Communication at the Workplace

I am an employee of Mc Zak restaurant. It is an international restaurant that specializes in all types of delicacies globally. It mostly specializes in African foods, Chinese foods, Turkish Foods, Seafood and most certainly the Japanese foods. The restaurant currently operates in three continents mainly the North America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. The restaurant is well established and because of this reason; we have loyalty consumers who adore the foods and services that are offered to them. Currently, the company has employed one hundred and twenty-three employees.

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As an accountant of the firm, my job entails communicating on a day to day basis. I have to give reports to the finance manager and update him on the various activities that are on the ground. This is important as it enables the department to receive feedback on how well the activities are being carried out. In the case of not delivering to the standards that are expected, then, we are well advised on what should be done to up the game.

In our finance department, there is usually a flow of information. First and foremost, the messages are first received by the receptionist regarding the delivery notes, invoices or claims that have been issued out. Once the receptionist receives the message, the information is then passed to the assistant accountant for verification. Once the assistant accountant confirms and records the transactions, it is then given to the accountant to make payments through the cheques. Also, this is then passed to the finance manager who then makes approval of the payment through the signing of the cheques.

Communication is vital in every organization as information has to be passed from one individual to another. In this case, there various forms of communication that are used in MC Zak restaurant. They include sending of emails, use of telephones, conducting meetings and the use of water cooler. Emails are sent either internally or externally to the clients and suppliers. Also, the use of telephones can be used in cases of emergencies to communicate to our clients. The use of telephones can also be embraced from one department to another or within the same department.

Meetings are also an important part of an organization. In our company, meetings are held on Tuesdays every week. This session is usually attended by all the heads of department of the assistant head in the absence of the head. The main reason for conducting meetings is for every department to give a progress of the activities being carried out or trying to solve a company's problem. Also, at the departmental level, meetings are also held especially when there are emerging problems. Moreover, there is the water cooler system that is carried out during breakfast. This form of communication is important to the managers as it enables them to know what the employees are thinking off.

The four types of direction communication include downward communication, upward communication, horizontal communication and diagonal communication. In the downward type of communication, the juniors receive information and guidance from the top management. This is usually assumed that the top managers are the one in authority. For example, the top management can give direction on when a project would be initiated, which employees would be involved and how they would work on the project.

In upward communication, information is passed from the lower level of management to the top level management. This type of communication is important to the employees as it enables them to send their grievances, suggestions or information to the upper management. The upward approach encourages the employees to participate in the roles of the firm. For example, in a company, the employees can send information to the upper management in regards to lower payments, poor working conditions or mismanagement of funds in the firm.

The horizontal type of communication is one that deals with the passage of information between employees working on the same level (Gurak 12). The main reason as to why individuals would embrace this type of communication is because it enables them to review the activities that are taking place in the organization. This kind of communication is widely used especially in conferences or meetings which have accommodated individuals of a similar group. An example of horizontal communication is that of the managers in all the departments. On the other hand, diagonal communication is used by individuals working at the same level to interact with the top management or the lower levels of management. For example, the managers communicate with the CEO and the other employees in the company.

According to Gurak (18) communication climate can be defined as a network that enables individuals to create relationships among themselves. Through a positive climate in communication, it allows the works to cooperate with each other to achieve the organization's results. It also, enables talks and mutual understanding to prevail. An example is when employees volunteer to help their colleague in an individual project. When the communication climate is contrary, conflicts may arise among the workers, and this may cause the employees to go slow. For example, in a case where transmission of information between the low-level management and the top management is weak, then conflicts may arise. This may then cause the employees not to know exactly what is expected of them and hence the company may lack a proper direction in the way activities are being carried out.

Ethics is what an individual or corporate believes is right or wrong. In Mc Zak restaurant, we have ethics when it comes to communication. For example, as employees to the firm, to transmit information to the CEO, we have to go through my manager. Also from the top management, when they want to relay information to the workers, they use the internal memo. This is prudent as it always creates order in the firm.

Some of the strategies that I would use to improve communication in my workplace is by teaching my fellow employees on the importance of non- verbal communication so as to be aware of their body languages. Besides, I would advocate my colleagues to display a sincere interest towards the people they are interacting with especially for our clients as this would show how much we value them. Lastly, I would advocate for practices in active, positive communication. This entails asking a person to expand on a subject. By so doing, it improves individual and proficient relationships.

Cross-cultural is one of the pillars that create peace and unity. Despite this, individuals face challenges when communicating with people from different cultures. At times, due to the mother tongue interferences, it can pose a huge challenge. For example, in our firm, we do face a huge challenge in communication especially with a client who is not able to communicate effectively on what they want to be served. Also, due to the differences in culture, verbal communication is expressed differently, and this may cause misunderstanding in communication.

After I had taken the Communication Skills Assessment from the text, I realized that as a firm, we were not doing very well regarding communication. Your score would be rated at five. This needs to be improved to enable us to continue being proficient globally. At this point, I would be motivated to improve our non-verbal communication skills to serve our customers well. Non-verbal communication is important as it can tell a client on how well services are being given to them.

To conclude, to become a good communicator, I will instill confidence and me and ensure that all information is passed to the desired party on time. Also, I will pay full attention to the people that I am communicating with to pick quickly up on the conversation and show keen interest on what is being talked about without focusing on my concerns. Besides, I will set aside judgments on the people I am communicating with and provide feedback.

Work cited

Gurak, Laura J. Strategies for Technical Communication in the Work Place, Mywritinglab , Pearson Etext Access ... Card: Books a La Carte Edition. Place of publication not identified: Longman, 2014. Print.