Organizational Communication
Organizational Communication
Introduction
For any organization, communication represents one of the most fundamental tools of success. It comprises of the entire information systems as well as channels for sharing data across different departments. Effective communication frameworks have been the basis of success for most of the world’s leading organizations. Global giants like Dell and Wal-Mart employ exemplary communication platforms within their operational frameworks.For employees to complete their tasks successfully, it is fundamentally essential to develop effective communication strategies. Through such platforms, employees familiarize themselves with the relevant standards of competence. In contrast, the absence of effective communication platforms can tremendously undermine the standards of operational efficiency in an organization. For instance, this can easily undermine the productivity of employees.
Communication also serves as the main platform for an organization’s relations or interactions. This is because communication forms the basis of public relations. Additionally, communication strategies have far reaching implications on the efficiency of human resource mechanisms within an organization. This paper seeks to develop a comprehensive framework for successful communication strategies in an organization. Within an organizational setting, these communication concepts will play an instrumental role towards the enhancement of operational efficiency.
Thesis: Successful communication encompasses the integration of different organizational concepts.
CONCEPTS OF SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATIONS IN AN ORGANIZATION
Leadership Strategies
Leadership is among the most significant attributes that influence the standards of communication in any organization. The prevailing leadership strategies might hamper or promote the quality of communications. This is because different leaders employ different communication strategies. An authoritarian leader has minimal value for face to face communications within an organization. In essence, such leaders give instructions without considering the implications of such an approach.When leaders increasingly use the authoritarian style, it becomes difficult to streamline the quality of communications within an organization (Garicano, 2012). Additionally, dictatorial leadership derails the capacity of employees to speak openly about the different challenges facing an organization. It is also essential to highlight that authoritarian leadership undermines the standards of motivation within the workforce. The absence of motivation has negative implications upon the productivity standards. Consequently, authoritarian leadership styles do not promote effective communications in an organization.
Transformational leadership is among the most effective platforms for streamlining communications in an organization. It comprises of a leadership approach that steers togetherness and fosters the flow of information within the organizational hierarchy. In essence, transformational leaders can interact freely with all employees. Through such interactions, employees can raise their concerns as well as recommendations for the organization.Transformational leaders are always willing to listen to the different viewpoints of different employees (Gibbs & Heywood, 2012). This is an essential platform for streamlining the standards of decision making in any organization. Transformational leadership approach also helps in the enhancement of teamwork within an organization. Such teams also form an excellent basis for promoting the standards of communication within an organization.
It is extremely essential for an organization to embrace a leadership mechanism that allows employees to express themselves. This is a useful platform for promoting the standards of innovativeness within the workforce. Ineffectual leadership strategies discourage employees from sharing with colleagues. This curtails the development of ideas and thus stifles innovativeness (Miller, 2011). Additionally, the prevailing leadership framework should facilitate for an all-inclusive decision making process. This is only possible if organizations implement the relevant communication platforms. All these perspectives highlight the instrumental role of leadership towards the establishment of successful communication in an organization.
Active Listening
Listening affects the nature of interpersonal relationships and the capacity of individuals to grasp new concepts. Listening is thus among the most vital pillars of communication. Ineffective listening can strongly hamper the quality of communications among different individuals. In most cases, people want to speak rather than listen (Gibbs & Heywood, 2012). This derails the capacity of the communicating parties to share information. There are different implications of active listening with regard to communication.Firstly, active listening facilitates for understanding. For instance, an employee can only understand how to perform organizational tasks when after listening attentively to the instructions. The second implication of active listening pertains to the attainment of information about different organizational issues. Consequently, active listening streamlines the flow of information within an organization.
