Reflections

Impact on organizational communication 

Coming to graduation I had realize a valuable skill to have upon entering the workforce--communication. Thus, I was motivated to take a course in Organizational Communications at Oregon State University. 

This course has been the most applicable to me as I transition into corporate America. I'll have to work with and through the theories of communication I have been talking about.  And the most intriguing aspect of it is the equifinality of it. Every organization uses communication to achieve their objectives, but the manner, efficiency, effect, and purpose are different. 

Understanding the best way to communicate and the pitfalls of communication can lead to the using communication in the most effective and positive way. In my future roles I plan to translate these theories into practice and improve the working environment I become a part of. 

I hope you can too. 

Learning to Lead from Dave Leding

You don’t have to be a CEO or Supervisor to be a leader. In an organization your leadership will be called upon in various ways and you won’t always have a formal position of title to accompany it. When leading your peers/co-workers there are different styles of communication that are required. This usually depends on the situation, team formation, and leadership role.

Dave Leding a graduate of Minnesota’s Executive Program at the Carlson School of Management with near 20 years of management experience spoke with communication students Wednesday 5/22/2013 about management best practices. It was an engaging and personable presentation with lessons on Lean Management, Pros and Cons of various team forms, and Management tips.

Probably the biggest take-away from the whole presentation was his recognition of the Pros and Cons to various leadership and team structures and the communication method that follows.

Here is a brief overview.

Supervisory top-down

Description of behaviors: 

Uses direct language, explains/trains subordinates, Manages on-on-one, Contains conflict, Reacts to change

Pros: High control and task oriented

Cons: low trust, low morale, high degree of attention & direction needed

Participative

Description of behaviors: 

Involves employees, Solicits input for decisions, Develops individual performance, Coordinates group efforts, Resolves conflict, and Implements change.

Pros: Promotes employees voice and engagement

Cons: slow decision process, can de-motivate employees if their opinions/ideas are constantly rejected.

Team Leadership

Description of behaviors: 

Builds trust and inspires teamwork, Facilitates and supports team decisions, expands team capabilities, creates a team identity, Makes the most of team diversity, Foresees and influences change

Pros: highly efficient and proactive, more creativity

Cons: only works with high levels of trust, employee empowerment, and proper levels of support, authority, and resources.

They can further be places and described by the following leadership curve. This graph explains the leadership and communication styles necessary for varying levels of task difficulty/ambiguity and relationship levels with followers. It also includes a scale of readiness by the follower, which is another consideration a leader/manager must take into consideration. So considering the department, the task, and the relationship with the followers, a leader must choose the appropriate type of leadership and communication style.

Situational leadership from Project-management-skills.com

The overarching theme that Leding taught though is no matter the level of the task, followers should be treated as humans, not machines. Develop a relationship of trust and respect with employees that empowers them and yet still holds them accountable. He proves that you can be personable and still authoritative.

He left us with final pointers that will help any employee facing leadership responsibilities.

Take Public Speaking

--Think on your feet, watch the ums and ah’s, animate your voice

Listen, listen and listen some more

--Seek to understand before being understood

Use common sense & common courtesy

Be civil, but honest and open, share the good and the bad

Tell it like it is – don’t pull any punches or you will be thought of as a ………

Trust in your people

Tell it, write it, tell it again, and then do it

Focus on the behavior or issue not the person

Deal with conflict situations fast but not out of anger

               Be clear on expectations

You can connect with him on LinkedIn and learn more about his perspective and approaches to management. I would highly recommend him. Thank you Dave Leding for sharing your experience and advise.  

Employee Survival Techniques 101 (PART II)

Building a positive workplace

Once you have information seeking techniques down, you can reduce uncertainty about people, tasks, and your ability. With that uncertainty reduced the next phase of surviving is developing relationships and a positive work environment. A negative work environment can be toxic to your self-esteem, emotional state, health, social life, and work ability.

I can tell you this from experience. I used to work in a franchise juice shop that was full of catty females and a supervisor that was out of touch of the situations. Gossip and uncooperative behavior making team work impossible and customer service terrible. It was every employee for themselves. If you are friends, or at least respectful and considerate of others work will feel less of a war zone and more like a cooperative space.

Here are some basic rules of thumb:

    1.   Be like honey not vinegar

Remember the idiom: You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar? Well it’s true.The more positive and friendly you are the more likely you will have people on your side and willing to work with you. You don’t want scare people with fear like Alice from Dilbert. Even she is delighted by positivity.

