Communication Characteristics Of Effective Workplace Communication Elc3203 1

Copyright © The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 2009

The Characteristics of Effective Workplace

Communication

ELC3203


Contents

• Introduction• Language Register• Appropriacy• Questions on Characteristics• Getting to the Point• Style• Clarity• Accuracy• Answers• Text Types 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 • Language Features• Spoken and Written Language Formality


Introduction

Although Hong Kong is very much a Chinese city, it has always played host to business people and professionals from a wide range of countries. The majority of these people speak English, the most important medium of international business communication.

This means that in the course of your professional duties you will often need to use English to interact with expatriate colleagues in your own company, and with business associates and clients working for other organisations (both in Hong Kong and overseas). Indeed, research has shown that the higher a person rises in their profession in Hong Kong, the more they will need to use English for various purposes. Clearly, then, the ability to communicate effectively in English in professional settings is an important asset for anyone who aspires to a successful business career in Hong Kong.


Unit Organisation

This unit is divided into three sections:

• The characteristics of workplace communication

• Employers and their expectations

• Developing job-seeking skills


Language Register

In business English it is especially important for you to be able to use the correct register of language. Here are three descriptions of the same machine.

Read the descriptions, and decide which one is conversational, which for professional purposes and which academic.

A. Well, it’s a machine that sort of looks a bit like a box with a kind of screen on top. And you use it, well, you know, you use it to send things to people, like documents and stuff. Oh yeah, and it's often grey or beige in colour and has buttons for dialling too.

B. This is a machine which has been developed in order to facilitate the instant transmission of documents for any purpose, though it is particularly used in commercial settings. It consists of a base unit which normally has a rectangular shape and a sloping top into which a small screen and dialling buttons are incorporated.

C. This machine is designed to help you send documents quickly and easily. It is light-weight, portable and user friendly in design with touch buttons for dialling and a simple display screen.

Look at the language in these three extracts. How is it different in each?


Language Register

Read the descriptions, and decide which one is conversational, which for professional purposes and which academic.

A. Well, it’s a machine that sort of looks a bit like a box with a kind of screen on top. And you use it, well, you know, you use it to send things to people, like documents and stuff. Oh yeah, and it's often grey or beige in colour and has buttons for dialling too.

B. This is a machine which has been developed in order to facilitate the instant transmission of documents for any purpose, though it is particularly used in commercial settings. It consists of a base unit which normally has a rectangular shape and a sloping top into which a small screen and dialling buttons are incorporated.

C. This machine is designed to help you send documents quickly and easily. It is light-weight, portable and user friendly in design with touch buttons for dialling and a simple display screen.

Conversational and informal

Academic – long, uses passive voice, formal

Professional – ‘You-centered’, highlights benefits to the user


Appropriacy

To be able to achieve the aims of using language for professional purposes, and operate efficiently in professional settings you will need to master two features of language in particular:

• The appropriate use of language

• The differences between spoken and written language

You will learn about these features in this and the following units.

Spoken vs. Written

Spoken and written language tend to differ from one another in various ways. Here are some features of spoken and written language. Organise them into the correct boxes below.


Contains contractionsUses more complex grammarGreater use of subordinating conjunctionsMore slang or colloquial languageGreater use of passive voiceMore incomplete sentencesMore formal

Uses simple vocabularyMore personal styleMore change of topicsLess formalMore phrasal verbsMore repetitionLess structuredLonger sentences


Questions on Characteristics

What are the characteristics of workplace communication? Read the text and then answer the questions.

According to the text:

1. What three adjectives are used to describe effective workplace communication?

a.

b.

c.

2. Why does workplace communication need to have these characteristics?

3. How can a clear and concise style be achieved?

4. What are the three features essential to effective workplace communication?

a.

b.

c.

Would any of the above be difficult for you to achieve? Why?

(See Answers)


Getting to the Point

Workplace communication: getting to the point quickly – and courteously

As with any form of communication, it is the purpose and the audience which determine the nature of workplace communication. Academic communication, for example, has as one of its main purposes the communication of information and arguments between students and staff in academic settings. Journalistic communication exists to inform and sometimes to persuade large sections of the general public about events in the world. Workplace communication takes place, essentially, to get things done between staff in workplace situations.

The practical nature of workplace communication means that it is characterised by certain features, whether in spoken or written mode. First, workplace communication needs always to be as long as necessary and as short as possible. This rule applies to letters, memos, reports, emails, résumés, meetings and telephone conversations. Busy people do not appreciate wordiness and reserve their praise for communication which is clear, concise and correct.


