Takeaways
- Poor communication is often blamed after a project goes wrong, but teams rarely take proactive steps to improve it before the next project.
- Communication is a learned skill, not an innate ability, and requires continuous practice and intentionality.
- Breaking communication into key elements—like language, consensus, conflict, and culture—can help teams prevent misunderstandings and improve collaboration.
We Always Blame Poor Communication, But Never Improve It
We’ve all been there before. We work on a project, it goes sideways, and the finger-pointing begins. People blamestorm, and eventually, everyone is just relieved it’s over. No one cares how well we solved the problem—or if we even solved it at all. Inevitably, someone says, “we just need to communicate better.” Everyone nods in agreement, but no one defines what “better” actually means. Then we return to the same dysfunctional behaviors that caused the breakdown in the first place.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
Sound familiar? It doesn’t have to be this way. You can communicate better, but first, you’ll need to get a little meta about it. That’s right, we need to communicate about communication. The reason so many people are bad at it is that they treat communication like an innate ability, rather than a learned skill. Ironically, while humans can’t not communicate, just because it comes naturally doesn’t mean we can’t improve. In fact, we may have more to unlearn than we realize in order to communicate more effectively.
Communication Is a Learned Skill
Too often, we assume that because we can talk or write, we’re good at communicating. But effective communication requires intentionality and practice. Instead of treating it as something everyone should just know how to do, we need to break it down into manageable parts.
If your team struggles with communication, it’s likely due to one or more of the following communication hotspots:
- Language: What words and concepts do we use to convey meaning? Are we clear in our messaging?
- Consensus: Are we being logical and reasonable with each other? Do we have agreement on key points?
- Conflict: How do we handle disagreements or arguments? Are we addressing issues constructively?
- Time: How do we manage the past, present, and future in our conversations? Are we on the same timeline?
- Environment: What’s the context in which we communicate—are we in-person, remote, or hybrid? How does this impact the conversation?
- Culture: How would you describe the personality and communication style of your organization?
- Process: What’s the order in which we do things? Are we aligned on workflows and decision-making?
- Objectives: What are our personal and collective goals? Are we clear on what we’re trying to achieve?
Proactive Communication
Next time you kick off a project, set aside time to ask and answer these questions. Decide how your team plans to communicate effectively, instead of waiting for a breakdown to occur. Breaking communication into these smaller facets can go a long way in preventing—or resolving—communication issues before they spiral out of control.
Don’t just say, “we need to communicate better.” Define how you will do it better. By focusing on the elements that make up communication, you can foster healthier, more effective interactions that improve team dynamics and project outcomes..
Image credits: Cool Hand Look Warner Bros.