Communication forms the nucleus of man’s existence and co-existence. It is like oil that lubricates human society. It also integrates different tribes, disciplines or units to form a unique whole. In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, interaction and relationship are among the essentials as even babies interact with their mothers even in the womb.
In the workplace, communication strengthens relationships. It also creates an atmosphere of acceptance, understanding and unity of purpose. No activity in an organization can be carried out without communication. Communication is central and so important that it can be said to be the life-wire of any organization.
Every employee (superior or subordinate) of an organization communicates among each other in order to get pertinent information needed for duties to be performed. This information flow within employees (irrespective of levels) of an organization is described as internal communication, which is a subset of strategic communication, corporate communication as well as strategic public relations.
Internal communication is a prerequisite for managing job duties and effective internal communication acts as a cornerstone for organizational stability. Management-employee communication is beneficial to the attainment of organizational objectives. Management employee communication spans from informal communication which takes place in office including gossip to more formal corporate communication that occurs between superior staff members and all employees as part of the public relations or corporate communication functions.
The management functions of planning, organizing, directing and controlling cannot be achieved without effective communication. On the other hand, the employees employ communication in seeking to understand their roles, performing their tasks and passing over the reports of their activities to their supervisors. In other times, employees may need to pass ideas or suggestions on task(s) using communication approaches. Most times this type of communication occurs during briefings, departmental or general meetings. The linkage between management and other employees is made possible through interactions either formally or informally. Once this synergy is formed, the conduit for performance and achievement of organizational goals and objectives easily pass through both ways, (necessary information from employer to employee and from employee to employer), provided the channels are not blocked with either semantic or channel noise.
Effective management-employee communication is important for three primary reasons;
(a). First communication provides a common thread for the management process of planning, organizing, leading and controlling.
(b). Second, effective communication skills enable managers to draw on the vast array of talents available in the multicultural world of organization.
( c). Third, managers do spend a great deal of time communicating through face-to-face, electronic or telephone communications with employees, supervisors, suppliers or customers. (Stoner, Freeman and Gilbert (2005).
Communication (organizational or non organizational) basically comes in three broad forms; oral (verbal), non verbal and written communications. In verbal, human voice is heard either in face to face or in the use of an instrument/electronic gadget. Other avenues include conversations, interviews, briefings, seminars, meetings, presentations and conferences. Researchers posited that face to face form of communication is the best channel to use for complex or emotionally charged messages, because it gives the opportunity for interaction so that the speaker and the recipient clarify ambiguity. The physical presence, facial expressions or speaker’s voice helps the recipient interpret the messages in the speaker’s intended motive and vice versa and the follow up questions and answers help drive home the point. In fact managers are advised to spend much time in verbal communication when necessary because it enhances proper understanding of the message.
Non-verbal communication on the contrary avoids the use of words, letters and symbols. They are not spoken nor written and are communicated through our physical environment, facial expressions or body movement. A confident handshake, appropriate facial expression, attitudes, hand gestures, sitting or standing postures, strong eye contact, tone of voice, choice of wardrobe (uniforms and dress styles) send messages and thus reflects an organization’s non-verbal communication. Symbols and pictures in offices depict non-verbal communication. However, it has been observed that organizations have taken great pains to train individuals in verbal skills such as writing, speaking and reading but have given negligible attention to nonverbal elements which occupy a significant appearance in organizational settings.
Written communication is prevalently recognized in organizations. It is unarguably the most formal type of management–employee (organizational) communication and the most preserved, messages could be recalled easily with written communication. It comes in forms of letters, reports, minutes, email messages, circulars, faxed or telex documents.This requires reading, interpretation and writing competence. Written communication should be clear, comprehensive, accurate and appropriate.
All communication methods have their place in the running of a business. It should be strategically planned and executed for it to be beneficial. Managers should also bear in mind that a two way communication (supervisors to subordinates and from subordinates to supervisors) helps build and sustain a united work team with a resultant effect of high productivity and performance.
