?Look at the article below about effective communication and the questions over the page. ?For each question (13-18) , mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose. Good Communication Counts in the Workplace Effective communication is essential for all organizations. It links the activities of the various parts of the organization and ensures that everyone is working towards a common goal. It is also extremely important for motivating employees. Staff need to know how they are getting on. what they are doing right and in which areas they could improve. Working alone can be extremely difficult and it is much easier if someone takes an interest and provides support. Employees need to understand why their job is important and how it contributes to tile overall success of the firm. Personal communication should also include target setting. People usually respond well to goals, provided these are agreed between the manager and the subordinate and not imposed. However firms often have communication problems that can undermine their performance. In many cases, these problems occur because messages are passed on in an inappropriate way. There are, of course, several ways of conveying information to others in the organization. These include speaking to them directly, e-mailing, telephoning or sending a memo. The most appropriate method depends on what exactly it is you are communicating. For example, anything that is particularly sensitive or confidential, such as art employee's appraisal, should be done fee-to-face. One of the main problems for senior executives is that they do not have the time or resources needed to communicate effectively. In large companies, for example, it is impossible for senior managers to meet and discuss progress with each employee individually. Obviously this task can be delegated but at the cost of creating a gap between senior management and staff. As a result, managers are often forced to use other methods of communication, such as memos or notes, even if they know these are not necessarily the most suitable means of passing on messages. The use of technology, such as e-mail. MP3 and network systems, is speeding up communication immensely. However, this does not mean that more investment in technology automatically proves beneficial: systems can become outdated or employees may lack appropriate training. There are many communications tools available but a firm cannot usually afford all of them. And even if it could, it does not actually need them all. The organisation must weigh up the potential gains against the costs, and firms should realise that more communication does not necessarily mean better communication. As the number of people involved in an organisation increases, the use of written communication rises even faster. Instead of a quick conversation to sort something out numerous messages can be passed backwards and forwards. This can lead to a huge amount of paperwork and is often less effective than face-to-face communication. When you are actually talking to someone you can discuss things until you are happy they have understood and feedback is immediate. With written messages, however, you are never quite sure how it will be received. What you think you have said and what the other person thinks you have said can be very different. The amount of written information generated in large organizations today can lead to communication overload. So much information is gathered that it gets in the way of making decisions. Take a look at the average manager's desk and you will see the problem --it is often covered in letters, reports and memos. This overload can lead to inefficiencies. For example, managers may not be able to find the inf