Oxford Dictionaries (2018) define communication as:
“The imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium.”
Communication is the transmitting of knowledge, information and ideas from one person to another. The receiver should understand the meaning and the intent of the message and be able to give appropriate feedback.
An important role of a team leader is to communicate effectively with team members. It is important for individuals to understand what they are trying to achieve and they must be clear about their purpose. Without clear and concise communication, team members will not fully understand the team’s purpose or their responsibilities within the team. It is therefore imperative for the team leader to have the ability to communicate effectively, to achieve organisational goals.
Communication can be transmitted in various ways such as speaking with someone face-to-face, over the telephone, written letter or an email, as well as non-verbal gestures and facial expressions. The selection of words used can be interpreted differently, and can have very different responses depending upon the individual.
The objective of team and organisational communication is to keep employees informed about issues that affect the company. Effective communication depends on quantity, quality and channels of information. For example, too little information can lead to frustration, confusion and mistakes, too much can cause overload.
Downward and Upward Communication
Organisations use two specific methods of communication:
