Are
sustainable practices practical?...
Since the days
of hunter gatherer man, advanced group communication has being an evolutionary
advantage man has used very well to this very day managing to forge ever larger
and more complex groups in the achievement of group goals and objectives.
However, as we
know, people fail, groups fail, companies fail and what is never missing in the
aftermath is recrimination about how communication was used, misused and/or
abused in the run up to the identified failure.
There is no
doubt in my mind that good organisational communication is an integral part of
all success but how do we define good communication and is it sustainable?
Organisational
communication can be broken out in to the following types:
Downward and Upward Communication – from or to your reporting superiors,
it’s a one-way/two way communication channel that acts as a message channel
with little room for two-way dialogue in some cases.
Lateral Communication – Peer to peer communication between
colleagues of the same level. Tends to be more informal with limited but speedy
decision-making and peer collaboration noted as prominent characteristics.
Diagonal Communication – This is multi level, cross-functional
communication that is more interactive and collaborative with multi functional
interactions to a specific goal or objective.
Models of
communication define the inset structures to which we communicate in
organisational groups and are equally as fascinating in so far as they are
reflective of how group processes actually work. Some of the more common ones
are as follows:
Wheel Communication – This is a structured model based around a single
point in the organisation (e.g. the customer) with all other people, functions
and groups connected directly with this single point but structured in silos
where they are limited interaction with each other due to being a “fixed point
on the wheel”. It’s normally used in
customer centric models where vertical organisational models are present.
Helical Model – This is a form of communication for more lateral
or matrix organisations where flexibility and organisational focus on task (V
functions/silos) is required. As the project or task progresses, the circle of communication
widens eventually producing an outcome.
Poole’s Model – This is a multi track communication with two main
elements, the task track and the relation track. The former focuses on the task
at hand and formal collaboration in group settings in order to identify a
solution to the issue. The latter is an informal group setting where social
bonding aids group cohesion and progression of the task/issue. Switching
between the two is known as break points.
Chain Model – This is a singular dictatorial method of
communication where instructions are given in a downward communication flow
with no room for two-way communication.
Stephen Covey
once said “most people do not listen with the intent to understand, they listen
with the intent to reply” which is especially true when we look at people in organisational
communication and it’s potential for a win-lose result.
When thinking
of organisational communication, we need to think of what we want to achieve with our business
and how we will do it? If we do, then
the question of sustainability is answered. So if long-term sustainability in
communication is required, how do we structure it in an effective way? In broad
terms, we should consider a sustainable communication model in context to the
following:
- · Product range; present and future
- · Industry presence & culture; present and future
- · Company culture and established business practices
- · Strategic planning and change management burdens to the medium term
- · Regulatory and Legal requirements
We need to
ensure we get a “good fit” for our organisational communication model in the
present and have enough time to enact complex multi functional change into the
future should our communication model require it.
Exploring this
point, imagine an unforeseen need for multi layered, cross functional collaboration
requirement on project(s) critical to a company’s survival, which has an autocratic
organisational model and a hierarchical company culture with chain
communication driving all downward layers of the organisation to blindly carry
out instructions. As the project progresses, a sudden need for constructive
dissent and independent thinking appears, but is missing in this case increasing
the changes of impacting failure.
If we
understand our company vision, its direction, its culture, its markets and
ourselves, we can define, incorporate and develop a modus of communication that
seamlessly fits into our organisational structure which hums positively in
daily business flexing and changing with the winds of time. If we achieve this,
then I submit we achieve sustainability in our communication model, which will
act as binding glue holding the “company ship” together and keeping it afloat
in all weathers.
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