Fast Forward MBA-Business Communications

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

Page i

The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication

Page ii

THE FAST FORWARD MBA SERIES The Fast Forward MBA Series provides time-pressed business professionals and students with concise, onestop information to help them solve business problems and make smart, informed business decisions. All of the volumes, written by industry leaders, contain "tough ideas made easy." The published books in this series are: The Fast Forward MBA in Negotiating & Dealmaking (0-471-25698-6) by Roy J. Lewicki and Alexander Hiam The Fast Forward MBA in Financial Planning (0-471-23829-5) by Ed McCarthy The Fast Forward MBA in Hiring (0-471-24212-8) by Max Messmer The Fast Forward MBA in Investing (0-471-24661-1) by Jack Waggoner

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Settin. Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (1 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

The Fast Forward MBA in Technology Management (0-471-23980-1) by Daniel J. Petrozzo The Fast Forward MBA Pocket Reference (0-471-14595-5) by Paul A. Argenti The Fast Forward MBA in Marketing (0-471-16616-2) by Dallas Murphy The Fast Forward MBA in Business (0-471-14660-9) by Virginia O'Brien The Fast Forward MBA in Finance (0-471-10930-4) by John Tracy The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management (0-471-32546-5) by Eric Verzuh

Page iii

The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication

Lauren Vicker Ron Hein

Page iv

This book is printed on acid-free paper. Copyright 1999 by Lauren Vicker & Ron Hein. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published simultaneously in Canada. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 750-4744. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158-0012, (212) 850-6011, fax (212) 8506008, E-Mail: PERMREQ@WILEY.COM.

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Settin. Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (2 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. If legal, accounting, medical, psychological or any other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Vicker, Lauren. The fast forward MBA in business communication/Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein. p. cm.-(The fast forward MBA series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-471-32731-X (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Business communication. I. Hein, Ron. II. Title. III. Series HF5718.V53 1999 99-19466 658.4'5-dc21 CIP Printed in the United States of America. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Page v

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Lauren Vicker is a Professor and Chair of the Communication/Journalism Department of St. John Fisher College. Vicker taught for seven years at the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester. In addition to teaching, Vicker offers presentation skills training to professional and academic groups on a consulting basis. She lives in Penfield, New York. Lauren Vicker can be reached at vicker@sjfc.edu. Ron Hein is president of Ron Hein & Associates, Inc., a corporation that provides writing, editing, and consulting services to individuals and clients such as Xerox and Eastman Kodak. He also taught in the full-time MBA program at the Simon School of Business, University of Rochester, for seven years and continues to teach in its Executive Development MBA program. He lives in Webster, New York. Ron Hein can be reached at ron@eznet.net or ron-hein.com.

Page vii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Dr. David Arnold and Dr. Jim Seward of St. John Fisher College for supporting the sabbatical leave that gave me time to work on this book. I also owe thanks to those who contributed ideas and material, including Jim Vicker, Judy Isserlis, Eric Skopec, Nic Marinaccio, Peter Monk, Dennis Garrett, Alex Ryan, and all the students at Fisher and the Simon School who have taught me so much over the years. A special thanks to Fisher student Michael Leaver, who kept me organized in the office and was always willing to read, edit, copy, and FedEx files with great enthusiasm and a positive attitude. And finally, thanks to Jim, Matt, and Chrissie for their unconditional support and understanding while I was involved with this project. -LAUREN VICKER I would like to acknowledge the support of my family, friends, and colleagues. Specifically, I would like to thank the following: Lauren Vicker for her willingness to understand that medical problems sometimes preclude efficiency. Tammany Kramer for her willingness to work with me over the last five years, and for her insights and intuitive ability to see things clearly. Deb Beckmann-Hein and my daughter, Lindsay Beckmann-Hein, who continually listen to my musings, help me clarify my thinking, and make certain that I set family-centered priorities. My many friends, students and clients who have helped me understand that it is important to use systematic processes that lead to winwin options. . . . and to those who seek to continually improve themselves and their world. -RON HEIN

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Settin. Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (3 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

Finally, we offer our deepest gratitude to our editor Renana Meyers, whose enthusiasm was infectious, whose support was unconditional, and whose patience seemed endless.

