The ability to effectively communicate and manage interpersonal relations is central to a professional culinarian. Through communication, people exchange. Communication is an essential attribute of human life, which is why we spend most of our time either receiving or requesting for information. Lack of communication creates tensions and destroys personal and business relationships. The ability to exchange information or conversation with others is crucial to the success of the individual, family or business organization. It should be noted, however, that it is one thing to communicate but quite another thing to communicate effectively.
Ineffective communication usually results in failure, as it doesn't cause the desired response in form of feedback from the receiver. This is an irritation of many business organizations. Many managers do communicate, but often not very effectively. Lack of capacity to communicate effectively on the part of managers is the reason for the failure of many businesses. Every firm or business organization needs an effective communication network in order to function properly and achieve its set objectives. Effective communication plays an indispensable role which in the daily functioning of a business organization.
The ultimate goal of every form of communication - face-to-face meeting, telephone discourse, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, interview, email, letter or memo - is to get an expected response in form of feedback from the receiver to the sender. This is what effective communication is about. It is about ensuring that the information is well-packaged and properly transmitted, so that the recipient understands the message and responds positively. In other words, effective communication is the one that achieves the results for which it is intended.
Oral communication includes face-to-face conversation, interview, telephone discourse, voice mail, meetings, group discussions, oral instructions, teleconferencing, and videoconferencing. Oral communication is quick and permits immediate feedback as well as immediate response to feedback. Participants can ask questions and get immediate clarification. Moreover, gesture and facial expression can be used to reinforce the intended message. The limitations of oral communication include susceptibility to errors and misinterpretation and lack of permanence.
Written communication involves the use of written words in the forms of business letters, memoranda, reports, minutes of meetings, written speeches, and training manuals. Written communication has the advantages of revision before transmission, permanence and accessibility for reference purposes. It also reduces the risk of distortion in meaning; thus, it can be considered as an ideal medium for long and complex messages. Another advantage of the written medium is that it can easily be reproduced in many ways and distributed to many recipients. One of its major limitations is delayed feedback; the reading of long documents may be boring and the writing of a reply could also be delayed by a number of other factors. Written communication also lacks the presence of gesture, facial expression and other forms of body language capable of reinforcing meaning in communication.
Managers should consider the circumstances and the audience to determine whether to use a telephone call, a face-to-face meeting, an email, a typed and signed document, etc. The factors to be considered when choosing the medium of communication include: urgency, formality, risk of misinterpretation, confidentiality, legal implications or the need for future reference, the nature and size of the audience. The hallmark of effective communication is a well-packaged and properly transmitted message - that is, a message that is capable of attracting the receiver's response in form of positive feedback.
Every business communication aims to invoke some material and immediate response or action. Whether it is a face-to-face meeting, a telephone discourse, a sales letter, a letter of inquiry, a memo or a report, the aim is to get something done. Therefore, every business communication has to use clear and persuasive language in conjunction with appropriate action in order to connect with the audience and invoke the desired response.
Larry Canepa
Director of Training and Development
Restaurant Marketing Partners
About Larry Canepa
