Tips for Hybrid Communication

By Communication Consultant Lili Tang (Accounting and BIS, ’22)

Tips for Hybrid CommunicationAs our new semester kicks off on campus, we are now able to conduct more projects with team members in person. However, with uncertain situations related to the pandemic, we still need to communicate online in many situations. To better ensure smooth and effective communication, here are some tips and considerations for teamwork in a hybrid mode.

Before getting right to the project, we should take time to better understand all team members’ situations by reaching out to each one of them with some general questions. For example:

  • What does your schedule look like?
  • What tools do you use when communicating remotely?
  • Will you have any difficulties attending team meetings?
  • What are your major concerns for this project?

Asking the above questions and sharing with other members helps to develop a productive and engaging team atmosphere, which is helpful when allocating tasks to individuals.

After getting to know each member’s situations, next determine the team’s workflow. There are two types of communication: synchronous and asynchronous communication. Synchronous communication happens in real time, such as meetings in person, video or phone call, and group message exchanges. This type of communication helps to gather various brainstorming ideas, discuss complex problems, and urgent matters. To better conduct team projects synchronously, having a simple agenda in advance will speed up the meeting. Also, recording meeting notes and upcoming deliverables will minimize repetitive task allocations, while understanding the project’s status quo.

On the other hand, asynchronous communication usually involves a time lag that allows time for one or more members to deliver or receive information. Because the gap makes it more difficult for each member to track the progress of the project and communicate in a timely manner, keeping in touch and knowing when to take the initiative are always critical. For example, you should set up group calendars and reminders, provide necessary resources when you can, and notify the team about any personal emergencies as early as possible.

As the team continues to learn and adjust in hybrid communication, there are some additional considerations:

  • Be flexible while also being responsible to meet the project deadline
  • Plan and set deadlines for each project stage to avoid procrastination and inconsistent engagement
  • Be respectful and inclusive to everyone’s ideas and contributions to minimize misunderstandings and uneven influence in decision making

As always, you are not alone. The RCBC is here to offer various communication resources and address any of your and your team’s concerns regarding assignments, presentations, and even more. Do not hesitate to email, book an appointment to meet via Zoom, or visit our center!

Get information and resources about our center at The Philip Rauch Center for Business Communication.

How to Prepare Your Elevator Pitch

By Communication Consultant Xinyi Cui (Accounting and BIS, ’22)

How to Prepare your Elevator PitchNo doubt you have introduced yourself several times recently. It’s not very difficult to first say hello to a new acquaintance or to introduce ourselves at the start of a new class. We usually share our name, major, and where we live. Maybe we share some details about our hobbies or interests. But when we walk into a career fair or attend networking events, an introduction is not that easy. We need to be ready to talk briefly but specifically about our experiences, knowledge, skills, and interests. Creating and practicing an elevator pitch is an important part of our preparation.

Usually the elevator pitch takes about 30 to 60 seconds. Though brief, it shapes our audience’s first impression. Therefore, understanding our audience’s expectations is important, what do they want to know about us? What can interest them and how can we persuade them?

The best approach is to tell stories that convey our relevant experiences and skills. However, consider the audience and pay attention to the words we use. Sometimes the listeners may not know the specialized terminology, abbreviations, or concepts that we have studied, so it is important to keep it simple and focused.

A common situation for networking is that we are not looking for a specific position; thus, we want to show our flexibility. A good approach is to be open-minded about requirements like willingness to travel, salary expectations, and so on.

At the end of the pitch, do not forget the goal. Let your audience know you are looking for opportunities! Try not to limit your goal to a single, specific role since the elevator pitch will apply to many circumstances. Your audience might know of an opportunity that would be a great fit for you even though you hadn’t heard about it before.

Take a look at the example below:

“I am a junior majoring in supply chain management and environmental science, while working as a reporter for the college newspaper. With the goal of promoting sustainable lifestyle, I focus on introducing different environmental issues and identifying opportunities of possible innovations in our daily life at Lehigh. After serving on the committee that designed the most recent sustainable and healthy food initiative on campus and helping to organize several conferences, I am looking for a supply chain internship that will give me the opportunity to focus on sustainability. I am especially interested in emerging technologies, such as block chain and NFT, that can guarantee sustainability at every level of the supply chain.”

