Business communication: types, characteristics and common mistakes

One of the fundamental components of any organization. Let's take a look at its types and possible failures.

We live in a society in which a large part of the labor market is configured on the basis of the business environment. Whether they are large multinationals, SMEs, family businesses or even individual services, all of them must take into account that an essential element for their survival is the coherence in the organization and communication between its parts in order to join efforts and move towards a common goal.

In this sense, we can affirm that business communication is one of the key elements when it comes to making an organization, especially if it has a certain degree of complexity, function properly.especially if it has a certain complexity, to function correctly and to be able to adapt and survive. And it is about this communication that we are going to talk about in this article.

What is business communication?

Business communication is understood as the set of processes carried out by a company or part of it in order to make information travel, both internally between different departments or positions of the company and if we talk about the communication of the company with the outside.

It is important to bear in mind that, as a general rule, such communication does not only involve the ability to transmit information, but also includes the fact of receiving it: we are dealing with a mutual exchange of data..

Good business communication helps all members of the company to stay motivated and to make their actions known, reducing the uncertainty of both employees and managers with regard to the state of the company. It also facilitates interaction and improves the work environmentIt also facilitates interaction and improves the work environment, improves productivity and allows a better reaction to any eventuality.

General objectives

The objectives of business communication are easy to understand. Internally, on the one hand, it allows a coherent organization and the sharing of information and results obtained by the different departments or workers, as well as the generation and transmission of the company's objectives and corporate vision.

Also It also facilitates the understanding of what is expected from each of the workers, as well as the understanding of the realities of the company.It also facilitates the understanding of the realities that each one of them must face. It also makes it easier for everyone to work in the same direction, and to learn new ways of carrying out one's responsibilities.

In terms of communication with the outside world, business communication is essential in order to make contact with the environment and generate a positive image of the company itself, as well as to analyze the target public and assess their needs. It also helps to learn how to attract potential customers and to assess the changes of the dynamic and fluid society in which we live, which is essential in order to foresee and face possible difficulties and to be able to adapt to the environment.

In order for communication to be efficient, it is necessary for the company itself to create effective channels for this purpose, as well as to promote the transmission of information through its actions, generating the means to communicate and actively working so that there is no need to be a lack of communication. actively working to ensure that there is no uncertainty as to what is being uncertainty as to what is being requested and sought within the organization.

It is also important to work on both formal and informal aspects, as well as to value the needs and thoughts of the different workers. Empathy is also fundamental, as well as a good regulation and planning of communication mechanisms.

Different types of business communication

Not all companies and organizations communicate in the same way, and there are different types and classifications of communication. different typologies and classifications of business communication according to different criteria.

Internal and external

The first of these is that which establishes the distinction between internal and external communication, the former being that which takes place between the different departments and workers of the company itself and the latter that which is aimed at establishing communication with the environment.

2. Bidirectional and monodirectional

Likewise, we can also find business communication styles with a greater or lesser level of interactivity, ranging from the most common two-way communication in which sender and receiver interact and exchange information to the one-way communication in which only one message is sent, generally from positions of power, to a receiver who does not have the option of replying to the message..

3. Ascending, descending and horizontal

Within the internal business communication of an organization, we can find three main types depending on the point of departure of the information and the position between the sender and the receiver of the same communication. We speak of top-down communication when the communicative act is carried out from a sender with a higher position than that of the receiver.

When it is the subordinate who sends the message to his superior, we speak of ascending communication. In both cases we would be dealing with a type of vertical communication, that is, a communication in which the subjects involved in the communicative act have an unequal relationship of power (there is a hierarchy among them). of power (there is a hierarchy among them).

The other major type of communication is horizontal communication, which is established between individuals who have the same position and are at the same level in the hierarchy.

4. Formal and informal

Finally, it should be noted that in business communication there are two different types of communication channels: formal and informal. In the former, technical aspects and those related to the tasks themselves are usually dealt with, being a respectful type of communication focused on reason and the company's objective.

In informal communication, however, more flexible and natural communications tend to be establishedThe latter varies greatly depending on who carries it out and can transcend the work environment, being difficult for the organization to control. The latter varies greatly depending on who carries it out and can transcend the work environment, being difficult for the organization to control.

Possible threats to good communication

Maintaining efficient business communication is fundamental, but it is not easy. The existence of a high level of variability in the situations that may arise must be taken into account, as well as the existence of misunderstandings, misuse and misconceptions. misunderstandings, misuse and difficulties in a company's own communications..

Lack of consistency

One of the factors that most influences the usefulness of communication is the credibility of the sender and the consideration shown to the receiver of the message. An example of this may be the existence of dissonance between what is said and what is done, with the senders not maintaining consistent in the way they act with the messages they send..

The latter can happen in any of the company's employees, regardless of their hierarchical position or whether they talk to a superior, subordinate or someone at the same level of the hierarchy, and generates serious repercussions both for the subject (who depending on the situation could end up being badly considered or even fired) and for the organization (generating a lower level of confidence in the person and in the case of having a high position even in the organization).

In the same way, and for example in the case of large companies with a large number of departments, if there are divergences between the figures of authority or reference within the company, a situation could probably arise in which the worker does not really know which leadership he/she should follow. a situation could arise in which the worker does not really know which leadership he/she should follow, something that can generate frustration and distrust.This can generate frustration and distrust.

Likewise, it is necessary to be very careful with the interpretability of messages, since the existence of ambivalence can cause different departments or workers to interpret opposite things. The purpose of business communication is precisely to ensure internal organization and coherence, so unclear messages with different interpretations can lead to uncertainty and doubts for the recipients of the message.

Lack of emotional connection

Another problem can be found in the way communication is produced. For example, in some organizations there may be a difficulty in generating a sense of bonding at an emotional level, which in workers may generate less commitment and productivity and in users a lack of interest and the search for other alternatives. It is necessary to appreciate that everything that is done, and even what is not doneand even what is not, is basically communicative.

Thus, it is not only the message itself that is important, but also the way in which it is transmitted: an email is not the same as a face-to-face meeting or the search for a real contact, nor does it offer the same sensations.

Failure to understand the context

It is also necessary to assess the appropriateness to the current situation and to social advancesas well as the particularities of the situation itself. For example, in an increasingly globalized society in which new technologies allow immediate communication with a large number of people at the same time, it may be necessary to analyze and invest in communication policies that take into account the power of social networks and how to correctly transmit the desired information, in addition to assessing contact with potential customers in other regions of the world.

Likewise, it is also necessary to assess the company's own situation in order not to undertake more than what can be covered, taking into account the situation of the company as a whole.

Another problem could be the content of the messages that are issued: it is possible that although there is communication, this does not transmit or does not make understand the content that it would be necessary to transmit. It is possible that they focus on rather supplementary aspects, and ignore, for example, the orientation or objectives that a given position should have, or take for granted the existence of knowledge that has never been made explicit..

4. Isolation and lack of communication

Finally, perhaps the most important problem, which can be extrapolated from all the previous ones, is the possibility that there is no real communication.

The clearest example is the stable and continuous use of monodirectional communication, which can generate a situation of stagnation and a lack of understanding of what is happening in the organization itself. Fortunately, nowadays it is the least used precisely because it is the least efficient and useful.

It is also possible that the different positions do not have the appropriate mechanisms to contact each other. Even if their opinions were to be heard, there is less chance of feedback or even of different parts of the company having no contact with each other. It is necessary to stimulate such interaction in an active way.