Evaluating Communication Techniques
Introduction
Organizational leaders are continually searching for new and easier methods of communicating with their stakeholders. Any evaluation of communication techniques should include information about where we have been on the technological time line, where we are now, and the future of communication techniques. There was a time, not so long ago, that land line telephones were the norm and pagers were the ‘techy’ devices that all business people must have. Pagers sent an alarm to the device as an alert that someone was trying to call. Imagine the frustration of being in your car and suddenly having an emergency ‘page’. There were no cell phones during the time of the pager, so the only option was to seek out a pay phone. That scenario sounds archaic today.
Shortly afterwards, we had an amazing revolution in technology with the cellular telephone. Business people could finally communicate with peers and customers, no matter where they were located. Naturally, the internet and the abundance of information that it provides, is among the greatest advances of our lifetimes. But, technology is still evolving and the future promises to hold many more time saving marvels as technology evolves all around us. We must be prepared and ready to adapt to the changes that are coming our way. Business and management practices also evolve to keep up with the technological advances.
The Importance of Managerial Ethics in Business Communications
Managerial ethics are crucial to the success of an organization. Effective and ethical communications are widely discussed in the business world because of the differing methods and opinions of business leaders. The transmission of information and the meaning behind the transmission, when directed from one individual to another is just one way of describing communication (Guffey & Loewy, 2011). The type of transmission, whether by email, letter, memo, text, or telephone, is not as important as the delivery of the message. Management must learn effectively and ethically develop and deliver communication between clients, team members, and management. This task may require some discipline and some sensitivity.
Utilizing the seven Goals of Ethical Business Communicators, as described by Guffey and Loewy (2011) may assist business communicators in disseminating messages that are not only effective, but also well-received by the intended audience. The seven ‘Goals’ include; abiding by the law, telling the truth, labeling opinions, being objective, communicating clearly, using inclusive language, and giving credit (Guffey & Loewy, 2011). These goals appear to be ones that any reasonable manager would include in any communication. However, in a rush to get a message out, a manager may neglect one or more of these important objectives. The result of this neglect may be a communication that is misunderstood or insensitive to the audience.
A discussion about ethics inevitably leads to the argument about why some people seem to be innately ethical while others have difficulty with the concept. Abiding the law, telling the truth, citing opinions and giving credit may be commonplace for some and yet difficult concepts for others to embrace. Some believe that ethics is a behavior that is not innate and cannot be taught. This view of ethics leans towards nurturing as the cornerstone of our ethical behaviors. The rationale behind this theory is that we learn right from wrong from our parents, our peers, and our community. They have nurtured our basic desires to please by insisting that we always ‘do the right thing’.
This opinion would explain the varying differences in human behavior. Children with strong parental involvement and community support would be more likely to grow up to be ‘virtuous’ human beings while those from lesser communities would have difficulties conforming to societal norms. The nurture concept is supported by an article in Bioscience by Tabitha Powledge. Powledge points to the differences observed in identical twins and research in the field of epigenetics – how nurture shapes nature. The results of the epigenetics study suggest that our experiences and social environments play a key role in our development and that the basis of our behaviors are derived from our learning and memories (Powledge, T., 2011). If this view is to be considered it may explain why some people are ethical, while others are not.
Perhaps our ethical standards become instinctive after years of indoctrination at the hands of our parents and our communities. Our parents teach us about empathy and encourage us to share our belongings. Our peers teach us not to cheat. Our friends teach us loyalty. Our life experience shape and define the people that we will become. We could also argue that the collective “village” rears the child and in doing so is responsible for our ethical development. This may explain why some would argue that ethics is a natural trait – one we are born with. The behavior they view as natural may actually be instilled in us by a nurturing community. Those behaviors follow us into adulthood, shape our work ethic, and may ultimately play a role in the way we communicate with others.
The Positive and Negative Aspects of Communications
We have an option to communicate in a positive or negative manner. Technology is allowing us to communicate quicker and easier than ever before. As technology continues to evolve we have traded in our ‘land line’ telephones for cellular ‘smart phones’ that allow us to communicate with anyone, anywhere, and at any time. We can email instead of sending a letter that may take several days to arrive. We are no longer dependent on an office. The internet has freed us of the nine-to-five role of employee or employer. We are free to be innovative thinkers and doers. The expansion of the internet opens up multiple possibilities for our future, our business, and our forms of communication.
An interesting internet video, Social Media Revolution, details the role of social media in our society and proclaims that if Facebook were a country it would be the third largest in the world (Qualman, E., Producer, 2011). In his book, Socianomics; How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business, Qualman states that business no longer has a choice in ‘if’ they are going to engage in social media. The only choice is ‘how’ they will participate (Qualman, E., 2011). There are many new communications medium for business to consider.
