Rian
Yulianingsih,2C,A01001416
RESUME
ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
Although organization communication
is complex,the following strategies can increase the likelihood of clear and
complete communication :
a.
Managers
must assess organizational communication.Who communicates with whom in the
organization? Is the communication timely?Does communication within the formal
organization concur with formal lines of authority?Are there conflicts or
disagreements about communication?What modes of communication are used?
b.
Managers
must understand the organization’s structure and recognize who will be affected
by decisions.Both formal and informal communication networks need to be
considered.Formal communication networks follow the formal line of authority in
the organization’s hierarchy.Informal communication networks occur among people
at the same or different levels of the organizational hierarchy but do not
represent formal lines of authority or responsibility.For example,an informal
communication network might occur between a hospital’s CEO and her daughter,who
is a clerk on a medical wing.Although there may be a significant exchange of
information about unit or organizational functioning,this communication network
would not be apparent on the organization chart.It is imperative,then,that
managers be very careful about what they say and to whom until they have a good
understanding of the formal and informal communication networks.
c.
Communication
is not a one-way channel.If other departments or disciplines will be affected
by a message,the manager must consult with those areas for feedback before the
communication occurs.
d.
Communication
must be clear,simple and precise.This requires the sender to adjust their
language as necessary to the target audience.
e.
Senders
should seek feedback regarding whether their communication was accurately
received.One way to do this is to ask the receiver to repeat the communication
or instructions.In addition,the sender should continue follow-up communication
in an effort to determine if the communication is being acted upon.
The sender is responsible for ensuring
but the message is understood.
a.
Multiple
communication methods should be used, when possible, if a message is important.
Using a variety of communication methods in combination increases the
likelihood that everyone in the organization who needs to hear the message
actually will hear it.
b.
Managers
should not overwhelm subordinates with unnecessary information. Information is
formal,inpersonal and unaffected by emotions,values,expectation, and
perceptions.Communication,on the hand,involves perception and feeling.It does
not depend on information and may represent shared experiences.In contrast to
information sharing,superiors must continually communicate with subordinates.
Communication Modes
A
Message’s clarity is greatly affected by the mode of communication used.In
general,the more direct the communication,the greater the probability that it
will be clear. The more people involved in filtering the communication,the
greater the chance of distortion.The manager must evaluate each circumstance
individually to determine mode or combination of modes is optimal for each
situation.The manager uses the following modes of communication most frequently
:
a.
Written
communication.Written messages (including e-mail which will be discussed later
in this chapter) allow for documentation.They may,however,be open to various
interpretations and generally consume more managerial time.Most managers are
required to do a considerable amount of
this type of communication and therefore need to be able to write clearly.
b.
Face-to-face
communication.Oral communication is rapid but may result in fewer people
receiving the information than necessary.Managers communicate verbally upward
and downward and formally and informally.They also communicate verbally
informal meetings,with people in peer work groups and when making formal
presentations.
c.
Telephone
communication.A telephone call is rapid and allows the receiver to clarify the
message at the time it is given.It does not,however,allow the receipt of
nonverbal messages for either the sender or receiver of the message.Accents may
be dificult to understand asa well in a multicultural workforce.Because mangers
today use the telephone so much,it has become and inportant communication tool,
but it does have limits as an effective communication device.
d.
Nonverbal
communication. Nonverbal communication includes facial expression, body
movements, and is commonly referred to as body language. Nonverbal
communicatoin is considered more reliable because it conveys the emotional part
of the message. There is signifikan denger, however, in misinterpreting
nonverbal message if they are not assessed in context with the verbal message.
Nonverbal communication occurs any time managers are seen (e.g., messages are
transmitted to subordinates every time the manager communicates verbally or
just walks down a hallway)
ELEMENTS
OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Space
The
study of how space and territory affect communication is called proxemics (Loo,
n.d.).All of us have an invisible zone of psychological comfort that acts as a
buffer against unwanted touching and attacks. The degree of space we
WRITTEN
COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION
Although
communication may take many forms, written communication is used most often in
large organizations. The written communication issued by the manager reflects
greatly on both the manager and the organization. Thus, the manager must be
able to write clearly and professionally and to use understandable language.
Many types of written communication are used in organizations. Organizational
policy, prosedures, events, and change may be announced in writting. Job
descriptions, performance appraisals, and letters of reference are also forms
of written communication.
Often,
though, the written communication used most by managers in their daily worklife
is the memo. Perkins and Brizee (2010)suggest that business memos have twofold
purpose: They bring attention to problems, and they solve problems. Thus, it is
important to choose the audience of a memo wisely and to ensure that everyone
the distribution list of the memo actually needs to read it. Typically, memos
should be sent to only a small to moderate number of people. In addition, memos
should not be used for highly sensitive message, which are better communicated
face-to-face or by telephone (Perkins and Brizee).
Because
writing is a learned skill that improves with pratice, Writting Help Central
(n.d.)suggests the following in writting
profesional correspondence:
a.
Keep
your message short and concise. Less than one page is always preferred
b.
Focus
on the recipint’s needs. Make sure that your communication addresses the
recipient’s expectations and what he or she needs to know.
c.
Use
simple language so that the message is clear. Keep paragraphs to less than
three or four sentence.
d.
Review
the message and revice as needed. Almost all important communication requires
sereval drafts. Allways reread the written communication before sending it.
Look for areas that might be misunderstood. Pay attention to tone. Have all of
the key pionts been made?
e.
Use
spelling and grammar checks to be sure that the communication looks
profesional. Remember that your document is a direct reflection of you, and
even the most important message will likely be ignored if the communication is
perceiced as unprofessional.
Thompson
(2007) adds the following additional suggestions for writing effective memos in
business communication:
a.
Make
sure that you have addressed the reader(s) by his or her correct name. Add a
job title along with the name if the memo is more formal.
b.
Include
a subject line, when appropriate, to summarize the purpose of the memo.
c.
Keep
the memo concise, clear, and to the point and include bullets or headings to
emphasize key points.
d.
Do
not include salutation or complimentary closings in memos.
e.
Use
the first paragraph to express the context or purpose of the memo and to
introduce the problem. In next paragraphs, address what has been done or needs
to be done to address the problem at hand. In the closing, clarify what the
reader is expected to do.
f.
Add
a conclusion to summarize the memo and to address any attachmaents that are a
part of the memo.
Perkins
and Brizee (2010) suggest that these segments should be allocated in following manner:
a.
Header
(includes the to,from,date,and subject lines):1/8 of the memo.
b.
Opening,context
and task (includes the purpose of the memo,the context and problem and the
speciffic assignment or task):1/4 of the memo.
c.
Summary,discusion
segment (the details that support your ideas or plan):1/2 of the memo.
d.
Clossing
segment necessary attacments (the action that you want your reader to take and
a notation about what attacments are included):1/8 of the memo.
