Nowadays, organizations are required to be not only innovative but also develop robust strategies that would help them navigate successfully through the change process. Firms, notably, can realize this goal if they embrace effective means of communication. Communication is the conveyance of information from a source and a receiver (Lunenburg, 2010). Today, technology has led to significant changes in the way information is relayed hence the need to understand communication strategies. Broadly speaking, communication strategies refer to the blueprints that indicate how the exchange of information will take place (Mayfield & Mayfield, 2002). The essence of such strategies is to ensure that various stakeholders within an organization communicate effectively as well as meet particular organizational goals. In that respect, evaluating a communication strategy that would help an organization to initiate changes successfully and operate innovatively is of great significance. Therefore, this article will describe an organizational issue and proceed to give a communication strategy that can help to mitigate the problem.
Organizational Issue
No single organization is immune to changes. Traditionally, all firms are predisposed to changes primarily due to the ever-changing human needs. Scholars have indicated that many companies often find it difficult to implement changes. Typically, organizations that initiate changes without a proper implementation strategy will be prone to change resistance from the employees. Additionally, poorly initiated changes demoralize the employees. Consequentially, a decline in organizational productivity would be experienced. Change, notably, can also lead to significant adjustments within an organization. It exposes the employees to new responsibilities and positions that they know little or nothing about. In cases where the initiated change entailed retrenching workers, the remaining employees would not only be demoralized but also would not work innovatively. Nonetheless, how can the management rejuvenate workers productivity and innovativeness? Strategies such as giving incentives and singling particular employees for praises can be used to change the situation. However, they do not provide a long-term solution. The best way of addressing the situation is by embracing a robust communication strategy.
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Communication Strategy
The suitable way of dealing with the above problem is by adopting an open verbal communication strategy. Under this type of communication, both top-to-down and down-to-top communications are practiced. Importantly, the leadership ought to understand what it is trying to accomplish. For instance, the initiated changes in the case mentioned above resulted in a decline in staff productivity. The primary gist for the decline is that the employees are demoralized and demotivated. They are unsure of their positions in the future, and that makes them feel insecure. Various scholars have shown that such instances lead to a decline in employees’ commitment and loyalty to the organization (Mayfield & Mayfield, 2002). Consequentially, their level of output will decrease significantly. Since the employees’ level of productivity is directly proportional to the performance of a firm, a decline in their productivity leads to a corresponding reduction in the company’s output. In that regard, the primary target of the leadership is to improve the employees’ production capacity.
Under open verbal communication strategy, the management needs to inform the employees about its intention. In this case, the primary purpose of the leadership is to improve organizational productivity. Apparently, to improve the performance of the organization, the employees need to be informed about the need to improve their output levels. Since the initiated changes caused significant changes in roles and positions, the employees would not accept the message easily. They would feel that they are not adequately prepared for their new role as well as perceive that the organization is trying to overwhelm them with tasks.
Nevertheless, an open verbal communication strategy is the best tool that an organization can use to revive the production power of the employees. Notably, through this communication strategy, the management would be able to know the needs of the employees and respond to them appropriately (Stowe & Gridert, 2014). For example, an organizational change that leads to a change in responsibility requires the leadership to conduct a training need assessment (TNA). Through the TNA, the management would be able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of individual employees. Afterward, the organization should initiate training and development programs with the aim of empowering the employees. Studies have established that training and development programs not only empower the employees but also win their commitment and loyalty to the organization. In this case, the management understands that its workers feel insecure and unprepared to undertake their new responsibilities. In order to change this feeling, the management will inform them about the training and development programs that will be initiated to ensure that they are equipped with the necessary skills. Notably, through such programs, the workers would acquire skills that would make them competent in their new responsibilities. Moreover, they would be able to work innovatively without supervision. Most importantly, they would develop a feeling that they are an asset to the organization hence the need to improve their performance.
The management might also perceive that the employees do not understand the goals and mission of the organization. It is important for the employees to have insight into the future of the organization. When the staffs know the mission and vision of a firm, they will work creatively and tirelessly towards achieving the set goals (Mayfield & Mayfield, 2002). Scholars have cited that workers who lack such insights often wait for instructions from their superiors before they can execute certain functions. On the contrary, those who know the direction a company is heading would not only be self-starters but also creative in their partaking. The leadership of the organization should ensure that it communicates openly to the employees on this aspect. Such communication would enhance transparency and accountability within an organization.
The best measure of the success of this communication strategy is employee satisfaction. A firm can easily navigate through the change process with minimum or no resistance from the employees if the employees are satisfied. Employee satisfaction, in this case, refers to the attitude of the employees towards their occupation. Satisfied employees are always contented and have a positive morale when at work. Dissatisfied employees, on the other hand, are not motivated to complete certain tasks. Besides, they usually have a negative attitude in the workplace. According to Harter, Schmidt & Hayes (2002), the level of employee satisfaction determines the level of productivity of a firm. Where the employees are more satisfied, a firms output would be high. Vice versa is also true. Therefore, employees’ satisfaction level is the best feedback.
Conclusion
The key determinant of organizational success is communication. As such, firms need to embrace a robust communication strategy in order to operate successfully. Based on the issue discussed herein, the organization should use an open verbal communication strategy. With this type of communication, the firm would be able to motivate and enhance the innovative ability of it workers. Through this kind of communication, the management can understand the needs of the employees and address them promptly. The employees, on the other hand, would know the vision of the firm and would work independently and innovatively to achieve the set goals. Additionally, it would make the workers satisfied at work, and the firm would have an easy task when it comes to initiating changes. Therefore, the best way to measure the effectiveness of this type of communication strategy is by determining the satisfaction levels of the employees.
References
Harter, J. K., Schmidt, F. L., & Hayes, T. L. (2002). Business-unit-level relationship between employee satisfaction, employee engagement, and business outcomes: a meta-analysis. Journal of applied psychology . 87(2):268-279.
Lunenburg, F. C. (2010). Communication: The process, barriers, and improving effectiveness. Schooling , 1 (1), 1-11.
Mayfield, J., & Mayfield, M. (2002). Leader communication strategies critical paths to improving employee commitment. American Business Review , 20 (2), 89-94
Stowe, C. R., & Grider, D. (2014). Strategies for advancing organizational innovation. Journal of Management and Marketing Research , 15(1):1-17.
