Organizational Communication

Organizational Communication

Communication addresses how information circulates among the employees of a company, how information is passed from one person to another in ways such as email, phone conversations and face-to-face also known as formal and informal communication. Both methods are used with the lower-level employees and within supervisors and management patterns of communication. Communication is one of the most important skills that one can have to be successful in life.

Whether you’re a student, a family member, a friend, or an employee one cannot just do away with communication. Communication is not only about the exchanging of ideas, expressing our emotions, knowledge, data and information. Many organizations have various formal methods of communication that is used. Downward network is one of them, where upper management begins the delivery of the information. This allows for lower management to hear and understand the information presented and for them to convey the information to lower-level employees.

Those roles are CEO, HR managers, and lower level management while informal communication usually comes from the “grapevine. ” Grapevine communication can spread information quickly and can easily cross established organizational boundaries. This is a great example of informal communication, which can carry rumors about promotions, layoffs and mergers. We have learned that formal communication is based on the individual’s role in the organizations. Formal and informal communication channels exist in every organization.

Formal communication requires thought and planning prior to sharing; informal communication usually succeeds on its own, mostly because of the very effectual grapevine. At times it can be very hard to formalize informal communication; therefore, the best way to cut the grapevine is to provide truthful respectful and timely formal communication. Active listening is a structured form of listening and responding that improves overall understanding. It’s a strong way to engage someone in one-on-one conversations, participating in meetings or even interviewing a potential candidate.

Active listening is a clear way of understanding; it allows for clarity of the conversation and ensures that you understand the message that’s being presented. It also focuses on the speaker, so when planning for your next remarks, you are forced to listen and reflect on the other person before responding. Each of us can and will benefit from better communication in our work environments. With active listening, we are in control, and you will not need additional resources.

Just like we have active listeners we also have those who at act and listen rationally. These are the one that have very limited information but make decisions based on what they have heard. This causes serious breakdown in the communication process. To ensure that communication is being conveyed successfully one should make sure that you start with the very basics, verbal and non-verbal communication. Often times these forms of communication are being used without much planning or given thought within the workplace.

With that, it is not what you say, but how you say it; so keeping in mind our posture (body language), tone of voice, and eye contact. Often times we are not aware of these things and that they tend to say more than with is being said with our mouths; and people can take our body language and lack of eye contact out of context which can cause a serious breakdown in communication. Every organization has its own distinctive style of working which will contribute to the culture of the organization.

And effective communication is very important for the managers in the organization, so to perform the basic functions of management like planning, organizing, leading and controlling, communication allows managers to perform their duties and responsibilities. The beliefs, ideologies, principles and the values of the organization shape its culture. The culture in the workplace controls the way the employees behave among themselves as well as with the people they serve. The work culture unites the employees who are otherwise from different backgrounds, families and have varied attitudes and mentalities.

This allows the employees a sense of unity within the workplace. (Ghillyer, 2007) Communication helps to promote motivation by informing and clarifying they employees about the task to be done, in which they are performing their assigned duties and in which they can improve their performance if managers see the need to asset that area. This also plays a huge role in altering the individual attitudes. Organizations have the ability to asset and correct employees if they see someone not representing the organization in the correct manner.

If not handled in an appreciate manner can lead to conflict and the communication channels can be discarded and not handled effectively. Conflict is defined as: to come into collision or disagreement; be contradictory, at variance, or in opposition; clash. Conflict can be the result of competition in the workplace for resources such as work space and with ones position i. e. ; the demonstration of skills and ability, relationship with the boss, co-workers, vendors and customers. Organizations that have mastered the art of conflict resolution have a business advantage.

A positive conflict outcome removes performance barriers and allows organizations to meet corporate objectives. Developing effective strategies for working through conflicts, exploring different ideas, and making informed decisions can help build camaraderie and member pride in the effectiveness of group processes. (Kreps, 2011) Organizations strive to increase productivity, decrease employee turnover and to improve the office moral. No matter if a supervisor or regular employee is a better communicator or if they are difficult at times, the more to improve the communication between them the better working relationship you will have.

This allows you to understand that everyone comes from different communication backgrounds and it is very important to bring new employees up to speed on what’s important within the department and overall within the organization as a whole. Speaking is an art that should not be taken lightly, no matter how the words are said. It is important to allow others to speak so you can gather every opinion in the room, to think about what you have heard, take notes, and follow up in an appropriate manner.

Be sure to prepare, because preparation allows you to communicate effectively. Before all meeting, phone conferences, interviews, or those in the hall meetings, brief yourself on all topics. By writing down key points, or questions to ask this shows that you are not just a fly-by-night communicator but rather you’re a well prepared person and ready for the communication process. In essence, strategic leadership communication encourages others to cooperate with you, to follow your lead, and to share relevant information. Kreps, 2011) The purpose of leaders in a business setting is to build strengths, to oversee the problems that may arise and build the relationships by inspiring members to share important goals and help accomplish the shared goals of the organization, while building the resources of an organization. Good leaders can be the difference between a successful company and one that struggles. Not having a leader to provide direction, motivation and encouragement, employees may not know how to complete their day-to-day tasks.

A good leader keeps the organization’s mission in mind while assessing the details to ensure the organization runs smoothly. Strategic communication involves the use of effective interpersonal, group, and intercultural communication activities. (Kreps, 2011) When all levels of management in the organization are held accountable for effective communication the difference is measurable. The set the stage for everyone to communicate with each other openly and honestly the can make a difference. Managers are able to recognize and reward those staff members who are not appreciated for their feedback and often unrecognized for their improvements.

For the communication channels to work effectively managers need to have access to training and coaching so that staff members can understand the communication expectations that the organization has set in place and what is expected of them as representation of the organization in which they work. Such training can be one-on-one, in classrooms, online through webinars or in group settings. There are a wide range of materials for teaching effective communication. The phrase “you can’t manage what you can’t measure” is true when it comes to communicating.

Effective communication in any organization involves establishing a baseline for performance, identifying the areas that need improvement, and making improvements. This is a general cycle that repeats itself on a regular basis and the information that is shared is attained through managers and employees that are alike. (Richards, 2010) As organizations continue to move towards their goals, they often face the challenges many companies face and must overcome them as a team. Such challenges leave room for conflict between management and other members of the organization.

Challenges in communication can bring group members together and help them learn more about one another. From learning each other’s opinions on relevant topics within the organization to the way they handle conflict can give members the tools that are necessary to strengthen they communication barriers within the organization.

Bibliography

• Ghillyer, A. (2007). Business Ethic Now. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies. Kreps, G. L. (2011).
• Communication in Organizations. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Richards, L. (2010).
• What does Effective Communication in Organizations Involve? Employee Management for Small Business .