It answers some basic questions including who you are, what you have done, what is your goal and what you are looking for. Like the resume and cover letters, we have to read and edit this short paragraph again and again to make it appropriate for different situations so that it is never outdated.

Last but not least, keep practicing. Be ready with your pitch whenever the right opportunity presents itself. If you need help creating or rehearsing your pitch, visit the Rauch Center for Business Communication and our communication consultants will help you better prepare for your networking opportunities.

Get information and resources about our center at The Philip Rauch Center for Business Communication.

Parts of this article were adapted from the following sources:

Doyle, A. (2021, January 27). When and how to use an elevator pitch. The Balance Careers. How to Create an Elevator Pitch With Examples (thebalancecareers.com)

Frost, A. (2021, May 25). 12 elevator Pitch examples to inspire your own. HubSpot Blog. 12 Elevator Pitch Examples to Inspire Your Own (hubspot.com).

The Art of the Email

By Communication Consultant Carolyn Reagan (Accounting, ’23)

The Art of the Email Steps

Email continues to hold a place of dominance in school- and workplace communication. For many years to come, mails and proper email etiquette will continue to be an integral part of your success. We want to remind you of a few important considerations when writing your emails:

  • Audience: There are a number of different types of people that you may encounter when sending emails: your professor, your group project partner, or your club members. With professors, managers, and new contacts, formality is the best approach. For more casual relationships, there is no need for over professionalism; however, it is important to err on the side of caution. No matter who you are emailing, proper grammar and punctuation are incredibly important.
  • Greeting: Always be sure to include a short greeting, such as “I hope you are well,” or “I hope you are having a great Tuesday!” before writing your core message. Doing so helps establish rapport with your recipient.
  • Core message: Due to the nature of emails, keeping your message as short as possible is important. It is best to ensure that your message is short, succinct, and to the point. Be certain that your core message is immediately clear.
  • Use formatting: Boldface text can bring attention to key ideas and information. Bullet points make details more easily readable. When describing a process or sequenced information, use a numbered list.
  • Call to action: Most emails seek an outcome, such as moving a process to the next step or sending necessary information. Effective emails end with a call to action that defines what the recipient should do. Begin a call to action politely, and be clear about what you need. For example: “Would you please send me the numbers for registration cross listed with site hits on the survey?” or “Thank you in advance for sending your RSVP to the meeting as soon as possible.”
  • Closing: Be sure to include a closing. Depending on the nature of the email, there are a number of suitable ways to end an email: “Regards,” “Sincerely,” or “Best.” Unless the email is very casual, you want to avoid ending it with just your name.
  • Signature block: A professional email should always include your contact information in the form of a signature block at the end of your message. Some firms mandate a style for signature blocks, so when you are a working professional, be sure you know your company’s email etiquette. While in school, your signature block might look like this:

Your Name
Accounting and Business Information Systems
Lehigh University College of Business class of ____
(865) 555-2021
____.linkedin.com

Get information and resources about our center at The Philip Rauch Center for Business Communication.

Graduating during COVID? What an Opportunity!

By Communication Consultants Duy Nguyen (Accounting and BIS, ’22) and Carolyn Reagan (Accounting, ’23)

Graduating during COVID? What an opportunity!Congratulations to the Class of 2021! You are boldly approaching the end of your four-year journey in the face of demanding academic challenges, coupled with an ongoing global pandemic. While the current situation has seen some encouraging improvements and there are prospects of the Commencement ceremonies being held in person in May, this school year has nevertheless been unprecedented and, oftentimes, unfamiliar and uncomfortable. It especially resonates with our graduating Lehigh Class of ‘21 who may be anxious about dealing with the uncertainties of the future. We must reflect on and be reminded of the numerous skills and knowledge gained during college, even (or especially) because of the pandemic. Knowing how to make sense of and talk about what we have learned will set us apart from others on the job market.

