{"id":9141,"date":"2022-03-15T21:17:46","date_gmt":"2022-03-15T17:17:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krisp.ai\/blog\/?p=9141"},"modified":"2025-03-13T18:14:01","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T14:14:01","slug":"poor-communication-in-workplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krisp.ai\/blog\/poor-communication-in-workplace\/","title":{"rendered":"What Causes Poor Communication In The Workplace\u2014and How to Fix It"},"content":{"rendered":"

Poor communication in the workplace is more than just a nuisance. Left unchecked, it can impede performance, destroy morale, and cause your best talent to leave.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So what can you do to fix it? Thankfully, a lot. But first, you need to understand what causes poor workplace communication and what kind of damage it does.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Causes Poor Communication in the Workplace?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Lack of Psychological Safety<\/span><\/h3>\n

Psychological safety, as defined by Harvard researcher Amy Edmondson, is \u201ca shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking.” When <\/span>Google<\/span> set out to find out what makes an effective team, psychological safety stood out as <\/span>the<\/span><\/i> most important quality.<\/span><\/p>\n

Without it, your team will be too afraid to speak up for fear of retribution or punishment. When it doesn\u2019t feel like a safe space to voice concerns, criticism, or failure, people will keep quiet\u2013even to their and their team\u2019s detriment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unclear Expectations<\/span><\/h3>\n

Organizations without documented communication guidelines or an internal communication strategy are leaving their employees in the dark. When your team doesn\u2019t know how, when, or how often they\u2019re expected to check in, they\u2019re unlikely to say anything at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Low Employee Engagement<\/span><\/h3>\n

Disengaged employees are mentally checked out of their jobs and do the bare minimum to get by. So they don\u2019t see a point in going the extra mile and communicating. If your organization has low employee engagement, this might cause poor communication in your workplace.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chaotic Work Environment<\/span><\/h3>\n

A chaotic work environment may be one where there is no clear chain of command, unsafe working conditions, or even loud and distracting spaces. All of these make it difficult to communicate.<\/span><\/p>\n

And working from home doesn\u2019t necessarily solve this. Even those who get to work from their living room are not immune to the distractions of home life\u2014noisy neighbors, crying children, and needy pets can interrupt their workday.<\/span><\/p>\n

Managers\u2019 Fear of Giving Feedback<\/span><\/h3>\n

A <\/span>survey by Interact<\/span><\/a> and Harris Poll found that 69% of managers are uncomfortable communicating with employees. When managers fear giving feedback, or haven\u2019t been <\/span>trained<\/span><\/i> on how to deliver it effectively, that\u2019s a huge barrier to communication. On top of that, your team will never know what they\u2019re doing well, or what needs work, and they\u2019ll be held back from their full potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Shift to Remote Work<\/span><\/h3>\n

While there are many benefits to working from home, a big downside is the extra effort required to communicate effectively. Sure, you have plenty of virtual ways to get in touch, but it lacks the same sense of closeness that in-person communication provides. When you don\u2019t see your coworkers at the desk next to you, it becomes much easier to lose touch with them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Research<\/span><\/a> using data from more than 61,000 Microsoft employees over the first half of 2020 found that remote work decreased cross-group collaboration among employees, causing them to become more siloed.<\/span><\/p>\n

So not only can a shift to <\/span>remote work<\/span><\/a> lead to poor communication in general, but it can also contribute to less communication between different departments, which hurts collaboration.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lack of Time<\/span><\/h3>\n

One final reason for poor communication in the workplace? Lack of time. We\u2019re all busy, and often, communication falls by the wayside because we think it\u2019s easier to just get things done on your own instead of talking to your team about it. But this can often lead to less creativity, as we miss out on crucial differing perspectives.<\/span><\/p>\n

6 Disastrous Effects of Poor Communication in the Workplace<\/span><\/h2>\n

1. Stress and Burnout<\/span><\/h3>\n

Feeling confused about what you\u2019re expected to do and not knowing what\u2019s going on within your organization is understandably stressful. If this goes on for too long, it can lead to job burnout.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Poor Performance<\/span><\/h3>\n

People cannot do their jobs well if they don\u2019t have access to the information they need.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Lack of Appreciation<\/span><\/h3>\n

When leaders fail to verbally recognize their team\u2019s hard work, this can lead to employees feeling unappreciated, which takes a toll on morale.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Decreased Employee Engagement<\/span><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s tough for employees to feel enthusiastic about an organization that doesn\u2019t keep them in the loop or show appreciation for their work.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Low Retention<\/span><\/h3>\n

Eventually, employees that suffer from poor communication in the workplace may leave for a different company.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Lack of Creativity<\/span><\/h3>\n

Creativity thrives with collaboration, and collaboration is only possible with communication. If your team doesn\u2019t know how to talk to each other effectively, ideas and product development will stagnate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to Deal With Poor Communication in the Workplace<\/span><\/h2>\n

Begin by Listening<\/span><\/h3>\n

As we saw above, poor communication in the workplace is often a result of leadership failing to listen. So before you do anything to try to improve the situation, begin by asking your team for their feedback. Where do they see miscommunication happening? What would they like to see improve? What ideas do they have? Gather this information via online surveys, and consider making them anonymous so people feel more comfortable being completely honest.<\/span><\/p>\n

Listening goes beyond just gathering feedback, though. You have to act on it next, and below, we\u2019ll discuss some action steps you can take to bring your team feedback to life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Draft a Communications Handbook<\/span><\/h3>\n

Based on the information you gather in the first step, draft a communications handbook. This will be the go-to source for your entire organization when it comes to when, where, and how to communicate with one another.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you need some inspiration, check out <\/span>Gitlab\u2019s communication handbook<\/span><\/a>, which is available to the public online. It\u2019s more than 24,000 words beautifully detailing expectations when it comes to how Gitlab employees should convey information within their organization and outside of it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Create an Internal Communication Strategy<\/span><\/h3>\n

In your communications handbook, you can include an internal communication strategy. This lays the groundwork for how each team member should communicate with one another and for how the <\/span>leadership team<\/span><\/a> will keep all employees in the loop.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your strategy might include:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n