Page ix

CONTENTS

Introduction Stellar Performer: Department of Mathematical Science, University of Delaware Part 1 Communication Strategy Chapter 1 Strategic Business Communication What Is Driving Changes in Business Communication? Benchmarking and Teamwork Require Excellent Communication Leadership and Negotiations Require Excellent Communication Skills Deciding Your Communication Strategy Implementing Your Communications Strategy Company-Level Business Communication Trends Developing Effective Business Communication within Teams Developing Effective Business Communication Skills As an Individual Integrated Supply Chains and Resource Management Management Styles and Communication Strategies End Point Chapter 2 Document Management in an Electronic Age Changes in Document Management Document Life Cycles End Point xv xviii

1

3

3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 11 13 13 15

16 17 20

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Settin. Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (4 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

Part 2 Business Writing and Editing Chapter 3 Using Writing and Editing Processes Make the Process a Habit Clarify Your Goals

21

23

24 24

Page x

Prewriting Drafting Editing Postwriting End Point Chapter 4 Developing the Logic and Structure of Documents Think First Create an Organizational Plan Build Strong Arguments Use Figures and Tables Tech Tool: Designing Charts, Figures, and Tables End Point Chapter 5 Document Layout and Design: Making Your Logic Visually Clear Layout and Design during the Prewriting Step Tech Tool: Using Style Sheets from Word Processing and Presentation Programs Layout and Design during the Drafting and Editing Steps Layout and Design during the Postwriting Step

24 27 29 32 33 35

36 36 38 39 41 41 43

44 45

46 46

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Settin. Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (5 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

Specific Layout and Design Concepts Applying Layout and Design Concepts in Sample Documents End Point Chapter 6 Making Your E-mail Go Further and Do More Lack of Common Standards and Expectations Maximizing E-mail Communication Security Concerns Document Life Cycle of E-mail End Point Chapter 7 Memos Good Memos Are Read and Acted Upon Creating Good Memos Sample Memos End Point Chapter 8 Business Letters Content Organization

47 48 53 55

57 57 62 62 62 65

65 66 68 70 73

73 74

Page xi

Tone and Phrasing Correctly Spelled Names and Titles Style-Layout and Design End Point Chapter 9 Reports and Executive Summaries

75 77 78 79 81

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Settin. Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (6 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

What Makes a Good Report? Using the Writing and Editing Process with Reports Structuring Your Report so It Gets Read Using Executive Summaries and Keeping Reports Short End Point Chapter 10 Proposals and Requests for Proposals The Relationship between Proposals and RFPs Formal Versus Informal Proposals To Bid or Not to Bid? Writing Proposals and RFPs Evaluating Proposals End Point Part 3 Business Presentations Chapter 11 Defining Your Purpose Defining Your General Purpose Determining Your Specific Purpose Defining Your Desired Results End Point Chapter 12 Analyzing Your Audience Who Will Be in My Audience? What Does the Audience Know about Me? What Does My Audience Know about the Topic? Does My Audience Have Any Opinions on the Topic? What Motivates My Audience?

81 82 88 91 93 95

95 96 97 98 101 102 103

105

106 106 107 107 109

110 110 112 112 113

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Settin. Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (7 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

What Does My Audience Need or Want to Know? What Do I Want My Audience to Do As a Result of Our Interactions? Rely on Situational Analysis End Point Fast Forward to the Real World

113 113 113 114 115

Page xii

Chapter 13 Gathering Supporting Materials Types of Supporting Materials Guidelines for Using Supporting Materials End Point Chapter 14 Organizing Your Ideas Introductions Creating the Thesis Statement Developing the Body Tech Tool: Outlining with Software Making a Conclusion End Point Fast Forward to the Real World Chapter 15 Planning Visual Support Why Use Visual Aids? Types of Visual Aids Tech Tool: Presentations Magazine Characteristics of Good Visual Aids

119

120 122 123 125

125 128 130 131 132 134 135 139

140 141 141 141

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Settin. Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (8 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

Guidelines for Using Visual Aids End Point Fast Forward to the Real World Chapter 16 Practicing Your Delivery Types of Delivery Avoiding Distractions Using Your Voice Effectively Using Posture and Gestures to Enhance Your Message Practicing Your Presentation End Point Stellar Performer: Dr. William Pickett Chapter 17 Handling Questions and Answers Preparing for Questions Taking Questions in a Business Presentation Listening Effectively to Questions Responding When You Don't Know the Answer Maintaining Control of the Question-and-Answer Session Planting Questions: Should You Do It? End Point Chapter 18 Handling Speech Anxiety Why Are We Afraid of Public Speaking? Is Speech Anxiety Really a Bad Thing?

