Competent Workplace Communication: Analyzing, Developing, Evaluating

Author(s): Amber Raile

Edition: 2

Copyright: 2020

Pages: 222

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$34.73

ISBN 9781792411175

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Regardless of the field in which one works or the position one holds, most people spend the majority of the workday communicating. This communication may include composing emails to managers, interacting with customers, or giving presentations. Because most workplace communication situations do not come with explicit instructions or detailed information on how others will evaluate delivery, learning how to analyze situations and develop communicative behaviors that are likely to be assessed positively should be a central part of a business communication course.

Competent Workplace Communication: Analyzing, Developing, Evaluating introduces a competent workplace communication framework rooted in research-based concepts that are easily internalized. To this end, it presents a process for approaching communication situations through acronym-based guidance on being a competent communicator. Rather than focusing primarily on how to write and format documents, this text takes a choice-based approach to workplace communication, focusing on providing frameworks for making decisions about messages. Using these models of the communication process equips business communicators with the information they need to make decisions about communication. In other words, the text provides the tools students need to consider their options, information on how to organize the messages, and formatting examples comparable to those provided in other texts.

This approach in Competent Workplace Communication makes the text unique. Most business communication texts focus on detailing specific prescriptive “how-to” instructions rather than a framework to aid in thinking about how to approach communication situations. The traditional approach of business communication texts focuses on prescribing specific techniques using outdated transmission models of the communication process. Such texts break up their chapters along different writing formats, with chapters for job seeking and presentation skills at the end. However, many complicated communication issues do not arise when presented with a clear format requirement.

Thus, this text does not follow the medium-based approach that other business communication textbooks follow. Formatting in a particular medium is a secondary concern. The second edition of Competent Workplace Communication uses the same innovative research-based models as the first edition to help students develop as a competent communicator. This edition has streamlined media-specific content to provide guidance on spoken and written communication. The first five chapters focus on contextualizing research based frameworks summarized by acronyms; the next two chapters act as media specific guides; the final chapter summarizes the frameworks provided in the text.

Woven into each chapter are useful recommendations and process ideas based on research findings. All frameworks are meant to be easily internalized so that they can be helpful as you think through “real-life” situations in the future, without having to reference a text. In short, this text focuses on equipping students with the tools to become a competent communicator—one who understands and is understood.

Preface

Part 1: The Importance of Competent Communication

Chapter 1: The Role of Communication
Chapter Objectives
A Vital Workplace Skill
A Skill in Need of Improvement
Theory?
Communication as Constitutive
One More Time: Why Study Communication?
Key Chapter Takeaways
Your Turn

Chapter 2: A Framework for Competent Workplace Communication
Chapter Objectives
What Is Competent Communication?
Competent Communication: Analyzing
Competent Communication: Developing a Message
Encoding
Decoding
Competent Communication: Evaluating
Key Chapter Takeaways
Your Turn

Part 2: Analyzing Communication Situations

Chapter 3: SPACE Considerations
Chapter Objectives
Understanding Your Communication SPACE
Strategic
People Centered
Appropriate
Correct and Concise
Ethical
Pulling the Frameworks Together
Key Chapter Takeaways
Your Turn

Chapter 4: Identifying Your Means of Communication
Chapter Objectives
Deciding What Type of Message to Send
The Social Information Model of Media Use in Organizations
Characteristics of Different Media
Key Chapter Takeaways
Your Turn

Part 3: Developing Competent Messages

Chapter 5: Structuring Your Message
Chapter Objectives
An Iterative Approach to Structuring Your Message
Information Strategy: Identifying Key Points
Information Strategy: Research
Organizing Strategy: Direct vs. Indirect Message Organizations
Organizing Strategy: Outlining
Information and Organizing Strategy: Logical Arguments
Information and Organizing Strategy: Message Sidedness
Conclusion
Key Chapter Takeaways
Your Turn

Chapter 6: Communication Competence in Spoken Media
When to Use Spoken Media
Encoding/Decoding Skills of Special Interest
Language Use and Clear Verbal Expression
Appropriate Nonverbal Communication
Cultural Awareness
Attention
Active Listening, Interpretation, and the Ability to Respond Appropriately
Special Considerations for Phone Calls
Special Considerations for Video Conferences
Special Considerations for Presentations
For Spoken Communication, Practice Makes . . . Prepared
Key Chapter Takeaways
Your Turn

Chapter 7: Communication Competence across Written Media
When to Use Written Media
Encoding/Decoding Skills of Special Interest
Language Use and Clear Verbal Expression
FWIW … Acronyms and hashtags
Sentence Structure
Active vs. Passive Voice
People-Centered Messages (at the Sentence Level)
A Process for Revising Sentences
Appropriate Nonverbal Communication
Interpretation and the Ability to Respond Appropriately
Special Considerations for Email
Think Before Hitting “Send”
Special Considerations for Social Media
Competent Written Communication in the Workplace
Key Chapter Takeaways
Your Turn

Part 4: Evaluating Messages for Communication Competence

Chapter 8: Review of the Competent Workplace Communication Approach
Phase 1: SPACE Process for Analyzing Communication
Phase 2: Iterative Process of Message Development
Phase 3: Evaluating Message based on Communicative SPACE
Reflecting to Improve Communication Competency

Appendix: Worksheets
Goal Worksheet
SAID Worksheet
Media Choices Worksheet
Key Points Worksheet
Resource Evaluation Worksheet
Structure Worksheet
House Worksheet
Argument Worksheet
Message Evaluation Worksheet

Amber Raile

New Edition Now Available!

