Communication
Communication is a fundamental aspect of human existence and development, for humans to co-exist amongst each other and the environment in which humans live, communication had to take place. Since the existence of men kind, communication has been utilized as means of survival and growth, self-actualization/awareness, need to belong and be part of the greater human community. Communication has evolved throughout centuries from Cave Paintings which is the oldest methods of communicating, to most recent technological influenced methods such as social media etc. Communication has gained prominence in organisational structures, and it is now viewed as a strategical component in any organisation.
What is communication
Communication is the process of exchanging words, signs, or information with others. It is done either verbally or non-verbally. Communication enables us to pass information. We understand others because of communication. Effective communication brings people closer and together. Being able to communicate well is important for every human being. Communication is important in personal as well as corporate life.
Establishing Organisational and Corporate Communication
Organisational communication is a bite different from social communication, organisational communication is thoroughly planned, is structured, purposeful in achieving organisational goals, objectives and realizing the vision of the organisation. Organisational communication is strategic and thus should form part of the strategic planning, formulation, implementation, and monitoring.
Corporate communication focuses on the management of communication with both internal and external stakeholders. The communication is mostly oriented towards groups, and there is limited interest in dyadic communication (communication between two people).
Importance of Communication for the Organisation
Organizational communication is important because it significantly impacts three very important areas of an organization:
Employee engagement
Simply defined, employee engagement is how willingly and enthusiastically an organization’s employees focus exclusively on the task at hand. Going beyond devotion and dedication, which can be tied to obligation, engagement is directly tied to how valued your employees feel.
The surest way to help employees feel valued is to explore how you communicate with them. What are the words you use, your tone of your voice, and the timing of your email replies? Do you take the context into consideration and, perhaps most importantly, are you able to empathize with them as you communicate?
By exercising communication practices that help employees feel valued, you’re able to get more out of each employee, lessen the likelihood of turnover, and positively drive your organization’s bottom line.
Customer satisfaction
Customers are satisfied when they feel they are listened to, empathized with, and that their experience matters. Customers are satisfied when their organizational interactions leave them feeling valued, which as research has demonstrated, can override any poor customer service or product experiences they have.
Service and product mistakes will inevitably happen, but how your organization deals with the mistake will ultimately determine customer satisfaction.
Authors: Dr Dennis Mark Laxton; Blessing Zvikomborero; Lebogang Kamohi; Donald Block; Fulufhelo Ramashia, Lala Kanwa; Ngwako Stephen Mashatola ; Thabo Keith Bob; Tapiwa Moyo ; Andrew Semenya, Dr. Barry Van Der Westhuizen.
