The Weakest Link in Workplace Communication

Communication is vital anywhere in our lives, and the workplace is not an exception. Much like with our family and friends, communication is what allows us to understand others' desires and expectations. Poor communication leads to a breakdown in relationships, as well as misunderstandings in deliverables.

There are surely many ways to categorize the variety of modes of communication that happen in the office. For this article, I want to focus on just one of those categories: hierarchy.

There are three types of communication when we classify things hierarchically:

1. Peer to Peer
2. Employee to Boss
3. Boss to Employee

Of these three, I believe that the third, boss to employee (top-down communication) is the most problematic and requires the most attention when in the act.

In peer to peer communication, there's rarely any pressure or limitations. We typically have ample time around one another, and if something is not clear we don't feel much hesitation to ask for clarification. Sure, misunderstandings (particularly personal) can happen, but the flexibility of the communication mode and the availability of each person makes peer to peer communication the least troublesome of the three.

In employee to boss communication, things don't become too complicated either. The employee knows that the boss is always short on time; the thoughtful employee (sometimes out of fear of messing up) will think about his words thoroughly before talking to the boss. Because the employee has given great thought to what and how something should be stated or asked, there are comparatively few misunderstandings.

Since the boss is obviously the one in a position of power, the employee, over time, will take it to learning the boss' quirks and intricacies so that the statements and questions are tailored to the boss' preferences. This further reduces the chances of miscommunication occurring.

Finally, we have boss to employee communication. As mentioned earlier, this is the most problematic. There are four factors at work in aggravating the situation.

1. The Boss gives fairly important requests/questions
2. The Boss is pressed for time and doesn't spend a lot of time explaining his desires for the task
3. The Boss isn't likely to think hard about how to phrase the request/question so that the employee will best understand the request
4. The Employee isn't likely to ask for clarification

The first factor should be pretty obvious. The boss is higher up in the food chain, and hence his requests and questions tend to be greater in magnitude than in peer to peer or employee to boss communication. If the same level of misunderstanding exists in all three types of communication, then the ones emanating from the boss will have the most severe consequences.

The second and third factors go hand in hand. The boss simply isn't likely to spend a lot of time thinking or explaining the details of his request. There is a clear expectation in his own mind, but it is rare that it is communicated clearly and in its entirety. The employee is tasked to read between the lines and infer what the boss' true expectations are.

Assuming that the other person understands implicit information is actually a common problem in our everyday communication. It surely leads to many a matrimonial problems, and is a key factor in boss to employee communication issues as well.

The fourth factor is a natural consequence of hierarchy and the human mind. We are, to one extent or another, afraid of the boss (with good reason, since he has unilateral power over our future). After the boss makes a request to us, we are far less likely to ask for clarification than if the same request came from one of our peers. To some degree, small or large, we are concerned about our own behinds; the last thing we want to do is piss the boss off. The situation becomes more complicated when there are cultural differences or language barrier to be dealt with[1]. Needless to say, a fiery temperament won't help either.

What Does This All Mean?

Good question. It might mean different things to different people, but to me, here's the message.

At some point in the future, we're likely to be bosses ourselves. When that day comes, let's remember that the new hires in our team are going to be timid. Let's make a deliberate effort to give them information in a form that they're most likely to understand. Let's make their lives and our lives easier by making it clear to them that our doors are always open for anything.

The higher up in the food chain we go, the more unnatural these seemingly natural considerations become. Remembering our own experiences as underlings will likely help us in changing course.