Business Communications - Chapters 1, 2, & 4

Problem solving

Every communication challenge you will face will involve factors that require at least a somewhat unique solution.

Reactive problem solving

Responding to negative situations, crises, or deviations from a standard after they have already occurred.

Proactive problem solving

Anticipating potential challenges, risks, or systematic inefficiencies and taking preemptive action to resolve them before they escalate into actual crises.

Ill-defined problems

A task or situation in which the goal is not clear, and the steps, rules, or operations needed to reach that goal are also not clearly stated.

• Have unknown and//or unmeasurable factors

• Require developing a problem-solving strategy

• Have unpredictable outcomes

Well-defined problems

A task where the starting point (initial state), the rules or strategies (operators), and the final target (goal state) are all clearly and explicitly specified.

• Have clear parameters

• Can be solved with a formula or flowchart

• Have a correct answer

Heuristics

Tools to think with, rough models, previous scenarios, and other aids that keep you from having to treat each problem as a brand-new problem.

Verbal literacy

The more words and sentence patterns you’re familiar with and the stronger your knowledge of grammar and mechanics, the better you can communicate with a given audience.

Visual literacy

The ability to use, interpret, analyze, and think critically about visual images and the significance of what is seen.

Interpersonal skills

The behavioral tools, communication traits, and emotional capabilities used to interact, communicate, and build positive relationships with others effectively.

Big data

Refers to large and complex data sets that are mined by companies to find insights and make decisions.

• Volume

• Velocity

• Variety

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Computational thinking

Interpretive skills

Digital media

Social Intelligence

Cross-cultural competency

Corporate social responsibility (CSR)

Brand activism

ESG

Professionalism

Business etiquette

Internal-operational communication

External-operational communication

Personal communication

Grapevine

Organizational structure

Genres

Organizational culture

Larger communication context

Communicator’s relationship

Filters

Organizational contexts

Professional contexts

Personal contexts

Intertextual context

Recursive Process