CS4L-7

BUS 4040, Communication Skills for Leaders 1

UNIT VII STUDY GUIDE

Strategic Internal

Communication

Learning Objectives Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Evaluate effective internal communication. 2. Propose an effective organizational mission and vision. 3. Evaluate the design and plan for successful organizational change.

Unit Lesson Fostering Effective Internal Communication Leaders are challenged to ensure that information travels not only throughout an organization, but beyond the boundaries of the organization to other groups. As a leader, successfully reaching your goals requires that you are able to encourage, motivate, and support all levels of employees, both below and above you, through strategic communication. Barrett (2011) explains that this “organizational direction comes from leaders’ having created and effectively communicated a clear and meaningful vision” (p. 345). Motivation serves to both stimulate and direct employee behavior while working toward this vision. Communication is an especially important contributor to the effective functioning of today’s organizations. Technology has sped up the pace of work and has limited the time available for an organization to correct any errors or misunderstandings. The global work environment has created the need for people to telecommute while also keeping in close contact with their offices while traveling on business. For today’s organizations to remain successful, they must stay well-informed about rapidly changing markets. Finally, increased technology has transformed the way people do their jobs, and to that end, they depend on continuous communication to remain productive. Maintaining Effective Internal Communication High-performing organizations are able to successfully establish avenues of communication that allow for continuous assessment of how their internal processes are meeting their strategic objectives. Formal communication within the organization includes the distribution of messages concerning the efforts of the organization. Human resources are a major focus as strategic communication must be evident on all levels. Supportive management must model expected behaviors as they encourage open communication within the organization. Targeted messages allow leaders to present relevant and meaningful information to employees while sharing the same message with organizational partners, but in a manner that is appropriate for them. How these messages are transmitted is also of concern. Technology has opened up opportunities for sending and receiving messages that go above the traditional memo and newsletter. Social media allows for transmission of digital communications

Reading Assignment Chapter 11: Leadership through Strategic Internal Communication

Presentation Leadership through Strategic Internal Communication

Key Terms None

BUS 4040, Communication Skills for Leaders 2

designed to reach every employee in a timely manner. Having communication staff strategically placed throughout the organization supports the mission and vision by reinforcing the strategic importance of communication. Ongoing assessment between each of these targeted areas allows leaders to evaluate the effectiveness of their communication processes. Both formal and informal methods of data collection can provide leaders with needed information regarding the effectiveness of the communication channels. Evaluating levels of satisfaction toward the effectiveness of organizational communication can be done formally, through performance assessments, and informally through surveys and polls. These tools can quickly gauge organizational satisfaction regarding communication. Communication of Mission and Vision An organization’s mission and vision serve as a guide for employees as they work toward the future. These statements of purpose need to be communicated to members of the organizational community to impart a clear understanding of the long-term goal, and the reasons for it. Wording for both the mission and the vision should be brief and clear in order to focus organizational efforts toward that purpose. Having a strong sense of shared purpose is motivational for employees. Maintaining communication between leadership and employees on the progress of the company ensures that they are informed about the progress of the company. This helps to make them feel that they can make a difference within the organization in regard to achieving these common goals. Communication through Change Bennis (2003) wrote that “learning to lead is, on one level, learning to manage change” (p. 135). For a leader, having a plan to manage change includes a strategy for communicating that plan to all individuals who have an interest in the organization. Employees, stockholders, as well as the community at large, should be made aware of how the change will affect them. Depending of the significance or the level of the change, specifically whether it’s a basic or a first- order change—one that perfects the system but does not change it drastically from the past, or a strategic or a major second-order change—one that changes the system in major ways (Marzano, Waters, & McNulty, 2005). Once a strategy has been formulated and communicated, it should be implemented with as little disruption and stress as possible for the people who are actually tasked with implementing the change. After the strategy is implemented, the outcome should be evaluated to determine if the goals for the change have been met. If they have not, then different goals should be defined with a detailed change communication action plan in place to outline the requirements, the responsibilities, and the deadlines required to implement the change successfully.

References Barrett, D. J. (2011). Leadership communication (3rd ed.). New York, NY:

McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Bennis, W. (2003). On becoming a leader. Cambridge, MA: Basic Books. Marzano, R. J., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. A. (2005). School leadership that

works: From research to results. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.