From a business perspective the goal is to have the highest profit margins possible. How is this done? The simplest way to accomplish this is through efficiency throughout the organization in order to reduce unnecessary cost. The next thing we need to look at is how do we increase efficiency? The answer that is most often given is communication. However, the real answer is clear communication. Clear communication will maximize the efficient use of resources which will translate into cost savings as a secondary or tertiary effect.
In this week’s commentary the communication process was described to us as defined by Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2013.The describe it as a sender > encoding > message > decoding > receiver and then revolving back as feedback. We also learned about noise which takes place while encoding or decoding a message. This noise in the communication cycle results in waste, specifically the seven types of waste as described in Lean.
An obstacle to clear communication is egocentrism and context. According to Moran (2011) context is seen as socially constructed phenomenon that is dynamic, being shaped by communication, relations, and the interactive nature of how people respond to and, in turn, shape context. Moran (2011) goes further to describe how context effects how people receive the same message and interpret it differently.
The reading is oriented on the responsibility of the sender and how they are responsible for the encoding of the message. I agree that they are responsible for the encoding; however, the receiver is responsible for the decoding and the feedback. With this being said it’s only logical to me that the receiver take an active role on ensuring that the message is decoded correctly in order to ensure that they do not waste effort.
This approach communication is based on the concept of locus of control which was developed in the 1950’s by Julian Rotter. The concept is fairly simple, individuals either believe that the things that happen to them are because what they did or failed to do (this is one side of the scale) or it’s someone else’s fault (the other side of the scale). We can see this in communication, we can choose to say that it is the sender’s responsibility to encode correctly and to ensure that the receiver decodes correctly or that communication by its nature requires the active use of feedback. The active use of feedback reduces the amount of noise in a message which will result in more efficient actions by both parties involved and will help develop the overall climate and culture of an organization. This in itself will result in success for everyone involved.
Reference:
Moran, R. T., Harris, P. R., & Moran , S. V. (2011). Managing Cultural Differences. New York: Butterworth-Heinemann.
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