The climate inside organizations, departments, and teams can vary depending on how leadership establishes communication with the subordinates. In fact, organizational climate can be defensive or supportive based on the communication pattern within a team (AJ_Dukes, 2012). The former is described as rigid, unfriendly, and unsupportive, while the latter, on the other hand, is open, warm, and supportive (AJ_Dukes, 2012). This paper aims to discuss the environment in a specific company and ways of improving it. In our organization, Health Coach, the overall organizational climate is supportive, but there are some challenges that employees face sometimes.
According to the communication climate inventory, the general attitude is that the boss was able to create a warm and supportive environment in the office. Furthermore, the results show that the leader of Health Coach always offers moral support to the subordinates, is interested in their viewpoints, and treats them respectfully (Table 1A). Furthermore, the leader of this organization seems to trust his employees to perform particular tasks without the need for supervision. At the same time, the workers do not feel completely confident expressing their opinions to the boss, likely because they think there are some hidden motives.
Organizational climate can be the driving force or an obstacle to a team’s performance. In fact, if supportive and trustful relationships are built within a company, working groups will perform better than teams with increased pressure (Clayton, 2011). Additionally, offering encouragement and opportunity may help unleash someone’s potential (Self-Awareness, 2022). In contrast, triggering individuals’ fears, aversion, and other negative feelings can harm their performance (Self-Awareness, 2022). Indeed, the environment in an organization defines workers’ performance and motivation.
Fortunately, communication and organizational climate can be improved to boost a team’s efficiency and motivation. One of the essential elements of a group with a favorable climate is trustful relations between members. To build trust in an organization, it is crucial to reassure team members that they earned their place, trust their expertise, create shared goals, define roles, focus on tasks, and act responsibly (Clayton, 2011). Furthermore, leaders should try to establish good communication with each employee and encourage team building (Clayton, 2011). Additionally, Clayton (2011) recommends celebrating employees’ achievements frequently because it not only inspires them to put in more effort but also generates an encouraging environment. Overall, it is critical to maintaining a positive and trustful organizational climate to attain high performance in teams.
To create a supportive environment, leaders should learn specific communication skills. Specifically, a leader is recommended to build a good first impression of oneself within an organization because it was shown that this strategy positively impacts workers’ future performance (Clayton, 2011). Furthermore, it is crucial to interact individually with every employee to generate a feeling of their importance to the company (Clayton, 2011). In fact, such an approach helps clarify the roles and tasks of every team member (Clayton, 2011). Moreover, treating employees with empathy, compassion, and an equal attitude is essential to show they are understood and appreciated.
In summary, a supportive communication climate is crucial for any organization since it improves a team’s performance. On the other hand, a toxic and defensive work environment causes people to become less trusting of the leadership, subsequently damaging their efficiency. Therefore, it is necessary to treat employees with empathy and understanding. Their achievements must also be often recognized and celebrated to highlight their importance to the company and to motivate them to work harder.
References
AJ_Dukes. (2012). Defensive v. supportive climates in the workplace. Communication is Life. Web.
Clayton, M. (2011). Swift trust – why some teams don’t storm. Management Pocketbooks. Web.
Self-Awareness. (2022). Understanding the Johari Window model. Web.