Tag: Communication

Navigating the Workspace in the New Gen: Understanding the Reality of Office Communication

Technology’s impact on communication and organizational culture is significant. The integration of analog and digital experiences shapes communication challenges and opportunities in the workplace. Generational differences and power dynamics influence communication effectiveness. Leaders play a crucial role in adapting communication approaches to ensure organizational harmony and success in the digital world.

A brief interpretive research

In Tina Fey’s book, Bossy Pants, I laughed, but even more believed when she said “Technology doesn’t move backward. No society has ever de-industrialized.” The reality of technology has broadened ever since its introduction. Thus, it changed a lot, if not all, in our current veracity.

I was born at a time when technology was starting to be employed in our daily lives. In that sense, I was born in a generation when I got the chance to experience both analog and digital, and currently reminiscent of how it was to do it manually and do it digitally. To analogize it easily, college research was not as easy as how I did it when I was taking my doctorate. Technology had limitations when I was a student compared to now, but there are already endless opportunities, especially when you know how to maximize them.

There is no escaping the tech reality that has become now. It transformed how we do business, how we study, and even how we communicate with one another. The pandemic has been both the driving force and the evidence that adaptability to technology was crucial, thus even equated to our survival. Eventually, it has become our truth, “No society has ever de-industrialized.” We just keep moving forward, technology at the center of each goal and mission.

Organizational Communication

Communication is part of every organization, an essential and crucial aspect at that. It was given that effective inter-organizational communication can ensure the efficiency of an organization. On the other hand, inefficiency in proper and healthy communication in the workplace can reduce an organization’s productivity, leaving people demotivated, and eventually can cause poor performance.

The Organizational Communication Theory reiterates that there are five (5) functions of communication: management, feedback, information, persuasion, and emotional sharing. The communication process is ever so important; thus, migrating to its digital sort could mean success to any organization that can successfully implement such a process.

Upward and downward communication processes could be done traditionally and digitally. In this current standing of how organizations should adapt, the communication process using technology could have added challenges, as one’s interpretation could be subjective depending on one’s current emotions, struggles, or even success.

The Older Generation

Taking it from other generations in the workplace, some, though not all, cannot get the hang of it—the current trend in communicating with others. In this era where three generations blend, adjustments can be made, albeit ever so challenging.

Generation gaps could be an issue but could be an advantage if they coincide with the needs and preferences of one another. While the older generation could have a longer attention span and Gen Z1 may not, there are many things in technology communication that they can learn more from the younger generation.

So, what is it? Tailor-fitting the process whenever we need to communicate? Yes and no, really. Yes, because situations vary and rankings may be pertinent, and no, because in the workplace, professional communication shall prevail no matter what generation you may be in. This is more challenging than the very first take; however, being knowledgeable about the communication style and professionalism could save us from a lot of stress in the workplace. And another no, yelling and tapping tables are not included when upset.

Where It Fails

Communication in the workplace is critical in ensuring harmonious relationships between people thus, resulting in quality output. Effective and active communication are factors in making sure that the organization and its stakeholders achieve the enumerated objectives.

Attitudes and behaviors are pertinent tools in messaging. Communication fails when one’s character at the time of communication is different from the other. Let’s face it: one cannot tailor his/her behavior to every communication encounter, but I have witnessed many workplace employees act differently towards their bosses and subordinates.

Could we have a uniform approach for both rank and file and executives? Yes, ideally. However, people react to their bosses differently than their team members or subordinates. One main reason is the employee evaluations; hence, putting their best foot forward and not so much candidness can be re-enacted compared to when being with their other colleagues or staff. They could be a lot more comfortable exhibiting who they are to the latter because no fear of appraisal can influence their job ranking, promotion, or overall feedback—or so, they thought.

Just because we think that there is no valuation, especially with employees we have the same ranks with or lower, that does not mean that we can treat them indifferently or worse, exhibit power-tripping2. Communication fails not just because of lack of awareness, but more so the lack or absence of reverence towards other the members of the organization.

What You Can Do

Leaders have a critical role in the organizational culture. They set trends, processes, and overall behaviors. However, the generation today is more vocal and assertive, they can assert themselves and see gray lines and make them clearer. This could be an eye-opener and challenging at the same time for leaders in the workplace.

While communication can be a complex thing; only if you are open to the workplace and workers’ changes and adapt to them can make it simpler. The more we resist, the more it tends to be more difficult. I often hear such change-related complaints from those who have already served long in the organization—they see some changes are not necessary, but what they failed to remember is that the only thing that keeps us going is to be transformative and innovative—communication style and overall organizational communication included.