    2.   Practice good habits

         

The workplace is a community space. Noise, time, supplies, and more are shared with the rest of the department, so be respectful and considerate of your actions and ask others to be too.

Hold yourself accountable for your responsibilities as well. There are going to be times you’ll be ask to take on more responsibility or where you fail to complete something on time. Take responsibility for it. It builds trust, dependability, and shows integrity, all of which are positive characteristics to have and characteristics you’d want in your workplace. Lead the change.

    3.   Focus on positive qualities

We all have flaws, it’s human. If we focus on the other’s flaws, we are always going to be disappointed, annoyed, frustrated, etc. But if you focus on other’s positive characteristics, then you are focusing on what they can do and what they can bring to the workplace. It can help create more comfortable relationships, a more positive atmosphere, and uplift attitudes.    

   4.    Don’t gossip

That was so high school.  

    5.   Don’t let communication fail

Things break down when communication breaks down. We don’t all think, see, or know the same things. It’s important that you never fail to communicate. Make sure your co-workers and supervisors are informed and have a clear understanding of what you mean. 

Employee Survival Techniques 101 (for newbees)

Information seeking methods in new job scenarios

We've all had that fantasy dream job as a child. Perhaps to be a doctor, firefighter, cop, astronaut, teacher, or perhaps to follow the footsteps of our parents. It's because we are conditioned by our surroundings. We see these positions glamorized in children's books. Children hear all about their parents day at work. Children are so sensitive to how they are socialized that they even sometimes aspire to be a princess, knight, or (as my brother wanted to be) a scrubbing bubble.

OK so becoming a scrubbing bubble isn't the most realistic job, but as kids we have idealistic fantasies of the average work-life. We gradually discover the reality of it. Jobs have pros, cons, surprises, and uncertainties we are not yet prepared for. For example, the stereotypical hesitation of internships--it generally starts with excitement, then turns to despair as you realize you're just the coffee boy.

Going into a job, you never truly know what it's going to be like. The culture, environment, employees, and projects are not always the same from company to company. And when you want to make a good impressive survival is key.

The Dilemma: How to survive in a work environment as the new-be?

No matter how experienced you are there are general uncertainties you have and information you need to be successful. There is uncertainty in the relationships to be built, uncertainty in the task, and uncertainty in the one's own ability to do the task.

Best way to survive: gather information!

How--

• Ask Overt Questions
• Directly asking what information you need like "How do I turn on my computer?"
• ›Ask Indirect Questions
• Ask a question related to the information you need like "Have you had issues with your computer turning on? Would you mind taking a look at mine?"
• Talk with Third Parties
• Talk with related people, but not the specific person (e.g. ask your employees what are the things that annoy the boss the most) 
• ›Test the Limits
• Test the boundaries of corporate policies and people (e.g. testing how late you can come in, in the mornings--8 am, 8:30 am, 9 am, 11.....)
• ›Use Disguising Conversations



A similar example of disguising conversation. 

• Often used in the form of disclosure, disguising conversations tries to extract or prompt information to be exposed. For example if one was wanting to know about why employee A is continually showing up later and later to work, one might say to employee A "Corporate asks us to be here at 8, so I don't understand why so many people come at 9 or 10 or even later!" 

• ›Observe
• Watching behaviors in an unnoticeable/non-intrusive way (e.g. watching over a co-workers shoulders as they make a copy to learn how the copy machine works)
• ›Do Surveillance
• Reflecting on the observed behavior (e.g. spending the first day, absorbing and observing everything, and then reflecting on it all at home after work) 

Word of caution: 

*These techniques are not suitable for all conditions* 

Just like wilderness setting, how you survive in the desert will be different from that of the forest. 

Things to consider:

›-- Context

Sometimes overt questions make people think
less of you, but they also get information fast.

       What is the situation you are in? Are you addressing 
        relation uncertainty, referent, or ability? 
›--Need for information
       How fast do you need the information? The more
       quickly the more 
--›Individual characteristics
       Consider people's personality type and emotional 
       stability. Do they mind being bothered with 
       questions? Do they angry easily? 

›--Social Costs & Face Threat
       How will you be perceived? Will people see you less 
       competent if you ask overtly vs. indirectly?  


Used properly, these tips can help you survive your job get you closer to your dream job. 

Critical Approaches & Power Dynamics

Anonymous employee
*source: Google images*

Revealing systems of control and power 

In all organizations there is varying levels of power, control, and politics. It can affect the work environment, productivity, employee satisfaction and other aspects of an organization.

