Management Communication
Principles of management communication are one of the most important aspects of communication in an organization to ensure that the employees and employees can work towards meeting the goals and objectives of the organization. Moreover, management communication is important in determining the work culture within the organization. Other than the impact that it has on the productivity level within the organization, it is also essential in determining the basis of the relationship between the employees in the organization (Hargie, Dickson & Tourish, 2009). The management has an objective to ensure that the communication within the group is open to guarantee that all the staff within the organization have the necessary information that they would require in making sound decisions that are in the best interest of the organization. An organization with good communication further helps to ensure that the employee turnover within the organization is reduced thus saving costs that would be spent in the hiring of new employees into the organization.
Effective Communication Norms in a Business Setting
Effective communication rules are important in any organization setting to enable the management to maintain a sustainable environment to ensure that the employees fully understand the business processes within the highly competitive environment. Effective communication norms within the business setting include written, verbal and non-verbal processes that determine how people relate within and outside the organization. In this respect, it is evident that effective communication norms used in a business setting within and outside depends on the right utilization of written, verbal and non-verbal to allow the organization to maintain its competitive edge in the market. Some of the written communication norms used in a business setting include memos, written letters and proposals. These standards are important as they help determine how the professionals relate in the business setting, and without which the professional aspect of the communication would not be possible. For non-verbal communication to be effective, there needs to be eye contact and active listening to ensure that communication is effective.
Techniques to Overcome Barriers to Communication
Communication barriers exists all around us in almost every aspect of communication that we engage in at work and our personal lives. It is important to note that these barriers only exist because we put them there. There are a number of techniques that can be implemented to limit the barriers of communication and ensure that the message is passed on effectively. First it is important to consider that people are always having varying perspectives on any given issue and thus one needs to be flexible to consider the different notions that people may have concerning a particular subject. Second, after giving information to the receiver, get them to respond to find out how they understood the message (Nelson & Quick, 2011). Third, the language used in the communication should be based on your knowledge about the audience. For instance, do not use highly technical terms to appear sophisticated when there is a possibility that this may be a problem for the audience to understand. Fourth, build a reputation among people as someone who can be trusted. The minute people do not trust you, they will pay little attention to what you have to say and thus creating an even bigger barrier to the communication. Lastly, if possible, always try to make face to face communication. This is always considered to be one of the most effective means of communication as the message is rarely ever distorted. Moreover, in case the party does not understand any part of the communication, they can easily confirm with the speaker.
Interpersonal Communication Roles
Interpersonal communication in the organization determines how feelings are exchanged, both verbally and non-verbally within the organization between the management and the employees in the organization. To deter some of the limitations of effective communication, there are certain techniques that must be employed to improve the process of communication.
First, there is body language which is especially important in communication in the business setting. It is often considered to be effective as when two people are speaking face to face; one can read the body language of the individual they are communicating with thus allowing the other party to easily read the situation. Moreover, it ensures that there are no misunderstandings in the message being conveyed through this form of communication.
International and Intracultural Communications
When looking at businesses that are looking to expand into the global market, the internationals and intracultural communication play a very important role. International communication helps the business to determine the policies in the market and forecast global issues which are a crucial aspect especially in an organization that operates on a global level. Intercultural communication is important as it helps to remove the barriers that are often experienced when it comes to doing business at a global level. With the diversity that is often involved in such a case, communication tends to be an issue and thus the need for intercultural communication. Effective intercultural communication within a business setting allows individuals from different cultural settings to easily work together (Tripathi, Tripathi & Reddy, 2008).
Approaches to Effective Written Management Communication
Regardless of the type of document that one is writing, it is important to ensure that one incorporates the right skills to clearly communicate the message to the recipient. There are a number of skills that may come in handy when it comes to written management communication. First, it is important to maintain a professional tone even in writing as the reader will form an opinion of you based on the tone that one uses in the communication (Krizan, 2006).
Second, it is important to know the audience that one is aiming to communicate with. It is important to consider the audience as it determines that manner in which the written message will be communicated. Although this is often a rather hefty task, it ensures that the message is passed on to the audience effectively and limits the possibility of distortion of the message (Nelson & Quick, 2011). Third, one must organize their thoughts coherently to ensure some level of flow in the message being passed across. This makes it easy for the audience to read the message with ease and comprehend the message in the written form. Lastly, it is important to watch out to ensure that one uses the right format in the article being written. The method of delivery selected by the writer will determine the format that will be used. However, it is important to confirm that one does not go overboard given all the options that are available for the writer.