Communicating through social media outlets is very cost effective. The market size is unlimited and it can be selectively addressed to a precise market. We can now broadcast our company news through the use of a company blog. The blog can be an effective means of getting our message out quickly to a large number of people. It is an incredible marketing tool allowing customers to give invaluable feedback and providing consumer based trends and information to the company (Guffey & Loewy, 2011). Blogs are also a very effective means of recruiting new personnel. The company blog can post job openings, requirements and even provide a means for submission of resumes.
Of course, there is a downside to the technological wonders in the world of communication. Many social media outlets require a considerable amount of time usage. Time will be spent developing a presence and also monitoring the site for correctness and to deal with any problems swiftly. If an unhappy consumer posts unfavorable remarks the public can view those remarks and reach their own conclusions. This could be unfortunate for the business if they are not prepared to respond quickly to such discourse. Information may change and must be updated quickly to avoid confusion. Also, there are some security risks involved in the use of social media. Competing business will be fully aware of any messages posted on the company blog. Finding our place in the social media world takes time, but it can be worthwhile on a professional and personal basis.
We all crave social connections and we build interpersonal connections through our ability to communicate with others. Those social connections are important to our success in our personal and professional lives. Some believe that technology is hindering our interpersonal relationships because more and more people are opting to avoid social situations in favor of texting, email, or Facebook communications. We need to have “connections” with people in order to get our point across and our message understood (Putnam, R., 1995). People communicate face-to-face less often these days. Some cite too little free time as a reason to avoid personal communication.
Perhaps it is easier for some people to get their point across if they do not have to engage in a face-to-face interaction with another person. However, the lack of personal connections is eroding our social capital and will make it more difficult to have personal face-to-face meetings in the future. Our ability to communicate in a personal way is critical to our professional pursuits. We may lose those interpersonal relationship skills if we hide behind our Facebook profile in lieu of person-to-person meetings. Those interpersonal skills are especially important when dealing with our stakeholders. The ideal scenario would be utilizing social media that is somewhat personable.
A good choice for many business organizations may be LinkedIn. It is online networking that may be fairly close to face-to-face networking (Greesonbach, S., 2014). This social media site is more professional in its makeup. It allows users to build their professional network and interact with other professionals. It is an effective and inexpensive method of communicating amongst peers. When a person-to-person meeting is impossible, LinkedIn may be a good alternative.
Methods of Documenting, Illustrating, and Interpreting Data
The next area to explore is that of documenting, illustrating, and interpreting data. Two methods of documenting data are manual note taking and electronic note taking. Manual note taking works well because data can be recorded onto separate color coded index cards and then arranged in an order that would support your argument. It is wise to keep data from different sources on different note cards to avoid any mix-up or incorrect sourcing and citing on the same card.
Electronic note taking is easier to collect. You can cut and paste information from the source and insert it directly into your communication. You must be vigilant with electronic note taking because it may be easier to accidently plagiarize another author’s work. When you are electronically recording your notes you should be able to comprehend the data and write your own interpretation. Putting the information in your own words allows you to be a more effective communicator.
There are many ways you can illustrate data (see figure 1 below). According to Guffey and Loewy (2011) data tables are the most common method of illustrating data. The title should be clearly labeled at the top. The columns and row should be labeled and the data table should be arranged item in a logical order. You will need to identify the proper units you are using to interpret the data in your data table.
Guffey and Loewy (2011) also describe bar charts as a less precise method of displaying data. You can display data horizontally or vertically. The data can be grouped together or segmented. The bar graph should be proportional graphically and should avoid showing too much information. Another type of chart is the line chart. Line charts are used to show changes of data over time. You can use a simple single line chart or a more complex multi-line chart. Additionally, pie charts are good examples of illustrating data. Pie charts are a circular representation of a simple bar chart. The data is shown like slices of a pie. Each of these slices is proportional to the data they represent. Other examples include a flow chart and an organization chart. A flowchart can describe a process or procedure and an organization chart can define a chain of command of a large company.

Figure 1: Commonly used charts.

Less commonly used methods of illustrating data are photographs, maps and illustrations. Photographs will provide a visual record and add a higher degree of authenticity to the data. A map will show geographic regions where data was collected and illustrations are useful in the description on how objects look.
Interpreting data is a little more complex. It involves placing raw data into a format where you can analyze that data and derive a conclusion. The formats can be a data table or a graphical representation of the data. Reaching a conclusion will require a little more work and a lot of objectivity.
Positive and Negative Impact of Electronic Media in Communicating
Electronic media has had an impact in communicating business-related information. On the positive side, electronic media has made communications easier, faster, more cost effective, more reliable, and fun. There is any number of medium available to allow communications with clients, employees, management, and company stakeholders. Real-time communications provides the ability to share messages and ideas instantly and allow decision makers the ability to react quickly. It is also very helpful to be able to confirm the receipt of a document. The parties involved can move on to other tasks once they have confirmed receipt of their document.
