Effective Communication Within an Organization

Communication is the most important tool of business. It could be in either form; verbal, written or non-verbal. It is necessary that effective communication must begin at ground level. It is vital to maintain effective communication within all levels of your organization to run a successful business. This paper will discuss the significance of communication within an organization and why all aspects of business revolve around effective communication. I would also be discussing some of the barriers to effective communication within a workplace.

As described in S. Robbins’ and T. Judge’s ‘Essentials of Organizational Behavior’, an organization essentially has 3 common small group networks which are Chain, Wheel and All Channel. The Chain communication pattern essentially follows a formal chain of command and information is communicated in a chain within the organization. The Wheel communication pattern relies on a central figure or leader to act as a conduit for all the group’s communication. The All Channel communication pattern permits all group members to actively communicate with each other without any presence of a leader or central figure. The Chain communication pattern will allow for accurate flow of information whereas the Wheel format will facilitate the emergence of a leader in addition to achieving accurate flow of information. The All Channel method, however, will not necessarily promise the flow of relatively accurate information but will definitely go a long way in boosting employee satisfaction.

Having come from an entrepreneurial background, it has always been necessary for me to effectively communicate with my subordinates, suppliers and buyers on a regular basis. I have had to maintain different communication styles when dealing with each of them to larger effect. I’ve had to be rather upfront and authoritative when communicating with my subordinates whereas calm and subtle when dealing with suppliers and buyers. The mode of communication also varied depending on the personnel. The most frequently used mode of communication when dealing with subordinates would be verbal and face-to-face. The mode of communication whilst dealing with buyers overseas, would more frequently be electronic communication such as emails and telephonic.

Grapevine, essentially an informal communication network within an organization, is another crucial aspect of communication within an organization. Every organization must be wary of the strong manifesting grapevine within the workplace since it is sometimes perceived as a more reliable source of information than from the top management themselves. S. Robbins and T. Judge go on to suggest some of the probable ways to induce grapevine in the workplace such as providing information regularly, explaining certain actions and decisions to subordinates and colleagues, refraining from shooting the messenger and maintaining open communication channels.

Communication,