UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES FOUNDATION GRADUATE SCHOOL Lahug, Cebu City

Effective Organizational Communication Practices

ASSIGNMENT ON INTRODUCTION TO COMMUCATION ED 273

Submitted by: ELMAR G. OBOTA MAED STUDENT

Submitted to: Mr. NIEL S. LACANLALE Professor

February 2012

Effective Organizational Communication Practices By David Stewart, eHow Contributor | updated July 02, 2011 Effective organizational communication is the key to success for any organization. It is necessary to foster feelings of understanding and rapport between management and employees to achieve the set organizational goals and targets. Organizations are determined to maintain positive vibes and amiable relations with its employees. Money -- though a major incentive -cannot be the sole reason a relationship between an employer and employee succeeds. Effective, innovative and smart organizational communication practices are essential to win the trust, confidence and support of the employees. Communications Audit It is wise and essential for organizations to carry out a communications audit to ensure the current communication activities, programs and strategies are effective in maintaining a healthy co-existence between the employee and the employer or management. An assessment may be an eye-opener for management and it may call for some changes or improvisations to improve the existing organizational communication practices. It is important to identify and spot weak links or loopholes, and to repair a situation and execute an action plan to embrace novel and effective communication practices.

Employees' Suggestions The organization needs to be open to suggestions and allow active participation on the part of the employees in pointing out the drawbacks of the existing system. Management can patiently listen to grievances and concerns. When they take note of the employees' suggestions and put them into practice, the employees feel far more attached and there is a sense of fulfillment and commitment. An organization may lay down basic guidelines for the suggestion program, appoint and designate suggestion-review task forces and reward or recognize novel and viable suggestions.

Management-Employee Interaction The organization must never allow its employees to feel alienated. A personal interaction between senior management and the common or middlelevel employees ensures better understanding. Top management often encourages or interacts freely with employees to make them feel good, comfortable and emotionally more attached to the organization. Managers may walk around the office and acknowledge or appreciate an employee's efforts or interact wherever necessary. Parties, outings and official events may foster better communication between management and employees.

Management can convey and convince that it is there for its employees' welfare and well-being. Downward Communications Top management needs to ensure that every employee at each level gets a copy of the company's strategic plan, which may include the goals, mission, vision and strategies to be adopted. Each employee needs to be updated with company policies. Regular management meetings, staff meetings and celebration meetings can be held. Managers and leaders must maintain face-to-face contact with the employees. All employees receive yearly appraisals including targets to be achieved, job description, achievements and any improvements to be made. Upward Communications Management needs to insist that all employees submit status reports to their immediate superiors. Supervisors must make it a point to meet their subordinates at least once every month and become familiar with their problems and concerns. Management can pay some attention to rumors doing the rounds as they may indicate some future events to follow. Meetings are to be organized between management and staff to get proper and direct feedback. The managers need to take note of feedback given and take any effective action accordingly.

Reference: http://www.ehow.com/info_8679638_effective-organizationalcommunication-practices.html Synthesis: Effective organizational communication depends upon many factors and considerations. Effective practices are very important in order to effectively carry out the purposes and tasks an organization aimed at. There are many other effective practices for organizational communication, however, the ones cited herein are among those highly and presently accepted. These principles and practices are indeed proven and tested and hence, when applied to specific situations would certainly result to an expected outcome.