Vertical Communication

Vertical Communication consists of communication up and down the organization’s chain of command. Downward communication starts with top management and flows down through management levels to line workers and non-supervisory personnel. The major purposes of downward communication are to advise, inform, direct, instruct, and evaluate employees and to provide organization members with information about organizational goals and policies. This is what Hockaday is doing at Hallmark. The main function of upward communication is to supply information to the upper levels about what is happening at the lower levels. This type of communication includes progress reports, suggestions, explanations, and requests for aid or decisions. At Hallmark, Hockaday participates in both downward and upward communication processes.

In some companies, hotlines provide vehicles for additional upward and downward communication. More than 100 companies now offer hotlines, such as “Helpline” at Waste Management, “Guideline” at Nynex, “We Care Hotline” at American Greetings, and “the 800 number” at Raytheon. Such hotlines are used for different purposes, though many are used to inform managers of situations involving employees, such as allegations of sexual harassment. In the light of the federal sentencing guidelines that mandate stiff fines for corporate crimes, it pays for companies to offer such services, often toll free and anonymous because fines are decreased for companies who can prove that they teach employees about ethics.

At Ogilvy & Mather, on line information is available through “Ogilvy OnLine,” which works as a kind of corporate culture machine. A menu enables employees and guests to scan up-to-date information about the company, its client, and the industry, and to hear from the company’s legendary founder, David Ogilvy. He is a passionate man and it is wonderful to hear the words coming out of his mouth. One month he is doing something on direct marketing, another month he is in India. His perspective is what started it all. A V.P says they make an effort to maintain what David Oglivy started in terms of the Ogilvy culture. He has particular views on very on every aspect of communication [and on conducting] businesses in a gentlemanly manner. Getting some of him on film is very meaningful. It’s a great way to keep in touch with the client stories.

Problems of vertical Communication: Downward communication is likely to be filtered, modified, or halted at each level as managers decide what should be passed down to their employees. Upward communication is likely to be filtered, condensed or altered by middle managers who see it as part of their job to protect upper management from nonessential data originating at the lower levels. In addition, middle managers may keep information that would reflect unfavorably on them for reaching their managers. Thus, vertical communication is often at least partially inaccurate or incomplete.

Problems in downward communication exist when managers do not provide employees with the information they need to carry out their tasks effectively. Managers are often overly optimistic about the accuracy and completeness of their downward communication. In fact, they can fail to pass on important, information (such as a higher

level change in policy) or to instruct employees adequately on how to perform their duties. This lack of communication is sometimes deliberate, as when managers withhold information to keep employees dependent on them. The net effect of incomplete downward communication is that employees can feel confused, uniformed or powerless and might fail to carry out their tasks properly.

The auto-repair service of Sears, Roebuck & Company provides one example of downward vertical communications going awry with ethical implications. In 1992 Sears was inundated with complaints that consumers had been misled about needed automotive repairs. What appears to have created the situation is the communication of increased work of increased work quotas and the introduction of productivity incentives for mechanics. At the time, Sears was facing declining revenues and looking for a means to spur performance. Unfortunately, some employees’ judgment suffered, and management failed to clarify the line between unnecessary service and legitimate preventive maintenance. This situation coupled with customer ignorance, created a vast gray area subject to a wide range of interpretation.

Lateral and Informal Communication

Lateral communication usually follows the pattern of work flow in an organization, occurring between members of work groups, between one work group and another, between members of different departments, and between line and staff employees. The main purpose of lateral communication is to provide a direct channel for organizational coordination and problem solving. In this way it avoids the much slower procedure of directing communications through the chain of command. An added benefit of lateral communication is that it enables organization members to form relationships with their peers. As we have seen, these relationships are an important part of employee satisfaction.

The large amount of lateral communication that takes place outside the chain of command often occurs with the knowledge, approval, and encouragement of managers who understand that lateral communication may help relieve their communication burden and also reduces inaccuracy by putting relevant people in direct contact with each other.

One type of informal communication, not officially sanctioned, is the grapevine. The grapevine within organizations is made up of several informal communication networks that overlap and intersect at a number of points that is, some well informed individuals are likely to belong to more than one informal network. Grapevines circumvent rank or authority and can link organization members in any combination of directions – horizontal, vertical, and diagonal. The grapevine flows around water coolers, down hallways, through lunch rooms and wherever people get together in groups.

