A Message from Mary
There are three forms of communication within an organization – upward, downward, and horizontal. This is where generational influences can really come into play.
Upward communication is communication up channels from staff members through management. This communication can range from accountability for projects to complaints about working conditions or other staff members. Traditionally, this communication was from younger members to senior managers. Reading the section on Transference will shed much light on how this type of communication was healthy or very dysfunctional.
Today as our generational diversity issues intensify, upward communication has become even more of a challenge. We have older staff members reporting in to managers who are young enough to be their children or grandchildren. It is still upward communication but the dynamics have become quite challenging.
Downward communication is from ownership or management down to staff members. This type of communication can come in the form of organizational announcements and new projects to changes in protocol and feedback to staff members. Typically, I see communication focused more on the details or the issues. The tone of these communications can be laden with emotional and/or a derogatory tone. For this type of communication to be effective, excellent communication skills, both written and verbal need to be used. Take a moment and consider the perception of the message by the readers and the ripple effect of the message’s tone.
Leadership and management skills at all levels must be effective to handle any issues or feedback from the message, as well as develop the goals and plans for implementation.
Horizontal communication is through working peers.
Generational influences can cause this type of communication in its simplest form to become quite messy. We will examine this further when we dig into the Transference topic later in this book.
The first section of this book is focused on Communication. I would encourage anyone to examine themselves first, before looking at others. Some of the topics seem elementary, but are at the root of a lot of miscommunication between individuals in the workplace. Add in the differences in the generations and there is a compound effect.
The next section is focused on Team Dynamics. Communication will be at the heart of team dynamics. It is the main tool to help teams develop healthier relationships, increase productivity, and create a healthier culture inside the organization. Generational diversity issues are increasing tension inside teams instead of broadening creativity, efficiency, and improving results. Power struggles abound when generational differences are being used as weapons. The only person you can change on the team is YOU. The first question to ask yourself, “Am I part of the problem, or part of the solution?”
The Talent Management section is to help leaders and managers professionally develop their staff members as well as themselves. Understanding motivation and recognition as tools to help staff members toward achieving their goals. Recognizing when the staff have crossed serious boundaries in their work relationships such as bullying and harassment. Managing the greatest asset in your organization is unlocked in this section…managing your human assets.
In the Customer Driven Focus section, I offer a shift in focus that can drive a culture away from their dysfunctions and toward what is most important, the customers. Customer Driven Focus can (and has) turned organizations around when they understood that every single role in the organization is based upon serving a customer.
To gain the most out of this book, I would encourage you to use an effective brainstorming process when working with groups. All titles, status, and positions are set aside so that effective communication can take place. You will be surprised what you can gain if you keep an open mind and use this process as outlined below.