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Is your communication style driving down engagement?

Views 1 Views    Comments 0 Comments    Share Share    Posted 22-01-2009  
22 January 2009:

Recruitment leaders who use a "chain of command" communication style risk their messages being filtered and a drop in employee engagement, according to human capital consultant Anthony Sork.

Sork, the managing director of SorkHC, says the pressure of a downturn commonly increases the prevalence of "control and command" leadership.

One specific area where this poses risks for businesses is communication, he says.

The hierarchical or cascade communication model - where leaders primarily pass information through a `chain of command` - is often motivated by an agenda of trying to "control the message, reinforce the hierarchy and ensure people know their `station` or place within the business structure", he says.

In recruitment agencies, this often means consultants have a voice within their team and to their immediate manager, but that voice is discouraged from being directly heard at any higher level. "Any ideas, questions or concerns are passed back up the chain of command to be evaluated by a person removed from the voice of concern," Sork says.

When this strategy is the primary method of communication, employers "create a sense of isolation and disconnection from senior leadership".

Essentially, he says, companies like this put a "lid" on the relationship capital of the business. They end up with "stagnant communication channels, silo and protectionist views and individuals who rely solely on the chain of command for information flow in both directions".

Misinformation
The risks associated with this form of communication style include filtering, tailoring, censoring and "just plain poor communication" at each level, which prevents effective communication and usually leads to misinformation in key areas of the business, Sork says.

"This is a high risk for senior leaders and indeed often leads to high levels of disengagement across the organisation."

He points out that technology such as email has played a significant role in reducing leaders` dependence on chain of command communication in most businesses, but across all industries he still finds "a very high proportion of leaders who still practise this as the primary form of communication".

"I often see messages - which should be understood and reinforced by all managers and leaders - failing to reach the front line in this kind of business."

Best-practice employers, he says, deliver messages often, at all levels, across all functions and through multiple mediums so that they become fully understood and culturally embedded.

Recruitment leaders who want to survive the downturn, he says, must "commit to communicating and listening beyond the restraints of the reporting structures to ensure that the right messages are getting through and that every voice is heard".

Instead of always resorting to "telling", they should focus on building the awareness and capability in consultants that helps their decision-making, he says.

Source:
http://www.recruiterdaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&selkey=38586&strea
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