Ethical principles of communication - what everyone needs to know

Basic ethical standards and principles of communication

Human communication is based on certain ethical principles, norms and rules. Without their observance, communication will slide down to satisfying one’s own needs, which will lead to the destruction of relationships between people.

The purpose of all ethical norms and rules of conduct is to unite and unite all members of society.

... the most important rule for communicating with strong people: you cannot publicly doubt their infallibility. Jennifer Egan. Citadel

Every person has a need to communicate with others. Some are more sociable, others less so, but for the main two forms of human interaction - friendship and love - communication is necessary. Any human actions always have some kind of framework, boundaries and rules. What norms and rules govern our communication and determine the culture of speech?

The problem of communication ethics

The ethics of speech communication is determined by the culture of speech. Ethics prescribes rules of moral behavior for people, etiquette determines behavior in certain situations and specific formulas of politeness. A person who observes etiquette but violates ethical standards of communication is hypocritical and deceptive. Ethical and highly moral behavior with non-compliance with the rules of etiquette also looks rather strange from the outside and does not inspire confidence.

Thus, the concepts of ethics of speech communication and speech etiquette need to be considered together. Basic ethical principles and moral standards of communication are always considered along with specific rules for conducting a conversation: greeting, request, question, gratitude, farewell, etc. And if almost everyone is familiar with speech etiquette (methods of greeting, gratitude, congratulations, expressing gratitude and sympathy, etc. are familiar to many), then we often forget about ethical principles and norms.

Psychological component in business communication

Psychology in the culture of business conversation allows us to determine patterns in the mental state of interlocutors and, in accordance with its characteristics, be able to create a favorable climate for negotiations. A person with psychological knowledge can defend himself against a partner’s incorrect behavior, use ways to defuse negative emotions, refute opponents’ arguments in a gentle manner, and calmly listen to criticism. The psychological culture of business communication is of particular importance in resolving conflict situations, since they often reveal the characteristics of different psychological types.

Among the techniques and methods of psychological behavioral culture in the process of a business conversation, the following can be distinguished:

• Forming a good opinion of yourself (or the company).
• Creating a psychologically favorable environment.
• Listening to the interlocutor and understanding his motives.
• Determining the partner’s internal state (by manners and voice).
• Neutralization of comments during a conversation.
• Ways to protect yourself from inappropriate behavior.
• Techniques for conducting conflict-free conversation.
• Self-calming technique.

Ethical principles of communication

There is a so-called golden rule of communication, the essence of which is that you should treat others the way you would like to be treated by others. This rule can be extended to any situation. Thus, the following basic ethical principles of communication are considered:

• altruism (readiness to sacrifice something for the sake of another), virtue (establishing relationships with others from the standpoint of good and good), exactingness (making demands on oneself and others to fulfill a moral duty, responsibility), justice, parity (equality between people), etc. .d.
  Thanks to goodwill, sincerity and openness, trust arises between people, without which communication is impossible. Communication also reveals the following moral qualities of a person: honesty, truthfulness, kindness, respectful attitude towards others, caring for others, politeness, etc.

  Also, ethical principles of communication affect the content of the speech itself. It must be logical, understandable to both parties, polite, meaningful, truthful and expedient. Everyone decides for themselves whether brevity is the sister of talent. To some, short speech seems unnatural (this depends only on the person’s personal characteristics).

— 6 basic ethical principles of business conduct.

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1) Punctuality (do everything on time). Only the behavior of a person who does everything on time is normative. Being late interferes with work and is a sign that the person cannot be relied upon. The principle of doing everything on time applies to all work assignments. Experts who study the organization and distribution of working time recommend adding an extra 25% to the time that, in your opinion, is required to complete the assigned work. Violation of this principle is considered disrespect for the recipient, which may affect the course of the subsequent conversation.

2) Confidentiality (don’t talk too much). Secrets of an institution, corporation, or specific transaction must be kept as carefully as secrets of a personal nature. You should not retell to anyone what you have heard from a colleague, manager or subordinate about their official activities or personal life.

