1   Ellyse  Kennedy   2095076     COM100 EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Ellyse Kennedy - 2095076 Assessment 4: Business Case Study Report and Oral Presentation Date due: Week 11 – Report Week 12 – Oral Presentation   Value:  45% (25% Case-Study Report; 20% Presentation) 2   Ellyse  Kennedy   2095076         Excellent Communication When Delivering a Business Message V S Poor Communication When Delivering a Business Message Report  Prepared  by  Ellyse  Kennedy   3   Ellyse  Kennedy   2095076     TABLE  OF  CONTENTS     EXECUTIVE  SUMMARY  ...........................................................................................................................  4   INTRODUCTION  ......................................................................................................................................  4   SCOPE  .....................................................................................................................................................  4   METHOD  OF  RESEARCH  .........................................................................................................................  4   EXCELLENT  COMMUNICATION  ..............................................................................................................  5   Business  Description  ..........................................................................................................................  5   Types  of  Communication  That  Worked  and  What  Didn’t  ..................................................................  5   The  effect  on  the  Business  .................................................................................................................  7   POOR  COMMUNICATION  .......................................................................................................................  7   Business  Description  .........................................................................................................................  7   Types  of  Communication  That  Didn’t  Work  .......................................................................................  8   The  effect  on  the  Business  .................................................................................................................  9   CONCLUSION  .........................................................................................................................................  9   REFERENCES  .........................................................................................................................................  10   APPENDICES  .........................................................................................................................................  11   A.  ......................................................................................................................................................  11         4   Ellyse  Kennedy   2095076     EXECUTIVE  SUMMARY   Archee (2012, p. 8) described Communication as the sharing of meaning through information, ideas and feelings. It is important for the organisation to provide effective communication, to ensure to efficient productivity of the organisation and the continuous services to various stakeholders. Tamworth Regional Council one of the largest organisations operating in the Tamworth Region. Effective communication within the organisation is essential to provide an effective and efficient service to the stakeholders of the organisation (Tamworth Regional Council). This report compares two different sources of business communication: one that has demonstrated excellent communication in delivering a particular business message and the other, poor communication in delivering a business message. INTRODUCTION     Tamworth Regional Council is one of the biggest councils in regional NSW. Boasting a population of over 58,000 and a prosperous economy based on building, retail, industry, hospitality and agriculture, the organisation relies heavily of the effectiveness of communication (Tamworth Regional Council). SCOPE   For this report the focus is on Tamworth Regional Council’s Water Enterprises department and the communication techniques used within the organisation. The excellent communication model will be the use of the principles of effective communication in the way the directorate communicates the regulations implemented and changes to water restrictions within the Tamworth Region. The poor communication model will focus on the personality and leadership style of a supervisor in the directorate (Person A) and the effects that has had on the business. METHOD  OF  RESEARCH   For this report, the primary method of research to achieve the information and results to formulate the basis of this report was conducted through obtrusive observation. Secondary research was conducted using Raymond Archee, Myra Gurney & Terry Mohan. (2012). Communicating as professionals. Edition 3, and through research of topical relevant journals and websites. 5   Ellyse  Kennedy   2095076     EXCELLENT  COMMUNICATION   Bennett (1986, pp.18-36) describes effective communication when communicating information as: “effective communication skills are more important now than ever before for business success and these skills will continue to be a critical component of the information society”. In order to portray excellent communication strategies, Archee (2012, p.9) states that you need to: • “Be clear about your reason for communicating and take responsibility for your communication; • Organise the message to achieve your purpose; • Use the medium of communication to the best advantage; and • Give the receivers the opportunity to respond”. The below model of effective communication uses these methods to ensure the message is clearly received and understood by the receivers – being the residents of the Tamworth Region. Business  Description   Tamworth Regional Council has had water conservation measures (restrictions) in place since August 2002, due to ongoing drought conditions in the Tamworth Region and the wider Murray-Darling Basin. Council adopted the Drought Management Plan in 2007 with aim of minimising the risk of the community running out of water, and ensure there is always sufficient water available to satisfy the basic needs of the community. The Drought Management Plan is supported by the Demand Management Plan (2007), which outlines the various water conservation measures that are to be employed by Council to ensure that town water demand levels are both efficient and sustainable (Tamworth Regional Council). The business has implemented effective communication strategies to ensure the business message is received and understood by the Tamworth community and surrounding villages. In order for conservation measures to be effective, the organisation needs to be in frequent communication with the residents. Types  of  Communication  That  Worked  and  What  Didn’t   Tamworth has not been in such harsh drought conditions for approximately six years. In this time, staff have moved on and procedures have since outdated, thus the need for new communication strategies to be implemented and enforced. The Water Sustainability Officer, with the assistance of the Business Support Officer has used a trial and error method to test certain communication channels to see what types of communication are effective in delivering the business message and what channels are in-effective. 