It is also pertinent to highlight that active listening facilitates for sufficient feedback. This is because the respondent can easily comprehend the information. The enhancement of active listening is an essential platform for streamlining the communication mechanisms within an organization. Consequently, the leaders should integrate such mechanisms into the organizational culture. All employees should have adequate listening skills irrespective of their rank in the hierarchical arrangement. The subordinate employees should have the capacity to listen attentively to high ranking executives (Downs & Adrian, 2012). Similarly, the high ranking executives should be willing to listen attentively to the subordinate employees. This facilitates for the high standards of morale within the workforce.It is fundamentally essential to examine some of the potential stumbling blocks for active listening within an organization. Firstly, negative attitudes can easily undermine the capacity of an organization to integrate active listening within the communication framework. When employees have negative attitudes, they can barely pay attention during communications. The second potential stumbling block for active listening pertains to the use of ineffectual language. Language barriers undermine the capacity of individuals to pay attention and thus comprise the standards of communication in a company (Mounter & Smith, 2008).
During communication, it is extremely crucial to avoid the use of irrelevant jargon or vocabulary. Such aspects can easily undermine the flow of information in an organization. Cultural assumptions can also undermine the effectiveness of active listening in an organization. This occurs when the communicating parties have divergent cultural values. Addressing such barriers is an essential stepping stone towards the alleviation of communication discrepancies within an organization. Personal prejudices can also undermine the ability of individuals to listen attentively. These comprise of baseless misconceptions about communications. By addressing these barriers, organizations can easily streamline the standards of communication (Gibbs & Heywood, 2012). Consequently, this helps in enhancing the standards of performance.
Conflict Resolution
Conflict resolution comprises of different strategies for dealing with organizational challenges. The presence of effective conflict resolution mechanisms is an essential pillar for streamlining the performance of an organization. On the other hand, the absence of such mechanisms leads to an escalation of minor problems within an organization. It is thus pertinent for all organizations to invest heavily in the establishment of effective conflict resolution frameworks. Some conflicts are more or less inevitable. For instance, some stakeholders will always question the practicability of some decisions.
Additionally, some employees might not be content with the approaches used in the allocation of organizational tasks. However, alleviating such challenges requires exceptional inputs for conflict resolution. It is fundamentally essential to highlight that communication is an inherent component of conflict resolution strategies (Miller, 2011). Without a comprehensive framework for communications, it is tremendously difficult to implement an effective conflict resolution mechanism. When conflicts arise within an organization, the conflicting parties must agree to communicate with each other in order to resolve the dispute.
An effective communication platform should facilitate for the conflicting parties to hold amicable discussions while maintaining the relevant standards of respect. Such a framework is also essential in terms of averting further escalation of conflicts (Garicano, 2012). While resolving conflicts, both sides must be willing to pay close attention to the viewpoints of others. This is only possible through the implementation of effective communication platforms. Consequently, conflict resolution is an essential concept towards the establishment of a comprehensive framework for communication within an organization.
Technology
Tremendous technological advancements are evident in the present world. Most of these advancements are based on digital systems. Consequently, it is possible to transfer information in exceptional speeds. For instance, managers can pass instructions to employees using emails. Similarly, chief executive officers can address staff members from thousands of miles away using videoconferences. In essence, modern technology has virtually redefined the course of communications in the modern world. Technology is hence among the most pertinent components for enhancing organizational communication.
It is more or less inevitable that organizations must seek to implement the most effective technology in line with their needs for communication (Gibbs & Heywood, 2012). Some technological platforms are highly effective in some setups but ineffectual in other environments. For instance, wide area networks are inappropriate for small scale organizations. In contrast, these networks are applicable in multinational corporations that have establishments around the globe. Through technology, organizations can promote teamwork and thus streamline the productivity of employees. Technological platforms facilitate for the integration of digital systems within the communication framework of an organization.
In essence, technology enhances accuracy of communications while also streamlining the speed. It is also essential to highlight that modern technological platforms facilitate for the flow of information within all organizational departments. This is vital in terms of ensuring that all employees are familiar with their tasks. Additionally, communication technology has an inherent capacity to streamline the standards of technical competence among employees (Downs & Adrian, 2012). However, the implementation of effective systems for communication technology is dependent on the skills of employees. For instance, the employees of an organization should have the relevant skills for understanding database management systems. If the employees do not have such skills, it should establish adequate platforms for training.
