PRO-LOGOSA PRACTICAL APPROACH TO DIAGNOSING COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS IN ORGANIZATIONS 

Dr. Jim BohnProAxios – Minneapolis, MN

-PRO LOGOS

In Greek philosophy, logos referred to the ordering principle behind the universe, the all-pervasive creative energy at the source of all things. The philosopher Heraclitus (sixth century bc) declared this principle always existed and was responsible for all things. The Logos was ultimate reality, the ever-present wisdom organizing the universe. The Stoic philosophers developed this idea further in the third century bc, and envisioned the Logos as the rational principle of the universe that made everything understandable. The Logos was the impersonal power that originated, permeated, and directed everything.

Barry, J. D., Grigoni, M. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

Dia-meter

Dia-Logos

The logos creates coherence and unity, provides an orderly pattern for existence, and holds everything together.

PRO-Logos

The logos creates coherence and unity, provides an orderly pattern for existence, and holds everything together.

Proactivelyturning intentions

into reality.

PRO-Logos

The logos creates coherence and unity, provides an orderly pattern for existence, and holds everything together.

The dramatic need for

communication across the enterpriseProactively

turning intentionsinto reality.

PRO-Logos

The logos creates coherence and unity, provides an orderly pattern for existence, and holds everything together.

Potential Communicators

Proactivelyturning intentions

into reality.

PRO-Logos

The logos creates coherence and unity, provides an orderly pattern for existence, and holds everything together.

Potential Communicators

The dramatic need for

communication across the enterpriseProactively

turning intentionsinto reality.

The dramatic need for

communication across the enterprise

• Coordination of activities - getting people together takes effort, clear focus, clear agendas

• Knowledge of the future • Knowledge of roles • Knowledge of what has happened • Knowledge of victories

THE DRAMATIC NEED FOR COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE ENTERPRISE

InstructionDirectionExpectationsCourse CorrectionVisionRecognition

• People make mistakes, and those mistakes can be costly to a business and to people!

• Ineffective communication stifles energy and leads to low productivity - more time spent on people struggles than output

• Misunderstood goals cause misdirection of effort.

• Misunderstood definitions – “Deployment”, "Change Management."

• Misunderstood instructions – the details required to effectively use one’s energy.

UNCERTAINTY HAS A COGNITIVE COST

“Communication Overhead” is the amount of cognitive effort people must expend to understand their roles and responsibilities if clarity is lacking.

MacMillan, J., Elliot, E., & Serfaty, D. "Communication Overhead: The hidden cost of team cognition" in Team Cognition, Salas & Fiore (2009), Washington D. C.: APA press. ISBN 1-59147-103-6.

PROACTIVELY TURNING INTENTIONS INTO REALITY.

Potential Communicators

Executives

Managers

Supervisors

Directors

Customers

Line Workers

POTENTIAL COMMUNICATORS – BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Their own agendas.Their own responsibilities.Their own level of skill and competence.Their own histories.Their own experience (good and bad).Their own motivation.Their own context in the organization.

POTENTIAL COMMUNICATORSDRAMATIC NEED FOR COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE ENTERPRISE

What is preventing Logos from happening?

Barriers to communication

SOME REASONS COMMUNICATION FAILS …

Executives are especially vulnerable to the belief that their words and concepts will be carried out, largely because of positional power in their organizations.

Delegator versus dictator continuum People expect their orders will be obeyed

People assume communication has occurred

The dramatic need for

communication across the enterprise

Potential Communicators

Barriers to communication

POTENTIAL COMMUNICATORS DRAMATIC NEED FOR COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE ENTERPRISE

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

Emotional

Cognitive

Spatial

Behavioral

Organizational

The dramatic need for

communication across the enterprise

MotivationalPotential

Communicators

Temporal

Social

CulturalGeographic

INDIVIDUALS HAVE MOTIVATIONS WHICH MUST BE SATISFIED.

ALL ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE IS MEDIATED THROUGH INDIVIDUALS … EDGAR SCHEIN

WHY DO PEOPLE WANT COMMUNICATION?SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY HAS THE ANSWER!

Competence – I want to be effective at what I do.Autonomy – If you’re going to mess with my

freedom, I want a say in the matter. Relationship – The people in my life are important;

don’t mess with them.

Here’s why: These fundamental motivations are nonnegotiables … mess with them, and you’re in trouble.

