Employee communication

Definiton

Purpose

Importance

Guidelines

Types of organisational communication

Benefits of effective communication

Barriers to communication

Ways to overcome barriers

Communication process

Communication channels

Communication is defined as the process by which information is exchanged and understood by two or more people, usually with the intent to motivate or influence behaviour. Organisation communication is defined as communication that takes place within an organisation.


Flow of information
Coordination
Learning management skills
Preparing people to accept change
Developing good human relations
Ideas of subordinate encouraged

Employee communication is important to the organisation as it ensures that employees are:
Are kept up to date with key information about the company, team, key projects, training, etc
Fully understand the role they play within the team, the company and delivery of strategy and plans
Are engaged with and are actively supportive of the team and the company actions
Are working at optimum efficiency and within company guidelines and tolerances

  • Top Management commitment.


  • Appropriate channel


  • Timing of message sent


    .

  • Decide the audience


  • Message


    .

  • Avenue for feedback
    .

Types of communication

Communication flow

Communication network

Formal communications refers to organizational communications that follow chains of command


Informal communication refers to organizational communications that does not follow the lines of authority

  • Downward Communication


  • Upward communication


  • Horizontal Communication


  • Diagonal Communication



Communication networks are communication patterns resulting from the combinations of vertical and horizontal organisational communication dimensions.
Communications networks can be classified into 2 broad categories,

  • Centralised networks
  • Decentralised networks



  • Engaged Employee



  • Ensures Consistency

.


  • Promotes 2 Way Feedback



  • Ensure Compliance with Regulatory Bodies



  • Ensure Common Understanding of Strategy and Goals



  • Promotes a Positive Attitude Towards Change

  • Organisational Structure


  • Specialisation


  • Different objectives


  • Status of relationship


  • Information overload


  • Message competition


    .

  • Lack of trust

  • Regulate flow of information


  • Encourage feedback


  • Simplify message language


  • Listen actively


  • Restrain negative emotions



Prior to any communication taking place, a purpose for the communication is needed.
Sender - is anyone who wishes to convey an idea or concept to others to seek information or to express a thought or emotion.
Encoding - the conversion of the message into a symbolic forms
Message - the purpose of the communications to be conveyed
Channel - the medium in which the message is sent
Decoding - to translate the received message
Receiver - is the person to whom the message is sent
Feedback - is a check on how successful a message has been transferred.

The first richest channel is face to face meetings, or phone call
The next richest channel is interactive channels such as telephone and electronic mail.
The leanest channels are those that are impersonal and static such as reports, flyers and bulletins.