Miscommunication is like a symphony where the instruments are out of tune. Without harmony and alignment, even the most well-intentioned efforts result in chaos—noise instead of a cohesive masterpiece. In the workplace, the cost of miscommunication is steep, affecting productivity, morale, and outcomes across teams and organizations.
The Hidden Price of Poor Communication
Effective communication saves time, fosters innovation, and builds trust. But when communication breaks down, teams waste time going in circles, frustration rises, and the ripple effects impact everyone—employees, customers, and the organization’s culture.
When people fail to listen or seek understanding, they often focus on their own perspective, entering conversations with preconceived outcomes or egos that block collaboration. Miscommunication can lead to feelings of disconnection and withdrawal, damaging psychological safety—the very foundation of a thriving team.
According to an MIT study, 84% of frontline workers feel they’re not properly informed, and 50% say they don’t understand their company’s overall strategy. This disconnect breeds confusion, anxiety, and stress, undermining employee well-being and creating inefficiencies that harm business performance.
During the depths of Covid my Managing Director asked my team to pull together a wellbeing calendar to support our workers during the difficult transition that we were all experiencing. I passed this brief onto my Learning and Development Specialist and asked her to design a wellbeing program to support employees during the pandemic. I provided the instructions verbally: research a range of topics to address personal wellbeing & resilience, how to manage teams remotely, how to leverage technology to conduct meetings and some fun team building activities to maintain connection during lockdowns. Then draft a proposed calendar of options spaced every three to four weeks ready for launch in July.
My L&D Specialist didn’t execute the task as I had outlined or expected. Instead of preparing a calendar, she sent me six individual emails with links, ideas and costings, asking for my feedback and direction. I was both surprised and frustrated, wondering what went wrong. The issue? My direct report wasn’t clear on the expectations and didn’t feel confident enough to ask clarifying questions which was largely due to our different communication styles. She didn’t want to disappoint me or seem incompetent so she muddled through the best she could.
The result was wasted time, frustration, and misalignment. I realized that clearer instructions and deliverables were needed to prevent this from happening again and for my direct report, gaining the confidence to seek clarity would have avoided the miscommunication altogether.
The Real Benefits of Effective Communication
When communication flows harmoniously, the benefits are transformative:
Time Savings: Clear communication reduces rework and eliminates unnecessary back-and-forth.
Better Ideas: Listening with curiosity fosters innovation and creative problem-solving.
Stronger Connections: Empathic listening builds trust, inclusion, and psychological safety.
Increased Efficiency: Teams that communicate well are aligned, focused, and productive.
Positive Impact on Well-Being: Transparent communication reduces anxiety and self-doubt, boosting morale and resilience.
5 Steps to Break the Cycle of Miscommunication:
Awareness: Recognize when poor communication is costing you time and results.
Analysis: Identify specific issues—unclear instructions, assumptions, or lack of feedback.
Support: Invest in communication skills through courses, books, learning from others, leveraging peers, asking for advice or e-learning resources.
Discipline: Practice asking clarifying questions, active listening, and transparent feedback.
Results: Measure the improvement in outcomes—smoother workflows, stronger teams, and better customer experiences.
John Powell, English composer of 70 film scores and famous for his work with animated movies said, “Communication works for those who work at it.”
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