Employee Relations Communication 1 Employee Relations Communication Paper HRM 323 Employee Relations Employee Relations Communication 2 Communication Influences Employee Relations Communication is paramount in developing employee relations in a work environment and if conducted properly will lead to great success in an organization However the inability to communicate effectively in the workplace can have the opposite effect on and organization If communication is not effective or breaks down accomplishing and achieving one set goal is highly unlikely When employees have clear communication even a conflict can be handled in a way to achieve acceptable resolutions Thus communication is the essence of getting a group of people to work together in order to get things done Signs of Conflict Working in management over the last three years has given me the opportunity to recognize conflict as well as create pro active ways to prevent conflict among staff One sign of conflict among employees is the way they report things to me concerning each other When an employee reports insignificant things to management there is probably a conflict between the two Another sign of conflict is the lack of communication among employees if an employee is upset with a co worker then may choose to send an abundance of emails in order to avoid having to actually talk with the employee One additional sign of a conflict among employees is a break down in a team effort If employees that usually assist another staff member suddenly cease to provide that additional support they could be a conflict among them Most conflicts can be resolved if the communication is a concentrated effort with determination towards reaching an agreement There are three major channels of communication that influence employee relations non verbal verbal and para verbal Employee Relations Communication 3 Non Verbal Channel I Communication is a tool to use when influencing employee relations in the workplace Using the non verbal channel is one means of communicating According to Goodwin and Griffith 2007 The nonverbal behavioral channel includes all forms of data that are not spoken or written p 63 para 1 Nonverbal communication is just as important as verbal For example looking at a fellow employee or supervisor in the eyes helps develop a sense of accomplishment Eye contact shows a sign of respect understanding and honesty However if one does not make eye contact this can be interpret in the following ways He or she is lying He or she is shy He or she is not showing interest He or she is showing respect Goodwin Griffith 2007 The above ways can be a conflict with dealing with employees in a work setting It is important to know how to deal with nonverbal channels and how to understand them to prevent conflicts Verbal Channel II A large part of communication amongst employees is verbal communication According to Goodwin Griffith 2007 The verbal channel is considered to be the most specific form of communication Words after all have specific meaning p 68 para 4 In the workplace employees need to be able to communicate with one another to help keep productivity going and to tackle any issues that may arise According to Lawson 2009 in order for verbal communication to be as productive and understood as possible special attention must be given to three main areas including volume speed of delivery and vocabulary Employee Relations Communication 4 Seven Communication Skills for the Workplace 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Personal Contact Develop a network Always be courteous Be clear Compromise Be interesting and interested Listen EzineArticles 2010 Para Verbal Channel III Parent sometimes make this suggestion to their kids Think before you speak This is what the para verbal channel describes The reason one should think before they speak is because what is spoken needs to have the right interpretation from the receiver According to Goodwin Griffith 2007 The para verbal channel has such a profound effect on communication and on our interpersonal relationships that we must attend to this channel carefully and with our full attention p 72 para 6 Employee Relations Communication 5 Conclusion Nonverbal verbal and para verbal are the three major communication channels that influence employee relations In the workplace an employee may not necessarily speak in order to communicate with their peers Body language gestures and facial expressions are just some of the many non verbal communication that are put to use in the work environment Verbal communication is widely and most commonly put to use within the workplace Being able to effectively communicate is demonstrating awareness with the ability to listen to needs and concerns of others Thus applying para verbal communication before verbal or non verbal actions will help in preventing or resolving conflicts Employee Relations Communication 6 References Goodwin C Griffith D B 2007 The Conflict Survival Guide Tools for Resolving Conflict at Work Upper Saddle River NJ Pearson Education Inc Lawson K 2009 Successful Communication London New Holland Publishers