Communication in the Workplace

Communication in the Workplace is a revealing snapshot of how organisations really work. In workplaces throughout Australia and across the planet, billions of messages are sent in various forms every day, but not all of them get though. Of those that do, may are misunderstood, Communication breakdown is just as common as communication effectiveness, but it doesn't have to be that way.

Become a more effective communicator by finding out how messages can be sent -- and distorted -- by differing channels, including:

• memos
• emails
• meetings
• teleconferencing
• instant messaging

Expert communicator Baden Eunson shares insights about the informal organisation, networking, how to know when messages are being lost due to cultures of silence, silos or empires (and what to do about it), and explains how knowledge management can help you get your message across.

Preface v

Introduction ix

1 Communication or communications? 1

2 How communication works, and how it breaks down — a model 13

3 Communication — effectiveness and ethics 41

4 The formal organisation — how it works, and how it fails 49

5 Networks, virtual organisations and networking 71

6 The informal organisation — I heard it through the grapevine 89

7 Organisational culture, silence and managing knowledge 97

Conclusion 119

Notes 121

Glossary 139

Index 145

Baden Eunson teaches in the school of English, Communications and Performance Studies at Monash University, and also runs a training and consultancy business. He is the author of numerous books, including the best-selling C21: Communicating in the 21st Century, 2nd edn, John Wiley & Sons.