Every step of the communication process must be included in each of the six communication methods; downward, upward, horizontal, formal, informal, and diagonal in order for an organisation to be successful, and to improve job satisfaction in the workplace.
Downward Communication.
Downward communication is when information flows from management to subordinates. "In the best of cases, the information is clear and direct.[but] Most of the time, the information is absent" (people-communication.com). A common complaint in any workplace is that the information doesn't get to where it is supposed to go and so many workers are left in the dark about what is happening and most importantly why things are happening. .
When passing information to subordinates, through downward communication, managers must have the ability to delegate effectively. This requires the manager to be able to select the right person for the job, and to deliver the message with the right tone (Waltman, n.d,), and to avoid personal perceptions. In a large workplace such as Company X, passing on a message through the different levels of the organisation, can be like playing a game of Chinese whispers. By the time the message reaches the lowest levels it has changed, and been interpreted differently by each manager, to the point that it would no longer be recognisable by the person with whom it initiated. .
This type of message distortion occurs when people impose their perceptions onto the message which occurs through filtering, introduction of individualistic language, and information overload. Barriers to communication such as these occur with all types of communication. Although distortion will always occur, Company X's managers must learn to counteract the distortions by minimizing their individual impact. Minimizing a manager's impact on a message, through effective leadership skills is what I would expect my immediate department manager to display in her dealings with team members, especially as she has recently participated in a Retail Leadership programme.
