COMMUNIGATE

EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION

Ma. Susana Isla-Arcan

Communication – A Review

Communication is a natural process that involves at

least two living things.
Communication skills are some of the most important
skills that we need to succeed in the workplace.
Communication in an organization, therefore, is a
process that involves at least two people – a sender
and a receiver. For it to be successful, the receiver
must understand the message in the way that the
sender intended.
Communication – A Review
 Organizational Communication
• Communication, to an organization, is what bloodstream is to a person…It is
the lifeline
• Without effective communication, managers can accomplish little, which is
why Communication is the key leadership competency
• Organizational communication lays the keystone to every organization for
upbringing and grooming the environment of that particular organization.
• The exchange of information may be over formal and informal
channels/network. Formal networks can however be very complicated,
including hundreds of people and a lot of hierarchical levels depending on the
size of organization.
Directions of Communication
• In organizations, it is typical to observe directional
communication
I. Vertical Communication II. Horizontal Communication
 Definition  Definition
 Types  Direction, Purpose, &
 Upward Communication Speed
 Downward  Merits and Demerits
Communication  Limitations
 Merits and Demerits III. Diagonal Communication
 Upward vs. Downward  Definition
Communication  Direction, Purpose, &
 Limitations of Upward and Speed
Downward Communication  Merits and Demerits
sai  Limitations
 COMMUNICATION - Directional
Communication is multidimensional or multidirectional.
There are various directions in which it flows. Within the
organization, communication may flow inter scalar or intra
scalar, upward or downward.
Let's understand these directions :
a) Vertical
b) Horizontal or lateral
c) Diagonal or crosswise

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 VERTICAL COMMUNICATION

Definition:

Vertical communication occurs between hierarchically positioned

persons and can involve both downward and upward communication
flows.

It may use both written and oral such as:

 Instructions
 Letters
 Memoranda
 Bulletin Boards
 Meetings
 In-house Journal

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 VERTICAL COMMUNICATION

Two (2) Types of Vertical Communication:

 Upward Communication

 Downward Communication

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 UPWARD COMMUNICATION

Definition:

A channel of communication
pushes information upwards.
It starts from the people at
the lowest level of an
organization and reaches the
top.

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 DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION

Definition:

A communication that flows

from a higher level in an Manager

organization to a lower level is a

downward communication. In Supervisor
other words, communication
from superiors to subordinates Staff
in a chain of command is a
downward communication.

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 COMPARISON: UPWARD VS. DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION

Item Upward Communication Downward Communication

Flows from bottom to higher Flows from higher to bottom

Direction
level level
Speed Slow Fast; empowered by authority

Provide feedback and give To give orders for

Purpose
suggestions implementation

Informative and that of an

Nature Authoritative and Directive
appeal

reports, suggestions, orders, handbooks, notices,

Examples
grievances, etc. etc.

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 LIMITATIONS OF UPWARD AND DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION

UPWARD COMMUNICATION DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION

1. Employees are reluctant to initiate
upward communication as they - feel 2. Over-communication - superior may
it may reflect their efficiency. - fear of
disapproval from superiors.
2. Upward documentation is prone to
distortion. Unpleasant information is
distorted more.
3. Workers may ignore immediate
superiors and approach higher
management. Immediate superiors
may feel: - bypassed. - become
suspicious of intentions.
1. Superior may talk little about the job.
- Withholding of information
talk too much - Leaking of
information
3. Delay - Line of communication being
long.
4. Loss of Information -Unless written, it
will not be transmitted fully. -
Sometimes written communication
may not be fully understood.
5. Distortion -Long lines of
communication- exaggerating or
under-statement

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 HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION

Definition:

When communication takes place between two or more persons who are
subordinates working under the same person, or those who are working
at the same level, it is called lateral or horizontal communication.

Communication transferred through lateral means includes:

 interdepartmental reports
 requests
 suggestions
 informal communication among peers at the same level

Marketing Manager Production Manager

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 HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION

Direction:
The communication flows like a straight line.

Purpose:

 Maintain coordination and review of activities assigned to various

parts of an organization.

 Decrease misunderstanding and develops informal relationships.

Speed:
 Fast.

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 HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION

Merits and Demerits:

Merits Demerits
Promotes better understanding and
Reluctance in initiating communication
facilitates cooperation
Helpful for resolving inter-related
Personal conflict and rivalry
problems

Enables exchange of information without

May delay implementation of project
referring all matters to higher authorities

Better implementation of decision May tend to not following the rules

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 HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION

Limitations:

1. Lateral communication may give birth to gossip. It can be used for

rumor on-going and spreading false information.
2. Good ideas may get suppressed because such communication
often comes without authority or sanction for implementation.
3. Lateral communication can be effective only if there is proper
coordination.
4. Subordinates making commitments / passing information
beyond their authority.
5. Harmful if subordinates do not inform superiors of
interdepartmental activities.

