Every organization depends on communication to achieve success. According to Smeltzer and Fann, the main difference between large organizations and small organizations is small organizations have less procedures and rules resulting in a higher level of uncertainty, and less emphasis on formality (Smeltzer & Fann, 1989). Although small organizations tend to be more flexible and have less hierarchy, some must improve upon their level of communication in order to retain their employees due to societal evolutions because of shortfalls in team building, relationship development, communication outputs, organizational culture, leadership strategies and employee retention.
While small organizations may offer their employees flexibility, many small corporations must improve upon their level of internal communications in order to promote and maintain effective team building and relationship development. Interpersonal communication is used to establish relationships with other organizations participants to accomplish organizational tasks (Kreps, 2011). In every organization, different employees will bring different strengths and contributions to the table. Each individual team must contribute to the organizations goals. In order to do this each department or team must have clear objectives and processes.
Small business managers facing unpredictable events on a regular basis find procedures useless (Smeltzer & Fann, 1989). Small organizations are generally more informal. Since there are fewer employees, each employee may have multiple roles resulting in less time to prepare written communication processes and memos. When there is less formal procedure, there is a higher level of uncertainty. Small organizations also places less concern on keeping those both higher up and lower the organizational chart in the loop of decisions and changes. This results in disconnects and poor communications across departments in a small organization.
Since many small organizations assume formal processes are not needed, productivity is jeopardized and there is a greater chance for errors to occur. I have worked for a small corporation for the past six years and their lack of formal processes has hurt the company and resulted in frustrated employees when they do not know who to go to for proper information to complete forms and work is even at times duplicated due to lack of communication. Individuals holding the same positions within the company have their own unique way of doing things, which results in confusion when it comes time to train new hires.
When team members do not communicate with one another it can lead to conflict, quality problems, lost opportunities, and error. If employees were trained to work as a team and create processes that are uniform, stronger relationships would be built which would result in increased productivity for small organization overall. To build team communication, managers can set time aside for team building exercises which will create trust among team members, develop interest in different perspectives, strengthen listening skills, develop fast problem-solving skills, and build closer relationships.
Additionally, small organizations sometimes fall short in communication outputs and have difficulty with properly relaying and understanding messages. When two people engage in a face-to-face conversation, only a small fraction of the message conveyed is in words (Preston, 2005). “The largest part of the message and arguably the most important is conveyed by kinesics, or the combination of gestures, postures, facial expressions, clothing and even scent” (Preston, 2005). Although subtle, many of our bodily movements provide strong indicators about our attitudes and feelings about different situations and people (Kreps, 2011).
Many times when we have internal conflict or struggles we may think no one is aware; however, our gestures can sometimes say otherwise. There may be a co-worker we dislike or mistrust, and we try to maintain professionalism and keep our feelings inside; however, a facial expression or gesture may disclose this secret. There is a saying “It was written all over your face” which means, no matter how we think we are hiding what we feel on the inside, it is still unavoidably displayed on the outside through an indirect facial expression. When our emotions are nonverbally communicated it is referred to as, Oculesics. We also can display excitement, disgust, nervousness and anxiety in the way we speak or the tone we use – this nonverbal communication is knows as, Paralinguistics (Kreps, 2011). Overall, many of us are unaware of the nonverbal body language we are showing to others.
Eye contact is also important because it displays an individual’s willingness to listen and shows that we are both interested in what the person we speaker has to say and attentive. We must show gestures such as head nods to show that we are actively listening and understanding and avoid being fidgety which will show nervousness. Furthermore, we must be aware of the reactions of others around us, as this will show us how others perceive us. In times of stress we must learn to temper our voices and body language so that we do not cause others to want to avoid us or assume we are not approachable.
Many times kinesics (gestures) is tied to culture and while a specific gesture is positive to one culture, it may be insulting to another. Organizational culture in organizations can also be obstacles; examples of this are: when new hires are brought in, when older seasoned employees are stuck in their ways and resist being open to new cultures and when new hires feel out of place and unwelcome finding it difficult to fit in. According to Kreps, organizations are not static; they are constantly changing and evolving. There will always be new personnel being hired, older employees retiring and seasoned employees fighting change due to what they consider to be their entitlement. Organizations are made of departments that must operate interdependently in order for the organization to be productive. Kreps (2011), noted that “Each department depends on the communication and organizing activities between interdependent individual workers, and the organization depends on effective communication and organizing activities between interdependent departments” (1.4, paragraph 5). Although there will always be employee turnover, it is crucial that organizational departments to communicate effectively to share information necessary for productivity.
No matter what size the organization you work for, you should always be mindful of the culture. “Building cultural intelligence helps you work effectively with people who are different from you. Whether you're working abroad or leading a culturally diverse team, it can mean the difference between success and failure, and the difference between solving problems and creating them (Mind Tools, 2014). When you’re aware of the cultures within your organization, you will become more observant to the behaviors and actions by people you work with and better understand the reasons behind them.
