Factors for effective communication and shared understanding in workplace organizations

Communication Sharing

Elaborate on the factors that are important to ensure communication is effective and efficient in the workplace.

There are many factors that are critically important to ensure communication is accurate, efficient and effective throughout a workplace, with the larger the enterprise, the more critical these factors becoming. First and most important are shared expectations (Jones, George, 2007), trust, and a focus on shared objectives. Many studies indicate of these three factors, trust is the single greatest catalyst of communication within and between groups and within teams. Additional factors that are critically important for ensuring communication effectiveness and efficiency include a common lexicon or language (Jones, George, 2007). In many industries the reliance highly specific acronyms, concepts and terms are an approach to simplify and streamline communication through each sector of an industry and its value chain. Of the many disagreements companies have internally and externally that have as their impetus lack of or incomplete communication, the greatest long-term effect seen is breakdown of sales or transactions being completed (Jones, George, 2007). Conversely the greater the communication and synchronization of goals and objectives, the greater the propensity to complete transactions more accurately, efficiently and profitably. This needs to be the impetus for putting more effectively program in place over time to ensure higher levels of performance globally as well. The focus on creating additional value and direction through enhanced communication can also be seen in how global enterprises create knowledge sharing networks to better streamline collaboration (Dyer, Nobeoka, 2000).

Discuss two operations management techniques that have been adopted by managers in an effort to attract customers with improved products. In which industries may those techniques be best utilized?

Two of the most prevalent operations management techniques for attracting customers with improved products include Total Quality Management (TQM)

(Jones, George, 2007) and Six Sigma (Nold, 2011). Of these two, the latter is often used for managing the ongoing improvement of product-based strategies, ensuring they stay aligned to customers' requirements over time. The TQM strategies of companies seek to mitigate and eventually eliminate all variation in product design, production and service that can lead to product or service failure (Jones, George, 2007). Six Sigma and its DMAIC methodology seeks to place the customer requirements at the center of all improvements and ongoing process-based initiatives to alleviate errors in product design, production execution and service (Nold, 2011).