What Communication Issues Do Managers Face Today?
14-3 Discuss contemporary issues in communication.
“Pulse lunches.” That’s what managers at Citibank’s offices throughout Malaysia used to address pressing problems of declining customer loyalty and staff morale and increased employee turnover. By connecting with employees and listening to their concerns—that is, taking their “pulse”—during informal lunch settings, managers were able to make changes that boosted both customer loyalty and employee morale by more than 50 percent and reduced employee turnover to nearly zero.35
Being an effective communicator in today’s organizations means being connected—most importantly to employees and customers, but in reality, to any of the organization’s stakeholders. In this section, we examine seven communication issues of particular significance to today’s managers: managing communication in an Internet world, managing the organization’s knowledge resources, communicating with customers, getting employee input, having civil conversations in the workplace, understanding the role of workplace design, and communicating ethically.
How Do We Manage Communication in an Internet World?
Lars Dalgaard, founder and chief executive of SuccessFactors, a human resource management software company, recently sent an e-mail to his employees banning in-house e-mail for a week. His goal? Getting employees to “authentically address issues amongst each other.”36 And he’s not alone. Other companies have tried the same thing. As we discussed earlier, e-mail can consume employees, but it’s not always easy for them to let go of it, even when they know it can be “intexticating.” But e-mail is only one communication challenge in this Internet world. A recent survey found that 20 percent of employees at large companies say they contribute regularly to blogs, social networks, wikis, and other Web services.37 Managers are learning, the hard way sometimes, that all this new technology has created special communication challenges. The two main ones are (1) legal and security issues and (2) lack of personal interaction.
Legal And Security Issues
Chevron paid $2.2 million to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit stemming from inappropriate jokes being sent by employees over company e-mail. UK firm Norwich Union had to pay £450,000 in an out-of-court settlement after an employee sent an e-mail stating that its competitor, Western Provident Association, was in financial difficulties. Whole Foods Market was investigated by federal regulators and its board after CEO John P. Mackey used a pseudonym to post comments on a blog attacking the company’s rival Wild Oats Markets.38
Although e-mail, blogs, tweets, and other forms of online communication are quick and easy ways to communicate, managers need to be aware of potential legal problems from inappropriate usage. Electronic information is potentially admissible in court. For instance, during the Enron trial, prosecutors entered into evidence e-mails and other documents they say showed that the defendants defrauded investors. Says one expert, “Today, e-mail and instant messaging are the electronic equivalent of DNA evidence.”39 But legal problems aren’t the only issue; security concerns are an issue as well.
A survey addressing outbound e-mail and content security found that 26 percent of the companies surveyed saw their businesses affected by the exposure of sensitive or embarrassing information.40 Managers need to ensure that confidential information is kept confidential. Employee e-mails and blogs should not communicate—inadvertently or purposely—proprietary information. Corporate computer and e-mail systems should be protected against hackers (people who try to gain unauthorized access to computer systems) and spam (electronic junk mail). These serious issues must be addressed if the benefits of communication technology are to be realized.
Personal Interaction
It may be called social media, but another communication challenge posed by the Internet age we live and work in is the lack of personal interaction.41 Even when two people are communicating face-to-face, understanding is not always achieved. However, it can be especially challenging to achieve understanding and collaborate on getting work done when communication takes place in a virtual environment. In response, some companies have banned e-mail on certain days, as we saw earlier. Others have simply encouraged employees to collaborate more in person. Yet, sometimes and in some situations, personal interaction isn’t physically possible—your colleagues work across the continent or even across the globe. In those instances, real-time collaboration software (such as private workplace wikis, blogs, instant messengers, and other types of groupware) may be a better communication choice than sending an e-mail and waiting for a response.42 Instead of fighting it, some companies are encouraging employees to utilize the power of social networks to collaborate on work and to build strong connections. This trend is especially appealing to younger workers who are comfortable with this communication medium. Some companies have gone as far as to create their own in-house social networks. For instance, employees at Starcom MediaVest Group tap into SMG Connected to find colleague profiles that outline their jobs, list the brands they admire, and describe their values. A company vice president says, “Giving our employees a way to connect over the Internet around the world made sense because they were doing it anyway.”43
Employees And Social Media
77 percent say they use social media to connect with colleagues.
35 percent say that social media has damaged a work relationship.
61 percent say that social media has led to new or better work relationships.
32 percent say they use social media to enhance work-related projects or solve problems.44