In addition to its social and informal communication functions, the grapevine has several work related functions. For example, although the grapevine is hard to control, it often operates much faster than formal communication channels. Managers may use it to

distribute information through planned “leaks” or judiciously placed “just-between-you-and-me” remarks.

Davis identified four possible types of grapevine chains. In the single strand chain, person A tells something to person B, who tells it to person C, and so on down the line. This chain is least accurate at passing on information. In the gossip chain, one person seeks out and tells every one the information he or she has obtained. This chain is often used when information of an interesting but non-job related nature is being conveyed. In the probability chain, Individuals are indifferent about whom they offer information to. They tell people at random, and those people in turn tell others at random. This chain is likely to be used when the information is mildly interesting but insignificant. In the cluster chain, person A conveys the information to a few selected individuals, some of whom then inform a few selected others.

Davis believes that the cluster chain is the dominant grapevine pattern in organizations. Usually, only a few individuals, called “liaison individuals” pass on the information they have obtained, and they are likely to do so only to people they trust or from they would like favors. They are most likely to pass on information that is interesting to them, job related and above all timely

Communication by organizations:

Organizations also pay attention to the messages they send to external stakeholders, such as customer. The Italian Chemical Compnay, EniChem Polimeri, instituted a Responsible Care Program to communicate to both the community and its employees its corporate commitment to the environment. The program has opened an internal dialogue with company employees and has amplified external relations to create greater awareness of environmental concerns.

Communication with customers is vital. Schummel Novelty Products Inc., which exports plastic table cloths that can be colored by children, erased with a rag, and colored again, emphasizes attention to detail, especially, during international transactions. For this reason, Schummel is careful to fax to its overseas customers precise shipment information including flight and time of arrival. In addition, the company reaches most of its overseas customer by advertising in the Commerce Department’s catalog magazine, Commercial News USA and sending brochures, price lists, and ordering information to anyone who answers the ad. —

Actuarial aspirations

The term actuary commonly, referred to as insurance, is a promising area for those with an affinity for the financial sector. Actuarial science deals with the application of mathematics principles to assess risks of insurance and premium, and actuaries are organizations that provide services to sectors like finance and investment, insurance (health, life, general) and several benefit plans with reference to employee retirement.

Actuarial science includes a number of interrelating disciplines, including probability and statistics, finance, and economies. Insurance or actuary is now being considered as a very proficient course, unlike its earlier image of being the common man’s cup of tea. Moreover, in recent times, due to advancement in technology and use of high speed computers and the synergy of stochastic, actuarial models are used with modern financial theory.

1. Starting pay package after a course in actuary from institute: Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 p.m2. Senior level pay package : Rs seven to eight lakh per annum3. Package after clearing all 15 ASI-approved papers: Rs 25 to Rs 45 lakh per annum4. Package after clearing a couple of ASI papers: Rs seven to eight lakh per annum

Eligibility Evaluation:

The innumerable courses on actuarial science that have mushroomed are, in fact testimonies to the boom being witnessed in this area. These courses provide students with valid certifications to take a lead in this profession. M.S who teaches actuary at a Delhi-based private institute, informs, “Actuary is taught in India as a three year degree course, though several short term courses are also offered by many institutions. The courses on actuary are BA (insurance), BA with insurance as a subject, PG Diploma Management and a certificate course in intermediaries in specific insurance subjects. Also, there are several courses for insurance agents, insurance managers, foundation in financial planning etc.

It is very important for students to know that the courses offered by private colleges in actuary, in spite of their valid recognition, are neither at par with the ASI (Actuary Society India) certification, nor can they provide a similar kind of professional standing. Thus, it is crucial for a serious student to take up the 15 papers of ASI, in addition to the institutional teaching to become a fully accredited actuary.

The ASI papers can be taken at different academic levels, and the general qualification parameters are that the person is eligible to be considered for admission, if he or she has completed 18 years of age, has passed 10+2 or an equivalent, with at least 85 percent in mathematics /statistics, or graduated or completed post-graduation with mathematical subjects, or specialized in any of the mathematics branches, or statistics or applied statistics or econometrics. He also explains that one has to clear the following stages in order to become a full fledged actuary. The stages comprise the core technical stage, core applications stage, specialist technical stage and specialist application stage. If you have a PG degree in actuary from a private or Government university, you need to meet the minimum qualifications of the concerned university.

