How many times have you heard this? Your employee satisfaction survey says that communication needs to improve. Employees complain that they’re in the dark, or that their managers don’t tell them what’s going on.

So, you work on the problem. You put out a special newsletter. You write memos on key events and hold special staff meetings. But the results are the same or worse. What do you do?

I’d like to hear what you all think, but I’ll start with some observations. First, communication, if truly deemed important, must be part of the culture of an organization. Communication is not the dissemination of corporate sounding newsletters touting the latest promotions or company awards. It’s about honesty and being genuine. It’s about listening. It’s about asking for feedback and ideas, and acting on that input. In addition, methods need to be in place to ensure that messages are being received, and retained, at all levels in the organization.

In fact, management consultant and world-renowned health care visionary and author Quint Studor writes in Hardwiring Excellence, "I don’t think we can be confident that we are doing a good job at communicating until the cashiers in the cafeteria have the same information about the organization’s goals, direction, and progress that the vice presidents have."

There are a number of ways to facilitate communication, and depending on your company, some will be more effective than others. Regardless, however, of the medium the most important component is the message. Do you share the good with the bad? Do you give information that builds credibility with your employees? Is your management team committed, and accountable, to this cause?

Do you agree with my assessment? What have you found to be effective? What would you like to learn from others?