147 150 151 157

157 160 162 163 165 167 168 171

172 172 173 173 174 175 175 177

177 179

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Settin. Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (9 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

Page xiii

How Can You Reduce or Control Your Speech Anxiety? End Point Chapter 19 Evaluating Your Presentation Did You Achieve Your Purpose? Audience Analysis Delivery End Point Part 4 Writing and Presenting As a Team Chapter 20 Writing As a Team Step 1: Evaluate the Team Process Step 2: Evaluate Your Team Step 3: Evaluate Written Materials End Point Chapter 21 Presenting As a Team A Team Presentation from a Team-Written Document A Team Presentation without a Written Document General Guidelines for Presenting As a Team End Point Appendix A The Self-Diagnostic Grammar Test Appendix B Guidelines for Special-Occasion Presentations Appendix C Sample E-mail Documents Appendix D Sample Business Letters

179 181 183

183 183 184 185 187

189

189 191 192 193 195

195 197 197 198 199

207

211

213

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Setti.Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (10 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

Appendix E Proposals and Requests for Proposals Appendix F Sample Report Notes Bibliography Index

221

225

231 235 241

Page xv

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication. We hope you have opened this book because you know that successful managers and executives use effective oral and written communication skills to get the results they need. The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication is different from other business books on writing and presentations. This book will offer you the following: Concise content, logically organized and practically oriented A user-friendly format that allows you to read the entire book or selected parts An organized process approach to both business writing and business presentations Links to strategic management communication and sound management perspectives The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication is guaranteed to save you time and money. Managers and executives frequently waste considerable time by using faulty processes for documents and presentations. A systematic process would enable them to work more efficiently, eliminate redundancy, and communicate their ideas more effectively. The tools in this book provide you with such a process. Many business executives pick up a book like this because they wish to improve their individual skills in writing or presentations or both. Others need tips to help their team members work more effectively. This book will help you with both perspectives. We cover the individual writing process in detail in Part 2, including the following topics: Writing and editing processes Organizing the logic and structure of your document Developing the layout and design of your document Preparing different types of documents: Memos Email

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Setti.Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (11 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

Page xvi

Proposals and requests for proposals Reports The individual presentation process is presented in Part 3. The topics include the following: Defining your purpose Analyzing your audience Gathering supporting materials Organizing your ideas Planning visual support Improving delivery skills Handling the question-and-answer session Dealing with speech anxiety In addition to business writing and business presentations, we include two additional and important perspectives. In Part 1, we discuss strategic management communication and its relationship to business communication. Rather than viewing business communication solely as the purview of a single individual, businesses today are adopting more of a companywide perspective. The explosion of information and information technology has mandated that companies find ways to organize their documents, to share information between and among individuals and workgroups, and to make effective use of communication resources to enhance the value of oral and written messages. We address companywide strategies that will eliminate time currently spent producing unused and unneeded documents and presentations, and we focus on improving skills, processes, and products. In Part 4, we discuss strategies for writing and presenting as a team. These guidelines are significant for individuals in many companies that emphasize teams and workgroups as the primary vehicle for accomplishing tasks. The ability to work successfully with others is often a major factor in determining the success of a document or a presentation as a persuasive communication tool. We also provide appendixes with supplementary materials, including a Self-Diagnostic Grammar Test and Guidelines for Special Occasion Presentations. Our web site (ron-hein.com), contains additional sample materials that demonstrate how to design documents and visuals for maximum impact. According to Anne Fisher of Fortune magazine, a survey of the 1,000 largest employers in the United States revealed that 96 percent maintain that employees must have good communication skills in order to get ahead. We know you believe communication skills are important, because you've opened this book. We

1

Page xvii

hope that you will find it to be an excellent resource guide for developing and refining your communication skills as you advance in your business career. We welcome your questions, comments, and feedback at our web site (ron-hein.com). And we guarantee that improved business writing and business presentation skills will save you time and money.

