Internal communications: the key to preventing the symptom of institutional discomfort
The symptom: mobbing
From a legislative perspective, the term mobbing refers to a characteristic form of work stress.
It alerts us to a situation in which a person -or group of people- exerts extreme psychological pressure, systematically, on another person, with the ultimate aim of achieving their exclusion from work.
It is a situation that, in addition to being defined within the framework of the legislation, observes relevant economic rankings: according to a report provided by the ILO (International Labor Organization) in 2004, of the 750,000 workers, 6% of the Salaried population would be affected by this new phenomenon of labor law, which could reach nearly 1,000,000 online workers, with percentages given for France, Italy and Sweden. Meanwhile, in 1999, 38% of the workers surveyed said they had suffered from mobbing while 42% said they had witnessed conduct of harassment at work with respect to their colleagues.
Prevention: comprehensive communication management
In the face of such significant ranks, it is imperative to work on the prevention of the axes of mobbing: exclusion, the disintegration of people from the body of the institution.
Internal communication management provides, in this sense, tools to detect the discomfort situation on time, before it becomes a serious symptom.
This is so because comprehensive management involves an initial diagnostic process, with different variables put into play, and a communication strategy that revolves around integration.
In this way, a quick and concise analysis is carried out through the crossing of data obtained - basically - from two sources:
1. Mapping the channels for upward, downward and horizontal communication; -two. Information obtained through listening tools –measuring- differentiated audiences (by sector, by hierarchy).
A scenario can be built from both variables, and it is possible to advance in the design of a communication strategy, which works at the opposite pole of mobbing. In this regard, there is agreement in defining the improvement of the internal climate as the ultimate goal of internal communications. However, this objective, being so general, may lose sight of the specific focus of action that comprehensive communications management allows.
The comprehensive management of internal communication is the possibility of preventing a symptom because, as a work premise, it integrates. It integrates different audiences to the communication circuit, establishes channels of different support according to communication objectives, incorporates listening as a management control, and the development of communication skills as a support strategy.
In short, it is about achieving integration to build institutional learning that systematically favors the virtuous poles opposed to mobbing: inclusion, motivation, and long-term commitments.
Currently, there is the term expressed as mobbing or mobing.
Report provided by the ILO (International Labor Organization) - year 2004. (http //: www.oit.or.ar)
