Team Communication

Communication is a key factor in the success of any project. Communication throughout a Six Sigma project is very important because the power and scope of Six Sigma demands a significant commitment from everyone in the organization. Six Sigma successes require clear and open communication at all levels to transcend departmental barriers that would otherwise cause confusion. In addition, any change in an organization will meet some resistance, either intentional or just because of inertia. When management can effectively communicate that it is behind that change and can communicate the positive aspects of the change, resistance can be countered and overcome.

Communication Types – Communication is either verbal or non-verbal.

Verbal communication – It uses verbal medium like words, speeches, presentations etc. and the sender shares his/her thoughts in the form of words. The tone of the speaker, the pitch and the quality of words play a crucial role in verbal communication.

The speaker has to be loud and clear and the content has to be properly defined. While speaking the pitch ought to be high and clear for everyone to understand and the content must be designed keeping the target audience in mind. In verbal communication it is the responsibility of the sender to cross check with the receiver whether he has got the correct information or not and the sender must give the required response.

Non verbal communication – It involves facial expressions, gestures, hand and hair movements and body postures for non verbal communication. Any communication made between two people without words and simply through facial movements, gestures or hand movements is called as non verbal communication. In other words, it is a speechless communication where content is not put into words but simply expressed through expressions If one has a headache, one would put his hand on his forehead to communicate his discomfort – a form of non verbal communication. Non verbal communications are vital in offices and meetings.

Team communication can also be categorized as

• One-way communication – One-way communications are very frequently used and they are appropriate in certain conditions. This type of communication does not require an immediate response, and is used when the information is not particularly urgent, confidential, or sensitive. Examples include e-mail, memos, announcements, progress reports, voicemail messages, status updates, and reviewing feedback.
• Two-way communication – Two-way communications are a little different. Here you’re looking for an interactive multiple directional cycle of communication. You need to get feedback to see if the message sent was received as intended, and you require immediate feedback. The two-way communication is a method in which each party transmits information, and you use this type of communication to react and respond to each other in real-time. Interactive communication is appropriate when an immediate response is required, when the information is sensitive, or possibly likely to be misinterpreted. It’s also beneficial for brainstorming, feedback, and collaboration. Examples include telephone calls, text messaging, or voice-over IP.
• Top-down communications – Top-down communications are very important where you drive influence through the organization. Informed employees are empowered employees. This type of communication is used to remind employees about vision, strategies, objectives, policies, and developments. It is also used to deliver performance feedback. Unfortunately a lack of adequate downward communication is often cited as a management failure. In corporate downsizing, for example, employees often do not believe management, feel misinformed, and complain that decisions were not adequately explained to them. It is therefore important to work on successfully implementing this type of communication.
• Bottom-up communications – Bottom-up communications are also very important. You need to keep your managers aware of what’s going on, provide progress on performance, explain problems, and make suggestions for improvement. It is important for employees to believe that the door is really open for communication. By doing this, employees can be empowered. Upward communication helps to keep upper levels informed of what the worker levels are thinking, and can suggest where there may be improvements. Unfortunately, upward communication has historically been a problem in some organizations, due to the lower level employees filtering the information that’s going up. This can leave many higher level organizational managers in the dark about what’s really happening in an organization.
• Horizontal communication – It is important to collaborate. You need to promote this notion in today’s customer-focused organizations. You need to have timely and accurate feedback and product information to do the right thing. To serve your customer needs, information needs to be shared and speedily passed along to the people who need it to do their work. Inside the organization, people must be willing and able to communicate across departmental and functional boundaries, and listen to each other’s needs as internal process customers. This is communicating horizontally. Collaborative organizational designs emphasize lateral communication in the form of cross-departmental committees, teams, and task forces, as well as using a matrix structure in the design of the organization.

Besides training, Six Sigma teams also need to have effective communication to run smoothly. Team members can use these communication tools to help them overcome a lack of personal contact:

• the Internet
• personal communication devices
• teleconferencing
• videoconferencing

The Internet provides a way for teams to communicate quickly and inexpensively throughout the world. With access to the Internet, team members also have access to e-mail, web sites that can be both public and private – such as intranets with project discussion or message boards – and instant messaging (IM).

Any number of small information-handling devices are now available to enhance team communication. Personal communication devices enable communication regardless of the location of the intended respondent, and include the following

• cell phones
• pagers
• personal digital assistants (PDAs)

Effective communication could involve the following

• providing education
• sharing results
• reporting progress
• conducting reviews
• designing an ongoing awareness plan
• celebrating success