Diagonal communication is a type of communication that occurs between employees of differing ranks who are not in the same chain of command. It is a hybrid between vertical and horizontal communication, and it involves staff members of different departments interacting with each other, regardless of their reporting relationship. Here are some key features of diagonal communication:

• It skips over the hierarchy and lets people communicate directly as needed, removing artificial structural barriers that can block progress.
• It makes information flow faster and more freely, allowing all the data needed to get work done to be easily available.
• It improves team effectiveness by reducing the chance of information being misinterpreted or distorted.
• It encourages employees to take a proactive approach to communication and take ownership over their work, leading to greater job satisfaction and increased engagement.

Diagonal communication can lead to misunderstandings, especially when it happens in cross-departmental collaboration, but it can be effective when guidelines for communicating diagonally are established. Here are some advantages of diagonal communication:

• It improves efficiency by removing artificial structural barriers that can block progress.
• It makes information flow faster and more freely, allowing all the data needed to get work done to be easily available.
• It improves team effectiveness by reducing the chance of information being misinterpreted or distorted.
• It encourages employees to take a proactive approach to communication and take ownership over their work, leading to greater job satisfaction and increased engagement.

To ensure effective diagonal communication in the workplace, it is important to establish a set of guidelines for communicating diagonally, limit the number of communication channels being used, and encourage trust and healthy working environments.