Style

A clear and concise style is achieved by choosing appropriate language for the purpose. For example, in academic communication the following sentence is perfectly acceptable:

There are a number of reasons to account for the recent decline in Hong Kong's economy.

But the effective workplace communicator would phrase this differently:

Hong Kong's economy has declined recently due to ...

In letters, the effective workplace communicator will avoid wordy and clumsy phrases such as:

The above mentioned/captioned post/product/service …

and will instead write

This post/product/service …


Clarity

The need for clarity and conciseness does not, of course, mean that workplace communication should be abrupt. Indeed, politeness is essential to create and sustain good working relationships. Politeness is achieved by making sure that letters, memos, phone calls, etc. all have the right tone. Boastful claims must be avoided, as should overly humble statements. For example:

I have great pleasure in introducing you to our company's newest and most wonderful product …

I should be most obliged if you would give some of your precious time to consider our company's newest product …

are unacceptable. A neutral expression would be more appropriate:

I would like to introduce our company's newest product …


Accuracy

A final and very important characteristic of effective business communication is its language accuracy.

In most companies, a letter is considered to be "unmailable" if it contains even a single error in formatting, spelling, punctuation or grammar. So, careful and detailed editing and proofreading of a written document is essential. Employers and colleagues will tend to judge a person's abilities and attitudes negatively if they use inaccurate language in workplace communication.

Effective workplace communication, then, needs to demonstrate:

• a style which achieves clarity and conciseness

• a tone which achieves politeness but not humility

• a presentation which is flawless in terms of format and language

If any of these features are absent, the result will be ineffective communication, which is bad for business.


Answers




a.

b.

c.




a.

b.

c.


clear

concise

correct


Answer 1





Answers




a.

b.

c.




a.

b.

c.


clear

concise

correct

2. because employers and colleagues are busy and appreciate speedy and effective communication


Answer 1





Answers




a.

b.

c.




a.

b.

c.


clear

concise

correct


3. by choosing and using the right language for particular purposes


Answers (3)

A clear and concise style is achieved by choosing appropriate language for the purpose. For example, in academic communication the following sentence is perfectly acceptable:

There are a number of reasons to account for the recent decline in Hong Kong's economy.

But the effective workplace communicator would phrase this differently:

Hong Kong's economy has declined recently due to ...

In letters, the effective workplace communicator will avoid wordy and clumsy phrases such as:

The above mentioned/captioned post/product/service …

and will instead write

This post/product/service …


Answers




a.

b.

c.




a.

b.

c.


clear

concise

correct


3. by choosing and using the right language for particular purposes

appropriate style

polite tone

accurate presentation


Answers (4)

A final and very important characteristic of effective business communication is its language accuracy.

In most companies, a letter is considered to be "unmailable" if it contains even a single error in formatting, spelling, punctuation or grammar. So, careful and detailed editing and proofreading of a written document is essential. Employers and colleagues will tend to judge a person's abilities and attitudes negatively if they use inaccurate language in workplace communication.

Effective workplace communication, then, needs to demonstrate:

• a style which achieves clarity and conciseness

• a tone which achieves politeness but not humility

• a presentation which is flawless in terms of format and language

If any of these features are absent, the result will be ineffective communication, which is bad for business.


Text Types 1

Below are various extracts from texts. Read them and complete this grid for each.

1. I/We the undersigned, having inspected the site, examined the drawings, Specifications and Conditions of Contract with amendments and appendix thereto for the carrying out of the above-named contract works, offer to execute, complete and maintain the whole of the said Works in Conditions for the sum of ___________ (HK$) which is based on the quantity and unit rates attached herewith or such sum as may be ascertained in accordance with the tender documents.

Text number

Intended reader

Purpose of text

Writer-reader

relationship

Level of formality

1Parties to contract, court of law, lawyers

To specify contractual conditions

Making a written contractual agreement

Formal


Text Types 2

2. Although some of these authors made stronger claims for their results than others, studies of this type have typically been subject to many objections which call into question the validity of the conclusions that were drawn. The number of interrelated variables makes it extremely difficult to attribute the results to the method variables in question. None of the findings of these studies have been accepted in the field as unambiguous, and with few undebated results, these attempts to compare methods quantitatively eventually died out.