According to Dr. David Livermore, an expert on cultural intelligence and author of the 2011 book "The Cultural Intelligence Difference," there are four things that contribute to it cultural intelligence: drive, knowledge, strategy and action. Per the article, Livermore states that drive is motivation to learn about a different culture and helps you keep an open mind when learning about others who are different than you. You can broaden your knowledge about the cultural difference in order to develop understanding. Through research, you can learn to understand how others interact and what drives their actions. Through strategy we can learn how people from other cultures do things and in turn adjust how our cultural differences could be interpreted differently. Finally, though action we can show how well we are aware of cultural differences and how well we adapt in difficult situations.
Small organizations may not be as diverse as larger corporations; therefore, being aware of organizational culture is even more crucial. When you have a willingness to learn about other cultures and why someone uses different gestures or reacts differently in the work environment you will be less likely to pass judgment or stereotype a colleague and adapt respectfully to the differences. Many times we will find similarities to our own culture and even learn a new way to be productive or a new method of solving an issue in the workplace.
Some small organizations struggle with growth because they lack the necessary leadership skills; Leaders should bring their employees and organization closer together; however, many organizations have owners and executives who are stuck in their ways and rather delegate managerial tasks rather than learn to lead and embrace change. A solution to a small organization lacking leadership skills is: shared leadership. “Shared leadership offers an approach in which power is distributed rather than assigned hierarchically. Leadership is built on a team of individuals who work together to create a common purpose or goal, with each person contributing skills and knowledge, and holding each other accountable for the collective result. Shared leadership is based on interdependence, so it must be sensitive to diversity and cultural norms. It values democratic processes, honesty, and shared ethics” (Litchinsky, 2011).
According to Litchinsky, to make shared leadership work in a small organization all parties must have well-defined roles follow through to ensure that their individual responsibilities are done on time and accurately. Shared leadership addresses five areas: shared vision, purpose, and goals, shared values, structured supports, communications and redefined roles for the executives. Organizations must acknowledge that vision exists at many levels; they must set team goals and capture the vision of all members. Shared values will guide the organization and the dedication to uphold ethical standards and be open will be rewarding for all parties. Structured support will provide detailed processes while effective communication will ensure that processes and information are shared so all employees are fully informed. The company executives will still formally lead the organizations but act more as facilitators trusting their team to handle daily operations, allowing the executive team to work on relationships that will contribute to the organizations future success.
The dictionary defines leader as a person who guides or directs a group. Leaders are meant to inspire people and motivate. The issue with many small organizations is that due to minimal staff, managers are expected to be leaders; however, mangers do not always have leadership skills. Many managers are overwhelmed with running reports, managing systems, attending and planning meetings, problem-solving, and are left feeling drained at the end of the day. Sometimes they do not have it within to be innovative motivators who can embrace change and inspire their team. Their inability to lead or takes a toll on department or branch they manage. Employee morale drops and employees stop caring about the work they do. They lose drive and ambition when work becomes boring, routine and is unfulfilling and non-rewarding. Shared leadership will encourage staff to grow and reach their full potential while contributing to the growth of their organization.
Small organizations must improve upon their level of communication because they must keep up with constantly evolving changes and retain their employees because larger corporations are keeping up with organizational demands and offering more opportunities for growth. In order to compete with larger corporations, small organizations can focus on job enrichment, which will allow employees to have more control over their work. Employees like to feel valued, challenged and empowered. Know that their superiors believe in their ability to get the job done will give motivation and drive to produce exceptional work.
According to Mind Tools, “Job enrichment is a fundamental part of attracting, motivating, and retaining talented people, particularly where work is repetitive or boring. To do it well, you need a great match between the way your jobs are designed and the skills and interests of the employees working for you.” Job enrichment will also provide opportunity for development. Organizations can implement teams to allow employee participation and input in decision-making. When possible, managers should allow employees to rotate jobs and try executing different tasks. This will allow for employees to renew understand how other departments operate, learn new skills and interests. Cross training across departments will motivate employees and be beneficial to the organization when coverage is needed for employee vacations or sick time. Employees should also be allowed to take on supervisory tasks and special projects; this will also allow for employees to develop pride, confidence and enthusiasm resulting in growth.
In summary, while some small organizations are sometimes more flexible and have less hierarchy, they must improve upon their levels of communication in order to keep up with the constantly evolving changes within their organization while also retaining their employees and remaining successful. Focusing on job enrichment will result in satisfied, motivated workers.
Improving in team building, relationship development, communication outputs, organizational culture, and leadership strategies will result in improved employee satisfaction and retention. Although large corporations can offer room for growth, larger salaries and more employee perks; smaller organizations can offer growth through involvement in the organization’s daily operation, involvement in planning and decision-making, and increased independence.
