Persuasive Essay

If my boss asked me what our company could do to improve communications, I would suggest discouraging one way communication, encouraging our employees to practice mindful communication, and implementing an “open-door” policy at all levels of the organization.  

One-way communication is limited in scope.  It is generally used to inform, persuade, or command.  During one-way communication, senders transmit information to receivers.  Receivers have no opportunity to provide feedback to senders (CESDP, 2016).  If the receiver isn’t able to get clarification on anything he/she is confused about in the message, mistakes could happen.  Two-way communication is preferable because the exchange of information between the sender and the receiver is mutual.  Both parties are engaged in the conversation and work together to develop a mutually satisfactory outcome (2016).

Our company could encourage an open communication culture by communicating with its employees in a variety of ways – phone and video conferences, and face-to-face conversations when possible.  Most of the time when corporate communicates with us it is by email, and the purpose of the message is to inform us of some new policy with which we must comply.  Phone and video conferences are a much more personable way of communicating with multiple locations, and give employees the chance to ask questions or request clarification on details (Meikle, 2016).

Mindful communication involves thinking before you speak and thinking before you respond to what is being said.  Communicators craft their messages so that they are understandable to their audiences, and then choose the best way to communicate their messages to their audiences.  Listeners minimize distractions, listen actively, respond appropriately, and ask for clarification when necessary.  When information is communicated in a collaborative fashion, all parties involved feel as though they have been heard (Weber, 2015).