Chapter Outline:
· The nature and Function of Communication:
· Methods of Interpersonal communication:
· Effective Interpersonal Communication:
· Organizational Communication:
· Information Technology and Communication:
· Communication Issues in Today’s Organizations:
Everything a manager does, involves communication, providing information, decision making, suggestion, everything involves communication.
What is Communication:
Communication is the transfer and understanding of meaning.
If an idea or information is not transferred or conveyed, this means communication hasn’t take place.
The second most important thing in communication is meaning should be understood by the receiver.
A good communication doesn’t mean that there is an agreement between sender and receiver. The receiver can say, “I can clearly understand what you saying but I disagree with what you said.”
· Interpersonal Communication: the communication between two or more people.
· Organizational Communication: it is in pattern, network and systems of communication within the organization.
Functions of Communication:
Communication serves four major functions, which are; Control, Motivate, Emotional Expression and Information.
Control:
Communication plays important part to control members behavior in many ways. There are rules to which members are supposed to follow. When an employee wants to report something unusual to management, his communication acts as controlling function.
Motivation:
Motivation in communication can be taken as if some employee is telling his colleague about what is expected from him on job, what will reward him, what he should not do etc.
Emotional Expression:
When employees sitting in groups and sharing their problems or joys, its emotional expression.
Information:
Communication also provides information to employees, colleagues and even it helps managers in decision making.
Elements of Communication Process:
· Message: When we speak, the speech is the message. When we pas gestures, then the movement of our arms and expressions are message.
· Encoding: Encoding can be termed as the conversion of thoughts into communication.
· Channel: Channel is a medium through which communication takes place. Sender selects the medium. It can be formal or informal, Formal channels are designed by organizations, for example, emails or flow of information in hierarchical manner. Informal channels can be when two people came across and start communicating randomly through waves.
· Decoding: Decoding is the way the receiver perceives the message and how receiver understands the message.
Noise:
Noise often becomes barriers to communication. It can cause distortion or hurdles in communication.
Questions to Evaluate Communication Methods:
· Feedback: How quickly the receiver responds to the message?
· Complexity Capacity: Do the method sender is using, can transfer the complex messages?
· Breadth Potential: How many different types of messages can be processed by using this method?
· Confidentiality: Do the sender have any surety that the message will reach the intended receiver only?
· Encoding ease: Can the sender use this method easily and quickly?
· Decoding ease: Can the receiver decode the message easily and quickly?
· Time-space constraint: while using this method, do the sender and receiver need to communicate at the same time and same space?
· Cost: how much this method will cost?
· Interpersonal warmth: do this method have the capacity to transmit interpersonal warmth.
· Formality: Do the method exhibits the required formality?
· Scanability: do the method can easily be scanned or browsed for relevant information?
· Time of Consumption: how much time will it take both the sender and receiver in this process of communication?
In the following picture, the comparison between different methods is mentioned. Sender can choose any method as per the need.
Nonverbal Communication:
It is an important part of interpersonal communication. Non-verbal communication is to convey a message without words. For Example; when during class, students start putting their books, papers and notebooks away, the message is clear that class time is about to over.
Body Language:
Body movements, gestures, facial expressions, hand movements can communicate emotions, temperaments such as aggression, joy, anger, arrogance, shyness etc.
Verbal Intonation:
It is the tone a manger uses while communicating. For example: “What are you saying?” can be taken as manager is couldn’t listen properly and wants employee to repeat it, and secondly these words can be used to show some anger.
Managers need to remember that, nonverbal communication carries great impact. It is not what you say, it’s how you say it.
Managers and employees face barriers, due to which somewhere somehow communication doesn’t remain as effective as it should be.
Barriers to Communication:
Filtering:
Filtrating communication is the manipulation of information, it is when it is known and well understood by employees that, what their manager wants to listen. That is filtered communication.
In an organization, how much communication is filtered depends upon the number of vertical levels exist in that organization. Communication is filtered at each managerial level before reaching the top-level management.
Emotions:
It often happens, emotions intervene the communication and its effectiveness. When we are emotional, we don’t remain rational while assessing the purpose of communication.
Information Overload:
It is to bulldoze the information. Flow of too much information at one time or at wrong time when the receiver is not in good mood, lesser the effectiveness of communication.
Example: we receive 100s of marketing messages and emails, we don’t even bother to read those messages and emails
Defensiveness:
If someone is threatened, he obviously will not be able to communicate properly which will result in losing the effectiveness of communication.
Language:
If the speaker is using the language, which receiver can’t understand, it also becomes a barrier. Use of jargons with the person who don’t understand these jargons is also useless.