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 DIAGONAL COMMUNICATION

Definition:
Diagonal or crosswise communication includes flow of information among
persons at different levels who have no direct reporting relationships.

Methods are:
 informal meetings
 project organization meetings
 bulletin boards

Marketing Manager Production Manager

Marketing Supervisor Production Supervisor

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 DIAGONAL COMMUNICATION

Direction:
It cuts across different functions and level in an organization.

Purpose:

 Use to speed information flow to improve understanding.

 Make effective efforts for achieving organizational goals.

Speed:
 Fast.

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 DIAGONAL COMMUNICATION

Merits and Demerits:

Merits Demerits

Helps to speed up flow of

Reluctance in initiating communication
communication

Creates confusion and conflict and

violates the principle of chain of
command

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 DIAGONAL COMMUNICATION

Limitations:

1. There is a fear of encroachment in diagonal communication. The

superiors may feel bad when their subordinates are given
importance, and may even end up feeling bypassed.
2. The superiors may resist suggestions just because these have come
from subordinates. This comes out of a subconscious feeling of not
having been part of the consultation process.
3. Diagonal communication can lead to a network that is extremely
complex. An absence of accepted procedures may lead to internal
chaos. The fallout can then be external displeasure.

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 ILLUSTRATION OF DIRECTION OF COMMUNICATION

Efforts at Coordination

Horizontal Communication
Instructions &
Information Directives
President
Upward Communication

Support

Communication
Administration Manufacturing
Manager Manager

Downward
Manager

Admin Staff Support Staff

Efforts at
Coordination;
Information

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Directions of Communication
• Also, it is normal to communicate with people in and out of
the organization:

I. Internal Communication II. External Communication

 Definition  Definition
 Importance  Importance
 Study: Outcome of
Communication III. Comparison between Internal
Effectiveness and External Communication
 Study: Top 4 Most Effective
Internal Communication
IV. Illustration of Internal and
Programs
External Communication
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 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Definition of Internal Communication:

Broadly speaking, internal communication represents the

communication and the interactions among the members of an
organization. It targets the internal members of an organization,
including the superiors, the collaborators and the subordinates. It is
viewed as an essential process, based on which the staff exchanges
information, establishes relationships, forms a system of values,
creates an organizational culture, harmonizes the activities,
collaborates for the achievement of goals and develops formal and
informal networks (Berger, 2009).

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 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Importance:

 Achieve the organizational goals, co-ordination among the activities of

various departments
 Effective control over all matters.
 Motivate the employees of an organization
 Run the business effectively and efficiently a manager must have the
proper knowledge regarding the resources of the organization.
 Ensure the smooth operation of routine activities of an organization.
 Smooth functioning of an organization and for higher productivity
there must be mutual trust between management and employees.
 Participation of the employees in the decision making process not only
increase the quality of decision but also ensure the better
implementation of decision.

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 EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Definition of External Communication:

An informal exchange of information and messages between an

organization and other organizations, groups or individuals
outside its formal structure. It is very important corporate
communication element. It is crucial for creating brand image and
identity. It aims at building connections with customers,
stakeholders (Stuart et al., 2007), with institutions, (government)
agencies, administrative offices or other organizations (Juris,
2004).

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 EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Importance:

 Continuation and good relationship with customers.

 New transaction with prospective customers.

 Put your business in good standing among the general business

community.
 There might be partnership opportunities that can stretch your
communication efforts and resources.

 It can further some of your other communication goals by increasing

awareness among media and customers.

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 COMPARISON (INTERNAL VS. EXTERNAL)

Basis Internal Communication External Communication

Main purpose is to exchange

It is done mainly for maintaining
1. Purpose information of various departments
relationship with external parties.
and divisions of the organization.

Vertical, Horizontal, and Diagonal

2. Types No such classification
Communication

It occurs frequently in performing It occurs less frequently than internal

3. Frequency
organizational activities. communication.

No significant distance between Significant distance exists between

4. Distance
sender and receiver. sender and receiver.

Its coverage is limited within the It coverage is broad with external

5. Coverage
organization. bodies.
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 ILLUSTRATION (INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL)

Internal External
Communicatio Communicatio
n n

Horrigan (2010) Corporate Brand communication flow

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The Electronic Message
Communication in most organizations today is through electronic
means
Electronic communication: E-mail, instant messaging, text
messaging, video-conferencing.
Advantages of e-mail messages
E-mail messages can be written quickly, edited and stored
Distributed to one person or thousands of people same time
Recipients can read at their own convenience
Relatively cheaper than conventional methods
The Electronic Message

E-mail messages has its own drawback and as managers, there

is the need to note the following key limitations
Disadvantages of using e-mail messaging
Misinterpreting the message
Communicating negative messages
Time-consuming nature of e-mails
• Don’t check e-mail in the morning
• Check in batches
• Unsubscribe
• Stop sending email
 What makes
communication in
organizations
ineffective?

