Communication is an integral part of human life either at personal level or at institutional level; in the U.S. Army, communication systems is one of the most advanced and cared for system. Communication can be defined as the process through which information is effectively transmitted from the sender to the receiver using a medium of exchange; for an effective communication, the parties to the communication should be able to understand each other and have a common language of communication. In the U.S. Army, the language of communication is English; however there are a number of communication mediums in the organization depending with the information to be transmitted or to whom the information goes to. This paper analyzes the role that communication plays in day-to-day working life; it will focus on the U.S. Army.
Role of communication in human day to day
People are social beings, they communicate with each other as they talk socialize and send information that portrays different emotions, expressions and attitudes. When one expresses his feelings, he can be understood by the other party thus the other party is able to know the best way of handling him or her.
In the army, there are different tasks undertaken that calls for consultation among the army men where they need to do something or they are about to undertake a certain task; with the communication, they are able to develop a common sense of destiny and understand what that are supposed to do at personal and team level. The army forces are disciplinary forces; this means that there should be one source of command that controls activities within the organization; this can only happen when there is an effective communication process or system that commands can be sent and received through.
In organizations effective communication enables leaders to be able to conduct their main tasks within the team of leading, mentoring, coaching, counseling and training; in the case of the army, the command in chief is able to give directions and exercise his power through communication process. In modern security threatened global environment, there is a growing demand for diversity training; the army sharpen the skill of their team through various training programs; diversity programs are aimed at shaping developing a better cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills, to have a double effect where the company benefit and employees are expected to benefits from such moves.
In the army communication may take some one way system or sharing of information from other places to assist in improving world’s security system. The main channels of communication can be summarized as word of mouth, internet, letters, internet, commands, facing expressions, military signs among others. To attain the above contemporary management needs, managers should be in the forefront enhancing effective communication strategies within their organization. When a company has a pool of expertise, it increases the level of efficiency in production.
How communication helps in managing activities
When there is good communication, people are able to understand each other and share the same agenda for a certain day since it has been communication via the communication system that has been implemented. Communication thus acts as the fuel that drives an organization. In the case of army, tasks can only be accomplished when the communication systems are effective and messages transmitted are received correctly by the parties to the communication (Guffey, 2009).
What trends have you seen in your workplace or previous workplace?
In the army, communication at personal level and team level have some sense of diplomacy where security forces of different levels can share ideas and can develop a common sense or direction of operation; however when it comes to going of commands, the diplomacy is broken and what remain is a chain of command form top down. The commander in chief is given the role of giving orders and instructions to the subordinates and the subordinates are not supposed to query the decision, this is an art of war that assists in the completion of military tasks.
What message types are results of these trends?
Within the army, the message can be classified as internal type of communication that can further be disintegrated to upward communication where junior officers communication to their seniors through offering reports and advices after a certain assignment. When orders are being given, it is a downwards communication system where the commanders and leaders in the organization offer instructions and commands to the subordinates and expect them carried out without much of a negotiation. Among army officers of the same level or when communicating at personal levels, the type of communication there in is horizontal or lateral communication, this is meant to share ideas, socialize and embrace the spirit of democracy in decision making.
There is another form of communication which is communication to the external environment like the public, the government or other stakeholders, the communication is aimed at creating good relationship or giving out information as required by the party involved; the external environment may also give information to the security force (Guffer & Almonte, 2009).
References
Guffer, M. E. & Almonte, R. (2009). Essentials of Business Communication. New York: Cengage Learning.
Guffey, et al., (2009). Business Communication: Process and Product. New York: Cengage Learning.