Communication – The corner stone for all businesses

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.