Institute Watch:

1. Actuary Society if India, Mumbai2. Institute of Certified Risk and insurance Mangers , Hyderabad

3. University of Delhi, Delhi4. The College of Vocational Studies (University of Delhi).5. Academy of insurance Management, Asia Pacific institute of Management , New Delhi6. Birla Institute of Management Technology, New Delhi7. Goa University, Goa8. Kurukshetra University9. University of Bombay, Mumbai10. University of Pune11. University of Chennai12. University of Kalyani

An aspirant who intends to become an Actuary with Insurance companies must have an aptitude for Mathematics and must also be brilliant in the subject. For a good pay and reaching senior level positions he must aim to complete Post graduation in the subject.

Ideas developed must be executed

There is a very good maxim about creativity in advertising and that is, it’s 80% idea. But it’s also 80% execution. What this contradictory statement is telling us is, ideas and executions can’t exist without each other. An idea is only as good as the way it has been expressed. And this is where execution is fundamentally important.

The need to craft an idea so it’s expressed with clarity and power, is as important as the idea itself. Creating ideas that connect with people isn’t only to be found in the power of the idea: it’s also in the manner of its telling.

Why does one idea work better than another? Why does a seemingly obvious idea end up being more powerful than one that at first seems more profound? This, of course, is a debate that will always exist. But one thing that gets over looked in this debate is the philosophical intent of an idea. Crafting a great idea is not just about selecting the right type face or layout or engaging the most expensive director.

It’s about understanding the philosophical forces that drive a concept. We more often refer to it as, the ‘Tone of Voice’ but, it goes deeper than that. When a great writer, painter or director talks about their work, they more often than not, talk about the philosophical forces that drive their thinking. It is that, which empowers their creative decision making process. And so it is for managers in advertising.

When an ad man comes to craft an idea, the means by which he does so not only captures the viewer’s attention, but also enhances the idea itself. A piece of communication needs to have its idea running throughout; it’s not just the clever way the headline is written, but in the design of the typography and its imagery, too.

Everything about the execution needs to have a reason. That is the function of crafting. To understand what drives the idea. But what makes one piece of work greater than

another? Why do some ideas stand the test of time while others date and soon look clumsy?

The truth of that is locked into the power of the concept itself, like it must be fresh, profound and simple or appropriate. But an idea does not exist in a vacuum. It has to be expressed. It has to exist somewhere so we can enjoy it and share it. And this is where craft and execution elevate the status of the idea. And turn good into great.

Time of course is creativity’s greatest critic and sometimes it’s instructive to look back, to try and understand what separates great from just good. But as our work increasingly lives in a multitude of evolving media platforms it’s essential we also look ahead. We must appreciate how ideas move from one medium to another and yet stay consistent, all the while understanding how to create a genuine bond between the execution and the consumer.

What marks a campaign as great is when it is crafted with a complete understanding of its purpose and what it is about its idea that will make it stand out. Each element needs to compliment the next, creating an experience that stands the test of time.

There is a seamlessness between creation and execution. Apart from an ad’s commercial success and therefore effectiveness, greatness is found in its existence as a body of work that employed the aforementioned principles and that elevates good to outstanding.

To really do this, we have to understand the philosophical forces that drive our ideas and their execution.the Power of IdeasIdeas are everywhere, they are omnipresent but it takes practice to develop an idea. Anybody can get a good idea but whether it’s a big idea is not known. A good idea is like a diamond, which has to be polished continuously, to give it the right shine and to make it shine from every angle. When the idea goes out there, it should look its best, just like the diamond looks its best in the showroom and to make an idea the best is a challenge.

When someone is suggesting an idea, hear it patiently and attentively — never confuse him or the idea he has may be lost. Hear the idea as it is, nurture it and something that appeared like a good idea in the beginning with the right amount of polishing could become a big idea.

Respect every idea, shape the idea, implement it and choose a way of expressing it in a way that shows it in the best light. It is very important to encourage people, because only when a person is unafraid to think of ideas he can dream big. If there is lack of encouragement, then young people may fear voicing their ideas and the fear of unknown may result in many ideas not seeing the light of day.

The world is full of ideas, they are everywhere. An idea which has taken this form today; mobile phones, iPods, the internet are all big ideas. They probably started as a germ of an idea in somebody’s head, someone pursued it, improved upon it and now it is in front of

us in its best form. If it wasn’t for ideas then life would have been the same over the centuries. We would still have been living like the people back in the 14th century.

