Bridging communication gap

Termpaper
11/16/2010 Lovely professional University SATISH

STUDENT BIODATA
INSTITUTE COURSE
LOVELY SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

B.com Professional+MBA

NAME ROLL NO BATCH TERM SUBJECT REG.NO

B.Satish,Sumanto RS1009A01,A05
2010-11

1st Semester
Principal and management

11008354

SUBMITTED TO :-Mr.Vivek Chaturvedi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
To many individuals I am indebted good counsel and assistance in various ways in this respect one of my sincerest thanks to Mr.Vivek Chaturvedi , SIR of Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, for their kind cooperation and able guidance. I owe a deep sense of ineptness of my pureness that has been source of inspiration in every work of my life.

Bridging communication gap between various departments in an organisation

Communication gap can be a major hurdle for the growth of an organization. Communication gap makes everybody on different pages and mindsets in terms of the information and updates. An organization has to ensure a smooth flow of communication all across the broad. Even the duration of the passing the information matters .information delayed is sometimes equivalent to information denied. The lack of information due to communication gap would make a person to go wrong path when a follow up corporate update happen regarding a project or strategy, since the background of latest information being presented would not have reached this employee at the right time. Communication gap can easily result in inappropriate decision resulting in loss for the company. The steps i would take for bridging up the gap in communication are. 1. Reduce resistance and increase acceptance by using communication strategies tailored to the needs of their audience. 2. Create a non-defensive ,open atmosphere in which information flows more freely, leading to more effective planning and decision making. 3. Resolve difference in values, priorities, and interpretations of information for identifying mutually satisfying solutions 4. Recognize, identify other peoples preferred ways of communication by what they do , say ,write ,and ask. 5. Translate and adjust their requests, proposals, and presentation to match other peoples preferred ways of communication. 6. Answer and address the key questions uppermost in other peoples mind that must be answered to win their support.

To reduce paper work and also making communication more better i would like introduce mailing applications like lotus notes, outlook express etc. The written communication have ti be preferred to oral communication because there can be a proper documentation and a track record of the things that were communicated within the employees and with customers .it can also serve as a proof for wrong doings and possibly streamline communication process more efficient overtime. Sometimes the mailing communications can be a lengthy and a times consuming activity. In such cases the instant messengers(or IMs) Can be preferred and conversations can be saved for later reference. I would try to avoid usage of telephone for the communication .when there will be necessity of using telephones there should be the recording mechanism enabled for the documentation and evaluation. Even for telephonic communication, one has to ensure that he maintains the telephone etiquette on call. Improving communications processes The difference between,effective and ineffective communication can be traced to how well the communication parties deal with four aspects of the communications process: perception difference, emotions,inconsistencies between verbal and non-verbal communications,and prior trust (or distrust)between the parties. Differing perceptions This is one of the most common communication barriers.people who have different backgrounds of knowledge and experience often precive the same phenomenon from different perspectives.suppose that a new supervisor compliments an assembly-line worker for his or her efficiency and high-quality work. The supervisor genuinely appreciates the workers efforts and at the same time wants to encourage the other employees to emulate his or her example.others on the assembly line, however,may regard the workers being singled out for praise as a sign that he or she has been buttering up the boss. They may react by teasing or being openly hostile.individual perception of the same communication thus differ radically. Language differences are often closely related to differences in individuals perceptions.for a message to be properly communicated,the words used must mean the samething to sender and receiver. Suoopse that different departments of a company receive a memo stating that a new product is to be developed in a short time . to people in the finance department, might think of a short timemight be three to six months, whereas the sales department might think of a short timeas a few weeks.since many different meanings can be assigned to some words great care must be taken that the receiver gets the message the sender intended. Perceptual difference can arise due to gender differences.the communications differences and styles between genders has been the topic of much recent research. In the last decade research has shown that women and men in our culture use distinctive