3) Courtesy, goodwill and friendliness. In any situation, it is necessary to behave with clients, clients, customers and co-workers politely, affably and kindly. This, however, does not mean the need to be friends with everyone with whom you have to communicate on duty.

4) Attention to others (think about others, not just yourself). It should extend to colleagues, superiors and subordinates. Respect the opinions of others, try to understand why they have a particular point of view. Always listen to criticism and advice from colleagues, superiors and subordinates. When someone questions the quality of your work, show that you value other people's thoughts and experiences. Self-confidence shouldn't stop you from being humble.

5) Appearance (dress appropriately). The main approach is to fit into your work environment, and within this environment - into the contingent of workers at your level. It is necessary to look your best, that is, dress with taste, choosing a color scheme that suits your face. Carefully selected accessories are of great importance.

6) Literacy (speak and write in good language). Internal documents or letters sent outside the institution must be written in good language, and all proper names must be conveyed without errors. You cannot use swear words; Even if you just quote the words of another person, those around you will perceive them as part of your own vocabulary.

These principles are present to varying degrees and recognized as valid in various business cultures. The fundamental principles in the business world are: responsibility, respect for human dignity and the interests of those involved in business.

Also read the article. “How to learn to communicate with people.”

The material was prepared by Dilyara specifically for agydar.ru

Types of ethical standards

Ethical standards of communication can be divided into mandatory and recommended. A mandatory ethical norm is adherence to the principle “Do no harm.” In order not to cause harm to a person through communication, it is important to restrain negative emotions, not to insult another, not to humiliate, not to be rude and not to be jealous.

Recommended ethical standards of communication: maintaining self-esteem, modesty, respectful attitude towards others, etc.

Ethical standards are also determined by the motives of communication:

There are emotionally positive motives: to bring joy, to satisfy the interlocutor’s need for understanding, respect and love, to interest. There are emotionally neutral motives: to convey information. There are emotionally negative motives: to be outraged in response to a bad deed, to express anger at injustice.

All of them are considered ethical because they are based on high moral motives. But when a person comes from base motives (to deceive another, to take revenge, to spoil the mood), this is not ethical, although it can be dressed in an acceptable form.

Speech etiquette formulas

1. Request

   A request as a speech act is one of the basic formulas of speech etiquette. In a request, the speaker strives to adhere to the rules of politeness, otherwise there is a risk of not achieving the goal. Moreover, in each speech situation, the person asking must choose the most acceptable expression from the many existing forms.

2. Praise and compliment

   Praise and compliment are features of the communicative culture of a certain people. In Russia, compliments on a person’s appearance are used with the greatest frequency; in second place are compliments that evaluate a person’s professionalism and abilities. It should be borne in mind that a negative reaction to a compliment is possible. This may be due to character traits - modesty and shyness.

3. Humor

   Note 1

   Humor and wit are means of influencing the interlocutor, rejecting anger, evil and aggressiveness towards the interlocutor.

   Humor lies in understanding what is funny, the ability to see and show what is comical, and highlight what is funny. Wit is manifested in inventive and resourceful highlighting, describing the comical, and emphasizing the funny. Wit in relation to humor is primary, and humor is secondary: jokes are invented by witty people, and they are told and retold by people with a sense of humor.

   Hidden mockery under the guise of seriousness fundamentally distinguishes irony from satire and humor. An ironic attitude in speech is realized through grotesque, wit, exaggeration, contrast, and a combination of different speech styles. Irony is objective and directed at others. Humor is subjective. Irony begins seriously and ends with laughter. Humor, on the contrary, begins with laughter and ends seriously. Irony can be used in speech, but with great caution, while relying on morality.

There are situations in which ironic speech is not appropriate:

• in communication with a person without a sense of humor;
• when the interlocutor is in a depressed state of mind;
• in communication with a stranger;
• special situations: funerals, weddings, rituals associated with great emotionality;
• in the society of a third person, on whom the one at whom the irony is directed depends emotionally, socially or psychologically;
• You cannot use ironic statements regarding religion, family, work, belief system, or nationality.

The ability to be ironic about oneself is a sign of intelligence and willpower. This skill is the result of long-term self-education.