I conducted an interview with an employee who's company is the epitomy of "unfair and unnecessary power structures, procedures, and communication practices" (Gallagher, Erin. Critical Approaches, PPT slides, 2013)

To respect the employee and the organization, both will remain anonymous through out this blog entry. I will refer to the employee as [D] and his boss as [^^] and myself as [LT]. 

[LT] How is power distributed throughout the organization?
[D]: It's held by executive level
[LT]: How much voice does the average employee have? 

[D]: "There's little room to voice one's opinion. Even if we voice our opinions, it's not heard."

*image source dilbert.com*

*image source dilbert.com*

[LT]: What effect does this have on your abilities to achieve tasks, projects, and goals?

[D]: HA!

*image source dilbert.com*

[LT]: I see.... very discouraging, unsupportive, and inhibiting.

[D]: Pretty much. They think we are all idiots. We're micromanaged and given senseless tasks that we cannot accomplish  due to a lack of support, information, resources, and proper approvals to get anything done. 

[LT]: So the leadership is holding you back?

[D]: It's a never ending cycle...

*image source dilbert.com* 

[LT]: Would you describe the relationship with your manager positive or negative?

[D]: well.... it's more the latter than the former."

Simple Power *image source dilbert.com*

[LT]: What are some policies and that are hindering your productivity? 

[D]: "What isn't hindering my productivity? The constant procedures and policies are utter non-sense, but it keeps the power in upper-management's hands. As an employee, I don't have the ability to make simple decisions, and hence cannot complete my job in a timely or productive manner."

An example of bureaucratic control. *image source dilbert.com*

[D]: Technology does not work in our favor. It doesn't always make sense and the extra security procedures make it more complicated than necessary. I understand it is a way the company can keep control of their information, but it makes it harder and less convenient for us to use as employees. 

 [LT]: Do you at least have the technological support? 

*image source dilbert.com*

[LT]: Hmm.... certainly sounds like there are varying levels of control.

As organizational communication theories discuss, control comes in four forms of power: Simple,  Bureaucratic, Technological, and Concertive.

Simple power 

Simple power is the use of the authoritative power granted with a position of leadership. 

Bureaucratic power is referring to the policies and procedures necessary to follow.

Technological power is the power technology can provide to control one's actions. (i.e. security cameras, password protection codes, security clearances, blocked websites, etc.)

Bueacratic power 

Technology power

  





And finally, Concertive power is control through culture and identification. It's the pressure that co-workers apply to coerce one to follow certain norms and rules (typically established by upper management). 

Power and control is necessary. The question is, as an organization how can you use power and control without inhibiting productivity and demoralizing employees? 

There is no answer, only self analysis. 

As an employee you must realize you have a choice. That is your power. You have the choice to be submissive to the powers/control around you. You have a choice to stay at that establishment. Of course your choice will have consequences, so what are you willing to accept? What is it that corporate wants? Why are they employing these forms of power and control? If you know the answers to these you be begin to find other solutions. You can learn to be an influencer to change the way things are done. Consider the book How to Win Friends and Influences People by Dan Carnegie, as well as other persuasion and influence techniques. 

As a corporation, review what are the forms of power/control being exercised? What is their purpose? How is it affecting employee morale and productivity? How much extra stress and work in placed on you to maintain this power? How much control is really required? Rationalize this. How much can be dispersed to employees so they are empowered? What needs to be communicated and what training is necessary so that they are empowered? How can you monitor the quality and security still so you can release more power/control without inhibiting productivity or morale?

It's all a balancing act. If power and control is misused it can have detrimental effects, like it does with our guest employee [D]. It needs to be used responsibly and appropriately. If any cases sound too similar to the interview had....well...it's time to take a critical approach to the current establishment's power structure. 

Culture of Commotion

Bright, colorful and fun!

Addressing the various ways culture is represented  


Let’s look at the workplace culture more in-depth, using a simple example of the popular and various coffee cultures.

Walk into any Starbucks, Pete’s, or local coffee shop and you’ll immediately get a sense of the culture and values of the organization. Everything conveys a message from the appearance, layout, artifacts, atmosphere, and interactions, representing a set of beliefs and a forming community that shares those values.  Looking further at these aspects you can see what the company really values. 

