business and communications
When someone mentions the word communication, one's thoughts turn to a newspaper, the radio, television, or another more common means of mass-type communication. One does not usually make the connection between communication and other institutions such as business. Good business, however, goes hand in hand with good communication. Good managers and professionals realize that the ability to communicate is not a silly frill; it's a necessity that helps all accomplish their work (Murphy 2).Therefore the question is often posed: Are these problems of poor communications that face managers and professionals becoming more and more critical? The evidence suggests the answer to be yes- these problems are serious and are growing more and more serious everyday. John O. Morris, a Management Communications Consultant consolidates this problem into a single statement called the Morris Maxim. It states that "Communications problems grow much faster in any organization than the organization itself grows" (Morris 3). This maxim emphasizes the need for better communication in organizations such as big business through the implication of what would happen if that organization did not fix it's structure to better handl
e increasing communication needs. However, before dealing with a solution to the problem of communication in business, (frequently dubbed business speak) it is important to understand how big business operates. Murphy, Dennis. Better Business Communication. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. 1957. Zelko, Harold P. and Harold J. O'brien, Ph.D. Management-Employee Communication in Action. Cleveland: Howard Allen, Inc. 1957. On the whole, communications between companies and customers are based on a "need to know" basis. There are exceptions to this rule, however. One company has done an increasingly good job in maintaining good communications lines with it's customers. Intel, Inc. is a computer micro-processor firm that controls over 90% of the computer chip-set industry (Yahoo Tech Headlines). In their annual report, Intel's top executives announced the creation of a "sort of R&D lab and strategic think tank to the industry" in which "we (will) work with PC makers, software developers and PC users to understand their future needs and wishes, and work intensely with industry leaders to develop products or specifications that meet those needs". In doing so, Intel has opened a direct link to it's customers, allowing for direct customer impact on some of Intel's management and directional decisions. However, even the most open and direct company is not without it's business speak. Knowledge in the area of communication, even if at the most elementary level is one of the key factors in a successful employment history. In a survey of 13,586 of its college graduates, General Electric Company found that the great majority of its employees cited written and verbal communication as the college training that had contributed most to their success in business (Zelko 7). It for this reason that many colleges have reported an increase in enrollment in communications classes. In addition to college courses, companies are now beginning to take the initiative and teach their current employees communications skills. This in-service of sorts can be accomplished very efficiently if a few guidelines are met. These include the establishment of an informal and permissive climate, the establishment of the value and importance of the training, and general across-the-board participation- that is, contributions to the group from all of it's members (Zelko, 8). These guidelines ensure that the environment will be right to help educate the employee that is not versed in communication. This training can be a catalyst in the growth of a business, as well as helping to create a work-friendly environment that encourages productivity (Murphy 9). The American Management Association calls the ability to communicate a "vital skill of management", and declare that "progressive companies now recognize (this
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Approximate Word count = 1880
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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