Communication is an integral process of the management function itself. Communication is a basic input and output for the managerial process, but it is also synonymous with the act of management as it occurs in the real-time sense.
When one manages, one is also simultaneously communicating. Research also shows that managerial effectiveness and communication are interdependent.
The following diagram shows the interdependence of management and communication between managers and subordinates to carry out the managerial process. The forward communication transmits plans and expectations of the management to the subordinates.
They execute those through their performance. Management gets them done forward, and horizontal communication flows before and during the performance of subordinates.
Subordinates report to the management about their performance through an upward communication network and transmit their expectations and sentiments to the management to get them implemented. Managers come to know about the problems, too.
This feedback is clearly related to the manager’s control function. However, continual communication flows tie the people and work together and move the work of the organization to its destination.
16 Problems of Business Communication
Business organizations are not free from communication problems. There are ample scopes for improvement. The following problems are deterrents to efficient communication:
- Excessive Dependence on Formalities
- Lack of Communication Training
- Ego Problem
- Excessive Authority Layers
- Semantic Problem
- Inadequate Communication Facilities
- Lack or Inadequate Feedback
- Suspicion
- Political Affiliation
- Negative Attitude Between Management and Employees
- Lack of Planning
- Lack of Fairness
- Lack of Communication Policy
- Leadership Style
- Poor Listening
- Poor Delivery of Communication
Excessive Dependence on Formalities
People in business organizations rely heavily on the formal flow of communication, causing unnecessary delays in communication and decision-making.
Lack of Communication Training
Communication is a technical skill that must be learned systematically through training and education. Many individuals in our organizations lack both formal and informal communication training, resulting in faulty communication and breakdowns.
Ego Problem
Ego issues among some individuals hinder communication. Some people refrain from communicating due to a false sense of power and status, and they may not provide adequate feedback or responses, creating a significant communication problem in our business organizations.
Excessive Authority Layers
Our organizations have a tall structure with numerous authority layers from bottom to top, leading to filtering, distortion, and delays in communication.
Semantic Problem
The primary medium of communication is English, often driven by ego or pompousness. However, this can lead to frequent communication breakdowns, as not everyone understands English. Regional languages can also create oral communication issues.
Inadequate Communication Facilities
Although this problem is decreasing due to intercom systems and mobile phone usage, it still persists in many organizations.
Lack of Inadequate Feedback
The absence, inadequacy, or delay in feedback is a common feature in business organizations, especially government-backed ones. People are often reluctant to provide prompt feedback, making communication ineffective.
Suspicion
Mutual trust and confidence are lacking among people in organizations, creating a suspicious environment that acts as a bottleneck to effective communication.
Political Affiliation
While political beliefs are a natural right, they can strain interpersonal and inter-group relationships, hindering communication. Organizations are often highly affected by this issue.
Negative Attitude Between Management and Employees
Conflict between management and employees, driven by the pursuit of material gain, fosters animosity rather than cooperation. This negative attitude impedes communication between the two parties.
Lack of Planning
Every communication should have a plan, which is often lacking, especially in oral communication. This absence affects encoding and message delivery, making communication ineffective and sometimes counterproductive.
Lack of Fairness
Management must treat people in the organization fairly and justly. Nepotism and favoritism breed distrust and antagonism toward authority, deterring open communication and, at times, destroying it by withholding information.
Lack of Communication Policy
Business organizations often lack a specific, well-drafted, and well-circulated communication policy. This hampers the proper flow of communication and delays decision-making.
Leadership Style
Leadership styles in many business organizations tend to be autocratic rather than democratic. Owner-managers or owner-directors often make and communicate decisions themselves, hindering efficient communication due to non-participatory management.
Poor Listening
People in our organizations often pay little attention to carefully and completely listening to others. Impatience and a lack of empathy for others’ positions are primary barriers to effective listening.
Poor Delivery of Communication
Hasty presentation of communication leads to faulty and incomplete reception, causing communication breakdowns.
14 Ways To Overcome the Problems With Business Communication
Business organizations can improve their communication efficiency and effectiveness by adopting the following measures:
- Reduce Formalities
- Specific Communication Policy
- Provide Modern Communication Facilities
- Encourage Feedback
- Execution of Democratic Leadership
- Training on Human Relations
- Training on Communication Skills
- Use of Familiar Language
- Harmonious Labor-Management Relations
- Abolition of Political Sycophancy
- Nondiscriminatory Behavior
- Sharing Information
- Increase Informal Communication
- Reduction of Organizational Layers
Reduce Formalities
Communication should flow from top to bottom, bottom to top, and diagonally without any barriers. The flow would be smooth when there are the least number of layers within the organizational structure. Therefore, it is better to reduce the layers of our business organizations to make communication shorter and uninterrupted.
Specific Communication Policy
Every business organization should have a communication policy that is well-circulated among the people. The faithful observance of such a policy would increase communication effectiveness in the organization.
Provide Modern Communication Facilities
Communication within and outside the organization would be effective if modern communication devices are installed and made available to every supervisory person. There should be some common facilities for non-supervisory people too, so they can establish contact with their supervisors or other higher-ups promptly and conveniently.
Encourage Feedback
Managers should be encouraged with policies and motivation so that they give feedback on time to the concerned persons. They should be convinced about the benefits of prompt feedback to the organization and their performance.
Execution of Democratic Leadership
Democratic leadership will create a trusted human environment that will induce people to communicate openly. It will also enhance conducive interpersonal and inter-group relationships, which will favor prompt and effective decision-making.
Training on Human Relations
This type of training will help people develop sociable habits and eliminate egoistic stances. It will also help promote a helpful personality. In all, training in human relations would obviously increase a person’s communication ability and the organization’s capability.
Training on Communication Skills
People in the organization should be provided with specific training in communication skills. Listening, speaking, and writing, as well as using communication devices, will be improved through the training. It will help remove communication problems in our business organizations.
Use of Familiar Language
Communication should be in the native language and made compulsory for internal and external communication. Other languages should only be used in deserving situations.
Harmonious Labor-Management Relations
The animosity between labor and management must be eliminated with the introduction of participative management and democratic leadership in the organization. Here, laborers will get the opportunity to participate in decision-making and have their voices heard, which will make communication more effective.
Abolition of Political Sycophancy
Political affiliation should be seen as a natural right of every individual, but it should not lead to political sycophancy. We should be apolitical when communicating with others in the organization.
Nondiscriminatory Behavior
Managers must be free from all biases. This will help establish trust and confidence among subordinates towards management and facilitate free and open communication between them.
Sharing Information
Employees should be kept informed about matters of their interest. This will make them committed to their work and obliged to management. Therefore, information sharing will create a favorable climate for effective communication.
Increase Informal Communication
Informal communication between individuals will bring people closer, and many interpersonal problems will automatically be eliminated. It will also remove mutual suspicion, making interpersonal relations more intimate and communication more successful.
Reduction of Organizational Layers
Organizations should be made flatter with a very minimum number of layers. This will make communication shorter, less filtered, and less distorted.