These are some questions relating to Organisation Communication that I will try to answer off the top my head. These are just my current interpretations don't take them as gospel... I don't.
1. What is the Organisational structure and communication style of Caribbean organisations?
- Caribbean organisational structures reflect our past colonial slave plantation system. Information is passed up and down (vertical) from managers at the top to slaves at the bottom, usually for communicating orders and reporting plantation issues to owners.
- Very little feedback and input from slaves is tolerated by plantation owners; a characteristics similar to that of many Caribbean organisations today. Employers pay scant regard to input from employees. This is not wise though; the best ideas and indications of crises are normally sourced known among employees long before they happen.
2. What are the characteristics of the 'Grapevine'?
- The 'Grapevine' refers to an organisations' most informal medium of communication — word of mouth. The grape vine is a feature of every organisations, and is the primary medium through which information is related between staff members as well as among customers, share holders, and other publics.
- The grapevine is fast and able to spread information among a large number of people. Which provides setbacks when one considers how quickly rumors can develop and circulate via word of mouth. This is especially a problem in situations where there is presumed anxiety, frustration, and dissatisfaction.
- The grapevine is, however, important to any communications manager as it is not only an effective way to get out the managers' messages, but is also a medium through which communications manager can monitor information, attitudes, and impressions which are held of the organisations by their various publics.
3. What are the qualities of a leader?
- A leader listens, a leader encourages, a leader uses tactics to defuse situations as oppose to confrontation, a leader never acts impetuously, a leader knows how to take order, a leader thinks not of self but of team, a leader leaves his heart and mind open to suggestions, a leader is optimistic, a leader is prudent, a leader is a teacher, and probably most importantly, a leader leads.
4. What are the differences between strategy and tactics?
- Tactics are the daily activities that are repeatable in your business and relatively clear-cut in the organisation's functions. Tactics may be the sending of press releases and emails, creating a website, publishing a newsletter, etc. Tactics in essence are the ways in which a strategy (which I shall also address) is executed. Tactics are easy to copy.
- A strategy, on the other hand, is a perspective, i.e. your future picture and direction, where you want to reach, what you want to accomplish. Strategy involves not the day-to-day activities but the 'bigger picture' of the organisation's efforts to meat their goals. A strategy is a framework, a compass, a guide, that enables you to make decision to enhance your organisation's reputation and competitiveness.
- Always remember: "Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat" - Sun Tzu.
