Communication is vital to
organizations—it’s how we coordinate actions and achieve goals. It
is defined in Webster’s dictionary as a process by which
information is exchanged between individuals through a common
system of symbols, signs, or behavior. We know that 50% to 90% of a
manager’s time is spent communicating (Schnake et al., 1990), and
communication ability is related to a manager’s performance (Penley
et al., 1991). In most work environments, a miscommunication is an
annoyance—it can interrupt workflow by causing delays and
interpersonal strife. But, in some work arenas, like operating
rooms and airplane cockpits, communication can be a matter of life
and death.
So, just how prevalent is miscommunication in the workplace? You
may not be surprised to learn that the relationship between
miscommunication and negative outcomes is very strong. Data suggest
that deficient interpersonal communication was a causal factor in
approximately 70% to 80% of all accidents over the last 20
years.[1]
Poor communication can also lead to lawsuits. For example, you
might think that malpractice suits are filed against doctors based
on the outcome of their treatments alone. But a 1997 study of
malpractice suits found that a primary influence on whether or not
a doctor is sued is the doctor’s communication style. While the
combination of a bad outcome and patient unhappiness can quickly
lead to litigation, a warm, personal communication style leads to
greater patient satisfaction. Simply put, satisfied patients are
less likely to sue.[2]
In business, poor communication costs money and wastes time. One
study found that 14% of each workweek is wasted on poor
communication (Armour, 1998). In contrast, effective communication
is an asset for organizations and individuals alike. Effective
communication skills, for example, are an asset for job seekers. A
recent study of recruiters at 85 business schools ranked
communication and interpersonal skills as the highest skills they
were looking for, with 89% of the recruiters saying they were
important (Alsop, 2006). On the flip side, good communication can
help a company retain its star employees. Surveys find that when
employees think their organizations do a good job of keeping them
informed about matters that affect them and when they have access
to the information they need to do their jobs, they are more
satisfied with their employers.[3]
So can good communication increase a company’s market value? The
answer seems to be yes. “When you foster ongoing communications
internally, you will have more satisfied employees who will be
better equipped to effectively communicate with your customers,”
says Susan Meisinger, president and CEO of the Society for Human
Resource Management. Research finds that organizations that are
able to improve their communication integrity also increase their
market value by as much as 7% (Meisinger, 2003). We will explore
the definition and benefits of effective communication in our next
section.
The Communication Process
Communication fulfills three main functions within an
organization, including coordination, transmission of information,
and sharing emotions and feelings. All these functions are vital to
a successful organization. The coordination of effort within an
organization helps people work toward the same goals. Transmitting
information is a vital part of this process. Sharing emotions and
feelings bonds teams and unites people in times of celebration and
crisis. Effective communication helps people grasp issues, build
rapport with coworkers, and achieve consensus. So, how can we
communicate effectively? The first step is to understand the
communication process.
We all exchange information with others countless times each day
by phone, e-mail, printed word, and of course, in person. Let us
take a moment to see how a typical communication works using this
as a guide.
A sender, such as a boss,
coworker, or customer, originates the message with a thought. For
example, the boss’s thought could be: “Get
more printer toner cartridges!”
The sender encodes the message,
translating the idea into words.
The boss may communicate this thought by saying, “Hey you guys, let’s order more printer toner
cartridges.”
The medium of this encoded
message may be spoken words, written words, or signs.
The receiver is the person who
receives the message.
The receiver decodes the
message by assigning meaning to the words.
In this example, our receiver, Bill, has a to-do list a mile
long. “The boss must know how much work I
already have,” the receiver thinks. Bill’s mind translates his
boss’s message as, “Could you order some
printer toner cartridges, in addition to everything else I asked
you to do this week…if you can find the time?”
The meaning that the receiver assigns may not be the meaning
that the sender intended, because of factors such as noise.
Noise is anything that interferes
with or distorts the message being transformed. Noise can be
external in the environment (such as distractions) or it can be
within the receiver. For example, the receiver may be extremely
nervous and unable to pay attention to the message. Noise can even
occur within the sender: The sender may be unwilling to take the
time to convey an accurate message, or the words that are chosen
can be ambiguous and prone to misinterpretation.
Picture the next scene. The place: a staff meeting. The time: a
few days later. Bill’s boss believes the message about printer
toner has been received.
“Are the printer toner cartridges here
yet?” Bill’s boss asks.
“You never said it was a rush job!”
Bill protests.
“But!”
“But!”
Miscommunications like these happen in the workplace every day.
We’ve seen that miscommunication does occur in the workplace, but
how does a miscommunication happen? It helps to think of the
communication process. The series of arrows pointing the way from
the sender to the receiver and back again can, and often do, fall
short of their target.
Key Takeaways
Communication is vital to organizations. Poor communication is
prevalent between senders and receivers. Communication fulfills
three functions within organizations, including coordination, the
transmission of information, and sharing emotions and feelings.
Noise can disrupt or distort communication.
Exercises
Where have you seen the communication process break down at
work? At school? At home?
Explain how miscommunication might be related to an accident at
work.
Give an example of noise during the communication process.
Armour, S. (1998, September 30). Failure to communicate costly
for companies. USA Today, p. 1A.
Meisinger, S. (2003, February). Enhancing communications—Ours
and yours. HR Magazine. Retrieved July 1,
2008, from www.shrm.org/hrmagazine/archive/0203toc.asp.
Penley, L. E., Alexander, E. R., Jernigan, I. E., & Henwood,
C. I. (1991). Communication abilities of managers: The relationship
of performance. Journal of Management,
17, 57–76.
Schnake, M. E., Dumler, M. P., Cochran, D. S., & Barnett, T.
R. (1990). Effects of differences in subordinate perceptions of
superiors’ communication practices. Journal of
Business Communication, 27,
37–50.
Communications skills cut malpractice risk—study reveals most
important reason that patients decide to file malpractice suits is
because of poor communication by physicians and not medical errors.
(1997, October). USA Today.
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What are the bottom line results of communicating? (2003,
June). Pay for Performance Report.
Retrieved July 1, 2008, from http://www.mercerHR.com.
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