Organizational Communication- Personal

A lot of my time has been spent working with other people, and I would not have had it any other way. Great things can be accomplished when people work together towards a common goal, although, I will not be shy about they fact that organizational communication does not always flow easily. People always seem to have different ideas and work ethics. One of the most positive organizations I have ever worked with was Big Sisters. I have already discussed this organization a small amount in my blog, but it is an all female community service organization. I had the opportunity to be co-president of this club which put me into a position of power. This became difficult sometimes because I wanted all the girls to love me, but I also wanted them to listen to me when I asked them to attend an event or simply be quiet. For downward communication, we used posters, emails, phone calls, face to face contact, etc. You name it- we did it. Because we had so many girls, we knew that some channels would not work and we had to create a sense of redundancy. We also knew how busy the girls were, so reminders for events were imperative. For upward communication, we asked the girls constantly what events they wanted to participate in. We also asked that they voted on big decisions that would change the way the club was run. We felt that this provided the girls with a sense of empowerment so they felt like it was a club that could easily cater to what made them happy. If something wasn’t working, we would meet as a board to discuss what could happen to change the problem. Board meetings were held every week, with two teacher sponsors, and although my co-president and I would facilitate these meetings, we would ask that the communication be a collaborative effort. Meetings with the board and all 100 girls were held every other week. At the meetings, we would play games so that the girls would feel more comfortable working together at events. Many times, we would also have food at the meetings as a reward for those who came. The board would stay after meetings and talk with the girls in order to form relationships with them so that we could “reduce barriers”. I wanted the girls to know that when they entered the organization they gained 107 friends. It was a difficult time, but it was without a doubt, one of the most wonderful times in my life. I would repeat the year in a heartbeat. The experience prepared me to work with others in any job.