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Setti.Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (12 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

Page xviii

STELLAR PERFORMER: DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICAL SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE

Business communication is a topic that cuts across all professions and fields, and the recognition of effective communication skills as an integral business tool is becoming more widespread. Twenty years ago, for example, accountants were required only to crunch numbers and spent little time interacting with clients. Today, accountants routinely make presentations, interview clients, and write proposals. Indeed, it would be difficult to find a professional position today where oral and written communication skills are unimportant. One of the more recent, and perhaps surprising, entries into the communication skills camp has come from the field of mathematics. Professors at the University of Delaware's Department of Mathematical Science have incorporated training in presentation skills as part of a major grant funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The grant is intended to help graduate students in mathematics make the transition to jobs in business and industry, and part of that transition involves being able to explain their often complex field to others. 'We recognized that, while our graduate students were good at teaching undergraduate courses, they didn't have many good role models in the field for nontechnical presentations," says Delaware mathematics Professor Peter Monk. "Graduate students go to professional conferences and see mathematicians reading their papers, talking to the chalkboard, and not really connecting with the audience." Encouraged by a report from the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, which maintained that "communication is simply too important to be ignored . . . and] writing and speaking skills are important for all mathematicians . . ." the department included a presentation skills seminar in its grant proposal for NSF. In the first year of the grant, seven graduate students and two faculty members participated in the three-day seminar, which provided time for individual presentations and evaluation as well as for discussion of some aspects of presentations particular to the field. On the last day, participants delivered math-related presentations that they had designed for a nonmath audience. "That's something very difficult for us to do," says Dr. Monk. "We're used to talking to other mathematicians, and some complex ideas don't translate well into lay terms. On the other hand, in the business world, you have to be able to explain your ideas and proposals to the people who control your budget." The commitment at the University of Delaware to incorporating communication skills training into its graduate program in mathematics is a pioneering effort. It is likely that other technical fields will follow the lead of graduate business schools, which now routinely require business writing and business presentations courses as part of their MBA programs. With the globalization of the workforce and the use of multiskilled teams in many corporations today, the need for effective communication skills in every part of an organization will be expected to increase.

2

Page 1

PART 1- COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

Effective business communication is more than the ability of an individual to create a clear memo, a useful executive summary, a good report, or a persuasive presentation. It is a set of individual skills, team or group decisions, and company-supported policies, philosophies, and actions that promote the linkage of individuals and groups within an organization. Such linkages ensure that key strategic and operational information is shared appropriately and effectively. Managers and companies that do not develop and encourage the use of such processes give up potential competitive advantages and may underutilize company strengths.

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Setti.Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (13 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

It is clear that profound changes are occurring in the way that businesses are both doing business and communicating. In Part 1 of this book, we highlight two areas of change: Strategic business communication (Chapter 1) Document management (Chapter 2) Changes are occurring in what is being communicated within and outside of organizations, why it is being communicated, and who is doing the communicating. Having closely held information within groups (departments) and not sharing that information was once commonly viewed as appropriate and in the best interest of a company.

Page 2

Now, companies seek to eliminate those barriers because of necessity. Managers need to build teams, share information, and appropriately delegate authority to facilitate the completion of projects. A supply-chain view of a corporation, its suppliers, and customers is now accepted and widely implemented as part of an integrated resource management approach. Managers who keep information private and closely guarded are obstacles to teamwork and to reaching common, companywide goals. Managers who do not accept input from others within and outside of their groups risk failing to identify and solidify critical connections that will make the company fast and innovative. More than ever, businesses need to promote communication skills to facilitate quick and precise decision making that keeps them competitive. To promote communication skills, it is necessary to focus on companywide perspectives (policies and support), implementation by teams and groups, and the skills of individual contributors. Our goal is to help facilitate that competitive advantage.

Page 3

Chapter 1- Strategic Business Communication

One of the problems facing most businesses is how to keep up with internal and external change. This includes changes in business communication strategies and requirements.

What Is Driving Changes in Business Communication? The need for improved business communication strategies is being driven by the fast demands of business, globalization, and the technology revolution, as well as leadership challenges that require improved business communication strategies and skills at company, team or group, and individual levels. As shown in Figures 1.1 and 1.2, changes in strategy need to be viewed from three perspectives: companywide, group or team, and individual contributors. Options available are both constrained and enhanced by decisions made at each of those levels. For example, if a company decides to implement a document life-cycle management strategy (Chapter 2) or a document management system, to offer training to employees in communication skills, to use project management systems, to teach effective writing and editing skills (Chapter 3), or to make persuasive presentations, the entire capacity of a company will be enhanced. New communication strategies have become necessary as a result of the rise of several movements: The quality movement pioneered by Deming

1 2

The implementation of integrated supply chains ,

3

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Setti.Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (14 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

Page 4

Figure 1.1 Common communication patterns within and outside of a company.

