The Vitality of Communication in Supervision - Literature review Example

Communication and Supervision Student’s Name Institution Affiliation The vitality of Communication in Supervision Introduction According to Smith and Mraz (2001), communication refers to the process of making opinions, feelings, and emotions known using speech, writing, or body movements. Both verbal and nonverbal communications involve multifarious cultures and it significantly influences supervision in an organization. This kind of communication uses visual and signal tools as its medium. Messages can be communicated through gestures, touch, facial expression, eye contact, and body posture. It can also be done through artifacts, such as clothing and hairstyles that pass messages reliant on the context. Many organizations use verbal and written forms of communication especially in supervision tasks. According to Certo (2002), supervision refers to the act looking over people as they perform a certain task. It requires one to guide a group of people or an individual. A supervisor requires communicating instructions, advices, and feedbacks to the people under his area. Therefore, an effective channel of communication used by supervisors determines how well the workers perceive and accomplish their duties. Communication is effective if it takes place at the right time, place, and framework. It is important to consider the proxemics aspects, which deal with how space between the receiver and the sender is perceived. This influences the manner in which various people perceive the message. It can be interpreted correctly or misinterpreted because the sender is not that close to confirm the intended comprehension. The understanding of the message and use of space differs across different cultural settings and may create multiple meanings for a single message. The physical space further hinders or allows for feedback thus completing the communication module. Therefore, a supervisor should consider these aspects because they will determine how effective the team will receive and understand his messages (Certo, 2002). For a supervisor to use communication strategies effectively, he should employ an array of communication methods that work collectively as well as independently to expose the audience to further communication within the organization. The willingness to mix visual and textual strategies and the use of numerous outlets is invaluable in reaching all categories of audiences. Positive results are inevitable in any organization that applies multifarious communication methods hence the accomplishment of tasks as intended by the supervisors (Van, 2006). Importance of Communication Strategies to a Practicing Supervisor Through proper communication, positive internal relationships are expected to develop. The supervisor and the team members should trust one another and share relevant ideas for the sake of effectiveness within the group. Though conflicts are part of any team, the way they resolve and move on is what matters. For example, friendships that build each other socially are healthy. This can only happen through communication. The supervisor should be able to practice efficient information management and control how information circulates within the group. The relevant party should ensure that members are informed. For instance, it is not prudent for a member of a team to be restricted from accessing certain information. This may affect individual performance hence should be considered efficiently (Smith & Mraz, 2001). According to Certo (2002), the main core job dimensions as identified by the supervisor include “skill variety, task identity, task significance, and autonomy”. Besides, communication feedback patterns are very vital as well as dealing with others. These dimensions apply to all types of jobs and thus the model may be of great significance if an organization chooses to apply it. The managing supervisor can firstly identify workers according to their various skills and then endorse them to the various tasks in which they deem fit. They could then asses the significance of the job according to the set goals of the organization. Through the way the management deals with workers, negative and positive feedback will arise, which is important in adjusting the status of the organization. Therefore, the communication channels will enable the supervisor to achieve the organization goals (Van, 2006). Smith and Mraz (2001) argue that effective communication allows information sharing; this is very critical in supervision. All members should access relevant information without any restriction. All members are trusted and thus communication should be among them all. The use of time in communication is of substantial importance. The time taken to perceive and respond, configuration time, and responses are influential communication tools. They assist in setting the stage for effective communication. To make messages meaningful, it is important to send the response in time and have the willingness to interpret it correctly. The timing and reliability of actions as well as the speed in which the information is passed within an interactive communication set up determine how the messages are be perceived. Marrelli (2010) notes that communication presents a convergence aspect, which is very necessary in any organization’s supervisory strategy. Human communication is described as a dynamic and cyclical process. For the intention to be felt and objectives achieved, there has to be mutual causation rather than a one-way mechanism. Interdependence among participants is encouraged rather than a biased relationship between the communicating parties. In this manner, mutual