Effective communication is a first-rate requirement to maintain excellence in a person or company. Proper communication fosters good understanding, which is a motivating factor and an inexhaustible source of energy.
The communication
Communication is the most basic and vital need of human beings, after survival. Communication is known to be a sine qua non condition of human existence. For example, Father Salimbene de Parma, chronicler of Frederick II, tells us of an experiment, carried out by personal order of the emperor. It was about finding an answer to the question of what would be the original and natural language of men. To this end, he ordered that a certain number of newborns be placed under the care of wet nurses, who were given the strict order to carefully care for the children, so that nothing was lacking, but taking great care never to direct them to the speak or speak to others in their presence.By creating this linguistic void, Frederick hoped to be able to see if the children spontaneously began to speak Greek, Latin, or Hebrew. Unfortunately, the experiment did not lead to any conclusions. In Salimbene's words, "It was a futile effort, because all the children died."
People communicate through words, tones of voice, and with the body
People communicate through words, tones of voice, and with the body: postures, gestures, expressions, in a given context. Also when we talk we believe that we are talking about the same as the others.
We believe that we act on the same reality of the other and that the other has the same references as us. Each one has a unique vision of the world around us. This frequently causes misunderstandings, misinterpretations, confrontational conversations, with the consequent loss of energy, time, money and opportunities.
Communication is the most basic and vital need of human beings, after survival.
The amount of energy that is lost daily in the world due to communication errors is amazing. Poorly written reports, poorly formulated explanations, poorly transmitted messages. And as a consequence of all this, economic losses, rejected jobs, unused products, wasted efforts, professional, labor and personal conflicts, judicial processes and even war between nations.
The communication within the company
Communication is often thought of as natural and spontaneous, and there is no need for special attention. Therefore, it is usual that companies do not have specific operational elements to solve problems related to communication, nor is it clearly observed that communication within the company is a management tool.
Communication issues are intangible, they are everywhere and they involve us all. However, despite the difficulties presented by their study, it is essential to put them in the foreground to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of companies.
Developing favorable contexts for a better understanding will affect the members of the company, will improve motivation and commitment, will generate high positive returns, in addition to making it more effective and humane.
The amount of energy that is lost daily in the world due to communication errors is amazing.
In companies it is not clearly seen that communication is a management tool
The relationships between the members of a company constitute a communication process. Through it, information is emitted and obtained, models of behavior are transmitted, methodologies of thought are taught. At the same time, good communication allows knowing the needs of the members of the company and its customers. In short, through effective communication, a clear shared vision, values, mission, and objectives of an organization can be built, transmitted, and preserved.
If we agree on this, we can think about the importance of each member of the company ensuring:
- a) That one clearly says what he wants to say b) That he understands as clearly as possible what others want to say c) Allow others to understand what they want to say. (That we agree on what we are talking about)
A communication is successful when there is clarity of the own message and correct understanding of the message of others.
If the communicational aspects of human relations are taken into account in a company, it is possible to avoid "short circuits", a source of discouragement and lack of motivation for the task, and even transform the unproductive noises of informal communication into an enriching sound.
In this way it is interesting to review which are the usual channels of communication in an organization, what they allow and what are their pitfalls.
Communication levels
Different levels of communication coexist in a company: vertical communication, between different levels of hierarchies, and horizontal communication, at the same level, between peers.
And these levels are developed in turn by following formal channels (organizational charts) through meetings, meetings, and interviews, and informal, through casual meetings, or not following formal hierarchical routes.
When an adequate communication policy is developed, the integration of the different levels of the organization is fostered through the construction of a common code, and the participation of the staff is optimized through genuine motivation, at all levels.
Top-down communication
It allows to keep the members of an organization informed of all those aspects necessary for a good development.
It provides people with information on what to do, how and what is expected of them.
Possible pitfalls at this level are authoritarian leadership styles, and the belief that clear communication can be taken as a sign of weakness.
Certain difficulties also occur in companies with a very complex organization, or with different headquarters, some far removed from others.
Upward communication
For a manager it may be the most important, since it allows him to know what works and what does not. It allows you to maintain direct contact with your collaborators, to know the opinions and needs of the people who work in your company, a very necessary tool for decision-making.
It allows knowing the mood and motivation of each collaborator, perceiving the magnitude of the problems. Promote participation and contribution of ideas. It generates an approach towards managers, which creates conditions so that decisions are better understood by people at the base.
You can check how the emitted information arrived downwards.
The main trap at this level is not listening, most of the time due to lack of habit, another when at some point on the scale communication is cut up due to a shared belief: when a subordinate transmits problems up, it is because he is not adequately fulfilling its function; the only thing that is generated in this way is ignorance of what happens.
Another very important difficulty at this point is the lack of clarity in relationships, when the organization charts are not clearly defined and people do not know who they depend on and who they should address.
Horizontal communication
It is interesting that this type of communication is encouraged, since a good understanding at this level allows effective work teams to function. A participatory management style is a stimulating factor for communication at this level, which favors the coordination of different activities and the knowledge of the activities that are carried out.
It generates esprit de corps and a common working climate. Facilitates the dissolution of rumors and misunderstandings. It allows the creation of trust and companionship.
Some communication pitfalls arise at this level when there is a belief that oneself or "my section" is more important than others. Also due to the use of specific languages or "jargons" that may leave some out of the understanding.
Cases
Companies, with structures of different complexity, number of people working in it, of different headings, and of diverse functions within society, can benefit from paying adequate attention to Communication.
One of the most common queries that we receive is the one that refers to a working group, in which each member acts apart from the others, resulting in a series of decisions that do not take into account other areas of the company, with the consequent lack of understanding of the rest, and costly difficulties in the implementation of the corresponding actions, with less than expected results.
There have been various sources from which we have received inquiries on these topics: a) a school with multiple sections and a complex administrative structure; b) an electricity producing company, with a complicated organization, with different locations; c) an electronic goods company with difficulties in communicating with customers in after-sales services; d) an important laboratory for medicinal products, to work on communication issues with the team of medical propaganda agents; e) one of the five-star hotels in Buenos Aires, to do a job that allows recognizing the patterns of the untied operation of its managers and its transformation into a team.
Due to the universal and daily nature of communication between people, the learning from these activities is immediately applicable, and the results are verified in a short time. If harmonious communication is achieved in a company or organization, it becomes an invaluable tool for sustained growth.
Proper communication fosters good understanding, which is a motivating factor and an inexhaustible source of energy.
Synthesis
Etymologically communication comes from Latin and means to share with.
Even in a computerized world, be it by E-mail, internet, fax, telephone, around a desk, in front of a conference table, in a corridor, communication (sharing with) between people is the heart of any company or organization. Effective communication is a first-rate requirement to maintain excellence in a person or company. Proper communication fosters good understanding, which is a motivating factor and an inexhaustible source of energy.