There are negative aspects of electronic media. The ability to easily copy and forward information may be to the disadvantage of some. Inappropriate postings by an employee may cause embarrassment or legal issues for the company. Likewise, poor grammar usage is seen as unprofessional. All these negative issues may reflect poorly on the company. Some companies are legitimately concerned about hackers gaining private company or client information (Guffey & Loewy, 2011). Or, having their computer systems attacked by viruses. In addition, some employees may spend too much time on personal social media during the workday and reduce productivity for the company.
As discussed here, the primary downside to social media is the possibility for abuse. Many employers forbid the use of social media in the workplace. Many employers view their employees as ambassadors of the company. They are rightfully concerned about inappropriate, embarrassing postings that may reflect on the company (Guffey & Loewy, 2011). There is a growing trend towards allowing social media in the workplace. The hope is that professionals can utilize the power of the internet and social media to connect with co-workers and customers.
Another scenario to consider is the electronic grid collapsing and creating blackouts in multiple states. Such a blackout would be a rare event, but it could possibly last for days or even months. During such an event all of the method of communications used today in business would be lost. Even a remote possibility of such an event should foster a desire to maintain interpersonal skills. If the internet should go down, we need to have the skills to continue our lives and our business.
Factors to Consider in Selecting Communication Tools There are several factors such as cost, security, ease of use and reliability that managers should take into consideration regarding the use of social media in the workplace. The ever expanding role of smart phones, e-mails, instant messaging, texting, podcasts, blogs, wikis, and LinkedIn are allowing employees, managers and stakeholders to converse instantly with each other globally.
Much of the communication within a business environment is directed towards the internal stakeholders. Internal stakeholders are crucial to the success of a business. Conveying messages to those stakeholders that are clear and concise is also critical. It is also important to incorporate cultural sensitivity into those communications. Taking into consideration the diversity of the intended reader will result in communique that is easily understandable by all stakeholders.
Another aspect of effective communication involves considering the reaction of the intended audience. An audience of external stakeholders may be excluded from in-house communications. Of course, all business communique must be presented in a manner that is professional and courteous. A manager that has the ability to predict the outcome of a message will have an advantage of being able to develop communique that is clear, direct, and also sensitive to that audience. After all, the goal is to deliver our messages in the most effective manner to all audiences.
Important Communication Skills for an Effective Manager in a Diverse Work Environment The most effective communication skills that an effective manager should have are the ability to recognize cultural differences and communicate in a manner that recognizes those differences. Success in a diverse work environment requires the ability to understand that we are each different and we each have our own belief and value systems. We live and work in a diverse world that requires sensitivity to the differences of those around us. It is sometimes difficult to recognize the differences that exist within the workplace.
In order to gain sensitivity to the diversity of our environment we must first be able to recognize that we each have our own unique value and belief systems. Our belief and value systems are learned cultures that we gain from our childhood and those people that are important in our community. When we understand our own culture we can begin to understand that culture of others (Guffey & Loewy, 2011). Once we accept that diversity exists we are armed with the tools that are necessary to better communicate and interact with others. Business professionals must also be aware of the rapidly changing communication channels. There are a variety of social media outlets that our customers are very aware of. Business professionals must be able to convey a message to these stakeholders while maintaining a professional, courteous, understanding, sensitive, and in a socially acceptable manner. Social media may be the manner in which we can best communicate with those customers. We must be prepared to respond to stakeholders via social networking if we expect to be competitive within our market.
Significant Communication Tools
There are many significant communication tools that have emerged during the past five years that managers are using to make a positive difference in organizations. Managers and business have been at the lead of new technology for many years. If the technology could increase production, businesses were more willing to invest in it. When the small business computer was released in the 1980’s a new age of information technology was plunged upon the business world. Before this, only larger corporations were able to own and use the costly main frame computer systems. After the release of the small computer management and businesses were able to change their methods of conducting business and communications. Thirty years later the small business computer is considered, by some, to be ancient technology and the new emerging technologies are the Smart phones.
These smart phones are able to access the internet, receive and transmit e-mails, store large amounts of data, be used as a telephone and can be used anywhere their services are available; they are easy to use and are relatively inexpensive to operate. Management teams and key personnel can use them without a large capital investment. This technology has made management teams are more mobile. They are able to communicate and transmit data with staff, upper management, clients and stakeholders without being in the office. The inexpensive smart phones are affordable expenditure for most businesses. Many may be losing money if they do not provide smart phones for their staff.

Conclusion
We have come a long way, technologically speaking, from the days of pay phone booths and pagers. An evaluation of our communication techniques shows where we have been, where we are at currently. The future of technological expansion is vast. The evolution of communication technologies is so rapid that it is becoming difficult to keep up with. A prudent leader will remain well-informed of technologies as they emerge and embrace the opportunity to expand both personally and professionally.

Reference
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