Poor Communicaton: cause or effect?

A client recently complained about poor communication at her meetings. One particular person was singled out as having no communication skills because she never spoke up at the meetings. I spoke to the employee in question, though, and found that she was reluctant (scared, even) to speak up because when she had done so in the past she had been shouted down by a manager who didn't like anyone disagreeing with him.

That's not a communication issue. That's a trust issue.

As a manager, if you want honest feedback you must create an environment where it is safe to disagree and say so.