Collaboration, Interpersonal

Communication, and Business Etiquette

A.S.Fathima Shifara
Visiting Lecturer
Ati-sammanthurai
2022-09-27
 What is Collaboration

 Collaboration is a working practice where all the individuals work together with
a purpose to achieve a goal or an aim.
 A team is a unit of two or more people who share a mission and the
responsibility for working to achieve their goal.
 The most effective team has the following characteristics:
• Understand their purpose
• Communicate openly and honestly
• Think creatively
• Stay focused
• Resolve conflict
 Advantages and Disadvantages of
Team Work
Advantages of Team work

❖ More creativity - Each member has different skills and ideas. So, bringing
them together as a team can lead to more creativity, which is important for
innovation.

❖ Greater involvement - Employees have the opportunity to be involved in

decision-making. In addition, decisions cannot consider individual interests
but common interests. Then, since tasks and jobs are connected and
dependent, members have to run them well; otherwise, other members can
get into trouble, or the project fails.
❖ Faster finish - Involving more people allows projects to be completed
more quickly than individually. For example, complex projects are divided
into several roles and responsibilities to each member. Thus, they can
focus on the specific tasks and jobs assigned, enabling them to learn by
doing.

❖ Stronger interpersonal relationships - When a company assigns

employees to a project, a bond between them is created. It may last even
when the project has been completed. As a result, they can collaborate and
synergize in their old routine after the project is finished.

❖ Means to develop competence - Teamwork is a moment for

employees to learn about each other’s skills, insights, or knowledge. In
other words, it creates cross-training opportunities.
 Disadvantages of Team work

❖ Interpersonal conflict - Disagreements and mistrust can lead to

conflict. It can ruin teamwork and even result in the project failing.

❖ Infectious bad habits - Teamwork is not only a moment to learn from

each other and develop themselves. However, it could be a moment for a
member’s bad habits to spread to other members.

❖ Not suitable for all employees - Some employees may be more

effective and productive when working alone than as a team. For example,
teamwork might result in unnecessary interruptions by other members.
Thus, they may find it difficult to focus.
❖ Poor team quality - Skilled and qualified members determine how
successful the team works. For example: suppose the team is made up of
incompetent people; in that case, they may spend more time, consulting
each other without clear progress.

❖ Domination by a few employees - Some members with good skills

and knowledge may not voice their opinions because they are not good at
communicating. On the other hand, rhetorical and extroverted (talkative,
open-minded) people may dominate conversations and situations. Thus,
each member cannot contribute optimally because some tend to dominate.
In other cases, such domination may also lead to an unequal division of
roles and responsibilities.

❖ Time-consuming - Building a successful team takes time. Members

have to adapt to each other and work in an organized manner.
 Interpersonal Communication
 What is Interpersonal Communication?

• The process of exchange of information, ideas and feelings

between two or more people through verbal or non-verbal methods.

• It often includes face-to-face exchange of information, in a form of

voice, facial expressions, body language and gestures. The level of
one’s interpersonal communication skills is measured through
the effectiveness of transferring messages to others.

• Online conversations today make a large portion of employees’

interpersonal communication in the workplace.
 Importance of Interpersonal Communication

 Let’s now take a look into why interpersonal communication is crucial for your
career development and productivity in the workplace.
1. Problem solving - Interpersonal communication skills are necessary because they allow people
to discuss problems and weigh the pros and cons of alternatives before taking the final
solution. For example, brainstorming exercises are situations in which interpersonal
communication comes into play as it is very important that everyone feels respected and free
to share their voice, ideas and views.
2. Alignment with business goals – Poor communication between employers and employees can
harm the business in many ways. When managers and leaders are unable to clearly
communicate tasks, workers can quickly become frustrated and disconnected with the
business goals. Moreover, many employees say that their managers don’t give them clear
directions and goals for their work.
3. Employee recognition - Good interpersonal communication drives more employee
recognition. When employees have good interpersonal relationships with each other and their
managers, they are more likely to recognize each others’ good work and give constructive
feedback.
4. Workplace miscommunication - Managers who maintain professionalism, open
workplace communication and a positive attitude are more likely to be seen as
approachable by their employees. When employees feel like they can speak openly
with decision-makers, workplace miscommunication, gossip and rumors are much less
likely to happen.

5. Employee success - Good interpersonal communication skills are also necessary for
managers to help their employees do their jobs successfully. Leaders need to be able
to pass on the right skills to the employees that will enable them to perform their
tasks and achieve business goals. Moreover, they should be the ones to teach their
employees interpersonal communication skills.

6. Conflict management - Conflict is normal in the workplace, and we can’t always

expect from our employees to resolve conflicts in a calm and timely manner. When
conflicts like this arise, interpersonal communication becomes crucial for resolving
them. Conflict management cannot happen without effective interpersonal
communication. In fact, all conflict management strategies that use communication to
soften situations in stressful environments are much more successful.
 The 10 key soft skills identified as crucial for Interpersonal Communication.
These include:

1. Communication – oral, speaking capability, written, presenting, listening

2. Courtesy – manners, etiquette, business etiquette, gracious, says please and thank you,
respectful
3. Flexibility – adaptability, willing to change, lifelong learner, accepts new things, adjusts,
teachable
4. Integrity – honest, ethical, high morals, has personal values
5. Interpersonal skills – nice, personable, sense of humour, friendly, empathetic, positive
6. Attitude – optimistic, enthusiastic, encouraging, happy, confident
7. Professionalism – businesslike, poised
8. Responsibility – accountable, reliable, gets the job done, resourceful, self-disciplined,
common sense
9. Teamwork – gets along with others, agreeable, supportive, helpful, collaborative
10. Work Ethic – hard working, loyal, initiative, self-motivated, on time
 Business Etiquette

