What is the importance of sharing best practices in lateral communication?

• A. It reduces the need for cross-department coordination.
• B. It undermines trust between units.
• C. It improves departmental silos but not overall performance.
• D. It enhances teamwork and decision-making effectiveness across departments.

Answer: (D)

Sharing best practices across units in lateral communication matters because it spreads proven methods and lessons learned, so teams don’t have to reinvent the wheel. When departments share what’s working well, the organization gains consistent approaches, faster adoption of effective strategies, and better overall situational awareness. This collaborative flow helps different units anticipate each other’s needs, coordinate more smoothly during operations, and make decisions with more relevant information and fewer blind spots. In corrections settings, that translates to standardized safety procedures, consistent incident responses, and more reliable teamwork, all of which improve both efficiency and safety.

The other ideas don’t fit as well. Fewer cross-department interactions would actually hinder coordination, not help it. Trust tends to grow when information and successful practices are openly shared, not be undermined. And the benefit isn’t limited to breaking down silos; it strengthens cross-unit performance and the organization as a whole.