Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Corporate Communication Course

Welcome!

Carmine D’Arconte

cdarconte@uniroma3.it

1

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Our programme

1. Interpersonal communication

2, Corporate communication

Direct marketing, Relationship marketing and Crm,

Customer Relationship Management

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Interpersonal Communication

From words to dialogue

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

What exactly are corporate and interpersonal

communication?

What kind of relationship between them?

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Corporate is someting related to a corporation

that is an organization, a legal entity separate

from the persons who own it or the persons who

manage or operate it

But what is communication?

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Communication?

It seems to be something rather complicated!

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

To start with let’s try to understand what is a

corporate or a company and which role is played

by communication in the management of a

company

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

The (profit) Company

Prodotti

Azienda Clienti

Produzione

Finanza e controllo Capitali

Flussi di cassa

marketing

Ambiente

esterno/stakeholders

Servizi

Data Base Markeitng

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Communication plays a vital role in the handling of

company relationships with its stakeholders and

optimizing the redemption of investments.

Marketing is an important part of communication

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Is there any relation between corporate and

interpersonal communication?

Or to put it in another way:

“ to understand and master corporate communication do

we need to master first Interpersonal communication?

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

DEFINITELY YES, THE RELATIONSHIP EXISTS AND IS

SUBSTANTIAL!

Why?

Because a company is, in the final analysis , made of

people who are continuously communicating with one

another.

Some of these people are also interacting officially with

the external stakeholders (and many others do it unoffi-

cially).

People, be they executives or employees, always remain

first of all “people”.

.

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

The most important relationships at work.

Work: external context

social and economic context

technological

environment law unions competitors

customers

suppliers

owners

shareholders

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

The most important relationships at work.

Work: internal context

ssoq

aides

secretary/assist

ant

controller

headmaster

students

colleagues

internal customers

parents

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

So whatever organization we take into account, everybo-

dy who is working in it, is automatically involved and

submerged in a network of relationships that may regard

either the external or the internal stakeholders, or both of

them.

Communication may be both on an official or (as often

happens) on an unofficial level.

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

An important aspect is that the external communication

process, though exchanged between companies, actually

is carried out mainly by some, so to say, special indivi-

duals.

Let’s immagine for example that an important contract is

finally signed up between two companies after a long and

heavy negotiation.

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

A lot of people from both companies probably gave an

important contribution to achieve this important objective

but there is no doubt that a primary role was played by the

individuals who because of their specific role interacted by

directly negotiation at different levels (technical, logistical,

economic and so on).

The final decision is probably made through the interaction

of very few people (decision makers)

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

When considering the internal side of a company, the

situation seems to be the same. Think of management

and Unions negotiating something, or the relationship

between a boss and his aide ending up in promotion and

salary increase (or in a dismission) and so on.

Here again a prearranged and well defined process is run

by individuals who interact among them.

The final result, without any possible doubt, depends on

the kind of relationship established among the different

players during the negotiation.

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

So in a company, interpersonal communication also

seems to be a key factor to determine succes or failure.

What about our private life ?

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Here again, if you consider carefully your

environment, it’s easy to realise that we are

submerged in a “sea” of different relationships and

that we must be able to manage all of them in the

best possible way

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

The most important relationships in private life

Sons/daughters friends

relatives

Disabled

parents/father and

mother in law

wife/husband/partner

Parents/father and

mother in law

Private life. The external context

acquaintances

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

The most important relationships with oneself

Private

Physical self Moral self Intellectual self Cultural self

Pragmatic self

Relation self

Logical self

Emotional self

Conscious self Inconscious self

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

In business communication it doesn’t make sense

to be spontaneous and tell a customer whatever we

like (e.g. What an awful suit your wear today, or

how ugly you are, but also how sexy you look to

day!)

Definitely communication must be handled in the

proper way or, otherwise, we may anger and irritate

our customers

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

In private life it’s much more complicated to find

the proper trade-off between spontaneity and

communication effectiveness but the stakes may be

even higher and also in this case communication

must be handled in the proper way to obtain what

we want.

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

In corporate and interpersonal communication the main

objective, to a certain extent, seems therefore to be

substantially the same.

In both cases the final objective is not just to transmit a piece

of information but to obtain something. It may be:

from other people when we “sell” something (an idea, a belief,

a brand) and we induce them to do something (buy a product

or service, have new friends )

from ourselves (as when we learn to do something or we

make a progress in someting)

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

So interpersonal communication seems to be a key

factor to determine success or failure even in our

private life

In both case we need to maximize and optimize the

use of the limited resources that we have, such as

•life time

•opportunities

•money

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

To obtain this we need to be able to “change” our

behaviour or other people behaviour in order that

the same change might produce better results for

us.

