Effective Communication

This is an absolute must. In a simple explanation, effective communication is when a message sent is received as the sender intended. Every company has a mission to accomplish and it is usually clearly stated in its mission statement. Communicating effectively allows the processes in getting to a productive end result to flow smoothly. It saves time, it saves embarrassment, it saves resources, it maximizes output, it creates a healthy working environment, and it can even build morale within an organization. I remember once while I was working on a pay inquiry in the finance office, I was interrupted and asked a question by another worker. In all honesty, I was only half listening (if that much) because I was focused on the inquiry at hand, and didn't give the question much thought. I simply agreed with the coworker on how to fix their problem and boy did it turn out to be a mess. This quick response from me caused my coworker to process the documents incorrectly. End result....the customer ended up receiving no pay at the end of the month. So, had I given my coworker my full attention and had I confirmed the information we were exchanging was correct, we would not have had to fix a situation that should not have been a problem to begin with (waste of time).

Gender and culture differences can dramatically affect communication. Obviously if someone speaks French only and another speaks German only, it would be very difficult for them to communicate. Under the topic of "Different World Views" in the eBook collection titled "Wharton On Making Decisions", it goes into detail about the differences in the Eastern and Western cultures. The pace is totally different. The Western pace is slow and steady; the Eastern pace is quick, fast, NOW. Organizations must be able to recognize their differences, and be mindful and be willing to adjust accordingly. A prime example of the culture differences is the article entitled Expert Witness Piece, that is listed under the white papers reading in week 2 resources on the Phoenix.edu website. This article explains the rules and negotiation guidelines for the Mexican culture.

Gender differences can affect communication not only in verbiage, but also nonverbally. Phrases and gestures used by one sex to the same sex can be offensive when used to the opposite sex. This is one of the primary reasons why there is so much sexual harassment