What factors should you consider when choosing a method for distributing a message when you have more than one choice )?

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Select the best communication channels at work in 3 steps
Step 1: Identify what kind of message you’re sending
Step 2: Consider your company’s culture around communication
Step 3: Pick a delivery method based on your audience
Be a workplace communication channels surfer
What are the most important issues to consider when distributing your messages?
What should you consider in selecting the most appropriate medium for your message?
What factors need to be kept in mind at the time of formulation of the message?
What are the four tasks involved in planning business messages?

This article throws light upon ten main factors to be considered while selecting the means of communication. The factors are: 1. Nature of Message 2. Cost 3. Record 4. Distance 5. Scale of Organisation 6. Supporting Technology 7. Urgency 8. Secrecy 9. Safety 10. Relationship.

Factor # 1. Nature of Message:

The means of communication depends upon the nature of the message. Urgent, confidential, private and important messages should be distinguished from ordinary, routine, open and less important messages and the means of communication are to be chosen accordingly.

Factor # 2. Cost:

The cost of sending a message is also to be considered while selecting a mode of communication. The result obtained should justify the expenditure.

Factor # 3. Record:

If the record of the communication is important it should be written, otherwise oral communication is sufficient.

Factor # 4. Distance:

Distance is another factor for consideration. The mode of communication to be chosen depends on whether the message is to be sent to a nearby place or somewhere at a long distance.

Factor # 5. Scale of Organisation:

Means of communication in large-scale business is different from that in the small-scale. In small business most communication is oral while in large business it is written.

Factor # 6. Supporting Technology:

Both the sender and the receiver must have supporting technological communication tool to make communication through a particular medium. Suppose, A sends an e-mail to B. To get the e-mail B should have a personal computer.

Again, to get a fax message one should possess a fax machine. Therefore, while selecting a means of communication one has to consider whether supporting technological tool is available at the other end.

Factor # 7. Urgency:

Selection of the means of communication is to be made keeping in view the urgency of the communication. Time available is the main factor here. Higher cost may be justified for sending the message in time.

Factor # 8. Secrecy:

If the message to be communicated is secret or confidential, such means are required to be adopted that can maintain secrecy. A telephone call can be overheard, an e-mail or fax may not be appropriate, and an office memo may be less confidential. In such cases, face-to-face talking may solve the problem.

Factor # 9. Safety:

The sender has to be careful about the safety of the message. He/She has to decide whether the message would be sent by ordinary post or by registered post; through courier or messenger, etc.

Factor # 10. Relationship:

The relationship between the sender and recipient may be a decisive factor in the choice of the means of communication. Message of private nature may require personal contact whereas formal relationship demands official and conventional mode of communication.

What do comedy and effective communication in the workplace have in common? It’s all in the delivery—ba-duh-bum.

But with more ways than ever to get your messages to the masses—or the individual—figuring out which communication channels will work best can feel overwhelming. Is it ever OK to text your manager? Should you email or direct message your coworker a quick question? And does anyone talk on the phone anymore?

Select the best communication channels at work in 3 steps

How you deliver your message to its intended audience is essential to effective communication in the workplace. Fortunately, after you figure out what you need to say in your message, there are steps you can take to help you decide how to send your message in the most productive way.

Step 1: Identify what kind of message you’re sending

Start by asking yourself a series of questions about the information you need to convey so you can zero in on the appropriate communication channels to use.

Is your message formal or informal?
Does this information need to be referenceable?
Is this information urgent or time sensitive?
Are you relaying confidential or sensitive information?
Is this information general or specific?
Are you communicating with an individual or a group?
Is the individual a peer, a higher-up, or someone you lead?
Do you need to deliver a message to your team or the whole company?
Is this one-way or two-way communication (i.e., does it require a response)?

Step 2: Consider your company’s culture around communication

The Slack Future of Work Study highlights that trust, tools, and teamwork are essential for employee engagement and productivity. Also, the study found that 80% of workers want to know more about how decisions are made in their organization.

So if your team is all about face-to-face communication at work, upholding that belief might mean delivering bad news in person instead of sending out an impersonal email. And if your company prides itself on work/life balance, an after-midnight direct message probably isn’t the best move.

Step 3: Pick a delivery method based on your audience

Your organization likely has several communication channels for you to choose from. Here are the most common ones:

In person

One-on-ones
Team meetings
Companywide meetings
Retreats

In-person communication at work allows you to convey the broadest range of emotions, forces the conversation to occur in real time, and generally allows for information to flow both ways.

Many offices use weekly meetings to get everyone on the same page at the start of the week. Annual companywide meetings set the tone for the year. And retreats can be a helpful time to connect with your team in a different setting. These in-person engagements can be both formal and informal depending on the objective.

One-on-one in-person meetings are better for delivering sensitive information such as compensation packages or constructive criticism about job performance. However, they can also be used for a less formal purpose such as getting to know a new employee better or seeking out an executive for mentorship.

Voice and video

Direct phone call
Conference call
Video chat
Pre-recorded video

We can’t always be in person with the people we need to connect with. When that happens, we often rely on voice and video calls to get our message across. Voice and video calls are also easier to record for when the information being shared will need to be referenced later.

For one-on-one calls or calls with smaller groups, it’s easy for employees and workers to ask their questions and provide feedback in the moment. The more people you have on a call or who are tuning into a live video stream, the more challenging it is to foster engagement for two-way communication at work. If no engagement is required at all, a pre-recorded video can be emailed out.

Written

Direct emails
Mass emails
Text messages
Instant messaging

Written communication dominates the workplace. It’s fast and easy, can be formal or informal, and doubles as documentation. Dashing off a question by email or sending out an email blast for important information everyone needs to know might be the norm at your company.

Texting might be controversial at some businesses, while others have fully embraced it. In general, texting is best used to connect quickly with someone and tends to be more informal. A client might text a contractor to see whether they’re available to hop on a call in an hour versus taking the risk of the email languishing in their inbox.

And then there are instant messaging platforms. This delivery method allows you to get your question answered fast and in real time and saves you from having to walk over to a colleague’s desk. It also frees your email inbox from the clutter of single word and single sentence emails.

Be a workplace communication channels surfer

Channel surfing can be a good thing when it comes to communication. People are diverse, so the ways you connect with your colleagues and team members should be diverse too.

As long as you keep in mind the kind of message you’re relaying, what your company’s communication culture is like, and who your audience is, you should feel confident in getting your message across.

What are the most important issues to consider when distributing your messages?

Discuss the most important issues to consider when distributing your messages. Consider cost, convenience, time, security, and privacy when choosing the method to distribute your messages.

What should you consider in selecting the most appropriate medium for your message?

What factors should you consider when choosing the most appropriate medium for your message?.

determine your primary audience..

size of your audience..

makeup of your audience..

level of your audiences understanding..

level of your audiences expectations..

audience members probable reactions..

What factors need to be kept in mind at the time of formulation of the message?

Relevant: Balance what you need to communicate with what your audience needs to know. Compelling: Design meaningful information to stimulate action. Simple: Use easy-to-understand language; avoid jargon and acronyms. Memorable: Ensure that messages are easy to recall and repeat; avoid long, run-on sentences.