DIRECTING ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION TO INDIVIDUAL MOTIVATION

The dramatic need for

communication across the enterprise

Potential Communicators

Competence

Autonomy

Relationships

Spatial

OrganizationalMotivational

Temporal

Social

Behavioral

Geographic

Cognitive

Emotional Cultural

There is often a forgetfulness by executives who have been discussing something for a long time, yet expect others to adapt immediately, as if others had been part of the conversation.

Competence

Autonomy

Relationships

How does this forgetfulness affect

employee motivation?

PURPOSE OF DIAGNOSIS

The purpose of diagnosing Organizational Communication is to address the motivational needs of communicators and receivers.

FIRST DIAGNOSTIC QUESTION:DOES THE COMMUNICATION SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL MOTIVATION?

The dramatic need for communication across the enterprise

Competence

Autonomy

Relationships

STORY #1 - - BIG PHARMA

Regular updates for a pending

change.

Competence

Autonomy

Relationships

ADDRESSING INDIVIDUAL MOTIVATION THROUGHORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION

The dramatic need for

communication across the enterprise

Potential Communicators

Competence

Autonomy

Relationships

Spatial

OrganizationalMotivational

Temporal

Social

Behavioral

Geographic

Cognitive

Emotional Cultural

The dramatic need for

communication across the enterprise

Potential Communicator

s

Competence

Autonomy

Relationships

Spatial

OrganizationalMotivational

Temporal

Social

Behavioral

Geographic

Cognitive

Emotional Cultural

EffectanceMotivation

(White, 1959)

The Ultimate Reason

“Change agents can reduce accusations (of misrepresenting a change)by being as truthful, realistic, and accurate in their depictions of the change …”Resistance to change: the rest of the story. Ford, Ford, & D’Amelio, 2008

SECOND DIAGNOSTIC QUESTION:HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THE COMMUNICATORS?

Potential Communicatorsevaluate their competence.

“I want to be effective at what I do.”

Competence

Autonomy

Relationships

“To make people understand what is expected of them.”

COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE

Perception of one’s own communication competence is a key element of Willingness to Communicate.

THE PRIMARY COGNITIVE BARRIER TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE (WTC)(MCCROSKEY & RICHMOND, 1985)

“Whether a person is willing or not willing to communicate, either in a given circumstance or more generally, is a volitional choice which is cognitively processed.”

Booth-Butterfield, M. 1990. Communication, Cognition and Anxiety. J Soc Beh and Personality, Vol. (5), 2, 19-37.

CONSTRUCT: WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE

Antecedents: Introversion Self-Esteem Communication CompetenceCommunication ApprehensionCultural Diversity

THIRD DIAGNOSTIC QUESTION:HOW DOES COMMUNICATION ANXIETY MANIFEST ITSELF IN THE ORGANIZATION?

Communication avoidanceCommunication withdrawal Communication disruption

HOW DOES COMMUNICATION ANXIETY MANIFEST ITSELF IN ORGANIZATIONS?

Communication avoidanceTalking only as much as is absolutely required.

STORY #2 - BIG PHARMA

Communication avoidanceReluctance to tell people of a big change for

fear of reactions. And the resulting backlash …

HOW DOES COMMUNICATION ANXIETY MANIFEST ITSELF IN ORGANIZATIONS?

Communication withdrawalSaying very little, if anything about a situationNon-verbal communication is still manifest Grapevine communication becomes the norm

STORY #3 - REORGANIZATION

Communication withdrawalSaying very little, if anything about a situationNon-verbal communication is still manifest Grapevine communication becomes the norm

HOW DOES COMMUNICATION ANXIETY MANIFEST ITSELF IN ORGANIZATIONS?

Communication disruptionA “fight” response …

STORY #4 - MERGER AND ACQUISITION

Communication disruptionA “fight” response … “We’re all going to lose

our jobs!”

COMMUNICATION: THE ESSENTIALS CONNECT THE DOTS

RationaleTimingProximityReporting Roles

Competence

Autonomy

Relationships

NotificationPreparation ConfirmationAffirmatio

nCoordination

FIVE WAYS TO PROACTIVELY TURN INTENTIONSINTO REALITY.

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

Emotional

Cognitive

Spatial

Behavioral

Organizational

The dramatic need for

communication across the enterprise

MotivationalPotential

Communicators

Temporal

Social

CulturalGeographic

Thank you!

DECI & RYAN REFERENCES

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York: Plenum.

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227-268.

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68-78.

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@DrJimBohn

04/07/2023

ORGANIZATIONAL INSIGHT LEADING TO ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION