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The Importance of Communications in Business SuccessBADEA LEPADATESCU1, IOAN ENESCU2 Department of Manufacturing Engineering1,Department of Mechanical Engineering2 Transylvania University of Brasov 500036 Bvd. Eroilor nr.29, Brasov, ROMANIA , Abstract: - How important is communication? Consider this: Managers spend at least 80 percent of every working day in direct communications with others. In other words, 48 minutes of every hour is spent in meetings, on the telephone, or talking informally while walking around. The other 20 percent of a typical manager’s time is spent doing deskwork, most of which is also communication in the form of reading and writing. Communication permeates every management function, for example, when managers perform the planning function, they gather information; write letters, memos, and reports and then meet with other managers to explain the plan. When managers lead, they communicate with subordinates to motivate them. When managers organize, they gather information about the state of the organization and communicate new structures to others. Communication skills are fundamental part of every managerial activity. Key-Words: - Communication Process; sender; receiver; Communications Channels; Routine messages; Formal Communication 1 Introduction What is communication?Before going further, let’s determine what communication is. I, once, asked a class to define communication by drawing pictures. Most students drew a manager speaking or writing. Some placed “speech balloons” next to their characters; others showed pages flying from typewriter. “No, none of you have captured the essence of communication. Communications means “to share” – not “to speak” or “to write”. Communication thus can be defined as the process by which information is exchanged and understood by two or more people, usually with the intent to motivate or influence behavior. Communication is not just sending information. This distinction between sharing and proclaiming is crucial for successful management. A manager who does not listen is like a used – car salesperson who claims, “I sold a car – they just did not buy it.” Management communication is a two – way street that includes listening and other form of feedback. Effective communication, in the words of one expert, is as follows: When two people interact, they put themselves into each other’s shoes, try to perceive the world as the other person perceives it, try to predict how the other will respond. Interaction involves reciprocal role taking, the mutual employment of empathetic skills. The goal of interaction is the merger of self and other, a complete ability to anticipate, predict, and behave in accordance with joint needs of self and other. It is the desire to share understanding that motivates executives to visit employees on the shop floor or eat breakfast with them. The things managers learn from direct communications with employees shape their understanding of the corporation. 2 The communication process Many people think that communication is simple because they communicate whit out conscious thought or effort. However, communication is usually complex, and the opportunities for sending or receiving the wrong message are innumerable. How often have you heard someone say, “But that’s not what I meant”? Have you ever received directions you thought were clear and yet still go lost? How often have you wasted time on misunderstood instructions?
Fig.1 A Model of the Comunication Process. To more fully understand the complexity of the communications process, note the key elements outlined in Exhibit 1. Two common elements in every communications situations are the senders and the receiver. The sender is anyone who wishes to convey the idea or concept to the others, to seek information, or to express a thought or emotion. The receiver is the person to whom the message is sent. The sender encodes the idea by selecting symbols with which compose a message. The message is the tangible formulation of the idea that is sent to the receiver. The message is sent through a channel, which is the communication carrier. The channel can be a formal report, a telephone or a face to face meeting. The receiver decodes the symbols to interpret meaning of the message. Encoding and decoding are potential sources for communications errors, because knowledge, attitudes and background act as filters and create “noise” when translating from symbol to meaning. Finally feedback occurs when the receiver responds to the sender’s communication with a return message. Without feedback, the communication is one – way, with feedback, it is two – way (real communication – dialogue). Feedback is a powerful aid to communication effectiveness, because it enables the sender to determine whether the receiver correctly interpreted the message. 3 Communicating among people The communication model in Exhibit 1 illustrates the components that must be mastered for effective communication. Communications can break down if sender and receiver do not encode or decode language in the same way. The selections of communication channels can determine whether the message is distorted by noise and interference. The listening skills of both parties can determine whether a message is truly shared. Thus, for managers to be effective communicators, they must understand how interpersonal factors interaction between people. An important point for managers to understand is that perceptual differences are natural but can distort messages and create noise and interference for communications. Each person has a distinct personality and perceptual style hence each interprets messages in a personal way. Managers should remember that words can mean different things to different people and should not assume they already know what the other person or the communication is about. 4 Communications channels Managers have to choice of many channels through which to communicate to other managers or employees. A manager may discuss a problem face to face or use telephone, write a memo or letter, or put an item in a newsletter, depending on the nature of the message. Recent research has attempted to explain how managers select communication channels to enhance communication effectiveness. The research has found that channels differ in their capacity to convey information. Just as a pipeline’s physical characteristic limit the kind and amount of liquid that can be pumped through it, a communication channel’s physical characteristics limit the kind and amount of information that can be conveyed among managers. The channels available to managers can be classified into a hierarchy based on information richness. Channel richness the amount of information that can be transmitted during a communication episode. The hierarchy of channel richness is illustrated in Exhibit 2. The capacity of an information channel is influenced by three characteristics: (1) The ability to handle multiple cues simultaneously (2) The ability to facilitate rapid, two – way feedback The ability to establish a personal focus for the communication.
Ambiguous difficult messages clear, simple messages Fig.2 Hierarchy of Channel Richness. Face to face discussion is the richest medium because it permits direct experience, multiple information cues, immediate feedback, and personal focus. Face to face discussion facilitates the assimilation of board cues and deep, emotional understanding of the situation. You can look someone in the eyes and you can tell by the look in his eyes or the inflection in his voice what the real problem or question or answer is. Telephone conversations and interactive electronic media, such as video conferencing and electronic mail, lack the element of “being there.” Eye contact, gaze, blush, posture, and body language cues are eliminated. Written media are personalized, such as memos, notes, and letters can be personally focused, but they convey only the cues written on paper and slow to provide feedback. Impersonal written data, including fliers, bulletins and standard computer reports, are the lowest in richness. These channels are not focused on a single receiver, use limited information cues and do not permit feedback. Channel selection depends on whether the message is routine or non-routine. Non-routine messages typically are ambiguous, concern novel events, and impose great potential for misunderstanding. Non-routine messages often are characterized by time pressure and surprise. Managers can communicate non-routine messages effectively only by selecting rich channels. On the other hand, routine communications are and straightforward. Routine messages convey data or statistics or simply put into words what managers already agree on and understand. Routine messages can be efficiently communicated through a channel lower in richness. Written communication also should be use when the audience is dispersed or when communications is “official” and a permanent record is required. 5 Organizational communications Organization-wide communications typically flow in three directions: - downward, upward and horizontally. Managers are responsible for establishing and maintaining formal channels of communication in these three directions. Managers also use informal channels, which mean they get out of their offices and mingle with employees. 5.1 Formal communication channels Formal communication channel are those that flow within the chain of command or task responsibly defined by the organization. The three formal channels and the types of information conveyed in each are illustrated in Exhibit 4. 5.2 Downward communication The most familiar and obvious flow of formal communication, downward communication, Downward communication is the messages and information sent from top management to subordinates in a downward direction. Routine messages can be efficiently communicated through a channel lower in richness. Written communication also should be use when the audience is dispersed or when communications is “official” and a permanent record is required. Downward communications in an organization usually encompasses the following topics:
Fig. 3 Ten Keys to Effective Listening 5 Organizational communications Organization-wide communications typically flow in three directions: - downward, upward and horizontally. Managers are responsible for establishing and maintaining formal channels of communication in these three directions. Managers also use informal channels, which mean they get out of their offices and mingle with employees. 5.1 Formal communication channels Formal communication channel are those that flow within the chain of command or task responsibly defined by the organization. The three formal channels and the types of information conveyed in each are illustrated in Exhibit 4. 5.2 Downward communication The most familiar and obvious flow of formal communication, downward communication, Downward communication is the messages and information sent from top management to subordinates in a downward direction. Downward communications in an organization usually encompasses the following topics:
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Which of the following is an example of downward communication Harry is reporting
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