At least right now we have no fear of expressing our ideas, but people in the past would get killed or butchered for their ideas. There is no such fear now. Good ideas are everywhere, they just need to be spotted and polished to make it a great idea.

Negotiating to manage Conflicts

We each must deal with conflict in our personal lives and organizational activities. Conflict involves a disagreement about the allocation of scarce resources or a clash of goals, statuses, values, perceptions or personalities. Much of the conflict we experience arises from our communication of our wants needs and values to others. Sometimes we communicate clearly, but others have differing needs. Sometimes we communicate poorly, and conflict emerges because others misunderstand us. Managers can of course, use dominance and suppression in handling conflicts with employees. But negotiation can help us manage conflicts of all types in a more effective and mutually satisfying way. Negotiation is a process by which two parties interact, through various communications channels, to resolve a conflict jointly.

Negotiation is a very important communication process. It is part of every manager’s job – as an interpersonal role, per Mintzberg’s categories. Negotiations are perhaps most visible in the context of labor management relations. Later in this article we cite a number of examples taken from the context of labor management relations in the United States today.

Daily life offers countless examples of negotiation. We negotiate with a car dealer to buy a car. We negotiate with friends about which recreational activities to pursue. We negotiate with our boss about working hours and conditions. Top ranking managers negotiate with Wall Street analysts over earnings expectations, with union leaders over contract provisions with environmentalists over the “best” way to prevent or clean up pollution and with employees over particular work assignments. All these “negotiation situations” are defined by three characteristics.

1. There is a conflict of interest between two or more parties; that is, what one wants is not necessarily what the other one wants.2. Either there is no fixed or established set of rules or procedures for resolving the conflict, or the parties prefer to work outside of a set of rules and procedures to invent their own solution to the conflict.3. The parties, at least for the moment, prefer to search for agreement rather than to fight openly to have one side capitulate, to break off contact permanently or to take their dispute to a higher authority for resolution.

Many factors are important to successful negotiating as shown. The actual negotiation process – the series of offers and counteroffers that we think of as the heart of the negotiation depends on: (1) whether the parties see their interest as depending on each

other (regardless of whether they actually do or not); (2) the extent of trust or distrust between the parties; (3) each party’s ability to communicate clearly and to persuade or coerce the other party to accept its point of view; (4) the personalities and idiosyncrasies of the actual people involved; and (5) the goals and interests of the parties.

Negotiation is a complex communication process, all the more so when one round of negotiations is just an episode in a longer term relationship. Such is often the case in labor management relations. Preparation is a key concern for the negotiator. That preparation should include a review of the history of previous negotiating sessions and pervious negotiated outcomes. The negotiator risks a great deal if he or she acts as if history is unimportant to the other party. This entanglement of relationships and time in the negotiating process is clear in the guidelines offered by Reed Richardson for conducting negotiations.

Not too, how often the value of planning is implied in the list of guidelines. Organizational strategies and functional plans serve as standards and thresholds that set limits on what a negotiator should and should not do.

"Until we can manage time, we can manage nothing else." Peter F.Drucker Time is the scarcest resource, unless it is managed, nothing else can be managed. Time unlike other resources cannot be saved for a rainy day or accumulated. In spite of time being so precious, most of us waste nothing so quite thoughtlessly as time.

Although all people have different talents, skills and personalities, each has exactly the same amount of time.

Effective Time Management

Objectives

Planning Organizing Prioritizing Scheduling Usage Of Planning Tools

Course Contents (9:30 AM-5:15PM)

Finding time stealers Categories of time use! Planning and priority setting Delegation Goal-setting Procrastinations / Interruptions / Mental blocks. Saying "No". Pareto's principle Parkinson's law

Breaking the habit of procrastination Distinguish between tension-relieving and result-achieving activities Personal time value and use of Prime time Making best use of your odd moments Using time to produce results Take decisions and delegate effectively Differentiate between important and urgent tasks Plan more effectively. Manage stress more effectively by meeting deadlines.

Inspire and motivate people Elicit high levels of involvement in work Help people eliminate dysfunctional behaviors , beliefs, habits Help people increase efficiency, effectiveness, and excellence Trigger their Creativity to solve problems