Let's start by reviewing some key terms and concepts that I'll be using in this course. It's important to understand these principles because they relate to and highlight many of the problems that occur in businesses that can be cured using organizational acupuncture. Let's look at these terms now. The first management terms and principles relate to the basic ways that communications travel within a company. When we discuss channels of communication, we're referring to the form of communication media that are present in a company and which serve to deliver messages and information for management. These include electronic channels, such as a company's intranet.

Its email system, blogs, LCD screens that carry company messages, and internal social media. channels of communication also include print media, such as company newsletters, magazines, or things like informational posters that might be displayed in the workplace. When we discuss two way communications, we're referring to the media that allow for an ongoing dialogue between management and employees, as well as a dialogue between departments and teams. Two Way communications include face to face situations, such as team meetings, conferences, Town Hall sessions, and other forums. The most important aspect of two way communications is that they provide a means for people to give and receive information and feedback related to specific management issues, problems or opportunities. When there are insufficient channels of communication in a company, employees can't receive the information they need to do their jobs, as well as to be engaged and committed to achieving business success.

Without strong internal communication channels, employees are not receiving the information they need from a strategic financial, operational or cultural standpoint. And when there aren't too many channels of communication, employees are unable to provide valuable feedback in terms of customer needs, the company's products, and other issues related to the strategies and operations of the business. The next concepts relate to the strategic accumulation and distribution of information in a company. intelligence or business intelligence refers to the systems a company has in place to collect data for use in business decision making. When we discuss intelligence in this course, it refers to more than just information that's collected, say in a company's database, or other data repository, but more broadly to all the collective knowledge that people bring to the organization in terms of their individual skills, experience and cultural backgrounds. The next concept relates to knowledge management and knowledge sharing.

This is focused on the ongoing exchange of information between employees and teams. in which people skills and expertise are shared. Knowledge Management is a discipline unto itself. It's defined as the process of creating, sharing and using the intelligence in an organization to attain business objectives. Importantly, and as we'll see later on, the process of effectively sharing knowledge and information is central to the organizational acupuncture model. So communicating, collecting information and intelligence, actively sharing that knowledge.

So many business problems can be attributed to situations where companies aren't doing these things correctly. Now, the problems we'll be talking about, can be understood and addressed using principles of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Now, let's look at this ancient healing art to understand the principles underlying acupuncture as a precursor to understanding organizational acupuncture.