Managing Employee Relations, change

and communication
Unit : 7

Communication of HRM:
Concept:
Communication is an important part of your job one that is often taken for granted. When you think
about it, almost everything you do calls for good
communications. When you hire a new employee,
good communication skills help you pick the right
person and make sure the person you hire knows what
the job involves. When you're training, coaching, or
evaluating an employee, you need to be clear about
your expectations and sensitive in dealing with
problem areas. When conflicts arise, you'll need your
communication skills to resolve the issues without
creating more.

 When the department is going through changes

or reorganization, you'll need special
communication skills to get feedback and ideas
from your staff and to give them news that's
sometimes not pleasant, while keeping them
motivated. Honest communication is one of the
key ingredients in managing change as well as
managing people.
Many topics covered in this Guide include
communication skills. In this section, you'll find
some suggestions for developing those skills.

 Communication is the Humana mental process of exchanging

problems, feelings, ideas news and message between people
inside and outside an organization. It includes the transference
and understanding of meaning. Poor communication is the
main source of interpersonal conflict. Good communication is
essential for groups and organizational effectiveness. Effective
communication is important to managers for three primary
reasons. First communication provides a common thread for
the management processes of planning. Organizing, leading,
and controlling. Second effective communications skills can
enable managers to draw on the vast array of talents available
in the multi-cultural worlds of organizations. Third it so
happens that managers do spend a great deal of time
communicating. In fact managerial time is spent largely in fact
to face electronic or telephone communication with
employees, supervisors' suppliers or customers. When not
conferring with others in person or on the telephone, managers
may be writing or dictating memos, letters or reports or
perhaps reading such communications sent to them.

 Our working definition of communication calls attention to three

essential points;
Communication involves people and that understanding
communication therefore involves trying to understand how people
relate to each other.
It involves shared meaning, which suggests that in order for people
to communicate they must agree on the definitions of the terms they
are using.
It involves symbols, gestures, sounds, letters, numbers and words
can only represent or approximate the ideas that they are meant to
communicate.
"I can tell my manager what I think"
"My managers tell me what is expected"
"My managers listen to my concerns"
"My manager keeps me informed"
Open effective communication can be a considerable asset to an
organization. Employees receive honest, straight forward
communication from management and work with management in
cohesive teams that communicate openly and often.

Guiding Principles
Good communication can help you:
Improve relationships and teamwork
Improve performance and productivity
Foster an open, creative environment
Solve problems effectively

Becoming a Better Communicator

Your responsibility as a supervisor is to communicate clearly and concisely
to all employees and create an environment conducive to openness for
others. As the staff becomes more diverse, you may have to take extra time
and effort to communicate to all staff members. To become a better
communicator:
Create an open communication environment in your unit. Encourage
employees to talk about work issues; listen carefully and respond to
questions or concerns with actions or answers. If an issue is outside your
authority, pass it along to the appropriate person; then be sure to follow up.
Conduct regular staff meetings. Tell your staff about decisions that may
affect them or the work they do and the reasons for those decisions. Use
staff meetings to encourage feedback, generate ideas, solve problems, and
gain support
Set up individual meetings. Set some time aside periodically to meet oneon-one with employees. Group staff meetings are important; however,
meeting separately with your employees shows concern about their
individual work issues

Effective Listening
An important ingredient that runs through all good communication is listening.
Listening is a skill that can be practiced and learned. Your goal as a listener is to
fully understand your employee's experience and point of view. Give the employee
a chance to talk for a while before you say anything.
Use non-verbal communication. Be aware of what you communicate with your
body; your posture and expressions can convey your attitudes toward a speaker
even before you say one word. Use body language to show the speaker that you are
engaged in the conversation and open to hearing.
Recognize your own prejudices. Be aware of your own feelings toward the
speaker. If you are unsure about what the speaker means, ask for clarification
instead of making assumptions.
Listen to understand the underlying feelings. Use your heart as well as your
mind to understand the speaker. Notice how something is said as well as the actual
words used.
Don't interrupt: Be sure you think carefully before you speak. As a listener, your
job is to help the speaker express himself.
Don't judge the person: A speaker who feels you are making judgments will feel
defensive. Avoid making judgments and instead try to empathize and understand
the speaker's perspective.
Do not give advice: Keep in mind that the best resolutions are those that people
arrive at themselves, not what someone else tells them to do. If you feel it is
appropriate, and only after you have encouraged the person to talk, offer some
ideas and discuss them.

