Communication Is Not Optional

Communication is not optional – Harvard Article Review

Assignment -6 - Thomas Edison State College – January 2012

Abstract

This assignment is a review of the Harvard Article “Communication is not optional” written by Angela Sinickas. It highlights the importance of communication as presented in the article and reviews the important aspects of how communication in contemporary organizations can lead to success.

Communication is not optional

Today’s modern technological developments in communications have made the world a smaller place. Several communication tools and options are available when it comes to communicating. However these options have also created challenges. One of the challenges is the overload of communications. We find ourselves flooded with emails, memos, text messages, reports etc. to name a few. The human brain can only handle limited information at a given time. Thus managers and supervisors find it difficult to absorb and share the information in a timely manner and in an effective way.

As Sinickas suggests in her article, that with the amount of information managers receive, they often try to share and communicate the information on a need-to-know basis or not share the information at all. This lack of communication with employees can lead to morale and performance issues. Sinickas further shares some of the survey statistics in her report mentioning that companies with higher information sharing had higher return on investment and higher return on sales according to a study by University of Michigan. Other surveys with large organizations found that two-way communication or employee- management communication increased productivity and performance.

Supervisors need to understand the importance of sharing the right information at the right time. It is critical that an open flow of information is encouraged to enhance productivity, confidence in employees that affects performance. Retrospectively holding back information inhibits...