There is no sense in making it difficult for the current generation because we had it difficult during our time. The key here is to educate rightfully and critically. There may be many things that the current generation or the new ones in the workplace can understand but immersing them into the organizational culture could be an important identifying factor towards harmony. In addition, novices in the company or the younger generation must listen first and mutually understand how processes are formed and how they play a role in how the organization was made. Criticize if needed, but respect the foregoing culture of thought, and introduce innovative ways that meet both past and present.

Leaders are different from bosses. Leaders know how to take accountability for their actions or lack thereof. Communication, effective at that, should be taken more seriously and adroitly. Communication, while a topic not being discussed frequently during meetings or town halls, can make or break an organization, especially in this technology-driven world.

As said, we cannot go backward to how it was, but only forward to what it will be. Active and effective communication is easier in this digital world, but only those who practice the skills of understanding and getting their message across, without many emotional blunders, can reap greater rewards.

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Daily Behaviors Leaders Must Be Mindful Of

Being a boss is easy, but being a leader, a true one at that can be challenging. You need to constantly know how to keep your subordinates engaged, empowered, and motivated. Hence, the fact that being at the top of the organizational chart can pave the way for more opportunities and financial benefits, being a leader is not a simple feat.  Thus, you must also know how to differentiate between being a boss to being a leader.

In my nearly 15 years in the workforce, I had my fair share of various bosses and leaders combined. In fact, I have learned that you don’t need a high position to lead because leadership can be considered both a skill and a passion. However, I have also witnessed that there are advantages when one is given a position—to be one of the primary forces towards the accomplishment of the organization.

While great strategies can lead to the organization’s success, proper communication can ensure their effective implementation.

Being good at communicating is one skill that every leader should learn. While great strategies can lead to the organization’s success, proper communication can ensure their effective implementation. Leaders are usually at the forefront of such plans, and it is difficult to make do if one does not know how to effectively communicate.

High positions in an organization may include a starter pack: instant credibility, an ounce of automatic respect, benefits, and an instant voice. But this starter’s advantages require consistency and innovation, too, or proving that these factors that come in a position are in fact true for the privileged person. Otherwise, you will turn into someone people in the organization avoid or worse, hate.

Drawing from observations and experiences, here are some behaviors a leader should be mindful of daily:

Being a leader is different from being a boss.

Negative Facial Expressions and Body Language. It is true that “it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it,” aside from the tone of the voice, it is also pertinent to ensure that words are backed up with actions—literally. As a leader, part of the job is showcasing positive genuine actions towards your team members especially if situations do not also merit words but actions too. One could say he/she is happy for you, but it does not reflect on his/her face; thus, affecting his/her credibility altogether. There are various non-verbal offenders towards somebody in the workplace: furrowed brows, raised brows, scowling, stamping of feet, hard tapping on the table, etc.

Selectivity. In the initial part of this article, I have pointed out that being a boss is different from being a leader, and there is a pertinent reason why we should differentiate it. Leaders find their worth with the people they help and not the other way around. I have seen some leaders, or bosses rather, that ensure they are feared thinking that it equates to respect. Some are high on the pedestal that they see more value in themselves than the people and their kills combined. Leading is not only about putting direction to an office or a pack, but it is also about mentoring and integrating positivity, changes, and other new learnings (and even unlearning) into the organization.

One example employees had commonly come across before from a certain boss was a boss that reiterates he/she does not mingle with the staff because he/she wants to draw and maintain the line between his/her people. While it is a leadership style that we may all respect because of valid reasons, it does not work efficiently as leading. Leading involves people and not mingling with the people may not be leading at all. You do not need to be a ‘life of the party’ type of person to make this thing successful, you only need compassion. The higher you are in the organization, the more you must create ways how you can reach your people.

Staff often remark on how discouraging for them to see an immediate superior act in two different ways.  One thing that I have also noticed from this type of boss is that they are selective. They only interact well and showcase respect to people who share the same designation as them or to people higher than them in the organization (thinking about their evaluation). However, higher-ups do not usually judge how you treat them, they evaluate how you treat people lower than you. Toxic, huh? It happens.

Disrupting and Micromanaging. There are many disruptions a bad leader does to his/her colleagues. One common experience employees often had was a boss calling them multiple times a day to tell them the exact same thing and they ended up not finishing the things delegated to them. This causes a stressful work environment especially since every office often works with a deadline. Staff habitually feel strained if the boss takes so much of their time and communicates ineffectively. Such disruptions could be a mere tiny interference at first but later lead to micromanaging.

As you reflect on this, such behaviors can be solved through proper communication in the workplace. Great leaders are expected to ensure soft skills are hard skills that are essential to every organization’s success. Otherwise, refusal to improve would mean one is not ready yet to lead.

The opinions expressed here do not represent those of any organization, individuals, or companies that I am affiliated with or employed by.  

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