Jason Richmond, Founder and Chief Culture Officer of Ideal Outcomes, Inc. Author of Culture Ignited: 5 Disciplines for Adaptive Leadership.
When Ethan hit send, he thought it was just another email. The subject line read “Quick Clarification,” but it triggered anything but clarity.
Over the next 48 hours, it snowballed into a storm of passive-aggressive replies, missed deadlines and a bitter standoff between two departments. One email had become the final straw for a workplace already drowning in miscommunication.
The Future Of Workplace Communication
Ethan’s experience is far from unique. Poor communication is cited as one of the leading causes of workplace inefficiencies, low morale and employee turnover. According to a study by Grammarly and The Harris Poll, businesses lose a staggering $1.2 trillion annually due to ineffective communication, and workers spend nearly 20% of their time navigating unclear or poorly written messages.
It has become so bad that 61% of employees thinking of leaving their jobs cite poor internal communication as a factor, with 26% naming it a major cause, according to a study conducted by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in partnership with Staffbase.
In an age when the speed and methods of communication are proceeding at a breakneck pace, what can business leaders do to transform workplace communication? Here are five key strategies based on my work with companies across the country.
1. Lead With Trust
No kind of communication will be effective unless the recipient trusts the messenger. It won’t matter what you say or how you deliver the information if employees harbor doubts about the integrity of their leaders.
This means that over time, executives must strive to forge a workplace where mutual respect lives. It means honoring commitments—doing what you say you will do and transmitting those promises clearly and honestly.
A single poorly worded email, like Ethan’s, can spark misunderstandings that erode trust and collaboration. Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson highlights this danger in her book, The Fearless Organization, stating, “Psychological safety—the belief that you won’t be punished for speaking up—is essential for team performance. Poor communication undermines this foundation, leading to disengagement and dysfunction.”
2. Quality Versus Quantity
It’s easy to believe that frequent communication is a good thing. But that’s not necessarily the case. While regular communication is essential, it’s the caliber of the content that counts most. Grammarly found that 78% of professionals have seen an increase in the frequency of communication, and 73% have noticed an increase in the variety of communication channels. As a result, knowledge workers spend an almost unbelievable 88% of their workweek communicating across multiple channels.
According to the report, “This uptick in communication is leaving workers overwhelmed. Communication is becoming synonymous with work. And in some instances, overwork.”
I believe leaders should resist the urge to jump into their social media accounts every time a thought pops into their heads. Instead, establish a consistent pattern of disseminating information, perhaps once a week, that contains thoughtful and relevant information. Make it something that employees will look forward to reading, knowing that it will be to their benefit.
3. Take Time To Learn
The skill of communicating doesn’t come easily to many people, but it can be learned. Investing in communication training can equip employees and managers with the tools to articulate their ideas effectively. Host workshops on active listening, nonverbal communication, and conflict resolution. Encourage role-playing exercises to practice these skills so they can be implemented in real-world situations. Like bicycling or typing, communication is a skill you can learn.
LinkedIn Learning research found that 94% of employees would stay longer at a company that invests in their professional development, which serves to underscore why communication should be prioritized as part of an organization’s learning initiatives.
4. Embrace Technology
There’s no getting away from the fact that technology has become a cornerstone of communication, especially considering the prevalence of remote or hybrid work since the pandemic, and more recently, the mind-boggling implementation of generative AI. Tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack and Asana have become second nature for many business operations.
While technology can streamline communication, it can also overwhelm employees if misused. According to Asana’s Anatomy of Work Index, 60% of a person’s time at work is spent on “work about work and not on skilled work.” All of those hours add up to huge amounts of lost time.
Therefore, it’s essential to use today’s communication tools wisely. Define clear guidelines on their use to prevent information overload. Make sure that only people who need to be on a call are invited. The same applies to emails. Don’t copy people who don’t truly need to be copied.
5. Foster Feedback
Feedback should be a two-way street that drives improvement, strengthens relationships, clarifies misunderstandings and aligns expectations. Offering constructive feedback and encouraging employees to share their own insights creates a more collaborative environment and improves employee retention.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), companies with consistent feedback channels, such as weekly meetings, reported almost 15% lower staff turnover. I agree with Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One Minute Manager, when he states, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.”
Conclusion
Ethan’s email may have seemed insignificant, but it underscores a larger issue plaguing many workplaces: The high cost of bad communication. By recognizing the dangers of miscommunication and taking proactive steps to improve, leaders can develop a more collaborative, efficient and positive work environment.
The question isn’t whether organizations can afford to prioritize communication; it’s whether they can afford not to. Effective communication isn’t just expressing our thoughts—it’s making sure others understand our intended message.
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