Challenges of supportive communication

         In the competitive workplace, employees may feel overworked and have hard difficult times to balance work and personal life. It is the organization's interest to help employees' personal problems for improving productivity at work. Supportive communication allows employees to focus on work related issues and challenges, which creates a work atmosphere for employee empowerment. However, even with the best employer’s intentions, the defensive climate might be created during the process of communication, which has a negative effect on the workers. To have  supportive communication, managers need skills of active listening and with giving feedback. Without those skills managers may get confused with personal issues at work and Motor Parts Corporation case is such an example.  Supportive communication in an organization is astronomical to organizational effectiveness, reflecting how businesses manage opposition, preventing dysfunctional tendencies. Active listening and effective feedback are organizational attributes that replicates effective leadership abilities to value employees, and implement efficient communication. Organizations must address employees’ personal problems that affect job performance, keeping the business role in proper perspective, maintaining strict limitations that are concise, and unambiguous. For example, Doc Fan, the military is an organization that effectively implements entities assisting soldiers with personal problems.        

Challenges of supportive communication

         Defensive communication may occur during communication if people feel threatened.  Gibb's categories indicated several factors that can produce defensive communication and they include evaluation, control, strategy, neutrality, superiority, and certainty. The limitation of knowledge and lack of experience of the communicator, and the relationship between the two communicating parties could affect the outcome of the communication. An effective communication needs to provide necessary support, the support must be relevant and accurate, which requires that the communicator holds enough information about employees’ needs but that is not always easy. The expression during communication must be sincere otherwise the situation will be worse than not expressing concern at all, which is not easy task for managers either? neither. So to properly handle personal issues at work is a challenge for any organization. There are numerous challenges creating effective organizational supportive communication. Maintaining an atmosphere that prevents dysfunctional communication   is a monumental challenge for organization maintaining operative communication. Several dysfunctional organizational communications are selective perceptions, semantic problems, and information overload (Champoux, 2006).

The skills of active listening and giving feedback

         “Supportive communication will be positively related to job satisfaction” (Nobile, 2008). So managers should develop such skills to effectively manage employees. The skills of active listening and giving feedback are important skills used in supportive communication. “Numerous factors affect the outcomes of supportive interactions, including aspects of the supportive message, the helper, the interaction context, and the recipient” (Burleson, 2009). Active listening is a way of responding to the speaker, which encourages communication. An effective active listening skill may include three parts: preparation, actively listening, and follow up. For preparation, listeners should know how to focus on the subjects, to stop non-relevant activities before the communication starts, to organize relevant information in advance, to set aside personal prejudices and opinions. The skills of active listening should include attending skills such as verbal or non-verbal acknowledging with eye contact or other body language, and asking, reflecting, reinforcing and supporting, and points summarizing. The follow up are the skills of giving the speaker time and space, repressing appreciation for sharing, and applying what needs to be done for the situation. At the end of a supportive communication, a skilled listener should receive the following information: the facts, needs, wants, feelings and emotions, thoughts and beliefs, hopes, and expectations.   Active listening skills improve individual’s aptitude for conversation, which is extremely important in any organizational setting. Several attributes effectively enhance active listening skills are responding appropriately, focusing solely on the speaker’s intent, maintaining receptiveness, and allowing the speaker to complete their statements. Active listening provides the ability to understand the speaker’s message and intent, preventing misinterpretation: hearing the messenger’s facts, understanding the individuals feeling about the message is critical

           Feedback could be powerful and important means of communication, which can be positive or negative. A positive feedback enhances supportive communication. The skill for giving positive feedback comprises the technique to deliver information in non-threatening and encouraging manner, focus on defined issues, deliver the needs accurately, avoid insult or demean, focus on behavior and specific events instead of personality, give information on the right time, deliver the information in a thoughtful and helpful way. Feedback is a sub-component of communication, requiring all entities of an organization grasping a clear understanding about the priorities and results of tasks (Champoux, 2006). Feedback is a performance necessity, an established method necessary for organizational members receiving honest performance assessments

Organization’s role in helping employees’ personal problems

        When employees are assisted with their personal problems, the employees' personal problems are less likely to have negative impact on their work performance. Actually, employees who feel that their personal and family priorities are accepted and acknowledged by their managers and their organizations are more engaged and more productive at work. In the competitive workplace, employees may feel overworked and may have hard time to balance work and personal life. So, organization can play important role in helping employees address personal problems that may interfere with their work performance, aligning business needs and employees' individual needs, creating a workplace that recognizes and supports employees' needs. Employee assistance programs are some of the ways to handle employees' personal problems.

