Business Communication Assignment: Effective & Ineffective Communication Within A Small Team

Question

Task: You will individually write a short self-reflection essay that analyses your personal communication experiences within the business context. You must pick one of following topics: small group team communication, manager-subordinate communication, or intercultural communication. You may pick the same topic as your individual group presentation topic, but please remember this essay focuses upon your personal communication experiences within the business context. With your chosen topic in mind, you must provide an example of effective and ineffective communication. Herein business communication assignment you will need to explain why the communication is effective and why the communication is ineffective. Next, you will need to discuss what you could do to improve your identified ineffective communication. Here you will need to identify specific communication behaviours that would improve upon your ability to communicate (as directly related to your previously identified ineffective communication) within the business context.

For example, you could focus upon your intercultural communication. Think about your intercultural communication--What do you do well What could be improved Based upon your answers to these questions describe one intercultural communication skill or activity that you do effectively and one skill or activity that you feel you do ineffectively. Please make sure you back up each example by explaining why the communication is either effective or ineffective. Next, you will need to discuss how you would specifically change your ineffective communication—essentially describe the remedial communication behaviours and justify why these behaviours would be effective.

Answer

Introduction
According to Sturges(1994), it is stated in this business communication assignment that communication is the process in which ideas and information are exchanged between two or more groups or individuals. In business, communication plays a very crucial role. The information that is being transferred in business should be effectively and right conveyed. The lack of proper communication could lead to several problems in business. As the various aspects of business are interrelated, the information of one wing affects the other. Therefore, good communication is important for the success of a business. In a business or organization, good communication is needed so that the employees and the management can effectively interact and achieve their business goals. In this essay, I will try to highlight the communication across small group teams. I will discuss the areas where ineffective communication had led to problems. The need for effective communication and how it can be improved would also be discussed.

Small Group Team Communication
I believed, prior to working in small group teams, that communication within small groups is easier as it involves lesser people. However, the reality is not the same. As the group is small, every team member is closely connected professionally and also share interpersonal communication outside business. This is in one way positive and in the other way could lead to misunderstandings, bias or ideological clash. The effective communication across the small group teams, as I feel is a combination of good attention, good manners and open-mindedness. In small groups, each member gets the due attention from the fellow team members. Therefore, it is important to think before speaking. There have been instances in the past, when I have been impulsive in blurting out things which had negative repercussions. I have learnt from my work experience of being a part of small group team that it is important to control the emotions and not express it while communication, verbally or non-verbally. Moreover, I realised that it was my mistake in the past where I raised my voice to make my opinion weight stronger over others. This form of communication is wrong as it creates a very negative image before the other team members. In a small group team, it is crucial to pay attention and respect to other team members. I had been told by my previous team leader that it is important to listen to others while they speak. Even if I oppose to what they say, listening to their views or opinions would strengthen my views against it. The small group teams need strong and efficient leaders who would ensure that the goals of the team are conveyed rightly to each member and they have a thorough understanding of the expectations the leader or organization has from them. In small group teams, managing the team is comparatively easier. Thus, the leader should try to take inputs from everyone and improve based on the feedbacks of each team member.

As perKankaanranta&Louhiala-Salminen (2007), effective communication refers to communicating the right thing to the right person at the right time. The ideas, opinions, views and concepts that are being communicated should follow the proper standards of communication, be it verbal or non-verbal. The communication would determine how the people act upon it so any miscommunication could lead to adverse business outcomes. Effective communication is not unilateral. It is a both ways communication which involves listening, understanding and taking the appropriate action based on what is being communicated. Effective communication as I feel is very crucial for a successful business. Within small group teams good communicators are very important. I have learned from my past experience that good communication facilitates development of better reputation and higher profit margin. The employees or team members within small groups who have the ability to communicate well, who understand the vision of the business and know their business goals, are able to perform better and the businesses also attain success. I have realised that many complex issues can be resolvedwith the implementation of effective communication. The communication skills of the employees can benefit the business organization. The communication skills foster better relationship, better interpersonal communication across the team and with the customers or clients.

There are mainly four ways of communicating in business as per Cardon & Marshall(2015). I have learned that verbal communication over phone, virtual meetings, in person conversations are very crucial for building relationships. The visual communication includes the use of videos, charts, images, maps, etc. for conveying some information. Non-verbal communication as I learned from my previous workplaces convey an underlying message. The facial expression, the body language, gestures, etc. communicate a message to the person or persons on the receiving end. In business, written communication is the most formal mode of communication which is conveyed through emails, memos, letters, documents and reports. Today besides print, digital media is also available for written communication.

