COMM 205 Business Communications– FINAL EXAM REVIEW 2025 complete update Concordia
University
Chapter 1 – Establishing Credibility
3 components of credibility:
1. Competence The knowledge and skills needed to get a job done
2. Caring Understanding the interests of others
3. Character Adhering to high moral and ethical values
FAIR test:
- Facts Provide the facts
- Access Grant access to your motives
- Impacts Examine impacts on stakeholders
- Respect Show respect
Chapter 2 – Interpersonal Communication & Emotional Intelligence
Interpersonal communication process: The sending and receiving verbal and nonverbal messages between two or
more people.
- Physical noise External noise (loud sounds)
- Physiological noise Internal noise (illness, hearing problems)
- Semantic noise Communicators apply different meanings to the same words or phrases
- Psychological noise Interference due to attitudes, ideas, and emotions
Emotional intelligence (EQ): Understanding emotions, managing emotions to serve goals, empathizing with others,
and effectively handling relationships with others.
- Self-awareness
- Self-management
- Empathy
- Relationship management
Emotional Hijacking: A situation in which emotions control our behaviour, causing us to react without thinking.
Active listening:
1. Paying attention
2. Holding judgement
3. Reflecting
4. Clarifying
5. Summarizing
6. Sharing
, Chapter 3 – Team Communication
Stages of development in high-performance teams:
1. Forming Team members focus on gaining acceptance and avoiding conflict
2. Storming Team members open up with competing ideas about how the team should approach work
3. Norming The team arrives at a work plan, including roles, goals, and accountabilities
4. Performing The team operates efficiently toward accomplishing its goals
Team culture: Shared perceptions and commitment to collective values, norms, roles, responsibilities, and goals.
Symptoms of groupthink: When groups verbally or nonverbally agree to ideas without gathering information and
exhaustively evaluating their options. This way of thinking often leads to poor decision making.
- Collective rationalization
- Moral high ground
- Self-censorship
- Illusion of unanimity
Behaviours that drive diversity:
1. Making sure everyone is heard
2. Making it safe to let team members express novel ideas
3. Giving team members decision-making authority
4. Sharing credit
5. Giving useful feedback
6. Putting feedback into action
Planning for meetings (essential questions):
- What is the purpose of the meeting?
- Who should attend?
- When should the meeting be scheduled?
- What will be at the agenda?
- When and how should I invite others?
2 types of meetings:
1. Coordination meetings They primarily focus on discussing roles, goals, and accountabilities.
2. Problem-solving meetings These typically involve brainstorming about how to address and solve a
particular work problem.
Agenda components:
- Agenda items
- Time frames
- Goals/expected outcomes
- Roles
- Materials needed
University
Chapter 1 – Establishing Credibility
3 components of credibility:
1. Competence The knowledge and skills needed to get a job done
2. Caring Understanding the interests of others
3. Character Adhering to high moral and ethical values
FAIR test:
- Facts Provide the facts
- Access Grant access to your motives
- Impacts Examine impacts on stakeholders
- Respect Show respect
Chapter 2 – Interpersonal Communication & Emotional Intelligence
Interpersonal communication process: The sending and receiving verbal and nonverbal messages between two or
more people.
- Physical noise External noise (loud sounds)
- Physiological noise Internal noise (illness, hearing problems)
- Semantic noise Communicators apply different meanings to the same words or phrases
- Psychological noise Interference due to attitudes, ideas, and emotions
Emotional intelligence (EQ): Understanding emotions, managing emotions to serve goals, empathizing with others,
and effectively handling relationships with others.
- Self-awareness
- Self-management
- Empathy
- Relationship management
Emotional Hijacking: A situation in which emotions control our behaviour, causing us to react without thinking.
Active listening:
1. Paying attention
2. Holding judgement
3. Reflecting
4. Clarifying
5. Summarizing
6. Sharing
, Chapter 3 – Team Communication
Stages of development in high-performance teams:
1. Forming Team members focus on gaining acceptance and avoiding conflict
2. Storming Team members open up with competing ideas about how the team should approach work
3. Norming The team arrives at a work plan, including roles, goals, and accountabilities
4. Performing The team operates efficiently toward accomplishing its goals
Team culture: Shared perceptions and commitment to collective values, norms, roles, responsibilities, and goals.
Symptoms of groupthink: When groups verbally or nonverbally agree to ideas without gathering information and
exhaustively evaluating their options. This way of thinking often leads to poor decision making.
- Collective rationalization
- Moral high ground
- Self-censorship
- Illusion of unanimity
Behaviours that drive diversity:
1. Making sure everyone is heard
2. Making it safe to let team members express novel ideas
3. Giving team members decision-making authority
4. Sharing credit
5. Giving useful feedback
6. Putting feedback into action
Planning for meetings (essential questions):
- What is the purpose of the meeting?
- Who should attend?
- When should the meeting be scheduled?
- What will be at the agenda?
- When and how should I invite others?
2 types of meetings:
1. Coordination meetings They primarily focus on discussing roles, goals, and accountabilities.
2. Problem-solving meetings These typically involve brainstorming about how to address and solve a
particular work problem.
Agenda components:
- Agenda items
- Time frames
- Goals/expected outcomes
- Roles
- Materials needed
