Managing Communication Challenges in Project Execution

Executive Summary

The report is about management of projects with particular regard to the challenge that our organization has faced while carrying out our business in the office and even the fieldwork. The setting of the report regards the operations that happen in the day to day running of the office as the clients grievances are being handles. Besides the consultancy services offered by the firm, other projects of the firm include but not limited to legal aid clinics. In so doing, the challenge of communication arises thus has been a drawback for some time. The report therefore is divided into three sections, which are: the background introduction, the barriers that affect communication, possible recommendations in relations to various theories and lastly, the reflections.

Introduction

The organization that I manage deals with is in the provision of legal services, specifically to the members of low income groups and the less fortunate in the society. The legal entity I run has various departments such as litigation, conveyancing, legal aid, commercial transactions and alternative dispute resolution sections. My organization faces many challenges that hinder it from achieving its goals and objectives that it was formed for. In view of the hurdles that I have experienced at my work place, the core problem lies with the managerial aspect of the organization. In the course of implementing our annual plans, I have noted a constant challenge of poor and feedback.

For close to the two decades that my firm has existed, poor communication and feedback has drawn us back in many ways (Cooren et al., 2013). During the closes of the year reviews, there have been other challenges, however, the outstanding predicament in all the years of my practice in the form of Advocates as the Managing Partner, our entity has lost considerable amount of resources due to the menace.

The report is therefore designed analyze the problem that out firm has consistently experienced over the time of its existence insofar as the managerial aspects of our departments are concerned. In so doing, it will dig deep into the attitude of the employees about their understanding of how it impacts on their performance (Balogun et al., 2014). The report will also look at the various theories that have been advanced by scholars and academics based on the malady related communication mishap in our firm.

At the tail end, the report will suggest recommendations that if applied, can remedy the already skyrocketing problem in our offices. I will take a pragmatic approach in discussing the issues that are geared towards addressing and addressing the communication barrier acing us. A quick reflection of all the matters canvassed will also be laid bare in the concluding remarks.

Analysis of the problem

As aforesaid, the firm has operated for the last twenty (20) years, active in all operations of a medium sized law firm. Due to the varied expertise that my fellow partners and our associates have on different fields of law, as a managing partner, we agreed to purchase a whole will of our current business premises as the nerve center of our operations (Alan, 2013). Besides, the firm has branches in some major cities thus; I have appointed the branch managers who report directly to me. This has further elaborated the communication matrix of the firms operations.

Apart from the attorneys that the firm has employed, I also have the support staff that has expertise in other areas other than the advocacy skills. Some of the professionals that I have employed are accountants, finance officers, procurement directors, human resource officers, information communication and technology experts among others. The support staff members have been of great help to the firm and I must say that they have contributed immensely to the success of the firm.

The report bases its major over view on communication. Communication is a very crucial element in any organization as it is what makes the organization to harmonize its operations across the firm (Brandon et al., 2011). A typical office of whatever kind has its nerve center as the avenue for making, recording, storing and receiving information. This implies that the success of an organization largely if not wholly, depends on how it has strategized itself on communication mechanisms across the board

In view of the above statement, the importance of communication cannot be over-emphasized. However, it must also be appreciated that communication faces numerous challenges in many organizations and our firm is not an exception (Balogun et al., 2014).The challenges that prevent the effective communication of information in organizations can be referred to as the barriers to communication. I will in a short while embark on the said barriers later.

The law firm was founded primarily to offer legal services to the people at large without any kind of discrimination. In fact, our organization has been recognized among the firms that have geared its service towards the less unfortunate in the society; as we offer legal services to the immigrants who are facing deportation threats due to alleged invalid documentation. My form also does not shy away from representing those who have been prosecuted, judged and condemned unheard by the court of public opinion.

It is against the backdrop of the objectives of the firm that I take keen notice of the communication problems that our organization has experienced over the time. Essentially, there are occasions that clients have called me complaining that they are not updated on time concerning the progress of the matters (Blaschke et al., 2012). It is noteworthy that during our first two years of operation in as a firm of attorneys, we seldom heard such complaints. We may have had communication challenges but they did not border the clients care.

Besides the failure to keep the clients appraised concerning their matters that are in court, tribunals or government registries, clients have been registering a lot of complaints concerning the delays in which their complaints are responded to (Alan, 2013). The firm’s mission statement gives the client the primary consideration in all the maters of the firm. It is ironical that the very clients that have stuck together with the firm for all the years are not given due communication attention as far as their grievances and complaints are concerned.

Internally, communication has not been effective in my firm for a very long time, despite the promise by the staff to correct their mess in every beginning of the year. As partners, we are supposed to be updated on the progress of the matters that our juniors are handling in case the files are delegated to them (Cornelissen et al., 2011).

