Answer 1:

The Importance of Communication in the Workplace

Communication is the nerve center of business today. As you go up the corporate ladder, you will find that communication skills are required, more than technical skills. Communication research has revealed that among the factors most important for managerial success, communication skills rank above technical skills. Several surveys conducted among people who have been successful in their professions have indicated that communication skills are more vital to job success than subjects taken in college.

Communication has assumed even greater importance today, since the new model of business is based on teamwork, rather than on individual action. Teamwork requires greater coordination and communication.

Communication is also required all the more in this age of information and technology. Without communication and human skills, technology will overwhelm an organization. Communication helps to make sense of technology and to manage all this information. For example, communication is required to explain a new computer program or software. While computers can perform routine tasks, jobs like responding to customers’ needs require a high degree of communication skills.

Effective communication serves the following specific purposes in an organization:

1. Greater Awareness of Organizational Goals and Teamwork: When there is open communication between superiors, co-workers and subordinates, there is smooth flow of information regarding the goals of the organization. Coordination between the different departments in particular, leads to greater motivation to work together towards achieving a common organizational goal, rather than working in isolation.

2. Better Employer-employee Relationships: By listening to employees, showing empathy and giving them the freedom to express their opinions without fear of being repressed, a manager can create a climate of openness that leads to better work relationships. Employees will then feel more comfortable in approaching their superiors and discussing any matter with them.

3. Problem-solving: Effective communication can help resolve conflicts between co-workers, work related and performance related problems. Face–to-face communication is especially suited for achieving this task, since it is one to one and highly personalized in nature.

4. Improved Performance: Effective communication by managers at the time of appraising the performance of their employees can point out areas for improvement. A constructive review of performance, through which a manager gives positive feedback

and counsels the employee, instead of criticizing him for poor performance, can motivate the employee to perform better.

5. Stronger Link between Managers and the External Environment: Apart from internal communication within the organization, effective communication by managers with external audiences such as customers, government, bankers, media and suppliers leads to a better rapport with them. A manager will be able to understand the needs of his customers, be aware of the presence of quality suppliers of material, of government regulations and of the expectations of the community at large, only through proper communication.

Answer 2:

Non-verbal communication, defined as communication without words. It refers to any way of conveying meanings without the use of verbal language. The game of “dumb charades” is a perfect example. Non-verbal communication is generally unintentional, unlike verbal communication. All of us tend to communicate silently and unknowingly send signals and messages by what we do, apart from what we say. Gestures, facial expressions, posture and the way we dress, are all part of non-verbal communication.

Non-verbal communication can have a greater impact than verbal communication, since “how you say something” is sometimes more important than “what you say.” Although non-verbal communication can affect both our personal and business relationships, it is particularly important in the workplace.

While the spoken or written words may be perfect, the non-verbal aspects could convey the exact opposite meaning.

Aspects of non-verbal communication:

1. Kinesics: This is the most often studied and important area of non-verbal communication and refers to body movements of any kind. Different body movements can express inner states of emotion.Facial Expressions can convey feelings of surprise, happiness, anger and sadness. If you meet a long lost friend and say “I’m very happy to meet you again”, but with a sad facial expression, it conveys the exact opposite meaning.Eye Movements, such as wide open pupils express feelings of surprise, excitement or even fear. The importance of eye contact with one’s audience was pointed out earlier. Direct eye contact is an indication of intensity and interest, while lack of it can convey feelings of nervousness and guilt.Gestures, such as movement of the hands while giving a lecture or presentation indicates a high level of involvement in what you are saying. On the other hand, shuffling of the feet is a sign of nervousness and speaking with one’s hands in one’s pockets is considered to be casual or even rude.

Head Movements like nodding the head can convey interest, appreciation, agreement or understanding.Body Shape and Posture – Body shape is not within one’s control but can be stereotyped to convey certain meanings. For example, someone who is strong and muscular is generally thought to be athletic, as opposed to a person who is short and fat!Posture on the other hand is within our control. In formal settings such as job interviews or classroom settings, it is essential that you maintain an erect posture to convey that you are attentive, since slouching or a relaxed posture conveys a casual attitude.Physical Appearance – Our outward appearance, including the way we dress and the jewelry and make-up that we wear can convey an impression of formality or informality. Going to a job interview dressed in blue jeans or not sticking to a stipulated dress code at the workplace can convey that you are a rebel, non-conformist or a very casual person.Therefore, it is important to take care of your appearance, so that you convey the right meaning to others.

2. Proxemics: Proxemics is derived from the word “proximity” or closeness and is the communication term for personal space and distance. The space and distance which we choose to keep from people is also part of non-verbal communication. Each of us has our own inner and outer circles, which differ for different people.Our inner most circle is an “intimate space”, into which we generally admit only select people such as family and close friends. Next comes a “personal space” which might include other friends and colleagues or coworkers. These two spaces involve communication of an informal nature.Most of us also have a “social and public” space, which includes official or workplace relationships, where the communication is of a more formal nature.In a business context, it is more relevant to understand the concept of “fixed space” and “semi-fixed” space.Fixed space means that the physical features of the work environment such as furniture, room size and seating arrangement are permanent.

