Struggling with Miscommunication? How Downward Communication Solves It?
Essentials or Importance of Effective Downward Communication:
1. Managers should keep themselves well informed of the objectives, activities and achievements of their organization. If they are themselves in possession of adequate information, they will be able to transmit information to their subordinates in an effective manner.
2. The manager must work according to a communication plan. They must decide beforehand how much information is to be communicated and at what time. This will ensure that there is neither a communication gap, nor over communication or under-communication.
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3. There should not be over-concentration of authority at the highest level. If an organization is so structured that orders and instructions can originate at various levels, the lines of communication will get shortened. Downward flow will gain momentum. Delays will be minimized, loss of information and the possibility of distortion will be minimized if not fully checked.
4. Information must be passed on to the correct person in the hierarchy. If the Managing Director bypasses the departmental heads to communicate directly with the lower staff, he is subverting the organizational structure and creating future problems for the smooth flow of downward communication.
Merits of Downward Communication:
The merits of downward communication are as follows.
Mission and Goals:
It informs the employees about the organization's mission, goals and how they should contribute their best to accomplish these goals.
Plans and Policies:
It provides the employees with information regarding organizational plans and policies.
Duty and Authority:
It facilitates the employees knowing what is expected with them and the extent of their authority.
Job Satisfaction:
It increases employees' job satisfaction by communicating with them for better performance.
Limitations of Downward Communication:
Under-communication and over-communication:
Downward communication is often marred by either under-communication or over-communication, i.e., a superior may either talk too little or too much about a job. Under-communication may involve incomplete instructions, which will inevitably lead to unsatisfactory performance. Over-communication or talking too much, on the other hand, may lead to the leakage of confidential information.
Delay:
The lines of communication in downward commutation being very long. Transmitting information to the lowest workers is a time-consuming process. By the time information reaches them, it may have lost much of its significance, or it may have caused damaging delay.
Loss of information:
Unless the communication is fully written, it is not likely to be transmitted downwards in its entirety. A part of it is almost certain to be lost.
Distortion:
In long lines of communication, information is not only lost but even distorted. Exaggerating, making under-statements, giving unconscious twists to facts are a part of human nature. Whenever a piece of information passes on from one individual to another, it loses a little of its authenticity.
Filtering:
Filtering also prevents some information from travelling down the lines. It is different from loss of information in as much as it is a conscious process while loss of information is a natural one.
Downward communication mainly aims at providing subordinates with the goals, policies and procedures along with the instructions, orders and directions of the superiors. In the following the main objective or purposes of downward communication are discussed:
1. To inform the subordinates:
The main objective of downward communication is to communicate organizational goals, plans, programmers' policies and procedures to the employees. Downward communication also helps the employees to understand their duties and to relate their duties to those of others in the organization.
2. To give task directives:
Another main objective of downward communication is to give directions to the subordinates. Through downward communication, managers issue various task directives to their subordinates and them well informed of their duties.
3. To explain organization policies and procedures:
Subordinates may not always correctly understand the inner meanings of organizational policies and procedures. In such a situation, managers provide necessary explanations of organizational polices, and procedures to the subordinates through downward communication.
4. To provide performance feedback:
Downward communication is a means to provide performance feedback to the employees. Based on such information, employees can take steps to improve their performance.
5. To delegate authority:
Delegating authority is necessary for smooth functioning of the organization. Downward communication is the vehicle through which superiors delegate authority to their subordinates.
6. To Motivate and inspire employees:
Another objective of downward communication is to motive and inspire employees. Through downward communication, managers communicate various motivational programmers' to the subordinates. Moreover, employees also feel inspired when superiors talk with them.
7. To establish discipline:
In performing organizational activities, proper discipline should be maintained. Through downward communication, manager's issue task related rules and regulations time to time in order to maintain discipline.
8. To explain the changed environment:
In order to cope with the environmental changes, mangers require to change organizational plans, polices, procedures and programmers'. Those changes are communicated to the subordinates through downward communication.
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