(Question 5)
According to Stillman (2010), communication is an essential part of an efficient business operation and failure to have communication strategies may lead to failure of the business. Communication entails passing of a message from one party to the other. Communication can be transmitted through the word of mouth, written messages, body language and sharing. What make conversation interesting is the ability to understand one another. However, communication becomes very complicated when the message cannot be understood and may turn out to be an annoying experience. Improper communication leads to misunderstanding and in most cases can cause unanticipated disasters. For instance, misunderstanding can lead to various problems such those illustrated in the case of ‘Colombia High School Shooting' disaster (Stillman, 2010).
The efficiency of communication is dependent on factors such actions, body language and selective usage of words. Communication can be efficient when both parties to it pay keen attention to what is being discussed. For instance, in the security set up, there must be attentive listening to ensure that the message is well received for the appropriate action to be taken. Poor listening skills was the primary cause of the shooting disaster that occurred at the Colombia High School (Stillman, 2010).
When the shooting occurred, various security agencies were on the radio frequency voices, and this did not create a good opportunity for listening. Understanding one another was a challenge because the involved parties did not take listen attentively to one another. Failure to listen created a loophole for the disaster happen, and there was no swift response from the security agencies. Lack of proper training on the significance of training in the past made it difficult for the security personnel to understand one another. Failure to understand one another led to reckless shooting from the police without having a common target. This inappropriate actions led to disaster to be worse instead of helping to solve the situation. Swift response in the case of Colombia High School could have been achieved if effective communication could have been in place. Similarly, the head of the police was supposed to regulate communication especially from the circulation of the event by the social media. Therefore, the photos of the shootings could not have been circulated by the media as they brought a sense of fear to the citizens who were watching (Stillman, 2010). The images distributed by the social media made people run into the school to help their children with the disaster.
Additionally, effective communication can only be achieved if the barriers to it such as time and language are addressed. The time required to understand a particular communication may significantly differ from one person to the other. For instance in the case of the Colombia High School Shooting, the officers in charge should have known the time required for its officers to interpret appropriately the message. It is vital to understand that people take different times to listen, understand and interpret the message. The other communication obstacle that need to be addressed is the language used (Stillman, 2010). A common language understood by many people is critical for effective communication. Similarly, learning other people’s languages is significant in extending the understandability of various cultures. Failure to use a common language during communication can prove to be a big challenge. The other factor that may act as a hindrance to effective communication is a low self-esteem. Therefore, it is significant to ensure that those parties involved in a communication have a high esteem to promote understandability.
There are two common levels of communication, such accurate and distorted information. The two levels of communication build different levels of trust. For instance, accurate information is well planned and detailed. It, therefore, implies that accurate information creates a high level of trust. On the other hand, distorted information is less detailed and may be out of the context. Distorted information does not build a high level of trust since an individual may doubt its validity. It is also significant to remember that different cultures may influence the level of communication. For instance, it is a taboo among the South Arabians that people of the same age should share ideas. It means that children will not openly discuss issues directly with their elders. However, the culture of the Egyptians do not restrict people sharing information across the age groups and sets (Stillman, 2010). Based on the two examples, the Saudi Arabian children may not feel free to discuss their pressing issues directly with their parents. This kind of restriction makes communication difficult and ineffective. The level of trust among the Saudi Arabians is small compared to those of the Egyptians. Egyptian culture allows people to interact freely and communicate, and this creates a high level of trust. It is, therefore, my opinion that he children should not have barriers or obstacles when trying to air their grievances, especially to their elders. The issues facing society can be effectively achieved if the barriers to communication are eliminated. From my personal perspective, I oppose the Saudi culture, and they should create room for a free flow of information between the young and the elderly.
References
Stillman, Richard J. II (2010). Public Administration: Concepts and Cases, Ninth Edition.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2010