understanding and agreement is reached in any cause of action or issue of concern as the primary goals of the organization. Therefore, a supervisor who gives the people under supervision a chance to take part in informative communication achieves the best with regard to goals (Certo, 2002). In case of the upward type of communication, he supervisor will be able to motivate the low-level participants to present their feedback to the higher levels in an organization. Thus, the opposite of top-down communication in terms of the concept it puts across. The communication strategy applied in this manner allows the supervisors to obtain vital information from the grass root levels thus allowing for greater organizational development. In reference to vitality of communication in supervision, this type of communication if manifested reasonably will lead to achievement of supervisory goals easily due to the high level of motivation among those under supervision (Smith & Mraz, 2001). The multi-flow form of supervisory communication is suitable for the management of tasks in an organization because of its diverse audience and the nature of issues it deals in. A diverse approach will enable all types of people to obtain the information dispatched and channel their feedback as well. In this manner, the cause of action that will be finally taken within regard to the issue in question will be appropriate because of the weighty consideration given to a multitude of ideas. Many people will join the organization and those already registered as members maintain their loyalty because of the strong sense of belonging attained through a democratic communication strategy. This is very significant in capturing the external audience fully (Marrelli, 2010). According to Van (2006), effective communication improves supervision in that it induces shared responsibility. The organization supervisors need to assign the members communicative duties such that it can reach a multitude of an audience across the area of authority. Individual communicative roles may include controlling, defining issues, seeking for basic information, and analyzing feedbacks. In addition, other roles include motivation for participation, expressing audience feelings and assumptions and setting the organization’s standards. All this is done with a major aim of reaching out to the external audience who affect the outcome of tasks a great deal. A good communication system advocates for collaboration and cooperation. This entails working with others toward shared goals. To achieve this, one has to be morally and socially intelligent to integrate different views, accepting diversity and respecting decisions and the views of others. Mosley et al (2010) acknowledges that change is inevitable, as the supervisor controls employees’ cultural and emotional values, he or she must bear in mind that adapting new tactics enhances productivity. Building bonds will cultivate instrumental relationships. A socially and emotionally skilled supervisor understands the kind of people or groups he is dealing with and identifies ways of establishing relationships, which are healthy in the sense that such relationships are meant for mutual benefits. Communication makes it possible. Trends and changes that affect Communication and Supervision Today The communication strategy is influenced by the evolution of digital media, which is a major driving force for the transformation the organization’s public communication sphere. The idea is to present public relations from a societal perspective. The higher visibility of the organization depends on the organizational network as well as the powerful interrelatedness in the plurality of social associations. A relational dimension of communication is important rather than an informative methodology employed by numerous supervisors in organizations in the past (Van, 2006). Current communication trends have changed the face of supervision roles in many organizations. The major focus is on the surfacing of social systems as well as the implication of such orientations on social actions. Actions by the partakers are entrenched in a web of social networks. Therefore, the social network is based on relationships and interrelation aspects rather than characteristics of single actors within the system. Fundamentally, present communication structures are associated with a network, which is not hierarchical, open as well as effective in any kind of organizational supervision requirements. In this regard, organizations strive to look to contemporary communication methods and describe themselves as social networks. They stress on the cooperative form of organization with well-developed social movements that lead to efficient supervision systems (Marrelli, 2010). In this form of network formation, the internet is regarded as the technological infrastructure, which assists in developing a networked form of organization. In communication studies, the Internet has been found to provide a new boost to network analysis. Presently, communication networks are researched through analyzing online content as well as analyzing the link. In the present business communication arena, a strong link exists amid social and computers or any technological networks. Concerning supervision, the common features, differences and the interrelatedness between the social networks and the technological aspects help in keeping the external audience informed. The Internet is thus used as a public forum that helps interlink the social systems within and outside an organization hence making supervision easier and flexible than ever before (Mosley et. Al., 2010). Monge and Contractor (2003) argue that the social network