Communication is inextricably linked in the quality process, yet some executives find it difficult to tell others about the plan in a way that will be understood. An additional difficulty is filtering. As top management’s vision of quality gets filtered down through the ranks, the vision and the plan can lose both clarity and momentum. Thus, top management, as well as managers and supervisors at all levels, serve as translators and executors of top management’s directive. The ability to communicate is a valuable skill at all levels, from front-line supervisor to CEO. Employees remain
convinced that senior management knows something it is not telling the staff. Whether or not this assertion is actually true is not quite as important as the perception that it is true. A certain degree of transparency is necessary if department heads and managers are to disabuse the minds of their employees about this notion.
Quality-conscious companies are interested in the cost of poor communication in terms of both employee productivity and customer perception of product and service quality. More important than what is written or said is the recipient’s perception of the message. Limited or inaccurate facts parceled out to employees may demoralize workers and lead to rumors.
