Business Communication Trends

Organizations are finding that excellent communication plays an ever-increasing role in their success story. Increased competition and business complexity are driving organizations to find solutions to their communication needs. Some of the communication trends that organizations are embracing are the use of diverse work groups, the use of electronic tools, and specialized computer software. The combination of basic communication skills and the utilization of new technology can provide and organization the means necessary to overcome any communication barriers.

Communication plays a vital role in the day-to-day activities at work for any employee. As a computer programmer my days of programming solitude are over. I am required to work on diversified work teams, interface with vendors, assist users, and provide training. All of these activities require good communication skills. Most of my daily communication comes from e-mail, phone calls, and face-to-face interactions. Failing to communicate effectively would result in me not reaching the goals the organization has for me. I work in a health care setting and a policy that the organization has for all employees is that we interact with patients and visitors regardless of whether our job requires patient contact. One of our communication standards is to make eye contact with and cordially greet patients who we come within 10 feet of and to escort them to their destination if they look confused or ask for help. These communication standards help contribute to our organization's success by increasing customer satisfaction.

Because the world's economy is becoming increasingly global employees of organizations are often a requirement to work within very diverse groups. To maximize the potential of these diverse work environments learning about intercultural communication and flexibility is often required for the managers of these groups (Locker, p. 19). Helping diverse workers understand each other can necessitate specialized communications training. Excellent communication skills such as listening, clear and concise writing, awareness of body language, and effective verbal communication are essential to successful communication within diverse groups.

Electronic tools such as smart phones, laptops, mp3 players, cell phones, and telepresence technology have been widely adopted by businesses to enhance communication within the organization. These tools have freed the employee from being deskbound but still allow accessibility for communication to and from the organization. The smart phone has improved customer satisfaction for the information technology (IT) department that I work for. IT technicians can be dispersed to different facilities but can be readily accessible to their coworkers to help solve problems because of their smart phones. Another feature smart phones have is that they can store documents and manuals that technicians need for the various equipment that they work with allowing them to have access to valuable information wherever they are. Laptops and smart phones permit employees to solve problems by accessing the Internet. Because the employees