It seems that actual changes as result of the

communication process may be extremely poor

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

I could know 100

I know 80

I transmit

70

It is received 40

It is heard 30

It ìs understood 20

It is remembered 10

It is done (actual learning/behaviour) 5

Possible results in the communication process

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

• What are we doing and what are we able to do in order to

maximize our opportunities in life?

• Very little, at least this is the case for most of us. We

generally seem to be like prisoners of well established

automatisms (What Paul Watzlawick calls the more of

the same principle)

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

What could we do?

• First of all understand and feel that we are submerged in a

“sea” of different and changing relationships that in no

way may be disregarded

• Then understand that we need a high and specific skill for

every kind of relationship (different relationships must be

managed in different ways)

• Finally be clear in our mind that everything changes and

that our communication approach must be adapted

continuously to these changes.

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

• Let’s think just for a moment about our

partner………………………………………..

A hint on

- zero-sum game (you win, I loose or you loose I win)

- non-zero-sum game (we win or loose together)

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Boundary line concept

• It’s impossible to change certain things or situations (and

must be accepted as they are)

• A few things may be changed even in a substantial way

• A lot of important things ( generally much more than we

think) may be improved, sometimes significantly in other

cases just a little

• In any case let’s make no illusions, to “change” may be

very hard, sometimes impossible but there are a lot of

things that can be done if we really want

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Boundary line

Let’s understand in which area is located our objective

Area Possibility area

Impossibility

area

Difficulty

area

Difficulty

area

Impossibility area

Impossibility area

Impossibility area

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

The idea is therefore to learn something about interpersonal

communication that may enable us:

•First to improve our relationships in private life

•Second to learn corporate communication whilst always

bearing in mind the interpersonal communication principles

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

The communication foundations

The Shannon Weaver Model

Advanced models

Hints on mirroring and neuro-linguistic programming

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Information and communication

One way communication (information)

EMITTENTE

RICEVENTE Messaggio

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Information and communication

One way communication (information)

EMITTENTE

RICEVENTE Messaggio

EMITTENTE

RICEVENTE

Messaggio

Two ways communication (real

communication)

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

The communication Process

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

The communication process and common “areas” to share

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Corporate Communication Course

Carmine D’Arconte

cdarconte@uniroma3.it

2

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Critical aspects in interpersonal communication

The fundamental contribution of

Paul Watzlawick The situation is hopeless but not serious

(The pursuit of unhappiness)

LION BOOKSHOP TEL 06 32650437

ISBN 978039393310214

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Paul Watzlawick The situation is hopeless but not serious

(The pursuit of unhappiness)

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

The pursuit of unhappiness?

Why is the author so concerned to help people being unhappy or, to put it better,

as unhappy as possible?

We are accustomed to other kind of advice; generally we expect people to advise

us how to solve problems and leave us in peace and as happy as possible.

What’s going on here ?

The explanation may be found in Mr. Watzlawick’s experience as a

psychotherapist. He was an associate in the Mental Research Institute in Palo

Alto and worked as a clinical professor in the department of psychiatry and

behavioral sciences, at Stanford University Medical Center

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

The pursuit of unhappiness?

It seems that if we tell someone the right thing to do in order to sort out his

problem he will be generally inclined to ignore us or, even worse, that he will

be unconsciously spurred to continue doing as before.

So our advice, as right and well founded as it might be, may even turn out to have

the opposite effect.

It seems that people have to discover by themselves what is right or wrong for

them.

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

The pursuit of unhappiness?

Paul Watzlawick’s experience, suggests that a positive reaction may

occur if we suggest to a person who is in trouble, due to his

behaviour, what he must do in order to get even further in

trouble.

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

The pursuit of unhappiness?

An example might be

Don’t take any drugs as they are very harmful for your health.

This type of advice will be most likely completely ignored.

Another way might be: take as many drugs as you can so that

you’ll soon be addicted, become financially ruined and severely

harm your health .

The second - provided one is not killed - is more likely to pro-

duce a better effect as the recipient is faced with his realistic

and likely future.

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

The book may be divided in two parts:

1. Chapters 1- 8 Production of unhappiness by

ourselves (no relationship with other people)

2. Chapters 9 - 14 Production of unhappiness in

relationships with other people

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Around one century ago Bertrand Russel insisted on a

strict separation between statements about things and

statements about relationships !

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

This apple is red (is something)

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

This apple (the first one) is bigger than the second (is

something else)

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

“This apple is red” is a statement about the properties of

this apple

“This apple is bigger than that one” is a statement about

the relationship between these two apples.

It does not make sense if applied to one or other apple

separately, for the proposition “bigger than” is not located

in one of them, but in their relationship to each other.

