UNIT I. MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION

Managers have three basic jobs: to collect and convey information, to make decisions, and to promote interpersonal unity. Every one of those jobs is carried out through communication. Managers collect relevant information from conversations, the grapevine, phone calls, memos, reports, databases, and the Internet. They convey information and decisions to other people inside or outside the organization through meetings, speeches, press releases, videos, memos, letters, and reports. Managers motivate organizational members in speeches, memos, conversations at lunch and over coffee, bulletin boards, and through "management by walking around."

Effective managers are able to use a wide variety of media and strategies to communicate. They know how to interpret comments from informal channels such as the company grapevine; they can speak effectively in small groups and in formal presentations; they write well.

Managerial communication is different from other kinds of communication. Why? Because in a business or management setting, a brilliant message alone is not sufficient: you are successful only if your message leads to the response you desire from your audience.

To get that desired audience response, you need to think strategically about your communication—before you start to write or speak. Strategic communication is based on five interactive variables: (1) communicator (the writer or speaker) strategy, (2) audience strategy, (3) the message strategy, (4) channel choice strategy, and (5) cultural context strategy.

Communication—oral, nonverbal, and written—goes to both internal and external audiences. Internal audiences are other people in the same organization: subordinates, superiors, peers. External audiences are people outside the organization: customers, suppliers, unions, stockholders, potential employees, government agencies, the press, and the general public.

In business we communicate for only one reason: to influence someone to think or behave in a particular way. For example, managers want to influence employees to understand, support, and work for business goals such as increasing productivity, sales, profits, and quality while reducing costs. To influence any audience, we must understand and relate to their interests and needs. Communication takes many forms: face-to-face or phone conversations, informal meetings, e-mail messages, letters, memos, and reports. All of these methods are verbal communication, or communication that uses words. Nonverbal communication does not use words. Pictures, computer graphics, and company logos are nonverbal. Interpersonal nonverbal signals include smiles, who sit where at a meeting, the size of an office, and how long someone keeps a visitor waiting.

Typically, effective communication is based on face-to-face interaction between people working to establish and maintain mutual trust and understanding. This interpersonal communication is often supported by the appropriate written, spoken, and broadcast communication material (memos, newsletters, news releases, speeches, videotapes, and other media). However, when we rely solely on these media, no matter how well crafted, we lose the ability that interpersonal communication provides to gauge if and how people respond to our communication. Essentially, we confuse merely disseminating information with interactive communication.

To increase the chances for success of any important business activity, develop a communication plan at the outset. The plan should articulate a clear purpose, the desired outcomes, and the messages and methods that will work best with audiences you need to reach. Without this kind of planned communication, the success of the activity and of the people involved is jeopardized unnecessarily.

Business depends on communication. In every organization, communication is the way people get their points across and get work done.

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A number of obstacles can stand in the way of creating effective teams. Fortunately, many effective techniques can be used to overcome those obstacles. The following criti­cal obstacles can prevent teams from becoming high performers.

A weak sense of direction: Teams perform poorly when members are not sure of their purpose, goals, and approach. Add weak leadership and you have the recipe for failure. Nothing will undermine enthusiasm for the team concept as quickly as the frustration of being an involuntary member of a team that has no focus.

Infighting: Effective teams are not necessarily composed of people who all like each other; however, members must respect each other and be willing to put aside petty differences in order to facilitate goal achievement.

Shirking of responsibilities: A team is in trouble if members exhibit lack of commitment to the team, maneuver to have others do part of their job, or blame colleagues or management for personal or team failures.

Lack of trust: When there is trust, team members believe in the integrity, character, and ability of one another. When trust is lacking, members are unable to depend on each other. Teams that lack trust tend to be short lived.

Lack of external support: Teams exist within the larger organization. They rely on that larger organization for a variety of resources —money, people, and equipment —and if those resources aren't there, it's difficult for teams to reach their potential.

A number of things can be done to overcome obstacles and help teams reach their full potential.

Create clear goals: In effective teams, members are committed to the team's goals, know what they are expected to accomplish, and understand how they will work together to achieve these goals.

Encourage teams to go for small wins: The building of real teams takes time. Team members have to learn to think and work as a team. Team members should begin by trying to hit singles. This can be facilitated by identifying and setting attainable goals. The eventual goal of cutting overall costs by 30 percent, for instance, can be dissected into 5 or 10 smaller and more easily attainable goals. As the smaller goals are attained, the team's success is reinforced. Cohesiveness is increased and morale improves. Confidence builds. Success breeds success, but it's a lot easier for young teams to reach their goals if they start with small wins.

Build mutual trust: Keep team members informed by explaining upper-management decisions and policies and by providing accurate feedback. Create a climate of openness in which employees are free to discuss problems without fear of retaliation. Be candid about your own problems and limitations. Make sure you're available and approachable when others need support. Be respectful and listen to team members' ideas. Develop a reputation for being fair, objective, and impartial in your treatment of team members.

Appraise group and individual performances: Team members should all share in the glory when their team succeeds, and they should share in the blame when it fails. Therefore, a large measure of each member's performance appraisal should be based on the team's overall performance. However, members need to know that they can't ride on the backs of others. Therefore, each member's individual contribution also should be identified and made a part of his or her overall performance appraisal.

Provide the necessary external support: Managers are the link between the teams and upper management. It's their responsibility to make sure that teams have the necessary organizational resources to accomplish their goals. They should be prepared to make the case to key decision makers in the organization for tools, equipment, training, personnel, physical space, or other resources that the teams require.

Offer team-building training: Teams, especially in their early stages of formation, will need training to build their skills. Typically, training should address problem-solving, communication, negotiation, conflict-resolution, and group-processing skills. If you can't personally provide this kind of skills training for your team members, look to specialists in your organization who can or secure the funds to bring in outside facilitators who specialize in this kind of training.

Change the team's membership: When teams get bogged down in their own inertia or internal fighting, allow them to rotate members. To manage this change, consider how certain personalities will mesh and re-form teams in ways that will better complement skills. If lack of leadership is the problem, use your familiarity with the people involved to create teams in which it is highly likely that a leader will emerge.

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