Tag: Communication

Have you ever played the telephone game? It’s that game where a group of people form a line and the first person whispers a message to the person next to them. Then that person whispers the same message to the person next to them and so on until, finally, the last person in the line repeats the message out loud. The final version of the message is never exactly the same as the original. In fact, it is often very different, even the opposite because someone left out a single word for example. The telephone game illustrates the challenges of communication between multiple people. Most organizations have more than two people who are supposed to be moving in the same direction. What if organizational communication happened like the telephone game?

This month we’re talking about organizational communication. Last week I wrote about “The 5 W’s of Organizations Communication” (they’re not the same 5 W’s you may be thinking of). That post was about the different components of a communication from the originator to the message itself and about the importance of feedback.

Another helpful consideration when trying to understand organizational communication is the direction in which the communication is flowing. By direction I mean along the organizational chart. Certain types of communication with different purposes flow in different directions. Understanding the various types of communication associated with each direction can be helpful in both forming and interpreting messages.

We usually think of 4 possible directions along the organizational chart for communication to flow, down, up, lateral, and diagonal.

Down

This communication is coming from the “boss” (someone above in the org chart) down to everyone else. Its purpose is usually informative or directive. It can come in any of the modes (written, verbal, memo, speech, etc). Often downward communication includes policies, rules and regulations, organizational announcements, instructions and the like.

Up

Upward flow is communication that is coming from someone below in the org chart. Its purpose is usually informative or suggestive. This communication can also come in any of the modes though speeches are not usually recommended. Upward communication often includes feedback on how things are going on the front lines, requests, or complaints.

Lateral

Lateral flow is communication among peers in the organization. Its purpose is usually collaborative. This communication can come in any of the modes. One popular mode is an interdisciplinary team meeting. Lateral communication often includes discussion of issues, resolving problems, and sharing information.

Diagonal

Diagonal communication is a bit less intuitive than the others. We expect upward and downward and even lateral communication. Diagonal flow is communication from the top of one discipline to a lower part of another and vice versa. Its purpose is usually educational. For example, let’s say the training department is developing a training video on a certain part of the operational process. A leader from training will probably reach out to a front line worker to learn about the key tasks of the job.

So What?

Imagine there is a certain task that should be done by Friday. How you formulate a message about that will depend on which direction the communication will flow. If you’re communicating up to your boss or even laterally to peers, the message will most likely take the form of a reminder, a “follow up,” or a suggestion. On the other hand, if you’re communicating down the organization, you might structure it as a directive.

In the same way, when you receive a message, the direction its flowing to you will help you interpret its intent. Is your boss directing you to complete the task by Friday? Is a colleague reminding you that your part of the project is due Friday? Or, is your employee following up on the commitment you made to respond by Friday?

In one sense, the directional flow of communication is a more detailed look at the Who and the to Whom from last week. In any case, the better you understand how organizational communication works, the more likely you’ll be an influence toward improving communication in your organization.

During the first two weeks of starting my last job, I made it a point to sit down with every member of the leadership team and office staff for a one-on-one meeting. The purpose of these meetings was to learn. I wanted to learn about each person, how they viewed the operation, their personality and style, and something about their plans and dreams. I conducted 30 interviews and asked each one of them them same set of questions. One of the questions was, “What’s one thing could we improve right now that would make the most difference? 60% of the people said, “communication.” It was the number one answer. I wonder what the results would be of a similar question in other organizations. How important and how effective is communication in your organization?

It was important enough for this group that I put together some material in the form of a short course I called “Organizational Communication” (clever, right?). During this month I plan to share four bits from that course. This week: “The 5 W’s of Organizational Communication.” Spoiler alert, It’s not the same 5 W’s you may be thinking.

WHO?

Any communication, organizational or personal, begins with “who,” the source of the communication. There is a person or a group who is wanting to initiate communication.

WHAT?

Next is the message. What is it the person or group wants to convey?

WHICH WAY?

I know, I could have said, “How,” but then it wouldn’t be 5 W’s. Here we’re talking about the channel or medium of communication. Is it verbal? If so, is it a meeting, an individual conversation, a small group? Is it written? In that case, is it a memo? Is it an email or an article or a hand-written note? Is it physical or mechanical?

to WHOM?

Who is the intended recipient of this message? Is it a single person or a group? Are they inside the organization or outside? Are they friendly or adversarial?

with WHAT effect?

How will we know if communication has taken place or been effective? By the feedback it generates. Like an electrical circuit, the amount of electricity at the source doesn’t matter. There is no effect (the light doesn’t come on or the motor doesn’t run) unless the circuit is closed. Feedback closes the communication circuit demonstrating the effect of the source’s message.

SO WHAT?

That’s a sixth “W,” but it’s not part of the list of components of communication. It’s the question I’m asking about those 5 “W’s.” Why bother thinking about those? Think about how altering only one element will change the dynamic of the communication completely. For example, let’s say all the front line workers in your organization (the to Whom), received a letter attached to their paycheck envelope (the Which Way) that said, “You should all take next Friday off.” (the What). What would be the effect of that communication (the with What effect)?

The effect of that communication would depend on the “Who.” What was the source of the message? If it was the boss, the feedback might be gratitude for the long weekend. What if the source of the message was a union organizer? How does that change the dynamic of the communication?

My example highlights two things. First, an additional factor to consider is context. If the boss was giving Friday off as a bonus because the organization is doing well, that’s one thing. If, however, the organization is struggling financially and that day off is without pay to save money, that’s a whole different dynamic. The second thing my example highlights is the necessity of the “with What effect” “W.” Feedback lets the originator know whether or not the message had the intended effect or outcome. How would the boss or the union organizer know what effect the note had? The concrete evidence would be how many people showed up to work next Friday.

The point is that you can improve organizational communication by paying attention to each component of the communication process. Good decisions about who should deliver the message, clarifying the content of the message, how it should be delivered, who should the recipients be, and how to assure you receive feedback will help to eliminate the many problems that arise from poor communication.