HCS 325
8/12/2013
Robert Clegg
Effective Communication
Effective communication is key to promoting knowledge within any healthcare organization. Not only is staff affected by poor communication, but patients as well; who depend on that communication between staff to receive the best quality of care. Poor communication opens the door for errors which could lead to a disaster when it comes to patient care. Since there is so much room for mistake, it is important to understand the proper techniques for sharing information and how we can use those to make communication more effective.
The organization model is the most effective technique when it comes to sharing important knowledge. According to Lombardi and Schermerhorn, …show more content…
Although I am not currently employed, there were many methods of communication used in order to share knowledge and information to the employees. A method used companywide is to hold a whole store meeting every three months. At that time, the store manager would “roll out” any new policies or procedures to all the employees at once. This method seemed to be the most effective, since the information was coming directly from the store manager and any questions could be asked directly. Another way was to have meetings with all of us supervisors, letting us know of any pertinent information. Following the meeting it was then the supervisors’ responsibility to relay the information to their department. This method was less effective because there were more chances for the information to be changed as it was passed down. Lastly, the other form of communication used was bulletins. The upper management would often post notifications in the break room to let associates know of any new important information. I believe this method of communication was the least effective because it left room for misunderstanding and more chances for error. “Teamwork is essential in the provision of healthcare. The division of labor among medical, nursing and allied health practitioners means that no single professional can deliver a complete episode of healthcare” (Leggat, 2007, p. …show more content…
This occurs when the managers are not in constant contact with their employees and do not follow the three C’s; clarity, completion, and conciseness (Juneja). This starts with the upper management. If they do not follow up with their department or verify that the instructions were understood, this can lead to a breakdown in communication. Also, it is important to make sure that your intended message was received by your people in the manner you expected. If it was not, that may fall back on you as a manager and your lack in ability to follow up. Although I believe that organizational structure is the best method, it can also lead to ineffective communication. The more complex the structure, i.e., the more hierarchical levels in an organization, the greater the chances of misinterpretation