Organizational Communication

Introduction

In terms of contemporary business, it is essential to take care of all the aspects of the company’s development. It means that it is important to consider every part of the company’s performance in order to provide it with a comprehensive approach towards success. The internal environment is a very important aspect of the company’s performance as long as it has a direct influence on the company’s pace of progress. In order to have an appropriate internal environment leading to the improvements, it is necessary to create an effective system of communication, which will become the core of the personnel’s cooperation. In addition, it is an effective tool regulating teambuilding and other personnel-related initiatives. Moreover, it is important to provide the company with a flexible communication system, which will connect all departments and lead to the direct contact between top management and its subordinates. The connection between top managers and lower levels of the company’s stuff will help to avoid mistakes and misunderstandings. The following research helps to consider five communication techniques, which can boost the company’s performance and lead it to the new level of the development. In fact, the research aims to evaluate pros and cons of each method with a view to understanding what method is the most beneficial for the company’s performance. To become an outstanding manager, it is a mandatory step to evaluate the necessity of designing an effective organizational communication since it influences on the developmental processes of the company.

Organizational Culture

This segment of the communication represents the part that contains a set of beliefs, traditions, management style, strategy, and other factors related to the behavior of every employee within the company. It is important to pay much attention to the organizational culture because it is an effective regulator of the company’s activity. For example, effective organizational culture helps to nurture corporate spirit and enhance employees’ loyalty. Moreover, according to Keyton (2010), “Managers and executives are particularly interested in organizational culture, often as a means for improving productivity, effectiveness, or efficiency.” In the entrepreneurial aspect, it is important to design an effective structure of the organizational culture, which will forge employees’ identity and teamwork in general. For example, it is important to create a set of beliefs and standards followed by each employee. It will become a distinguishing feature of the company and enhance recruiting initiatives. The company may offer its employees to believe that each customer, satisfied with products and services of the company, will leave positive feedback on the company’s performance. It means it will help to enhance the company’s reputation and will lead to the stabilization of another competitive benefit. In fact, the belief focuses on a thought that each satisfied customer improves the company. Another part of the company’s organizational culture may refer to the way employees relax during lunch. It might be common to separate from other colleagues and have lunch. However, it may become a extraordinary option to make people know each other better. For example, it may become a tradition to have lunch at a round table, which will include all employees from top management to the lowest levels of the company’s stuff. For instance, it will help to make it obvious that every employee represents a cell of the company that is equal to other cells. Active communication will help to know each other better and will make employees a family ready to support others any minute.

Also, concerning organizational culture, it will be important to introduce a set of traditions helping to bring employees together. In general, it is believed that organizational culture is a result of social creation in the frame of organization (Miller, 2014). For example, outdoor activities on the weekend and various volunteer activities can help to bring identity to the human resources. In addition, it will become the core of building a strong brand name, image, and reputation at the same time. In the future, this aspect of the organizational culture will help to positively influence the establishment of the diversity of competitive benefits increasing the market share. Organizational culture has a significant effect on the company’s perspective and overall development in the selected market segment. It is the core of the company’s performance that helps to choose appropriate ways to progress. For example, employees may receive an effective motivation, setting the tone of the company’s activity and bringing it to another pace of growth with the help of organizational culture. Finally, it becomes a unique resource for the company, making it an outlining business entity among other companies.

Leadership Strategies

It is necessary to create a positive internal nature of the company, which will promote an establishment of the appropriate environment for its development. Leadership becomes the key aspect in designing the company’s communication system. Leaders are responsible for the creation of the effective communication channels and regulation of the employee’s performance, using their leadership skills. Leaders set the tone of communication with the help of various leadership strategies. According to Hackman and Johnson (2013), “Approaches towards leadership has evolved and resulted in the formulation of the traits approach, the situational approach, the functional approach, the relational approach, and the transformational approach.” The implementation of one of the following strategies will bring fresh air in the company’s performance and will help to build a collaborative teamwork.

First, corporate culture must be the priority of the company, the leader, and the employees. Values and beliefs should become the leading objective of the company’s performance at all levels. It will become the core of the understanding, preventing the gaps in communication as long as every employee will think in the same direction. It will help to support the company’s positions and will increase its market share. In general, it will become an appropriate option to provide employees with a broad vision

Sharing a positive vision should also become an essential step in the establishment of effective communication techniques in the team of employees. For instance, a leader sharing positivity with his/her subordinates will become a good example, proving that any problem can become a challenge, moving the company to the new stage of its growth. Additionally, it is a priceless experience that teaches to avoid mistakes and prevents from taking the wrong direction.

Moreover, an effective leader should learn how to turn negative energy into a positive decision. For example, the high employee turnover rate may become an alarming sign to other employees. It may lead to the increase in the turnover rate because employees will think that there is much sense in changing the place they are working for. However, it is the leader’s option to have a significant influence through communication. Meetings can help to clarify the point of the company, update staff, and fill it with new professionals able to bring new ideas. Employees should be sure that there is nothing to worry about and the company cares about its every cell. Leadership becomes a key to proving that employees remain one of the most important resources.

