The Executive of Contextual Organization - Part 1

This " articles-organization-1 " is about

Providing the environment for effective communication.

(Excerpts from the book Contextual Communication Organization and Training.)

Diversity was the buzzword of the 90's as TQM and Re-engineering were in the 70's and 80's. Now it is teamwork and speed. But all are based on communication -- in different ways, depending on cultural and managerial and survival needs.

Before effective contextual communication can be implemented, there must be contextual organization in place, unto which communication can be hinged. For example how can communication ideas be passed on to the people in the organization, if there are no corporate visuals for everyone to commonly focus on? "Visuals" being charts, flow-charts, drawings, diagrams -- anything that creates a common mental picture that can be seen by everybody in the same way, and that can be used as common measuring tools. If it can’t be measured, it can’t be managed! The whole organization must be visual.

Setting the environment for positive and effective communication is what senior management must do when undertaking changes, implementing ideas or inviting participative solutions from its members. Especially in the midst of change as we have been seeing since the past decade, tight communication is essential to eschew the high vulnerability to low morale amongst staff members.

Senior executives implement policies, make final decisions, approve major changes, guide operations, synergize the teams, empower others to carry out the policies (or should), yet many don't take the time to develop themselves to be at par with these responsibilities. How can they do it? By listening. By taking courses. Even just "listening" is not enough today. As demonstrated in the first part of the book Contextual Communication, Organization and Training, we must learn to not merely listen but to "receive". Listening is passive, but receiving is active and imperative to contextual communication.

Have you noticed how many top management people buy training materials "for the staff" and request "the staff" to attend -- but they themselves don't attend? The staff sits in itching that Mr. or Mrs. President or Executive "could hear this". That attitude is born out of the old organizational chart which does not foster the serving and mentoring principle that lifts up each level of responsibility from top to bottom. The DMH DOC(c) chart helps override the old octopous.

Executives should not feel negative about attending seminars with the staff, on the contrary they will be admired by the staff for it. It does not mean the executive taking the training does not know the subject, but rather he/she wants to see and assess what is being presented by the training individual/organization.

/dmh

(Articles-organization-1 is one of the pages of articles excerpted from the 300 page book "Contextual Communication Organization and Training"