What to communicate is fundamentally determined by the goal to be achieved, a goal that should be very clear for each process. However, in the digital age, organizations are overwhelmed by all kinds of information, both formal and informal.
In this context, we will only deal with formal information. What the organization communicates externally is vital for its survival as it must attract customers, investors, employees, etc., but it must also do so in a way that is not harmful to other stakeholders.
It is essential that top management decides what to communicate externally, based on the purpose to be achieved.
Internal communications, on the other hand, may be necessary for all processes, at the level of the interface between collaborators, departments, and the various business areas. There are many things to communicate internally. From the communication that activates an action, to the communication that allows a worker to interact within a process, to the communications that pass from one process to another, up to the communications that put an end to a given process.
Demonstrating that an organization has determined what to communicate both internally and externally that is relevant to the quality system can be achieved through:
- the presentation of evidence of the existence of policies that address the topic of internal and external communication;
- the selection of a representative sample of processes and their relative descriptions with the demonstration that in the internal and external interface between the processes the nature of the information that must be communicated is taken into consideration;
- the demonstration that in these phases of the process the information to be communicated is pertinent to the purpose identified previously.
Determine When to Communicate
When a reason for communicating has been established and it has been decided what to communicate, the next step is to decide when to communicate it, and this will depend on a number of factors that will influence the priority of the message to be transmitted.
A requirement of this type is necessary because the right timing of communication is very important for its effectiveness. If the message is transmitted too early, its true meaning will probably not be fully understood, while if it is transmitted too late, there is a risk that the right time to make a real difference has passed.
Demonstrating that the organization has determined when to communicate both internally and externally the information relevant to the quality system can be done through:
- the presentation of evidence of the existence of policies that address internal and external communication;
- the selection of a representative sample of processes with the relative descriptions of the same and the demonstration that in the internal and external interface the timing of transmission of the information that must be communicated is taken into consideration;
- the demonstration of how obstacles to effective communication have been identified and addressed.
Determine with Whom to Communicate
Communication, as we know, involves a sender and a recipient, and this requirement concerns the determination of who should be the recipient. The recipient can be a person, a selected group of collaborators or managers, an organization, the public during a meeting or conference, a group of stakeholders, etc. Without identifying who receives the message, there can be no effective communication.
Indeed, the greater the number of recipients, the greater the possibility that our message will not be understood correctly.
To fulfill this requirement, one can start from the descriptions of the tasks and results for which individuals are responsible. This path will facilitate the decision regarding who to communicate a message to. Selecting the right recipient is important as it influences the way in which the message is to be transmitted.
Regarding direct communication to the outside and, in particular, to other nations, it is good to examine a priori the possible problems that could emerge due to linguistic, customary, and cultural differences. Paying the necessary attention to all of this will avoid unpleasant setbacks.
Demonstrating that an organization has determined to whom to communicate the information that is relevant to the quality management system can be done through:
- the presentation of evidence of policies that address internal and external communication;
- the selection of a representative sample of processes and the relative descriptions of the processes and the demonstration that in the internal and external interface the selection of the recipients of the information that must be communicated is taken into consideration;
- the demonstration that obstacles to effective communication have been identified and addressed.
Determine Who Communicates
As we have seen, communication involves a sender and a recipient, and this requirement concerns the determination of who should be the sender. Without identifying a sender, there is no communication, but we can also add that often the identity of the sender gives further credibility to the communication. Also in this case the descriptions of the tasks performed by individuals should help us understand who might have the necessary authority to achieve the results for which they are responsible.
In the absence of protocols, who communicates should be decided based on several factors:
- the communicative abilities of the individual;
- the knowledge and experience in the matter;
- the ability to manage negative feedback and transform it into an advantage;
- the extent of the authority that has been delegated to a certain person;
- the degree of respect that is recognized to a certain person;
- the needs related to a particular situation.
Demonstrating that the organization has determined who must communicate the information relevant to the quality system can be achieved through:
- the presentation of evidence of policies that address internal and external communication;
- the selection of a representative sample of processes with the relative descriptions and the demonstration that in the interface between the processes internal and external the choice of the sender of the information that must be communicated is taken into consideration;
- the demonstration that obstacles to effective communication have been identified and addressed Determine How to Communicate
This requirement concerns the determination of how the sender should communicate with the recipient. There are many ways to communicate a message and even if it is the right message, sent by the right sender to the right recipient, its effectiveness will depend on how it was delivered because some methods are much more effective than others.
In determining how information should be transmitted, it is necessary to consider who is intended to receive it and how these communications are positioned in terms of urgency, sensitivity, impact, and permanence of the message.
The way in which someone says something can have a great effect on the meaning that is communicated.
Information transmitted orally is fast and allows immediate feedback, allowing you to know immediately if the message has been understood and to ask for clarification, if necessary. The interaction between sender and recipient can continue until consensus is reached.
Information can also be transmitted in writing in a more reliable way than information provided orally. If an immediate response is required, oral communication is vital. However, written information is more permanent and allows the recipient to reread it at will. From the sender's point of view, written communication allows you to be more precise about what is being said and to overcome the obstacle of oral communication which is based on the recipient's recollection of what was said. In this way, written communication is more appropriate for long messages, technical information, and information that needs to be used as a source of reference.
Written communication, however, is less effective in conveying feelings, trust, integrity. When feedback is given in writing, the interaction between sender and recipient can continue for days, weeks, or months before a consensus is reached. Sometimes the parties may feel frustrated by all these difficulties and what generally happens is that the tensions increase so much that one of the parties stops giving feedback.
The ideal, therefore, is to be able to establish the right balance between oral and written communication. Demonstrating that the organization has determined how to communicate the information relevant to the quality system can be achieved through:
- the presentation of evidence of policies that address internal and external communication;
- the selection of a representative sample of processes and the relative descriptions and the demonstration that in the internal and external interface between the processes the method of communication of information is taken into consideration;
- the demonstration of how obstacles to effective communication have been identified and addressed.