Business Communication Trends essay

Baker Hughes Drilling Fluids is an oilfield distributor located in the Gulf Coast Region. As with every business, Baker Hughes needs to practice effective communication skills to maintain a successful and thriving reputation of the world’s leading oilfield service provider. As an administrative assistant at Baker Hughes, communication is a necessity. Day-to-day activities such as analyzing daily observation reports for offshore personnel and keeping an up-to-date tracking report of each employee’s status is also important.

Without effective and accurate communication the success of Baker Hughes would be uncertain. Business trends at Baker Hughes include technology; focus on quality and customer needs, teamwork, diversity, globalization and outsourcing, and balancing work and family. This paper is intended to describe how these trends in business communication affect me on a daily basis.

Technology

Technology in my daily activities include emails and social networking tools such as Windows communicator which is used to communicate with office and offshore personnel about valuable information I may need to complete my daily activities.

Focus on Quality and Customer Needs

Employees are tracked on a daily basis through the employee tracking report. As customers call for oilfield service, employees can be tracked based on their utilization. Determining whether or not an employee has worked over the allotted time will determine whether he or she is sent to the new customer. The awaiting customer can always rest assure they will be getting a well rested employee who is aware of the customer’s needs.

 Teamwork

Different divisions work together to accomplish the goal of making sure. Baker Hughes maintains a successful reputation. Teamwork is encouraged at Baker Hughes. By working closely with payroll, I can assure that offshore personnel will get accurate numbers in utilization and payroll, allowing our employees the satisfaction of knowing their hard work is being noticed and appreciated.

Diversity

Baker Hughes believes in diversity and feels anyone is capable of success. Although Baker Hughes is an oilfield company, women are given the same opportunities as men. People of color and immigrants can also look forward to calling Baker Hughes their family.

Globalization and Outsourcing

Baker Hughes has expanded operations to Brazil, Malaysia, Singapore and other countries. Baker Hughes is in the process of outsourcing the accounting department to Malaysia. In a recent meeting the corporate office advised to save the company money, outsourcing some departments deemed to be the best decision. If the company’s accounting department is outsourced to Malaysia, it may take longer to receive the information I need to complete my daily tasks. More training may have to be done for personnel to feel assured the job will be handled properly. Also, the concern of other departments such as my own being outsourced is also an issue.

Balancing Work and Family

In today’s job market, many individuals have families at home. I believe the proper solution to balancing work and family is to leave work at work, when at work. When at the office, a professional setting is required. Family time is usually a more relaxed setting, and a person should be able to distinguish the two. If at times when I have to bring work home, I make time for my family first. Once everyone is relaxed, I then begin my work. Making time for family can be a stress reliever after a long day at the office.

Conclusion

Effective communication trends at Baker Hughes result in positive feedback from employees and customers. Knowing that personnel at the company are communicating effectively says a lot about the management level and the core values of the business. As the oilfield industry continues to move towards an uncertain future effective communication will never change. Whether dealing with personnel domestically or internationally, having a clear understanding of what is needed and what can be done is always important.

As Baker Hughes prepares for the move to an overseas department, my duties and tasks will become more lengthy and demanding. My goal as an employee is to do the best I can to communicate effectively with employees in all areas of the business through the resources that I have available within the company. With the help to advancing technology and an adherence to the Baker Hughes code of conduct, I see a bright future.

References

Locker, K., & Kienzler, D. (2008). Business and Administrative Communication (8th edition). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

English, D. (2008). COMMUNICATION COMPETENCIES: PERCEPTIONS OF AACSB COLLEGE OF BUSINESS DEANS AND BUSINESS COMMUNICATION STUDENTS. Allied Academies International Conference. Academy of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict. Proceedings, 13(2), 2.  Retrieved May 28, 2009, from ABI/INFORM Global database