Communication

2 Pages 475 Words

In this article, entitled “Can We Talk,” author Tom Terez explores straight talk as a means to better communication. It is nearly impossible to get anything done in an organization without communication. In this article, Terez reviews five different organizations where unique communication practices are prevalent.
Terez states, “When is the last time you and your colleagues, or your entire work unit engaged in open-ear, open-minded conversation?” My answer to this question would be daily, although this type of conversation is only held with other paralegals, not the attorneys. Usually conversation is a one way street, with the managers or boss’ giving directions and the employees obliging. There is little confrontation or questioning of orders that are given by my superiors. Of course, we paralegals talk amongst ourselves about how things need to change or how frustrated we become with tasks, but we have never openly conversed with the attorneys about these things.
The organizations discussed in this article gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. PQ Systems is a business that starts every day with a morning gathering before their stressful day begins. The product manager at PQ Systems said, “It’s kind of like getting together for breakfast in a family.” These meetings appear to provide a feeling of unity in the workplace and often involve the sharing of critical ideas which otherwise would remain in the back of an individual’s mind. The ideas shared often lead to company missions that can be achieved through process-oriented goals and open communication. Another group talked about in this article is a neighborhood community in Madison, Wisconsin. To promote a healthy community, firefighters, nurses, librarians, park employees, building inspectors, police officers, and others gather and share their ideas, challenges and success stories about the community. The lessons learned can also apply to private-sector o...