Biz-commPulse

Managers should not only motivate, but also engage employees for better outputs.  A manager has to deal with people who have different personalities, prejudices, feelings, tensions, emotions and attitudes based on their own frame of reference which they bring to the workplace every day.  To motivate employees, their needs should firstly be understood as well as that many employees are not only motivated by a salary. Good managers show an interest in their employees and their personal lives. There are also many other factors which might play a role in motivation, for example being given more responsibilities in the business. Employees want to be recognized, empowered and even challenged. A manager should also create a working environment which will contribute to employees’ work satisfaction.  Part of this is to create an interest in the business and its activities. Employees on all levels should have a good understanding of the business and their own roles in ac...

Leadership and communication skills are essential for the business to function well. There are several points of view about what differentiate a leader from a manager.  Many theorists suggest that a manager is more focused on systems in the business, while a leader is more focused on the workers. The ideal is that a manager should also be a good leader. There is also a difference between a leader and leadership . A leader in a business usually controls the behaviour of workers keeping in mind the mission and vision of the business.  To effectively control a business, a leader demonstrates encouraging behaviour associated with good communication skills. Leadership on the other hand implies encouraging behaviour that managers and even workers demonstrate to help workers achieve their goals and objectives. Persuading workers to do their work, giving directions and coordinating messages and actions all require excellent communication skills. Workers in senior positions ...

When developing a diversity programme based on the results of a diversity survey (see the article managing diversity in a business ), managers should avoid making the following repeated mistakes: • Managers should not expect of employees to formulate a diversity philosophy. Real diversity in the business should start with a change in its corporate culture. To create a real change in the business’ corporate culture should be the first priority, before focusing on customers. True change can only occur if the manager is committed and continuously involved in the process. A business’ corporate culture refers to the way things are done in the business, be it policies or how meetings are held based on shared beliefs. • Real diversity issues should be addressed, for example, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national identity and disability. Diversity issues should not be broadened to only include individual differences. • Managers should not use euphemisms (substitution...

The way in which a business is perceived, positively or negatively, constitutes its corporate image. The corporate image is inseparable from all the activities within a business as it generally includes the overall picture that people have of a business. The corporate image of a business is also directly related to communication in the business. The way in which a manager deals with employees will have an effect on employee morale and motivation. Lack of motivation among employees or little knowledge of products or services will impede good customer service. If employees deal with customers in an unprofessional manner, those customers will perceive the business in a negative way. How customers experience the products or services or their personal contact with the business, can result into either positive or negative viral marketing for the business. Customers have access to numerous social media platforms to post either complaints or compliments about the business. Word of mouth ...

Diversity in a business poses a big challenge to effective  internal business communication. What is diversity in a business?  Diversity refers to different human virtues of employees working for the same business, for example different nationalities, ages, sexual orientations, gender, ethnicity, cultures, religions and even disabilities.  The manager needs to have a good understanding of  differences among employees, including a knowledge of the history, religion, politics and customs of other cultures.  Communication in a business should make provision for all employees who have different backgrounds and should never be perceived as offensive.  Apart from a good understanding of diversity, the manager should also be sensitive towards all employees coming from different backgrounds.  A manager should never underestimate the challenges of diversity in a business.  Messages are often understood because of unnecessary misunderstandings, for example...

I came across this video on breaking down barriers to effective communication on Youtube.  It has some useful information on how some barriers to effective communication can be overcome.  Sometimes just a change in behavior can make all the difference. Biz-commPulse homepage

Effective business communication should be part of a strategic plan and revised on an annual basis. A manager needs to constantly communicate with employees to inform them about their roles in the business and what their duties are.  Good business communication provides clear direction to employees on how their duties can contribute towards the success of the business.  A manager should never neglect to communicate with employees and assume that they know what their roles in the business are. But what should this strategic communication plan entail? Each business is different and has its own policies and structures.  Similarly the size, culture, mission and vision as well as managerial style of a business vary. Depending on the above, the strategic communication plan should indicate all communication activities in the business and who should be responsible for these activities.  Clear communication channels should be identified to convey specific me...

Happy employees are more productive. Business communication is no longer about how to write a letter, email or use effective writing skills.  It has also extended to other areas in the business, for example, excellent relationships within the business. A manager should not only concentrate on successful communication with its external clients, customers and stakeholders.  The employees of the business actually are   internal clients   and should also be treated with care.  Many scholars refer to this as   internal marketing , a very important feature of good business communication.  Employees’ well-being and work satisfaction play a large role in their productivity and how loyal they will be towards the business.  The role of the manager is to ensure good relationships with and among employees.   A healthy working environment is equally important.  Previous research has indicated that employees also have other career as...

The name of this blog is Biz-CommPulse , which will include information about business communication. You might now wonder why a whole blog is dedicated to the area of business communication.  Business communication is such an important part of a business’s strategy, yet it is also one of the most neglected areas in the business.  Many managers are so focused on making sales and a profit, that they forget about the role of proper business communication for success. The aim of this blog  is to point out practices of good business communication and where businesses possibly could improve in this area.  If you visit regularly, you will find useful information on the best ways of improving business communication and best practices.  The blog will also provide valuable resources on business communication. Effective business communication requires good skills and a sound knowledge of the dynamics of a business and its people. This will become evident if you...