Communication is defined as the process by which information is transmitted and understood between two or more parties, the communicational aspects of an organization have become an increasingly important strategic issue; emphasizing that communication must be effectively adjusted for the intended target group. Communication can be described as information flows through various channels between a sender and a receiver, including conformation of a message and elements of disturbance in the process. Senders and receivers of information create a picture that is labeled profile. Senders of information may include any stakeholder, sharing information. The communication also includes non-verbal messages such as pictures, logos and symbols. There are a number of barriers in a communication process, sometimes referred to as noise. Differences in perceptions, filtering, cultures, languages, distortion in perspective and the information overload are all examples of communication barriers (McShane & Von Glinow, 2003).
Importance of Communication in an Organization
Communication is one of the basic functions of management in any organization and its importance can hardly be overemphasized. It is a process of transmitting information, ideas, thoughts, opinions and plans between various parts of an organization. Effective communication is required at various levels and for various aspects in an organization such as
For manager – employee relations:
Manager cannot get the work done from employees unless they are communicated effectively of what he wants to be done? Most of management problems arise because of lack of effective communication
For motivation and employee morale:
Communication is also a basic tool for motivation, which can improve morale of the employees in an organization. Inappropriate or faulty communication among employees or between manager and his subordinates is the major cause of conflict and low morale at work.
For increase productivity:
With effective communication, you can maintain a good human relation in the organization and by encouraging ideas or suggestions from emplo0yees or workers and implementing them whenever possible, you can also increase production at low cost.
For employees:
It is through the communication that employees submit their work reports, comments, grievances and suggestions to their seniors or management. Organization should have effective and speedy communication policy and procedures to avoid delays, misunderstandings, confusion or distortions of facts and to establish harmony among all the concerned people and departments.
Importance of written communication:
Written communication or message should be clear, purposeful and concise with correct words, to avoid any misinterpretation of your message. Written communications provides a permanent record for future use and it also gives an opportunity to employees to put up their comments or suggestions in writing.
Stakeholders
Stakeholders are persons or organizations who have a special connection or interest in your organization. Profitable companies have strong relationships with the relevant stakeholders in their business. Stakeholder management is concerned with actively and effectively managing these important relationships. Strong customer relationships, committed employees and successful relationships with suppliers, shareholders and other stakeholders define the winners in today’s global economy. The following are examples of stakeholders:
Employees
Families
Retirees
Board members
External advisors
Clients/consumers of your organization
Local residents
Business and community leaders
Elected officials
Consumer action groups
Union or labor organizations
“Competitors”
Legal advocates
Media
Public
For more detail see diagram below (1)
Organization compile the list of Stakeholders, organization be sure that to know the answer to the following questions.
Who are your most important stakeholders?
Who should be the point of contact?
What issues are most important to them?
What is their relationship to your organization?
The follow are mistakes that are often made when dealing with stakeholders:
Inadequate access
Lack of clarity
No energy to response
Too little, too late
To minimize negatives with stakeholder, remember the following points:
Emphasize factors that inspire trust
Pay attention to response process and engage partners
Explain organizational procedures
Promise only what you can deliver
Be forthcoming.
Stakeholder diagram
Diagram 1
The use of technology
Using technology in communication has become a necessity, its now part of our lives. People communicate through emails, faxes, Mobile phones, texting services, video conferences, and social media channels. As time goes on, more emerging technologies will change the way we communicate. Let’s look at the impact or use of technology in communication both to businesses. Because technology has completely changed how these two parties are communicating?
Impact of technology in communication to a business: Today, every business uses technology in its own way to reach the media and targeted consumers. Also businesses have embraced technology by easing communication within companies and among investors and suppliers. Below are a few uses of technology in communication to a business.
Easy Product Launch:
During the past, companies and small business used to face a lot difficulty in informing their consumers about a new product. A company had to pay for expensive door to door marketing which could even take time to yield results. Now days, things have become simple, through email subscriptions, companies will have data for most consumers, so if they introduce a new item or service. The company will draft one email with details about a new service or product and that message will be delivered to all consumers in a minute. Now there are companies online specializing in this type of communication. A good example is ‘mailchimp’. With their massive mail submission, all your clients will receive the same message in a minute via email.
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Product or service surveys:
Before the invention of the internet, it was so difficult to conduct a survey, most companies would pay money to magazines and place survey forms and offer gifts to users who filled those surveys and mailed them back to the company. Taking a survey is very important to a business, because that is how you will know what your clients want and know areas of improvement. Now days, a business can conduct a survey using social networks and provide users with incentives like ”gift cards”. This produces quick response and saves the company money and time.
Social interaction with consumers:
With the recent invention of social networks like face book and twitter, business can create business pages then get followers for these pages. The process is so simple and free. For some business, they set a budget for building a fun base for their pages, so they use these pages to update and communicate with their followers. A good example is ”Nordstrom” this is one of the largest fashion retail businesses in America. Nordstrom used its face book page to update followers about new items and discounts.
Video Conferencing:
Gone are the days when you had to wait for your boss to be in the meeting to start a presentation. New technology enables your boss to be in the business meeting while in a hotel in Hawaii preparing for a partnership or investors meeting. This has been made possible by the invention of video conferencing.
Use of digital networks
Phones and printers are all digitized, not like before when communication was hindered by telephone lines. During bad weather, most the lines would go off. Now with satellite and broadband transmissions, you can communicate with any one at work or off work via their mobile phones. You can also send a file to a printer while you’re at home and someone in the office gets the print out.
Conclusion
In conclusion, everyone in an organization needs to have good communication skill, not the boss only, but also the subordinates. It is what all of us (workers) need to jointly strive to achieve the set goals. Remove communication in an organization, we are going to have dead entity, good for nothing and worth been shut down. Communication is the backbone for organization’s success. So, effective communication is very important for successful working of an organization. Business writing software with grammar checker and text enrichment tool, which enhances a simple sentence into more professional and sophisticated one, can be used for writing effective business communications. Also Technology has transformed the way we communicate , it has created a big impact in how businesses interact with consumers and how friends interact with each other.
Refrencen
McShane, S. L. & Von Glinow, M. A. (2003), Organizational Behaviour,
McGraw-Hill, New York.
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