Communication

One of the points made by the writers of the book In Search of Excellence (Tom Peters and Robert H. Waterman, 1982) is that communications in excellent companies are different, insofar as these rely on a vast network of informal, open communications. People working in them keep in contact with each other regularly. They meet often, and have many unscheduled meetings. In the best-run businesses, few barriers exist to prevent people talking to each other. The companies do everything possible to ensure that staff meets easily and frequently.

The book is full of examples of companies who believe in "keeping in touch": firms like IBM where the Chairman personally answers any complaint which is addressed by members of staff; other companies where managers are encouraged to get out of the office and walk around.

A breakdown in communication is likely to happen if there is some kind of social distance between people. In organisations, people may have difficulty communicating if they are different in status, or if one person has a much higher position than the other. For example, production workers will probably speak frankly to each other about things that are going wrong in their department, but if the chief executive of the company passes by and asks how things are going, they'll probably say "Fine, thank you". It is risky to tell the truth to someone higher up in the hierarchy - they may not like what they hear and hold it against you. For this reason, staff often alter/filter information. They deliberately alter the facts, telling the boss what he/she wants to hear. They do not want to give bad news, so they give their boss their superior too good an impression of the situation. "The project's coming along fine", they say, when in fact it is a month behind schedule.

based on: Keys to Management - David Cotton (1988)