Downward Communications
• Routine discussion meetings between employees and their supervisors: Supervisors should be trained in techniques for generating discussion among employees and in how to feed the information “up the line” on a routine basis. (Supervisors also need to be trained to feed information back down to employees.)
• Supervisor’s appraisal of individual employees: Periodic appraisal by each supervisor on each employee under his or her supervision, including specific and focused questions which the supervisor must answer about each employee with a method for passing this information “up the line” in order to fix a “status appraisal” on each employee.
• Manager’s appraisal of individual supervisors: Again, use focused, specific questions, recognizing that weak, arbitrary, unfair, or excessively harsh supervisors are a prime cause of employee discontent and acting out; be sure this information goes “up the line” in order to correct supervisory problems.
• Attitude surveys: Annual, anonymous questionnaires given to employees; use customized, specific questions that will alert management to trouble spots.
• Employee suggestion program: For employees and family members, give monetary awards or other forms of recognition for accepted suggestions.
• Grievance procedure: Have a nonadversary system where employees feel uninhibited in bringing their complaints and grievances past their immediate supervisors.
• Open door policy: Encourage employees to ask questions and take their concerns to anyone in the company.
• Exit interviews: Every employee who leaves the company should be interviewed and their comments on working conditions and morale recorded.
Downward communication
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