Formal Proposal on Organizational Communication Strategies
In the contemporary business world, it is very important for an organization to have secure and proper communication strategies. This is mainly because communication is one of the greatest pillars to success within an organization. The need for proper and secure communication strategies has been asserted by the modern developments in technology which have brought about the globalization aspect. This implies that a manager does not have to manage people who are centralized in a given geographical area. Businesses have spread far and wide, but most still have their headquarters where eth main administrative functions are carried out. In order for an organization to run effectively and avoid going into chaos, there is the need to have a sound communication strategy. The communication strategies should be defined in such a manner that they are upwards, downwards and sideways. This is to imply that an individual should be in a position to effectively communicate with the superiors, the juniors as well as those whom they are at the same level. In order for this to be carried out, there is the need for the organization to emphasize on the fact that all the individuals must learn the proper communication skills and strategies. This can only come about if all the individuals understand the various concepts of organizational communication. Below are some of these concepts.
The leadership strategies should be at the top of the communication concepts (Darling and Beebe, 2007). In this case, it is well known that the leadership unit acts as the vision bearer for the organization. As such, this leadership component should be in a position to relay the mission and vision of the organization to the rest of the employees so that all can work together towards making the business a success. For this to be effective, it implies that the leadership strategies must be designed in such a manner that they encourage open communication between the employees and the management. As Darling and Beebe (2007) indicate, the management strategies should be designed in such a manner that the management is close to the people. The transformational management strategy is encouraged as it allows for the employees to easily access the management and share with them. This is as opposed to the traditional management strategies where there was the top-down mode of communication with a chain of command. In the old model, it implied that the employees acted as just implementers of the decisions made by eth management but they had no way of influencing the strategies. This was mainly because the system of management was closed.
In the contemporary business world, it is recommended that the organizations should adopt the bottom-up style of communication which encourages the people to share with the management and air out their views. This also make sit much easier for even the colleagues to communicate freely with each other since the system creates an open channel through which all can interact with each other. In other words, this transformational management strategy which allows for the bottom-up mode of communication is the key to success in communication within an organization. This strategy is also focused on the people. The management does not act as the bosses, but acts as colleague with a greater responsibility. This even goes ahead to reduce the rift between the two. It brings the management closer to the people and enhances the communication between the two. As such, organizations should be very cautious when choosing the strategy to adopt for management as this can propagate proper communication in the organization if chosen right, and shut down any doors to communication if the wrong strategy is adopted.
According to Brown and Starkey (1994), the organizational culture is another concept that can be manipulated to enhance the communication within an organization. The organizational culture is defined as the manner in which the different issues in the organization are handles; it is the organization’s way of doing things. This manner of doing things affects the way in which the employees behave, how they handle affairs between themselves and with the organization as well as how they relate with each other.
The organizational culture affects communication in that it affects the behaviors of the individuals. If the culture is so rigid, then the people tend to adopt that rigidity. They do not have time to socialize with each other or even have a light time together. All the communications that take place are strictly business affairs. On the other hand, a flexible organizational culture means that the people are more free and they can easily inter-mingle with each other. Through these social and open interactions, the people can share their ideas and feelings about the work, working conditions and other factors within the organization. All these can be taken in order to improve the functioning of the organization.
Brown and Starkey (1994) further observe that the “attitudes to communication and information have their roots in a dominant organizational culture.” That is, the nature of the organizational culture determines the way in which people perceive communication. It can also affect the manner in which the people communicate such as the operational terms they use. The culture has so much influence on the communication strategies such that in some cases, the people from a given organization can be easily identified depending on the manner in which they communicate.
Based on the above findings, it is recommended that an organization should adopt a culture that encourages interpersonal communication. Greater chances of interpersonal communication interpret into higher the chances that there will be more effective communication within the organization. This happens because people tend to communicate freely in an environment where they are free of fear, intimidation or victimization. This is what a flexible organizational culture offers the employees. It makes them feel that their input is necessary and could be used to make a difference in the organization. In the long run, it leads to a successful communication strategy, as opposed to a rigid organizational culture.
In the contemporary world, there are very many channels of communication. There are the traditional face to face modes of communication, the use of telephones and mobile phones, written communication through letters, publications and other literature, use of online means of communication such as e-mail, and even the technologically advanced modes of communication which include teleconferencing through conference calls. The different modes of communication are adopted depending on the level of technology, availability of the resources and the knowledge on how to use them as well as the environmental conditions (Lavenberg and Caspi, 2011). However, in the myriad of these channels of communication, it is highly likely that individuals are bound to make poor choices of communication strategies, thereby hampering the communication process. In this light, therefore, it is recommended that the individuals within the organization should be in a position to know and adopt the best communication strategy suitable for a given occasion. This is mainly because the right communication relayed through the wrong media can lead to a misinterpretation of the message.
In this context, it is recommended that the individuals within the organization should learn of the difference between formal and informal communication as well as the different ways and situations in which each of them apply (Lavenberg and Caspi, 2010).
For instance, an employee should understand that the manner in which to address a fellow worker is quiet different from the manner in which to address the leader of the organization or the team. In order to master this concept, the individuals should learn to consider three main aspects before picking on a communication strategy. The first one is the message itself. If the message is not as crucial or urgent, it can be relayed through an informal setting, as opposed to an important communication. The sender of the information also determines the kind of method to use. For instance, a leader communicating to a junior staff member might not employ as much formal aspect in the communication as the junior would if addressing the senior. The individual’s predisposition within the administration lien matters in this. Lastly, there is the recipient of the message. Regardless of the sender, the recipient can be used to determine the kind of communication to use, whether formal and informal. Again, this aspect is closely tied to the management strategies adopted by the company as well as the organizational culture. The bottom line is that the individuals should be in a position to determine the nature of communication to use.
