Organizational Communication with Boundaries

Organizational communication with boundaries will dramatically impact employee performance. Leadership can become so focused on top line sales or cost-of-goods that they overlook or abdicate the responsibility for a corporate communication strategy.

Left to its own devises, communication boundaries will naturally form between departments, generations, or social circles that prevent efficiencies and threatens a healthy corporate culture.

At the same time, with the dominance of social media and the speed of noise, standards and expectations must be established to maintain respect while encouraging collaboration.

Herein lies an opportunity for consultants. If leadership wants to tap into the limitless potential of their organization, they need to bridge the boundaries that naturally exist between location, functions, and various management levels.

Consultants can bridge those boundaries and unlock the potential with strategies that address:

• Training supervisors on transparency and boundaries
• Cross-functional training
• Promoting teamwork and interpersonal skills
• Technology that connects employees and resources
• A clarity of vision
• An integrated on-boarding process

As consultants open-up the communication lines within an organization, a communication strategy must be prepared for potential dangers that may develop downstream, such as:

• Conflicting personalities
• Gossip and rumors
• Inappropriate content
• Destructive silence
• Competing noise
• Social media

Managers and supervisors need to be trained to anticipate these dangers and set expectations up front, while not waiting for boundaries to be violated. When there is a need for confidential communication, or where standards are violated, leadership should have access to human resource professionals for guidance and intervention.

Organizational communication initiatives need to be a permanent part of the personality of an organization that remains ingrained into the daily interaction and activities of each employee. Technology can be a powerful tool that delivers a consistent and efficient communication foundation.

Small and medium size business that do not have an internal human resource department need consultants to work with leadership and management to create a safe environment where communication can be open and honest, within boundaries.

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