Why Information Doesn't Reach Employees (And How to Fix It)
The Real Cost of Information Loss
Last October, I started getting urgent requests about project updates. Teams needed to account for a major software change coming in the next release.
The problem? That change had been delayed five months earlier.
The February announcement reached everyone. The May delay only reached a handful of managers. Those managers had competing priorities. The delay fell off their radar.
By October, multiple teams were still planning for the original timeline. They had no idea anything changed.
Nobody was lazy. Nobody deliberately dropped the ball. The information just stopped moving.
This happens in your organization too.Research shows a striking gap between what leaders think they communicate and what employees actually receive. One study found that two-thirds of senior managers believe they explain major decisions well. Only one-third of front-line employees agree.
The message gets lost somewhere between the top and bottom of your organization.
Why Information Doesn't Reach Employees: The System Fails, Not the People
Think about how water moves through a building.
The main line has full pressure. It splits into smaller pipes on each floor. Those pipes branch into individual offices. Some pipes narrow. Some have filters. Some valves close when other areas need flow.
By the time water should reach the third floor bathroom, nothing comes out. The water company thinks everything is fine. The main line shows full pressure.
Your organizational communication works exactly the same way.
Leadership announces something. Full pressure. Clear message.
It hits the first layer of managers. The pipe narrows. Each manager filters based on priorities. Some decide it's not urgent. Some think their team doesn't need it yet. Some forget.
It hits the next layer. The pipe narrows again. More filtering. More competing priorities.
By the time it should reach the person who needs it, nothing comes out.
The system creates the blockage. Not the people in the system.
The Grapevine Problem
Research reveals another challenge. Studies show that 70% of all organizational communication happens through informal channels, not official ones.
Employees trust what they hear from peers more than what comes through formal announcements. The grapevine carries information faster than your carefully planned cascade.
But the grapevine also distorts messages. Adds speculation. Fills gaps with guesses.
When official channels fail, the grapevine takes over. And what employees hear often bears little resemblance to what leadership said.
Common Reasons Information Gets Blocked
Management Layers Act as Filters
Every management level between you and the end user is a potential blockage point.
Managers receive dozens of messages daily. They make split-second decisions about what to share. What seems critical to you might not make their top ten priorities.
They also translate your message through their own lens. What you said and what they share rarely match exactly.
Competing Priorities Override Your Message
That software delay I mentioned? The managers who heard about it had fifteen other things demanding attention.
Your message competed with budget reviews, staffing issues, customer escalations, and their own project deadlines.
Your critical update lost. Not because they didn't care. Because humans can only track so much at once.
Assumptions Kill Communication
Senders assume: "I told my direct reports, so everyone knows."
Managers assume: "This doesn't affect my team right now."
Receivers assume: "If something important happened, someone would tell me."
All three assumptions are wrong. All three create information gaps.
Physical and Structural Barriers
Remote work. Different time zones. Separate buildings. Departments that never interact.
Physical separation makes information sharing harder. You can't overhear the conversation at the next desk. You miss the hallway context. You're not in the room when decisions get made.
Organizational silos compound the problem. Engineering doesn't talk to Sales. Sales doesn't loop in Support. Support doesn't know what Product is building.
Information gets trapped in departmental bubbles.
What Senders Get Wrong About Communication
You announced the change. You sent the email. You covered it in the all-hands meeting.
You think your job is done.
Your job hasn't started.
The One-and-Done Myth
Telling someone once doesn't mean they heard you. It definitely doesn't mean they'll remember. It absolutely doesn't guarantee they'll share it with their teams.
Marketing research going back to the 1930s found that people need to encounter a message at least seven times before they take action. Movie studios discovered that potential customers had to see a poster seven times before buying a ticket.
Your employees need the same repetition. Maybe more, given how much information competes for their attention.
The Cascade Assumption
You assume your direct reports will cascade your message down. With the same urgency. The same detail. The same accuracy.
They won't.
They have their own interpretation. Their own priorities. Their own communication style.
What you said and what they share are two different messages. By the time it reaches three levels down, your original message is unrecognizable.
Missing the 7 Times, 7 Ways Rule
One email isn't enough. One meeting isn't sufficient. One Slack message gets buried.
If something matters, communicate it seven times using seven different methods.
- Email announcement
- All-hands meeting mention
- Slack channel update
- One-on-one conversations
- Team meeting discussion
- Written documentation
- Dashboard or wiki entry
Each method reaches different people. Each repetition reinforces the message. Each format serves a different learning style.
There is no such thing as over-communication in organizations.
What Receivers Get Wrong About Information Flow
You're waiting for information to reach you. You assume someone would tell you if something important changed.
Stop waiting. Start asking.
The Passive Information Trap
When something doesn't make sense, you wonder about it. You mention it to a colleague. You assume someone else will figure it out.
You don't ask upstream. You don't check the source. You don't verify what you heard through the grapevine.
The information exists somewhere. You just haven't found it. Stop assuming your manager should have all the answers and start asking better questions.
The Silence Means Nothing Myth
You hear nothing about that project. You assume that means nothing changed.
Silence doesn't mean stability. It means the information pipeline broke somewhere between the source and you.
Don't interpret silence as "everything's fine." Interpret it as "I need to check."
Failing to Build Information Pathways
You rely on your direct manager for all information. When they don't share something, you're stuck.
