Organizational communication gets high priority

For the coming years European communication professionals will expect that organizational communication will get a higher priority within organizations. As a result of the economic crisis, organizational communication has become more important. Employees do not feel secure about keeping their jobs anymore. Furthermore, reorganizations and other forms of organizational change are happening more often. For example, organizational communication can buffer the effects on job insecurity and stress. Moreover, organizational communication can directly contribute to the organizations' goals and the realization of the companies' policies.

According to several communication professionals there are important challenges in relation to organizational communication, which are:

1. The connection of organizational communication and the organizations' policies.
2. Facilitating organizational change.
3. Controlling information overload.
4. Making use of social media, giving employees the opportunity to give feedback on ideas and initiatives of the management by using social and interactive media.
5. To increase the perception of the credibility of the management according to the employees. Employees need to believe in the management again.

Research has shown that there is also a "to do-list" for communication professionals with the following activities:

1. To train the management in their communication skills. Better communication is needed between the management and the employees.
2. Making use of authentic communication messages instead of smooth management talk.
3. Facilitating online communities in order to create a dialogue within the organization (for example between the management and its employees or between several departments).
4. Seperating facts from gossip and rumours
5. Replacing text for video messages
6. Trying to decrease the amount of information channels.

In my opinion, clear organizational communication is an essential part of every organization. When everything is organized internally in terms of communication, you will defenitely see the benefits that is has externally.