[MUSIC] Welcome to the fourth week of our first look for management skills for international business. This week we'll be exploring different aspects of communication. Communication is a word that is used very frequently, possibly a little bit naively, because it's a very complicated word when we start to consider what it means. Communication is a word that's very broad. Peter Ustinov said, a few years ago now, the art of communication is being understood. That's an enormously easy phrase to remember. But actually when we think about what it means, opens up a whole range of different areas that we need to explore. So with communication, do we mean face to face? Do we mean one to one? Do we mean one to group? Do we mean remotely? Do we mean via mobile phone? Do we mean by Skype? Do we mean in a virtual classroom? So in other words, before we start to explore what communication skills are needed, other than in a general sense, we need to think about what we mean by communication and how, where, why, and when we're looking to apply it. So our objectives for this week are first of all to explore the core communication skills. Secondly, we'll be looking to compare different approaches to effective communication in the workplace. So in other words, with these different approaches how you measure their effectiveness, where they make a difference. We'll be analyzing the key criteria for choosing the best available delivery channel. And in your organization, or ones with which you're familiar, there may be a range of available delivery channels, and of course the influence of technology plays a key role in which delivery channel or channels we look to choose. We'll then be moving on to recognize the importance and key aspects of verbal and non-verbal communication. And you'll be looking at some work that's being carried out by a number of experts in this area. And what we find is that a very small proportion of the way that we communicate is carried out verbally. We'll then be moving on for you to show an awareness of the inevitable, because most would say that it probably is inevitable, existence of the grapevine, and how its impact can be managed. So whilst you're looking to learn about all these different areas of communications and the skills that underpin communication, just to think about what's going on in the organizational background, the grapevine. The whispering channels. Finally, then, for this week, you'll be examining the role of communication when managing change. In week one, we learnt about effective change management, because change management is a key attribute of management and leadership. This week, though, we'll be specifically looking at the role of communication, and it's a really important role when managing change. As you'll have discovered in the preceding three weeks, and it'll be the same this week, there are several points where you'll have the chance to stop and reflect and think about what you've learned. And as I've said several times now, I really hope that you take the opportunity to do that, because self reflection is a very powerful way for you to just stop and pause and almost ask yourself, so what? And so what means, actually, with this learning, where does it apply to my working world and perhaps aspects of your personal world as well. So you're constantly thinking about how you can apply your learning to you now and looking forward, it's really really important. And as I hope you'll discover into really excellent way of you reinforcing your learning, and checking your understanding. [MUSIC]
