EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION AND ETHICS FOR CONSULTANCY IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT BY TPL. OLUTOYIN AYINDE FNITP AT THE ASSOCIATION OF TOWN PLANNING CONSULTANTS OF NIGERIA 2017 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP HELD ON WEDNESDAY 22 ND - 23 RD MARCH, 2017
“NO COMMUNICATION, NO BUSINESS; KNOW BUSINESS, KNOW COMMUNICATION ”
In order to determine how best to maximize the potentials of planning practice, we must first recognize that we have it! That is, we must agree that we have a career in planning practice. The best professions today weren't created with an exceptional amount of qualified persons or resources. That maximizing it happens when we take calculated, and sometimes, unpopular risks.
Cont. Myles Munroe once said, “The greatest threat to human being is satisfaction with who we are; we have settled for less than our best and the enemy of our best is good, the strength of good is the norm and the power of the norm is the curse of our society ” . ” . In essence, history is always made by individuals who dare to challenge and exceed the accepted norm.
Cont. Over the last 3 decades in Nigeria, Town Planning profession has emerged from mere health/social studies into the stream of conventional professional practice, but is yet to gain the popularity, dignity and the status expected as experienced in some professions. This seems to be the result of the communication gap between the public/client and the professionals, on one hand, and also amongst the professionals themselves, on the other. Therefore to overcome this situation, this presentation is set to provide tested and practicable principles that will bring effective business communication and ethics for consultancy in the built environment.
Introduction Definition of Terms Approach to Delivery of this Presentation What is a Profession? Who is a Professional? What is Professionalism? Communication Purpose of Communication Components of Communication Presentation as mode of Communication Common Mistakes in Communication Effective Business Communication Why is Effective Business Communication Important? Ethics of Business Communication Conclusion
DEFINITION OF TERMS “Business” : a person's regular occupation, profession, or trade. “Communication” : the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium (reading, listening). “Ethics” : a set of moral principles, especially the ones relating to or affirming a specified group, field, or form of conduct. “Consultancy” : a professional practice that gives expert advice within a particular field.
APPROACH TO DELIVERY OF THIS PRESENTATION This presentation will focus more on communication as it obviously looks like the strongest word in the sub theme; Simply put we will be discussing communication as it relates to business, that business being consultancy, which is guided by ethics. Whatsoever our means or method of communication may be, we must have it at the back of our minds that it must be within the context of professionalism. What then is a Profession? Who is a professional? And what is Professionalism? Providing sufficient answers to these questions will provide the context within which our discussion is placed.
What then is a Profession? A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested objective counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain. (Professions, Australia, 1997). It may also be said to be a combination of knowledge, skills, trustworthiness and altruism found in those who commit themselves to a life of service to others. Who is a professional? A professional has specialized knowledge which gives him power over his/her clients. Balancing the use of this power for individual and public good, while meeting their own needs, obliges professionals to behave ethically. A certain degree of altruism is expected in the true professional, a certain amount of selfless service. The need for altruism and ethics to direct professional skills is so pressing because of the differential in knowledge that exists between the professional practitioner and the client.
What is Professionalism? Professionalism is not only a skills set in a given occupation; it is an ineffable something that the person exudes in manner, dress, speech, and standards of practice that is palpably powerful: standards like honesty, due diligence, perseverance, willingness to listen and learn, creative thinking within a framework of training, and other qualities most people would be hard put to describe but which they expect in the professionals with whom they engage. The power that asymmetric knowledge (the superior knowledge) gives one person over another must oblige the practitioner to act in the client’s best interest and must be well communicated, the contrary of which will be termed unprofessional. Professionalism is our business, and this needs to be efficiently communicated in order to achieve the desired result.
COMMUNICATION “The inevitable result of communication is misunderstanding. When we are talking, we have misunderstanding. How much more so, then, when we are not talking at all. ” Patrick Morley, 1997. Communication is a complex two-way process that can involve several iterations before mutual understanding is achieved. Communication takes place in many ways. You can communicate using words, symbols, pictures, graphics, voice, tone, facial expressions, clothing, and body language. The Relationship between Communication and Success
Cont. Good communication is essential for the effective operation and development of business. It ranges from decision-making to policy-making, from education and training to human resource management. It is imperative to note that, the achievement of strategic goals and plans is virtually impossible if the right people do not receive the right message, in the right way, and at the right time. By employing good communication skills business organisations will work effectively towards creating and keeping clients. More than any other factor, they vote for you or against you based on the effectiveness of your communication. However, few people communicate as effectively and efficiently as they should in the business environment.
Cont. Successful communication methods provide a mechanism to get exceptional results. The form of communication that takes place in an organisation has a major influence on productivity, morale, energy levels, teamwork, and levels of co-operation on an informal and formal basis. The professional communicator sets and keeps standards above a certain level and refuses to allow them to slip below minimum standards. Effective communication is a minimum requirement for virtually every other competency.
Purpose of Communication There would have been no need for communication but for the fact that there is a message that must pass from one person (the origin) to the other (destination/receiver). Until the receiving end properly accepts and understands the message being sent (communicated), there will be no “buy - in” or understanding of what the message is all about. This is the reason why communication must be simple and straightforward. Simplicity implies expressing statements without confusing the receiver. A lot of things can happen – frustration, misconception, indignation, irritation, and so on. Purpose of communication will be adjudged as being fulfilled when the destination/receiver receives the message exactly the way the origin intended it.
Cont. The Yorubas indeed understand that communication lies at the very base of fulfilment of purpose when they came up with the statement, “Ai le soro ni ibere oriburuku ”, which literally means that, “the inability to speak (communicate) is the beginning of ill- fortune” . In other words, we are doomed if we are unable to communicate. Our businesses could be jinxed if our communication is poor.
Components of Communication Communication is a dialogue not a monologue. So, a communication is said to be effective only if it brings the desired response from the receiver. But it involves several components to be able to achieve this result. And each of these is very important and much attention must be equally given to each one. Below are some basic components of communication: Reading Writing Speaking Listening
Reading: is a complex "cognitive process" of decoding symbols in order to construct or derive meaning (reading comprehension). Reading is a means of language acquisition, communication, and of sharing information and ideas. Reading is very important as a communication skill because it develops the creative side of a person. The more you read and understand, the better informed you are. Reading to become a better communicator requires a conscious effort to make links, understand opinions, research and apply what you learn to your studies, i.e. we read to gain factual information for practical use. Therefore reading is an essential part of communication, because the more you read, the vaster you become, and the easier it gets for you to communicate.
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