As a consultant for the military, I have been charged with figuring out the communication issue. The military has been struggling with verbal and non-verbal communication skills. The lack of communication has dampened mission effectiveness. Leadership requests weak areas and ways to improve. Without communication, an organization would not be able to perform at peak levels. Proper communication connects all persons within the organization via verbal or non-verbal. Transmission of communication can be through email, landline, or in person. Non-verbal communication could be classified as different types of body language. This could include hand gestures, facial expressions, and paralinguistic. The struggle with non-verbal communication, people tend to interpret ques differently, this is a huge issue within the military. The military uses a lot of non-verbal and information is crossed. Along with non-verbal communication, verbal communication has been a struggle as well.
As a consultant, I will observe how the communication has been conducted before my presence. This observation required myself to submerge myself within the military as a uniformed member so that I may get first hand research. I felt that my motives are the best way to figure out how the military communicates with each other. The best research I submerging yourself within the research. The military has approved my process to travel to different locations to get a solid understanding of the flaws that they are facing. I will be able to develop a communication plan more effectively by getting insight from different locations. Not every location is the same, so I will need to develop a universal program to assist all locations.
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When developing my communication plan I will set goals and objectives. The first question I will ask myself is why I am doing a plan. The goals must be specific to communication and nothing outside of spectrum. I must make sure the goals are measurable. Make the plan measurable will possibly eliminate failure or burnout. To include, making the plan achievable to where everyone will succeed in verbal and non-verbal communication. Keeping all information relevant to the plan is key. By being unambiguous about my objectives it will me identify the communication areas needing to be addressed. Next, I must define the audience, which we know is the military. All personnel in the military will benefit from the communication research plan and they are my primary audience. From the lowest ranking to the highest ranking, everyone will have something that they can take away from the plan.
As I move forward with the planning process, the plan will shift towards informing higher leadership of the progress. At that point, I will set the stage by informing leadership about my results and hopefully gain some insight on possible weak areas. Keeping leadership informed of the process, getting feedback gives me the opportunity to change direction, and leadership will have a better understanding of the communication plan. When addressing leadership about the process my goal is to educate 100% of military leadership. I believe in theory educating the leadership about communication in their weak areas will build a stronger force. In the military communication is transmitted from the top to the bottom. I can effectively build a training program that will meet the needs of the military in the short run and long run.
Communication plan is intended to distribute vital correspondence to specific listeners, eventually ensuing in better education of the military about the issues within. Having an third party as myself come and evaluate the communication issue will eliminate any bias that would occur if the research were conducted from within. The military already has issues communicating and to have a internal review of their communication would be bias. Observing from the outside in with fresh eyes and ears will uncover problem areas not normally seen from within the organization. Moving forward I will break down my findings of the military and come up with a solid plan for the future.
Communication Research
In theory, if we can establish a cause for communication breakdown we can find a solution to the problem. I hope that by finding the problem I could bring a training program to the table for review that can benefit the military in the end. The communication tends to breakdown before it gets to the area of operation.
Factors that led to this communication problem
Various possible factors might have influenced the current communication problem affecting the military. The paper has already identified issues with verbal and non-verbal communication. Therefore, ignorance is arguably one of the critical factors that have led to non-verbal communication breakdown. It is crucial to note that non-verbal communication is enhanced by using non-verbal cues such as facial expression and using hands (Grossman, 2020). However, it is only possible to achieve perfect communication when each party is keen on following these non-verbal cues. Failure to observe these non-verbal cues increase the chances of experiencing non-verbal communication issues. Moreover, the existing cultural difference might have also contributed to communication issues in the military. The initiation of verbal communication involves non-verbal cues that have a different meaning in communities. Consequently, this limits the chances of achieving perfect communication between persons with different cultural backgrounds.
Moreover, emotional barriers might also contribute to the existing communication problem in the military. It is only possible to achieve perfect communication when the speaker expresses themselves in the right manner. For instance, it is wholly impossible for an individual to express themselves when they are emotional entirely. The reality is that an individual will mumble words because of high emotions, hence limiting excellent communication. Therefore, the military work environment might also suffer a communication barrier because of emotional issues. Lastly, it is realistic to claim that distractions are also contributing factors against achieving perfect communication. Whereas an individual might have the right communication skills, they will find it hard to accomplish perfect interaction when there are noise interruptions. The military site tends to experience different activities that produce noise and cause communication issues. In brief, the military will only manage to solve the existing communication problem by addressing these issues.
Reasons why the problem is persistent
The military work environment is one of the key reasons why this problem is consistent. First, it is crucial to note that the environment plays a significant role in achieving perfect communication. However, the status of the military environment makes the problem consistent based on various facts. For instance, making noise a continuous process also means that the military will continue experiencing the communication barrier (Gutierez, 2017). The highlighted communication barrier will exist for as long as the environment is filled with noise. Although involved parties will apply their best communication skills to address the matter, they will fail since noise acts as a distraction. Moreover, differences in perception and viewpoint in the military are also contributing factors that persist. The paper has already identified non-verbal communication as one of the main communication barriers in the military. However, the reality is that military workers will always posses’ different perceptions. Consequently, this limits the achievement of perfect non-verbal communication based on applied language signs. The communication problem will persist for as long as there is a difference in perception and viewpoint.
There is also the issue of poor communication channels as a contributing factor that makes the problem consistent. Communication channels are crucial in ensuring the achievement of perfect communication since they pass the message. Mainly, different communication channels might work in different situations. For instance, the military might continue experiencing communication issues since using a wring communication channel for that setting. Additionally, engaging in poor communication channels also demoralises the military staff, increasing communication breakdown chances. The staff will only gain morale to offer the right communication if they receive the right channels to pass information.
Long-term plan to overcome the problem
Various long-term plans will help solve this communication problem in the military. First, training is the best and most efficient approach that will create a long-term solution. Arguably, there are possibilities that most military staff lack the necessary communication skills. For instance, there is an issue with the achievement of perfect non-verbal interactions. Consequently, this implies that training is the best strategy that will create a long-term solution. Initiating a training program will provide a solution to this communication barrier since all military staff use common signs in nonverbal communication. Nevertheless, training is not enough without practice. They will only manage to grasp the required communication skills through consistent practice.
Second, it is crucial to engage the military staff in a discussion and learn the recommended communication channels. The reality is that military personnel engage in communication, and they know what works well in their situation. Therefore, this will result in initiating a long-lasting communication channel to solve the problem. For instance, the communication channel will ease the message delivery process since it works effectively. Moreover, creating a new communication channel will also motivate employees to deliver the right message during interactions (Hawkins, 2018). Third, reconsidering the work environment is also an appropriate strategy to create a solution to the existing problem. It is impossible to solve the problem if the military does not improve the work environment. Although many other strategies are changing the work environment enhances the chances of solving the noise barrier as a communication issue. An end in noise barrier means that the military will achieve a long-term solution for the communication problem. Therefore, this proves that the existing communication problem is manageable if the military will take the right strategy to solve the matter.
References
Grossman, D. (2020, October 5). 4 Main Problems That Come With Poor Communication . Retrieved from Your Thought Partner : https://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/4-main-problems-that-come-with-poor-communication
Gutierez, A. (2017). Effective Communication in the Workplace: Learn How to Communicate Effectively. New York: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Hawkins, R. (2018). Effective Communication: Beginner's Guide. New York: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
