Chapter 5 - Deployed in all possible directions:

⬧ Downward – management to employee

⬧ Upward – employee to management
COMMUNICATION
⬧ Across – within peers

✓ Effective communication is significant in attaining ⬧ Diagonal – within departments

productivity and maintaining rapport in an - Source of rumors and gossips in the workplace
organization. - Should be controlled, otherwise it may
✓ Competence in communication is a quality, which adversely affect the work culture of an
could give a person a powerful edge in looking for organization and hamper its development.
jobs. ➢ VISUAL COMMUNICATION
✓ Poor organizational communication means poor o depends on interaction and visual skills of
motivation and low self-confidence. employees.
o Different visual communication strategies must
DIVERSITY IN AN ORGANIZATION be adopted for an effective organization.
o Comprises of presentations, display charts,
✓ Organization – composed of a workforce that figures, and graphics posted on bulletin boards
comes from different background, cultures, o Information can also be disseminated through an
nationalities, traditions, and beliefs. audio-visual presentation.
✓ To enable understanding, a common ➢ WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
communication system should be put in place. o More popular yet most primitive type of
✓ Proper communication – promotes a harmonious communication in office setting.
work atmosphere, which facilitates growth of o Formal written communication: electronic or
individuals and organizations. office memoranda, emails, training materials and
✓ Various forms of communication should be documents
adopted, to promote effective communication in o Informal written communication: text message,
the workplace. email, and instant messaging
✓ Workplace set ups that usually observe a common
communication system: OTHER STRATEGIES OF COMMUNICATION IN THE
WORKPLACE
Healthcare Education Business and trade
➢ TEAM BUILDING – improving morale and the
Law Media Technology satisfaction of the workforce the following may be
done:
GENERAL CATEGORIES OF OFFICE COMMUNICATION o INCREASE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
- Ensure that their voice is being listened to,
➢ VERBAL COMMUNICATION is the most both in terms of ideas or concerns
common form of communication in the workplace. - Lines of communication should be established
o FORMAL COMMUNICATION to afford all employees, regardless of position
- Conferences, seminars, address, trainings, and rank.
meetings o INNOVATION
- Can take place in small groups, departmental, - Atmosphere where workforce is enabled to
or institutional levels; in face to face or virtual express their ideas openly in a non-
(use of technology) threatening way (encouragement to open up
- Facilitator – starts and manages the their ideas)
proceedings. - Leads to creativity and innovation
- Participants – attend meetings with own o GROWTH
agenda or opinions - Development projects hinge much on strong
o INFORMAL OR GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATION communication among the workforce and all
- Unconventional office communication stakeholders.
 o STRONG MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION MATERIALS IN THE WORKPLACE
- Senior leaders – should be effective
communicators to manage their teams. ➢ MINUTES OF THE MEETING
- Key responsibilities of any manager are much o Record of what transpired in the meeting
easier to perform if he / she is an effective o Keeps workforce updated on recent and most
communicator important activities
• Delegation of tasks o Features decisions adopted and actions
identified
• Conflict management
o Vital source of information to those who were
• Motivation and relationship building
unable to attend
- Effective communication
o Helpful to remind employees of their
• Not only competence to speak to
responsibility and time frame for doing them.
workforce, but also empower them to
➢ MEMORANDA
interact and communicate among
o Important policies, activities, and reminders
themselves
o Traditionally brief and formal letters in
- Promoting effective communication channels
businesslike and serious manner
– crucial factor in the success of an
o Recently, emails have become a common way to
organization
issue memos
➢ LETTER OF REQUEST
IMPROVING COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE
o Written to ask or request from the management
o Includes approval of projects or salary raise
➢ OFFICE COMMUNICATION
➢ BUSINESS LETTERS
ENHANCEMENT STRATEGIES o Professional communication sent from
o Define goals and expectations companies or individuals to another
- formulating clear and achievable objectives o Emails are a more popular tool for
by clearly defining requirements for a project correspondence but business letters are used for
- ensuring that all staffs are knowledgeable of many important and serious types of
its goals. communication
o Clearly deliver your message o Conform to accepted rules of grammar
- message must be clear and accessible to the o Should state sender and receiver’s contact
intended recipients information, salutation, body of the letter,
- senior leader must put his / her message closing, and signature of the writer / sender
across clearly and politely to avoid confusion o Should be well-written and grammatically
or offense correct
o Choose your medium carefully ➢ PRESENTATION OF A PRODUCT
- Message must be delivered using the best o Presenting a product, a proposal, or brief report
possible medium o TIPS BY JUSTIN CROXTON:
- Face-to-face communication – best medium ✓ YOUR GOAL.
to build trust; not always applicable • Be clear about your goal
o Keep everyone involved • Consider the objectives of your product
- Encourage participation in major decisions to and the problems or issues it addresses or
develop the feeling of ownership within the resolves
workforce. • Use SMART MODEL (Specific, Measurable,
- Sense of ownership – make employees Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound)
accountable for the decision and encourage ✓ STUDY YOUR AUDIENCE
active support and involvement in realizing
• Study the culture, likes, dislikes of your
any project in the office
audience
o Listen and show empathy – listening
• “If you are in Rome, do what the Romans
demonstrates respect and enables employees to
do.”
learn about important issues to address
 • Say things which are pleasing and
acceptable to your audience
• Present ideas which could appeal to the
interest of your audience
✓ IDENTIFY YOUR PRESENTATION STRATEGIES
• Keep a written presentation plan
reflecting your objectives, the contents of
your presentation, and strategies or
techniques that you will use to convince
your audience.
✓ BE CLEAR ABOUT THE SELLING POINTS OF
YOUR PRODUCT / IDEAS
• Cite best features that appeals most to
your audience
• Research, know your competitors
✓ PROMOTING YOUR BRAND / STRATEGIC
POSITIONING
• Positioning - use best features (value
proposition) to your advantage.
• Comparison vs a competing product
✓ CLOSURE OF DEAL
• Conclusion should lead audience to a
positive decision of saying yes to the
product