The importance of communication

Managers are likely to spend most of their time engaged directly in some form of

Communication process. Even when they are working alone-for example, studying or

preparing reports-they are relying on other people’s attempts to communicate with them

or they are preparing to communicate with others. Accuracy in decision-making

depends, in particular, on effective communication. If the communication process is

faulty then everything else can be affected.

Experiments, research and sheer personal obselvation show that most people are far

too optimistic about the accuracy of the communication process. This applies not just to

communication processes, -.v.ithin employing organisations but to life in general. Even

when errors are identified, this may be too late, or the inherent faults in the process that

will lead to further errors may not be recognised. The barriers to effective communication

are far greater than most people realise. The effective communication of factual

information can be difficult enough, but often attitudes and feelings need to be

communicated and that can be far more complicated. The number and nature of the

barriers are such that there is a strong case for communication skills training being

given as part of the standard school cmTIculum. This is not yet the case and in this

chapter the attempt is made to give managers practical guidance on how to identify the

communication processes in their organisations with a view first of all to evaluating their

effectiveness. This evaluation can then provide the basis for the development of the

manager’s own practical skills of communication.

In Rosemary Stewart’s study of how manajers spend their time, it was established that

on average the 160 managers in her sample spent two-thirds of their time working with

other people. The rest of tq.ei.r time was mainly engaged in preparing information

reports. It seems reasonable to assume that most managers spend the bulk of their

working day in some type of communication activity. Even the 33 managers in the

sample in

‘backroom’-type jobs spent about half of their time working with other people. This may

be through

attendance at meetings, the giving and receiving of . instructions, discussions with

colleagues and contact with

customers or suppliers. Such contact may be face to face or over the telephone or a

combination of both. Much of the remainder of the time is likely to be concerned with the

assimilation or preparation of written information. If managers are to make the correct

substantive decisions in their jobs, it follows that they need to be able to handle the

communication process effectively.

It is found that managers differ markedly in their ability to communicate effectively. It

follows that the need to develop skills of effective communication may be a critical

priority for many managers. Regrettably this need is often not perceived and managers

may neglect the importance of, and the opportunity for, development in this critical area.

Communication skills tend to be taken for granted and lack of skill far more easily

recognized in others than in 9neself. The process of communication is often far more

complex than people realise and this is a further reason why skills development in this

area tends to be neglected It is only when people realise the subtleties concerning

effective communication that thy may become communication conscious and start to

develop their own skills. The complexities are such that even the person who is good at

communication is likely to become even better if he systematically evaluates and

considers his own effectiveness in this area.