A Problem in Communication

Abstract

Communication is one of the essential processes in any setting. In a business organization, it allows managers to exchange information and ideas with their juniors. Thus, it plays a huge role in moving organizations to their intended goals. If an organization has a communication problem, it would be easier to meet these goals. Therefore, as this work will explain, managers can develop communication strategies that incorporate different managerial functions such as planning, organizing, directing, and controlling. In the planning phase, the manager should identify several goals that the communication strategy should meet. During organizing, they should ensure the plan moves as expected and there are no barriers. In the control phase, the manager should ensure that employees do as expected. This should further enable the manager to monitor their responses. Finally, in directing, the manager should guide them to abide by the new departmental policy regarding prompt communication. If one incorporates all these elements, one will develop an effective communication plan with immediate employee feedback. The work also shows how managers can apply Christian teachings in communication.

Key Words: Communication, manager, organizing, planning, controlling, directing.

Introduction

Communication is one of the essential processes in any setting. It enables people to exchange messages and ideas. The process further allows managers to exchange information and ideas with their employees. This exchange will enable organizations to move further towards meeting their corporate goals. However, if an organization has a communication problem, it would be hard to meet these goals. For example, employees need to respond to their manager’s messages in time to know the essence of the messages. Similarly, if the employees wait until their manager comes physically to seek feedback, they might miss the deadlines. Therefore, a manager can develop a communication strategy incorporating different managerial functions such as planning, organizing, directing, and controlling.

Case Solutions: A Problem in Communication

Planning

The first phase of the communication strategy will be planning. According to Yue et al. (2019), planning entails developing processes that will enable an organization to meet its goals. Therefore, managers should develop several goals that their communication process should meet. For instance, they should clarify that they want their subordinate staff members to respond to their messages within 24 hours. Thus, they should also outline the purpose of the communication process with the subordinate staff. In this case, the subordinate staff will understand that they should always respond to the messages promptly. They should also understand the essence of the messages, which, in most cases, outline several tasks they should do.

In the planning phase, they should also evaluate all communication channels. For instance, they realized that most subordinate staff members must respond to their messages, phones, or emails in time. They (employees) wait for the manager to visit them personally before responding. Therefore, there is a flaw in the communication channels that Mr. Gen uses. When planning the communication strategy, managers should have certain channels for follow-up. They should also develop a policy that requires all subordinate staff members to confirm the reception of their messages.

Directing

Another managerial function that a manager should incorporate in their communication strategy: directing. In this case, they should understand that their role is to guide their subordinate staff members on what they should do. Therefore, in the communication strategy, they should remind them that they should do what they ask them to do and that they should always respond to messages. Responding to the manager’s messages proves they have received the directions and are working on them. The manager needs to respond to know whether they received the directions or were working on them.

In the strategy, the manager should also direct the subordinate staff to highlight any problems they may face when handling the requests. For example, if the manager has yet to indicate the deadline, they should request it. They should not assume that a task is not urgent because Mr. Gen has not physically visited to inform them. Just as John 6.40 says, a few people were ready to receive him, while many rejected him. This is typical of any organizational setting, as many would not respond to the manager, while only a few would.

The manager should also use their directing functions to motivate employees. They should not only ask them to do something without following up. The managers can follow up to check whether the subordinate staff members understood the tasks. They can also follow up to check whether they are comfortable with the task (Marsen, 2020). As explained, the main strategy should be to confirm whether the subordinate staff members have received the manager’s messages. Thus, physically visiting them would be a good way to establish a good relationship with them.

Organizing

Organizing is another managerial function that the manager should incorporate into their strategy. It entails developing different approaches to help the plan meet its intended purpose. The first aspect that managers should do in such a case connects the communication plan to the business goals. As the case mentions, the organization deals with the online delivery of products. Therefore, its employees should be conversant with online communication. Thus, the communication plan should also align itself with the role of online interaction. Employees should understand how to communicate with clients, supervisors, administrators, and any other stakeholders.

The manager should also develop a communication strategy that understands the audience. The audience, in this case, is subordinate staff members. One may assume that most subordinate staff members may not be conversant with communication feedback. Therefore, the manager can interact with them and advise them to provide feedback on any message they get.

The communication process should also involve all subordinate staff members. This will ensure everyone is aware of their roles and responsibilities. One may suggest that the manager involves all of them in a meeting to discuss all these issues. Finally, the manager can evaluate the right technology that will enable them to respond to their messages (Marsen, 2020). For instance, the manager can ensure that the department has WIFI to enable employees to connect to the internet. This way, they can readily receive emails and respond to them immediately.

Controlling

The last managerial function that one should incorporate in the communication plan is controlling. This entails ensuring that the plan moves in the right direction without any problems. It further ensures that all the involved stakeholders do what there are expected to do. In this case, the manager can develop a policy that outlines several consequences of failing to respond to their messages. This case will prompt the subordinate staff members to ensure they always respond to any messages from their manager.

On the same note, the manager should indicate all pertinent information in their messages. This includes the tasks, requests, deadlines, and room for any remarks or questions (Ershadi & Dehdazzi, 2019). Once the manager does this, the subordinate staff members will have all the information about their tasks at once. As the plan suggests, they should confirm their reception within 24 hours of sending the message. However, the control process should also incorporate employees’ remarks and suggestions. This will create a conducive environment for both parties to fulfill the communication plan’s goals.

Conclusion

Managers should develop proper communication processes with their employees. This way, they can effectively share their ideas, concepts, and information. If they experience several problems with their communication processes, they should utilize their roles and functions to correct the problems. As this work suggests, they can use planning, organizing, directing, and controlling functions to develop an effective communication process with their subordinate staff members.

References

Ershadi, M. J., & Dehdazzi, R. E. (2019). Investigating the role of strategic thinking in establishing organizational excellence model: A moderating role of organizational forgetting. The TQM Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-05-2018-0062

Marsen, S. (2020). Navigating crisis: The role of communication in an organizational crisis. International Journal of Business Communication, 57(2), 163-175. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329488419882981

Yue, C. A., Men, L. R., & Ferguson, M. A. (2019). Bridging transformational leadership, transparent communication, and employee openness to change: The mediating role of trust. Public Relations Review, 45(3), 101779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2019.04.012