As tiring and repetitive as they might have been, our Zoom calls and conferences have undoubtedly provided us with a silver lining of enhanced communication and collaboration skills. In order to prevent our messages from getting lost in the unending stream of information, we have learnt to centralize our lines of communication, keeping them concise and straightforward. Such skills will definitely be of value in a professional work environment, where efficient correspondence is greatly emphasized. In another sense, throughout the past year, we have redefined the way that we connect with others. Before COVID, we were more dependent on friendships and relationships built upon in person interactions, whether by meeting a friend for coffee or seeing a classmate on the way to the dining hall. The current environment has forced us to redefine our relationships, shifting to Zoom calls, texts, and social distanced outings. We have learned that online friendships and relationships transcend social media.

More importantly, remote working and deadlines have helped us develop and practice working on our own initiative. Not only will the virtue of autonomy shape individuals to be more desirable employees, but it will also contribute to personal self-improvement in daily lives. With time to reflect, many of us have changed the way that we approach our daily lives and self improvement. We have rediscovered old hobbies, learned to be incredibly flexible, and matured in our understanding of the greater global community.

Students who understand how their skills can transfer to new situations are well positioned for a job market in which more companies reportedly are considering a shift to permanent remote work. By 2025, an estimated 70 percent of the workforce will work remotely at least five days a month, making these skills especially valuable. On an even more positive note, hiring of college graduates is projected to be on the rise. Thanks to the increase in businesses reopening and vaccine distribution, employers have seemingly become more optimistic as they project hiring 7.2% more new college graduates from the Class of 2021 than they hired from the Class of 2020, according to a report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

The past year of online courses is a stepping stone towards a future that values remote working and the virtual environment, but also emphasizes the importance of personal relationships, health, and more. Our College years have undoubtedly been filled with challenges, triumphs, memories, and friendships. It is important to consider how they have shaped us and how they will lay a foundation for the next chapter in our lives. Seniors, as you reflect upon the last four, formative years of your life, also take a chance to relax and take a deep breath–you have earned it! Though the future may be uncertain, be confident in all you have achieved, knowing that you have left an indelible mark on your fellow classmates, your community, and Lehigh University! Congratulations to the Class of 2021!

Get information and resources about our center at The Philip Rauch Center for Business Communication.

Professor’s Perspective: Giving Good Presentations

By Communication Consultant Xinyi Cui (Accounting and BIS, ’22)

Muzhe YangProfessor Muzhe Yang: Professor Yang is an Economics professor for Statistical Methods (ECO045) and Econometrics (ECO357) at Lehigh University’s College of Business. He is currently conducting several ongoing research projects aiming to provide empirical evidence on causal relations that have significant policy implications.

At its core, communication is an information exchange, but more importantly it goes two ways. For the audience, it is about listening and understanding, but for presenters and writers, communication is more complex. Instead of showing off their intelligence, they aim to make their ideas known to listeners. Sharing ideas is the most important goal of academic communication.

I spoke with Professor Muzhe Yang about the importance of communication in academia. In addition to communicating about his research through writing, Professor Yang gives oral presentations to share his ideas at conferences, similar to what we do in our classes as students at university. He shared some valuable advice for giving presentations.

According to Professor Yang, “The beginning part, or more specifically the first five minutes, is critically important.” Paying more attention to the first slide and the introduction brings the audience on board before the speaker loses their attention. Yang suggests using the first slide to talk about the motivation of the presentation. The audience will tend to resonate with your message if they understand it from the start by making a clear statement and narrowing your topic for a clear focus.

After the first five minutes, one way to keep the audience’s attention is to have a Q&A session in the middle. The questions should touch on important topics, and the answers should be relevant. If possible, surprise the audience with answers that broaden their understanding.

Professor Yang provided a final crucial tip for presenters: finishing slides is not the last stage; instead, it is a beginning. Take time to refine the storyline of the presentation. Your job as a presenter is to be a storyteller, so you need to organize your speech notes and break down “complex communication into multiple and logical steps” that build a narrative.

