Way
back in the 1980s, Robert H Lengel and Richard L Daft came up with a theory
known as the Media Richness Theory. The essence of the theory is simple. It
says that the richness of a communication media is directly proportional to its
ability to reproduce information. Also, the selection of communication medium
depends on the task at hand or the situation that an organization is facing.
Communication,
today, is a corner stone for businesses around the world. It will not be an
exaggeration to add that it is the game changer that makes or breaks any
business. The way you communicate with your employees, business partners and
customers, determines your success. Though, every firm strives to be a trusted
brand and a great place to work, there is a tendency to view communication as
an afterthought. The popular perception is that the communication part will be
taken care of once ‘we put the process in place’. Is it a wise move?
I
believe that the above-mentioned approach makes the communication strategy
uni-dimensional in approach. Instead, what will work best for any organization,
irrespective of the area of work, is rich communication, as it helps lay a
foundation for trust with various stakeholders. Again, I would refer back to
the Media Richness Theory by Lengel and Daft as an example.
I
have always believed that seeking inputs from your employees, who interact with
the customers and thus have their insights, adds tremendous value to the growth
of the business and is a boon to the overall strategy. Not to forget that it’s
almost certain that your employees will not only feel valued, but also be more
responsive to the new strategy when you finally roll it out.
I
would stress that rich communication has to be the norm for any organization or
firm that wants to be successful in today’s cutthroat competition. During tough
times, silence results into suspicion, unilateral communication creates
confusion, whereas rich communication provides hope and generates trust. Rich
communication, therefore, has to be the defining feature of an organization. It
encourages open culture and transparency in the company.
I
am proud to add that rich communication is what has help establish Hero BPO as
a trusted brand today. Over the years we have been successful in developing a
rich communication culture internally as well as externally by listening and
engaging on a continuous basis with our customers, our employees and the
communities we operate in, to not just provide innovative products but also add
value to each and everyone’s lives.