Understand and apply concepts of communication theory as they affect business organizations and the individuals in them.
Communicate better, knowing that good communicators make better managers and that communication is a dynamic process basic to individuals and organizational life.
Analyze effective business letters, memorandums, and case studies.
Assignment Question(s):
Part 1 (5 Marks)
Credibility for an Entry-Level Professional
Mohammad, Amal, and Noura were recently hired as audit assistants. This is the first full-time professional position for each of them. During the first few months of work, each of them experienced successes and failures.
Mohammad gained a reputation for finding out exactly what clients wanted. He asked the right questions, he respectfully explained points of disagreement with them, and he showed them he was genuinely interested in them. Several of his colleagues commented that clients trusted him to act appropriately on their behalf. His supervisor was pleased that Mohammad always followed through on commitments and was positive he wouldn’t avoid reporting tax violations made by clients. However, Mohammad’s performance was far from perfect. His supervisor noticed that Mohammad sometimes made fairly basic mistakes in his audits and his colleagues would have to redo some of his work.
Amal has gained a reputation for completing audits more accurately than all other new audit assistants. Her supervisor is worried, however, about her long-term success at the firm. Amal tends to overpromise. Last week, she told her supervisor she’d finish an important project but instead worked on other tasks. Last month, she called in sick for a few days. On one of her sick days, her supervisor saw pictures of her at a party that she had posted to Facebook.
Noura is the top performer on audits among the new group of employees at the firm. She is precise and efficient. She can typically accomplish many tasks in about half the time of most other audit assistants. Her supervisor is concerned, however, about her interpersonal skills. She tends to often criticize her colleagues for their mistakes and rarely offers appreciation for their help. She also seems to rub clients the wrong way and comes across as “antisocial” according to one valued client.
Read the case above and answer the following questions:
Which element of credibility does Mohammad lack? What would you recommend to Mohammad to improve his credibility? (1 Mark)
Which element of credibility does Amal lack? What would you recommend to Amal to improve her credibility? (1 Mark)
Which element of credibility does Noura lack? What would you recommend to Noura to improve her credibility? (1 Mark)
What is the importance of establishing credibility in business communication?
(2 Marks)
Part 2 (5 Marks)
Create a sample business message to propose a new marketing approach.
Note: You will be evaluated based on applying the process for creating effective business messages. (5 marks)
Part 3 (5 Marks)
Read the email and answer the questions that follow:
Identify five principles violated in this email. (2.5 Marks)
Re-write the email following the principles of writing an effective email. (2.5 Marks)
Part 1
Question 1-
The most crucial element of credibility that he lacks is the availability of complexity. He can deal with other tasks but when it comes to the main purpose of auditing, he is poor that why he is always making mistakes in his audits. One way for him to improve on his main course is to make sure that he is always considering the other important task and striving to balance the tasks a hand.
Muhammad is lacking in quality of competence. He cannot keep promises because he lacks credibility. Although he is reliable, he ought to change his strategy to communicate more clearly with clients and colleagues. For them to comprehend the scope of the task, anticipated timescales, and any other information that might have an impact on work completion, they should clarify anything he thinks they are likely to misunderstand.
Question 2-
Amal is lacking in quality of character. Amal’s tendency to over-promise and absenteeism from work without excuse is one of the factors that led to her lack of credibility. She should be cautious about making commitments she can’t possibly keep, and if she has a planned leave from work, she should let her supervisor know. To forge better bonds with her coworkers, she must also express gratitude for their assistance.
Amal also lacks credibility grows. Credibility can exist between two individuals or groups of individuals. What is your brand as a professional? Your brand’s credibility—or lack thereof—will be a factor. In the modern world, trust and trustworthiness play a significant role in everything we do, both professionally and personally. You only get one chance to make a good first impression, so keep that in mind. And frequently, a person’s first impression is what determines their credibility—or lack of it.
Building your professional credibility is crucial for all facets of your job. It strengthens your reputation as a valuable employee, showcases your skills, and is essential for growing your career and receiving a raise or promotion. Credibility can be developed in a variety of ways at work. One of them is how you carry yourself when you speak. Understanding how you use language has a beneficial effect on your trustworthiness.
Strength comes in numbers. Changing an individual’s notion into a group thought is the finest method to make your point. Get other people interested in what you’re saying so they can also claim ownership of it. Find people who will support and improve your idea with their voices. When you first start, strive to locate one individual who fully endorses and supports your idea. From there, you can build momentum. Helping others make their voices known is another method to discover the power in numbers. Open the floor for someone if you observe they aren’t having a chance to speak at a meeting or are being talked over. Set up scenarios where everyone has a chance to speak. By giving someone an opportunity, you may pay it forward and they will return the favor when you need it.
One strategy to build credibility at work is to use language to your advantage. Given that language influences everything we do, it is also the most significant. Pay attention to how you speak, encourage others to speak out when necessary, and speak up at work.