Get information and resources about our center at The Philip Rauch Center for Business Communication.

Tapping into Prior Knowledge

By Communication Consultant Duy Nguyen (Accounting and BIS, ’22)

Writing transferAs communication consultants at Rauch Center of Business Communication, we aim to provide meaningful assistance to fellow business students. We try to achieve this by using our understanding of the various difficulties our peers encounter during the writing process in general, or throughout a particular course’s procession. One of the devices that have proven beneficial not only during our consultations but also to students’ individual practice, is the use of writing transfer.

Widely adopted across a number of disciplines including educational psychology, rhetoric, and composition, writing transfer is defined in many different ways. In the context of collegiate writing, writing transfer refers to the ability to use, adapt, repurpose, and transform what one has learned in new settings. Essentially, prior knowledge and skills are connected and serve to develop or supplement what we are currently working on. The concepts of transfer are not yet commonly known by people who don’t study writing instruction. Acquiring a better understanding of transfer would help us be aware of how we rely on similar skills across different writing tasks.

When previous experience and knowledge are brought to bear within a new context, writers can identify the areas in which they have high confidence. Not only could such information be reapplied in the new assignment, it could also help writers navigate unknown, yet similar, domains. On the other hand, we can also recognize where there is room for improvement when we lean on our prior learning to and work on inadequate sections in our documents.

As suggested by Madeline Crozier from the University of Tennessee Knoxville, there are two ways through which a writer could better facilitate the process of writing transfer. 

One could start by asking transfer-oriented questions, which are expected to conjure up prior learning and lay the basis for further development of the project. Such questions include “Have I had experience with this type of assignment?” and “How did I approach my previous projects, and could I apply those approaches in this situation?” 

Secondly, we can use the DEC model wherein writers follow three steps to integrate writing transfer into their work. We first detect, identifying connections between prior knowledge and the new situation. Among such connections, we elect one, choosing the most appropriate to apply to the current work. The final step is to connect, transferring the knowledge from the previous situation to the current writing task. 

Reflecting on our existing knowledge and skills by asking transfer-oriented questions and using the DEC model will allow us to accelerate our improvements as writers. At the RCBC, we always get to know students first in order to build a foundation for making connections before jumping to work. Our communication consultants can help our peers to refine specific assignments and to leverage the power of writing transfer.

Get information and resources about our center at The Philip Rauch Center for Business Communication.

Manage and Prevent Email Overload

By Communication Consultant Duy Nguyen (Accounting and BIS, ’22)

Manage and prevent email overloadWe have all become more accustomed to the new norms of remote working and meetings, but challenges remain in the realm of virtual communication. Information overload is one such challenge faced by both professionals and students, particularly when it comes to email. Considering the significant amount of emails we receive, we can benefit from a method to filter and organize incoming email messages.

First, consider using separate accounts for personal and work emails. Consolidating work-related messages in one place makes it easier to find and eliminate distraction from personal correspondence.

Next, be sure to adjust the settings on the spam or junk mail filters so that most unwanted messages will not appear in the inbox folder. In the event that nonessential or spam emails manage to get through, remove them immediately to maintain a consistent and “clean” inbox.

Sorting and categorizing allows us to prioritize. For important emails that we might need to retrieve for later use, the “star” or flagging function makes fetching such messages prompt and hassle free. Also, consider creating folders or using labels to organize emails related to specific projects or classes so that they can easily be found.

Another helpful practice is to avoid leaving emails unread even if you aren’t ready to act on them right away. Leaving emails unread puts us at risk of missing out on crucial or time-sensitive issues. Additionally, your inbox would become rather cluttered, making important emails more difficult to find. Instead, consider opening all emails and setting up reminders to get back to some tasks later.

Now that our emails have been sorted, there are a few additional ways to prevent email information overload. First, schedule your email time rather than sitting with your email account open. One strategy is to read and act on emails once in the morning, once before lunch, and once in the late afternoon. After gathering the to-do tasks from emails, arrange those tasks based on their priority in order to approach them in an efficient manner. Finally, consider a time “curfew” for sending and receiving emails; placing a time limit on daily information intake goes a long way toward reducing the possibility of overload.