styles of speech and trend to play different roles when speaking to each other.these difference can lead to mis communication and conflict. For instance,linguist robin lakoff of the university of California has noted that women who speak directly and assertively may be ostracized as unfeminine by both men and women .on the other hand ,women who adopt a more traditional women life style and role that is ,expressing their thoughts more tentatively and working harder to get someones attention-may be dismissed as someone of dim intelligence or not to be taken seriously.gender communication as well as crosscultural communication will continue to be important areas of organizational understanding. Overcoming different perceptions To overcome differing perceptions and languages,the message should be explained so that it can be understood by receivers with different views and experiences.whenever possible,we should learn about the background of those with whom we will be communicating.empathizing-seeing the situation from the other persons pointbof view-and delaying reactions until the relevalant information is weighed will help to reduce ambiguity.when the subject is unclear,asking questions is critical. To overcome language differences.it is particularly helpful to ask the receiver to confirm of restate the main points of the message.when all members of an organization or group are going to be dealing with a new terminology, it may be worthwhile to develop a training course of instruction to acquaint them with the new topic.recevers can be encouraged to ask questions and to seek clarification of points that are unclear. Solectron corporation,a contract manufacturing company based in-mulpitas California, recognised the need to overcome language barriers amongs employees when it introduced a new 401(k) program in1992.so HR professionals at the company created solectline, a toll-free phone line through which employees and their families can receive enrolment details,facts on how the plan works,and descriptions of investment choices in any of four languages:English,Spanish,Chinese,or Vietnamese.in the united states,solectrons workforce is comprised of 3500 employees who together speak 18 languages or dialects. its one of our basic beliefs that in respecting every individual who works fo the enterprise. Said bill webb, vice president of corporate human resources, we communicate effectively with them. This multilingual-communications effort is indicative of the companys ongoing commitment to the welfare and intererts of its employee. Solectronss attitude of concern for employees and commitment to effective communication with all stakeholders was a factor in qualifying Solectron for the baldrige award, which it earned in 1991. It is also helpful to remain sensitive to the various alternative ways of phrasing a message.sometimes even a minor restatement can have beneficial effects. If ,for example, we are replacing an unpopular sales quota system with a new system in which reaching sales objectives is only one measure of productivity,we might do well to avoid the word quotaentirely because of its negative association with the old system.

Once again ,seemingly simple changes in the physical office environment can promote relationships in which different perceptions are available for all to see and work through. When managers at world book wanted to move from its cramped ,dark, and outdated offices,the firm hired an architect to plan office space that would promote communication and creativity.the architect to plan office space that would promote communication and creativity. The architect was able to accommodate these needs ,plus more,through the innovative ways in which the new space was configured.low panels were used to create work areas of eight-by-eight feet for every professional,yet the natural light could still flow throughout the office. Communal areas were created that allowed for and encouraged informal,friendly conservation. Emotional reactions Emotional reactions- anger ,love ,defensiveness,hate ,jealousy,fear embarrassmentinfluence how we understand others, messages and how we influence others with our own messages. If ,for example we are in an atmosphere where we feel threatened with loss of power or prestige,we may lose the ability to gauge the meanings of the message we receive and will respond defensively or aggressively. The best approach to dealing with emotions is to dealing with emotions is to accept them as part of the communication process and to seek to understand them when they cause problems.if employees are behaving aggressively or sullenly, managers should get them to talk about their concerns-and pay careful attention to what they say.once managers understand the employeesreactions,they may be able to improve the atmosphere by changing their own behaviour.before a crisis,managers can try to anticipate their employees emotional reactions and prepare to deal with them.also they can think about their own moods and how they influence others. Inconsistent verbal and nonverbal communication We often think of spoken and written language as the primary medium of communication,but the messages we send and receive are strongly influenced by such nonverbal factors as body movements,clothing,the distance we stand from the person were talking to, our posture,gestures,facial expressions, eye movements,and body contact.even when our message is as simple as good morning we can convey different intents by our nonverbal communication. A busy manager who does not want to be disturbed might respond to an employees greeting without looking up from his or her work,for example. The key to eliminating inconsistencies in communication are being aware of them and guarding against sending false messages.gestures,clothes.posture, facial expression,and other powerful nonverbal communication of other people and applying what is learned to oneself and to ones dealings with others is helpful.

Technology and new communications practice

Modern technology can challange all that .Through managers conscious choices at many organizations ,information technology has changed how people communicate.this has altered ,accordingly,the way many organizations are managed.one of the vanguard elements of this challenge was the personal computer ,which Richards lanham calls a device of radical democratization. The personal computer broke the firm grip of the organizations central computer system on flow of information at organizations. One consequence of such decentralization of information was the end of the related firm grip of middle on corporate communications. This change in organizational power structures became painfully apparent to many middle managers who- when many organizations were being buffeted bu groble competitive pressures,too-lost their jogs in corporate restructuring and downsizing.greater still has been the technological effect of computer networking on organization communications.the personal computer put greater power on more people,s desks.But those people frequently worked in isolation from other personal computer users.Now howere, a whole new array of products-software capabilities know generally as groupware-has begun to challenge that practice and has begun to change organizational communication patterns. Electronics mail(E-mail) is one kind of new technological capability. E-mail users send messages between each others computers.But E-mail is a relatively private communication channel compared to groupware networks, which serve as combinations of bulletin boards and conference that many managers and employees can tap into at an organization.According to a fortune report, more than 300 groupware products were on the market in 1993. Groupware,just like personal computers managers move in a world in which many things are technologically possible. Their task is to translate those possibilities into actions that are meaningful to human being at organizations..