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Barriers in Communication Process
During the process, it is common to
experience a miscommunication or
misunderstanding because of barriers
that occur at any time during the
communication process. These barriers
prevent understanding the thoughts and
ideas of others, and it can be both internal
and external.
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Barriers in Communication Process
Internal Barriers
An internal barrier is something that takes
place involving one of the participants in
the conversation. They can include
emotions, lack of experiences in common,
problems at home, a negative attitude,
past experiences, mistrust, fear, a lack of
interest, poor listening skills and fatigue.

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Barriers in Communication Process
External Barriers
External barriers are not controlled by the
sender or receiver; instead they tend to
be related to the surrounding
environment. These may include the
environment, the sender using terms that
are too technical for the receiver, the time
of day, a poor phone connection, non-
functional e-mail, distractions and noise.
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Barriers in Communication Process

Stress and out-of-control emotion.

When we are stressed or emotionally
overwhelmed, we are more likely to
misread other people, and send confusing
nonverbal signals. We should take a
moment to calm down before continuing a
conversation.

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Barriers in Communication Process

Lack of focus.
We cannot communicate effectively when
we are bothered. We need to stay
focused on the moment-to-moment
experience.

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Barriers in Communication Process

Inconsistent body language.

Nonverbal communication should
reinforce what is being said, not
contradict it. If we say one thing, but our
body language says something else, our
listener will likely feel we are being
dishonest. For example, we cannot say
“yes” while shaking our head no.
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Barriers in Communication Process
Negative body language.
If we disagree with what’s being said, we
may use negative body language to rebuff
the other person’s message, such as
avoiding eye contact, or tapping our feet.
We do not have to agree, but to
communicate effectively without making
the other person defensive, it is important
to avoid sending negative signals.
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 Effective Organizational
Communication

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4 Key Skills to an Effective Communication

1. Become an engaged listener

People often focus on what they should
say, but effective communication is less
about talking and more about listening.
Listening well means not just
understanding the words or the
information being communicated, but also
understanding the emotions the speaker
is trying to communicate.
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4 Key Skills to an Effective Communication

How to Become an Engaged Listener

Focus fully on the speaker
Favor our right ear
Avoid interrupting or trying to redirect the
conversation to our concerns
Show our interest in what's being said
Try to set aside judgement
Provide feedback
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4 Key Skills to an Effective Communication
2. Pay attention to nonverbal signals
We communicate mainly using nonverbal
signals. This communication includes
facial expressions, body movement and
gestures, eye contact, posture, and the
tone of our voice. The way we look, listen,
move, and react to another person tells
them more about how we are feeling than
words alone ever can.
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4 Key Skills to an Effective Communication

3. Keep stress in check

To communicate effectively, we need to
be aware of and in control of our
emotions. And that means learning how to
manage stress. When we are stressed,
we are more likely to misread other
people, send confusing or off-putting
nonverbal signals, and lapse into
unhealthy knee-jerk patterns of behavior.
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4 Key Skills to an Effective Communication

Quick Stress Relief Strategies

Recognize when becoming stressed
Take a moment to calm down
Bring your senses to the rescue
Look for humor in the situation
Be willing to compromise
Agree to disagree

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4 Key Skills to an Effective Communication
4. Assert yourself
Direct, assertive expression makes for
clear communication and can help boost
self-esteem and decision-making. Being
assertive means expressing our thoughts,
feelings, and needs in an open and
honest way, while standing up for
ourselves and respecting others.

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4 Key Skills to an Effective Communication
4. Assert yourself (cont.)

It does NOT mean being hostile,

aggressive, or demanding. Effective
communication is always about
understanding the other person, not about
winning an argument or forcing our
opinions on others.

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 Conclusion
The ability to communicate in a professional
manner can take us a long way in our
personal life, in our individual career, and as
a TEAM in NEW SAN JOSE BUILDERS, INC.
We may not even realize how much
communication impacts our day to day
activities, but it does. That is why it is so
important that we learn to communicate at
work.
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Conclusion
When there is an effective communication
process within the organization, its
members are able to work harmoniously
therefore producing more positive results.

Indeed, Effective Organizational

Communication is a Gate-way to
Achievement of Goals making everyone
happy 
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We have two ears and one mouth so that
we can listen twice as much as we speak.

In like manner, we have two eyes to read

as much as our hearts may understand…

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Ichu Isla-Arcan
09162831746
ichu73isla@gmail.com