References
Preston, P. (2005). Nonverbal communication: Do you really say what you mean? Journal of Healthcare Management, 50(2), 83-6. Retrieved from ProQuest.
Sachs, Randi T. (1991). Overcoming the obstacles to communication. Supervisory Management, 36, 4. Retrieved from ProQuest.
Kreps, G.L. (2011). Communication in Organizations. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Te'eni, D. (2006). The language-action perspective as a basis for communication support systems. Association for Computing Machinery.Communications of the ACM, 49(5), 65-70. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/1125944.1125977
Litchinsky, B., & Ford, T. (2011, Sep). Free yourself by sharing leadership duties. Nonprofit World, 29, 16-17. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/904159425?accountid=32521
Smeltzer, L., & Fann, G. (1989, June) Comparison of Managerial Communication Patterns in Small, Entrepreneurial Organizations and Large, Mature Organizations. Group & Organization Studies, 14(2), 198-215.
Mind Tools. (1996-2014). Mind tools: Cultural Intelligence Working Successfully With Diverse Groups. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/cultural-intelligence.htm?utm_source=nl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=04Nov14#np
Mind Tools. (1996-2014). Mind tools: Job Enrichment: Increasing Job Satisfaction. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_81.htm
Many times when we have internal conflict or struggles we may think no one is aware; however, our gestures can sometimes say otherwise. There may be a co-worker we dislike or mistrust, and we try to maintain professionalism and keep our feelings inside; however, a facial expression or gesture may disclose this secret. There is a saying “It was written all over your face” which means, no matter how we think we are hiding what we feel on the inside, it is still unavoidably displayed on the outside through an indirect facial expression. When our emotions are nonverbally communicated it is referred to as, Oculesics. We also can display excitement, disgust, nervousness and anxiety in the way we speak or the tone we use – this nonverbal communication is knows as, Paralinguistics (Kreps, 2011). Overall, many of us are unaware of the nonverbal body language we are showing to others.
Having fewer employees’ can mean more responsibilities, due to this, sometimes management and upper level executives within small organizations have downfalls in their communication output. They can sometimes be so busy or consumed in their own responsibilities that they forgot to show simple friendly gestures and kindness such as saying good morning to their employees and smiling. Communication output can be improved within small organizations for both management and employees. To do this, we all must learn to become more familiar with the various gestures and non-verbal communication and know that they will vary from person-to- person.
Many times kinesics (gestures) is tied to culture and while a specific gesture is positive to one culture, it may be insulting to another. Organizational culture in organizations can also be obstacles; examples of this are: when new hires are brought in, when older seasoned employees are stuck in their ways and resist being open to new cultures and when new hires feel out of place and unwelcome finding it difficult to fit in. According to Kreps, organizations are not static; they are constantly changing and evolving. There will always be new personnel being hired, older employees retiring and seasoned employees fighting change due to what they consider to be their entitlement. Organizations are made of departments that must operate interdependently in order for the organization to be productive. Kreps (2011), noted that “Each department depends on the communication and organizing activities between interdependent individual workers, and the organization depends on effective communication and organizing activities between interdependent departments” (1.4, paragraph 5). Although there will always be employee turnover, it is crucial that organizational departments to communicate effectively to share information necessary for productivity.
No matter what size the organization you work for, you should always be mindful of the culture. “Building cultural intelligence helps you work effectively with people who are different from you. Whether you're working abroad or leading a culturally diverse team, it can mean the difference between success and failure, and the difference between solving problems and creating them (Mind Tools, 2014). When you’re aware of the cultures within your organization, you will become more observant to the behaviors and actions by people you work with and better understand the reasons behind them.
According to Dr. David Livermore, an expert on cultural intelligence and author of the 2011 book "The Cultural Intelligence Difference," there are four things that contribute to it cultural intelligence: drive, knowledge, strategy and action. Per the article, Livermore states that drive is motivation to learn about a different culture and helps you keep an open mind when learning about others who are different than you. You can broaden your knowledge about the cultural difference in order to develop understanding. Through research, you can learn to understand how others interact and what drives their actions. Through strategy we can learn how people from other cultures do things and in turn adjust how our cultural differences could be interpreted differently. Finally, though action we can show how well we are aware of cultural differences and how well we adapt in difficult situations.
Small organizations may not be as diverse as larger corporations; therefore, being aware of organizational culture is even more crucial. When you have a willingness to learn about other cultures and why someone uses different gestures or reacts differently in the work environment you will be less likely to pass judgment or stereotype a colleague and adapt respectfully to the differences. Many times we will find similarities to our own culture and even learn a new way to be productive or a new method of solving an issue in the workplace.
