3 Benefits of Horizontal Communication

Horizontal communication, also known as lateral communication, is a business communication strategy where information-sharing moves between departments and employees. In vertical communication, an employee’s level in the organizational hierarchy may dictate who they receive information from and when; in the horizontal form of communication, the free flow of messages promotes a less formal communication structure, allowing employees to exchange ideas and strategies with greater independence. In companies that practice horizontal communication, lower-level employees can communicate directly to implement top-level decisions better.

Lateral communication channels can have the following workflow benefits:

1. 1. Inspire teamwork: Teamwork is one of the chief advantages of horizontal communication. Coworkers speak to, meet with, and ideate alongside people from different departments, allowing them to develop problem-solving strategies more easily.
2. 2. Create healthier workspaces: This communication process can promote a healthier work environment. Downward communication can make employees feel stuck in their roles, but lateral communication offers more flexibility and equality in the office. This can lead to stronger company morale and individual job satisfaction.
3. 3. Increase speed: Communication flows more quickly with horizontal communication. Getting information and approvals in upward communication and downward communication can be time-consuming.

There are some disadvantages of horizontal communication. Larger companies generally do not use this more informal communication strategy for the following reasons:

1. 1. Management challenges: When employees communicate with different departments, it can be more challenging for management to know or predict who is strategizing with whom and when.
2. 2. Lack of discipline: Horizontal communication without explicit strategies or best-use practices can lead to an unruly system—and one in which there is a lack of discipline in how coworkers behave together or report to their superiors.
3. 3. Interdepartmental conflict: If two departments do not get along, lateral communication will be useless. There must be goodwill between workers of different departments for this communication strategy to be effective.

There are a few ways to maximize this communication technique for efficiency and workplace wellness:

1. 1. Share information freely. In horizontal communication, employees from one department will often request information from another; once that information is shared, the message originator should efficiently share it with the rest of their team.
2. 2. Loop in supervisors. Managers may feel out of the loop if their subordinates know more than they do about a given project. While lower-level employees in horizontal communication structures can freely gather information, they should carbon copy supervisors on emails.
3. 3. Maintain reporting hierarchies. Employees should still know what information and tasks are due to their manager, whether they bring complaints to human resources or their direct supervisor, and who makes final decisions on problem-solving matters to maintain a smooth workplace.

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