In addition to database management systems, other technological platforms that might enhance the standards of communication include PowerPoint presentations, videoconferencing, global positioning tools and the internet among others (Miller, 2011). Integration of these platforms within an organization facilitates for swift communications. Without an effective framework for communication technology, an organization would not attain the appropriate standards of productivity.
Organizational Culture
Organizational culture encompasses the principles and aggregate of values which determine the behavior of individuals in an organization. Organizational culture has an inherent effect on the standards of communication. For instance, some organizational cultures emphasize on formal communications. In such a culture, using informal communication tactics might lead into disciplinary action. On the other hand, some organizational cultures encourage both formal and informal communications (Gibbs & Heywood, 2012). Through this kind of framework, employees can interact and share with each other.
It is fundamentally essential for leaders to establish an effective organizational culture that facilitates for communication among all employees. For instance, the organizational culture should facilitate for excellent team spirit. Fostering such a spirit is extremely helpful in boosting the standards of operational efficiency within an organization (Mounter & Smith, 2008). This is because the employees exchange ideas about different organizational challenges. Some organizational cultures encourage individualism among employees. This is an undesirable attribute with regard to the enhancement of communication efficiency in the organization. For instance, individualistic employees do not share information with colleagues. This undermines the flow of information within an organization. All these perspectives highlight the different ways in which organizational culture affects the establishment of effective communication mechanisms within an organization.
IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATIONS IN AN ORGANIZATION
Having assessed the most pertinent concepts, it is vital to examine the significance of communication within an organization. Firstly, communication serves as an essential tool for promoting the standards of job satisfaction among employees. Effective communication platforms motivate employees and they thus approach their tasks with high levels of dedication. The absence of adequate motivation can tremendously hamper the capacity of an organization to maintain adequate standards of job satisfaction among employees (Miller, 2011).Apart from motivation, communication serves as an essential source of information for all employees. Such information comprises of organizational code of conduct, operational standards and technical details of tasks among others. Ineffectual communication mechanisms can tremendously undermine the capacity of organizations to inform employees.
Communication is also an essential platform for enhancing psychological confidence among employees. This occurs when employees share and interact with counterparts. The attainment of psychological confidence is extremely vital in terms of boosting the levels of productivity in an organization. Communication also serves as one of the most crucial platforms for conflict resolution. For instance, employees can resolve disagreements between themselves if an organization has an effective communication framework (Downs & Adrian, 2012).Communication is also among the most crucial perspectives that affect a company’s brand or image in the public. An effective communication mechanism facilitates for exemplary advertising strategies. Additionally, the strategy used for public relations has far reaching implications on the brand of an organization. On the other, a company’s image has direct implications on its performance. All these attributes highlight the significance of communications in any organization.
Conclusion
Successful communication encompasses the integration of different organizational concepts. The different sections of the paper provide a comprehensive justification of this statement. The most fundamental concepts of successful communication include leadership, technology, active listening, conflict resolution and organizational culture. The prevailing leadership strategies might hamper or promote the quality of communications. Listening is among the most vital pillars of communication. Ineffective listening can strongly hamper the quality of communications among different individuals. Without a comprehensive framework for communications, it is tremendously difficult to implement an effective conflict resolution mechanism. Technological platforms facilitate for the integration of digital systems within the communication framework of an organization. It is fundamentally essential for leaders to establish an effective organizational culture that facilitates for communication among all employees.The integration of these concepts forms the basis of operational efficiency within an organization. The different benefits of effective communication strategies are also evident in the paper. These benefits include the enhancement of company’s image, operational efficiency and job satisfaction. Consequently, effective communication is a vital pillar for success in modern day organizations.
References
Downs, C. W. & Adrian, A. D. (2012). Assessing organizational communication. New York, NY: Guildford Press
Garicano, L. & Yanhui, W. (2012). Knowledge, communication and organizational capabilities. Organization Science, 23(5): 1382-1397
Gibbs, T. & Heywood, S. (2012). Organizing for an emerging world. McKinsey Quarterly, 3: 81-91
Miller, K. (2011). Organizational communication: Approaches and processes. Boston, MA: Wadsworth
Mounter, P. & Smith, L. (2008). Effective internal communication. Kogan Page Limited
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