In my previous workplace, we had a small group team. Our leader focused on effective communication as he believes that better teams are built through good communication. There were instances where I had indulged in some conflict with my team members due to difference in opinion. In such situations, good communication could facilitate resolving of conflicts and preventing misunderstandings. Effective communication as opined by Coffelt, Baker & Corey(2016), also enables improving the customer service. It helps the business to meet its goals and attain success. Communication must be strong and clear so that it promotes creativity and innovation. The career prospects of individuals also improve if they acquire good communication skills. There are various problems which could arise due to ineffective communication. Ineffective communication is the root cause of misunderstanding within teams. This might lead to angst, hostility and spit among the team members. The workplace environment of the small group teams is spoilt by the bitterness among team members. The co-team member relationships are also damaged due to ineffective communication. An organization suffering due to ineffective communication needs to take the issue seriously and try to resolve it. The ability of an organisation to optimise the performance of its employees and productivity is limited due to ineffective communication. Ineffective communication among the team members as I have experienced could hinder sharing of ideas, prevent building of knowledge and limit task management. I feel having communication is not sufficient. The quality of internal communication is important for running a team project smoothly. The lack of good quality communication could hamper the relationship between the subordinates and the manager. If I reflect upon my past experience, I believe that thisineffective communication could result in poor interpersonal business relationship. In my previous workplace, I was handling a sales based team project. While working on the project, I had a verbal conflict with one of my co-team members due to difference of opinion. I failed to communicate effectively with my team member, which led to a bigger issue later on. I learned from that incident that misunderstandings could arise due to ineffective communication and lead to disruption of smooth operations. At times, communication fails due to varying cultures or perspectives. There are various barrier or factors which act as hindrances to effective communication. These factors could be the application of jargons in communication, which are difficult to understand and interpret. The persons who are communication might be impacted by taboos or emotional barriers which might obstruct smooth and good communication (Kankaanranta&Louhiala-Salminen, 2007). Besides, the lack of interest or attention either from the sender’s or receiver’s side could lead to ineffective communication. There could be irrelevance or distractions which might hinder communication. There might be miscommunication when there are differences in viewpoints or perceptions. In case of the physical disabilities like speech problem or hearing problem, the misinterpretation of words could result in miscommunication. I have realised that the sender as well as the receiver has to be responsible enough to mention clarity during communication. In case if any aspect of the communication is not understood or seems unclear, the confusion must be cleared immediately to avoid any misunderstanding later on.

The communication could be improved only when the significance of effective communication is acknowledged. There are certain ways of enhancing business communication. These include practising careful and attentive listening. Effective communication also needs improving the memory of names and faces. There are various courses available for acquiring communication skills. To improve communication power, one could take up such courses. Effective communication is also facilitated by attending motivational seminars. The use of latest technology further improves communication, like virtual platforms, messaging apps, etc.

Conclusion
To conclude, communication is an essential process which facilitates sharing information, through verbal, visual or written mode. The possession of effective communication skills and knowing to communicate well enhances the overall job performance and also leads to advancement in an individual’s career. Business communication in small group teams can be improved through practice, critical thinking and attentiveness. Ineffective communication could lead to bitterness, damage interpersonal relationships, team conflicts, disrupt business, etc. There are certain factors which could lead to obstruction in effective communication. The measures for improving effective communication should target these hindrances and try to overcome such challenges of communication. Thus, through various strategies the communication could be improved. The right message being communicated rightly to the right person would result in better overall outcome.

References
Cardon, P. W., & Marshall, B. (2015). The hype and reality of social media use for work collaboration and team communication. International Journal of Business Communication, 52(3), 273-293.
Coffelt, T. A., Baker, M. J., & Corey, R. C. (2016). Business communication practices from employers’ perspectives. Business communication assignmentBusiness and Professional Communication Quarterly, 79(3), 300-316.
Kankaanranta, A., &Louhiala-Salminen, L. (2007). Business communication in BELF. Business Communication Quarterly, 70(1), 55-59. Sturges, D. L. (1994). Communicating through crisis: A strategy for organizational survival. Management communication quarterly, 7(3), 297-316.