Build multiple pathways:
- Ask your manager
- Check with the project owner
- Review the wiki or shared docs
- Connect with someone closer to the source
- Join relevant Slack channels or email lists
More pathways mean more chances information reaches you.
Assuming Bad Intent
When information doesn't reach you, your first thought: "Why didn't anyone tell me?"
That frustration is valid. The blame isn't.
The person who didn't tell you probably didn't know you needed to know. Or they assumed someone else told you. Or they forgot. Or it never reached them either.
Assume positive intent. The information was missed, not hidden. Understanding why people micromanage starts with recognizing they're responding to their own information gaps and fears, not deliberately withholding from you.
How to Fix Information Flow in Your Organization
For People Sending Information
Repeat Your Message Seven Times, Seven Ways
Don't stop after you announce something once. Start a communication campaign.
Email it. Present it. Discuss it in one-on-ones. Post it in Slack. Document it. Reference it in meetings. Update dashboards.
Each method reaches someone who missed the previous six.
Don't Assume Your Message Cascades Accurately
Your direct reports won't share your message directly. They'll share their version of your message.
Follow up. Ask what people heard. Correct misunderstandings. Fill gaps.
Check three levels down. What's the front line saying about your announcement? Does it match what you said?
Verify Receipt and Understanding
Don't ask "Did everyone get my email?" Ask "What did you understand from my email?"
The first question gets head nods. The second reveals gaps.
Create feedback loops. Make it easy for people to ask questions. Reward those who point out confusion.
Use Multiple Communication Channels
Different people consume information differently.
Some read every email. Some ignore email but watch Slack. Some need to hear it in person. Some want written documentation they can reference later.
Hit all the channels. The same message, adapted for each format. Varying your communication locations and methods can dramatically change what information surfaces.
For People Receiving Information
Ask Questions Upstream
When something doesn't add up, investigate.
"I heard the software change is coming next month, but I also heard it was delayed. Which is correct?"
Don't wait for clarity to find you. Go get it.
Check the Source Directly
Your manager doesn't know. Ask their manager. Still unclear? Contact the project owner. Find the person closest to the information.
Skip the telephone game. Go to the source.
Build Relationships Across Layers
Know people outside your immediate team. Connect with folks in other departments. Build relationships with leaders two or three levels up.
When you need information, you'll know who to ask. When they share updates, you'll be on the list.
Create Your Own Information Channels
Don't rely solely on what flows down to you.
- Subscribe to relevant email lists
- Join project Slack channels
- Attend optional updates or town halls
- Read meeting notes from leadership meetings
- Check shared wikis and documentation
The more channels you monitor, the less likely you'll miss critical information.
Assume Information Gaps, Not Intentional Hiding
When you discover you missed something important, your first reaction might be frustration or anger.
Take a breath. Assume the gap was systemic, not personal.
Then fix your information pathways so it doesn't happen again.
Practical Action Steps for Monday Morning
If You Send Information to Teams:
✓ Identify your most critical message right now. What does your team absolutely need to know?
✓ Plan seven different ways to share it. Email, meeting, Slack, one-on-one, documentation, dashboard, follow-up.
✓ Schedule those seven touchpoints over the next two weeks. Space them out. Hit different channels.
✓ Ask three levels down what they heard. Not "did you get my message?" but "what did you understand?"
✓ Correct gaps immediately. When you find misunderstandings, clarify fast before they spread.
If You Receive Information from Leadership:
✓ List three things you're unclear about in your current work. What decisions or changes would affect your projects?
✓ Identify who would know the answer. Project owner? Their manager? The department head?
✓ Ask directly this week. Don't wait. Send the email or Slack message today.
✓ Build one new information pathway. Join a Slack channel. Attend a town hall. Connect with someone in another department.
✓ Set a weekly check-in with your manager specifically about information flow. "What's changing that I should know about?" Make this a regular part of your one-on-one agenda.
For Everyone:
✓ Stop believing one announcement is enough. If you're sending, plan repetition. If you're receiving, expect gaps.
✓ Assume positive intent when information fails. The system broke. The people didn't.
✓ Build redundancy into your information channels. More pathways mean fewer missed messages.
The Bottom Line on Why Information Doesn't Reach Employees
Your organizational communication system is like plumbing. Pressure drops as messages move through layers. Pipes narrow. Valves close. Filters catch things.
Information doesn't flow automatically from top to bottom. The system itself creates blockages.
Senders: Stop thinking one announcement is enough. Plan for repetition. Verify understanding. Check three levels down.
Receivers: Stop waiting for information to find you. Ask questions upstream. Build multiple pathways. Assume gaps, not hiding.
Everyone: Accept that perfect information flow is impossible in organizations. Build systems that account for inevitable failures.
There is no such thing as over-communication. The gap between what leadership says and what employees know costs time, money, and trust.
Close that gap. Repeat your messages. Chase down clarity. Fix the plumbing.
What information got stuck in your organization recently? Where did the message stop flowing? Share your experience in the comments below.
You're great at the work. Let's make it visible.
Struggling with communication breakdowns in your organization? I help tech and systems leaders build strategies that actually reach people. Let's talk about closing your information gaps.
Schedule a conversation: https://www.jessestaffordcoaching.com/lets-talk
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