Communication Learning Scenario (Term Paper Sample)

Communication Learning Scenario

Learning Need
The learning need in the organization is digital communication. Communication is a core aspect of any organization, and where there is poor communication, many aspects of the business are affected. According to the study done by Ramadanty and Martinus (2016), poor communication in an organization leads to lower productivity by employees. The study provides that where there is poor communication, employees may become unfamiliar with the resources available, the productivity instructions, and the collaboration that may be required to help them complete their duties. Poor communication also leads to low employee morale, and it results in lower productivity. In many cases, employees seek to be connected and engaged by the organization, and when this happens, they work harder and smarter. When they are disconnected, the touch is lost, and most are disconnected, and the lack of motivation leads to poor productivity.
Poor communication also leads to bad interpersonal relationships. Poor communication leads to misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Organizational communication, as Ramadanty and Martinus (2016) asserts, focuses primarily on establishing relationships and interaction with both the internal members of the organization and the external ones that are interested. Where communication in the organization is interfered with, relationships are bound to be destroyed because communication is not only about relaying messages; rather, it involves resolving conflicts and engaging in meaningful processes such as negotiation. Without competent and effective communication in organizations, interpersonal relationships will be interfered with, and it could lead to mistrust issues and high turnover rates. Organizations need to establish appropriate communication structures to ensure that instructions are being issued, followed accurately, and constructive feedback is given.
Communication is a learning need for many organizations, yet few organizations realize the need for proper communication. Many organizations have, however, realized that communication is a basic necessity for their operations with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The outbreak of the pandemic caused measures such as working from home, maintaining social distance, and self-quarantining where necessary to be put in place, which means that the normal operations of most companies were affected. Most companies were forced to close down due to such measures and the inability of the employees to communicate with themselves and with the business clients. Some of the measures taken by many organizations include the use of videoconferencing platforms such as zoom and skype to hold online meetings, increased use of emails, text platforms such as WhatsApp, and social media platforms such as Facebook to pass real-time information for the employees or information that they can access within their own time. Despite the use of such communication measures, many employees are still unfamiliar with the use of digital communication platforms. The need for digital communication training is, therefore, a necessity for employees, and the trends in communication are changing.
Learning Model
The learning model to be embraced in this case is Kolb Learning Model. According to Kurt (2020), this learning model is experimental and involves the four stages, which are; concrete learning, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. The first stage is concrete learning, where the new idea is introduced. Relations to the old experiences are made. In this case, if the use of digital communication systems is to be used, the specific digital communication system and platform, such as zoom, would be introduced. The employees would be shown how the platform relates to the traditional meetings that are held physically in the office and how this platform has a slight divergence from the traditional approach to meetings and communication. The next stage is the reflective observation, and it is the stage where the learners are left to reflect on the experiences said. At this level, learning is primarily affected by personal interpretation. Once the employees have been introduced to the given digital communication platform, they will be left on their own to develop an understanding of such systems.
The third step is the abstract conceptualization, and it is the step where the learners are left to establish their own conclusions of the experiences they had. This also involves reflecting on the previous knowledge, the use of ideas that seem familiar to them, or the theories that their colleagues may be having. In abstract conceptualization, the learners can classify concepts and establish conclusions based on the events which occur. When using the communication platforms that they may be learning, the employees can thus use the events that they experience to make comparisons to their current understanding. The concepts may not be necessarily new, although these learners can use them to analyze new information and modify the conclusions to be made.
The last step is active experimentation. This is the stage where the learners go back to taking part in the tasks ahead of them, and they use the conclusions they may have made to the experiences they have. At this point, they are able to make predictions, analyze the duties that they may have, and establish plans for gaining knowledge in the future. This stage allows the learners to use the knowledge they have gain in their daily lives and ensure that it is retained in the future. With the knowledge learned on digital communication, the employees can be able to use the digital platforms to communicate and also use the knowledge in new systems and platforms that may come up. The cycle for the learning model is as shown in figure one below.
Figure 1
Retrieved from: Kurt (2020)
Ethical, Political, and Legal Issues
Some of the ethical considerations when establishing the learning needs include confidentiality. While the need is communication, anything that the employees may provide in confidence needs to be respected. Clear guidelines should be put in place to ensure that sensitive information is protected. The other ethical issue is openness. It is important to ensure that all the necessary data and results are shared in the learning process and the tools that nay have been developed. When such information is provided, it aids in advancing the knowledge, fosters criticism, and provides room for new ideas. Another ethical issue is carefulness. When handling such learning needs, there is a need to ensure that all careless mistakes are avoided. The learning and training process should be carefully and critically reviewed to ensure credible results. Record keeping is also critical as it ensures that there are no mistakes and the mistakes noted are dealt with. Honesty and integrity are the other ethical issues. It is important to enhance honesty and integrity in the need’s assessment and training. The needs should not be made up or constructed in ways that are deceptive, and sincerity should be maintained when working with other people. Legal issues relating to the regulation of bodies should be adhered to, for instance, the safety of the persons involved. The authorities pertaining to communication, in this case, should be known and consulted where necessary. Bias, misuse of information, and inappropriate learning approaches should also be avoided.
Learning Scenario: Poor Communication in an Organization
Task Analysis
The task analysis I will be reviewing from Week 2 is poor communication in any organization. There are many ways to define poor communication; in an organization when there is ineffective communication this can cause a ground of distrust and confusion. When workers don’t have good lines of communication with each other or with the management then there can be a lot of problems in that organization. Poor communication in any company leads to lower productivity, low employee morale, and lack of touch among the employees and the management. When there is poor communication, there is a lot of misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
Learning Developed
I learned that communication is very important especially in this world which has embraced digital communication. When there is no proper communication, touch is lost, there is a lot of disconnection, and lack of motivation which leads to poor productivity (Ramadanty & Martinus, 2016). I learned that organizational communication focuses mainly on establishing relationships and interactions with both the internal members and the external members of the organization. When these relationships are interfered with then there will be a lot of disruption and confusion. Organizations should learn how set channels for relying messages and solving conflicts. There should be ways of engaging in meaningful communication in any organization. There should be appropriate structures to ensure instructions are being issued, followed accurately, and constructive feedback is given. I discovered that communication is a need yet few organization realize the need for proper communication.
Pre-requisite Skills
There are several pre-requisite skills that I needed. First, I had to understand what poor communication is, how it affects organizations especially in this digital world, and what can be done to solve this problem. Poor communication occurs when there is a breakdown of relying messages and information in an organization. Covid 19 pandemic taught organizations how to embrace new ways of communicating and managing their businesses. Though businesses have embraced videoconferencing platforms, use ...