THE PLACE OF COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS

In this our first blog post for the week, I would like to write about communication with special focus on the place of communication in a business setting. Generally understood, communication is the art of passing information from one person to the other either in an oral or written form. With the great advance in the field of science and technology, the mode of communication has been greatly expanded and enhanced. Today, with the electronic means of communication, passing of information has become faster, easier, more convenient and effective.

When it comes to businesses, communication is very vital. The ability to communicate effectively is very essential to growing a business. That is why management communication is studied in business schools. Also, as leaders of organizations and managers of business, how we communicate our business story contributes immensely to how our business grows. It is on the basis of this fact that managers and leaders are meant to be communicators. Management is about influencing the action of those who work under us or with us, and communication, whether in a written or oral form is the primary means through which leaders and managers influence actions.

In a business setting, there are always lots of business ideas that come to mind. But ideas remain simply opinions of thought (mental realities) when they are not shared or communicated. Even when business ideas are communicated, it has to be done in the right manner so that it can achieve its purpose. Every communication has three areas of focus. The first is the audience, that is, the recipients of the message. In business communication, the audiences include the investors, customers, shareholders, vendors, regulators and the general public. The communicator must know his audience and is expected to communicate is such a way that the audiences are convinced to accept the message or business idea being communicated. Here, we have to note the place of persuasion in communication. The second area of focus is the intention and the third is the message (content) itself. For an effective communication, these three areas must be taken into due consideration.

Many people dread communication, maybe as a result of anxiety, shyness, and fear of speaking in public. But one thing we need to keep in mind is that communication is a skill. The fact that it is a skill means that it can be learnt. Skills are a form of action to become better. When it comes to communication, we always have to take action, that is to say, we have to do something. Doing something in this sense entails writing and presenting. We will become experts at communication the more we see communication as a continuous learning experience.

There are those who communicate effortlessly while others need to put in a great deal of effort in order to be able to communicate effectively. It is good for leaders and managers to assess their qualities and strength with regard to communication and see areas that need improvement. As leaders and managers, we spend a greater part of our day at work communicating. As such, we need to do all it takes to ensure that we are good communicators.

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