Essay Example on Effective Communication: The Key to Success in Organizations

Introduction

Effective communication refers to the process of exchanging thoughts, ideas, information, and knowledge to help in the fulfillment of a certain purpose or intention (Thompson, 2018). Other than the exchange of information, effective communication entails understanding the intentions and emotions behind the information exchanged. Effective communication is essential in all spheres of life. In organizations, it helps avoid misunderstandings and conflicts between the employees, and also plays a critical role in the decision-making process. It also helps build transparency and trust between the organization and various stakeholders, such as partners (Kumar & Karthikeyan, 2019). For communication to be effective, the message must be clear, correct, complete, and precise. The sender must exhibit reliability, and the recipient must also be considered in the entire process. Some of the effective communication skills include listening and understanding, emotional intelligence, respectfulness, observance, provision of feedback, among others. While effective communication bears several benefits to an organization, it is impeded by various barriers. They include language barriers, stress, lack of shared perspective and experience, attitudinal differences, disorganized message, among others (Jureddi & Brahmaiah, 2016). The case study is a classic example of the importance of effective communication, as well as the dangers associated with the lack of it. Owing to a lack of effective communication, the partnership was getting strained. However, through the use of various effective communication skills, Melissa managed to turn the situation around and salvage the partnership. This paper seeks to discuss different elements of effective communication visible in the case study.

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Melissa’s Communication Style

As mentioned earlier, stress is among the major barriers to effective communication. When one is emotionally overwhelmed or stressed, their likelihood of misunderstanding people and sending confusing non-verbal signals increases (Meng & Qi, 2018). Melissa Chang exhibits such behaviors. Owing to the stress surrounding the preparation for the trip to Italy, she was hesitant and very guarded regarding the whole mission. Allowing the stress to take control of her emotions is her biggest weakness. However, on arrival in Venice, she employed brilliant communication skills, a factor that changed not only her perspective but also that of the partners.

Listening skills are among Melissa’s strengths. To a large extent, the Italian partners were frustrated because they felt as if the parent company was not giving them adequate attention. As seen in the case study, through the employment of listening skills and empathy, Melissa understood and related more closely with the partners. As mentioned earlier, for communication to be effective, the message must be clear and transparent (Jiang & Luo, 2018). Following the face-to-face meeting with the partners, Melissa realized that the failure by the US partner to provide product information was also a cause of frustration. In response to this, she provided all the needed files and answered all their questions regarding the business process. Decisiveness is another communication skill that Melissa used.

The impact of her communication style was almost immediate. According to the case study, the disposition of the partners on the second day had changed, and the meeting was more productive. They were also more receptive and willing to get into discussions. Crucial information had been gathered by lunchtime of the second day, and a projected plan had been drawn by the end of the week. The changes are a testament to the importance of effective communication.

Primary Source of Information

Looking at the case study, lack of adequate information was among the chief causes of tension between the partners. The Italian partners lacked crucial information concerning the product, and hence assumptions derived from the scanty information they had, might have been one of the primary sources of information. Attempts to have the information provided failed, leading to frustration. However, Melissa corrected this problem by giving the files needed and answering the questions asked. After her visit, therefore, the files provided, as well as the plan drawn served as the primary source of information.

Change of Attitude

Attitudinal differences were identified among the major barriers to effective communication. Similarly, Melissa’s attitude had influenced her perception of the partners, even before making the trip to Italy. However, her attitude changed after meeting them. By listening to them, she understood the cause of their frustration. She also found out that the problem was not on the Italian partners’ side. Rather, the US partner had failed to avail important information leading to frustration. Besides, it was established that the Italian office was doing better than the US office. She also saw and appreciated the commitment that the Italian partners showed towards the product. All these factors contributed to her change in attitude.

Conclusion

As shown in the paper, effective communication is indispensable in an organization. Other than avoiding misunderstandings and conflicts between members of the organization, it also boosts the relationship between the firm and its partners. Through the brilliant use of effective communication skills, Melissa managed to unearth issues that had been causing frustration among the Italian partners. By listening and being transparent with them, she mended a relationship that was increasingly getting strained.

References

Jiang, H., & Luo, Y. (2018). Crafting employee trust: from authenticity, transparency to engagement. Journal of Communication Management. Retrieved from https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JCOM-07-2016-0055/full/html

Jureddi, D. N., & Brahmaiah, N. (2016). Barriers to effective communication. Journal of English Language and Literature, 3(2), 114-115. Retrieved from http://joell.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/114-115BARRIERS-TO-EFFECTIVE-COMMUNICATION.pdf

Kumar, S. H., & Karthikeyan, J. (2019). Big Data Analysis on Effective Communication Skills and Personal Grooming—A Key to Managers and Supervisors in Business Enterprises and Retail Outlets in Vellore and Katpadi. Information Systems Design and Intelligent Applications, 315-324. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-13-3329-3_29

Meng, L., & Qi, J. (2018). The effect of an emotional intelligence intervention on reducing stress and improving communication skills of nursing students. NeuroQuantology, 16(1). Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2829/aea5ce1180ab41b616a2f39c78a2510e3d61.pdf

Thompson, N. (2018). Effective communication: A guide for the people professions. Macmillan International Higher Education. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=KjtRDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR10&dq=effective+communication&ots=HmkyuH_7hp&sig=Vs58QE2Xh2HTW56yk6sCxcLa5tQ