 Etiquette means the customary code of polite behaviour in society or among

members of a particular profession or group.
 Etiquette is now considered a vital business skill and is important for getting
along with team members and while in public.
 Proper etiquette in the workplace helps you appear polished, professional,
and confident.
 Factors that influence etiquette in the workplace include:

▪ Your personal appearance

▪ Your personal grooming
▪ Your smile
▪ Your phone skills
o Be conscious of how your voice sounds.
o Be courteous when you call someone.
o Convey a positive, profession attitude when answering phone.
o End calls with courtesy and clarity.
o Use your own voicemail features to help callers.
o Be considerate when leaving voicemail messages
 Business Etiquette in Social Settings: As you represent your
company when you are in public, follow these steps:

 Make sure your appearance and actions are appropriate to the situation.
 Get to know the customs of the culture when you meet new people.
 When introducing yourself, include a brief description of your role in the
company.
 When introducing two people, speak both their first and last names clearly and
offer some information about each person to ease them into a conversation.
 Introduce the lower-ranking person to the senior-ranking person.
 When you’ve been introduced to someone, repeat that person’s name as soon as
possible.
 What is Email?
 Email stands for electronic mail. It is the most preferred
means of communication because it is cheaper and
faster. It is used in formal, semi-formal as well as an
informal way of expression or writing. There are two ways
to write the email:
• Formally
• Informally
• An email is a method of creating, transmitting, collecting
and receiving information over the electronic
communication system.
 How to Write an E-Mail
 The format is given below:
 From: Sender’s Mail id
 To: Recipient’s Mail id
 Cc: Other concerned person’s with visible email ids
 Bcc: Other concerned person’s with invisible email ids
 Subject: Reason for writing the mail
 Greeting/Salutation: Display your respect (Such as Sir, Respected Sir)
 Main Body: Content of the email
• Introduction
• Discuss the matter in detail
• Conclusion
 Closing line: Thank you for the consideration
 Attachments: Attach reference files
 Signature line: Name and contact details
 The Format of a Formal Email

1. Introduction
2. Body of the Text
3. Conclusion
 1. Introduction

 Depending on the type of relationship you have with the person you’re writing to, there
are different ways of starting an email, but any email should always start with a greeting.
In our specific case being formal, the most appropriate options are:
• Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms (surname of the recipient, e.g. Mr Black)
• Dear Sir/Madam (if you don’t know the name of the recipient) or more generally
‘To whom it may concern’
 After the initial greeting you need an introductory sentence that indicates clearly the
reason for writing and is consistent with the subject of the email.
• I am writing with regard to… (email subject)
• I am writing in connection with… (email subject)
• I am writing in reference to…
 If you’re writing an email to send information, you can start with one of the following
sentences:
• I am writing to let you know…
• I am delighted to tell you… (if you’re communicating good news)
• I regret to inform you that… (if you’re communicating bad news)
 If instead you’re replying to an email you received, you can say:
• I am writing in response to…
• I am writing in reply to…
• I am writing to thank you for… (if you need to thank the recipient)
 2. Body Of the Text
 There are no conventional formulas for writing the body of the text.
 It’s useful to prepare an initial draft and then proceed with any corrections.
 The general rules are that, the text should be divided into short paragraphs that avoid
abbreviations and acronyms, but you can use abbreviations and acronyms in the informal
email.
 Based on the type of message you’re sending, there are various ways to write a final
invitation before ending the email, such as:
• I look forward to hearing from you soon
• Thank you in advance
• For further information, please do not hesitate to contact me
• Please let me know if you have any questions
• Thanks for your attention
 3. Conclusion

 The most common ways to end an email are:

• Best regards
• Kind regards
• Yours faithfully (if you began the email with ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ because
you don’t know the name of the recipient)
• Yours sincerely (if you began the email with ‘Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms + surname)
• Regards
Example 1: Delay with the delivery of an order
 Subject: Delivery delay

 Dear Mr. Pascal,

 We regret to inform you that we will not be able to respect the deadline previously
agreed for the delivery of your order. Our supplier has warned us today that they are
experiencing supply problems, which will result in a delay in our production chain. We
count on your understanding and thank you for your patience.

 Please accept our apologies.

 Best regards,
…………………
Example 2: Replying to a job advertisement
 Subject: Web Content Editor position

 Dear Sir/Madam,

 With reference to your job ad in xxx, I would like to submit my application for the position
of Web Content Editor in your company.

 I graduated in Communication Sciences at the University of xxx and worked for several
years in a Digital Agency as Content Specialist. I believe my skills and experience are in line
with the requirements for the job position. I will be glad to introduce myself in an
interview, that will allow you to better evaluate my possible recruitment.

 Please find attached a copy of my resume. I look forward to hearing from you.

 Yours faithfully,
……………………..…
 Informal Email Writing Format
 An email written for any friends, family members or relatives comes under this
category. Use of polite, friendly and casual words along with proper greetings and
closings are some of the rules of the informal emails.
Sample
 Suppose you have to write an email to your friend inviting him or her to your birthday party.
 To: XYZ
 CC/BCC:
 Subject: Invitation to a birthday party
 Hi XYZ!
 Hope this mail finds you in the best of your time. I am very happy to invite you to my birthday party on
Nov 03 at ABC Hotel from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The theme of the birthday party is ‘Pirate of the
Caribbean”.
 It would be great if you come and join us at the party. We will have a great time and fun together.
 See You Soon
……………………………..
Thank YOu