Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 OBJECTIVE OF THE REPORT
This report is written on internal communication system of a real estate company. The main objective of this study is to know the effect, affect, importance and role of internal communication standard on the performance of an organization. Moreover, to find out the strategies, techniques, tactics, initiative and steps can be taken to make the internal communication as a very effective foundation of a company.
SECONDARY SOURCES
As, we were more dependent on the primary sources, so there might be some level of inaccuracy with those collected information. Though, adequate verification and crosschecking was used, to minimize the error level.
SUNCITY DEVELOPERS LIMITED. Confidential information regarding past profit or product cost, financial information was not accurately obtained. Alike all other real estate institutions, Suncity Developer Ltd. is also very conservative and strict in providing those information. In those cases, we have relied upon some assumptions, which in result have created certain level of inaccuracy. Still, we had tried my best in obtaining that sensitive information, as much as possible. Time constraint was another limitation restricting this report from being more detailed. The Relationship Mangers at the operation or strategic level of the concerned department were very busy with meeting their targets. So, it was very difficult for me to get them free and obtain some practical ideas regarding their expectation and opportunities regarding my topic. Many of the analysis on the obtained data are based upon my sole interpretation. This in result might bring some biases, as lack of knowledge and depth of understanding might hinder me to produce an absolute authentic and meaningful report. Most of the high authority personnel are also related with another company. It also worked as an obstacle to set up an effective conversation.
SUNCITY DEVELOPERS LIMITED. quality material, modern fittings, and ultra modern outlook and so on. Most common reason behind the success of real estate business is that, our land of world is fixed and the increasing number of people increases the unanimous demand of leaving place. The developer concentrates on building high rise building rather than small building. Individualism is another common word in this modern globalize world which also increase the demand of small size of apartment.
Last two decay the real estate business get a revolutionary success in the Bangladesh history and people paid their concentration to acquire a least one apartment for himself or his next generation. The dream for a cozy and comfortable living is universal for everyone. For an urbanized city dweller of today, this dream is coupled with a necessity of having the home in a safe and renowned neighborhood with easy access to urban facilities. Not many of the city dwellers have the time and energy to undertake construction of such a home by them. With the rapidly changing scenario of the real estate sector of our country, professional commitment to the customers and the sector as a whole is the key to meaningful business growth. To provide accommodation facility to city
SUNCITY DEVELOPERS LIMITED. dwellers a lot of Real Estate Business firm have grown. They are trying to provide housing facilities by establishing sky touching building. Some financial organization has also grown up to provide assistance to buy apartment as well as finance to build up project.
No. of Apt. units Del No. of Plot units Delivered by the Developer per year Approx. turnover per year Revenue to Govt.
: :
: :
1,250 Corer Taka (Tk.12.50 Billion) 100 Corer Taka (Tk.1.oo Billion)
Architects Graduate Engineer Diploma Engineer Management Official Direct Labor skilled & unskilled Contribution to GDP
: : : : : :
2000 4000
nos nos
The SUNCITY DEVELOPERS LTD (SDL) established in 2004 by six members highly qualified engineers whom are so experienced to provide professional services for the best quality CONSTRUCTION & for the best proposal & recommendation to perform any structural construction, any engineering jobs, engineering management services etc. and are capable to work in time. The Directors (shareholder) of SDL served in many responsible positions like Teacher, Executive Engineer, Structural Designer, Chief of Engineering Department, Managing Director of other real estate company, Chief Consultant etc. in Bangladesh & abroad. Five Engineers of them served with Grameen Bank for long times, so that a fare construction management idea they acquired from many construction projects like high-rise building, factory building, 700 office & residence building etc.
Ongoing Projects of Suncity Developers Ltd: 1. Suncity Sonargaon 2. Suncity Rose Vally
3. Suncity Moon
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It is important to note that, the data suggest that these communications tools and practices in themselves are not enough. There are underlying values that must be present to ensure successful communication. The following values are inherent to effective communication for the best practices identified; trust, relationships, planning, respect, authenticity, recognition, openness, integrity, interaction. The following values and principles are found to be essential elements running through the above practices. Builds relationships. Builds a sense of community. Creates opportunities for networking and sharing of best practices. Fosters trust Allows for participation of all staff. Provides immediate feedback. Consistent communication (everyone gets the same message, at the same time). Common understanding Team building. Information sharing helps employees to make informed decisions. Celebrates and recognizes achievements/staff contributions. Leads to improved performance. Increases efficiency and effectiveness of operations. Face-to-face and two-way communications emphasized.
