As information gets aggregated this way, it loses most of its context and richness. By richness, I'm talking about anecdotal and personal knowledge that front-line workers gather and build from continuous interactions with customers or users. Obviously, most CEOs don't have time to read reports comprised of hundreds of anecdotes; they want summaries of information.

Second, as information or data moves upward, it tends to be slotted into pre-existing categories. Employees on front-lines know and understand nuances of each customer story; it reflects, to a greater or lesser extent, personal relationship between worker and customer. But, there's no place for nuance in weekly reports.

Third, upward communication normally deals with compliance, rather than competitive or operational intelligence. Managers use information moving up hierarchy to determine how well instructions have been followed. When they want competitive or operational information they often use different means, such as bringing in consultants or commissioning studies.

It's always tempting to attribute communication failures to moral failures by managers, but if you really want to understand communication failures, you should start by looking for structural hurdles.

In summary, CEOs who spend time on front lines will undoubtedly be in for many surprises. But, if they want to get news from front lines, they'll need to address structural nature of upward communication.

off-color remarks. “Politics and religion should be avoided

unless you are a member of clergy.”

9. Prepare your own introduction. Keep it short and relevant to

your audience’s interests. You can use some humor too.

10. The opening is most important part of your presentation.

Use strong openings, such as an inspiring story, a startling

comment, a quotation, a challenging question, opposing ideas, or

a funny experience.

11. First impressions are crucial. Match energy level of your

audience. Rev ‘em up a bit. Be sure to sustain energy

throughout your presentation.

12. Engage your audience in first 30 seconds with a

controversial provocative question, such as, “How many of you

have enough money?”

13. Share a story that relates to solid content. It is always

best to tell your own story to make your point, because whether

you are a kid or an adult, everyone loves to hear a personal

story. Screenwriter Robert McKee says, “Stories are currency

of human contact. “Strive to be a great raconteur and tell a good

story, but don’t overuse your story. Keep it short.