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.

They want action! They want results!

Outspoken, technology-dependent, easily influenced, materialistic – this is how the media and society at large usually describe the current generation of young adults in India. They might be right to some extent, but there’s an alternate side to this younger generation – they’re courageous and purposeful. And hungry for change!

Media’s portrayal of youth, more often than not, settles around the areas concerned with increasing violence and crimes across the country. But it at times fails to showcase the path that the youth is taking to bring about a change in the society.  

India’s population today stands at 1.25 billion with 54% in the 25 year age bracket; certainly everything is not as gloomy as it is made out to be.

Invigorating and inspiring times provide ample opportunities for individuals to use their inner strength to maximum potency. With the ‘I-can-do’ attitude of today’s youth, achieving dreams is no longer a distant goal for them. If one has to look at growth and development in our country, the credit has to go to the youth, for they have been fighting all odds to make it to the top. The young men and women have always taken a step forward in addressing challenges of national concern irrespective of the returns they may anticipate.

The world witnessed the aftermath of the gruesome gang-rape of physiotherapist in Delhi. Screaming at the top of their voices, battling the lathi charge, braving the water cannons, enough and more campaigns and protests were led by the fearless young who shook the nation and the people in power.

Also, looking at India’s many progressive industries namely IT, infrastructure, retail and real estate that are leading the world by example, youth definitely is the backbone of our future economy, global presence and political stability.

The youth of our country shall also be considered as being the agents of change. They set the catalyst effect which propels the governments of any time and location to tremble and set their focus back on the future of the country. They have been very responsible in situations that are critical and tough which require national level attention.

In a sense, I’m counting on the youth of today. I believe that their actions will have consequences. Their efforts will make a difference.

To quote American president Franklin D Roosevelt, “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”