All too often vital communications go unheard, creating workforce discontent, reducing organizational effectiveness, and alienating clients. Why with today’s advanced communication mechanisms do so many messages go unnoticed? One answer is that people are so overwhelmed with modern society’s messaging that they sometimes don’t recognize the importance of a single announcement; filtering it out as noise. Another reason is that not all people meaningfully receive information in the same way and some important messages are only sent through channels not likely to be received. To overcome both these challenges, managers should consider communicating important messages seven times using seven different media.[wcm_restrict plans=”25541, 25542, 25653″]
All communications attempt to elicit a response from the message receiver. Mass communications, however, bombard all individuals and don’t possess the same degree of immediate feedback that benefits one-on-one interactions. One-on-one interactions are personal and elicit the two-way communication that helps ensure understanding of the message sent. But one-on-one communications are inefficient when a message needs to reach large numbers of people. Therefore, leaders must carefully choose the communication mechanisms that will effectively and efficiently reach the intended recipients.
Communication Mechanisms, Their Strengths and Weaknesses
Below is a short list of communications mechanisms and some of their associated strengths and weaknesses. While not all inclusive, this list provides insights that can be used when selecting the proper communication mechanisms for communicating seven times in seven different ways. Upcoming StrategyDriven communications articles will address each of these mechanisms individually.
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Communication Mechanism
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Strengths
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Weaknesses
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Mass Communication Mechanisms
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Email and Voice Mail
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Mass communication mechanism that is easily created and rapidly deployed
Inexpensive
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Requires recipients to have access to and use a computer with email
access (not all employees have or routinely use a computer even if they have a company email address)
One-way communication does not allow positive checking for understanding
Individuals receiving a large number of emails are likely to delete seemingly unimportant messages without reading them
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Hardcopy (Snail) Mail
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Mass communication mechanism that is relatively easy to create
Avoids visual challenges associated with differing computer settings
Can appear to be more personal, particularly if ‘letter-like’
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One-way communication does not allow positive checking for understanding
Individuals receiving a large amount of mail are likely to discard seemingly unimportant letters without reading them
Can be expensive to print and deploy particularly if disseminated using a delivery service
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Flyers, Posters, Billboard/Bulletin Board Postings
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Mass communication mechanism that is relatively easy to create
Avoids visual challenges associated with differing computer settings
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One-way communication is not specifically addressed to the recipient and does not allow positive checking for understanding
Individuals receiving a large amount of mail are likely to discard seemingly unimportant letters without reading them
Can be relatively expensive to print
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Interactive Contests
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Mass communication mechanism that is easily created and rapidly deployed
Provides recipients a reason to engage with the communication mechanism
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Message may not be direct
Can become relatively expensive because of prizes
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Website Announcements/Articles
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Mass communication mechanism that is easily created and rapidly deployed
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Requires recipients to have access to and use a computer with internet access (not all employees have or routinely use a computer even if they the organization provides them with access)
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Video
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Mass communication mechanism
Highly attention grabbing and engaging
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More difficult and expensive to develop than other communication mechanisms
For internet videos, requires recipients to have access to and use a computer with internet access (not all employees have or routinely use a computer even if they the organization provides them with access)
For TV monitor video, will only reach those present within the facility and in visual and audible range of the video monitor system
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Page Announcements
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Mass communication mechanism that is easily created and rapidly deployed
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Will reach only those present within the facility and in audible range of the page speaker system
Not specifically directed to any one individual, those engaged in other activities may ignore the announcement
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Presentations/All Hands Meetings
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Mass communication mechanism somewhat more personal in delivery than other mass communications mechanisms
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Expensive because of manager/employee time expended in the communication
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Hybrid Mass & One-On-One Communication Mechanisms
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Personal Encounter Meet & Greets
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Hybrid mass and one-on-one communication allows for feedback and confirmation of understanding
Much more personal than other mass communication mechanisms
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Somewhat more expensive because of manager time expended in the communication
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Training
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Hybrid mass and one-on-one communication allows for feedback and confirmation of understanding
Much more personal than other mass communication mechanisms
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Expensive because of manager/employee time expended in the communication
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Department Meetings/Tailgate Sessions
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Hybrid mass and one-on-one communication allows for feedback and confirmation of understanding
Much more personal than other mass communication mechanisms
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Expensive because of manager/employee time expended in the communication
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One-On-One Communication Mechanisms
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One-On-One Meetings
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One-on-one communication allows for feedback and confirmation of understanding
Highly personal and engaging
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Expensive because of manager/employee time expended in the communication
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Table 1: Communication Mechanisms Strengths & Weaknesses
Applicability Note
The best practice of communicating seven times in seven different ways is intended to be applied to principle and philosophy centered communications, such as those associated with communicating the organization’s vision, goals, and values; initiative change impacts; and performance standards and expectations, not to highly targeted directive communications.
Individual focus and attention to any message will decay over time; requiring periodic reinforcing communications. The seven times in seven different ways rule should be used as a part of each individual communications event. Thus, this best practice should be applied to every periodic communication reinforcement burst and not assumed to satisfy the communication effort supporting a given message for all time.
Final Thought
Our list of communication mechanisms focuses on physical message transmission means. The importance of communication by behavioral example such as a leader’s presence at supporting events, body language during communication, and decision-making are at least equally if not more important than any of the physical mechanisms. These behavioral communications will significantly influence the receiver’s perception of messages sent via physical communication mechanisms. Therefore, leaders must take care to ensure their example serves to reinforce their physical messages.[/wcm_restrict][wcm_nonmember plans=”25541, 25542, 25653″]
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About the Author
Karen K. Juliano is StrategyDriven‘s Editor-in-Chief and Vice President of Communications and Marketing. Prior to joining the StrategyDriven team, she helped produce weekly programming for a Public Access Television station and served as a production assistant in the public affairs office at United States Naval Base, Philadelphia. To read Karen’s complete biography, click here.
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