Communication Climate in Organizations

Organizational/ communication climate

Communicating with Internal and External Stakeholders

Climate is the atmosphere of a organization. More specifically, climate is the atmosphere of supportiveness or defensiveness that people feel within an organization. It is an integral part of organizational culture.

During times of change, it is easy for the organizational climate to become defensive. Internal stakeholders are often in fear of losing their jobs or fearful of the changing roles they are being asked to assume. External stakeholders such as beneficiaries or investors are concerned about quality beneficiary care or profitability and stability. In short, it is often challenging to maintain a positive feeling in the midst of uncertainty.

To make proactive and informed decisions about what you can do to make the organizational/communication climate better, you first need to have a clearer understanding of the existing climate.

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A. Characteristics of a Positive Communication Climate

1. Encouraging Openness

2. Communicating Credibility

3. Building a Climate of Trust

4. Behaviors that Endanger Trust

5. Leading ethics

Communication Climate Information will flow much more freely in an organization where there is a positive communication climate, but may not flow at all, especially when it is most needed, if there is a negative communication climate. A supportive communication climate allows for a better exchange of information and a more positive work environment.
An organization’s climate can be equated to the weather—it is the atmosphere that people feel within the organization itself. It is an integral part of organizational culture. More specifically, organizational climate is the atmosphere of supportiveness or defensiveness people feel within the organization and the feelings they have about sending and receiving messages.
To build a supportive communication climate you need to send messages that acknowledge effort, creativity, and teamwork, engage people in the decision making process, establish trust, which is maintained through consistency, congruity, reliability, and integrity.
It is not enough to be a nice manager and create a nice environment in which to communicate and work. You must also communicate a sense of challenge to your employees by placing importance on high quality and establishing high performance goals.

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