· Jargon: Jargons are specialized terminologies or technical language that the members of some specific group or organization use while communicating with each other.
National Culture:
Communication styles and words we use in communication varies in meaning in different national cultures.
For technological and cultural reasons, Chinese don’t like voice mails, it can cause a problem for the one who don’t know this.
One word is considered as abusing in one culture and the same word is acceptable in other culture.
Overcoming the Barriers:
Use Feedback:
We can take feedback from receiver, if they have understood what is communicated or not. This can lesser the chance of misunderstanding.
Simplify Language:
Use language which the receiver can understand. So that that communication stay effective.
Listen Actively:
Listen effectively to the speaker. The average person can speak 125 to 200 words per minute while average lister can understand up to 400words per minute. How to listen effectively, some recommendations are shown in the given below picture.
Constrain Emotions:
Hold your emotions, make yourself composed while listening something important to understand its purpose.
Watch Nonverbal Cues:
If actions speak louder than words, receiver must count on them. Watch the nonverbal cues to get the desired message.
Formal vs Informal Communication:
Formal Communication:
Communication takes place between manager to manager or between manager to employees or feedback from employees to manager is a part of formal communication.
It’s purely about official objectives, tasks, assignments or feedbacks.
Informal Communication:
Informal communication is when employees talk with each other on topics other than regular work in the office or during lunch etc.
It serves two purposes. First, it satisfies employees need of socialization and second It can improve organization’ performance as it allows employees to discuss creative ideas and provides faster ways of communication.
Direction of Communication Flow:
Communication can flow in four directions, i.e., Downward, upward, Lateral and diagonal.
Downward Communication:
Downward communication is the flow of information from upper level of organization to lower level of organization. It is when manager gives orders to his subordinates or giving direction about some tasks.
Upward Communication:
Upward communication is the flow communication from lower level of organization to upper level of organization. It is when subordinates report back the problem to managers or feedback taken from junior staff.
Lateral Communication:
It is also called as horizontal communication. It is when communication takes place between two or more same level of employees. It is when manager speaks with manager of other department, or when lower-level staff discuss the problem with each other to solve it.
Diagonal Communication:
Diagonal communication takes place without taking the departments and levels in notice. It is when senior manager of one department speaks with the lower-level staff from another department.
Organizational Communication Networks:
Communication networks are the combination of horizontal and vertical flow of organizational communication.
Types of Communication Networks:
· Chain: it is two-way flow of communication according to chain of command defined in the organization. It travels both ways downward and upwards.
· Wheel: it can be taken as the communication between the leader and his subordinates. It is also two-way communication. Leaders serves as hub.
· All channel: In this, all the team members communicate freely with each other.
The Grapevine:
It is the informal organizational communication network. In a survey, 63% of employees said that they heard the important information on grapevine. Important points are discussed in grapevines, often roomers come from this. Grapevine is active in almost every organization.
Manager should keep eye and analyze the grapevine or such meetings and watch the flow of information, feel its impact on other employees and take necessary steps.
Remedy: Managers can call the employees or hold meeting to clear the points or ambiguities if they have any.
Workplace Design and Communication:
Better workplace design and layout results in better overall employee performance. Workplace design should satisfy four types of employee work, i.e., focused work, collaboration, learning, and socialization.
Two common designs are i) enclosures and barriers used in the workspace, It is high in privacy. ii) open work space.
Open Workplace:
In open workplace design there are minimum physical barriers and enclosures. In open workplace it is noticed that due to Visibility factor 60% more communication takes place than the other set-up.
The other factor is Density, higher the density in the workspace more communication will take place and vice versa, lower the density leads to lesser communication.
Another workplace design to allow the employee to customize the layout of his office of sitting arrangement.
In today’ world of cost saving, managers need to ensure the smaller and more open workspaces are useful and contribute to effective and efficient work. Provide employees both the privacy and chance to collaborate with each other will result in better employee performance.
Technology has taken over and changed the way we live and work. Communication pattern have been changed. Technology have enabled managers to coordinate with employees in more effective and efficient way.
How Technology Effects Managerial Communication:
IT has improved manager’ ability to communicate and monitor and evaluate employee’ performance anytime from anywhere. IT allows both managers and employees to communicate, and take decisions faster. Employees are now accessible anytime and from anywhere. Two IT developments which are important for managerial communication are; Networked systems and Wireless capabilities.