3. Time Language: This refers to the meaning or importance attached to time and varies between different people. One person may value time more than another. Similarly, time language also varies across cultures.In most western cultures for example, punctuality is considered to be important. Arriving late for a business meeting is inexcusable. In other cultures, it is more relaxed and time is not given that much importance.We convey messages to others through the time we spend on a work related activity or by the importance that we give to time. Arriving early at work or for a job interview shows interest, involvement and seriousness. Spending time with an employee and giving him suggestions on how to improve his performance shows interest and involvement in his career growth.

4. Paralanguage: Para means “like” or “similar to”, therefore paralanguage means “like language”. Of all the forms of non-verbal communication, paralanguage is closest to

verbal communication. It refers to the tone of voice with which something is said. In other words, it is “how” something is said, and not “what” is said. The tone of voice includes the pitch (high or low pitch), the pace (slow or fast) the emphasis on words and the volume (soft or loud) and can convey different moods and emotions, as mentioned earlier in this unit.Example: The statement “I practice good business communication” can be understood in different ways, depending on the emphasis on certain words.Saying “I practice good business communication” means that I alone practice it above anyone else. On the other hand, saying “I practice good business communication” could be interpreted to mean that you communicate particularly well in a business context, rather than in a general context.The important point to keep in mind regarding tone of voice is to avoid mixed signals – that is, making sure that what you say is consistent with how you say it.

5. Physical Context: This refers to the physical environment or surroundings within which we communicate and includes two aspects – 1) color and layout and 2) design.Colors are known for their symbolic meaning and have associations with different feelings. For example, colors like black and grey are associated with death, mourning and negative feelings. Yellow and green are associated with more positive feelings. Of course, these can also vary across cultures. The point to remember is that you can make the right impressions with use of the right colors.Layout in a work environment refers to the size of an office, or the arrangement of furniture. Design refers to the type of chairs, desks or carpeting. All these can convey status, formality or informality.We have seen how the types of non-verbal communication outnumber the types of verbal communication. Non-verbal communication is an important supplement to verbal communication and can enhance verbal communication, if used in a positive way. The sender should use the right non-verbal cues to convey a positive message, while the receiver should learn to look for unintended messages conveyed by non-verbal communication.

Answer 3:

(a) Upward Communication: This may be defined as information that flows from subordinates to superiors. Some of the reasons for upward communication include discussing work related problems, giving suggestions for improvement and sharing feelings about the job and co-workers.This type of communication has both benefits and disadvantages. One of the biggest benefits is problem-solving. Once a subordinate has brought a problem to his superior’s notice, chances are that the problem will not recur, since the subordinate learns from his superior how to tackle it the next time. Thus, his ability to solve new problems and therefore his managerial ability, improves. Another benefit that could arise from upward

communication is that valuable ideas and suggestions may sometimes come from lower level employees. Therefore organizations should encourage this kind of communication.A third benefit is that employees learn to accept the decisions of management and thereby work as a team.The biggest problem associated with this type of communication is that it may lead to “handing down” of decisions by superiors. When subordinates frequently seek the superior’s guidance, the latter may adopt an authoritarian approach and merely give instructions, disregarding the subordinate’s opinion completely.

(b) Downward Communication: This may be defined as information that flows from superiors to subordinates. The most common reasons for downward communication are for giving job instructions, explaining company rules, policies and procedures and giving feedback regarding job performance. A number of studies have indicated that regular downward communication in the form of feedback given to employees is the most important factor affecting job satisfaction. Therefore organizations today are trying to encourage more of this type of communication.There are both benefits and disadvantages associated with this type of communication. Downward communication that provides regular feedback will be beneficial if the feedback or review of performance is constructive. A constructive review is one where a manager “counsels” an employee, or advises him on how to improve his performance. On the other hand, a destructive review can destroy employee morale and confidence. Regular downward communication also creates a climate of transparency or openness, where information is passed on through official channels, rather than through rumors.Thirdly, downward communication boosts employee morale, since it indicates that management is involved in their progress.The problems with this type of communication are the danger of doing destructive reviews, as mentioned, and that of “message overload.” This means that superiors many sometimes burden their subordinates with too many instructions, leading to confusion.

(c) Horizontal Communication: This type of communication is also known as “lateral” communication. It may be defined as communication that takes place between co-workers in the same department, or in different departments, with different areas of responsibility. For example, Sales Managers and Advertising Managers in the Marketing department, or Marketing Managers and Finance Managers.The reasons for this type of communication are for coordination of tasks, sharing of information regarding goals of the organization, resolving interpersonal or work related problems and building rapport.The biggest potential benefit of horizontal communication is the sense of teamwork that is created. Regular communication of this type ensures that all co-workers work together towards achieving a common goal in the overall interest of the organization. The biggest potential problem is that conflicts such as ego clashes are bound to arise, when co-workers at the same level communicate on a regular basis.

Answer 4: