Communication Audit

Why some organizations underestimate the significant of communication issues/problems
with organisational engagement: A perspective from communication audit
Communication is an important process in determining the excellence of an

organisation. Therefore, the organization should have the ability to make audit in
communications within its organization to evaluate the effectiveness of the communication
process undertaken by the organization.
Audit in communication is the examination of the quality of communication within an

organization. It identifies the strength and weakness of internal and external communication in
organisation.
There are various levels of hierarchy and certain principles and guidelines that
employees must follow in an organisation. They must comply with organizational policies,
perform their job role efficiently and communicate any problem and criticism to superiors.
Ineffective communication can cause many problems that can impact relationships,
productivity, job satisfaction, and morale as we interact in organizations. Gerald Goldhaber
summarizes Osmo Wiio’s “laws” of communication that are good to remember as you interact
in increasingly complex organizations (Wiio, 2006). Wiio pessimistically warns that, first, if
communication can fail, it will fail. Second, if a message can be understood in different ways,
it will be misunderstood in the manner that does the most damage. Third, the more
communication there is, the more tricky it is for the communication to be successful. And
fourth, there is always someone who thinks they know better what you said than you do.
When a person interacts with someone from your organization, an emotion is generated,
an impression is formed, and an experience is had. It is this experience people will carry with
them and colour their perceptions of the organization, as well as the stories they tell others
about the organization. Ultimately, when looking at the fundamentals of communication within
an organization, the more highly developed a person’s interpersonal communication skills, the
better the communication (Hargie, 2016).
The better you communicate, the better experiences your organization is able to
provide. At the same time, you need a strategic understanding of how to best utilize these
practices. History provides ample examples of good communication intentions gone awry, so
having a firm grip on what works and what doesn’t is essential.
Some organizations underestimate the significant of communication problems with
organisational engagement. Organizational communication is important because it
significantly impacts organisational engagement (Communications, 2017). Communication
problems can bring down the organization easily. Disengaged employees are an organizational
burden.
Simply defined, employee engagement is how willingly and enthusiastically an

organization’s employees focus exclusively on the task at hand (Wood, 2018). Going beyond
devotion and dedication, which can be tied to obligation, engagement is directly tied to how
valued your employees feel.
The surest way to help employees feel valued is to explore how you communicate with
them. What are the words you use, your tone of your voice, and the timing of your email
replies? Do you take the context into consideration and, perhaps most importantly, are you able
to empathize with them as you communicate?
By exercising communication practices that help employees feel valued, you’re able to
get more out of each employee, lessen the likelihood of turnover, and positively drive your
organization’s bottom line.
Furthermore, outside of advertising and the news, all this second-hand information is
based on the direct experiences of those passing this information on. There are ghastly numbers
out there saying how far more likely it is for employees to share negative experiences they have
with an organization compared to positive ones.
So, it goes without saying that if your organization’s communication is creating poor
direct experiences, those direct experiences will negatively impact how your organization is
perceived by potential customers, clients and guests. This, in turn, certainly impacts your
organization’s ability to grow and thrive.
In addition, organizations shouldn’t underestimate the significant of communication

problems with organisational engagement (Eisenhauer, 2015). Under-communication breeds
uncertainty and doubt. It can cause employees to question their job and their responsibilities,
their position within the company, and even their own value. It causes them to wonder how the
company itself is doing.
A lack of communication undermines employee confidence and elevates stress. If

employees do not feel secure in their role, then they will not have the confidence they need to
succeed. They will second-guess themselves and won’t feel that they can trust each other, or
their managers. The best way to quash uncertainty and doubt is to keep an open flow of
communication.
On top of that, it causes low productivity, deadlines missed, and tasks not accomplished.
A lack of communication often means that employees do not have a firm grasp on what they
are supposed to be doing (5 Reasons Your Employees Are Feeling Unmotivated, 2015). How
can they get their work done if they are not sure of their assignments, or even the goal they are
working towards?
If Jason in HR is unsure about his responsibilities, then he will waste time wondering
what he is supposed to be doing, as well as hesitate to invest too heavily in any one task. This
will result in low productivity, missed deadlines, and tasks left undone. Productivity requires a
clear roadmap, a strong sense of what to do and by when, not to mention how and why.
Other than that, communication issues shouldn’t be underestimated because it results

in employee turnover. Employees that are unhappy in an organization tends to quit. It’s that
simple. Employee retention rests on employee engagement and satisfaction. And employee
engagement and satisfaction rests on their feeling that their work matters and is valued within
the organization.
By leading to uncertainty and doubt, hampering productivity, and opening the door to
rumours, poor communication makes it difficult for employees to feel invested and proud of
their work (Jones, 2017). Without this driving sense of purpose and structure, they are far more
likely to leave.
In conclusion, organizations often underestimate the significant of communication

issues/problems with organisational engagement. This results in uncertainty and doubt in
organization, rumours, gossip, suspicion, resentment, causes low productivity, deadlines
missed, and tasks not accomplished. It is important for organizations to conduct audit
communication not saying its expensive or troubling.
References
5 Reasons Your Employees Are Feeling Unmotivated. (2015, 9 5). Retrieved from
https://www.humanity.com/blog/5-reasons-your-employees-are-feeling-unmotivated.html
Communications, S. (2017, 5 23). Shapiro. Retrieved from

http://shapirocommunications.com/organizational-communication-important/
Eisenhauer, T. (2015, Nov 9). Why lack of communication has become the number one reason people
quit. Retrieved from https://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/11/08/why-lack-of-
communication-has-become-the-number-one-reason-people-quit/
Hargie, O. (2016). The Importance of Communication for Organisational Effectiveness. Braga,

Portugal: Axioma.
Jones, P. (2017). LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION. Sheffield, United Kingdom.
Wiio, O. A. (2006). Revaluation of Some Basic Concepts of Communication. . U.S.
Wood, J. L. (2018, December 9). Elements of Human Communication. Retrieved from

https://careertrend.com/list-6377326-elements-human-communication.html

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Why some organizations underestimate the significant of communication issues/problems

with organisational engagement: A perspective from communication audit

Communication is an important process in determining the excellence of an

Audit in communication is the examination of the quality of communication within an

Simply defined, employee engagement is how willingly and enthusiastically an

In addition, organizations shouldn’t underestimate the significant of communication

A lack of communication undermines employee confidence and elevates stress. If

Other than that, communication issues shouldn’t be underestimated because it results

In conclusion, organizations often underestimate the significant of communication

Communications, S. (2017, 5 23). Shapiro. Retrieved from

Hargie, O. (2016). The Importance of Communication for Organisational Effectiveness. Braga,

Jones, P. (2017). LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION. Sheffield, United Kingdom.

Wiio, O. A. (2006). Revaluation of Some Basic Concepts of Communication. . U.S.

Wood, J. L. (2018, December 9). Elements of Human Communication. Retrieved from

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