A congenial communication climate: the catalyst and panacea for effective organizational communication

Abstract

The spirit of positive relationships should be the sine qua non to communication climate. Social scientists use the term communication climate to describe the quality of personal relationships in an organization. Do people feel respected? Do they trust one another? Do they believe that they are appreciated? The weather metaphor suggested by the term ‘climate’ is apt. Your own experience shows that the mood of a workplace can be described as sunny and calm, cold and stormy, or in similar terms, organizations create an overall climate, which can be healthy or polluted, but within that environment, individual relationships have their own micro climate. For instance, your interactions with one colleague might be described as icy, while you and another person enjoy a warm or cordial relationship. There is no question that communication climate is a key factor in job satisfaction and commitment to the organization. For this reason, communicators need to understand how to create positive climates. This article focuses on how to develop and improve the personal communication skills that are critical to the well being and successes of individuals and corporate organisations. The study adopts trait theory of leadership as its framework. It describes the necessary and proactive ingredients that foster a positive communication climate between people. It goes on to offer pertinent pieces of advice about how to communicate in a variety of person-to-person-situations; leadership styles, congenial climate and emotional intelligence.

Keywords: Communication climate, Informal networks, Emotional intelligence, Leadership styles, Organizational communication