Abstract
This paper explores the topic of supervisor-subordinate communications in terms of the conditions and factors the employees of modern companies are influenced by. The most common examples of successful communication and communication failures are being supported by the materials of online Professional Security Training Network, specifically planned and designed as a an example of real guidelines for the team and the supervisors. The specifications of communicational barriers that may cause misunderstandings in the superior-subordinate relations have been closely examined based on the academically significant research of Cahn (1987) and mutual study carried out by Cahn and Cushman (1985). Further discussion of possible influences of interpersonal communications on the work relations has been also supported by the research materials of McCroskey and Richmond (2000). This paper justifies the importance of two-side active communication and the role it plays for the success of the organization.
Keywords: supervisor, subordinate, communication
Modern companies need to be managed in quite tense conditions which are constantly changing both from the inside and outside. If we take communication processes specifically, the role they play in organization has always been essential for a good functioning of the whole company. Nevertheless, today this role is even bigger and has more influence on the outcome of all processes the company is involved in. The whole concept of management cannot work without communication. “Without communication there is no coordination, without coordination there is no organization” (“Supervisor Communication”, 2006).
Communication itself cannot occur within one simple conversation only. It is much more complex. It flows under the influence of many factors and as a consequence it results in either successful cooperation or total failures of the team. In order to illustrate good and bad examples of communication between supervisor and subordinate we need to pay attention to the factors of influence on the communication.
Very often the main problem that comes on the way of the supervisor is the emotional state of his subordinate. The supervisor needs to assess the emotional needs correctly so that the message he tries to deliver is not lost while the subordinate is being influenced by fear, aggression, irritation or any other negative emotion. When the subordinate is in a positive mood and his overall emotional state is positive then he percepts all the information better, he is open and is capable of transforming the message that has been delivered to him. Otherwise, there might be such complications as message being lost or transformed in a wrong way.
For instance, we can review some situations that could have happened in a regular customer service department of any firm selling products online (electronic goods, clothes, etc.). First example: early in the morning the supervisor comes to the shift and notices a big number of orders, which have not been processed (customers have not been contacted, informed about the products, pricing and so on). So the supervisor requests the client manager to check all the orders that have been unprocessed. The time to deliver the monthly report to the senior manager is approaching in the next couple of days. Therefore, the supervisor is worried as he is seeking promotion and the results of his department directly represent results of his own work. However, he makes request in a slightly high voice and it sounds too demanding. At the same time the client manager may have had some argument with his family members, which is why his work performance has lowered, he was not able of doing all the work and now he is still irritated over the matter. So when the supervisor tells him what to do in such provocative manner, he may simply not pay attention to it or get even more depressed, which will cause even bigger decrease in his work performance.
This situation is a bad example of how communication should be managed in this case. A good example would be if the supervisor tried to figure out first the state the subordinate is in. If such decrease in work performance is unusual then there must be a clear reason. So the supervisor needs to pay attention to details. The simplest and wisest way to solve this issue is to try to communicate with the subordinate in the way so that the information does not go from the top down only. So high voice and demanding manner of the request does not confuse subordinate’s opinion about the supervisor.
There should be healthy balance between the supervisor’s and subordinate’s manner of communication. It is a proved fact though that information going side to side in organization does not work that well as information flow in more hierarchical organizational structure. The responsibility of the supervisor is to show his dominance, however, make it calmly and professionally. The supervisor should resolve the previously stated example by taking the situation under his control. The study of Cushman and Cahn (1985) also mentions:
Since each subordinate may perceive the supervisor-subordinate relationship differently, the supervisor should make the effort to create and maintain favorable attitudes along with quality performance by directing evaluation efforts in part toward the relationship as perceived by the individual involved. (p. 112)
Hence, the supervisor should calm himself down, disregard his own emotional state and speak to the subordinate in a friendly understanding manner, trying to support his emotional state also; it would be quite suitable to deliver such verbal message “Our workload has increased recently and the monthly report is going to be finished in two days, so we need to hurry up and show the manager the best results this month. Please go ahead and call the customers with all unprocessed orders which were left yesterday. I remember last time we had such workload you did very well. I am sure you will do great this time also. Thank you in advance!” This message would not sound very formal and strict, but would be rather encouraging. In the end, it is essential for the supervisor to always keep in mind that he is not only providing the instructions on what to do, he needs to be also a psychologist to address his requests correctly, to analyze the behavior of the specific subordinate and support the whole team. Otherwise, the subordinates may be afraid of him and his authority. The state of fear may also cause disrespect and become a communication barrier in the perception of the important message. If we take the supervisor’s side, according to the research carried out by McCroskey and Richmond (2000), “supervisors’ responsiveness will be positively correlated with subordinate’s perceptions of the supervisors’ credibility and attractiveness and the subordinates’ general attitude toward the supervisor and communication with the supervisor” (p. 281).