Failure to comply with ethical standards

When the ethics of verbal communication are not respected (a person is rude, insults, opposes himself to others, imposes his own opinion on others, etc.), this leads to damage for both the speaker and the listener. A moral person always feels shame not only when he himself, voluntarily or unwittingly, does something unethical, but also when others do it. In addition, non-compliance with rules and regulations can lead to disruption of communication, barriers and interference in communication.

National features of speech etiquette

Communicating politely and within the framework of etiquette is customary in different countries of the world. At the same time, each of the national languages ​​imposes its own specifics on communication; rituals and habits of a particular people play an important role. For example, in speech relations, Russians and Germans are harsher, and the Japanese show servility in speech, Americans often show hypocrisy in communication, and the British are arrogant. Certain stereotypes have emerged about the coldness of the British and the hot temper of the Italians, the stubbornness of the Finns and the generosity of the Russians. Hence the difference in the speech behavior of different peoples.

Nonverbal culture in business communication

It happens that words, as such, in business negotiations do not correspond to the true attitude of the authors to the topic. Also, experienced partners may suspect the interlocutor’s insincerity, which affects decision-making. Non-verbal communication, that is, body language and gestures, allows us to eliminate this possibility and identify hidden motives. For example, by facial expressions you can determine the internal state of the interlocutor, his possible thoughts and messages. In this regard, the culture of business communication in an organization may also include non-verbal means of communication, which make it possible to establish trusting contact with a partner.

The ability to understand body language also allows you to anticipate the possible reaction of your interlocutor even before he verbally expresses his attitude to the received information. Accordingly, even in the process of conveying it, in parallel with the wordless language, it is possible to adjust positions in a certain direction.

It is generally accepted that nonverbal communication is accessible to every person, regardless of his cultural level and education. In reality this is not the case. Different people have different stock of gestures, and the higher the communication culture of a business person, the richer the opportunities for wordless communication. In negotiations, nonverbal language will allow you to express a skeptical attitude towards a proposal, emphasize dominant aspects, hide dissatisfaction with criticism, and much more, which will have no less a strong effect on the interlocutor than direct expression in words.

Conflict resolution

Conflict situations in the business sphere are not uncommon, and their consequences can be quite serious. In this regard, various means and ways to resolve them are used. Today, there are 5 basic concepts that determine behavior in conflict situations:

• Ignoring the actions of the other party.
• Adaptation to partners' conditions.
• Searching for a new format for cooperation.
• Finding a compromise.
• Competitive fight.

The choice of behavior style in a particular situation is determined by the specific interests of the participants in the conflict. The competitive style is most often chosen by people who have sufficient authority, will, and broad powers and are not very interested in partnering with the opposite side. This tactic can be used if the outcome of the conflict does not have a major impact on the interests of the organization. But it is important to remember that the ethics and culture of business communication still require compliance with certain laws of competition. That is, even with the obvious advantage of a large company over a small company, the manager who will seek a compromise resolution of the conflict, acting in the interests of the partner, will win. Even if you have to sacrifice your interests, in the future the reputational dividends will be able to cover the lost profits at the moment.

Culture in a telephone conversation

A telephone conversation is a form of conversation within strict boundaries, which often leads to mistakes in business etiquette. On the other hand, the limited format has its advantages, one of which is the ability to model typical situations and ways to overcome them. For example, the rules of business communication culture in a telephone conversation can be reflected in several common examples of behavior:

• You cannot call your partner’s home number without prior approval.
• The optimal time frame for a possible call can be determined as follows: from 8 am to 11 pm.
• If the call is not answered, do not hang up immediately.
• If the connection is interrupted, the call initiator must resume it.
• You should not speak loudly unless the interlocutor asks for it due to poor hearing.
• The conversation should be short and to the point.
• You need to answer calls as quickly as possible, otherwise the interlocutor will think that the conversation is not of interest to your partner.
• It is undesirable to move away from the phone during a conversation, but if this is necessary, then you should warn the interlocutor in advance.

Also, do not forget that the generally accepted principles of business communication culture require a positive and at the same time meaningful greeting and conclusion of the conversation with a possible summary.