The Problems of Poor Communication in Organization

Organizations have a lot to lose when communication becomes ineffective. First, members of the organization will not be aware of what is required of them or the company’s expectations. In this regard, they may not understand work policies, objectives of the company and the general working order within that organization. In other words, members will be placed in a position where they will be carrying out their duties without knowing whether they will be rewarded for it or punished for it.

Alternatively, they may not know how this relates to the larger organizational goals. Furthermore, different methods of operation may crop up and employees or other stakeholders need to know about them. Ineffective communication between employers and employees may cause the latter to remain ignorant of all external regulations or legal frameworks and these may make them perform illegal activities that could put the organization in jeopardy in the eyes of the law.

Also, if new methods of operation have not been properly communicated then the company may end up being unproductive. Communication is also essential in forming a relationship between a company and the public. Once a breakdown occurs, then the external environment may perceive the firm negatively and this injures its prospects.

The latter problems refer to the large-scale effects of poor communication. However, short-term effects need also to be analyzed. A breakdown in communication can cause poor decision-making in meetings as either one person dominated the exchange or no one was willing to take on the role. Furthermore, it can lead to ineffective goal outcomes in meetings and exchanges if no consensus was reached. It can also cause unrest and dissatisfaction amongst members if they feel as though they were sidelined in the communication or that they were not allowed to contribute because of external constraints such as time and location.

This ends up undermining the concept of a team or the very essence of setting up an organization since the resources that various members of staff can offer are not been adequately utilized. This can lead to a lack of trust in the organization or the cultivation of a culture of dishonesty especially when members feel that communications are always top-down or that meetings always have these preset agendas in place.