Communication Case

Communications

Poor communication in a business can lead to frustration, loss of productivity and strained employee relations. Failing to address a problem in communication with employees can cause the situation to deteriorate even further.

Causes of poor communication in a business organization

1. Difference in Perceptions

The way employees and others involved in the business see themselves and each other can lead to communication problems.

2. Distractions

Distractions in the workplace, such as loud traffic, radios and even bad lighting, can hamper communication by harming focus.

3. Complex Organizational Structure

While some organizations manage to communicate effectively with a large-scale hierarchy in place, numerous layers of management can lead to disastrous results.

4. Stress

A stressful or emotional work environment can make interaction between workers strained.

5. Lack of Plan

A business without a clear plan for events or extraordinary circumstances may experience a problem with employee communication when something unexpected occurs, as the employees may not know how to react.

Effects of poor communication

* Employees become hesitant to work with their manager.

* Employees argue and reject their manager's opinions and input.

* Employees file more grievances related to performance issues.

* Employees don't keep their manager informed and avoid talking to their manager.

* Employees do their best to hide their deficiencies or performance difficulties.

* Employees refuse to take responsibility.

Lack of Management commitment

Even though you may spend lots of time and effort in designing and implementing a performance management process for your organization it may have a negative impact on performance due to the level of management commitment. The most important factor to successfully implement this process is the commitment and support of Top Management as well as Line Management. Employees must "feel" that management is committed to the process and it is to their own benefit to improve their performance, as there are some rewards in the pipeline should they improve their performance.