Get information and resources about our center at The Philip Rauch Center for Business Communication.

Most Common Writing Errors: Frequently Confused Homophones

By Communication Consultant Carolyn Reagan (Undeclared, ’23)

Frequently confused homophonesWhen it comes to writing, there are a number of prevalent mistakes that undermine effectiveness, clarity, and cohesiveness. This piece is part of our ongoing series about common writing errors.

A common error in English is to  interchange words despite their different definitions, largely because of similar spellings or pronunciations. These words are referred to as homophones. When we write, we need to be cognizant of these words in order to ensure the high degree of quality and comprehension. Small details such as the difference between whether and weather are an important part of strong grammar and syntax. Below, we highlight some frequently mistaken homophones, both from our own experience and from feedback from Professors.

Our first example is perhaps one of the most commonly-mistaken homophone pairs: the difference between affect and effect. Affect is a verb, typically meaning to influence, and effect is a noun, meaning the result of something. For example: “It is important to consider the effect of global warming on everyday life. Massive storms affect our daily lives.” Another example is the difference between further and farther. Farther is related to tangible, literal distances, while further is related to advancing or adding to. For example: “Wegmans is much farther from my house than Walgreens,” and “He is working to further his goal of being a doctor by enrolling in the internship.” Another note: Further can also be used to add an additional thought, similar to the words also or additionally. You may use it to say: “Further, I do not think the company needs to pursue this deal, especially because it will be incredibly costly.”

Two other words with similar spellings that are frequently misused are compliment and complement. A compliment is typically an expression of admiration, while complement describes adding value to something else. Consider: “So many people complimented my cooking today; I definitely think using cumin added a stronger flavor” and “The blue of your sweatshirt really complements your eyes!” Similarly, ensure and insure are not the same word, despite both being verbs. Insure is far more technical, referring to protecting assets. Ensure refers to verifying or safeguarding something. For example, “I use Geico to insure my car,” and “Our diligent work ensured that we will finish the PowerPoint by Friday.” A final example is the difference between perspective and prospective. A perspective is an opinion or attitude, such as thoughts shared during a conversation. For instance, “I would love to hear your perspective on our plans for the new house.”  Prospective, on the other hand, is treated as an adjective to describe a person or thing that has the potential to happen. Consider: “She is a prospective Integrated Business and Engineering student at Lehigh.”

The above examples are important words to look out for, but they are by no means an exhaustive representation of common homophones. You can find many guides to commonly confused words online.  If you have any other questions relating to homophones or any concern about communication, feel free to send us an email at: inrcbc@lehigh.edu or schedule a quick Zoom consultation with us to discuss more!

Get information and resources about our center at The Philip Rauch Center for Business Communication.

Communicate with Your Unconscious

By Communication Consultant Xinyi Cui (Accounting and BIS, ’22)

Communicate with your unconsciousWe often ignore our unconscious mind. Because it is not part of our focal awareness, we may not recognize how influential our unconscious is in our daily life. In fact, much of what we communicate is unconscious–we use gesture, body language, or tone mostly automatically without thinking consciously to do so. While it’s easy to understand how our unconscious communication subtly provides information about our mood, our enthusiasm, or our openness, did you know that it also can shape who we are? A TED Talk from a social psychologist Amy Cuddy highlights that our body language may shape our behaviors and identities. In fact, we can practice unconscious communication techniques for self improvement.

You may notice that animals try to make themselves look more powerful when they face a potential risk. For example, cats raise the hair on their backs and orangutans spread out and stand tall aiming to make their bodies appear bigger and scare the enemies.

Humans do the same. When we feel powerful or need to be powerful, we push our shoulders back and stand tall. That is, we adopt high-power postures. When we feel powerless, we tend to bring our limbs closer, hunch over, and get small–low power postures.

