ARE YOU SENDING THE RIGHT SIGNALS?

The article reports that it pays to be aware of the direct and indirect messages one send to employees. If one is careful, one can help them see what better communication can bring to ones organization. Nobel laureate Herbert Simon described communication as the most ignored component of the administrative process. Ask any communication professional today, and one will likely find that he or she agrees. An organization's structure presumably has established a social architecture among employees that promotes the sharing of information necessary to achieve the firm's goals. A communication culture emerges when employees identify and adopt acceptable communication behaviors. Wittingly or unwittingly, managers send signals about what is appropriate conduct, and employees pick up on these cues. Being conscious of their own actions is crucial for managers seeking to build better communication. Aad Jacobs, the retired chairman of ING Groep NV, depended on straightforward, open and truthful information from associates at lower levels of the company. Although a strong communication culture may emerge from witnessing the behaviors of top management, research shows that offering rewards and incentives that acknowledge effective communication helps to strengthen and sustain that culture.