The advent of integrated resource management

4

These initiatives forced a new and improved kind of communication and leadership, as evidenced in the following (see Figure 1.3): ISO 9000 standards ( www.iso.ch/ ) The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards in the United States (www.quality.nist.gov/ ) The growing use of standards and benchmarks throughout industry and in other areas Technology has placed new demands on us to order and make sense of data-making effective communication a priority. This means that information (data) must be collected and assembled into databases that can be queried so that computerized systems for tracking and analyzing all aspects of a company become a reality, not a pie-in-the-sky idea. Management groups must work with information systems that link data, facilitate analysis, generate query-based reports, and expedite decision processes if they are to sustain a competitive advantage.

Figure 1.2 Effective business communication depends on a series of interrelated policies, strategies, and skills at the company, team, and individual levels.

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Setti.Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (15 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

Page 5

Figure 1.3 Communication strategies and skills are central to multiple business initiatives and requirements.

Benchmarking and Teamwork Require Excellent Communication

5 6

In Thomas Kayser's Mining Group Gold, in Michael Hammer and James Champy's Reengineering the Corporation, and in Robert Camp's insights on benchmarking, the authors make it clear that successful managers and companies effectively share goals, strategies, and other pertinent information. William Russell indicates that integrated resource management requires that everyone in an organization understand the terminology of other functions-and the impact of those functions on his or her own area. In addition Russell notes that individuals need to understand how the decisions in their own areas will affect other areas. These are all communication issues. Peter Drucker, arguably the "founder" of modern-day management, in his work on manufacturing makes parallel points. Russell and the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS) note that surveys of the most successful companies show that "improving communications between management and workers" is the number one activity those companies are pursuing. Companies need to know how to share information successfully by using multiple tools (one-on-one meetings, phone calls, e-mail, memos, reports, group meetings, and presentations), which are often dependent on the skills of individual contributors. In addition, to win a Baldrige award or comply with ISO 9000 requirements, effective internal and external communication processes are needed. Support for this idea can be seen in the work of pioneering thinker

7

Page 6

Robert Camp, who examines benchmarking leadership and management processes, the leadership focus of the Baldrige requirements, and the manner in which supply-chain management is implemented in companies such as Xerox, Westinghouse, Texas Instruments, the Ritz-Carlton Hotels, and others.

Leadership and Negotiations Require Excellent Communication Skills The era of the information age and the demand of the New Economy require extraordinary leadership and negotiation skills-in other words, excellent communication skills. As Stephen Covey writes in Principle Centered Leadership, and as the work of Fisher, Ury, and Patton, Getting to Yes suggests, successful negotiations implicitly acknowledge the need for managers and other leaders to communicate well. Companywide, Team, and Individual Perspectives

9 8

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Setti.Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (16 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

The success of individuals, teams, and companies is becoming increasingly dependent on effective business communication because of the the growing complexity of business transactions, products, and services. It is quite common for one company to provide services and products to other companies that are located at some distance. Equally true, more companies need to manage internal information across multiple business locations, locations that are often global. Each of these tasks requires effective communication processes that will decrease transaction and data-sharing time and costs. Because specific barriers-and solutions-to business communication can exist at multiple levels in an organization, answers to the following three broad questions will help to identify communication concerns, potential strengths, and weaknesses or barriers: Why should a company use a companywide approach to improve business communication, and specifically, what can a company do? How can a workgroup or team improve business communication on specific projects? How can individual contributors improve business documents and presentations, as well as related processes and personal skill sets? For example, if a manager can spend less time creating a proposal that is clearer and more useful, and a senior executive can evaluate it without requesting further data or clarifications, companies should be able to make decisions more rapidly and with greater

Page 7

accuracy. The issue then becomes, what can a company do to make certain that managerial time is not wasted producing and/or using ineffective documents and presentations?