            Organization's Employee Assistance Programs (EPAs) are intended to help employees to deal with personal problems that might adversely impact their work performance, health, and well-being. EAPs generally include assessment, short-term counseling and referral services for employees and their household members. On the other hand, work-schedule flexibility has become a critical issue for employees. To help employees effectively navigate work-life priorities and stay productive, employers can also provided flexible work-schedule. Sub-standard work performance theoretically is unacceptable, regardless of the circumstances surrounding this deficiency. An organization’s role addressing employees’ personal problems interfering with work performance is finite, but necessary fundamentally. Providing feedback and active listening are important in identifying and accessing potential problem and work distracters. The ideology of organizational communication supports sharing information, providing performance feedback, and expressing emotion: innovating the human side of an organization

                                 Discussion of Bob's communication problems

 

       Bob was hesitant to become too involved in Al's personal issues for many reasons for example: Bob may not want to overstep professional boundaries,  may afraid that superiority communication will meet defensive response,  and may not have such experience and did not know how to conduct a supportive communication with  Al.    

        To ask Mike to talk with Al, Bob may avoid personal confrontation, bad feeling, and negative impact of relationship. But Mike may not be able to convey the message to both Bob and Al accurately. Al may perceive that Bob was not sincere, did not trust him, and would not corporate with him for his personal issues. This distrust may distract Al from concentrating in real issues of both work and family. Consequently, a defensive situation could be created, and the situation may get worse.

The actions Bob should take

“Open communication has long been identified as a feature of effective, successful. It relates to honesty of interactions and high levels of trust” (Nobile, 2009). In order to open up a more meaningful conversation with Al, Bob can ask questions in a good way to gain necessary information, but it is important to ask non-aggressive questions. Bob should make Al feel those questions are to genuinely seeking information or an opinion.  Instead of asking, "Why did you” types of questions. Instead, Bob should ask "Can you tell me what difficulties you have and is there anything I can do to help you?" Bob should create a climate in which the communication is taking place with Al to share mutual respect and trust. Because ”The supportive function serves the emotional, interpersonal and morale needs of individuals” (Nobile, 2008).

            Communication is not just saying words; it is creating true understanding (Frey, 1998).  Active listening is an important skill in communication. When listening to Al talking, Bob should look at Al's eyes, properly use body language and silence, restate and paraphrase what Al said, reflect feelings and experiences, reinforce and support, offer tentative interpretation, summarize what Al said, and ask additional questions in a supportive way to clear up confusions.

 

         After a day or so, Bob can give feedback in an encourage manner, focus on solutions on personal issues and work efficiency, deliver the feedback with sensitivity to the Al's  needs such as arrange flexible hours, give helpful suggestions, and follow up to provide further support if it is necessary.  Yes, Doc Fan. Bob’s ability to provide effective feedback is unequivocally important as his acute listening skills, informing Al about quality job performance. Bob effective feedback reduces uncertainties, eliminating false perception concerning the vice president. Effective feedback confirms Bob’s perceptions of Al’s behavior, performance objectives, and most importantly informing Al of the organization’s concern for his family welfare. Bob’s actions may solidify Al’s organizational commitment, clarify any ill-feelings, and boost productivity, ensuring Al that MPC considers his personal matter as a top priority.     

Motor Parts Corporation and personal issues

            MPC does not have the obligation to assist its employees with personal and family problems. However, employees have the needs and priorities outside of work that affect their work and productivity; therefore, MPC may have interest in assisting Al. That interest might lead MPC to work with Al to design a work schedule that allows him to get his work done and take care of family problems at the same time. MPC can also refer Al to employee assistance program (EAP) for help to discuss issues such as emotional distress, major life events, health care concerns, family issues, and work relationship issues.

Conclusion

MPC does not have the obligation to assist its employees with personal and family problems but personal problems are less likely to have negative impact on employees’ work if they are supported by the organization so it is MPC’s interest to assist Al. The supportive communication is probably one of the most helpful means to assist Al in this situation. But delivering supportive communication is not an easy task. Experience and skills of active listening and giving feedback are required to handle this situation.

               “Open communication has long been identified as a feature of effective, successful. It relates to honesty of interactions and high levels of trust” (Nobile, 2009). Bob should consult Mike to learn how to perform a supportive communication with Al in a way to constructively resolve those problems. Then Bob can invite Al to his office to have an open and honest conversation. When listening to Al talking, Bob should look at Al, properly use body language and silence, restate and paraphrase what Al said, reflect feelings and experiences, reinforce and support, offer tentative interpretation, summarize what Al said, ask additional questions in a supportive way to clear up confusions. Bob can give feedback in an encourage manner, focus on solutions on personal issues and work efficiency, deliver the feedback with sensitivity to the Al's  needs, arrange flexible work hour, give helpful suggestions , and follow up to provide further support if it is necessary.