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This chapter looks at the topic of communication.
We discuss valuable information for common day to day communications such as emails,
as well as key entrepreneurial communications such as elevator pitches and business plans.
One of the things I really like about this chapter is that we focus on a number of common communications that are important in all types of work and life relationships.
I spend a lot of my time working and writing in coffee shops,
so I would say this chapter is probably as close to an ethnographic study of communication as Iíll likely ever get
since I witness a lot of good and bad communications in these places where many first dates take place.
It seems that almost every month thereís a new article online discussing common errors in emails and cover letters that cost potential employees a job opportunity.
So we wanted to highlight these kinds of mistakes that are important when trying to get a new job, as well as email issues that occur
on a day to day basis that might put someone in a bad light by sending out an email that seems unprofessional.
And in this opening scene we wanted to point out that these kinds of common email errors can create issues in areas such as in relationships.
So one important email etiquette issue in both business and relationships is making sure your subject line is coherent.
And if the email thread goes on for a while and you add new information you might want to change the subject line from time to time.
This makes it easier for everyone to keep track of things.
And of course, you should only carbon copy relevant individuals on an email.
Having a professional name versus a strange nickname also sends a nonverbal message in your email
so thatís something to consider in both work and life contexts.
One of the most common mistakes I see a lot is failure to use a simple spellcheck.
This can really look unprofessional in a business setting, but it probably doesnít make you look too sharp in an early relationship setting as well.
And, the use of all capital letters is the equivalent to shouting so that should be avoided.
Itís also a good idea to censure your emails carefully.
For example, in my job as a professor at a state university all of the content of my emails is technically public record.
Even if it wasnít, itís pretty easy for someone to forward an email so discretion is advised with all emails.
In contrast, a good email sends a clear message often accompanied by a clear request.
In this case, Atlas is trying to ask someone out on a date.
In the initial stages of dating, most folks try to be witty and charming.
Your personality should come through in the email context as well ñ
although itís important to keep in mind that itís generally less obvious when you are making a joke or being sarcastic in an email.
Finally, in most settings itís a good idea to end your email with a brief sign-off such as ëThank youí or ëall the bestí or some closing before signing your name.
So this chapter focuses on communication - the process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behavior.
Communication is vital for doing most jobs and securing a job, and it is also generally important in many facets of our personal and work lives as we interact with others.
One of the best ways to improve communication is by understanding the steps in the communication process.
So I want to walk through the basic communication model and explain each of its steps.
The person that first initiates the communication process is the sender.
That is, the person who sends the message.
So in this chapter, we focus on a lot of relationship examples such as asking someone out on a date.
The next step involves taking this message of ëwill you go out with meí and deciding how to put it into a format for the person youíre trying to communicate with,
or in our example, a person you might ask out.
This translation process is called encoding.
So, you might choose to send the message face to face.
But perhaps you fear rejection, so instead of asking the question in your head and saying ëDo you want to go with me to the movies this weekend?í
you might say ëDo you like movies?í
This could create errors in communication since you are not being direct in your message.
After the message is sent, the person who receives this message would hopefully work to decode your words.
If your message is simple and clear, then it will be more likely to be decoded accurately by the person receiving the message.
However, in our example, by asking a question such as ëdo you like movies?í rather than being more forthcoming and asking
ëwould you like to got to the movies with me this weekend?í you make it more difficult for the receiver to decode the true meaning of your message.
And, noise can impact the communication process at every step.
It could be physical noise that keeps someone from literally hearing your words ñ
or other forms of noise such as difficulty in understanding your message due to sarcasm or lack of familiarity with expressions you might use.
The communication channel, or medium, used to send a message has great potential to impact the effectiveness and efficiency of a message.
Different medium vary considerably in the amount of richness of information being conveyed.
For example, communication through email and text is much lower than a face to face conversation since many elements of communication can be nonverbal.
And, in a face-to-face conversation feedback can be sought immediately.
Noise is anything that interferes with or distorts the meaning of the communication being sent.
Noise influences the decoding process by distracting the listener.
Noise can refer to external things such as the phone ringing, your dog barking, or construction noise as show here.
But noise can also emanate from internal sources such as filtering, information overload, and selective perception.
Filtering refers to the distortion or withholding of information to manage reactions.
This kind of noise is common with politicians who might have a vested interest in showing that all is well under their leadership.
Selective perception is the personal filtering of what we see and hear so as to suit our own needs.
In the book we use the example of a child who is promised a visit to the zoo if they clean up their room.
It would be pretty common for the child to filter out the cleaning bit and only remember the part about the promise of the zoo.
Information overload occurs when the information processing demands on an individualís time exceed the amount of time available for such processing.
Research has shown that most people are actually bad at multitasking,
so managing information is a challenge for all of us in this modern age when information overload is common.
Specialized language used by a group or profession known as jargon can also interfere in effective communication.
This kind of language is useful in that it helps professionals communicate more information in less time or space,
but it can prohibit those without the necessary vocabulary from understanding certain messages.
So a point we make in the book is that effective communication is not always a function of what someone actually says.
Of equal importance is how they convey a message. A minor inflection can radically alter the meaning of a message.
For example, thereís a world of difference between when I say ìI did not ASK you to dinnerî versus when I say ìI did not ask YOU to dinner.î
And the importance of delivery is demonstrated in the chapter using the concept of pick-up lines, which can be seen as really awkward or even offensive in some cases,
but the ultimate show of wit and suave persuasion in others.
And while I donít pretend to know the secret behind crafting good or bad lines,
what we do know is that in effective communication keeping the dialogue moving is often very important.