Deciding Your Communication Strategy Company-Level Decisions Communication issues cut across all levels of a business, and key decisions need to be made at different levels. For example, at a company level, decisions might include the following: Should our company design and implement databases to support projects that need to be coordinated across various workgroups? Would it be cost-effective to develop and use standard formats for internal reports and/or proposals? At what point and in which documents or presentations do we support or require the use of color? Can we gain efficiencies by standardizing our word processing and presentation software? Should we use Lotus Notes to share information, or should we use Microsoft Word? Should we adopt and support a presentation package (for example, PowerPoint) on a companywide basis, or should we support department-by-department use of whichever presentation package a current manager prefers? What are the costs and benefits of providing staff training to improve writing skills or document development processes? What do we train them to do? To what degree of proficiency do we train users? Should we install and support voice recognition software for managers who earn $100,000+ a year and type by the hunt-and-peck method? What are the costs and benefits of installing an intranet (internal computer network) to share data, documentation, and other information? Which software packages allow documents to be shared (or imported and exported to other packages) with ease and security? Should we adopt a document management system (for example, Xerox's DocuShare) so that we can share documents within our company and with outside customers, vendors, and/or consultants? Team-Level Decisions At the team or workgroup level, decisions at the level of a specific project can be resolved, often dependent

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Setti.Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (17 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

Page 8

upon the company-level supports that are or are not available. Pertinent decisions include the following: Do we use project management concepts (timelines, Gantt charts, PERT charts) for a specific project? Do we use manual or software-based solutions? Do we send out a report, or do we make a formal project presentation and provide a report? Do we distribute the report or presentation electronically or as hard copy? What are the advantages, the disadvantages, and the barriers? If we do a presentation in person, do we use overheads or a computer-controlled presentation? Can we benefit from real-time access to databases, spreadsheets, and what-if calculations? Which team member would be the best presenter, or do we use a team of presenters? Which team member will edit the final report or proposal, or do we hire a professional editor? Individual Decisions There are also decisions that an individual contributor needs to make, taking into consideration the restrictions of specific work environments and the guidance of managers. Decisions at this level include the following issues: Do I use a writing and editing process in order to be more effective and efficient? Would it be valuable to use tables to display key information in a report, or is it okay or better to leave it as several paragraphs of text? Should I ask a colleague to proofread the materials? Do I need to improve my basic grammar skills, or is the 40 to 50 percent accuracy rate of my word processor sufficient? Do I need to use a computer-projected presentation, or would overheads or handouts be best, or would just talking with no visual aids be best?

Implementing Your Communications Strategy As you can see, these issues are not discrete; they overlap among individuals and groups within a company. That's one reason that business communication issues need to be raised and answered: They are broad issues with very positive or negative effects on individual careers, the outcome of specific projects, and the overall efficiency and profitability of a company.

Page 9

Evaluating an individual's ability to write, edit, and present information is critical but not sufficient. To improve business communication, specific requirements, strengths, and barriers must be identified and handled at all levels. The current literature on business communication seldom addresses these issues, and it fails to identify processes that can be used to resolve them. Further, the connection of these issues to leadership and management is not addressed. As a result, individuals and teams are often unable to identify strengths, weaknesses, or barriers, and they cannot get the resources they need to improve business communication and increase efficiency and effectiveness. Developing Effective Business Communication within a Company or Organization It is important to complete the following steps at a company level: Identify internal and external requirements for communication (documents and presentations). Identify resources/strengths. Identify barriers (process, personal skills, interpersonal, hardware, software, standards, etc.). Develop and implement processes that will eliminate or decrease the barriers. Determine the type of support (for example, hardware/software/networks) that can be useful. Establish/adopt templates/standards for documents and presentations.

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Setti.Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (18 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

Determine what training support is needed to increase effectiveness and meet requirements.

Company-Level Business Communication Trends A number of key trends have been emerging in business communication. E-mail is now a staple in the business world, and companies need to address and continually reassess the extent to which to they use the Internet (World Wide Web) for advertising, marketing, research, and document sharing. Beyond the Internet, whether to use intranets is also a key business communication decision. Sophisticated document management systems that use both the Internet and intranets are allowing companies to move closer to, if not paperless offices, offices that can create and share electronic versions of documents easily and securely.