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Empowers staff; created by staff, for staff. Creates a better understanding of what others in the department are doing. Creates opportunities for learning and development.
The best practices identified in this review seem to support the following benchmarks for effective communications:
The CEO must function as an open communication champion. There must be a match between management's words and actions. There must be a commitment to two-way communication. There must be an emphasis on face-to-face interaction. There must be a shared responsibility for employee input. Good and bad news travelling up to management should be encouraged (Multidirectional: upward, downward, lateral and diagonal throughout the organization). Stakeholders interests, contributions and concerns must be known. Employees should be encouraged to use an open communication strategy
Help to create a 'can-do' culture and build a committed and high-performing workforce focused on achieving the councils goals Boost morale and motivation
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Encourage staff to be your ambassadors Help the organization learn your staff are a vital source of information and ideas Provide a better customer service informed frontline and other staff will be up to speed on whats happening in the council and why.
where you are now a summary of the audit findings where you want to get to key priorities and clear aims and objectives, including targets who your key stakeholders are, for example staff, managers, unions, members key messages milestones 'quick wins' resources available budgets and staff the communications tools you will use, for example, poster campaigns, staff road shows, managers seminars, team briefings, newsletters Evaluation how you will measure success. Guidelines for Effective Communication Dont try to get too many messages across Behavior communicates more than your words. Employees prefer face-to-face communication. The immediate superior is the preferred source of information. Effective communication is timely and open.
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Even when you dont communicate, your silence communicates. Showing is more powerful than telling. Engaging is more powerful than telling. Share the thinking, not just the conclusions.
5.2 MEETINGS
One such important tool used to maintain order in a company is the business meetings. Business meetings are without doubt the best tool for a company for the fact that it provides crucial information about the company's progress and how well is business. Meetings are used to show the company's achievements as well as the company's weaknesses to the concerning people. In SDL, office staff meetings are held monthly, and it use an agenda and provide minutes. Every staff has the opportunity to express their views. It generally calls informal or quick meetings whenever information on emerging issues needs to be disseminated immediately. Networking is practiced by staff to share ideas, tools and practices with colleagues not just within the office but with other branches of their office. And the managing director of SDL used to participate the regional and national conference with the marketing manager.
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5.3 ORIENTATION
Once a new employee is hired, an orientation should be given to the employee to make him/her enjoy a successful and satisfying work/life experience. In SDL new employees are assigned a staff member who will respond to their queries, show them around the facility, pointing out any important features along the way like emergency exits and hazardous areas. Booklets and other induction materials are provided to new staff to enable them to have an a feel of what is expected to them and how their role fits in with the organization. They are introduced to the existing groups and profile of them are sent to other offices via email, newsletter. And the one month introduction period of top level entry is usually celebrated.
5.4 FEEDBACK
Feedback is an essential part of improving performance regardless of current performance levels. It's needed to maintain high performers, and improve poor performers. Management of SDL encourages informal group activities such as lunches, morning /afternoon tea to celebrate birthdays. Here, recognition for a job well done or feedback from management and colleagues are readily made known, verbally or in writing, and issues are discussed openly and constructively. In staff or informal meetings, management actively solicit feedback about their communication with staff, asking questions like-when I talk or write, are you generally clear about what I am saying? Do you think we communicate well around here?
5.5 WORKSHOPS
Workshop is intended to help employees at all levels and in all functional areas (whether or not they have contact with external customers) understand what it takes to be successful in an organization committed to service differentiation. Once they understand the basic concepts, they will be challenged to identify specific actions they can take individually and in association with others to improve the customer's experience. In SDL workshops are conducted off-site for specific
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SUNCITY DEVELOPERS LIMITED. business goals and also become a venue for team building and social/fun activities. The methodology used for workshops is primarily interactive, the methodology includes lecture, as well as individual and group exercises.