It is a common occurrence in busy firms like ours to find that a partner is away on official duties of the firm for even close to a weak or in some instances two. When this happens, as the managing partner, I assign the roles that the partners were handling to the junior attorneys in the firm to ensure that there is continuity. However, things do not go the way I expect. In the many instances that I have delegated the duties to the junior lawyers, they do not bring out the feedback on time. The issue is not about quality of work they offer; for my staffs are very competent in the areas of law they handle. They always wait for me to remind them of the progress of the files they are dealing with (Cooren et al., 2013). My fellow partners have brought this issue before me on several occasions and I remember that we have held several meetings to brainstorm over this trend, but little has been achieved. It is like a game of mouse and cat, whereby I see some slight improvement but no sooner those times passes by than the reverse trend springs back.

There is a barrier on how the information on financial books of account is communicated. I am alive to the fact that lawyers are laymen in technical accounting thus may not have much knowledge on the very fine tuned records that the accounts department presents to the firm within the accounting or trading period (Cooren et al., 2011).

However, it is as well crucial to note that attorneys are thoroughly trained in almost all areas of life, albeit not as deep as the professionals themselves. As a managing partner, I have the advantage of accessing the records of accounts before any other person, even my fellow partners.

I must admit I have faced the challenge of closely monitoring the financial information. I also take cognizance of the fact that financial accounting and financial management are two different distinct provinces that must be canvassed with due care.

A very critical challenge related to communication is the manner in which attorneys communicate to the lay men, which include but not limited to the support staff and the clients, themselves (Nelson et al., 2013). There are occasions that internal memo is communicated to all workers but some of my workers end up not getting the gist of the message being communicated. As a result, very crucial information has not been captured by the targeted audience. Also connected to this is the manner in which my fellow attorneys relay information during the legal aid clinics. It is noteworthy that our firm has invested a lot of resources towards the fulfillment of adequate legal awareness throughout the country, as there are people who are in dire need of legal services but unable due to inadequate finances to hire lawyer. The jargons used by the attorneys during has rendered the hitherto noble intuitive inadequate.

The channel of communication in our firm is not proper as it ought to be. It does not march the success that the firm has achieved for the last two decades. Whenever a new employee enters our firm either as an attorney or support staff, they are taken through some basic training so as to adapt to the firm set up. Among the key elements that new entrants that the human resource department informs the workers about is how to air out their grievances if need be.

A real threat to the organizational communication of our may manifests itself in the differences of status in the firm. There is no denial as to the fact that we have close to three hundred workers in the firm. This is not a small number; as all of us work during the day without night shifts. As a result, the difference in status must arise as the workers are in different categories and departments too. Their salary scales are not the same because of the level of expertise and experience that they have garnered in their respective fields. All these are blessings but in disguise, as communication may not be fully disseminated to fit all the departments and the workers therein (Cooren et al., 2013)./p>

We are an organization that has its own culture thus it must be adhered to at all material times. However, the results are contrary to what I expect as the manager of the firm. There are instances that I get information from the junior support workers yet it should be handles by other departmental leaders that the firm has placed in such positions. This basically means that I am doing some else’s work. Conversely, some very information sensitive information that the department leaders ought to bring to my attention does not reach my desk. I only get such information when things are messy, almost beyond control.

Communication is made between people. In the course of passing information, equipment is used to relay the information to save time. Additionally, the modern world has come with technological advancement that has revolutionized the entire world as far as communication is concerned. Our firm has invested in the communication gadgets but not to the level that it is generally expected of. We have a big number of employees thus the communication tools must be commensurate with the number. In some departments, we operate with old electronic machines that have become obsolete.

Actionable recommendations

Based on the above challenges that my form faces, I strongly believe that as a manger, there must be remedy. The very way to make communication be effective is to organize training so as to improve communication skills among the workers (Elkins, 2019). This will go a long way in improving the standards of communication in all the departments of the law firm. In so doing, it is prudent to source relevant trainers who have wide range of experience and expertise in relaying information in sectors such as law firms.

The challenge of channel of communication can be remedied by training, as recommended above. However, as previously noted, the challenge which results from not following the right channel of communication can be remedied by encouraging a closely knight together. The firm should organize activities that bring people together as it will reduce any possible friction and anxiety that are the precursors to disregard of the right communication channel and hierarchy.

The problem that sprouts from the jargon used by the lawyers can be cured by open talk among the attorneys of the firm. The senior partners are supposed to be at the forefront in encouraging the use of simple and plain English. This will reduce the friction that has been in existence between the attorneys and the support staff. In turn, it will enhance harmonious understanding between the two clusters of workers.

Everyone should be involved in the formulations of the policies that affect the general welfare of the staff at work place. This will enhance the commitment of the staff in promoting the ideals of the law firm. Issues that surround the performance of the firm in terms of its financial position will definitely enable the employees to know whether there is a positive progress on their side or note however, if viewed from another angle, it may be professionally unaccepted (Naeem, 2019). This is because there are some strict professional rules that prohibit sharing of such sensitive information with the no lawyer staff.