Page 10

E-mail Many company-level policy decisions (including software, networks/hardware, and training/support) impact the extent to which e-mail is successfully used. In Chapter 6, we offer suggestions on how to create more functional, useful e-mail messages-literally billions of e-mail messages are sent on a daily basis- and we also review commonly accepted ways to improve e-mail. At a company level, a policy discouraging the sending of trivial e-mail could save hundreds of hours of time for every employee every year-and eliminate the need to read items that have no value to your function. Using Intranets and the Internet Both powerful tools, the Internet and intranets pose some crucial challenges when it comes to formulating an overall communication strategy. Evaluate: Security, including encryption of documents via public and private keys and degrees of access Cost The time required to produce a document The distribution barriers and advantages Speed Color and complexity (for example the use of Visio and Acrobat software solutions) Document Management Systems The key to successful use of the Internet and intranets is the use of document management systems ideas. This topic is discussed in detail in Chapter 2. Putting Paper-Intensive Tasks On-Line Companies experience greater efficiencies by putting databases, inventory control (JIT, etc.), advertising, marketing, customer service, benefits information, personnel manuals, newsletters, and management announcements/bulletins on an intranet. The sky's the limit. Employees who can use electronic document management systems become better informed and are able to make faster, more qualified decisions.

Developing Effective Business Communication within Teams Intranets and the Internet offer parallel advantages for facilitating communication to groups and teams. To

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Setti.Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (19 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

Page 11

optimize communication advantages, teams need to do the following: Identify requirements. Identify resources/strengths/barriers (for example, the presence/absence of processes, personal skills, interpersonal, hardware, software, and standards). Establish/adopt templates/standards. Establish/adopt/implement processes (especially a writing and editing process, document sharing, and project management).

Developing Effective Business Communication Skills As an Individual For an individual contributor, some choices are constrained by company-level and team or project decisions. However, a decision to improve specific skills can be made by individuals and can be done without extensive support, especially when justified as part of a personal career advancement effort. To optimize communication, individuals need to do the following: Identify requirements and define products that meet those requirements. Determine resources, strengths, and barriers (hardware, software, processes, personal skills, knowledge, etc.). Implement processes. Improve personal skills.

Integrated Supply Chains and Resource Management Over the last several years, the idea of supply-chain linkages in manufacturing environments has gained momentum as the need for more effective sharing of information throughout a company, and with outside vendors and customers, has increased. If a company cannot efficiently share information, it is unlikely that supply-chain linkages can be identified or continuously improved, which can lead to a noncompetitive situation. Companies need to create processes that enable their employees to appropriately and successfully share information within and across organizational units. Companies that do not develop and encourage the use of such processes give up potential competitive advantages and underutilize the strengths of their employees. In Figure 1.4, we show a simplified view of potential linkages among groups in a simplified supply chain. An

Page 12

important communication question is: What barriers exist in current processes that inhibit sharing of information? From a management communication perspective, are there opportunities to share and leverage information that can improve processes and products? Are there opportunities to increase communication efficiency and eliminate barriers? Pertinent questions include the following: What information can Market Research share with Hardware Design that will help develop a better product? What can Customer Service share with Software Design that will improve ease of operation for customers or help hardware designers create a more dependable machine? How can Manufacturing and Hardware Design work together to create an easier-to-build machine? Can Logistics and Distribution and Customer Service decrease the quantity of low-use spare parts held in multiple locations by Customer Service? Do field technicians have information (for example, part reliability) that is not shared with Hardware Design for lack of an appropriate communications mechanism? What information does the Corporate Strategy group need-and need to share?

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Setti.Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (20 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

Supply-Chain Linkages in Nonmanufacturing Environments Supply-chain-like linkage problems are also inherent in service organizations. Nonprofit and government organizations have customers, boards of directors, and customers or clients, and the problems associated with

Figure 1.4 Simplified communication linkages in a simplified supply chain (manufacturing).

Page 13

effective communication in a business environment also exist in those organizations. The communication relationships shown in Figures 1.1 and 1.2 are critical. The groups shown in Figure 1.4 obviously will vary depending on the organization, group, or agency.

