Communication In The Workplace

Communication Issues in the Workplace

Spoken language is a form of communication that stands out above all other forms of communication. This is the primary way we communicate. Expressing our thoughts as we speak, helps aid in our verbal communication. Body language and gestures can make a person's perception of our communication a lot clearer. If you have ever listened to a monotone person speak, it is hard to understand their feelings on the subject. When they incorporate gestures and tone, we are able to see their point and understand their meaning.

Different people use this ability in different ways. When giving information we want to speak, how we speak is different depending on the location we are in. There are so many languages that it becomes hard to communicate with people. Even different dialects within a language make verbal communication difficult. An accent can cause someone that speaks the same language to become confused and misinterpret the meaning of speech. Because of this, we have evolved our language skills to use non-verbal communication. How and where we are raised determine both our verbal and non-verbal language.

Culture seems to be the biggest factor in our communication skills. With America being such a diverse place, we have to learn to change our style of communication. There are so many cultures represented in America that it is impossible to have one single agreeable way to communicate. Where we are raised and what we believe is the foundation to our thoughts. This is what aids us in our communication. Culture changes drastically as you move around the world. Spoken language will change as you spin the globe. Although most languages are linked to our roots, it is difficult to understand. We have evolved so much in our own separated areas that we have lost touch with our past. As discussed earlier, dialects are an example of this problem. Within the English language, there are two main separators. You have American English and the English of Great Britain and Ireland. The two languages have the same base. There are words that mean the same, but are spelled differently. You have words that are used for slang in one language that are not used in the other. This makes understanding very difficult. Some cultures have combined languages to form their own. Belgium and Vietnam are two prime examples. We overcome this issue by learning about cultures and languages.

In the technologically advanced, fast-paced world in which we are employed, issues in communications can cause creativity and production to come to a screeching halt. In today's world, we live by email, letters, and memorandums that are sent out electronically over the Internet. Written communication is becoming our primary way of communicating in the workforce more and more every day. When dealing with this issue on a personal basis, we understand the person because we know them. You have an understanding of them as a whole. Slang and special icons have made personal written communication easier to understand. When dealing with written communication on a professional basis, it can be hard to get the proper point across. Written communication has dominated the work place for a few years. Gone are the days of team meetings and face-to-face conflict resolution. How we express ourselves can leave a lasting impression on someone we have never met in person.

Certain factors can have a huge impact on communications in the workforce. For instance, if you are at a "desk job", where your job depends on communications via the Internet or email, a computer virus can cause all communications to come to a crashing halt. With over 50,000 known viruses and new versions of those viruses being developed on a daily basis, it is a matter of time before a virus infects your computer at work. When this happens, all communications must stop, as the network must be repaired. Although 50,000 is not a large number when compared to the number of computers in the workforce, it only takes one virus to completely destroy a mainframe.

In 1990, estimates ranged from 200 to 500; then in 1991 estimates ranged from 600 to 1,000 different viruses. In late 1992, estimates were ranging from 1,000 to 2,300 viruses. In mid-1994, the numbers vary from 4,500 to over 7,500 viruses. In 1996 the number climbed over 10,000. 1998 saw 20,000 and 2000 topped 50,000. It's easy to say there are more now. (www.cknow.com/vtutor/vtnumber.htm) It is difficult to calculate the correct number of viruses circulating. There is not one method of counting. While some persons count every strand or replica of any virus as an additional virus, others only count the first initial virus that comes out. For example, if a virus is designed to recreate itself as a different strand, 10 times some people count that as 10 additional viruses, while others count it as still the one since it stemmed from the original virus strand.

A company can protect themselves from viruses by implementing certain regulations for opening emails. Scanning all attachments before opening will diminish the possibility of a known virus destroying the mainframe, however, it will not protect against a new virus that has been unleashed on the world that day. Using common sense and proper education of employees on viruses can assist in solving that problem. Knowledge is power.

Symantec Security Response (http://www.norton.com/) encourages all users and administrators to adhere to the following basic security "best practices":

·Turn off and remove unneeded services. By default, many operating systems install auxiliary services that are not critical, such as an FTP server, telnet, and a Web server. These services are avenues of attack. If they are removed, blended threats have less avenues of attack and you have fewer services to maintain through patch updates.

·If a blended threat exploits one or more network services, disable, or block access to, those services until a patch is applied.

·Always keep your patch levels up-to-date, especially on computers that host public services and are accessible through the firewall, such as HTTP, FTP, mail, and DNS services.

·Enforce a password policy. Complex passwords make it difficult to crack password files on compromised computers. This helps to prevent or limit damage when a computer is compromised.

·Configure your email server to block or remove email that contains file attachments that are commonly used to spread viruses, such as .vbs, .bat, .exe, .pif and .scr files.

·Isolate infected computers quickly to prevent further compromising your organization. Perform a forensic analysis and restore the computers using trusted media.

·Train employees