MANAGING GROUPS AND TEAMS
Take the attached Communication Climate Inventory.
Communication is the grease which makes relationships in organizations run smoothly, and by extension, directly affects the effectiveness of the organization itself. Communication climate refers to the mood or tone of interpersonal communications and determines in great part how people feel about each other and how they carry out their work activities. Thus, communication climate has a great deal of influence over the organizational climate or general atmosphere of the work environment. Read the following blog about what it is like to work in a defensive climate:
Dukes, A.J. (2012). Defensive v Supportive Climates in the Workplace. Retrieved from <>
As you can see from this blog entry, defensive climates create a situation where employees do not raise work concerns or communicate their needs. They are careful about what they say and guard their opinions. Frequently they exhibit low motivation.
Supportive climates, on the other hand, encourage employee participation and engagement, an open exchange of information, and constructive conflict. Employees who work in supportive environments often exhibit greater organizational commitment.
1) describing the climate in your organization
2) Is the climate supportive or defensive? Does this align with the results of your Communication Climate Inventory?
3) How does the communication climate affect motivation and organizational/team commitment?
4) How could you improve the communication climate in your organization, department, or team?
5) What communication skills would you like to learn or improve on in order to create a supportive communication climate?
