2006年04月18日 星期二 18:07

 

关键词： 商务英语选读                                          

Elements of Communication

沟通要素

In business, as in most other areas of life, the best idea in the world can fail if it's not communicated effectively.

 

Communication is both situational (organizational) and personal (stylistic). Successful business communication depends on answering a few crucial questions: Have you mastered and organized all the relevant information? Have you taken into account the personal and organizational context? Have you defined a clear, achievable goal? Have you considered the needs of your audiences? Have you expressed yourself as clearly, vividly, and forcefully as possible? Have you chosen the right communication channels?

 

Managers send massages through writing, speaking, actions, gestures, electronic media, graphics, the grapevine, and force of personality. Good business people devote tremendous attention to shaping their message and deciding how to deliver it. Experienced managers insist that success depends largely on effective communication.

 

A communicator, or source, sends a message to a receiver, or audience, provoking a response. Building on this model, which originates far back in the history of communication research, we suggest seven categories that will help you define and analyze any business communication situation.

 

1. Source: Who is initiating action, and why should she or he be believed?

 

2. Audience: What will move them to support you? Is their attitude toward your proposal positive, neutral, or negative? Are there any hidden audiences you haven't considered?

 

3. Goal: What result do you seek? Weigh it against the costs of achieving it. Can it stand on its own merits（价值）? Does it conflict with other goals of equal or greater importance? How, in short, will you measure success?

 

4. Context: Communication occurs in a specific environment. It can involve an effort to reach one person, or to reach millions. It can mean working within the norms（准则） of a particular corporate culture, its history, its competitive situation — or challenging those norms. Before you plan your communication strategy, be sure you know the territory.

 

5. Message: What message will achieve your goal with these particular audiences? Consider how much information they need, what doubts they're likely to have, how your proposal will benefit them, how to make your message convincing and memorable.

 

6. Media: Which medium will convey your message most effectively to each significant audience? Should you speak, write, call, send E-mail, meet, fax, produce a videotape, or hold a press conference? Sending a memo（便笺） to an office mate, for example, may express an unwillingness to talk face to face.

 

7. Feedback: Communication is not an act, but a process. A message provokes a response, which requires another message. The business communicator doesn't shoot an arrow at a target, but sets a process in motion designed to achieve a considered result. This means polling your audience at every stage of the communication and, more importantly, giving them an opportunity to respond. In that way you know what they think and can tailor your message accordingly.

 

Even a brief consideration of these seven analytical tools will reveal that any business communication task is really a management task. Many communication situations happen spontaneously（自然地，自发地） to a manager rather than occur as planned events. Some of your key topics and goals may not be listed on any overt （公开的）agenda. How can these realities be turned into an advantage? Considering the source, audience, goal, context, message, media, and feedback provides you with an economical framework for introspection（内省） in any business situation, whether you're planning a broad strategy or devising a particular communication effort.

 

Notes

1. In business, as in most other areas of life, the best idea in the world can fail if it's not communicated effectively. 在商务领域中，就像在生活的其他领域中一样，如果得不到有效的沟通，即使是最伟大的思想也会付之流水。

2. Every communication is both situational (organizational) and personal (stylistic). 每一次沟通既涉及组织又涉及个人风格，既涉及现场又涉及个人。

3. Can it stand on its own merits? 它有价值吗？

5. Even a brief consideration of these seven analytical tools will reveal that any business communication task is really a management task. 只要简单地考虑一下这7个分析工具可以看出，任何的企业沟通实际上是一项管理工作。

the grapevine 舆论

force of personality 个人魅力

communication context 沟通背景

challenge those norms 挑战这些原则

know the territory 了解背景

shoot an arrow at a target 射箭

to achieve a considered result 达到某一结果

an economical framework for introspection 简洁的内省框架

a broad strategy 范围较宽的战略

communication effort 沟通方案