Within the contemporary work place, it is obvious that conflicts will always arise. There are different factors that can contribute to the rise of a conflict within an organization. For instance, there can be clash of interests between individuals where they do not seem to agree on a given issue which is related to the workplace. There is also the aspect of competition where the employees at the same level try to outdo each other. Furthermore, the lack of a strict code of ethics can imply that the individuals interact in a manner that creates chances for a conflict. One thing for sure is that there can never be a workplace in which there are no differences between individuals (Sonja, 2003). It simply implies that conflicts are inevitable within an organization.
The main disadvantage with unresolved conflicts is that they tend to affect the manner in which the colleagues relate with each other. It can also lead to a situation where the employees do not effectively communicate with each other. As such, a knowledgeable employee can remain silent in a situation where he has a solution, only because the one responsible for the situation happens to have a grudge with the informed employee. This is just an indication of how conflicts can put done the communication level within the organization.
Since the conflicts cannot be avoided, the best way would be to find the means through which these conflicts can be resolved without affecting the smooth running of the organization. As such, there is the need to learn how to resolve these conflicts so as to make sure that the operations are not affected (Sonja, 2003). The main point to be noted here is that conflicts will always arise and when they do, resolving them would be the best option as it can help to save the situation. The resolution can be attained through having a proper rules and regulations within the organization as well as the code of conduct. A fine should be imposed on anyone who goes against these regulations. This would significantly reduce the cases of conflicts/. It would also give a way through which eth conflicts within the organization can be handled. Proper conflict resolution is one of the strengths of management as it helps to make sure that the employees remain as a team and can help each other out for the overall good of the organization.
Lastly, there is the concept of active communication as described by Hunt (2012). He describes active communication as a scenario where the receiver of a message shows that he understands the communication, is involved in the process and is interested in the message. This acts as a motivation to the sender of the information as there is that aspect of feeling appreciated and acknowledged.
Hunt (2012) goes on to suggest the various ways through which the receiver can get actively involved in the communication process, hence motivating it. First of all, there is the body language. The posture is one of the greatest determinants whether the receiver of the information is interested or not. This has a lot to do with the eye contact, gestures such as nodding, repeating some of the main points mentioned by the source of the communication, responding, and asking for clarification are just some of the ways that can be employed in showing interest to the communication process by being active.
On the other hand, there is the passive communication where the recipient of the information remains rigid and unchanged despite the nature of the communication. Under such circumstances, the communication process is not a success since the sender of the information tends to feel unappreciated, humiliated and the possible feeling that they are not appreciated. This would definitely act as a communication killer.
Based on the above account, Hunt (2012) suggests that the individuals within the organization should adopt the active communication style. This is not only while within the organization but also in life in general. Everyone likes to be appreciated and to be shown that they are important. In an organization, this comes about by appreciating the individuals when they make an effort at communication. As such, encouraging the active mode of communication could place an organization well on its way to enjoying effective and satisfying communication processes.
In conclusion, this proposal has looked at five main components that can be applied in enhancing the communication within the organization. It has looked at five main concepts which are leadership strategies, organizational culture, formal and informal learning, conflict resolution as well as active communication. By looking at each of these components individually, the pros and cons in relation to communication have been mentioned before a recommendation on the best strategy was chosen. As such, it is expected that the proposal would be of great importance to organizations and individuals who would like to improve their communication skills.
References
Brown, A.D. & Starkey, K. (1994). The Effect of Organizational Culture on Communication and Information. The Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 31(6), pp. 807. Retrieved on 15th Nov. 2012 from http://search.proquest.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/cv_755997/docview/194221890/13A6A97206A619C6B7E/4?accountid=32521
Darling, J.R. & Beebe, S.A. (2007). Effective Entrepreneurial Communication in Organization Development: Achieving Excellence Based on Leadership Strategies and Values. Organizational Development Journal, Vol. 25(1), pp. 76-93. Retrieved on 15th Nov. 2012 from http://search.proquest.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/cv_755997/docview/198008754/13A6A9F78EC2DFF8599/1?accountid=32521
Hunt-Gierut, D. (2012). How My Daughter Taught Me to Teach: The Importance of Active Communication. Education Digest, Vol. 78(1), pp. 52-57. Retrieved on 15th Nov. 2012 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=30e913d8-85ee-47ec-ba1e-fac56a88ba03%40sessionmgr114&vid=1&hid=118&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGNwaWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4ODU2ODk3JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=82981819
Lavenberg, A. & Caspi, A. (2010). Comparing Perceived Formal and Informal Learning in Face-to-Face versus Online Environments. Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning Objects, Vol. 6, pp. 323-333.
Retrieved on 15th Nov. 2012 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=30e89c7c-1697-4dbf-9bc5-ff42cdf4318f%40sessionmgr111&vid=1&hid=118&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGNwaWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4ODU2ODk3JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=58036293
Sonja, T. (2003). International Training: The Training of Managers for Assignments Abroad. Education & Training, Vol. 45(8/9), PP. 550-557. Retrieved on 15th Nov. 2012 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=ab732f9a-36ec-484e-86c2-183ee3d01c7e%40sessionmgr113&vid=1&hid=118&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGNwaWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4ODU2ODk3JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=12111797
