Almost anyone can draw an organizational chart.  It is an upside down tree.  The boss sits at the top and the structure fans out beneath him.  It was thought for some time among experts in management that a tree structure would favor efficiency.  In a tree structure organization we expect messages to flow up and down the structure but not across from 'branch' to 'branch'.

Now management specialists have found that messages which cross the organizational chart-lateral messages-are necessary for organic growth of the organization.  Ultimately, the best organization avoids the tree structure anyway.  Lateral messages provide the natural lines along which a new internal structure can be created.

 

Using both chain and network, not hub and wheel (9) will create multiple channels through the structure but be sure to always acknowledge power (12).  To encourage thoughtfulness of response, prefer asynchrony over synchrony (21).  Equal height (29) in face-to-face contacts will encourage lateral communication and creative wandering (44) will put you in the position to contact others laterally.