Some small organizations struggle with growth because they lack the necessary leadership skills; Leaders should bring their employees and organization closer together; however, many organizations have owners and executives who are stuck in their ways and rather delegate managerial tasks rather than learn to lead and embrace change. A solution to a small organization lacking leadership skills is: shared leadership. “Shared leadership offers an approach in which power is distributed rather than assigned hierarchically. Leadership is built on a team of individuals who work together to create a common purpose or goal, with each person contributing skills and knowledge, and holding each other accountable for the collective result. Shared leadership is based on interdependence, so it must be sensitive to diversity and cultural norms. It values democratic processes, honesty, and shared ethics” (Litchinsky, 2011).
According to Litchinsky, to make shared leadership work in a small organization all parties must have well-defined roles follow through to ensure that their individual responsibilities are done on time and accurately. Shared leadership addresses five areas: shared vision, purpose, and goals, shared values, structured supports, communications and redefined roles for the executives. Organizations must acknowledge that vision exists at many levels; they must set team goals and capture the vision of all members. Shared values will guide the organization and the dedication to uphold ethical standards and be open will be rewarding for all parties. Structured support will provide detailed processes while effective communication will ensure that processes and information are shared so all employees are fully informed. The company executives will still formally lead the organizations but act more as facilitators trusting their team to handle daily operations, allowing the executive team to work on relationships that will contribute to the organizations future success.
The dictionary defines leader as a person who guides or directs a group. Leaders are meant to inspire people and motivate. The issue with many small organizations is that due to minimal staff, managers are expected to be leaders; however, mangers do not always have leadership skills. Many managers are overwhelmed with running reports, managing systems, attending and planning meetings, problem-solving, and are left feeling drained at the end of the day. Sometimes they do not have it within to be innovative motivators who can embrace change and inspire their team. Their inability to lead or takes a toll on department or branch they manage. Employee morale drops and employees stop caring about the work they do. They lose drive and ambition when work becomes boring, routine and is unfulfilling and non-rewarding. Shared leadership will encourage staff to grow and reach their full potential while contributing to the growth of their organization.
Small organizations must improve upon their level of communication because they must keep up with constantly evolving changes and retain their employees because larger corporations are keeping up with organizational demands and offering more opportunities for growth. In order to compete with larger corporations, small organizations can focus on job enrichment, which will allow employees to have more control over their work. Employees like to feel valued, challenged and empowered. Know that their superiors believe in their ability to get the job done will give motivation and drive to produce exceptional work.
According to Mind Tools, “Job enrichment is a fundamental part of attracting, motivating, and retaining talented people, particularly where work is repetitive or boring. To do it well, you need a great match between the way your jobs are designed and the skills and interests of the employees working for you.” Job enrichment will also provide opportunity for development. Organizations can implement teams to allow employee participation and input in decision-making. When possible, managers should allow employees to rotate jobs and try executing different tasks. This will allow for employees to renew understand how other departments operate, learn new skills and interests. Cross training across departments will motivate employees and be beneficial to the organization when coverage is needed for employee vacations or sick time. Employees should also be allowed to take on supervisory tasks and special projects; this will also allow for employees to develop pride, confidence and enthusiasm resulting in growth.
In summary, while some small organizations are sometimes more flexible and have less hierarchy, they must improve upon their levels of communication in order to keep up with the constantly evolving changes within their organization while also retaining their employees and remaining successful. Focusing on job enrichment will result in satisfied, motivated workers.
Improving in team building, relationship development, communication outputs, organizational culture, and leadership strategies will result in improved employee satisfaction and retention. Although large corporations can offer room for growth, larger salaries and more employee perks; smaller organizations can offer growth through involvement in the organization’s daily operation, involvement in planning and decision-making, and increased independence.
References
Preston, P. (2005). Nonverbal communication: Do you really say what you mean? Journal of Healthcare Management, 50(2), 83-6. Retrieved from ProQuest.
Sachs, Randi T. (1991). Overcoming the obstacles to communication. Supervisory Management, 36, 4. Retrieved from ProQuest.
Kreps, G.L. (2011). Communication in Organizations. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Te'eni, D. (2006). The language-action perspective as a basis for communication support systems. Association for Computing Machinery.Communications of the ACM, 49(5), 65-70. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/1125944.1125977
Litchinsky, B., & Ford, T. (2011, Sep). Free yourself by sharing leadership duties. Nonprofit World, 29, 16-17. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/904159425?accountid=32521
Smeltzer, L., & Fann, G. (1989, June) Comparison of Managerial Communication Patterns in Small, Entrepreneurial Organizations and Large, Mature Organizations. Group & Organization Studies, 14(2), 198-215.
Mind Tools. (1996-2014). Mind tools: Cultural Intelligence Working Successfully With Diverse Groups. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/cultural-intelligence.htm?utm_source=nl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=04Nov14#np
Mind Tools. (1996-2014). Mind tools: Job Enrichment: Increasing Job Satisfaction. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_81.htm
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