theory is applicable to supervision in an organization. It shows how various audiences are interlinked through a social communication network, which is the Internet. In this manner, social relationships are developed and represented by virtual and direct communication to the external audience of the organization. The relationship is maintained by a common reference to any emerging issue or any point of interest through web links. Therefore, a supervisor in an organization should be able to establish such strong social networks because online networking offers more opportunities for social networking and thus keeps the organization at the top regarding communication on their concerns. It helps with supervisory roles by enabling the workers to understand their roles as well as assist one another if possible. It makes the team spirit possible in an organization (Monge & Contractor, 2003). Van (2006) notes that the present communication methods involve team discussions and briefings through e- mail exchanges, meetings and other informal communication methods. Supervisors in organizations that use this communication method use various channels to pass information to the target audience and thus incorporate a multi communication approach. Through this strategy, multi- disciplinary groups are established whose members bring in expertise as well as experience in specific organizational areas. The members are empowered and do not rely on orders from the superiors. The external audience gets involved in this kind of communication as well. According to Mosley et al (2010), it is prudent to share the outcome of team efforts as a group. This will satisfy the whole team because each member will feel appreciated. Self-evaluation of the organization will lead to better communication strategies within the supervisory arena. In this regard, the members deserve an appreciation when a task is accomplished successfully as well as their supervisor. Conclusion In many organizations, communication is assumed the exchange of information and ideas within and outside the organization systems and it takes various forms. The form of communication chosen by a particular company is part of its corporate culture and it is a necessity for every business structure. The styles used in many corporations currently range from democratic strategies to more egalitarian models that involve interaction between participants more fully than before (Certo, 2002). Irrefutably, the Internet alone or the society may not be considered as a sole social network. The public sphere is the social network, the stakeholders are perceived as nodes and the ties are formed by the communicative relationships between the two. Business communication within any organization is thus facilitated by various communicative agents interrelated through the common interest that arise from the information communicated. The public sphere is formed and grounded in actions that arise from communication and the relationship that arise from the actors. A supervisor should demonstrate this kind of communication deeply since its major interest is to establish and maintain relationships among its members and its external audience. Besides, the internet linkage forms their basic networking facility. Mosley et al (2010) argue that supervisory communication may be made effective if there is a suitable sender in terms of experience regardless of the hierarchical structure of any particular organization. Recipients who are open to the message will obviously interpret it well since there is no preconception. No business communication theory or form of communication explains or predicts business outcomes perfectly. Of importance is the application of a productive theoretical diversity that could best offer an understanding of the role of communication in establishing and maintaining human relationships in numerous complex dimensions. In my opinion, a future supervisor should seek new ways to expand operations by applying the strategies of performance management. The supervisor should pinpoint the areas that need enhancement. Since conflicts are likely to arise in any workplace, the supervisor should develop better ways to manage conflicts in plenteous circumstances. Nevertheless, I think the supervisor should have skills and the knowledge required in controlling the various stages of a project. The control loop should be continuous and momentous depending on the situations handled by the supervisor. The research shades some light on the benefits of ascertaining ways of meeting the needs of the workers, customers and the organization. This is made possible through high levels of empowerment and commitment in employees that result into high productivity. This benefits both the customers and the company. I think that a supervisor needs to develop greater awareness of the roles and responsibilities. As a supervisor, one needs to understand their contribution to the overall wellbeing of the company they are working for. Above all, I believe that healthy working relationships result into high productivity. References Certo, S. (2002). Concepts and skill building. McGraw-Hill Marrelli, A. (2010). Call to Action: Improving First-Level Supervision of Federal Employees. DIANE Publishing. Monge, P., & Contractor, N. (2003). Theories of communication networks. New York: Oxford University Press. Mosley, D., Pietri, P., & Mosley, J. (2010). Supervisory Management: The Art of Inspiring, Empowering and Developing People. Cengage Learning Smith, P., & Mraz, S. (2001). Communication holds global teams together. Machine Design, 73(14), 70-74 Van, J. (2006). The network society: Social aspects of new media (2nd ed.). London: Sage. . Read More