Cuddy and her team wondered whether we can reverse the cause and effect, so they conducted experiments to test whether people feel more powerful when they pretend to be powerful. Basically, when people walked into the lab, they were asked to do high-power or low-power poses for two minutes. Then the experimenters asked them questions and collected saliva samples which they tested for testosterone, a hormonal indicator of risk tolerance. The results show that people who do high-power poses experienced a 20% increase in testosterone while low-power poses reduced it by 10%. The study suggests that perhaps body language doesn’t only influence others but also influences ourselves.

So how can we utilize this fact to help us improve ourselves and our lives? Cuddy suggested that we should pretend to be powerful before we have an interview, a public presentation, or other situations that make us anxious. More specifically, we should stretch up our bodies for two minutes by raising up our arms and lifting our chins. Doing so will make us feel more powerful mentally, which can help us perform at our best.

Another tip is to verbally repeat a sentence in the format of “I am getting [adjective] and [adjective]”, such as “I am getting better and better” or “I am getting more confident and knowledgeable” several times before sleeping. Such self-talk may filter into our unconscious and enable us to improve our confidence.

Do you have any questions about unconscious communication? Please leave your comment below. And you are also welcome to visit the RCBC, the Lehigh Business communication center, where our staff members always love to provide you with communication suggestions.

Get information and resources about our center at The Philip Rauch Center for Business Communication.

The Importance of Virtual Check-in

By Communication Consultant Lili Tang (Accounting and BIS, ’22)

The Importance of Virtual Check InConnecting authentically with our friends and colleagues is an important part of building and sustaining relationships. Because we are often unable to meet in person during the pandemic, talking through screens may be our primary way of keeping in touch. But we need to think critically about our approach to these conversations if we want them to be truly authentic.

Many of our virtual conversations kick off with “Hi!” followed by a question out-of-habit: “How are you doing?” Unsurprisingly, people often reply, “I’m doing great.” But are friends and colleagues really “doing great”?  Are they thriving in today’s virtual environment? Not being in the same place can create an intangible wall between us and our conversation partners, blocking our real emotions and thoughts. Behind the “doing great” response may be loneliness, frustration, or anxiety. We and our conversation partners can open up our thoughts and emotions more readily if we avoid the “doing great” script in favor of sharing our authentic, specific experiences.

A good way to break down that intangible wall is having a virtual check-in. If done well, a virtual check-in not only helps everyone’s voice to be heard, but also builds stronger relationships. What are some alternative ways to start a conversation other than asking “How are you?” How can we better cope with the current situation and conduct an effective virtual check-in?

To start, we should gauge the “temperature of the room.” For instance, if you are with a friend or a family member, ask about their recent activities and feelings, keeping things casual and encouraging self-care. If you are in a more professional or less familiar group, it might be useful to give a brief introduction of yourself in which you describe what you have been doing in the past week and how you have been feeling. Then pass it on to other members to engage in conversation. You could also encourage texting via the chat function as another way of conducting introductions.

Once you understand a bit about how your conversation partners are feeling at the moment, ask (and share your own answers to) some questions that are relevant to a particular audience or topic:

  • “What are you grateful for today?”
  • “What’s been on your mind lately?”
  • “Did any COVID meme make you laugh in the past week?”
  • “What’s one thing you are secretly pleased that you don’t have to do now that you are social-distancing?”
  • “I am doing/trying [habits, new things] recently, how about you?”

Meanwhile, be aware that non-verbal responses are an important part of the virtual check-in. While actively and patiently listening to your conversation partners’ thoughts, keep constant eye contact by looking at the camera and smile and/or nod to acknowledge the speaker. Keep in mind that sincerity is always powerful in communication.

Though most of the time we are physically “trapped” due to the pandemic, our emotions ought not to be stuck in limbo. Checking in can set the tone for an online conversation so that everyone involved can feel validated for their unique experiences and feelings.

If you have any questions or need any help regarding virtual communication–or if you just need to check in with someone–connect with us by scheduling an appointment or sending an email. Start a great virtual check-in today!

Get information and resources about our center at The Philip Rauch Center for Business Communication.