Fundamental Principles of Human Communication

In the process of providing the company with appropriate organizational communication, it is important to consider the core of fundamental principles of human communication. In fact, it is necessary to set the following standards in communication. Employees should always listen till the sentence is complete. It is rude and offensive to interrupt the speaker and not let him/her finish his/her thought. Listening skills are mandatory for any perspective employee willing to obtain success and help the company to grow. It means that the organization should encourage the continuous improvement of the listening skills as they are the core of human communication. However, it is worth remembering that speaking skills are not always the best quality of the employee. Another fundamental rule originates from this idea. It means that every employee should remember that the content has more value than the form of the message. Considering the sense of the message is more important than judging the form of presenting the information because it wastes time. Moreover, emotions can become a mandatory element in presenting the information. Appropriate words have a significant influence on the response of another colleague. Critical thinking should also become a fundamental part of the communication since it can help to evaluate whether the shared information has an essential meaning for the company’s development or not.

In general, the discussed above fundamentals of communication will help to avoid mistakes and save time and money in the process of the company’s expansion and development. It is important to apply appropriate techniques in order to provide the company with effective tools of the communication. For example, it is possible to evaluate the core of communication principles at the meeting with employees. Active discussion will establish the tone of the whole communication process and flow of information. In its turn, this initiative will become an effective tool turning the integration of human resources into a single organism that is able to become the heart of the company.

Formal and Informal Communication

This segment of the company’s activity should also take place routinely in order to become a beneficial point in achieving success. Formal communication involves meetings, conferences, and other official ceremonies. Employees should know that business is associated with high responsibility for every decision. Meetings require attendance of every employee and mean that there is a need to discuss the possible ways of leading the company to the new level of development. Formal communication also involves writing formal letters and conducting formal talks with the help of Skype and a cell phone. It may refer to partnership or exchange of information related to the development of the department. Trainings may also become the point of interest for the formal communication.

Formal communication, in general, brings many benefits as long as it is a way of bringing clear information without confusing data. As a matter of fact, the form of communication has a significant influence on the behavior of every individual (Watzlawick, Bavelas, & Jackson, 2013). It is the easiest source of information as it follows the set of standards and principles chosen by the company. Rules make it an obligation to take certain steps to make information appropriate for the formal communication. For example, presentations require meeting of specific criteria in order to bring information to the audience. The data should be presented in official style, without colloquial expressions or inappropriate topic switches (jokes and information beyond topic).

Informal communication, in its turn, is an easy way to bring employees together and encourage active exchange of thoughts. It may become a part of organizational culture. For example, employees may gather at the weekend for a picnic or spend time bowling. Regardless of the activity, employees may learn more about each other and contribute to the enhancement of the corporate spirit. The company should become the initiator of these activities and encourage employees’ active participation in each activity. Another form of informal communication takes place in the company’s canteen or cafeteria during lunch time. Employees communicate in the most appropriate informal way and have rest together. It also helps to organize the personnel and help them learn how to work without conflicts. However, it happens that conflicts take place in the team sometimes. It is impossible to create a perfect environment without problems and misunderstandings. The main aim is to learn how to solve these problems and avoid further conflicts.

Conflict Resolution

This part of the communication strategies should become a mandatory element in case the company faces an obstacle in the process of its development. Conflict resolution should take several steps in order to be effective. First, the company needs to apply outstanding listening skills to understand both sides of the conflict and see the reason of the problem. Effective communication skills and tremendous loyalty can help to enhance group work and promote corporate spirit (Kreps, 2011). Setting the scene and representing the conflict including all facts can also become an effective tool for conflict resolution. The second step refers to gathering information on the conflict, including needs, interests, and concerns of both sides. This stage helps to understand motives of every side, which led to the differences in thoughts and opinions. The third step involves brainstorming. It facilitates collection of the solutions necessary for elimination of the problem. Brainstorming might involve many employees as conflict resolution has a significant influence on the whole company. The final step is negotiation of the solution. The company should coordinate each decision with its employees to avoid another conflict. It should be a systematic process that takes into consideration all aspects of the communication and organizational behavior, which can quickly settle the conflict at its root (Cahn, 2013). There should be no disagreement or misunderstanding. In case the company faces these issues, it is necessary to reconsider the decision and make it beneficial for the whole company.

Conflict resolution should become a specific form of the company’s safety plan, which can ensure the implementation of any plan at any stage. It means that it is necessary to apply conflict resolution techniques if the company misses the point of misunderstanding between employees. In general, this point becomes a lesson giving experience and teaching how to avoid the same mistakes in the future.

Conclusion

Summing up the research, it is obvious that the company cannot choose a single organizational communication strategy. In fact, the research has proved that organizational communication has a significant impact on the developmental processes of the organization. That is why, it is important to apply appropriate strategies to design an effective system of the communication. It is necessary to create a complex system of communication techniques, which can help to build a strong company with a low employee turnover rate. In this case, it will become an effective step towards gaining the company’s competitive benefits. What is more, it will promote success in the long-term perspective. It is impossible to achieve goals without support of employees. It means that teambuilding, corporate spirit, and an optimal level of employee’s identity depend on the organizational communication. Organizational culture, formal and informal communication, conflict resolution, leadership strategies, and fundamental communication principles formulate the essence of the company’s communication. These elements help to regulate the level of understanding between employees and lead them to the flexible cooperation in the workplace. Support and trust should also become one of the core elements of the organizational communication.

Analyzing the organizational communication, it is possible to predict the company’s evolution and success in general. It means that it is unacceptable to neglect this extremely important aspect. Employees are a significant resource that should receive enough attention from top management in order to bring benefits to the company’s success.

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