Ellen Beerman, Skyler Zeller

Nicole Allen

Communications 286

1 August 2014

Organizational Analysis Paper

Effective communication skills are always near the top of the list of qualities that employers want in their employees. We’ve learned many skills for communicating more effectively over the course of the semester. In this assignment, we were given the opportunity to use our knowledge of these skills to explore the vital role communication has in organizations. We interviewed employees at BCBSNE and analyzed communication within their organization. We analyzed the organization’s history, culture, strengths and challenges and ultimately gave recommendations on how the company could improve.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska was founded in 1939 with just a few members and now serves over 700,000 people in Nebraska. This increase not only symbolizes the growth in population and obviously needing health insurance, but also the growth in the company and the health insurance industry in general. They are also part of a network of Blue Plans that spans across the country to ensure that members can get health care no matter where they are in the country. The growth that has occurred is, in part, due to the employees that work diligently to make the company a success. Blue Cross currently employs 1,250 people in Omaha and Lincoln based offices. This growth led to the mission and values they, as a company, hold today.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s mission statement says “Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska exists to deliver the health and wellness solutions people value most”. I think this displays the obvious purpose of the company, which is to provide health insurance, but it also shows there are other resources available in promoting wellness. The company just introduced a new campaign called Get Moving. This is a program online that someone can tract all the physical activity they do in a day and then get rewarded for it with gift card, certificates, and other prizes. This is a program that is available to anyone, not just Blue Cross members, which shows their commitment to promoting wellness throughout the whole state, and not just within their customers. This is part of their mission as well to deliver wellness solutions people value most. That is just one example of how Blue Cross is committed to serving peoples’ wellness. They are also involved in a lot of charitable giving throughout the year. This includes not only monetary donations but also employees giving their time and resources to help others. Another aspect to this company is not only the mission but also the vision that the company holds, or in other words, what they strive to do every day.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s vision is stated on the website as “To be the undisputed leader in the delivery of health and wellness solutions in our markets”. This competitive goal is something the employees of this organization touched on when interviewed. Jane Beerman listed that as a long-term goal to stay competitive in the market of health insurance. This is important to have a goal in mind for the long and short-term. If there is a goal in mind, then each employee knows what he or she is ultimately working towards. It is also important for any company to stay competitive in their market to simply stay in business. It is also important because that means the company will strive to produce and deliver the best products or services possible. This is obviously a benefit for the people that are receiving the services as well as the people who are investing in the company.
Last but not least every company must have values. Values make the character of a company stand out from other companies in the same field. It is also important for the employees to know and practice the same values for the company they are representing. There are five main values that are outlined on Blue Cross an Blue Shield’s website. These include customer focus, collaboration, innovation,