6-2 Short Paper: The Importance of Clarity and Conciseness
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6-2pleasemakeChanges.docxRunning head: THE IMPORTANCE OF CLARITY AND CONCISENESS 1
THE IMPORTANCE OF CLARITY AND CONCISENESS 7
6-2 (The Importance of Clarity and Conciseness)
Chaston D. Carter
Southern New Hampshire University
There have been many issues of ineffective communication causing directives not to be carried out properly due to its unclear nature. For an example there was an email sent out that stated that the recipient (within the R&D team) was to “create a presentation discussing the new product and send it to the departments who are interested.” The sender of the email did not specify the product he was talking about, since there can be multiple products under development in the R&D department. In addition to this, he didn’t list down any specifications of the aforementioned presentation, the agenda, the length, the purpose, and what it should cover. He also failed to elaborate which departments would be considered “interested”, and what would be the basis on which the R&D team should select the departments to whom the presentation is to be sent.
The second example involved a request for help from the Sales department to Technical Support to help them “with a list of the biggest problems with our hot products”. The sales department only mentioned a list of the problems, and didn’t actually list down the problems themselves. If the Technical Support had an idea of the problems that were faced, they would be adequately prepared to deal with them, and appoint the right man for the job. Secondly, the sales team did not elaborate which products it considered the hot products. And lastly, they also did not set an appointment for the meeting, nor did they highlight the impact of the problems on the sales of the product, and consequently, did not communicate effectively the intensity of the situation. The last example included a memo from the Finance department to all departments to “reduce the number of suppliers being used to better control costs”. This is a very general statement and the finance department did not tell how the cost would be saved and how much impact reducing each supplier would bring. They also did not explain how to reduce the suppliers and still carry on the routine tasks normally. No instructions on how to carry out the order accompanied it. After close review of these directives, they seem to lack clarity, which is unacceptable. To improve these messages, we must eliminate certain barriers within in communication. Clarity in communication is essential for effective communication. However, a lot of potential barriers can arise in communication such as messages with complex content, information that is not been transmitted willfully, ineffective communication through the hierarchy, and no trust amongst different parties because of competition. (Boundless, 2016).
There are three main barriers that we have had an issue with, one is which the complexity of our messages is when they are being sent. It very important that when sending out a message to make sure you provide just the right amount of information while avoiding being too complex as well.
Another widely occurring barrier regarding communication that arises often in organizations with a tall structure is the miscommunication or issues in the transfer of information amongst the different levels of hierarchy. Since there are rigid boundaries at each level, the information tends to not be completely transferred, or the junior employees are too hesitant to ask their seniors for clarification due to the extent of formality between them.
When a presentation contains clarity, it makes it easier for the person who is receiving the message to fully grasp the message that is being conveyed. Clarity has proven to make comprehending a lot easier to the receiver, and since a concise message saves the receiver and sender time it plays a major role in communication. Conciseness can be achieved in a business message, by avoiding repetition, and complex terms. As a result of all this, it is crucial that the information to be transferred is communicated by very direct and to the point sentences, all the while making sure that all the required information is incorporated properly, so that the message is concise, but full of relevant content. One must not cut out part of the message in the attempt to achieve conciseness. (admin, 2009). A message can only be considered an effective one when the recipient of the message understands all the information exactly the way the sender wanted. If the one who receives the message comprehends the content just as intended by the sender, then it is successful communication. (admin, 2009). All of this can be achieved, when everyone works together as one. It is important that when sending a message to take time to read what is being sent beforehand. Last but most importantly never be afraid to ask questions. Whenever you receive a message and you’re not able to grasp it, always ask for clarification.
The second barrier to communication is the privacy policies of an organization and the general competitiveness of the market due to which some organizations do not reveal all of their information to all the levels of the company. To avoid this barrier, the communication system should be automated, where appropriate information should be readily available to the people who have authorization. Efficient use of information technology should be made to come up with a centralized information system so that all employees have the ease of access to the required information, whenever they need it.
The third barrier to communication is a rigid and tall structure, and formal culture of an organization. Due to the rigidity of the hierarchy, as well as the intimidation faced by the juniors from their seniors, the information amongst the levels is often miscommunicated or lost. There are lasting effects of this loss of information and to tackle this problem, there needs to be an organization wide change, where the senior levels of management have an open door policy and people comfortable in asking them questions and for clarifications. There should also be a less bureaucratic way of information transmission because, the lesser the people involved in a communication channel, the more efficient it will be.
In conclusion, a company is as efficient as its communication channels. All the operation of an organization are dependent on smooth communication amongst the various departments, and within departments themselves. Communication can be tricky when it comes to conveying the message of your message properly to your recipient. It can also pose a problem when the information to be communicated is of sensitive nature and is not to be made available to the public. Another issue with communication is the barrier between the various levels of hierarchy in a tall structured organization. All of these issues can be solved by a little planning beforehand. For instance, the first issue can be resolved by sticking to the point and keeping it short, yet complete. The second issue can be tackled by the automation of information to ensure privacy as well as ease of access. And the third issue can be solved by a change in culture. All in all, communication, while confusing and tricky sometimes, can be made efficient by taking simple steps.
References
Boundless. “The Importance of Clarity in Professional Settings.” Boundless Business. Boundless, 26 May. 2016. Retrieved 27 Jun. 2016 from https://www.boundless.com/business/textbooks/boundless-business-textbook/business-writing-5/introduction-to-business-communications-42/the-importance-of-clarity-in-professional-settings-218-3434/
admin. (2009, March 13). Notes desk. Retrieved June 28, 2016, from http://www.notesdesk.com/notes/business-communications/the-seven-cs-of-effective-business-communication/