   1.       Physical Structure and layout

A niche spot for the more eccentric or selected few
that identify with "The Bulldog"

               

Notice appearances. It creates an emotion. It’s inviting or selective. It is identifiable to the beliefs and lifestyles it attracts. Perhaps it says it’s hip, sophisticated, grungy, earthy, exciting, pricey, or cheap.The size of the building creates a desired atmosphere. It can be spacious and inviting, small and cozy, or a kiosk in a parking lot to serve your urgent needs to get you on the road again.

Observe the layout and what it motivates employees and customers to do. How the employees and the customers interact...and even how the employees interact with themselves.

A fluid layout that moves customers through the shop. Allowing customer to grab their drink, past the entertainment, seat themselves, or continue outside to the patio seating.

Imitamate working conditions, open space, visability of
actions promotes social interaction, quick communication,
 and honesty of work

2.       Artifacts

Feels cozy and just like home

Take a look at how artifacts such as décor, furniture, and decorations enhance the values and atmosphere of the shop. 

Small tables draw people closer, pianos share the love for music, organic coffee bags as decor promote sustainability, modern chairs convey sense of high-class standards, local paintings show support for the arts, etc.  

Using artifacts to state
company values 

3.       Attire and self-presentation

Notice the message attire sends. It can convey quality, professionalism, individualism, and more. Customers may
evaluate the product based on employee's appearance and disposition (along with the other mentioned concepts).
They can also self-identify with the self-expressionism or with the brand that the employee's attire consistently represents.  Some coffee shops are known for their attire, from Starbuck's green aprons to Dutch Brothers beautiful, young baristas in trendy clothes. One is more standard and modern, the other is more young and hip.

4.       Communication Patterns

Complicated coffee jargon
 condensed in short-hand 

Take note of the process of communication. The jargon used between the cashier and customer 

(“Venti, Americano with an extra shot and 2 pumps of vanilla”). The baristas actively asking the next person in their line. The cashier writing the order in short-hand on the cup, passing it off to the barista. The baristas moving about, letting each other know what is being made, what is needed, and altering caution in passing (“I have the venti macchiato,” “I need non-fat milk after you, Briana,” “right behind you” “hot container, watch-out.”). The completed product is called out or delivered to the consumer with a final smile and fare-well wish.

Adding a little extra something to
communicate customer consideration
and care

Communication in various forms and LOTS of it. Non-verbal communication like the always friendly smile from cashiers  greeting  customers. A flare of art in the crème of a drink making the customer feel special and privileged. Written communication on boards, signs, and menus in logically placed locations. There’s a process and structure that works, with a flare of personality. It’s open, fast, simple, proactive, efficient, and positive.

Written communication can be fun and creative or
 formal and simple.

Friendly service and
easy to approach

5.       Atmosphere

The way all the above is communicated sets a certain tone and creates a certain atmosphere.
It promotes certain behaviors, interactions, and activities. Atmospheres can be calm and tranquil, bustling with lots of commotion, or jiving with live music. Coffee joints become a workspace, an escape, a quick treat, a first date, a social hot-spot, the usual hangout, a music scene, etc.

Each expresses themselves, their beliefs, and their values differently. They take part in different norms. This creates the popular and varying coffee culture.

Translation to Corporations

How does this translate to corporations with less customer interaction? Well, look at the physical layout. What type of interactions and behaviors does it promote?

Look at the artifacts in the environment of the workplace (décor, furniture, etc.). What  messages, emotions, and values is it conveying?

Technological communication channels

Look at the attire requirements and level of expressionism within the office. What are you trying to convey through the appearance of your employees? How do co-workers, customers, and executives interrupt this?

Look at the tone of communication and the efficiency of how messages are spread, understood, and accessed. Remember to consider verbal, non-verbal, and written forms. What impact does this have on your employees? Are there bottle necks? Inefficiencies? Negative tones?

Finally, look at the atmosphere of the organization. What is the tone, the feel, the energy? Do the employees agree with your assessment?

*sourced from dilbert.com

Homework

1. The next time you walk into Starbucks, see if you can identify their values through the five concepts listed above.  (Follow the link to find their values)

2. Analyze your own company and see if the company values are acurately being represented by the five concepts stated above. If not....well, review my previous blog post: "Creating Culture". 

Creating Culture

 

How structure and communication influence company culture.

