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9. Be sure your actions support your communications. In the final analysis, the most
persuasive kind of communication is not what you say but what you do. When a person's
actions or attitudes contradict his or her words, we tend to discount what that person has
said.
10. Seek not only to be understood but to understand—be a good listener. When we start
talking, we often cease to listen in that larger sense of being attuned to the other person's
unspoken reactions and attitudes.

Future Trends
Several trends are in evidence in the area of communications:
 Globalization. As the number of joint ventures and global enterprises increases, so will the
difficulties partners face when communicating with one another. In many multinational
corporations, the official spoken language depends upon a manager's location. In the Swiss
offices of a British multinational company, managers communicate in German even though
they are of several different nationalities. A Japanese company with plants in the United
States has a few Japanese nationals in top management but depends upon an American
work force. English is the official language in these U.S. operations except when the top
officials wish to exclude their American subordinates. Too often, business partners must
speak to one another with translators who often find it difficult to translate terms precisely (if
at all). Or, they may translate them too literally, a practice that leads to misunderstandings.
Clearly, language training will become increasingly important in multinational companies.
 Technology. The introduction of new electronic technologies will continue at a rapid pace.
Although these tools—e-mail, faxes, and voice mail—have become indispensable, they do
present a danger. Workers may become so reliant on them that they forget the importance
of nonverbal communication and the need to engage in the personal, social, and face-to-
face interactions that are necessary to bring people closer, develop trust, and foster team
spirit and cooperation. To prevent complete reliance on electronic communication,
businesses will continue to increase the number of meetings and videoconferences they
use each year.
 Cultural diversity. Given the changing demographics of the United States and the
increasing international presence in U.S. companies, the number of programs to teach the
value of cultural diversity will continue to grow. These programs will also seek to foster
corporate culture.