Communication Methods

Communication Methods

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Communication Methods

Scenario 1

Effective communication plays a vital role in the success of the workplace and personal life as well. The benefits of communicating effectively are countless and hence communication skills are considered as an essential soft skill. It is the key to change and influence employee behavior in the workplace ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"nAce897e","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Md Nordin, Halib, & Ghazali, 2011)","plainCitation":"(Md Nordin, Halib, & Ghazali, 2011)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":62,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/4N2MLNUC"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/4N2MLNUC"],"itemData":{"id":62,"type":"article-journal","title":"Strengthening internal communication: A case of communication satisfaction in an organization","container-title":"European Journal of Social Sciences","page":"617-624","volume":"24","issue":"4","author":[{"family":"Md Nordin","given":"Shahrina"},{"family":"Halib","given":"Mohammed"},{"family":"Ghazali","given":"Zulkipli"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2011"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Md Nordin, Halib, & Ghazali, 2011). In the current scenario, an employee is exhibiting unprofessional behavior; coming late, leaving leftover foods and drinks on a workstation, etc. Effective communication helps in resolving and thwarting problems; hence the need of the hour is to communicate employee about his troublesome behavior and why he needs to be vigilant about it. In this situation, face to face communication can be helpful in dealing with such employees.

Face to face communication allows for communication messages not only through words but through body language, facial expressions, eyes, tone of voice and gestures as well. The non-verbal gestures are a great way to convey anger, empathy, care and in fact every human emotion. These gestures will allow the employee to hint at the gravity of the issue. Any written message cannot be useful in this case. All the elements of non-verbal communication coupled with the sympathetic words can enhance the effectiveness of the message being conveyed to the other person ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"HWXGxiuV","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Ramadanty & Martinus, 2016)","plainCitation":"(Ramadanty & Martinus, 2016)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":63,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/VCW49PAY"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/VCW49PAY"],"itemData":{"id":63,"type":"article-journal","title":"Organizational communication: Communication and motivation in the workplace","container-title":"Humaniora","page":"77-86","volume":"7","issue":"1","author":[{"family":"Ramadanty","given":"Sari"},{"family":"Martinus","given":"Handy"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2016"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Ramadanty & Martinus, 2016). In this scenario, it is essential to convey the concerned employee, his behavior is being observed and he has to be cautious for the future. Face-to-face communication will allow for showing empathy to the employee, alongside advising him to mend his behavior for his own well-being. In the absence of face-to-face interaction, one can take multiple meanings of the words being conveyed through any other mean of communication. Though body language can lead to miscommunication in some situations, but for the kind of scenario under discussion, it is the most effective method I believe. On the other hand, if one wants their message to be appropriately understood, verbal communication combined with the non-verbal cues produces a larger impact on the effectiveness of communication.

Scenario 2

Employees are generally notified about special events or something important in a written way of communication, emails or official documents. For the purpose of notifying the audience, a memo or memorandum is an official business document used inside the organization. Primarily, memos were shared as a written document to all the employees but now it is commonly shared in the form of an email. It is generally used for mass communication rather than sending a one-to-one message to every employee. In this scenario, a written email memo will be used to notify employees about the event, along with all the details and the necessary actions they have to take with regard to that event.

For the scenario under discussion, the memo is the most effective method of communication because it is used internally not only to notify about the important event but also to ask and direct actions. In addition, memos are effective as they allow to communicate to a wider audience in a single go. It will not merely inform employees about the event but it will also remind them of any tasks that ought to be done before the event approaches. To enhance the effectiveness of the message in this scenario, it must follow all the Cs of communication alongside captivating audiences' interest in the event through some graphics and visuals. Thus, it serves many purposes; notification, announcement, reminder and assigning responsibilities. The Internet has changed the whole diameter of memos. They are now used for just about any communication, long or short and rules of grammar and punctuation are often not applied. Regardless of the particular goal, memos are most effective when they link the purpose of the author with the interests and requirements of the reader.

Scenario 3

Anticipating and keeping an eye on competitor's move is one of the most important steps in strategic planning. Companies are always looking for ways to develop a competitive edge and for this purpose, and get the know-how of competitor's action is deemed as an essential part of that. In this scenario, if an employee gets to know that a client is signing a contract with the present competitor, he/she must confirm the news. While communicating with upper management, one may not share any false or fabricated information, since it determines the company's strategic actions. After the information is confirmed as factual, the best way is to communicate the news is through any mean of verbal communication. It could be communicated via a telephone call to a single concerned person or through personal discussion. This person could be a direct boss or the manager dealing with sales.

A telephone call is generally used when a complex message has to be delivered and it also does not have to be communicated to a mass audience. In addition, if the audience of this message is more than one person, it can be delivered via connected telephones. However, if the manager or concerned person is available a short personal discussion can take place. For this purpose, the telephone call is used to inquire about the availability of that person. If they agree, the piece of information can be delivered by discussion. Personal discussion allows for better communication with higher management and allows for sharing concerns in a thoughtful manner. Verbal communication allows for quick sharing of the required information and fulfills the purpose in a very convenient style.

Scenario 4

Purchasing a product requires facts and an understanding of its specifications. The more information one has about the product, the quick will be the purchase or rejection decision. In this scenario, an employee has three bids on a piece of equipment and wants to get management decisions about the purchase of that equipment. For this purpose, management requires concise but all the pertinent information regarding three choices, making it easy for them to decide. The employee has to be detail-oriented in this case, written documentation must be done having information about each equipment, the cost, rate of return, quick consumer reviews, and information about the budget. This comparison sheet can be communicated to key people in a meeting.

The choice of communication method depends on the situation and the type of organization. The meeting is the most appropriate method in this situation, it can be done via web or telephone or face-to-face meeting if all the key personnel are available. Teleconferencing or web –conferencing is also helpful if the company has different locations ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"9QytK52n","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Brandl, 2015)","plainCitation":"(Brandl, 2015)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":61,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/MWX7CT6V"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/rhLtY1cq/items/MWX7CT6V"],"itemData":{"id":61,"type":"article-journal","title":"Making both ends meet: reaching out to branch-campus students via teleconferencing","container-title":"Uterricht Spraxis-Teaching German","page":"179-191","volume":"48","issue":"2","author":[{"family":"Brandl","given":"Klaus"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2015"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Brandl, 2015). It allows dispersed employees to communicate and decide on the matters, small to big, conduct effective meetings and enhances productivity. Video-conferencing serves the benefits of both using technology for quick communication and the perks of face-to-face communication as well. It allows a person to connect with the members as well. Though video conferencing can be expensive sometimes, for the organizations having a set-up of this type of communication creates more ease in meetings. The technology exists for the betterment of mankind and thus ought to be utilized accordingly. Moreover, not all the concerned persons are available all the time for facet-face meetings, taking group decisions is thus convenient via teleconferencing or web –conferencing.

References

ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Brandl, K. (2015). Making both ends meet: Reaching out to branch-campus students via teleconferencing. Uterricht Spraxis-Teaching German, 48(2), 179–191.

Md Nordin, S., Halib, M., & Ghazali, Z. (2011). Strengthening internal communication: A case of communication satisfaction in an organization. European Journal of Social Sciences, 24(4), 617–624.

Ramadanty, S., & Martinus, H. (2016). Organizational communication: Communication and motivation in the workplace. Humaniora, 7(1), 77–86.