The Importance of Communication in the Workplace - Essay Example

?A potential problem that some organizations face is a lack of communication between the employees of a company. Communication is extremely importantwithin an organization because when the lines of communication are closed in a company it leads to a series of detrimental consequences such as lower efficiency, productivity, and profitability. Good communication is the foundation of teamwork in the workplace. The managers of the company must be able to effectively communicate instructions to the staff. Lower level employees also have to communication well with each other to get the job done. Any business that has communication problems is at risk of failing as a business entity (Montgomery). Good communication starts at the top of the corporate hierarchy. The managers of a company are responsible for the work performance of the entire staff. Whenever managers are unable to communicate well with the employees the workers feel isolated and they may pickup bad work habits that can hurt the efficiency of the company. For instance a lack of communication from the managerial staff can lead to discipline problems and lower overall productivity. “Effective communication empowers employees and provides clear direction and feedback agents for employees to express their thoughts, suggestions and concerns” (Papa). Good communication can enhance the corporate culture of an enterprise. Corporate culture can be defined as the system of shared actions, values, and beliefs that develops within the organization and guides the behavior of its members (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn). Having a solid corporate culture can help create a work environment in which the employees feel comfortable and happy in the workplace. Poor communication can be detrimental to a firm and lead to undesirable outcomes such as friction and conflict. When the workers display conflict among the staff it can cause damage to the morale of the employees in the firm. Due to the fact that communication problems hurt the operations of a company the managers of a firm have to implement alternative solutions to improve the communication of an enterprise. If the communication problems exist at the top the problem becomes more complicated. The managers of a firm are supposed to communicate well with each other to provide leadership to the rest of the members of the staff. A way to resolve communication problems among managers is by hiring an external consulting firm to intervene and resolve the problem before it gets worse. If the reason for conflict and lack of communication between managers is associated with the presence of a particular manager a potential solution is to terminate the employment of the trouble maker. Effective communication is a critical success factor in the 21st century. Due to the importance of communication the managerial staff has to take steps to improve communication whenever a company suffers from its symptoms. A way to improve communication between the managers and the employees is by implementing a feedback system. It is important to listen to the voice of the workers. Sometimes the best ideas are hidden in the minds of the floor employees. The floor employees are the ones that have the day to day experience on how a company operates. A firm can either use direct or indirect feedback. Direct feedback occurs when the employees speak directly to their supervisors or managers. Direct feedback is effective, but sometimes the employees are scared or feel threaten by the managers which inhibits good communication. Indirect feedback on the other hand is performed in an anonymous way. Two simple techniques to gather indirect feedback is by placing a feedback box in a wall so that the employees can place their feedback in a written note for the managers to evaluate. A second way to implement indirect feedback is by setting up a phone hotline. The involvement of the employees in the operations of the company is important. Communication in a firm can improve by using two way communications. “Research indicates that two-way communication is more accurate and effective than one-way communication, even though it is also more costly and time consuming” (Schermerhorn, et al.). A technique that can be used to improve two way communications between the managers and the employees is by having weekly meetings with the staff. During these meetings everyone should be encourage to speak their ideas and concerns about the company. Employees feel empowered when they are able to become a part of the decision making process of an organization. “Employee empowerment helps employees serve customers at the level of the organization where the customer interface exists” (About). Another important aspect of communication is to have good communication between the employees of a firm and the customers of the company. The customers are one of the most important stakeholder groups for a firm because they are the ones that provide the sales for the enterprise. A way to maintain good communication with the customers of the firm is by developing a corporate website. The corporate website can be used to provide information about the company. The website should have the capability for instant chatting with a company representative. It should also include an official email address for the customers to communicate with the company. All emails received from customers should be answered within a period of 24 hours. In today’s business environment good communication is imperative towards the success of a company. Whenever communication problems arise the managers are responsible for finding a solution to the problem. Some of the potential solutions to communication problems include the utilization of feedback, weekly meetings, and training and development. Companies that have communication problems that refuse to attend the issue are at risk of business failure. If a firm cannot implement a solution to communication problems on their own they should seek the outside assistance of a consulting firm to resolve the problem. Good communications are important between the managers and the staff, among the direct labor employees, and between the company and its customers. “To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others” (Robbins). Work Cited Page About.com. 2012. “The Importance of Communication in the Workplace.” 28 October 2012. < http://voices.yahoo.com/the-importance-communication-workplace-2026988.html?cat=3> Montgomery, A. 20 October 2008. “The Importance of Communication in the Workplace.” 28 October 2012. Papa, N. 2012. “Importance of Effective Communication in the Workplace.” 28 October 2012. Robbins, A. 2012. “Communication Quotes.” 28 October 2012. Schermerhorn, J., Hunt, J., Osborn, R. “Organizational Behavior.” (8th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. 2003. Print. Read More