Kornelia Bilicka

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  • exchanging information through gestures, words, sounds, or symbols
  • influence
  • expressing one’s own needs: expectations and emotions.

Effective, i.e., clear, and understandable communication enables employees and teams to act effectively. Problems that accompany the communication process are related to the incompetent transmission of specific messages and the way they are interpreted. The sender should provide information that is specific and unambiguous, if the sender is incompetent in this area, the effectiveness of receiving and understanding such information to the recipient is low. The recipient of the message decodes it and interprets it in its own way, which does not always coincide with the sender’s intentions.

Taking care of proper communication should be in the interest of not only managers but also each of the employees because it affects the atmosphere at work. A satisfying atmosphere improves the general condition of the working environment and thus has an indirect motivating effect.

Each organization has specific communication standards, e.g., using acronyms known only to a given organization or similar language /choice of words. In the beginning, a newly hired person may have difficulty getting used to a given communication scheme in the company, but over time he gets to know them better and better by gaining experience.
It is the organization that chooses what forms of communication employees will use.

The most popular includes:

1. Direct and indirect communication

  • Direct communication is a process where the information from the sender goes directly to the recipient; it reduces potential interference in the reception of the message.
  • Indirect communication results in the participation of an intermediary.

2. One-way and two-way communication

  • In one-way communication, the sender sends the message without waiting for feedback.
  • In two-way communication, it is the other way around. The sender waits for any reaction from the recipient in this case, the sender has the opportunity to make sure that the information has been thoroughly understood — there is no room for error or understatements.

3. Horizontal and vertical communication

  • Horizontal communication occurs within one level of the organization, it is one of the elements of people integration and is used to explore problems together.
  • Vertical communication occurs in hierarchical organizations, where the structure of the organization determines the ways of communication.

4. Formal and Informal Communication

  • Formal communication is guided by adopted standards and procedures, failure to comply with them may lead to the use of repressive measures.
  • In informal communication, we underestimate the adopted procedures and standards. The ability to communicate correctly with others is a key challenge in teams.

Team leaders should strive for direct two-way communication, open to suggestions about information from recipients. This will significantly affect the effectiveness of receiving the message, but also the integration of members and their attitude to cooperation. But when needed there are immediate actions and emphasizing the authority of decision-makers, one-way communication should be used. However, this form used for longer excludes the possibility of receiving feedback from one’s subordinates. Therefore, organizations should focus on two-way communication, increasing efficiency and job satisfaction among employees and influencing employee integration within the company.

The Covid-19 pandemic is also a huge challenge for the team communication process. Previous research on remote work has already indicated the problem of establishing friendly bonds, and the difficulty of feeling excluded from general communication within the team in such a mode of work. In addition to this, the way of communication strongly affects the efficiency and speed of performing tasks and commands.
According to a study by the Harvard Business Review, direct (face-to-face) communication of commands and tasks is 34 times more effective than being transmitted by e-mail. The majority of remote employees survey also admitted that team relations would be better if team communication were more frequent (even if remote).

At OKE, we are constantly developing, and we care about communication within the company. We run most projects in Scrum, where the communication process is open and transparent. In addition to all integrations, we conduct technical workshops once a month, which is an opportunity to exchange knowledge, experience and strengthen the bonds between our employees.

If you would like to learn more about our company and projects, I will be happy to answer all your questions. Feel free to contact me at: kornelia.bilicka@oke.pl

2025 OKE POLAND | NIP 5832877673