Intended reader Purpose of text

Writer-reader relationship

Level of formality

Probably an academic audience; people interested in research

To show why quantitative methods were unsuitable

Author writing to audience of academic readers about a topic

Formal


Text Types 3

3. When using your telephone equipment, basic safety precautions should always be followed to reduce the risk of injury to persons, including the following:1. Read and understand all instructions.2. Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product.3. Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not

use liquid cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning.

Intended reader Purpose of text


Level of formality

General public/ new users of equipment

To instruct People installing new equipment & referring to instructions

Neutral


Text Types 4

4. Hong Kong's dynamism is unforgettable. From the vantage point of Victoria Peak, overlooking the world's busiest deepwater port, you can see a city geared not only to making money but feeling good about it. At night, it's like looking down into a volcano. Despite its British colonial past, Hong Kong has always stuck to its roots and the culture beneath the glitz is pure Chinese. Visitors often find it takes a few days in Hong Kong to get accustomed to the whirlwind pace. If you need some respite, check out the Outlying Islands for a change of tempo and scene.

Intended reader

Purpose of text


Level of formality

Potential tourists to Hong Kong

To attract/ excite

People reading guidebook / tourist literature when making up their minds about where to travel

Neutral


Text Types 5

5. Welcome to the world of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Hong Kong. We offer excellent career prospects in a warm and friendly atmosphere, and our continuing expansion and growth offer you countless opportunities. Joining us in Hong Kong means you will come to an organisation that has the reach, scale and critical mass to address the most significant issues for the really big players in Hong Kong, China or even the global economy.

Intended reader

Purpose of text Writer-reader relationship

Level of formality

Potential recruits to Price Waterhouse Coopers

To attract recruits and promote the firm to them as a good employer

Firm wanting to interest people in applying for jobs with them

Neutral


Text Types 6

6. What about meeting outside DeliFrance in Central MTR? At 7:30? Is that OK? Hope it’s not raining. See you then. Cheers.Intended reader


Level of formality

Friend To fix time and place to meet

Friend wanting to meet up with another friend and organizing how to do so

Informal


Text Types 7

7. Could I please take leave between June 17 and 23 incl.? I will have completed all outstanding work by then. These seven days would leave eight days remaining in the leave balance.

Intended reader


Level of formality

Boss To request leave

Member of staff applying for leave

Formal


Text Types 8

8. You are cordially invited to attend the opening of our exhibition at 7pm on July 23.

Intended reader


Level of formality

A client or potential client

To invite Firm / organisation inviting a client to an exhibition

Formal


Language Features

• What language features did you base your decisions on?

Topic, type of vocabulary, sentence length, presence or absence of personalising language e.g. personal pronouns, use of conjunctions.

• What professional situations might require you to communicate formally?

Most written documents especially those intended for readers outside the firm/ organisation; meetings, conference presentations, greeting bosses

• What professional situations might require you to communicate informally?

Telephone calls to colleagues who are friends, informal meetings

• Why do you think appropriate use of language might be important in professional communication?

Because it is sensitive to situations and able to facilitate the achievement of the goals of situations and communication.


Spoken and Written Language Formality (1)

While it is true that spoken and written language are different, they are not always strongly differentiated. Where on the lines below would you place the following kinds of spoken and written language?1.Emails to friends 2. Conference speeches 3. Business reports

4. Minutes 5. Postcards to family 6. Job application letters

7. Workplace telephone calls

8. Text messages to girlfriend/boyfriend

9. Chats with a friend

10. Conversations with colleagues at work

11. Tourist brochures

12. Sales presentations

Written formalSpoken formal

Written InformalSpoken Informal


Spoken and Written Language Formality (2)

1. Emails to friends 2. Conference speeches 3. Business reports

4. Minutes 5. Postcards to family 6. Job application letters

7. Workplace telephone calls

8. Text messages to girlfriend/boyfriend

9. Chats with a friend

10. Conversations with colleagues at work

11. Tourist brochures 12. Sales presentations

Written formal

Spoken formal

Written Informal

Spoken Informal

Business reports

Minutes Job application letters

Tourist brochures

Emails to friends Conference speeches

Postcards to family

Workplace telephone calls

Text messages to girlfriend/boyfriend

Chats with a friend

Conversations with colleagues at work

Sales presentations


List of Slides:

Final Slide

The End• Introduction• Language Register• Appropriacy• Questions on Characteristics• Getting to the Point• Style• Clarity• Accuracy• Answers• Text Types 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 • Language Features• Spoken and Written Language Formality

Communication Characteristics Of Effective Workplace Communication Elc3203 1

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