Compose a 3-page blog like the one you read for this SLP, describing the climate in your
organization, department, or team. Do not use the actual name of the organization – you
can make up a pseudonym. Include the following in your description:
Is the climate supportive or defensive? Does this align with the results of your
Communication Climate Inventory? Attach your Inventory results as an appendix. (Note:
This appendix requirement will likely increase your paper’s Turnitin similarity score; your
professor is aware of this.)
How does the communication climate affect motivation and organizational/team
commitment?
How could you improve the communication climate in your organization, department, or
team?
What communication skills would you like to learn or improve on in order to create a
supportive communication climate?
Be sure to support your analysis with concepts and principles introduced in the
background readings on communication as well as conflict and teams (if appropriate). You
may also incorporate outside research to supplement the background material. Cite all
sources properly.
Communication Climate
Blog Entry on Communication Climate in my Department at UHI
‘I want to take this opportunity to recognize the role played by my team in making last
week’s event a success. I could not have done it without you. Thank you for all your input,
contribution, and criticism that ensured that we made the right decisions to make the event a
success.’ This was not a strange way for Mr. Henry to start a meeting. We have all come to
appreciate him as a supportive manager who is not only willing to listen to our contributions but
who has instilled in us that ‘the boss is not always right’ and that we all have a role to play in
making the department a success. My organization, Universal Health Inc (UHI) is characterized
by a communication climate that ensures a group atmosphere that is highly supportive; but it is
COMMUNICATION CLIMATE 2
the unique leadership characteristics of our head of Department Mr. Henry as we call him that
has made our department the most admired within the organization regarding performance.
I still remember when I was new to the organization and I had not mastered the
processes. I missed an important procedure that led to a bad customer experience. When I was
summoned to the supervisor’s office, I knew that the role I had so painstakingly sought was
gone! Mr. Henry calmly asked me to sit down and explain to him what had happened. Shivering,
I narrated my ‘incompetence’ as I waited for my reprimand. I could not believe my ears when
Mr. Henry said ‘You are only human and this can happen to anyone.’ I almost doubted that this
was my boss because I had expected to get a thorough punishment for my actions. However, it
was not as simple as that, and Mr. Henry took me through the importance of maintaining
efficiency as I did my work and to remember that so many people rely on this job for their
families’ survival and that such errors could cost all those people their income if the company
went down. This was the most diplomatic reprimand I had ever witnessed, and as Mr. Henry kept
stressing the importance of efficiency, the more I felt committed to making my future
contribution to the company worthwhile. Since then, I have come to know him as a manager who
listens, accepts his mistakes, is interested in employee problems, treats people with respect and
does not make them feel inferior, and one who allows his staff to contribute and do their work
without fear.
A conducive communication environment is highly imperative in ensuring that the
efficiency of an organization is enhanced. It is for this reason that I believe that my organization
has a supportive communication environment. Based on Gibb’s communications climate
inventory scores, my organization scores more highly on the defensive communication climate
than the supportive communication climate. According to Al-Kahtani & Allam (2013), the lower
COMMUNICATION CLIMATE 3
the score of each climate, the greater the extent in which it is demonstrated in the organization.
This means that my organization can be considered supportive, given the lower supportive score,
which effectively matches my description. According to Dukes (2012), a supportive
communication climate illustrates a flexible, friendly and supportive working environment. This
may insinuate an organization where employees are free to raise their concerns and communicate
their needs. As a result, employees are highly motivated and productive (Al-Kahtani & Allam,
2013). Based on my experience described above, my supervisor is not only supportive but also
concerned about the needs of employees.
The impact of the communication climate on employee motivation and team performance
is undoubtable. Adler & Proctor (2011) notes that when the climate is supportive, employees are
more likely to be productive due to a high level of motivation. Employees feel more appreciated,
and they are free to express their views without fear of being reprimanded or judged by their
colleagues or managers (Bacal, 2016). This explains why my department has excelled above
others at UHI. Team members are highly motivated, based on the supervisor’s leadership style
that ensures that employees can express themselves freely.
To improve the communication climate in my department, I would stress the values and
considerations of a supportive communication environment as provided by Gibb. I would
encourage description versus evaluation. Description ensures that an individual presents her
viewpoints and feelings as their own as compared to evaluation where the group member tends
to assign blame, pass judgment and interrogate others (Al-Kahtani & Allam, 2013). Secondly, I
would stress problem orientation as compared to control. This means that instead of imposing
their point of view, I would encourage team members to focus on problem identification and
collaboration in finding solutions (Segal, J & Smith, 2017). Spontaneity, as opposed to strategy,
COMMUNICATION CLIMATE 4
would be my third approach. This would involve ensuring that team members are encouraged to
openly express their feelings, thoughts, and emotions and discouraged from being dishonest or
having hidden agendas. The contribution of everyone in the group is of great importance, hence
the reason I would also seek to promote equality as opposed to superiority. This means believing
in the contributions of everyone without making them feel inferior (Segal, J & Smith, 2017).
To create a supportive communication climate, I would like to learn communication
regarding flexibility, equality, empathy, and spontaneity. Other communication skills that I
would like to improve are listening, open-mindedness, non-verbal communication (eye contact,
gestures, body language) and clarity and concision in the messages communicated between the
employees and the management. I would also like to improve employee confidence and respect
to each other and the management. The concept of effective communication and the principals
lay down for conflict resolution must be utilized.
Reference
Adler, R.B., & Proctor II, R.F. (2011). Looking out, looking in (13th ed.). Boston, MA:
Wadsworth.
Al-Kahtani, N. S. & Allam, Z. (2013). Supportive and Defensive Communication Climate
among Subordinate Staff of Salman bin Abdulaziz University: An Empirical Assessment.
Life Science Journal, 10(4),
Bacal, R. (2016). Articles on communication and conflict management. The World of Work.
COMMUNICATION CLIMATE 5
Dukes, A.J. (2012). Defensive v Supportive Climates in the Workplace.
Segal, J & Smith, M. (n.d.). (2017). Conflict resolution skills: Building the skills that can turn
conflicts into opportunities. Helpguide.org.