Enhancing Workplace Communication and Coordination
What is Communication?
Communication according to (1986) is the process or act of transmitting a message from a sender to a receiver, through a channel with the interference of noise; the actual message or messages sent and received; the study of the processes involved in the sending and receiving of messages (cited in and 2000, ). (1967) defined communication as interaction through messages. Messages are formally coded symbolic or representational events of some shared significance in a culture, produced for evoking significance (cited in and 2000, ).
Process of Communication
A process is something that has no apparent beginning or end. It is irreversible. It is unbounded. It always goes forward.
- Sender/Source – a source creates a message that is sent, as a stimulus, through a channel to affect a response in a receiver.
- Encoding – the source’s efforts to de sign a message that is used to supply information to the receiver. Encoding refers to the process by which the source translates his or her ideas into words and other symbols – encapsulates those ideas into one or more codes.
- Message – is the meaning which is interpreted by the receiver. It is a meaning that can be co-created or co-defined through ongoing interactions by the persons involved.
- Channel – any means by which a message is sent by a source or obtained by a receiver.
- Decoding – occurs when the receiver translates the words and other symbols into a message that might be similar to, exactly the same as, or quite different from the one intended by the sender.
- Receiver – receives the information from the sender.
- Feedback – is defined as information a person receives and interprets that allows him or her to determine whether his or her action had the desired effect to achieve a goal.
Importance of Workplace Communication
- Organization – communication is the lifeblood of the organization; the glue that binds the organization; the oil that smoothes the organization’s functions; the thread that ties the system together; the force that pervades the organization; and the binding agent that cements all relationships (, 1993 cited in , 2002, ).
- Leaders – effective communication and effective listening are keys to leadership.
- Individual – at various times in everyone’s career, the need to interview effectively, listen and gather information, lead others, work in groups and on teams, and respond to change make effective communication skills a requirement.
Communication Barriers
- Filtering
- Selective Perception
- Emotion
- Language
- Ego-status threat
- Level of communication
Downward Communication
Downward communication reinforces the hierarchical nature of organizations. When superiors communicate with subordinates, they are exercising implicit or explicit control. This form of communication is vitally important and when done well helps establish a positive climate.
Causes of Failing Coordination
- Too much focus on departmental objectives
- Lack of macro perspective
- Prejudice towards others
- Personal differences
- Lack of trust
- Self protection
Enhancing Workplace Communication and Coordination
Interpersonal
- Confidence – when we are able to handle ourselves with apparent ease, we are judged as being competent. Some of the desirable features include being relaxed in posture, communicating a sense of confidence and using a degree of flexibility in voice and body movement (, 2002).
- Immediacy – creating a sense of closeness by showing a sense of interest and attention leads others to judge us as competent and persuasive. Feedback directed at the other person’s remarks and reinforcing the other person draws individuals closer together. Rather than going through the motions of working with someone else, we show an interest in working with them. Encouraging leaders to manage by walking around and to listen carefully to feedback employs the principle of immediacy (, 2002).
- Interaction Management – To satisfy both parties during the transaction, each should feel as if they are contributing to the interchange. Managers must let the subordinates know that they are being listened to. An effective leader has the ability to read people and situations in order to do the right things at the right time. The effective manager is both a sender and a listener who provides appropriate verbal and nonverbal feedback (, 2002).
- Expressiveness – genuine involvement in the interaction is a sign of expressiveness. Providing verbal and nonverbal actions that indicate engagement with the other person, conveying interest in the interaction, and encouraging openness in others are all attributes of expressiveness (, 2002).
- Other Orientation – effective other-orientation refers to our ability to adapt to the other person. We perceive the other person’s viewpoint. We display empathy, interest, and attentiveness through verbal and nonverbal means. Asking for someone’s input, confirming the other person’s views or perspectives, and asking questions designed to further your own understanding are examples of verbal other-orientation (, 2002).
Effective Leadership
- Articulating a vision by communicating to all individuals involved
- Applying interpersonal skills to develop trusting relationships
- Creation of meaning
- Exercising influence through communication
- Using symbols to clarify visions
- Innovating, developing, trusting and motivating and inspiring
Inter-departmental
- Understand the nature and process of other department
- Establish regular and improvised departmental communication channel and process
- Appropriate departmental resources and information sharing
- Proper handling of departmental conflicts
References
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