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Let’s go back to the book!

The first part (introduction and chapters 1- 8) regards the

“production of unhappiness by ourselves” as follows:

Introduction to the importance of unhappiness

To thine own self be true ( be sure there is only one right view: one’s own!)

Four games with the past

Russians and Americans

The story of the hammer

A handful of beans

Chasing away the elephants

Self-fulfilling prophecies

Beware of arriving

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

To thine own self be true!

Be sure there is only one right view: one’s own!

Avoid shabby compromises and like the captain of a ship, which

also the rats have abandoned, steer heroically in the stormy night!.

The mere fact that other people may recomend something

different, becomes the very reason for rejecting it even if, seen

objectively, that something would be to our advantage.

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Four games with the past

or….. how to make the past a reliable source of unhappiness

The glorification of the past: If the loss of your beloved causes such infernal pain,

how divinely blissful it will be to find him or her again

Mrs Lot; having the possibility to chose between A or B how to lose both A and B

The fatal glass of beer. Now it’s too late and in any case it was not my fault

More of the same. First there is only one possible solution and if this

solution has not yet produced the desired effect, apply it more

forcefully. Secondly never doubt the assumption that there is only

one solution

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Avoidance of problems for the purpose of their perpetuation

Chasing away the elephants

A: Why are you clapping your hands every five seconds?

B: To chase away the elephants !

A: Elephants ? But there aren’t any around !

B: Right, see, I told you so!

A horse in a stall, the bell and the electric shock.

The spinster story

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Second part. The tragedy of relationships

L’enfer sont les autres (J.P.Sartre)

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

This apple (the first one) is bigger than the second (is

somethingelse)

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

The second part (chapters 9 - 14) regards the

production of unhappiness in our relationships with

others

If you really loved me you would like garlic

“Be soontaneous”

why would anybodylove me?

The traps of hrlping

Those crazy foreigners

Life as a game

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Why would anybody love me?

I would not dream of belonging to a club that is willing to have me as

a member (Groucho Marx)

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

The traps of helping

To the pure (and mentally sane) everything is pure but the pessimist

(or the insane) will always find the Achilles heel.

The collusion pattern: the role he/she must play in order to make me

feel “real “ is the very role he/she wants to play to bring about

his/her own reality

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Those crazy foreigners

Our world is supposed to be the true world. It is the worlds of the

others that are crazy, deceptive, illusory and weird.

In the face of all evidence to the contrary, assume that your own

behaviour is obvious and normal under all circumstances.

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Life as a game

Life is a game where rule number 1 is:

this is no game, this is serious.

The game theory and zero-sum and non –zero-sum games

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Though communication is so important both at work as in private life,

people do not seem to take it into proper consideration.

We also saw that genetics, experience and automatisms play a key

role to determine our answer to a certain stimulus.

Most of our behaviour seems to be obeying to the “more of the same

principle”

So, until now we worked on the problems and we understood that we

we should improve ourselves helping us to remain a thinking being

and elevating our consciousness level

Let’s now see what we can do to improve our communication skills

Improving interpersonal communication

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

The communication process and common “areas” to share

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Key principles in communication

1. Listen (this means let the other peron speak, force him or her, if

strictly necessary, only to come quickly and clearly to the point) and,

above all, make an effort to understand what he or she is trying to

saying

2. When you’re listening try to figure out what kind of person is in front

of you and in which way he is communicating with you

3. When it will be your turn to speak please make sure that:

- your answer is pertinent and to the point (in case there was a

problem you should try to come up with possible solutions)

- the way you answer is, as far as possible, in line with the

communication style of the person you’re speaking to (sharing the

common parts and using mirroring technique)

Interpersonal communication

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Key principles in communication

4. Bear in mind that most people are likely to judge you in

accordance to their personal representation of the world.

If you are in accordance with this, they’ll think you’re

good (“here is a good guy to do business with” they wll

probably think)

5. On the contrary if you clash in with the person you’re

dealing with, also if your “technical and substantial” offer

is good they may be tempted to refuse it.

Interpersonal communication

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

How to improve our communication process

Steps for improving our communication and become more persuasive

Active listening Aceptance by the other

ad hoc

communication

Persuasive communication

Accurate presentation

Self esteem

Right approach

Bench

marking

Self analysis

Excelent presentation

Consultant approach Crystal clearness and

fairness

Positive impression on

the other

Mirroring Vac Pilca

Carmine D’Arconte

C..A. Pratesi Corporate Communication Course. Roma Tre University – February 2011 - Rome

Boundary line

Let’s understand in which area is located our objective

Area Possibility area

Impossibility

area

Difficulty

area

Difficulty

area

Impossibility area

Impossibility area

Impossibility area