5.6 TRAINING
Giving training to employees has a significant role in modern business era. Not just to equip them with latest tools your company has implemented, there is a lot more to it. Training is linked to employee performance and retention. In addition, employees will not reach their full potential and higher levels of productivity will not be achieved unless employees are adequately trained. Training impacts organizational competitiveness, revenue and performance. In SDL regular training are held to keep employee skills current. Rapid technological innovations impacting the workplace have made it necessary for people to consistently update their knowledge and skills. Especially training for rapid technological innovations and multidimensional areas are given. Which usually demand far more from their area of specialization?
5.7 CONFERENCES
Conference is a meeting of people that "confer" about a topic. And SDL Developers arranges conferences for discussing its business related matter. Its the formal place or time where the employees represent their views, opinions or inform the authority about their problem. Generally in conferences big issues are discussed.
5.8 SEMINERS
The idea behind the seminar system is to familiarize employees more extensively with the methodology of their area of work and also to allow them to interact with examples of the practical problems that always occur during research work. It is essentially a place where assigned readings are discussed, questions can be raised and debates can be conducted. It is relatively informal, at least compared to the lecture system of academic instruction. And in SDL, attending at local/
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SUNCITY DEVELOPERS LIMITED. regional/national seminars is open to employees at all levels, not just restricted to managers. Seminars are also held within the organization, where the employees of other branches of SDL are invited to come.
5.11 NEWSLETTER
A newsletter is a regularly distributed publication. Many newsletters are published by companies, to provide information of interest to their members, customers or employees. SDL also publish regular in-house newsletters to make the staff well informed of ongoing activities, future direction. Their newsletters include news and upcoming events and projects, as well as contact information for general inquiries. And it also encourages for staff input in newsletter. There two types of
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SUNCITY DEVELOPERS LIMITED. newsletter. Printed (on paper) and digital (on the internet). But SDL publishes only the printed newsletter. And they are waiting for the permission of REHAB to publish online newsletter.
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SUNCITY DEVELOPERS LIMITED. SDL keeps all the personal information of the employees for any emergency contact. It lists all the names of the employees, their telephone numbers and their functional responsibilities. Company regularly updated the information if when any new employee joins or any employee resigned, retired or fired. But all these information are kept confidentially.
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SUNCITY DEVELOPERS LIMITED. reports are considered as top secret. And Annual Report is communicated to only the relevant employees. Not all the employees are permitted to get the Annual Report.
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Within the six years of establishment SDL has appeared as one of the most potential and dependable member of REHAB by its good communication and royalty. SDL has a bulk of qualified, experienced and dedicated human resources. SDB has been able to utilize its extensive marketing efforts in order to capture a wide customer base at a very short time. SCBs dedication is supreme in providing the best services to the clients. In order to exude innovativeness and creativeness, SDL tries its best to come up with customers problems and solve them.
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SDL has a high charge and interest rate than other competitors. For this potential customers are going away. The real estate industry is now experiencing the contractual employment fever that has started up and SDL has also fallen prey to it. Self-interest of the employees is actually hindering their performance. SDL is facing problem to create a smooth relationship with the clients especially with foreign clients. Most of the higher authority personnel are also involved with other company. So, they cannot give the full effort to SBL. While dealing with its customers- SDL emphasizes more on short-term profits than focusing on the maintenance of a long-term healthy relationship with them. It may cause severe losses.
Opportunities:
SDL has already started to work outside of the Dhaka. They have already started construction in Chittagong City and going to begin at Comilla. Marketing department of SBL has already made a design a package for different classes of people which will come to the market very soon. By offering more attractive interest rates, and lowering the charges, SBL can attract a lot of customers.
Threats:
Increased competition by other real estate company is a threat to SCB. The economical condition of market, unstable political condition of the country is also warning. Competitive rivalry within industry. Increased provisioning requirement and increased paid up capital maintenance requirement.
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Price-cutting due to the unfair and hostile competition, i.e., market pressure for lowering of lending rate.
Deep and frequent exchange rate fluctuation negatively impacting on import and export business of all the clients.
Political acrimony and frequent strike and pervasive nature of corruption. Inefficient and unstructured legal system. Un-sufficient supply of raw materials.