Networked Systems:
In networked organizations, computers are linked through a server. We are looking into mechanics that how it happens, but we will look the aspects which helps employees in communication. These networked systems or shared systems allows employees in interacting with each other, sitting anywhere in the office, teleconferences, video conferencing and intranets, voicemails, conducting webinars etc.
Wireless Capabilities:
Wireless communication has enabled managers to stay in touch with employees working in the fields or outside the office. Employees no longer need to be on their desks to communicate. Mobile networks are there and wi-fi devices are installed in so many spaces to further assist the wireless communication.
How Information Technology Affects Organizations:
Employees working in teams or individually need information to work and take decisions. Information technology can affect the way employees communicate, share information and perform their work, this increases the effectiveness and efficiency of organization.
Managers should not ignore the psychological drawbacks. IT can lead to psychological pressure for employees of being accessible anytime and anywhere. How to separate their work and personal lives. This question is of major concern these days, which is not easy to answer.
In today’s technological world, it is important for managers to stay connected with employees, customers and all the stakeholders of the organization.
Managing Communication in an Internet World:
Managers in many organizations are now persuading their employees to share information or discuss something face to face or by personally meeting each other rather than using email services or other internet channels. So much use of internet has been identified with two major problems, which are; Legal and security Issues and the lack of personal interaction.
Legal and Security Issues:
With no doubts, email, blogs and other online communication channels are fast and quick. But managers should be aware of any misuse. Employees should not be allowed to share any official, legal and confidential information through their emails or social media posts or on blogs. Strict actions should be taken against such employees, as electronic information is admissible in law courts. Says one expert “Today, e-mail and instant messaging are the electronic equivalent of DNA evidences.”
Managers need to ensure that confidential information is kept confidential. Corporate computers and e-mail systems should be protected against spams and hackers.
Personal Interaction:
Social media and other internet communication channel have reduced the personal interaction to great extant. It is challenging to get things done when communication takes place in a virtual environment.
Many organizations have encouraged employees to collaborate more in-person. But still in some conditions, like, if two employees are sitting in different places, then in this condition, internet plays important role in communication. Use social media messengers to get swift response rather than email services and keep on waiting for response.
Social media appeal young individuals because they feel comfortable this communication medium. Some big companies have developed their personal social networks for their employees to interact with each other.
Managing the Organization’s Knowledge Resources:
We are living in the era of data. The more data you have, the more powerful you are. Organizations need to make it easier for employee to communicate and share information, so that they can learn from each other’ knowledge and do their jobs effectively and efficiently.
One way organization can do this is to create and maintain a data base, that employees can access.
Second, companies can create communities for collaboration and practice. Here employees interact with each other through essential tools like, interactive websites, videoconferences etc. These groups can face some problems like filtering, emotions. Managers need to cope with these issues as well.
The role of Communication in Customer Service:
Managers need to make sure that, employees who interact with customer are communicating appropriately and effectively. Three components of service delivery process are the customer, the service organization and the individual service provider. Each of these three components plays important part in effective communication. Obviously, managers cannot control what customer says, but managers can control other two components.
A successful service organization takes care of their customer, about their needs, meeting those needs, and making sure whether those needs were met or not. Each of these involves communication, it may be face to face, through e-mails or through other channels. Employees are told to adopt customer personalization strategy.
Example: Ritz-Carlton Hotels keeps record of customers in their data-base. If a customer uses extra pillows, a certain brand of shampoo, he will get the same on arrival next time. If the room service provider got to know by chance about the couple’ anniversary, he is supposed to communicate it to his manager, so that something important can be done. This is how they follow the customer personalization strategy.
As the service prodder is the first, if customer experience has gone wrong, he should be fully equipped with information, how to calm the customer, what and how to communicate. He should listen customer actively, apologize him, solve the problem and make customer satisfy with the service this time to make him a happy customer.
Getting Employee Input:
In today’ world of intense competition, organizations need to take input from employees to perform better. Employee’s suggestion boxes should be placed in the organization. So, to get input from employee if they have any idea of how to improve or how to save costs, reducing delivery time, etc.
If companies want to succeed in today’ world, managers should not ignore such ideas from employees, and on the other hand employees should be aware of the value of their suggestions. Following are the suggestions for letting employees to know that their opinions matter.
Communicating Ethically:
Ethical communication includes all true and relevant information and not deceptive for customers in any way. While, unethical communication distorts the truth or manipulates the audiences.
Managers should establish clear guidelines for ethical behavior which includes ethical business communication. If no clear guidelines exist, it’s important to answer the following questions,
A
managers know the choices of communication and their consequences of those
choices. If manager have these two things in mind, he is likely to have ethical
communication.