Communication
In the fourth module of the course the teacher introduce to us the communication and virtual teams’ topics.
Communication is a learned skill in which individuals share their idea or information. The information could take a lot of forms and could be interpersonal or made with help of the technologies.
The interpersonal communication is the base of a relationship and involves lots of elements like, the communicator, the receiver, the perceptual screens, and the message. There are also issues like the noise, encode, decode and feedback, that play an important role in the way individuals communicate.
Communication is an important topic for the organizations cause link employees and supervisors to shared information. That´s why is a sensitive aspect.
As a tool the way in which we interact with each others in an organization can be different. Depending on the approach used by the manager, you can sort the way they exercise their role in five:
• The expressive speaker: These type of managers peacefully express and share their thoughts, opinions, feelings. As a result, employees know what they can expect
• The emphatic listeners: These types of leaders focuses on the other, they are patients’ listeners, but don’t take responsibility for their actions.
• The persuasive leaders: this persuasive leaders, trying to promote interest in others to achieve a goal, instead of given orders.
• Sensitive to feelings leaders: they try to take critical perspectives that enable them to negative feedback in a confident way.
• Informative managers: They are willing to maintain open communication with employees.
The most important thing that leaders should keep in mind is how to maintain an effective communication, and the best way to do this is taking into account the principles of effective communication, which are:
• Clarity
• A specific objective (purpose of the message)
• A full understanding
• Consistency
• Completeness
• Feedback
• Time
Virtual Teams
Virtual teams are “team members who are geographically dispersed and who come together by way of telecommunications technology (e.g. video conferencing). Each team member may be located in a traditional office setting, but the offices are not proximate to one another” (Kurland & Bailey, 1999, p. 56). A virtual team is also called Geographically Dispersed Team.
This definition implied several virtual teams characteristic, those characteristics are:
• Geographically dispersed over different time zones
• Driven by a common purpose
• Enabled by communication technologies
• Involved in cross-boundary collaboration
• Not permanent
• Small team size
• Knowledge workers
• Members may belong to different companies
We could classify the virtual teams in four types, teleworkers, virtual groups, virtual teams and virtual communities.
Teleworkers are the ones that are outside the workplace and have a remote access to the organizations information. Virtual groups are a combination of teleworkers that have the same boss, and have independent tasks and activities. Virtual teams are the members of a virtual group interaction with each others, have common goals and are visible in the organization structure. Virtual communities are larger entities that participate and interact via internet and share a common purpose and norms.
Virtual groups have many advantages, are flexible, save time and money, and require strong coordination and good communication. But they have also disadvantages, such as requiring advanced technology, make it more difficult for training of individuals, require workers who do not have to be monitored closely, and involves the management of cultural differences.
Questions
Communication is a process that allows organizations to send/receive messages within their own boundaries but also to interact with outside entities (customers, suppliers, the media, etc.). Messages are send/received not only through oral and written statements, there are many channels and ways that need to be considered when discussing effective organizational communication. In that sense, the use of sounds has become increasingly important.
Based on the article “If Intercontinental were a sound…what would it be?”*, Please discuss the implications (potential advantages, disadvantages, challenges, etc.) of using sounds to send strategic messages. You need to integrate the use of key concepts relating to the topic of communication to support your answer.
Answer: As a personal opinion I think that communicating with sound despite being a novel approach, is also a limiting tool.
An organization is an entity that has many components, pass on the experience, commitment and purpose of the message through music is a difficult task. Furthermore, it would leave aside the possibility of playing with all the senses of the consumer or employee, to convey a clear and more vivid.
In the article Business Strategy to Employees of Melcrum Publishing, the author explains:”Communicating business strategy to employees in a compelling and engaging way is something all communicators strive for. Ultimately, employees who feel part of the ‘bigger picture’ and are pulling in the same direction will not only have a positive impact on the bottom line, but also give your company a competitive advantage.” But a clear limitation can be seen in the light of the principles of effective communication seen in class. A message through a melody can be ambiguous, not always send a clear goal, and do not give a general picture of the organization and message. But, the real problem of communication through sound is the subjectivity of the message.
But from another point of view, some common barriers to communication could be handled more adequately. The language in a melody might not be a problem to transmit a message. Another barrier that would be broken would be the vocabulary; undoubtedly the music goes beyond words. A melody can convey a feeling.
In the article Business Strategy to Employees of Melcrum Publishing, the author explains:”Communicating business strategy to employees in a compelling and engaging way is something all communicators strive for. Ultimately, employees who feel part of the ‘bigger picture’ and are pulling in the same direction will not only have a positive impact on the bottom line, but also give your company a competitive advantage.
References
- Michael Spencer, "If InterContinental were a sound … what would it be?” Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 31 Iss: 4, pp.39 - 46
- Kuruppuarachchi, Palitha R. 2009. "Virtual team concepts in projects: A case study." Project Management Journal 40, no. 2: 19-33.
- http://wfnetwork.bc.edu/glossary_entry.php?term=Virtual%20Teams,%20Definition(s)%20of&area=All
- Business Strategy to Employees. Melcrum Publishing 2006. http://www.melcrum.com/
Did you know that you can generate money by locking special sections of your blog / site?
ResponderEliminarSimply join AdWorkMedia and implement their content locking tool.