6   Ellyse  Kennedy   2095076     In this model of communication, Tamworth Regional Council were required to communicate the current restriction levels and information to a population of approximately 58,000 residents. In order to do this effectively, the water sustainability officer and the Business Support Officer were able to source a third party communications agency to assist in distributing the message effectively to the receivers. The use of media was a very successful communication tool. Residents responded well to the print, radio and television advertisements implemented as a mean to spread the business message. The use of colour, sound and imagery drew the audience in. The advantages of dealing with customer enquiries make it easy to communicate with the receiver the business message as they are able to react to verbal tones and respond with questions to maintain understanding. Whilst the communication mediated from Tamworth Regional Council has been effective, there have been a few types of communication that has not been well received by small minority groups within the region. The median/average age of the Tamworth population is 41 years of age, and 25% of the population is aged over 55 – refer to appendices A. These generations are known as ‘Gen X’ and ‘Baby Boomers’. Baby Boomers grew up in a generation where technology was not as advanced as it is today. Gen Xers grew up in an era of emerging technology. These factors affect the way these minorities access and use technology. The older population of the region have stated that they find directing to the relevant information on the TRC website difficult making communication through this source difficult for certain minorities within the region. A large factor in ensuring this form of mediated communication is received, before it was communicated to the Tamworth Residents, effective team communication had to work to ensure the message was distributed as effectively as possible. Archee (2012, p.216) explains that “working in groups and team to make good decisions, entails harnessing the benefits available from the team compared to working alone to achieve the same end”. This example is a major example as to why the type of communication was successful. Letter box drops are another method of print communication that was deemed to be not as successful as other methods of communication. Using a letter box drop to communicate through print media possesses many disadvantages. It was found that many residents complained that they did not receive the print communication or merely disregarded it as ‘junk mail’ and therefore not receiving the necessary information. 7   Ellyse  Kennedy   2095076     The  effect  on  the  Business   Due to the success of the nature of communication used to deliver the business message – being that of the water restrictions implemented in the Tamworth Region, the effect on the business has been one in a very positive nature. The residents of the Tamworth Region are more aware of what the current levels mean. Evidence of this is the number of calls the organisation receives from residents who notice others not complying with the current watering rules. The business is seen to be making an effective effort in water conservation measures and ensuring the Tamworth Water supply will not run out during drought stricken times. The organisation has been able to generate positive stakeholder attitudes towards to business. Du, S (2010) explains, “over the long run, the organization will build corporate image, strengthen stakeholder–company relationships, and enhance stakeholders' advocacy behaviors”. By taking advantage of today’s technology and using print, radio and TV media campaigns the business is able to reach its audience during peak times of the day ensuring no one misses the message due to work commitments. With the success of the current communication method, Tamworth Regional Council are looking at developing and distributing a mobile phone app that will send Tamworth Residents alerts when restrictions in their area change. POOR  COMMUNICATION   Wicks states that “Poor communication in the workplace can lead to poor relations between employees and an unfriendly work atmosphere in general that renders workers inefficient and ineffective. This leads workers to reciprocate their feelings to the customers”. This statement describes the effect of poor communication in the model below. Business  Description   The Business Support Team within Tamworth Regional Council’s Water Enterprises Directorate, are responsible for the daily administrative support for the directorates Director, Managers, Engineers, Technical Officers and various outdoor staff. The team is made up of three staff members and as well as providing administrative support the for-mentioned minorities, these staff members are required to handle customer relations through mediated communication such as face-face, telephone and e-mail. Communication between the supervisor (person A) and their staff (persons B and C) is the poor communication model for this report. The emotional intelligence of Person A is a contributing factor in the way Person A communicates with others. 8   Ellyse  Kennedy   2095076     The lack of emotional intelligence and the ability to deal with stress within the working environment is a leading contributor to the poor communication methods implemented below. Types  of  Communication  That  Didn’t  Work   When under pressure and put in stressful situations, Person A begins to exhibit poor communication techniques which as a result, impact the overall effectiveness of the team and business within the directorate. Subject A uses poor visual communication, also known as ‘kinesics’. Archee (2012, p. 63) states that eye behaviour is one of the most powerful means of non-verbal communication… eyes regulate the flow of communication. Person A will often avoid eye contact. This makes other staff members feel uneasy and that Person A is not interested in sustaining a business relationship with their team members. Subject A will often roll their eyes when they are bored with the conversation had with other employers or to show disagreement. As a result, staff get frustrated and find that their opinion