Upward communication explained: meaning, examples, and tips

Upward communication is key to helping both companies and their employees thrive. 

When feedback flows from lower-level employees to upper management, companies don’t just improve processes. They unlock ideas, surface concerns, and foster a workplace culture where everyone feels heard.

Whether it’s through employee surveys, team meetings, or a simple suggestion box, encouraging this type of communication builds mutual trust and strengthens engagement across the board. The result is more connected teams, better decisions, and a stronger organization from the inside out.

What is upward communication?

Upward communication is when communication flows between lower-level employees and management. Leaders who implement this style often encourage every employee to share their feedback and ideas with others, no matter their seniority level or that of the listener. 

The standard way of organizing a company's structure is top-down, meaning senior leadership brainstorm long-term goals and define company-wide initiatives and policies. Workers at the bottom accept authority from the top and dutifully carry out their leaders’ vision.  

But workers are increasingly demanding a flattening of power and decision-making structures. Surveys show that millennials and Gen Z don’t want to feel like anonymous workers. Instead, they yearn to connect with their employer by offering their ideas and helping make important decisions.

Upward communication answers this employee need by helping create a more collaborative and engaging workplace. When team members share their ideas through employee surveys or informal Slack messages, they become active participants in shaping the company’s direction. Tools like suggestion boxes or digital feedback forms offer additional ways for employees to communicate honestly. 

Ultimately, this type of communication supports transparency, boosts employee engagement, and empowers people to contribute beyond their job descriptions. It’s not about breaking hierarchy; it’s about building a healthier one, where internal communication flows both ways and everyone has a stake in making things better.

Upward versus downward communication

To foster a strong workplace culture, it’s important to understand how different types of communication function. Two of the most common forms are upward and downward communication.

Upward communication flows from employees to upper management, while downward communication moves from leadership to staff. Downward communication is commonly used to give direction, share policies, and assign tasks. It’s often structured and authoritative. 

By contrast, upward communication is collaborative. It invites feedback, suggestions, and concerns from lower-level employees, helping leaders stay connected to what’s happening on the ground. 

The best workplace communication strategies leverage both clear direction from the top and honest feedback from employees at every level. This two-way flow builds mutual trust, strengthens internal communication, and helps organizations stay agile and aligned as they grow.

7 benefits of upward communication

When communication flows freely between employees and upper management, it creates a stronger, more connected workplace. Upward communication isn’t just good for business—it helps you feel heard, valued, and empowered to contribute in meaningful ways, no matter your job title.

Whether sharing a new idea, offering feedback, or raising a concern, speaking up can lead to real change. Here are seven more benefits of practicing and encouraging upward communication at work:

1. Develops mutual trust: Open workplace communication builds trust and confidence to express opinions and share ideas. And workers in high-trust organizations experience 74% less stress and 50% higher productivity.
2. Increases information retention: Collaboration doesn’t just create more personal connections; it improves understanding. One study found that students who actively share information develop a firmer grasp of the materials.
3. Improves procedures: Feedback from team members on the frontline helps managers and human resources (HR) professionals improve procedures that lead to better operational decision-making. And poor decisions can eat upwards of 3% of annual profits, which can seriously impact your business's growth.
4. Employee recognition: Upward communication involves recognizing employees as valued parts of the team and not cogs in the machine. This boosts employee self-confidence and encourages engagement.
5. Highlights top-performing employees: Workers who take advantage of upward communication show hiring managers and leadership important soft skills like initiative, motivation, and commitment that can be useful when looking for internal candidates or debating promotions.
6. Gives a sense of purpose: Millennial and Gen Z workers want to feel involved and value opportunities for professional growth, and open communication is one important way to contribute to a sense of workplace belonging and purpose.
7. Encourages better communication: Upward communication helps workers improve their communication skills. They develop clearer written, verbal, and nonverbal communication as they interact across different communication channels and hierarchies.

5 upward communication examples

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to upward communication. Depending on your company culture, size, and organizational hierarchy, different methods may work better than others.

The goal is to create consistent, reliable ways for employees to share feedback with upper management, whether it’s through structured systems or informal channels. When you offer multiple paths for employee input, you create a workplace where communication feels safe, accessible, and encouraged.