 Responding:
After you have listened and really heard, respond by
conveying your interest and respect:
Empathize: Put yourself in the other person's shoes and try to
understand.
Validate: Acknowledge that the person's feelings are valid.
This is a very powerful tool because you are recognizing the
person's right to feel that way, regardless of whether you
would feel the same way.
Restate what the other person has said: this allows you to
make sure you understand the feelings and shows you are
listening. Point out the good things the person has done or
tried to do.
Clarify: Ask questions to get more information about the
problem.
Summarize: Paraphrase the main points you have heard so
that you can make sure you understand all the issues

Communication Programme:
1.programme - an announcement of the events that will occur as part of a
theatrical or sporting event; "you can't tell the players without a program"
2.programme - an integrated course of academic studies; "he was admitted
to a new program at the university
3.Programme - a radio or television show; "did you see his program last
night?
4.programme - (computer science) a sequence of instructions that a
computer can interpret and execute; "the program required several hundred
lines of code"
5.programme - a system of projects or services intended to meet a public
need; "he proposed an elaborate program of public works"; "working
mothers rely on the day care program
6.programme - a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be
accomplished; "they drew up a six-step plan"; "they discussed plans for a
new bond issue"
7.programme - a performance (or series of performances) at a public
presentation; "the program lasted more than two hours"

Employee Handbook:
It should be clear that effective communication is an essential part of
organizational efforts to develop, implement, and maintain a quality program. Here
we will look at aspects of quality related communication at both a small and large
organization. Computer disk, and hardware components and software components,
different recorded and information related CD as well as hand books which
enhances or facilitated information for changes in philosophy and methods brought
about by the quality effort. The company put thousands of employees through a
through a training program, starting with senior and middle managers. Part of the
training focus on the handbooks copy which is given to each participant. The hand
books not only reinforces the quality message and communicates methods, it is
helping the company refocus on customer services. A dynamic and competitive
element in a non regulated environment.
An employee handbook, sometimes also known as an employee manual or staff
handbook, is a book given to employees by an employer. Usually, the employee
handbook contains information about company policies and procedures. In the UK
it may also form part of an employees terms and conditions of employment.
The employee handbook is an excellent place to bring together employment and
job-related information which employees need to know, such as holiday
arrangements, company rules and disciplinary and grievance procedures. It can also
provide useful source of information to new staff as part of the induction process. A
written employee handbook gives clear advice to employees and creates a culture
where issues are dealt with fairly and consistently

 An employee handbook
, sometimes also known as an employee manual or s
taff handbook, is a book given to employees by an
employer. Usually, the employee handbook contain
s information about company policies and procedur
es. In the UK it may also form part of an employe
es terms
and conditions
The
employee
handbook isofanemployment.
excellent place to bring
together employment and job-related information which
employees need to know, such as holiday arrangements
, company rules and disciplinary and grievance proced
ures. It can also provide useful source of informatio
n to new staff as part of the induction process. A wr
itten employee handbook gives clear advice to employe
es and creates a culture where issues are dealt with
fairly and consistently.

E COMPANY
COMPANY PHILOSOPHY
Open-Door Policy
Equal Employment Opportunity
Harassment Policy
WORKING AND COMPENSATION
Employment on an At-Will Basis
Attendance and Reporting to Work
Workday Hours and Scheduling
Recording Hours Worked
Pay Period and Payday
Workweek & Overtime
Holidays
Employment Classifications
Maintaining Your Personnel Records
Personnel Files
Performance Evaluations
STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS FOR THE WORKPLACE
Safety

Care of Equipment and Supplies

Smoking at the Workplace
Violence and Weapons
Drug-Free Workplace
Responding to Customer Inquiries and Problems
Appearance and Dress
Conflicts of Interest
Code of Ethical Conduct
Solicitation and Distribution
Personal Calls, Visits, and Business
Business Expenses
Inspection of Personal and Company Property
Network and Electronic Resources Policy
Confidential and Proprietary Information
Rules of Conduct and Progressive Disciplinary Procedure
Re-Employment
Moonlighting
BENEFITS
Mobile Phones
Paid Time Off

 Mechanism of securing effective employee

communication:
(A)
The CEO must be committed to importance of
communication
Managers match action and words.
Commitment to two way communication
Emphasis on face to face communication
Shared responsibility for employee
communications
Dealing with bad news
Treat communication as an ongoing process

 (B) Organizational Culture:

It has been important concept in understanding human

societies and group for a long time. Culture means the complex
mixture of assumptions, behaviors, stories, metaphors, and other
ideas that fit together to define what it means to be a member of a
particular society. Organizational culture: The set of important
understanding such as norms, values attitude and beliefs shared by
organizational member. Patterns of basic assumptions that a group
learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal
integrations, that has worked well enough to be considered valid
and therefore desirable to be taught to new members as the correct
way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems.
Organizational culture is a framework that guides day to day
behavior and decision making for employees and directs their
actions toward completion of organizational goals. Indeed culture
is what gibes birth to and defines the organizational goals. Culture
must be aligned with the other parts of organizational actions, such
as planning, leading, controlling, if culture is not aligned with these
tasks them the organization is in for difficult times.