Successful company cultures

Developing excellent culture takes time. It takes a set of values and leadership team to implement them. Zappos is a prime example. They live by their 10 commandments and have the leadership that supports it. As a summarized list, excellent culture is derived from: 

                -Focusing on customer service

                -Letting the employees be heard (from ideas to questions to comments)

                -Empowering employee communication (upward, downward, and laterally)

                -Adding a little fun

                -Empower growth and learning 

                    (form language lessons, in-building libraries, to training seminars)

                -Creating a “family and friends” environment

                -Fostering a positive environment

                -Embracing change 

                     (accepting and promoting change, while still reflective of the pace of its industry)

                -Bringing passions to work (passions for athletics, animals, running, and more)

                -Staying Humble 

“It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.” *Sourced  from brainyquote.com*

Necessities of Culture

The above are dervied components of sucessful cultures, but there it takes more than just values to make a culture. 

1. Live by your company values

“practice what you preach”

2. Have the leadership

It starts at the top. The rest play the game Follow-the-leader. (This will be touched on 

more a little later) 

                

                3. Support with structure and communication

*sourced from http://dilbert.com/

Leadership and company's values provide the base of company culture, but the company structure and communication methods have a strong influence on create and uphold company values, but the company structure and communication methods have a strong influence on the maintenance of company culture.         

Structure and the Environment

Organizational communication speaks of businesses as a “system”. Various theories relate this system to biology (general systems theory), an interaction it’s components and it’s environment (open system), goal process (cybernetic systems theory) or organizational chaos (new science system theory).

Looking at a business as an open system, we can analyze a business structure and its relations to the business culture. First, let’s look at an open system.  An Open system looks at the systems components (hierarchical ordering, interdependence, permeability), system processes (inputs and outputs, feedback), system properties (holism, equifinality, negative entropy, requisite variety), as well as the environment.

Now think about how the components of an organizational structure can impact corporate culture. Centralized vs. decentralized (hierarchical ordering). Silos vs. cross-functionalism (interdependence). Security, office technology, and flow of information (permeability). Just-in-time vs.  six sigma quality vs. EDLP (every day low price) (process inputs/outputs). Key performance indicators (KPIs) vs 360-degree evaluations (feedback). Cubicles vs. open spaces (internal environment). Reaction to industry influences, competition, and PR (external environment). These are just a few.

Some cultavate creativity, information sharing, socialness, empowerment. Other promote stress, individualism, superiority, and lack of collaboration. 

They all have an effect on how employees interact, what they perceive is important, how they are motivated, and how they value themselves and their peers. It’s this perception and behavior that affects culture.  

Reading between the lines

Along with structure, communication cultivates the culture of an organization. How individuals within the organization communicate to each other and how upper management communicates to all, has a strong influence. Let’s look at two examples.  

1.               From: Communication Department

To: All employees

“Message from the CEO:  Thursday at noon, all employees are mandated to be present for an All Hands Meeting.” 

(Formal, authoritative, neutral/negative tone)

2.               From: Communication Department

To: All Employees

“To All Employees: Thursday at noon will be our quarterly All Hands Meeting. Come with your questions, accomplishments, and comments. The CEO will be speaking and is looking forward to your presence.”  

(Less formal, informative, positive, ritualistic, collaborative)

The style of the message will result in a similar type of culture. The first will foster rigid, authoritative, formal, negatively motivating culture. The second, a less formal, positive, and collaborative culture. This is true of corporate messages, as well as supervisor-to-employee messages.

1.               Supervisor: “Robert, Get me that report by Friday. Don’t waste time.”

2.               Supervisor: “Robert, Send me the report by Friday. Time is of the essences as we push to get this project out by the end of the quarter.”

Both convey a sense of urgency, but things like tone and formality have an impact on the employees, which in-turn will affect their interactions within the corporation, and in-turn the culture.

Communication via actions

Some things don’t need to be said. A simple act can have as strong of an impact as a written or verbal massage. Take for instance the Google Founders, who have been known to hop around Google’s campus on pogo sticks. It sends the message that having a little fun is OK.  In contrast, look at HP’s former CEO who resigned from his position after sexual harassment controversy. This sends mixed signals. Actions like these make employees question the trust in their leadership, the company, and their future. The culture begins to reflect this distrust and uncertainty.

In a nutshell

If the values are in-place, leadership has something to follow. If the leadership team follows and supports the values, the employees understand their expected behavior. If the corporate structure and communication supports the desired behaviors, then the desired culture will foster. They are all interdependent. If they don’t work together, something fails, and a company’s culture becomes more like the Dilbert comic below. Have the values, have the leadership, have the structure, and have the communication methods to uphold the culture you desire. Don't be a Dilbert comic. 

*sourced from http://dilbert.com/