Here are a few upward communication examples to consider:

1. Focus groups: An HR specialist can bring employees together to discuss satisfaction levels regarding daily issues, management styles, or short and long-term goals. Likewise, feedback about new or pending policies gives valuable insight from frontline workers to top management.
2. Employee satisfaction surveys: Regular employee surveys encourage workers to rate their experiences and give high-level managers and HR professionals valuable information to manage employee performance. These surveys also open the door to constructive feedback about new policies and provide constructive criticism about general satisfaction with day-to-day processes. 
3. Performance reviews: Performance reports allow lower-level employees to rate their manager’s performance and vice versa. This practice shows that everyone’s opinion matters and helps cultivate a growth mindset across the organization. 
4. Meetings: Whether one-on-one or in a group, regular meetings create a work culture where everyone values idea-sharing, teamwork, and open communication.
5. Suggestion boxes: A physical suggestion box where workers can give written feedback or complaints for upper management to review makes workers feel safe to air important grievances. Likewise, a dedicated channel on the company’s online messaging platform provides a space to openly throw ideas around.

Obstacles that block upward communication

Even in workplaces that claim to value open communication, certain barriers can make it hard to speak up. Whether it’s unclear expectations, toxic workplace dynamics, or feeling like your input won’t matter, these obstacles can get in the way of upward communication and make it harder for your voice to be heard.

Here are a few common roadblocks that can stand in the way of effective upward communication:

• Fear of speaking up: In work environments where gossip, judgment, or unapproachable leadership are the norm, employees may feel unsafe sharing feedback or raising concerns, even when invited to.
• Autocratic leadership: When managers shut down ideas, protect rigid hierarchies, or expect to control every decision, it creates a dynamic where input from others isn’t truly welcomed.
• Too many tools, not enough clarity: Having a bunch of communication channels without clear guidelines can confuse or overwhelm employees, making it harder to know where and how to share information.
• Feeling ignored: If your feedback consistently goes unanswered or unacknowledged, it’s natural to stop offering it. Recognition can make all the difference.

How to foster upward communication in the workplace

The obstacles to upward communication are real, but they’re not impossible to overcome. With intention and consistency, you can help create a workplace where feedback flows freely, communication feels safe, and every voice has value. 

Whether you're a team lead or an individual contributor, these strategies can help you foster a culture of open, upward communication that benefits everyone. Here are eight steps to help you get started:

1. Encourage open communication

Make open communication a core part of your workplace culture. Encourage top management to regularly ask for feedback, not just during reviews or crises.

Create space for honest conversations through collaborative meetings, cross-level brainstorming sessions, and one-on-one check-ins. Most importantly, make sure leaders are accessible. When employees know they can reach out, they’re more likely to speak up.

2. Leverage both communication types

Upward communication is more effective when downward communication is consistent and clear. When managers share updates and invite input, it builds trust and signals that feedback from employees matters. Use top-down communication not just to give direction, but to encourage participation, creating a two-way flow that supports a more open, connected workplace.

3. Question your leadership style

Managers may possess cognitive biases toward their own ideas or those of their peers with more social capital. But democratic leaders don’t pick and choose who input comes from. They build open-door policies that allow every employee to openly share feedback and get involved in decision-making.

4. Allow employees to create and share content

If only managers create and share content, you might experience bottlenecks or unproductive communication silos between divisions and hierarchies. Encourage everyone to add and share documentation like meeting notes or templates to ensure information flows freely. 

5. Give praise

Employees who feel their input is valuable are more likely to share it. They’re also more likely to have stronger mental and physical health and motivation. Encourage them to share and appreciate their ideas, even if they don’t provide the best solution. What matters is that they feel comfortable and confident enough to express themselves.

6. Stay consistent

It's common for management to improve their communication strategy during a company crisis or around an impending deadline. Remember to keep business communication open year-round, not just when necessary.

7. Invest in workplace communication channels

Engagement tools and workflow apps like instant messaging programs, collaborative document sharing, and regular one-on-one and team member check-ins show that teamwork is the standard. Choose channels that can integrate with one another. Too many work apps can overwhelm your employees and decrease communication motivation.

8. Invite employee-generated content

A culture of experimentation encourages everyone in an organization to take initiative. They’ll feel more excited to provide innovative methodologies, work templates, and ideas. And when managers react positively to both failures and successes, employees look forward to sharing findings that stimulate better ideas and generate more effective policies.

Up and away

Upward communication plays a critical role in building trust, strengthening relationships, and creating a more engaged workplace. When employees feel safe sharing feedback and leaders are open to listening, teams grow stronger and organizations become more resilient.

Whether you’re a manager or an independent contributor, a BetterUp Coach can help you find your voice, build your confidence, and develop the skills you need to foster meaningful dialogue at every level.