Corporate culture can have a significant impact on a firm's long term economic
performance.
Corporate culture will probably be an even more important factor in determining
the success or failure of firms in the next decade.
Corporate cultures that inhibit strong long term financial performances are not rare,
they develop easily even in firms that are full of reasonable and intelligent people.
Although tough to change, corporate cultures can be made more performance
enhancing.
In conclusion organizational culture is highlighted or reflected by the following
characteristics:
Mutuality of interests between management and employees.
Collaboration and team spirit.
Open communication and tolerance for conflicts.
Autonomy in work and freedom to make work related decisions.
Human focus and faith employees
Performance based reward system to attract motivate and retain quality human
resources.
Supportive environment for employee creativity.
So Human resource must operate and implemented within the cultural framework
of the organization.

 (C) Organizational change and HR:

Change is the systematic attempt to redesign

organizations in a way that will help it adapt to significant
changes in the external environment and achievement new
goals. As such it is not simple inexpensive or painless.
However such changes are important because they help the
organization respond to environmental changes that threaten
its survival or present new opportunities for prosperity. Given
the rapid change of the external environment many
organizations are embarking on planned change simply to
improve the speed with which they adapt to new conditions.

Human resources are changing on the basis of changing

environment. Environmental forces influence their ability to
achieve goals. HRM should continuously monitor the
changing forces in the environment. Internal changes and
external changes also affect to the goals, policies, strategies,
organizational
structure,
organizational
resources,
organizational culture, activities, labor unions etc.

 Job stress:

It is a dynamic condition in which an individual is

confronted with an opportunity, constraint, or demand
related to what he or she desires and for which the
outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and
important. It occurs when a motivated drive is
blocked. This prevents an employee to reach his
desired goal. It is an obstruction to goal oriented
behavior.
When an individual is blocked from behaving the
way he would like to behave or from getting what he
wants he is said to be frustrated. It is a consequence
of job stress.

Job stress factors; (causes)

Personal and organizational factors.
Divergent personalities.
Changing job characteristics that causes stress
Increasing competition for scarce resources
Barriers that blocked goal attainment.

 Symptoms of Stress;

Physiological : Higher blood pressure \ headaches \ heart and breath

problems
Psychological; Tension \ anxiety, irritability, boredom etc.
Behavioral; Changes productivity, absenteeism, turnover, increased
smoking, alcohol consumption etc.
Reduce job stress;
Pay \ intrinsic and extrinsic (career or progress and salary benefit,
promotion, status etc.
Interesting and challenging job
Promotions
Timely supervisions
Work group or supportive colleagues
Working culture and condition
participation \ Autonomy

 Spirituality in the work place.

For the promotion of spirituality situation in your
offices or organizations you must understand your
people or human resources which are the greatest
assets of the organizations there fore you can buy a
man's time, a man's physical presence at a given
place, you can even buy a measured number of
skilled muscular motions per day or per hour. But you
cannot buy enthusiasm, initiative, loyalty and you
can't buy devotion of hearts, minds and souls so you
have to earn all these things. Spirituality in the work
place is not properly maintained even if you are not
able to understand of each employees and your
behavior also be responsible in this case.

 Participation:

It refers to amount of freedom employees can

exercise in their job. It involves employee
participation in decision making to provide control
over what they do. Employee setting their own work
schedules. Self managing work teams also provide
autonomy.
It is a system of joint consultation in the industry as
a form of labor management cooperation and copartnership. It makes sure that employees participate
in the management decision making and actions.
Importantly employee participation in management is
both mental and emotional involvement in group
situations that encourage them to contribute to group
goals and share responsibility.

 Partnership and employee involvement:

Partnership is the relation between persons competent to make
contract who agree to carry on a lawful business in common
with a view of private gain. It is established minimum by two
or more than two persons with joint capital for mutual
management, organization, and control or mutual benefit is
partnership business. In this connection if we feel or
employees have joined by us as a partner in our organization
definitely, we are able to maintain good relationship with the
employees. Employee also is a good partner if we distributed
certain share to them. Through forming a ' "quality circle" it
ensures the employees' involvement in decision making.
Components of Industrial democracy:
Employee empowerment
Quality circle
Employee participation in management

Important Questions
Discuss the mechanism that helps to
make the HRM communication more
effective.
What is work place spirituality? What are
the reasons for the growing interest in
spirituality?
Define Job stress. How can it affect an
organization?