Management Information |
Communicating In Chaotic Environments
How do you, or would you, communicate in a chaotic environment? That question was put to me by a reader who works in big, frantically-paced telecommunications company. Many projects operate at the same time, and many connections exist among the project teams. In this environment, teams work independently, but at the same time depend on each other for critical information. Without that information, time is wasted and progress slowed. In a broader sense, the challenge is to create communication systems that gather, process, and disseminate critical information. With this information, teams can work more efficiently and effectively. The reader reports that one solution emerged out of a technical forum organized around a very large project. He says that while participants exchanged technical information, a lot of value came from the process, as well as the content. Specifically, many participants got to know each other, sharing their experiences and insight. This opened up person-to-person channels that had not existed before. New, informal networks developed and participants found alternative ways to get information. Therefore, he suggested that quarterly conferences might be a good idea, because they provide a mechanism for further developing and extending these networks. My suggestions complemented his experience and thoughts. I recommended that each team develop an information requirements list at its planning meetings. After articulating such a list, team members can begin identifying where and how they will get this information. In other words, start with objectives, a strategic approach. Teams should ask: What information do we need? Why do we need it? Where and when can it be found? Who will get it, and from whom? This takes the information shopping list to a new level, without necessarily adding a lot of time to the process. With the specifics identified, gathering the information should be quicker and easier. On a related topic, technology opens up a number of interesting opportunities for better communication in such an environment. Email, discussion groups, and internal databases offer ways to get and give critical information. On a smaller and less chaotic scale, I've set up several closed, Internet discussion groups for associations with which I volunteer. They provide excellent forums for discussion between meetings or other get-togethers. Perhaps the biggest challenge is to create electronic mechanisms that actively draw out information, rather than just passively route it to the participants. One way of doing this might be to set up groups in which requests for information are posted and answered. While such a process might not work for some organizations, the thrust behind it should work for most. That is, we can build effective communication systems when we start with a strategic approach, working backward from our objectives to the things we will do. In summary, even in chaotic environments, we can develop systems that lead to good communication, allowing us to get and give critical information. Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott's Communication Letter. Learn how you can use communication to help achieve your goals, by reading articles or subscribing to this ad-supported newsletter. An excellent resource for leaders and managers, at: http://www.communication-newsletter.com
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
What Every Manager Should Know About How to Enhance the Motivational Climate of the Workplace It has been well documented that employees' productivity and job quality increase when we are made to feel welcomed at work. In other words, when the motivational climate is enhanced to meet their needs they produce quality work at the 100% rate. Delegate Tasks to the Right Person SELECTING THE RIGHT PERSON: To whom should tasks be delegated? Selecting the right subordinate to do the work is an evaluative process, and managers must be able to identify individuals both capable and willing to handle responsibility.DETERMINING EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITY: A careful review should be made of past assumptions about personnel. Encouraging Behavior That Gets Results You're the boss, and you have every reason to feel good about your organization.You've built a great team. Is Your Business Ethical? Ethics - in a profession or trade - is that branch of philosophy which studies the principles of right and wrong in human conduct.Is your business ethical?What I mean is "Does your business do the right thing when faced with that decision?" It's a simple question, which many businesses struggle with. How To Manage A Difficult Employee Having to manage a difficult employee is never fun and can be the most challenging part of your responsibilities as a business owner/executive. While never easy, this article will address a step-by-step way to consistently and confidently handle the most challenging employee situations. Few Things Are More Destructive Than An Insecure Boss Few things are more destructive to a career than a boss who is insecure. Unfortunately, it is a near certainty that most people will encounter one or more such persons along the way. A Checklist for Organized Executives I could begin this article by providing a checklist of organizing techniques for you to incorporate into your daily work routine. The goal would be to become and remain organized, improve your time management and reduce your stress while increasing your productivity. Management & Leadership - Doing it right in the 21st Century The Old Way - Command and ControlAlthough workplaces and management styles have come a long way in the last decade, the command and control style of management remains common practice in many companies. This management approach basically means that employees are told exactly what to do, when to do it and even how it should be done. Problem Solving When problem solving, you may recognize that you were working on a symptom instead of the problem. An analysis of the more clearly defined problem may require an alteration to the objectives or the ideal solution. People Skills: Eight Essential People Skills Being able to communicate effectively with others requires people skills, and here's eight essential ones:1. Understanding people People not only come in all shapes and sizes, but they come with different personality types as well. Develop Your Managers and Keep Your Staff Following on from the last edition of The Organised Times where we spoke about developing the people in your business, this week we're focussing on the importance of the continual development of your managers.Leadership comes from the top down. The Devil We Know "I'm in an abusive relationship," sighed Andrew. "My bookkeeper annoys the hell out of me but I just can't let him go. Why Employee Satisfaction Surveys And Employee Exit Surveys Make Good Sense In a competitive world with the need for businesses to be more streamlined and productive a company can often find itself with a workforce working under pressure resulting in low moral and high staff turnover. The benefits of a company having a highly motivated workforce can be considerable and the two goals of having a workforce that is both motivated and productive should not be regarded as being mutually exclusive to one another. Balancing Power in Outsource Contract Agreements The practice of outsourcing business processes has long been subject to the discussion how best to ensure optimal benefits for both parties involved in the outsource agreement.In conventional outsource agreements conflict often arises between the objective to minimize cost and the necessity to continually develop the service. Its All In The Systems Have you ever noticed french fries taste the same at every McDonald's? The same can be said for Subway and its Italian BMT. How do these fast food icons replicate themselves at nearly 40,000 locations when some eateries struggle to get it right in a single restaurant? The answer is simple: it's all in the systems. One Simple Idea to Grow Your Business Perhaps the most common theme I've heard in working with business owners or managers is that they rarely have time to plan for the future. They are so busy with day to day tasks and responsibilities, just getting through their weekly "To Do" list or fighting fires consumes all their time and energy, and then some. Business Innovation - the Value of Work Processes Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas. The Few & the Many: Free Trade, Outsourcing, & Communication Have you noticed that some sound ideas get bad publicity? Two Ihave in mind are outsourcing and free trade.No doubt you could name others, but looking at these two initiatives helps us understand a communication challenge for many companies and not-for-profit organizations. Innovation Management - does the idea fit with the firm? Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. Delegation for Business Leaders - How Letting Go Works A leader's role is to focus on those areas of operation where he or she can deliver the greatest value and this requires huge shifts in perspective of the role. Leaders differ from managers in terms of accountability. |
home | site map | contact us |