The purpose of communication
Task 2
The purpose of communication
We need to communicate to send and receive information between individuals.
Communication systems are used to deliver a message from a sender to a receiver through a medium. A medium can only accept messages in some specific range of forms. Communication systems are used in a business because they can send messages electronically which is easier and faster to do compared to writing messages such as a memorandum or verbally communicating.
An example of communication in a business is to give employees information about products to be produced, workers tasks which are to be completed and customers knowing when to expect deliveries of their orders.
I use communication at school to get information from teachers and to learn various things for example I must communicate with teachers to prepare myself for deadlines and targets.
Teachers will also communicate to inform pupils of tasks and to tell them how they are getting on.
Employees will need information no get on with their job and to know exactly what they are to be doing.
Managers need information so they can check up on his/her employees to see if they are working well or unsatisfactory.
Problems will most definitely arise in businesses and therefore communication is used to notify the problem and to get it under control quickly and efficiently.
A business could experience the following problems: customers may not be happy, products may not be producing on time and supplies and materials may not be received, communication is needed to resolve problems.
Businesses give information and they collect it. For example businesses may want to use adverts to promote their business via television, radio and business cards. Businesses can also receive feedback by collecting information from surveys and questionnaires.
Market research is used in businesses to find out who is buying a certain product and why they are buying it. This can help to tailor products, develop new products or used to target market efforts. To collect this information business need to communicate with people through focus groups, surveys and telephone questionnaires.
Our school collects information about pupils wanting to join the school. This will include personal details about the pupil and past exam results.
Why is communication so important to businesses?
Communication is important to businesses for the following reasons: it promotes clarity of purpose so everyone included understands what is being intended to achieve, it makes effective interfaces which makes a level of trust between the business and the customers, and communication makes more effective information sharing and consistent leadership behaviour.
A business should communicate well with their employees because it can help ...
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Our school collects information about pupils wanting to join the school. This will include personal details about the pupil and past exam results.
Why is communication so important to businesses?
Communication is important to businesses for the following reasons: it promotes clarity of purpose so everyone included understands what is being intended to achieve, it makes effective interfaces which makes a level of trust between the business and the customers, and communication makes more effective information sharing and consistent leadership behaviour.
A business should communicate well with their employees because it can help the company dramatically. It can boost loyalty to the business and team spirit, explain to employees targets and values, show the business is concerned about them and in doing so it a team building effort which will help the success of the business.
Businesses should also have a clear communication with customers to let them know what your business is doing, events, new products, services and sales which are being promoted. Effective communication can get customers attention into taking interest in your business which will help make the popularity of your business bigger.
If a good communication is with the businesses suppliers various advantages may come out of it this includes: an honest relationship between the business and the suppliers for cost and quality of goods and also suppliers will work harder to satisfy your businesses needs.
Some businesses will also be in contact with the media this is because it can have good benefits. Your company will be seen as honest, direct and well prepared.
Managers use collected information to make and prepare reports, to produce better-informed decisions and from reviewing the data received can draw conclusions that will help the business.
Poor communication will result in managers making the wrong decisions and employees and customers being told wrong information. If this occurs the following could happen: wrong items may be delivered to the customers, delivering correspondence on the wrong date and or address, management using incorrect data and staff misunderstanding each other.
The overall image of the company relies on many things. Firstly the communication quality must be very good, in order to get the customers faith I the business. From this the ability and desire to respond to the customer is needed. If this is achieved then a level of satisfaction from the customer will be positive and this will help make the company image a lot better. The image of the company will also depend on the level of services given to the customer. To strengthen the image of the company advertisement can be used.
Managers need feedback for a number of reasons. It can help develop personalities and competencies. Feedback can help the company as it can motivate employees. After a decision made by the manager feedback is needed because the company needs to know how that decision has affected the company for good or bad reasons. It is also needed because feedback can be used to understand how to improve on that decision and can promote management development. For example if a decision did not go very well feedback is used to notice the problem and then the business can decide on how the decision can be improved.
Workers like to have a say in the company this involves the way that their jobs are done. This is because sometimes managers will overlook the way a person's job can be improved, also workers will have a say in what they do so it supports their own desires and goals. Employees will want to question the way they do their work and to be involved in decisions that will affect them. Workers want to provide their input to changes that they are asked to implement, involvement increases workers to create ideas and so they can work better and help the business.
Having a say in the company makes employees feel that they can make significant contributions to the business, and through this receive strong job satisfaction. Also having a say in there company will make them feel equal and respected within the business. If employees are given this chance regularly it will turn them into enthusiastic workers and this will then make them feel that they are wanted and trusted in the company.
Businesses need to give their customers basically what they want. Businesses need to give their customers the expected level of service that the customer is looking for.
Businesses must give there customers a consistently high-quality experience and then manage it over time. This can be achieved by knowing who your customers are, there habits and preferences.
Without communication business would not be able to clear up misunderstandings and this is why communication is so important to a business. For example if a customer is unhappy or something has gone wrong, a business would not be able to contact and clear it up and if this happens, the business could loose customer, the image and respect it may have gained.
Barriers to communication
Barriers to communication stop he message from being interpreted correctly by the receiver, although numerous things can get in the way of communication effectiveness the common barriers are:
Attitudes/Respect: Attitudes and/or lack of respect often can create barriers in communication. In other words, we have a tendency not to listen to those individuals who we believe are not credible - or who have a different viewpoint from our own.
Culture: Culture and geography can create communication barriers. Often words and phrases from different parts of the world can hold very different meanings. Nonverbal communication (body language) can also convey different meanings.
Exclusionary Language: Using industry jargon, slang, and abbreviations have the potential to exclude new employees, clients, vendors, and people from other departments.
Physical Distractions: Noise, heat, cold, and even uncomfortable chairs can be barriers to communication. When we experience physical discomfort or environmental interference, we may "tune out" or have difficulty concentrating.
Assumptions: When we make assumptions about individuals based on personal bias, prejudice, and values, we will create a barrier to communication.
Differing Perceptions: The old example of the glass being half empty or half full illustrates how two individuals can perceive the same situation very differently. These differing perceptions can create an environment of confusion, frustration, and conflict.
Implications to business of poor communication
Poor communications lead to bad decisions and loss of business.
A lot of customer service enquiries arise as a result of poor communication, for example perhaps customers were confused over the terms of a particular offer or misunderstood the repayment terms. This means poor communication between your company and your customers is occurring and that your message needs to be put across more clearly in the future to ensure that your business is successful.
Employees can also suffer from poor communication as employees lament that managers tell them too little, too late and if this happens work may not be completed and products finished on time. Employees can also be affected from poor communication in a business as they will not be notified on how they are getting on and how they could improve from the managers and employees will not be able to give feedback towards the higher end of the company.
Suppliers suffer from poor communication as if the company is not clearly telling them what they want and when they want it, and where they want it delivered all sorts of problems can arise, as goods may be delivered to the wrong address and the wrong items may be delivered.
If poor communication continues businesses will make wrong decisions and lose business. This could result in a loss of income and profits will be lost.