Approaches for Engaging an Audience during a Presentation and Encouraging Listening
In any given communication setting, it is notable that the communication becomes more fun for both the audience and speaker as well if both parties are more involved in the communication. This is not any different even in the business setting. The audience will learn more if they participate and remain active in the communication setting. There are a number of strategies that can be used to encourage the audience to participate and actively listen. First, as you speak, it would help to pause and leave room for the audience to ask questions. Rather than acting like an expert, one should leave some room to also learn from the audience as well. The audience will be happy when they are given an opportunity to speak and take part in a discussion. Second, instead of feeding information to the audience, ask questions and even when they do not know the answer encourage them to guess (Johnson & Keddy, 2010). However, it is important to watch out not to overdo it as it may become boring too quickly thus making the audience lose interest. Lastly, find ways to keep the audience entertained. If it’s a presentation, the speaker can have the audience engaged in fun games and from time to time ask part of the audience to join him on stage. This helps ensure that the audience enjoys the activity and actively listen to the speaker.
Effective Methods of Conflict Resolution
With the diversity that exists in the organization setting, people are bound to disagree once in a while. How the management and the conflicting parties handle the situation will determine the outcome of the event. When conflict is resolved effectively, it gives the parties a chance to deal with the issues that brought about the disagreement in the first place. One strategy that can be used in effective conflict resolution is giving each party a chance to air their side of the story (Verderber, Verderbe & Sellnow, 2008). This helps in making the parties understand that you are not biased against any of them and makes them understand that their feelings are respected. It is important to watch out not to blame anyone and keep a positive energy as the parties share their sides of the story.
Second, encourage the members to listen to each other’s side with as little interruptions as possible. As you listen to both sides of the conflict, empathize with the situation to help determine the best way forward without any form of bias. It is important always to remain flexible and open to listening to whatever the parties may have to say concerning the situation. Third, after all the facts have been laid out to you, weight out the options with the parties. Ensure that they understand their differing views concerning the situation to help understand why the proposed idea would be the best way forward. In any given conflict resolution, it is important to ensure that the parties understand that you are not biased in any way to build the trust between you and the parties.
Techniques for Leading Teams and Group Meetings
Before starting the meeting, it is important to consider what the meeting is about. After understanding this, one can then proceed to set the agenda for the meeting. If the group meeting is carefully planned, the final decisions can be made together to help meet the work goals and objectives. Additionally, it is important to ensure that all the group members have the agenda of the meeting and show up on the stipulated date and time to take part in the meeting. When deciding on the location for the meeting, one needs to ensure that the room is enough for the number of people who will show up for the meeting (Verderber, Verderber & Sellnow, 2008). An overcrowded room may make it almost impossible for the participants to actively participate and concentrate on the meeting.
This will inevitably imply that the goals of the meeting will probably not be met at the end of the meeting. Another technique that can be employed in meetings and presentations is to use humor. However, one needs to ensure that the humor is used appropriately. There is nothing worse than waiting for a laugh that is not coming especially in a case where the audience does not understand the joke. Lastly, it is important to ensure that you try as much as possible to stick to the agenda of the meeting. At the end of the meeting, go through the major points raised throughout the session and also talk about the way forward in the future concerning what the meeting was about.
Conclusion
The nature of communication is often a rather complex once. For one to effectively be able to pass the message across to the audience, it is important to consider all the basic knowledge on the tools of effective communication to help you to become a leader in communication. Nonetheless, it requires practice before one can consider themselves to be leaders when it comes to communication. Understanding the principals of communication can be an effective tool in helping one to excel in their career. With the evolving world of technology, the norms that surround communication in the workplace setting are also changing. It is crucial to conduct extensive research to ensure that one fully understands the norms that surround communication in the business setting and is up to date with what other professionals are doing. It is also important to understand the audience given that the nature of the communication is highly dependent on the audience and the techniques that will be employed in ensuring effective communication.
References
Hargie, O., Dickson, D., & Tourish, D. (2009). Communication in management. Aldershot, Hampshire, England: Gower.
Johnson, C., & Keddy, J. (2010). Managing conflict at work: Understanding and resolving conflict for productive working relationships. London: Kogan Page.
Krizan, A. C. (2006). Business communication. Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western.
Nelson, D. L., & Quick, J. C. (2011). Organizational behavior: Science, the real world, and you. Mason, OH, USA: South-Western Cengage Learning.
Tripathi, P. C., Tripathi, P. C., & Reddy, P. N. (2008). Principles of management. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Pub.
Verderber, R. F., Verderber, K. S., & Sellnow, D. D. (2008). The challenge of effective speaking. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.
