This document provides an overview of an approach to diagnosing communication problems in organizations. It discusses how communication is essential for coordinating activities, sharing knowledge, and preventing mistakes. However, communication often fails due to a lack of clarity in roles and instructions. The document then presents a model for diagnosing communication issues that focuses on addressing the motivational needs of communicators and receivers. It examines how communication can support competence, autonomy, and relationships. Barriers to communication are identified, and examples are given of how communication anxiety manifests in avoidance, withdrawal, and disruption. The document concludes with recommendations for improving communication through preparation, notification, coordination, confirmation and affirmation.

1. PRO-LOGOS
A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO DIAGNOSING
COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS IN
ORGANIZATIONS
Dr. Jim Bohn
ProAxios – Minneapolis, MN

2. 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.

3. Dia-meter
Dia-Logos
The logos creates coherence and unity, provides an orderly pattern for existence, and holds everything together.

4. PRO-Logos
Proactively
turning intentions
into reality.
The logos creates coherence and unity, provides an orderly pattern for existence, and holds everything together.

5. PRO-Logos
Proactively
turning intentions
into reality.
The dramatic need
for communication
across the
enterprise
The logos creates coherence and unity, provides an orderly pattern for existence, and holds everything together.

6. Potential
Communicators
PRO-Logos
Proactively
turning intentions
into reality.
The logos creates coherence and unity, provides an orderly pattern for existence, and holds everything together.

7. Potential
Communicators
PRO-Logos
Proactively
turning intentions
into reality.
The dramatic need
for communication
across the
enterprise
The logos creates coherence and unity, provides an orderly pattern for existence, and holds everything together.

8. • 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

9. THE DRAMATIC NEED FOR COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE ENTERPRISE
 Instruction
 Direction
 Expectations
 Course Correction
 Vision
 Recognition
• 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.

10. 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.

11. Executives
Directors
Managers
Supervisors
Potential
Communicators
Customers
Line Workers
PROACTIVELY TURNING INTENTIONS INTO REALITY.

12. 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.

13. What is preventing Logos from happening?
Barriers to
communication
POTENTIAL COMMUNICATORS
DRAMATIC NEED FOR COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE ENTERPRISE

14. 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

15. Potential
Communicators
POTENTIAL COMMUNICATORS
Barriers to
communication
The dramatic need
for communication
across the enterprise
DRAMATIC NEED FOR COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE ENTERPRISE

16. BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
Potential
Communicators
Behavioral
Cognitive
Cultural
Geographic
Emotional
Motivational
Organizational
Social
Spatial
Temporal
The dramatic need
for communication
across the enterprise

17. ALL ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE IS MEDIATED THROUGH INDIVIDUALS …
EDGAR SCHEIN
INDIVIDUALS HAVE MOTIVATIONS WHICH MUST BE SATISFIED.

18. WHY DO PEOPLE WANT COMMUNICATION?
SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY HAS THE ANSWER!
Here’s why: These fundamental motivations are nonnegotiables …
mess with them, and you’re in trouble.
 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.

19. DIRECTING ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
TO INDIVIDUAL MOTIVATION
Potential
Communicators
Behavioral
Cognitive
Cultural
Emotional
Geographic
Motivational
Organizational
Social
Spatial
Temporal
Competence
The dramatic need
for communication
across the enterprise
Autonomy
Relationships

20. How does this
forgetfulness affect
employee motivation?
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

21. PURPOSE OF DIAGNOSIS
 The purpose of diagnosing Organizational
Communication is to address the motivational
needs of communicators and receivers.

22. FIRST DIAGNOSTIC QUESTION:
DOES THE COMMUNICATION SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL MOTIVATION?
Competence
The dramatic need for communication
across the enterprise
Autonomy
Relationships

23. STORY #1 - -
BIG PHARMA
Competence
 Regular updates for a pending
Autonomy
change.
Relationships

24. ADDRESSING INDIVIDUAL MOTIVATION THROUGH
ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
Potential
Communicators
Behavioral
Cognitive
Cultural
Emotional
Geographic
Motivational
Organizational
Social
Spatial
Temporal
Competence
The dramatic need
for communication
across the enterprise
Autonomy
Relationships

25. “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
Potential
Communicators
Behavioral
Cognitive
Cultural
Emotional
Geographic
Motivational
Organizational
Social
Spatial
Temporal
The Ultimate Reason
Competence
The dramatic need
for communication
across the
enterprise
Autonomy
Relationships
Effectance
Motivation
(White,
1959)

26. SECOND DIAGNOSTIC QUESTION:
HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THE COMMUNICATORS?
Potential Communicators
evaluate their competence.
Competence
Autonomy
“I want to be effective at what I do.”
“To make people
understand what is
expected of them.”
Relationships

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

28. 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.

29. CONSTRUCT: WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE
Antecedents:
Introversion
Self-Esteem
Communication Competence
Communication Apprehension
Cultural Diversity

30. THIRD DIAGNOSTIC QUESTION:
HOW DOES COMMUNICATION ANXIETY MANIFEST ITSELF IN THE
ORGANIZATION?
 Communication avoidance
 Communication withdrawal
 Communication disruption

31. HOW DOES COMMUNICATION ANXIETY MANIFEST ITSELF IN
ORGANIZATIONS?
 Communication avoidance
 Talking only as much as is absolutely required.

32. STORY #2 - BIG PHARMA
 Communication avoidance
 Reluctance to tell people of a big change for fear of
reactions.
 And the resulting backlash …

33. HOW DOES COMMUNICATION ANXIETY MANIFEST ITSELF IN
ORGANIZATIONS?
 Communication withdrawal
 Saying very little, if anything about a situation
 Non-verbal communication is still manifest
 Grapevine communication becomes the norm

34. STORY #3 - REORGANIZATION
 Communication withdrawal
 Saying very little, if anything about a situation
 Non-verbal communication is still manifest
 Grapevine communication becomes the norm

35. HOW DOES COMMUNICATION ANXIETY MANIFEST ITSELF IN
ORGANIZATIONS?
 Communication disruption
 A “fight” response …

36. STORY #4 - MERGER AND ACQUISITION
 Communication disruption
 A “fight” response … “We’re all going to lose our jobs!”

37. COMMUNICATION: THE ESSENTIALS CONNECT THE DOTS
 Rationale
Competence
 Timing
 Proximity
Autonomy
 Reporting
 Roles
Relationships

38. FIVE WAYS TO PROACTIVELY TURN INTENTIONS
INTO REALITY.
Preparation
Notification
Coordination
Confirmation
Affirmation

39. BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
Potential
Communicators
Behavioral
Cognitive
Cultural
Geographic
Emotional
Motivational
Organizational
Social
Spatial
Temporal
The dramatic need
for communication
across the enterprise

40. Thank you!

41. 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.

42.  We offer plainspoken guidance for those who
do the work.
 Check out the Rapid Diagnostic @ www.ProAxios.com
 info@proaxios.com
 651-302-1574
 Minneapolis, MN, USA
 @DrJimBohn
PRO/AXIOS
ORGANIZATIONAL INSIGHT LEADING TO ORGANIZATIONAL
TRANSFORMATION
3/7/2014