Effective Communication in Organizations: Strategies and Types
Active Listening
Active listening is a crucial skill in effective communication. Here are some key aspects:
- Maintain eye contact with the speaker.
- Indicate that you are listening by nodding or using verbal cues like “I see” or “Yes.”
- Initially, do not express agreement or disagreement, but simply show that you have understood what the speaker is saying.
- Allow breaks to encourage the speaker to continue; do not fill their silences.
- Do not shift the focus from the speaker by showing disagreement or talking about yourself.
- Ask open-ended questions to encourage the speaker to continue thinking or doing.
- Summarize or rephrase from time to time to show that you are understanding.
- Respond to the feelings that seem to be behind the words; show that you understand how the speaker feels (empathy).
Vertical Communication
Vertical communication flows downwards from senior hierarchical levels to lower levels, such as from executives to employees. Typically, messages transmitted include objectives to be achieved, tasks to be performed, and procedures to follow. It provides information on policies, organizational practices, and goals. It also evaluates the extent to which objectives are being achieved and how tasks are being performed.
Common problems with this type of communication include a narrow focus on goals and tasks. Employees at lower levels often complain that they lack information on the organization’s general policies, human resources matters that affect them, or even that customers have more detailed information about the organization’s products and services before they do.
Another important aspect is the number of intermediaries used for message transmission. The greater the number of transmitters, the lower the accuracy of the message. The interest the message generates in the receiver and the quality of the channels used also affect the quality of communication. Generally, using both oral and written communication for the same message is more effective than using only oral or only written transmission.
Upward Vertical Communication
Upward vertical communication flows from lower hierarchical levels to higher levels, such as from subordinates or colleagues to supervisors or managers. The most common types of messages in upward communication concern problems in understanding or executing tasks, requests for clarification or additional information, and comments about work, colleagues, or the organization.
Several barriers can hinder effective upward communication. A large or geographically dispersed organization can make it difficult to access management. It is necessary to ensure the accessibility of higher-ups. This accessibility is not only temporal and physical (i.e., superiors having the time and being sufficiently close to facilitate contact by employees) but also refers to the attitude of listening to and understanding communication requested by the employee.
The quality and quantity of this type of communication also depend on the resourcefulness of the employees and their self-confidence to expose problems they see in the organization. Management’s accessibility and open-mindedness to discrepancies or errors can facilitate this kind of communication. Moreover, fear of being evaluated or disciplined can cause employees to distort communication about problems in which they are implicated. Depending on the supervisors’ attitudes, employees will emphasize positive feedback on their actions and filter or distort negative information.
A positive attitude from supervisors, accessibility, and empowerment of upward vertical communication will facilitate the identification, analysis, and solution of problems encountered by employees at lower hierarchical levels. Employees have firsthand information on what to do and how to improve service.
Formal and Informal Communication
Formal communication is organized by the organization to ensure its objectives are met. Examples include conducting weekly meetings of a coaching team, sending letters to inform customers of new services, or a circular sent by management to all employees to communicate certain developments in the organization’s policy.
Informal communication arises spontaneously and naturally in all organizations. It usually occurs between people who have physical proximity in their jobs, similar interests, a network of contacts, or otherwise develop personal relationships with each other. In contacts not organized by the organization or management, both personal and organizational issues are discussed.
The existence of informal communication is not negative for the organization; it can even be very beneficial in filling gaps in the formal communication system. It can be a faster way to solve work problems than formally established channels. Imagine a case where Department A needs information from Department B. If an employee from Department A is a close friend of an employee from Department B, this could lead to a direct and quick solution to the problem.
It is important to create space and time for informal communication in the organization. Coffee breaks, activities outside the organization, or even having a physical space within the organization (cafeterias, rest areas, etc.) favor the development of personal relationships between employees, improving their social and employment well-being. Moreover, good personal relationships between employees or within a work team provide support among employees and facilitate the execution of joint projects that require everyone’s cooperation.
Rumors
A special form of informal communication is the rumor. A rumor is a message whose importance or ambiguity spreads quickly and informally through much of the organization. The transmitted message is not necessarily false or uncertain. As the Spanish proverb says, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” and it often aligns enough with reality. Transmission is fast because it is a relevant and interesting issue for most employees or customers. Therefore, organizational leadership must be alert to the emergence of rumors to clarify possible distortions and misunderstandings as quickly and adequately as possible.
Oral and Written Communication
Organizations produce both oral and written communication. Both forms have their advantages and disadvantages.
Oral communication is much richer and faster because it allows for verbal and nonverbal information simultaneously and provides an immediate response to the reactions of our interlocutor. Nonverbal communication enriches the message, accompanying the words with the emotions expressed by the issuer. The main disadvantage of using only verbal communication is the possible distortion of the message when it passes through many intermediaries. Remember the childhood game of “telephone” and how the final message had nothing to do with the initial one.
Written communication has the advantage of being tangible, verifiable, more thoughtful, logical, and clear. Being written on paper or in electronic format, the information can be checked again as necessary. The issuer has more time to think about what and how they want to say, so the message usually has a more rational structure. Furthermore, since the expression can be checked, it can be clearer and better suited to the receiver. As a disadvantage, developing a written message takes more time and reduces feedback or the ability to elicit feedback from the receiver.