Management Styles and Communication Strategies We advocate using win-win approaches to management, problem solving, and communication because they increase the efficiency of individuals, teams, areas, and companies. If these approaches are linked to appropriate incentive and reward systems (for example, performance pay, merit pay, or profit sharing), they can lead to performance improvements at all levels of an organization. Effecting Change If your company, area, or team (or yourself as an individual) does not use win-win approaches, how can you implement a change in your communication styles? We suggest using the ideas of Fisher and Ury, Deming, and others to eliminate barriers to effective communication and increased productivity.

From a strategic perspective, improved communication enhances the performance of the whole company, from sharing knowledge and innovative ideas to being able to make faster and better decisions. Deciding to improve overall communication requires support at a company, team or group, and individual contributor level. Win-win approaches can promote successful communication, and change a win-lose to a win-win or interest-based approach. It is important to stress how the win-win approach can benefit individuals, teams, and the entire company.

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Setti.Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (21 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

Page 15

Chapter 2- Document Management in an Electronic Age

Over the last several years, a new focus on business communication has emerged: that of computerized document management. Document management is a concern at all levels and for all organizations. This is due in part to the increased use of computer programs to generate and manage documents, as well as the need for increased linkages among business groups and functions. Businesses are also communicating in new ways; whereas previously a group of people would meet to talk about an issue, they now often address issues by conference calls, videoconferencing, and/or e-mail in an effort to decrease meetings, eliminate barriers created by distance, and increase efficiency. The increasing use of e-mail, databases, spreadsheets, and other forms of communication leads to the creation and retention of more documents. And this increased production, retention, and use of documents creates a need to evaluate work processes, workflow, and documents from the perspective of a document cycle: the origination, filing, use/retrieval, security, retention, and the destruction of documents. In this section, we will highlight some of the key ideas that are moving to the forefront; however, to gain a fuller understanding of these rapidly evolving issues and potential solutions, we strongly recommend a quick search of the Internet. You will discover tens of thousands of sites, documents, consulting firms, and software providers that focus on document management. We will briefly review some of the approaches being taken by major corporate players in document manage-

Page 16

ment systems: Xerox (DocuShare), IBM (Documentum Enterprise Document Management Systems, EDMS), Microsoft (Microsoft Exchange, BackOffice, and Document Management Extensions), Lotus (Lotus Notes and Domino), and Adobe (Acrobat, Acrobat Reader), among others. Table 2.1 shows software solutions and web site locations of companies with major document management efforts.

Changes in Document Management As recently as 10 years ago, the use of hard-copy documents was the preferred way of conducting business. That preference is now giving way to the use of electronic documents that are linked in complex electronic systems. Today, the use of e-mail is likely to be deemed a more effective way to share information. Several years ago, a report would be written, and sharing that report would mean copying or printing it and then mailing or otherwise physically delivering it. Today, reports are efficiently shared over intranets and the Internet, and the primary focus is not only on how to get the report printed and distributed, but also on who should be given what levels of electronic access (such as the right to modify content) to these documents. This is a serious issue related to the security of the document.

TABLE 2.1 WEB SITE ADDRESSES FOR DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS Company Xerox IBM Microsoft Software Solution DocuShare EDMS Exchange, BackOffice, Extensions Acrobat, PDF fusion Lotus Notes, Domino Cabinet NG Aviator for Lotus Notes Web Site(s) xerox.com/products/docushare edms.solutions.ibm.com microsoft.com and 80 20.com

Adobe Lotus Axiom Aviator

adobe.com and docctrl.com/fusion lotus.com/products cabinetng.com aviatorsoftware.com

file:///C /Documents and Settings/gasanova/Local Setti.Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication/e-book.html (22 of 175)16.02.2005 13:57:22

Lauren Vicker, Ron Hein - "The Fast Forward MBA in Business Communication"

Page 17

Document Life Cycles Software solutions are driving changes in how companies view the management of documents and document life cycles. Document life cycle issues include the following: Origination Filing/use/retrieval Security Retention/destruction Origination When evaluating strategies for the creation of documents, a companywide perspective should include: Project requirements Sufficiency and compatibility of software programs and data Training that users will need to perform required functions Technical (computer) support needed Total cost of ownership issues Any one of these issues can be an extremely expensive barrier to eliminate after a software decision has been made. Project Requirements The capabilities of document management systems are extensive, and in-depth evaluation is required to determine which system to implement. Topdown management of this decision would be counterproductive. Input is needed from multiple layers of management (including project managers) and also from your technological staff. The people who hold critical knowledge about the requirem