Horizontal communication, often referred to as lateral communication, is communication that occurs between people at the same organizational level. In this context, communication describes any information that is transmitted between individuals, teams, departments, divisions, or units.
Understanding horizontal communication
Horizontal communication describes any communication that occurs between people, teams, or departments at the same level within a company.
Effective horizontal communication creates a collaborative culture where visibility and accountability are the norm.
It also creates a sense of unity among employees at the same level where each is working toward a shared objective and not in direct competition with their co-workers or superiors.
However, like most forms of communication, there can be downsides. Ineffective lateral communication has the potential to create bottlenecks in the business – particularly if vertical communication is still required to ratify or approve decisions.
The extra visibility and accountability can also cause inefficiencies because employees spend much of their time interacting on multiple platforms or writing emails.
How can horizontal communication be improved?
Improving horizontal communication is very much context-dependent, but here are a few general ways to maximize its effectiveness.
Replace email with a messaging platform
According to McKinsey, 28% of work time is spent on email with employees checking their inbox 11 times per hour on average.
This and the fact that response rates can vary from anywhere between 24 and 72 hours make email extremely inefficient.
Messaging platforms like Slack are a faster way to communicate and are especially useful when someone needs an instantaneous answer or access to a document.
By their very nature, they cut down on back-and-forth exchanges and tend to be more casual.
This means employees can avoid including introductions, sign-offs, or other email-related formalities that waste time.
Keep supervisors in the loop
That horizontal communication is collaborative may sometimes mean that employees know more about a project or task than their supervisor.
When email must be used, it’s important to carbon copy supervisors to avoid inefficiencies that arise from repeating the same information multiple times.
Otherwise, these individuals should have access to Slack and other chat platforms.
Leverage Slack channels but beware of distraction
On a related note, Slack channels are a useful way to organize groups of people around a specific topic or project.
They increase the clarity and visibility of the work being performed in addition to who is responsible for what.
With access to the same information and saved conversation history, every member of the team – from new recruits to leaders – can easily remain abreast of the latest developments.
Note also that social or informal Slack channels are an effective way to build rapport between teams and departments. Indeed, there is no requirement that horizontal communication be limited to work topics only.
Key takeaways
- Horizontal communication describes any communication that occurs between people, teams, or departments at the same level within a company.
- Effective horizontal communication creates a collaborative culture where visibility and accountability are the norm. However, in some cases, it can result in bottlenecks and associated efficiencies.
- To maximize the effectiveness of horizontal communication, replace email with chat communication wherever possible, ensure supervisors are kept in the loop, and utilize Slack channels to increase the clarity and visibility of communication.
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