and suggestions are not valued. This increases a sense of uneasiness and others will often get frustrated due to the social context that a person who roles their eyes is considered to be being rude and disrespectful. Facial Expression portrays judgement about things and people. Person A does not ‘mask’ their facial expression and will often use this as a means to show a lack of interest in other people or in the activities going on around them (Archee, 2012, p. 66). As a result, staff are able to read this as a signal of disinterest, and feel that their input is not considered to be important. Person A has not used special communication effectively when delivering a business message. This is also referred to as Proxemics. Subject A will choose to discuss performance issues out in the open in front of other staff as a way to minimise discussion on the matter. The staff member is unable to react appropriately due to others overhearing the discussion, making it uncomfortable for those around. It is normal procedure to discuss performance measures privately in an office to allow the staff member to respond to the issue at hand. By choosing to discuss issues out in the open, staff will often feel as though they are being attacked rather than respected. This in return will increase low staff morale. Person A’s tone is often short, cut off and often hostile. When speaking with staff, person A does not create positive impressions. As a result, the message is often miss understood and mistakes increase as staff are too intimidated to ask questions as they feel they will be looked down upon. Intercultural communication is another type of communication that didn’t work in this model. Person A finds it difficult to understand another employee because they come from an Indian background (person C). The accent makes communicating difficult. Other staff members will try and work out methods to ensure they 9   Ellyse  Kennedy   2095076     understand the message being portrayed by person C. Person A will often be short and hostile when communicating person C and as a result, will ‘flick pass’ them off onto a staff member below them. As a result, the message is often misinterpreted and as Person A does not relay the request to the staff below them effectively. The  effect  on  the  Business   Due to the poor communication techniques displayed by Person A, the effect on the business has been negative and has damaged the efficiency of the team. There has been an increase in low staff morale. Chron states that: “Low employee moral results in disengaged employees. When employees become disengaged from a company, they lose sight of their goals, are less likely to be invested in the company's success and don't put forth the effort to communicate ideas and feedback to their co-workers and managers”. Staff members are disengaged. Kerfoot (2007, p. 28) states that: “People who are disengaged are more likely to miss work, be careless, make mistakes, and cause accidents because they are not involved and attentive in their work”. Staff are unmotivated which has resulted in a lack of ideal customer service and there has been an increase in absenteeism. Writing, Alexis (Demand Media) states “Poor communication in business whether written or oral, can obstruct the efficiency of your organization or a specific department. For instance, vague email messages that require clarification, documents that need rewriting due to errors, and uninformed presentations and speeches, can greatly affect the flow of work in the company”. CONCLUSION   Whilst the nature of communication between the two models of communication discussed in this report differs, both are essential examples in the importance of communication when delivering a business message. The nature of the excellent communication model was primarily through the use of complex media to deliver a business message where as the poor communication model focuses on non-verbal communication and the effects on others within the business. In order to communicate effectively, teamwork is a leading contributing factor in both cases. The use of effective teamwork in the excellent communication model, formed the foundations of methods to be implemented in communicating with residents of the Tamworth Region. However, the lack of effective teamwork has seen the poor communication model display damages to the effectiveness of business within the directorate and as a result, the ineffectiveness of business messages being communicated.   10   Ellyse  Kennedy   2095076     REFERENCES     Archee Ray, G. M., Mohan Terry. (2012). Communicating as professionals. South Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Tamworth Regional (A) (LGA). Population by Age group – Persons. Retrieved 3 September, from http://stat.abs.gov.au/itt/r.jsp?RegionSummary®ion=17310&dataset=ABS_ NRP9_LGA&geoconcept=REGION&maplayerid=LGA2012&measure=MEAS URE&datasetASGS=ABS_NRP9_ASGS&datasetLGA=ABS_NRP9_LGA® ionLGA=REGION®ionASGS=REGION Bennett, James C., and Robert J. Olney. "Executive priorities for effective communication in an information society." Journal of business communication 23.2 (1986): 13-22. doi: 10.1177/002194368602300202 Chron. Reasons for Poor Communication in the Workplace. Retrieved 2 September, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/reasons-poor-communication-workplace- 10137.html Du, S., Bhattacharya, C.B. and Sen, S. (2010), Maximizing Business Returns to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): The Role of CSR Communication. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12: 8–19. doi: 10.1111/j.1468- 2370.2009.00276.x Kerfoot, Karlene. "Staff engagement: it starts with the leader." Dermatology Nursing 19.5 (2007): 490. Tamworth Demographics (NSW) Local Stats. Retrieved 4 September 2014, from http://localstats.qpzm.com.au/stats/nsw/regional-nsw/north-west- slopes/tamworth Tamworth Regional Council. Retrieved 29 August 2014, from http://www.tamworth.nsw.gov.au/Council   Tamworth Regional Council. Water Restrictions. Retrieved 3 September 2014, from http://www.tamworth.nsw.gov.au/Water-and-Sewerage/Water- Restrictions/default.aspx Wicks. Diana. What Are the Causes of Poor Workplace Communication? Retrieved 8 September 2014, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/causes-poor- workplace-communication-20827.html   Writing, Alexis. Demand Media. The Effects of Poor Communication in Business. Retrieved 8 September 2014, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects- poor-communication-business-345.html 11   Ellyse  Kennedy   2095076     APPENDICES     A.   Population  by  age  group  -­‐  Persons       Years     %   0 to 14 20.7 15 to 24 13 25 to 34 11.3 35 to 44 12.2 45 to 54 13.4 55 to 64 12.5 65 to 74 9.3 75 to 84 5.6 85+ 2.1 Australian Bureau of Statistics. Tamworth Regional (A) (LGA). Population by Age group – Persons