7. CONCLUSION
SBL has already earned the reputation of a very potential growing company in real estate sector. This real estate organization is comparatively much more structured than to operating in Bangladesh. It is relentless in pursuit of business innovation and improvement with its sound communication process.. It has the potentiality and capability to act as a leader in real estate sector. We hope that with its vast operation both regarding its technology and communication, it will provide wide range of products, versatile services, strong financial base, invaluable customers satisfaction, and profound reputation within a very few time it will grown into a unique stature which will be the subject to every ones envy and organizations pride. With a bulk of qualified and experienced human resource, SBL can exploit any opportunity in the real estate sector. It is the future pioneer in introducing many new products and services in the real estate sector of the country.
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8. RECOMMENDATIONS
MANAGING TECHNOLOGY
Standardize software and hardware should be used at all levels. Once software is tested, it should be released to everyone at the same time. Develop videoconferencing capability from individual desktops. Encourage the use of videoconferencing, which should be used instead of travelling long distances for training, for extended periods of time. Develop in-house or in-unit subject matter experts to troubleshoot the use of a variety of software, e-mail, voice mail and on-line systems. Tie this into learning plans and staff development. Take advantage of staffs background, training and comfort level in working with other staff.
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Individuals sharing printers should learn how to register their name on printouts to prevent confusion about to whom the copy belongs. Each office or zone should have a "shared drive" to keep information such as minutes from committees, meetings, LMCC, health & safety, union, etc. This will prevent e-mail accounts from getting cluttered up with these messages and attachments.
Issue or reissue e-mail etiquette guidelines along with a cheat sheet on how to set defaults, mail minders, use of colors, capitals, fonts, save to disk, file management, etc. Make arrangements with technical support staff to provide ad-hoc, ongoing learning and support for use of the e-mail system for all staff. Operational and procedural e-mails should be assigned a file number under the subject heading, using a similar current subject filing system to that used in Insurance. This will allow the set-up of proper and consistent operational folders. When action is required, put a due date in the subject line. Put an asterisk (*) in the subject line for action or urgent e-mails. Develop a time management package for using e-mail. Watch the continuous forwarding of e-mails. Scrolling through the information to find out what the message is all about may be counterproductive. A short summary from the last sender may work.
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Large units may want to set up and maintain a printed copy of operational and procedural e-mails as a common file for those who may not have read the e-mail or missed receiving it. Develop a hot button on the e-mail.
Remember that e-mail is an impersonal form of communication; non-verbal communication can be misleading and is subject to interpretation. Although e-mail is a time-saving tool, messages need to be structured to allow users to find the purpose of the message up-front, in an obvious format. When referring people to a website, provide a short description of what is on the site to allow users to make the choice of whether to go there, or not. E-mail messages with long, multiple attachments are very frustrating. So, use short, logical and informational email. Keep e-mail lists up-to-date. E-mail does not provide time to listen to the communicating party. The tool should not be used for discussion purposes, but rather as an information exchange vehicle. Prioritize e-mail (e.g. low, regular or urgent), and have staff become aware of and agree on what is to be included under each heading. Because there is so much e-mail and so many people get copied or included just for information purposes, the messages should be given as per rating or classification with all staffs agreement. For example, urgent would mean that it needs attention today. Regular would mean that you should read it as soon as you get
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SUNCITY DEVELOPERS LIMITED. a chance and it is information you will likely need in doing your job. Low would mean that you may be interested in this and should probably peruse it sometime.
INTERNET
Web pages should have a contract managers name as well as a billboard for input. In addition, a photo of the unit and a brief description of what the unit or person do a designated person for response and standards should also be posted. Each Region should have an Internet or Intranet site that all other Regions can access. This would be beneficial as staff would be able to access and view the latest information and share in the best practices of other Regions. Develop an efficient search engine for the entire Intranet. Post a flag on the desktop when an update has occurred on the Intranet. The people who are in charge of the information content of websites should be involved in the development of the sites. Sites should be simple, meaningful and bilingual. Developers need to consider what is valuable to other people, consider who needs to know the information, and select the audience. When its old news, get it off the Web; review the sites and clean them up. Give employees training on the Internet and time to experiment with the capabilities of the systems that are available to them. Create a page on the Intranet of all general information that employees should be able to access. Have Regional Offices keep an up-to-date organizational chart on the Intranet where staff can go to view names and telephone numbers of individuals that they might have to contact in performing their daily duties. Where there is a high turnover in staff, it would be very effective and efficient if staff could go into a central database to determine who does what and where and to get the individuals telephone number.
