Factors Affecting Communication Channels in Organization

Factors Affecting Communication Channels in Organizations There are several factors that have an important influence on the effectiveness of implementing organizational communication channels, namely: A. Oral media Media or messages delivered verbally can be carried out by delivering it yourself or interpersonally, via communication media, such as modern communication media telephones, smartphones, and others. Then, the recipient of the message can be yourself, a small group, a community, a large group, the public, and others. The following are the advantages of oral media, including: • Messages are delivered with the tone or color of the sender's voice, along with body movements, and facial expressions or expressions. • Messages are responded to directly in the form of questions, explanations, answers, and so on. • Messages received can be responded to quickly B. Written media This one media is how messages are delivered with letters, reports, memos, posters, flyers, and other written messages. Then, here are the advantages of written media, including: • Written messages make it easier for us to remember the message because it is delivered in written form • The message received can be absorbed and studied longer compared to oral media which is spontaneous and easily lost. C. Electronic media The last media is electronic media, where the delivery of messages uses digital media such as facsimile, email, and so on. Some of the advantages that can be taken from using electronic media to deliver messages, include: • Message data arrives faster • Message data can reach many people • Message data can be stored and viewed again for later Things that must be considered in organizational communication in the field of education, especially schools, are as follows: 1) The delivery of messages through downward communication channels often results in one-way communication (one way traffic). If this is allowed to continue, it will create the possibility of increasingly limited feedback information from below received by the leader. For this reason, it is necessary to develop feedback communication, namely from the bottom up. For leaders/Principals who do not see the importance of educator participation in determining goals, making activity plans, and formulating policies, it will result in failure to communicate from the bottom up. So that the channels that are usually visible in an organization are merely symbols. 2) The communication channel that needs to be nurtured and developed is the upward channel. If this is done, it can be used as evidence of the rise of leaders in developing the skills of Educators/staff employees and success in realizing openness in the schools they lead in the current reform era. However, the problem is not that easy because providing opportunities for educator participation is often misused, namely as a medium to force the will of educators, or the problem of immature ways of thinking. This shows the immaturity of the way of thinking of the community so that Nurcholis Madjid said that Indonesian society is still primitive in a democracy. In order for communication from the bottom up to run effectively, it is necessary to foster a climate of openness in a family way, supported by objectivity and clear thinking. If this can be realized, the bottom-up channel will be able to: Reduce stress and at the same time will be able to foster active participation. Increase awareness to want to listen to the hopes of superiors for the progress of the organization, and obtain a sense of appreciation in lower-level employees. The mental preparation of leaders/principals who want to stimulate the growth of effective bottom-up communication includes realizing that the emergence of criticism stems from disagreement with policies implemented by leaders/principals. If this happens, it does not need to be assessed negatively so that a culture of like or dislike arises, but it should be seen from the positive side, namely the benefits of criticism. If leaders/principals are willing to view criticism from a positive side, then progress can run effectively. 3) Horizontal communication channels also need to be fostered and developed because this communication occurs between people who have the same or equal or almost equal position, so it tends to be less frightening for each party, more accurate because each party is open, does not feel pressured and there is no suspicion, and faster than upward or downward communication. 4) Diagonal communication channels, based on several studies show that there are often conflicts in Line communication (teachers/employees/staff)-diagonal staff/vice principal, where the staff have greater communication activities and knowledge about various events than line employees. For that, it is necessary for leaders/principals to position and make line employees aware who have less knowledge about various events in their schools.