Regardless of the field in which one works or the position one holds, most people spend the majority of the workday communicating. This communication may include composing emails to managers, interacting with customers, or giving presentations. Because most workplace communication situations do not come with explicit instructions or detailed information on how others will evaluate delivery, learning how to analyze situations and develop communicative behaviors that are likely to be assessed positively should be a central part of a business communication course.

Competent Workplace Communication: Analyzing, Developing, Evaluating introduces a competent workplace communication framework rooted in research-based concepts that are easily internalized. To this end, it presents a process for approaching communication situations through acronym-based guidance on being a competent communicator. Rather than focusing primarily on how to write and format documents, this text takes a choice-based approach to workplace communication, focusing on providing frameworks for making decisions about messages. Using these models of the communication process equips business communicators with the information they need to make decisions about communication. In other words, the text provides the tools students need to consider their options, information on how to organize the messages, and formatting examples comparable to those provided in other texts.

This approach in Competent Workplace Communication makes the text unique. Most business communication texts focus on detailing specific prescriptive “how-to” instructions rather than a framework to aid in thinking about how to approach communication situations. The traditional approach of business communication texts focuses on prescribing specific techniques using outdated transmission models of the communication process. Such texts break up their chapters along different writing formats, with chapters for job seeking and presentation skills at the end. However, many complicated communication issues do not arise when presented with a clear format requirement.

Thus, this text does not follow the medium-based approach that other business communication textbooks follow. Formatting in a particular medium is a secondary concern. The second edition of Competent Workplace Communication uses the same innovative research-based models as the first edition to help students develop as a competent communicator. This edition has streamlined media-specific content to provide guidance on spoken and written communication. The first five chapters focus on contextualizing research based frameworks summarized by acronyms; the next two chapters act as media specific guides; the final chapter summarizes the frameworks provided in the text.

Woven into each chapter are useful recommendations and process ideas based on research findings. All frameworks are meant to be easily internalized so that they can be helpful as you think through “real-life” situations in the future, without having to reference a text. In short, this text focuses on equipping students with the tools to become a competent communicator—one who understands and is understood.

Preface

Part 1: The Importance of Competent Communication

Chapter 1: The Role of Communication
Chapter Objectives
A Vital Workplace Skill
A Skill in Need of Improvement
Theory?
Communication as Constitutive
One More Time: Why Study Communication?
Key Chapter Takeaways
Your Turn

Chapter 2: A Framework for Competent Workplace Communication
Chapter Objectives
What Is Competent Communication?
Competent Communication: Analyzing
Competent Communication: Developing a Message
Encoding
Decoding
Competent Communication: Evaluating
Key Chapter Takeaways
Your Turn

Part 2: Analyzing Communication Situations

Chapter 3: SPACE Considerations
Chapter Objectives
Understanding Your Communication SPACE
Strategic
People Centered
Appropriate
Correct and Concise
Ethical
Pulling the Frameworks Together
Key Chapter Takeaways
Your Turn

Chapter 4: Identifying Your Means of Communication
Chapter Objectives
Deciding What Type of Message to Send
The Social Information Model of Media Use in Organizations
Characteristics of Different Media
Key Chapter Takeaways
Your Turn

Part 3: Developing Competent Messages

Chapter 5: Structuring Your Message
Chapter Objectives
An Iterative Approach to Structuring Your Message
Information Strategy: Identifying Key Points
Information Strategy: Research
Organizing Strategy: Direct vs. Indirect Message Organizations
Organizing Strategy: Outlining
Information and Organizing Strategy: Logical Arguments
Information and Organizing Strategy: Message Sidedness
Conclusion
Key Chapter Takeaways
Your Turn

Chapter 6: Communication Competence in Spoken Media
When to Use Spoken Media
Encoding/Decoding Skills of Special Interest
Language Use and Clear Verbal Expression
Appropriate Nonverbal Communication
Cultural Awareness
Attention
Active Listening, Interpretation, and the Ability to Respond Appropriately
Special Considerations for Phone Calls
Special Considerations for Video Conferences
Special Considerations for Presentations
For Spoken Communication, Practice Makes . . . Prepared
Key Chapter Takeaways
Your Turn

Chapter 7: Communication Competence across Written Media
When to Use Written Media
Encoding/Decoding Skills of Special Interest
Language Use and Clear Verbal Expression
FWIW … Acronyms and hashtags
Sentence Structure
Active vs. Passive Voice
People-Centered Messages (at the Sentence Level)
A Process for Revising Sentences
Appropriate Nonverbal Communication
Interpretation and the Ability to Respond Appropriately
Special Considerations for Email
Think Before Hitting “Send”
Special Considerations for Social Media
Competent Written Communication in the Workplace
Key Chapter Takeaways
Your Turn

Part 4: Evaluating Messages for Communication Competence

Chapter 8: Review of the Competent Workplace Communication Approach
Phase 1: SPACE Process for Analyzing Communication
Phase 2: Iterative Process of Message Development
Phase 3: Evaluating Message based on Communicative SPACE
Reflecting to Improve Communication Competency

Appendix: Worksheets
Goal Worksheet
SAID Worksheet
Media Choices Worksheet
Key Points Worksheet
Resource Evaluation Worksheet
Structure Worksheet
House Worksheet
Argument Worksheet
Message Evaluation Worksheet

Amber Raile