The noble objective of legal aid is negatively affected by the continuous use of legal jargon by the attorneys. This falls squarely within the purview of the senior partners of the firm thus, the management should approach the issue with sensitivity that it deserves. In any without the client base, there is no reason for the existence of any law firm, as there is no one who will be served. It therefore calls on the whole firm of advocates too deliberate effectively on the issue because it is a challenge to most lawyers in many jurisdictions across the world (Taylor and Every, 2010). Be as it may, mechanical approach over the matter may not yield the desired fruits because there is inherent ego in most professionals in general and advocates in particular. However, a proper approach can yield much.

In the course of looking at the ways in which communication can be improved in an organization of our magnitude, I want to invoke the thoughts of philosophers who have elucidated ways, which are hitherto helpful to our generation. Taylor (2010) ushered in a way that enhances the understanding of how a modern organization works. Despite the fact that this scholar was an engineer by training, he espoused a lot of ideals in the realm of scientific management; a fact that spread also to management in other societal sectors. The good scientist firmly believed that most of the entities do fail because the management systems are not available.

The proposition by this theorist that more experienced workers of the organization should guide the entrants into the market by way of apprenticeship still applies to the current realm of communication in a law firm. As previously explained, the staff, be it legal or supporting, have different levels of experience; and they have a role to play in enhancing the flow of communication either from top to bottom or vice versa.

The bureaucratic theory by Henri Fayol and Max Weber aver their understanding of the in terms of classical perspective of communication in an organization. Their major point of focus relates on how the organization is structured as opposed to the activities within the organization (Kuhn, 2012). It is because of the propositions that were laid by these great theorists that many organizations are now striving to ensure that they aspire and aim at their target on their plans.

Max Weber referred to bureaucracy as what should drive the aims and aspirations of any organizations. In essence, he was driven by the philosophy of socialism. After witnessing corrupt conduct and unethical tendencies among the leaders, he opined that the onus falls on the leaders of the organizations to take charge to enhance both impersonal and proficient relationships.

The proposition of Weber on bureaucracy is definitely in contrast of what many people including the pundits, which have always associated inefficiency with bureaucracy (Seidel, 2019). In his own opinion, he avers that bureaucracy in the organization is in the same par with the consistent ideals that the organization has for the betterment of communication in the firm. Also, the order that the organization has rolled up is very much synonymous with the bureaucracy. As such, order involves some organizational traits, which if promoted, will lead to division of labor and specialization in an effective manner.

It is also noteworthy that procedure and rules that govern communication in the firm are well documented so that no one can claim any defense of negligence. It is thus the duty of the line managers to utilize most of their time on ensuring that that the communication policies and rules are well implemented to counter the challenges in the information flow./p>

Command and hierarchy is also very critical in ensuring that communication channel is enhanced in the firm (Schoeneborn, 2011). The command chain must be well known and it should be in the form of a pyramid. The subordinates and supervisors are the levels in which the communication flows. In so doing, every worker in the firm is supposed to be accountable to her superior in a corresponding manner. If this is implemented by the law firm, it will sort out the communication challenges that the firm has been facing.

Impersonal environment is a factor that cannot be left out in the discourse. Indeed, for communication to be enhanced, one of the sensitive tenets is the relationships between the workers. The personal feelings and thought s of the workers should not be left to affect the decisions of the firm as far as communication strategies are concerned. The employees of the firm are simply required to carry out their duties and they must not know what the managers are purposing to put across before the said communication is made officially.

Qualitative theory is also a very important element that can effectively rectify the communication barrier in our firm. This school of thought sprang up as a result of what the commanders in the world war two; in which efficiency was vital. The war experts had a strong desire to have soldiers in the field with different skills to enable them approach their enemies without much friction. The same theory still applies to date, especially in the line of organization’s plans to strategize its key pillars such as communication (Schoeneborn, 2011). Inasmuch as we are close to 60 years since the war, the lessons are vital to enable the managers to make viable decisions on how to implement the rules and policies that the organization would follow.

The firm ought to purchase additional equipment to replace the old machines that have been rendered useless. Every year, digital markets come up with new modalities of communication devices (Naeem. 2019). If communication gadgets such as the closed circuit televisions are adopted by the firm, the work input can be greatly improved as the workers will work without necessarily being physically supervised. Additionally repairs can be periodically done so as to save on the costs of replacing the machines that have broken down.

Reflections

Based on the foregoing, I maintain that communication is element in the organizational structure of a firm or business. It should be given its rightful regard by the players in the industry. Just as I have noted above, whatever that the firm has invested in improving its communication channel will not be utilized unnoticed. The engine of the firm is communication, because even the service that our firm provides is only utilized by way of effective communication. Consequently, it is a wakeup call to my fellow managers in other fiends to take notice that while planning and evaluating the successes and failures during the end year review, it is prudent to give emphasis on the strategic communication plan because our firm took up the challenge. Our organization has since seen the outcome after implementing the recommendations that have been heighted in the report.

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