_Communication Management _
By: Jason Hoenig
Choosing a topic for this paper was very difficult. Many topics seemed very
interesting, but after reviewing many topics the choice was clear. I also took
into consideration the fact that we would be presenting these topics to the
class. So, I choose the communication process. It is very important in
management. Having been a manager for three years, I felt I would be able to
explain this topic well to the classCommunication is the process of
transmitting information and meaning. It is important for managers to develop
their communication skills, because it is one major skills needed by managers.
The management roles, which are interpersonal, informational, and decisional
and the management functions, which are planning, organizing, leading, and
controlling all require communication There are many types of communication.
The first one I would like to communicate is vertical communication. The
definition of vertical communication is the flow of information both downward
and upward through the organizational chain of command. Some also refer to it
as formal communication. Downward communication kind of speaks for itself;
top-level management produces decisions that are communicated down to tell
employees how to perform their job When working at Borders Books as an
assistant manager I experienced a lot of downward communication. The
president, vice president, top-level managers, etc. would communicate a
decision to my general manager. My general manager would then communicate that
decision to the assistant managers, which I am one of. Our job would be to
install this communicated decision to all of the employees. If the decision
was communicated well, this form of communication worked well, if not it did
not The next kind of communication I would like to cover is upward
communication. This is when employees send a message threw the chain of
command, to the managers. This type of communication is very good for
employees because they feel they are being noticed in the organization.
Managers also benefit from this because they learn more about the
organization While working at Borders, I experienced quite a bit of upward
communication. Employees liked taking their messages to me, I was seen as one
of the managers that listened. I would also try to meet their needs by
communicating these messages to my general manager. I felt this was a benefit
for me, because I was very informed of what was going on in the organization
from the employee's point of view The next kind of communication is
horizontal communication. Horizontal communication is defined as the flow of
information between colleagues and peers. Although it is a form of formal
communication, it does not follow a chain of command. Horizontal communication
happens when persons of equal rank, if you will, communicate to each other.
While working at Borders, horizontal communication was used more than any
other communication. People of the same rank would always communicate their
problems to one another; the weed threw them and sends the most important
messages up the chain of command. I feel this type of communication is good to
have in an organization. Without it I don't think problems would be solved
very easily The next kind of communication is called grapevine
communication. It is defined as the flow of information in any direction
throughout the organization. This is a form of informal communication. This
can flow in any direction, at anytime. Rumors get spread this way. Managers
can correct situations by sending correct information down the chain of
command Grapevine communication is unfortunately used a lot at Borders. I
try to correct rumors, but there is no way to correct all of these rumors.
Mostly employees start these rumors, but sometimes managers will send rumors
through the organization to obtain a correct end result The next term I
would like to define and describe is the communication process. The
communication process consists of a sender who encodes a message and transmits
it through a channel to a receiver who decodes it and may give feedback. There
are four steps in this process. One, the sender encodes the message and
selects the transmission channel. Two, the message is transmitted through a
channel. Three, the receiver decodes the message and decides if feedback is
needed. Four, feedback, response, or new message may be transmitted through a
channel I will describe these four steps in detail. In defining the first
one that is, the sender encodes the message and selects the channel, we must
define the different parts of that phrase. Encoding is defined as the sender's
process of putting the message into a form that the receiver will understand.
When selecting a channel there are three primary communication channels, which
are oral, nonverbal, and written. The sender should choose the most
appropriate one to warrant the needs of the situation. The second step in the
communication process is, the sender transmits the message. After the sender
has encoded the message, and selected a channel it is transmitted to the
receiver. There are many barriers one being noise. This can confuse the
receiver and he or she may not be able to understand it correctly. The third
step in the communication process is, the receiver decodes the message and
decides if feedback is needed. Decoding is defined as the receiver's process
of translating the message into a meaningful form. The receiver decides if
there is something needed in return, such as feedback, a response, or a new
message. There are many barriers to mess up this step. Some of these are
trust, credibility, not listening, and emotional barriers. The forth step in
the communication process is feedback: a response or a new message may be
transmitted. The role of the receiver and sender can change at anytime during
this communication process. There are three different channels to communicate
through, oral, non-verbal, and written. Oral communication is verbal
communication. You can communicate fast with a one on one oral communication.
The amount of time it takes to communicate this way to many persons is where
it lacks. Nonverbal communication is messages sent without words. Body
language is included in nonverbal communication. Facial expressions and vocal
quality are both parts of body language. Written communication provides a
record and is usually more accurate then oral communication. Some examples of
this are memos, letters, reports, and posters. I would now like to discuss and
define feedback. Feedback is the process of verifying messages. You can use
feedback to describe the fact that didn't understand the sender's message this
is referred to as paraphrasing. The definition of paraphrasing is the process
of having the receiver restate the message in his or her own words.
Communications management focuses on the efficient and effective management of
all ex-change relations between an organization and its stakeholders.
Corporate communications as part of the communications management process is
about presenting corporate policy, and creating a positive relationship with
an organization's environment. Promoting the relationships with all the
relevant stakeholders acts as an extremely important tool to gain corporate
success and competitive advantage. Borders has taught me a lot about
communication management. Being a manager, and having the first hand
experience that I have makes me a very important source in this paper. We
communicate everyday of our lives. You can communicate in the wrong ways at
the wrong times. So, you must choose your method of communication carefully.
Furthermore, I feel that doing this paper and presentation will give my
classmates what they need to communicate properly in their future jobs. It is
very important because without it we would be lost.
_Bibliography _
Works Cited Rossiter, John. Advertising Communications and Promotion
Management 2nd Edition: 1997. De Bonis, Nicholas. Ama Handbook for Managing
Business to Business Marketing Communications. 1997. Locker, Kitty. Business
and Administrative Communication. 1996. Lussier, Robert. Management.
Springfield College: Springfield, Massachusetts, 1997.
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