Discussion Board Forum 3
Stacey L. Saunders
Liberty University
Discussion Board Forum 3
Introduction
Effective communication is key to the success of an organization, group or individual.
According to Robbins & Judge (2009), “individuals spend nearly 70 percent of their waking
hours communicating” (p. 351).
Work Experience
I previously worked for a software company, which was always pushing for open
communication within the organization. Everyone, except executives, were in cubes with low
walls to enable communication across departments easier. Being in technology, we also had
every means of electronic communication available as well. Despite all of this, communication
within this organization is the worst I have ever experience. People would IM one another
instead of getting up and talking with them or send an email instead of walking over or calling.
Even if the person was sitting right behind them. In meetings, everyone had their laptops and
were continuing to work instead of participating or even paying attention for that matter. This
lack of communication caused projects to get delayed, restatement of financials and complete
disconnect across and within departments. Communication in the IT department was by far the
best. This was mainly due to the efforts of the managers within that department. They did weekly
team building functions, regular war room meetings and managers were always giving them
feedback. Unlike many of the other departments, the turnover in this group was low, project
deadlines were consistently met.
Communication
The most common form of communication within an organization is now electronic. This
includes email, text messages, networking software, Web logs, and video conferencing (Robbins
& Judge, 2009). This has definitely made communication, especially in our globalized economy,
faster and more efficient. Although this form of communication maybe more faster and efficient,
it has its disadvantages. Electronic communication lacks the personal piece and can lead to
people misinterpreting the message being conveyed or misreading the tone of the email. One
limitation mentioned by Robbins & Judge (2009) is communicating negative messages. In nearly
every company I have worked for this has cost a person their job. At one company, the senior
project manager sent out a company-wide email about things going one within the company and
offered kudos to the sales team for getting a huge new contract. A member of the implementation
team, whom was clearly not happy about the promises made in the contract, mistakenly hit
“reply all” when he sent back his scathing response to the email. He attempted to recall the
message but it was too late and he was terminated that day. I have seen similar scenarios play out
multiple times with IM and text messages going to the wrong person or confidential emails being
erroneously distributed.
Leadership
Leadership is defined as, “the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a
vision or set of goals” (Robbins & Judge, 2009). In order for an organization to achieve its goals
the employees need understand those goals and what is needed to achieve those goals. I worked
for a small company that had the best CEO I have ever worked for. He would conduct meetings
to talk about what was going on and where we were headed. When you left those meetings, you
were not only excited about the future but a desire to help make it happen. His leadership
garnered passion and commitment in the organization, which made the company extremely
successful. Hackman & Johnson (2013) state, "followers prosper under effective
leaders...whatever the context: government, corporation, church, school, team or class project
group"(p. 2)
Worldview
Although the behavioral theories state otherwise, scripture shows us that leaders are born.
For example in Jeremiah 1:5 (ESV) is says “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and
before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” The ability to
be an effective leader requires certain traits. Fischer (2009) argues, “not everyone has the moral
aptitude and the gifts necessary to lead overtly.” We have learned that people cannot change their
inborn personalities but they can strengthen their less preferred traits when a situation calls for it.
Therefore you have only learned to mimic the behaviors of a leader and not being true to person
God made you to be.
Conclusion
Effective communication is one of the single most important function within an
organization. In order to achieve success, information has to be disseminated throughout the
organization or group. Strong leaders are another important component, as they can motivate,
inspire, and project the vision for the organization. Building a strong organization begins with a
strong leader.
Reference
Fisher, K. (2009). Module 06/Week 6: Lesson 6 – Leadership and Power. In Organizational
Behavior: Fall 2015 [Audio File]. Retrieved from
https://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?
course_id=_252905_1&content_id=_9673712_1
Hackman, M. Z., & Johnson, C. E. (2013). Leadership: A communication perspective. Waveland
Press.
Robins, & Judge. (2009). What is Organizational Behavior? In Organizational Behavior (13th
ed.). Prentice Hall: Pearson Education.
