Diagonal Communication
Diagonal communication refers to communication between a management and workers from various workgroups. It doesn’t usually show up on a company’s organisational structure. For example, in order to build a training module, a training manager speaks with a member of the Operations team to learn more about how they carry out their duties.
To deal with increased employee involvement, flattened organisational structures, advances in communication technology, and the shift toward an economy based more on knowledge than traditional industrial and service skills, organisations must develop effective communication processes in the modern business environment. Mistakes, misunderstandings, and interpersonal difficulties are caused by communication barriers such as language disparities, information overload, and strained relationships. Employees may communicate successfully with the organisational hierarchy via diagonal communication.
Importance of Diagonal Communication
(I) It’s a matter of necessity
Business groups, like the projects they work on, are very complicated. Projects often need the collaboration of many departments and individuals at various levels within those departments. Furthermore, a project-group member’s position on the project may vary from his rank inside the company, making the project group’s hierarchy less defined than the organization’s. A diagonal communication path enables this functionally heterogeneous group to communicate information directly, as needed for project execution, rather than via a hierarchy that is irrelevant to the project.
(ii) Effectiveness
The normal way of communication between a subordinate in one department and a higher-up in another is for the subordinate to communicate with her supervisor, who will then escalate the message until it reaches the intended recipient’s level. The message is sent to the addressee through a horizontal interaction at that point. It’s an inefficient procedure that, in many circumstances, leads to misunderstanding as the message is passed from one person to the next. This inefficiency is eliminated by using diagonal communication paths.
(iii) Quickness
A straight line is the shortest distance between two places. Diagonal communication routes are straight lines that accelerate messages directly to their intended receivers when they are needed. Communications that zigzag over horizontal and vertical paths, on the other hand, are subject to the whims and schedules of the people who pass them along.
(iv) Obstacles
When diagonal communications are acceptable, it is ultimately up to management to decide. It’s critical to entrust diagonal communications to people who can be trusted on to utilise them cooperatively for the project’s advantage by keeping the conversation on a formal communications level.