Communication Audit &

Recommendations

Study & Recommendations

by Rhonda Callanan

Sample of work and understanding of organizational

communication

“Seems like communication here at

Howell Nazarene Church isn’t at its

best right now.”

“The communication at this church

is terrible.”

The purpose was

to identify

communication

weaknesses and

prepare

recommendations

to improve

communication

effectiveness.

RQ1: Are there real or perceived

communication problems at

Howell Nazarene Church?

RQ2: Do communication problems

exist which stem from the Howell

Nazarene leadership?

RQ3: Are there communication

problems in the information

presented in the church publications

or website?

RQ4: What can be done to

improve communication at Howell

Nazarene Church?

•Preliminary Survey –perceptions of

communication

•Multifactor Leadership

Questionnaire –staff leadership

communication

•Meetings Assessment –

communication via monthly meetings

•Website & Publications Survey –

communication through website and

publications

Largest demographic at Howell – 51-

60 years old & 31-40 years old

Preliminary Survey, Multifactor

Leadership Questionnaire, Meetings

Assessment – Largest response from

51-60 year olds

Website & Publications – 34

participants

The main venue through which

members receive communication.

Bulletin

Website

Flyers

Email

Announcements

Bulletin – 38%

Sunday Announcements - 38%

Email -12%

Website - 6%

Flyers - 6%

Multi-factor Leadership

Questionnaire

• Idealized Behaviors

• Inspirational Motivation

• Intellectual Stimulation

Idealized Behaviors – 68%

Inspirational Motivation - 55%

Intellectual Stimulation – 33%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Idealized Behaviors

Inspirational Motivation

IntellectualStimulation

Howell Staff

General Public

Ministry Team Day Meetings

Evaluation

Website – most constituents do not

use the website as a source of

communication

Publications – The church bulletin is

one of the most-utilized sources of

information

Prayer requests

need more

frequent updates

Communication problems exist –

there is room for improvement

Preliminary Research Survey

Areas of Concern

• Church leaders

• E-mail blasts

• Website

• Grapevine

MLQ & Meetings Survey

Areas of Concern

• Intellectual Stimulation

• Meeting minutes

• Meeting evaluations

Website & Publications

• Website misperception

RQ4: What can be done to improve

communication at Howell Nazarene

Church?

• Church leaders

• Meetings – minutes & evaluations

• Staff communication skills

• Perceived website inaccuracies

• E-mail

• Bulletin updates

• Grapevine

Under-utilized ministry leaders

• Why do people not use them for

communication purposes?

Ministry

Leaders

Ministry Meetings

• Provide minutes

• Meeting evaluations

Church Staff Communication

• Intellectual Stimulation

•MLQ Workbook suggestions

• Keep the site

dynamic by updating

at least weekly

• Church-wide

campaign to

encourage church to

check website

regularly

Website

E-mail• Create a new database of constituent

e-mail addresses

• Devise a system for maintaining

accurate e-mail addresses

• Make sure e-mail communiqués are

short, well-written, timely & necessary

• Carry out a church-wide campaign to

encourage constituents to open & read

e-mails

• Dispel fears that e-mail addresses

will be compromised

• Make sure all information is up-to-date

• Eliminate old information such as prayer

topics that are no longer relevant

Bulletin

Grapevine• Ensure church

communication is

timely, accurate and

memorable

• Strengthen

interpersonal leadership

communication

• Reinforce timely and

accurate information

with key parishioners

Quantitative

• All paper or online surveys

• Focus Groups

• Personal Interviews

• Additional questions

“Communication can be amazingly powerful.

When we recognize our fallenness, transcend

our corrupted communities, reject the urge to

dominate others, and stop squandering our

gifts, we are on the road to shalom”

(Schultze, 2002, p. 86).