Chapter 5: Communication Channels

Synopsis
The number of communication channels available to the average manager has mushroomed over the last 20 years. Every channel, be it videoconferencing, computer conferencing, email, or electronic bulletin boards, has unique nuances that can hinder or improve the effectiveness of the manager.

Personal convenience guides most managers' channel selections. As a channel's ease of use increases, so does the likelihood of its use. Little consideration is given to how the channel filters the message or the secondary messages the channel generates.

To improve the likelihood that channel selection will be a product of skill and insight rather than chance, this chapter presents a model to help the organization more effectively manage the myriad of available communication channels. The goal of the model is to align the following four elements:

• the objectives of the sender
• the attributes of the message
• the attributes of the channel
• the needs of the receivers

The chapter also highlights some important principles about channel choice: different channels require different skill proficiencies, channel choices send symbolic messages, and effective knowledge-sharing occurs face-to-face rather than through a written channel.

Outline

1. A Model For Selecting Appropriate Channels
1. Are the sender's objectives compatible with the attributes of the intended message? (S-M test)
2. Are the messages sent compatible with the channels utilized? (M-C test)
3. Are the sender's objectives compatible with the type of channels utilized? (S-C test)
4. Are the messages compatible with the receivers' characteristics? (M-R test)
5. Are the channels utilized compatible with the receivers' characteristics? (C-R test)
   
   
2. Lessons Learned
1. Most effective knowledge-sharing occurs face-to-face.
2. Some channels focus more attention on the message, others on the communicators.
3. Different channels require different skills.
4. Writing fosters critical thinking.
5. Speed often trumps completeness.
6. Channel choices impact power relationships.
7. Different channels fill particular niches in the organization.
8. Channel choices send symbolic messages.
9. Senders and receivers often evaluate the effectiveness of a channel choice in different ways.
   
   
3. Conclusion

Take the Chapter 5 Self Test