Summary: Provides a concise overview of the report's main points, findings, and
recommendations.
Business letters are essential for various communication purposes, and their style and layout
should be professional and formal. Different types of business letters serve specific
functions, from making inquiries to placing orders and addressing complaints. Reports are
formal documents that provide information, analysis, and recommendations, serving
various purposes such as progress tracking, feasibility assessment, and research findings.
The format of business reports typically includes a title page, table of contents, executive
summary, introduction, methodology, findings, analysis, recommendations, conclusion, and
appendix. Reports can be prepared by individuals or committees, depending on the
complexity and scope of the research or analysis involved.