So what we focus on is certain communication freezers that can stop communication quickly in its tracks.
Like a bad date, these communication freezers should be avoided when possible.
So as an example, asking someone with a lot of tattoos ëwhy did you do that?í or ëwhat were you thinking?í is likely to be a big conversation freezer.
Lecturing someone by telling them things they ought to do - especially early on in a relationship ñ can be a conversation freezer.
As can constantly correcting someone. So, keeping in mind things that might kill conversations is important when the goal is to encourage more and more effective communication.
Itís important to know that certain elements of communication such as nonverbal communication differ by national and often regional contexts.
For example looking someone directly in the eye conveys trustworthiness in the US, but can be seen as being disrespectful in China.
In Latin American countries, many individuals have a much smaller ëpersonal space bubbleí than in the US.
Another key communication tip is to act as an active listener who demonstrates they are paying attention to what the other person is saying by nodding,
making eye contact, and providing relevant feedback.
This is in contract to a passive listener who essentially just waits for someone to finish speaking until itís their turn to talk.
The second half of the chapter explores some aspects of entrepreneurial communications.
For example, a business plan is a document used to communicate a business idea and the organizationís intended course of action.
There are major topics that are covered in good business plans.
If you leave these out, the person reading it may assume you havenít considered key elements about this business
or that you donít really know how to effectively communicate the value of the new venture.
We briefly highlight these business plan issues in regard to the No Cover CafÈ ñ the fictional restaurant Atlas and David plan on starting - in the book.
What we describe in about a sentence in the book would generally be described in one or more pages in an actual business plan.
So for an overview we describe the No Cover CafÈ as a locally owned and operated restaurant that features live music nightly.
The strategy of the No Cover CafÈ is one of focused differentiation.
Their target, via their college town location right next to campus, is on college students and faculty.
They offer pizza differentiated by unique offerings such as Asian Eggroll Pizza, Philly Cheese Steak Pizza, and Thai Pepper pizza.
So, we see they have a clear strategy with some very unique elements.
True to their strategy, they have a particular target market focusing on college students and faculty.
Understanding your target market is one of the most important elements of developing a strategy because it helps define a number of important decisions
management might need to make concerning costs, aesthetics and atmosphere of the location, and a host of other decisions.
And, the elements valued by university students in a college town are likely to be very different
than the things valued in a pure rural community or the things seen as desirable in a big city.
A good business plan mentions competitive analysis.
Atlas and David note that the No Cover CafÈ will be a higher end concept compared to most restaurants near campus, and the only one within a 50 mile radius.
They also outline how they plan on marketing to their target audience.
One of the advantages of this concept is that as a restaurant with live music,
they are hopeful that bands that play will have a regular following that will bring customers in weekly.
Investors also want to know that entrepreneurs are aware of the risks of their potential ventures.
In the restaurant industry, common risks involve high turnover, and the need for food and beverage licenses.
Of course, in the case of the No Cover CafÈ Atlas and David will operate as a partnership in true team fashion.
Organization and management team are another big element that is covered in most business plans.
A final key element in a good business plan is the financial analysis and break-even analysis.
They estimate a need of $200,000 in start-up capital to purchase needed supplies, hire employees, and pay rent for the estimated six months
that it will take to get their word out to build a customer base and make a profit.
An elevator speech or elevator pitch is a key communication tool used to quickly convey the most important ideas in a business plan.
The idea is that you would be able to effectively provide the most important ideas in the time it would take during a long elevator ride.
In many cases an elevator pitch can be of equal or greater value than the actual business plan.
An entrepreneurial orientation refers to activities, practices, and other processes associated with entry to the market for new ventures.
An entrepreneurial orientation has been theorized to include five dimensions.
While these dimensions can be important for new ventures and large corporations, they can also be applied to other aspects of business life such as being a job applicant.
In the book we discuss how each characteristic has implications for individuals on the job market as well as entrepreneurs hoping to make an effective business plan pitch.
Autonomy refers to the ability to work independently and see projects through to fruition.
In regard to the job market, applicants can show autonomy through the initiative of reaching out to potential employers
where they might want to work and establishing contact rather than only relying on posted jobs and waiting for opportunities to come to them.
Sending a follow up email or hand written thank you note after an interview can be an effective way to show autonomy as well as help close the deal in regard to getting a job.
Competitive aggressiveness refers to a firmís offensive mindset in the market.
For individuals, this idea can be applied by aggressively differentiating yourself from others in your job market.
When seeking a job, you need to be able to answer the question ìWhy should I hire you compared to someone else?î
Innovativeness is important in companies, and Individuals can show innovativeness when looking for a job
by highlighting how they could bring new and creative ideas or processes to their potential employers.
Firms scan their markets looking for trends that could impact their firms to help anticipate the future.
Individuals can show proactiveness by thinking ahead and anticipating interviewer questions.
In business, higher risks are generally associated with the potential for higher market returns.
Showing personal elements of risk-taking activities such as running for student office, or engaging in other entrepreneurial ventures,
shows this propensity to engage in risky activities to potential employers.
Effective demonstration of entrepreneurial orientation can be a great benefit when planning for job fairs.
I think often students see these fairs simply as an opportunity to learn more about other companies.
But students that are proactive and learn about the companies in advance, bring their resumes and ask penetrating questions about the company,
and demonstrate that they could be an asset are much more likely to get an interview with the company
or have their resume positively flagged by representatives at the job fair.
I hope this chapter has provided some thoughts that are useful for you in your communications, both personal and in the business context.