Question 3-
Lack of appreciation is one of the elements that Noura lacks in her work. Since organizations, goals, and achievements are oriented to the spirit of teamwork and appreciation, Noura does not appreciate her colleagues hence criticizing them. This in turn leads her to be unfriendly to her customers also which is a challenge and hindrance to the acquisition of the goals.
There is no care in Noura. Nora lacks credibility because she belittles her co-workers, accuses her clients of being unpopular, and anti-social, and shirks responsibility. She has to change how she does things so that she can thank people for their assistance and work on her people skills.
Recognize your filler words and be mindful of when and how you use them. Like and “hmm” are frequently used as pauses to collect your thoughts. Try to avoid speaking in certain circumstances; just breathe and wait. Start by recording yourself if filler words have crept into your speech patterns so you can become acutely aware of when and how often you use them. Ask a coworker to act as your word police and alert you when you use certain words excessively.
When done correctly, speaking up is a great way to increase credibility at work. Knowing when to speak up, when to listen, and when to be quiet are all important life skills. Making sure that others listen can be accomplished by speaking deliberately and paying attention to how you present your views. Speaking up at work can take several forms, including communicating, submitting ideas, and participating in meetings.
It’s crucial to communicate with purpose; just talking aloud is ineffective. Make sure you are paying attention and engaging the other people in the conversation. Instead of just reciting a list of concepts, create a story to draw listeners in. Linking your proposal to something else that has been mentioned or offered during a meeting is a terrific way to contribute. This is one of the best strategies to persuade others to listen to your ideas if you’re having problems persuading them to do so. People are already prepared to listen, and by attaching your concept to someone else’s thought, you can even win an ally.
In the corporate environment, showing empathy and accountability are qualities that are referred to as caring. Your capacity to establish credibility depends on how successfully you convey your concern for others’ needs. My own opinion is that showing concern for a problem can come across as fragile, especially in the corporate environment. People will be more likely to open up and express themselves freely if they believe you to be sincere. This demonstrated to others that a person has their best interests at heart and cares about their well-being.
It has been argued that a person’s or a company’s character reveals a lot about how they see their clients and their business because trust is a key component in building a relationship. While your name is significant in business, your character also contributes to establishing who you are as a businessperson. Some people’s personalities determine whether they are considered magnificent human beings or unworthy individuals. You may, in my opinion, begin developing your character at an early age. A person can use this to influence their future. A person’s character can also contribute to their success in their line of work in today’s business world.
Finding feedback is difficult. Most people are wary of seeking input out of concern about what might be revealed. It goes against fundamental human nature to protect one’s emotions by associating with others. To participate requires guts. You might not agree with all you hear, and it might bring to light things you need to adjust to or even bring up problems you’d prefer to avoid. On the other side, despite executing almost everything correctly, your credibility is still below where it should be. They probably don’t see what you’re doing, which is the most likely reason. If this applies to you, you must work to increase your visibility inside the industry. Get out there, engage with others more, share what you are working on, and show an interest in what others are working on.
Question 4-
Your coworkers, clients, consumers, and other contacts will view your communication far more favorably if you can create trustworthiness. Credibility is the cornerstone of successful commercial communication. It speaks to your professionalism, compassion, and moral fiber.
Also One of the important features that set successful entrepreneurs apart from those that fail in the company is their level of credibility.
For a firm to succeed, communication must establish trustworthiness. Credibility as a leader enables your team to look to you for trustworthy information (either regularly or during times when it’s most important) and for fair, efficient decision-making. Credible people cultivate respect and trust that has been developed between them. Credible leaders create an environment where employees perform better, have higher morale, and have more productive interactions.
For many people, credibility serves as one of the foundational elements of success. When you present an idea to a coworker or a higher-up and they take it under consideration and choose to allow you to carry out that project, your credibility comes into play. Credibility is more than just having more or better credentials than others; it’s also about doing what you do with enthusiasm, honesty, and integrity.
Communication and credibility go hand in hand. Your communication is how you build your credibility. Your reputation as a person and a professional is influenced by how you choose to connect with those around you. It follows that it’s important to be conscious of your body language, as well as how you interact with others. Both effective and ineffective communication can have positive and negative consequences on your credibility at work. But what constitutes credibility?
Personal credibility is unquestionably a “magic bullet” for success, whether you’re an employee, leader, or business owner. It’s straightforward: people won’t believe you if you don’t have credibility. You can’t convince someone if they don’t believe you. And if you cannot persuade, you’ll never be able to innovate, lead, or solve problems. You’ll lose relevance with time, making you vulnerable to the enormous number of people competing for your position all across the world. Avoid the following “credibility busters” to improve your level of personal credibility: failing to carry out your promises. The best way to destroy your credibility is to do this. How frequently do you promise to “get that to you today” and then fail to do so? We’re all guilty of doing this vice occasionally, but when you do it frequently, you start to lose credibility. Don’t make a promise if you’re unsure about your ability to keep it.