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MEETINGS Set aside a few minutes each morning with the unit to review issues, keeping it casual and light. Inform them of your schedule and work in progress. At a minimum, stop in and say hello. When possible, incorporate breakfast or lunch into a meeting. Have the unit meeting outside the office. Although large staff meetings are useful and provide a lot of information, staff is intimidated about asking questions. Regular smaller group meetings are essential to ensure that all staff gets their issues/questions addressed. For the staffs working in distance branches, hold a regular weekly or biweekly conference call with a representative from each of three modes of service (Telephone Centre, Walk-In Centre and Processing Centre). New policies, updates or directives could be discussed so that each mode of service is aware of the changes and can seek out the necessary information. Hold a regularly scheduled "open talk" meeting (e.g. a two-hour meeting) between units. Often, these types of meetings result in discussions that are beneficial for client service, morale, communications and a better understanding of the roles and linkages of staff.
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Design a package for new employees that include a copy of the organizational chart and a contact person and phone number for each unit. When possible, interview each person in the unit to find out what work he or she does. Encourage trips to other offices within the region and RHQ to gain a local perspective and network. Ensure proper orientation for new employees in the department because it greatly enhances employee understanding of the department, its role, its business lines and its mandate.
RECOGNITION
Hold regular events to recognize staff contributions. Use short-term assignments to reward employees for a job well done. Use the website to recognize a staff members long service, by providing a short summary of the persons career. Colleagues to browse the information.
SUPPORTING PEOPLE
Hold a yearly retreat with staff and encourage social interaction for staff to get to know each other better. Perhaps bring in a guest speaker.
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When they are in the office, Supervisors/managers/directors should block out time every day for staff to have access to them. Use a whiteboard or Calendar to indicate the times available for meetings. Encourage lunchtime sessions to learn how to use equipment or software. Candidates applying in competitions should have a copy of the core competencies attached to the statement of qualifications. Introduce short-term staff assignments as a means of gaining broader knowledge, obtaining greater staff commitment to the organization, and providing incentive for staff to expand their experience. The bigger the organization, the harder it is to communicate openly; communicators accountability is important. All employees need to feel comfortable in approaching their manager to ask questions/address issues. Work to eliminate the perception that staff are travelling for pleasure when attending conferences. Not only managers should have the opportunity to network; funds must be set aside for these types of events on a regional and national level.
Conduct staff performance evaluations on a regular basis; feedback is not as regular as it should be. Good performers should be rewarded and nonperformers need to be dealt with. Learning plans could replace evaluations.
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Give Information Management courses to managers to ensure that they can provide their staff with a choice of medium for the information they need. Take advantage of what new people coming into the Department have to offer. Respect that they come to this Department with many skills and abilities. Managers and directors should try to capitalize on and build on this diversity and these assets rather than trying to assimilate them into the old HRD ways. New staff coming into an HRD office often has a lot to bring with them in terms of fresh, clear perspectives and many ideas from previous experience in other departments, regions and private industry. Create opportunities for staff in larger offices to get together and mix so they can get to know each other and learn about each others roles. In the group session staff still feels very segregated and separate, even after five years in organization. Indeed different units members feel that they don't even know one another. Opportunities to get to know each other would result in a better understanding of each others roles and better morale. Provide managers with their own budgets so they can answer staff questions and communicate more clearly with staff on issues related to training, travel, resourcing etc.
