Comment this discusion :
Effective communication has always been difficult and it seems to be getting more difficult. In the past there were obstacles like mountains, rivers and oceans that needed to be overcome with messengers on horse, ship of rail. When telegraph and phone lines were introduced great strides were made, but there were still limitations. Leaders worked to develop methods of communication. Then came the internet, wireless communication and cell phones. The main issue with communication is no longer developing forms of communication that allow us to communicate, but effective managing numerous means of communication simultaneously. Leaders have largely gone from an environment where they were begging for information to one where they cannot effectively manage all of the information they have.
Competencies
Today’s leader must be able to communicate in “one-on-one and one–to-many settings and by various forms of communication.” (Argosy University, 2018). They must understand the people they work with and communicate with them effectively. Leaders are not only expected to address the entire team in group setting, but to talk directly to individual member to gain their perspectives. Good leaders understand how to inspire groups as well as individuals. It is important to remember that people talk to each other. If a leader fails to impress just one respected member of the team there is a possibility everyone this person comes in contact will hear how they failed. Exchanging useful information in a way that the message is sent, received, understood and acknowledged is critical. Effective leaders must follow up on messages to ensure they were received and that the desire purpose is being pursued. Message can be lost or forgotten or actions maybe directed in an unintended direction without follow up. In a world where email, text and post come in at all hours it is easy to lose track of operations. Leaders must develop effective methods for tracking messages and progress toward goals. Barrett (2006) states “Leadership communication necessitates anticipating all interruptions and interferences through audience analysis and then developing a communication strategy that controls the rhetorical situation and facilitates the effective transmission of the message” (p. 5).
Group or Mass Communication
Deciding if individual or mass communication is more important may depend on the size of an organization. If team members work for a large organization with multiple locations mass communication will probably be preferable. Smaller organizations might be better suited to individual communication. If a leader fails to communicate effective in a one-on-one setting in a large organization it will likely not be as detrimental as if in a smaller organization where everyone knows each other and rumors can quickly spread. In smaller organizations the team members may be more forgiving of a typically good leader. Blunders in mass communication are hard to contain and have greater potential to be devastating. In the modern workplace a leader can be in an individual setting, but if recorded or heard over mass communication devices mistakes can have severe consequences.
Strategies
Having a strategy to improve communication skills is necessary to be or remain an effective leader. Leaders must always remember that they have to establish a level to trust if they expect to be followed. “One of the primary requirements to inspire confidence and induce others to listen is credibility” (Barrett, 2006, p. 10). They must be able to communicate in small groups and expand to large groups and even up to mass gatherings as their areas of influence expand. Mastering the abilities of reading, writing and speaking used to be good enough to communicate from a personnel level to large audiences, but now mass communication is easier when you understand the technology. You really do not even need to know how to read, write or speak well to text. Because of this the best strategy to focus on for communication is probably learning how to use technology.