The secret of a good supervisor-subordinate communication is also in being able (for both sides) to adjust to the environment where the communication has to take place. When the environmental factor influences communication it can also result in good and bad outcomes. When the atmosphere at the workplace is somewhat too noisy or overcrowded it is sure hard to concentrate, therefore, it can affect the communication badly. The supervisor, for instance, may deliver the message to the subordinate, however, there may be no feedback received regarding it. In this case we can use the example of open office department, where calls are received every minute and must be handled right away, so that the team may get stressed or worn out very quickly. The supervisor may send his requests one after another, but his subordinates will not be able to get them because of a stressful work atmosphere. This can be regarded as an example of bad communication as neither supervisor nor his subordinates make any efforts in order to improve their conditions.
The subordinates should mange to self-organize their work place, so that there is no communication overload for them. They should try to minimize all the noise their work process is causing; however, the supervisor should get involved and help them to organize the work process as well. A good example of solving the issue is organizing a meeting or conference room where the supervisor can arrange a conversation with each subordinate or a small group so that all messages are delivered without barriers. The main thing is to keep communication cycle complete. It is very important not only to deliver the message, but also receive a feedback regarding it. So an example of good communication is when the supervisor is constantly inquiring for feedback and tries to put all efforts to be understood by the team. Another study of Cahn (1987) claims that “empty, distant, impersonal superior-subordinate relationships are based on a lack of feeling understood. As a major source of anxiety and despair, such treatment contributes to perceived social injustice and leads to employee absenteeism, turnover, grievances and low evaluations” (p. 154).
Apart from those stated above, other reason that causes communication failure can be information filtering. It is very important to understand that while passing information from one subordinate to another it may be edited according to own experience of a subordinate, his views upon the matter and so on. The experienced supervisor is, of course, aware of the fact that this issue has always existed in all communication processes, however, that does not mean that the problem can be left unsolved. One of the bad examples of the supervisor-subordinate communication is when there is no strict discipline set by the supervisor in the team so the information is freely interpreted in different ways. This means that some essential details can be lost. Also it is important to mention that sometimes language aspects may become the reason for the communication failure to occur. Especially in the multicultural environment, when we have an international company, for instance, the same message can get different meanings due to the local definitions of the words, common usage suitable for the recipient or sender, accent of the sender or the dialect (“Supervisor Communication”, 2006). In this case, a bad example of supervisor-subordinate communication is when neither side is putting efforts into using the most formal language to deliver messages.
What else makes up a bad example of supervisor-subordinate communication is when status differences have too much impact on the communication. It is already a custom for the newer employees to follow all the directions of veteran employees, as the last ones are of course of a higher status in a company and can share their experience and knowledge. However, sometimes status is being used to delegate most of the responsibilities to a newer employee, manipulate him or simply hide some valuable information, which can affect the work performance of the newer employee quite negatively. In order to eliminate such communicational disorder the supervisor needs to investigate the relations in the team, spot the people who abuse their status and take some measures if necessary in order to stop status abuse from corrupting the communication cycle in the team.
All the examples of bad communication outlined previously can be actually fixed if both sender and recipient of communication message put efforts into eliminating so-called communication bugs. The secret of successful communication is hidden in some simple principles. You should always determine the main aim of the message you are trying to deliver, so that it is clear for the recipient from the start; the probable effect of the message you deliver should be anticipated in order to clear up the chances of emotional impact; your language and methods of asking should never be too demanding and provocative; you need to pay attention to the environmental aspect in order to exclude all possible distractions, proper timing is also the part of the environmental factor; try to seek new friendly but at the same time professional ways of obtaining feedback; being open to communication with other employees is also a must; keep in mind that actions always speak louder than words, so try to perform all your tasks in such way that other employees fill your contribution into the team work; in the end, always stick to the golden rule that good communication starts with good listening.
References
Cahn D. D. (1987) Letting Go: A Practical Theory of Relationship Disengagement and Reengagement. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press
Cushman, P. D., & Cahn D. D. (1985) Communication in Interpersonal Relationships. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press
McCroskey, C. J., & Richmond, P. V. (2000) Applying Reciprocity and Accommodation Theories to Supervisor/Subordinate Communication. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 28(3), 278-289.
Professional Security Training Network. Supervisor Communication (2006) [PDF document] Retrieved from http://www.twlk.com/security/downloads/summaries/PSTN9000276ctApr2006.pdf