TOOLS
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Several issues were raised about the use of voice mail: people leave long messages on their voice mail, but do not update them when absent. It was suggested that a policy be introduced to ensure that everyone uses the tool consistently and to ensure that a live person is always available to respond to everyones telephone calls. When leaving a telephone message on voice mail, leave a brief message, giving an indication of why you are calling along with your name and telephone number. When a local office sends a "hard file" to an HRCC to have it updated because the work has been done by the HRCC due to an urgent phone call or fax, the local office should write a memo to the file to that effect to prevent wasted effort and time on the receiving end. Often, there are urgent situations where a local office calls the main HRCC to get someone to take action on an claimants account. The local office then forwards the actual hard copy file to the office a couple of days later. When the local official does not file a memo indicating what has transpired, the work often gets done twice or time is wasted trying to figure out why the file is there. BTV and videoconferencing are useful for some things, but do not work for other purposes. These resources are often being misused (e.g. e-mail training, introduction of new legislation).
Communication that needs to be explained and understood must be a two-way process. For example, training requires two-way communication. Electronic information is good, but one cannot watch a PC screen all day to get information.
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An erosion of the knowledge base occurs when all information is provided in an electronic form (e.g. procedure manuals are not consulted as regularly in electronic form). We need a happy medium of printed and electronic information. Newsletter must be read and respond regularly. We are much more reactive in communicating than proactive. We communicate too quickly; we do not give ourselves time to think and plan. Make use of the electronic form for travel expenses. It saves time for completion and ensures uniform use of common format. Specifically indicate action required in the title of memos, messages and notes, including the required action date. This practice was used previously but seems to have been discontinued in most areas. Electronic Boards are a good idea and have the potential to be used effectively. Provide managers with some type of support staff to assist them with the flow of information that staff need in order to provide a quality service to clients on an ongoing basis. Have Program or Operational Internet sites where staff must go automatically on a daily basis to ensure they are dealing with the latest policy information when carrying out their duties.
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Discourage the use of e-mail to celebrate success, as it becomes just another message lost in the shuffle. Vary the approach using staff meetings, postings on whiteboards, newsletters, etc. Use words of encouragement, pictures, etc. to celebrate success. Do not rely on e-mail for all information sharing. Review the corporate use of videos; they should be short, snappy and entertaining. Senior managers should use BTV to introduce themselves to staff or to thank staff for a job well done. Sincerity is very important. This type of message delivery is much more personal than viewing a video or receiving e-mail. Senior management presence is always appreciated (particularly when major changes are being announced or implemented). With the expansion of our partnerships with other departments, communities and the private sector, it is important to include these partners in our internal communications (what used to be external communications can now be considered internal). Managers should synthesize and share with staff the information they obtain through conferences, training and meetings, when the information is relevant for staff.
Filter information laterally and vertically, before it is disseminated. Linkages are needed to ensure staff gets better messages and consistent information from all sources. The amount and diversity of information is lacking in coordination.
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Ensure that the roles and responsibilities of staff are clearly outlined and understood. Often, miscommunication results because people are unclear about others roles and what the expectations are. Once this is clearly outlined and identified, misunderstandings are often resolved. Have one individual identified in each HRCC or zone to disseminate "soft or general" information. Staff in some areas feels that they are getting the operational information they need to do their jobs, but some are not getting the so-called "soft information" such as assignment opportunities, travel rate changes, and other general information. It is felt that some people don't get this information because managers feel differently about whether or not it is important to pass this type of information on to staff. Managers who walk around and talk to their staff are likely to get a feeling and feedback on the feelings in the office. Often this part of communicating is skipped, but it is one sure way to get a good feel for the mood of the staff and get feedback on internal issues that the managers might not normally receive.
WORK TEAMS
Set up a logbook to note outstanding issues from the last shift, plus briefing notes, for those job sharing or on shift work. Undertake joint initiatives with representation from all units. This prevents duplication of efforts, keeps everyone informed and provides a single report upon completion.
Bibliography: 1. Face to face interaction with SDL personnel to get in depth information.
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SUNCITY DEVELOPERS LIMITED. 2. Primary information sources, such as information gathered at the time of customer service. 3. Secondary information sources, such as product brochures, different printed format, manual and guidelines, Booklet of Account Opening Application. 4. Prior research work and reading material on this topic. 5. Officials of SDL 6. An article by Afjal Mamun published on 5th July,2010 7. www.rehab-bd.org 8. www.suncitydevelopersbd.com 9. www.wikipedia.com 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. www.ehow.comwww.hp.com findarticles.com www.effectivemeetings.com answers.yahoo.com pages.ebay.com
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