How To Help Your Team Communicate Better
COMMUNICATION IS A SKILL THAT CAN BE LEARNED. HERE ARE TIPS THAT CAN HELP YOUR TEAM BUILD IT.
Invite, Don't Command
Presenting an idea as a directive shuts down conversation, but asking a question opens it. "How does that land for you?" or "What issues do you see here?" signals a desire to understand another’s point of view.
Listen Like You Mean It
Nodding and eye contact are table stakes. The real signal is reflection: "So you're suggesting we adjust the timeline?" confirms you heard the substance, not just the tone. And don't interrupt to fill silence — let the sentence finish before you respond to it.
Say the Thing Clearly
"I recommend we prioritize the client meeting over the internal review" does more than three sentences of hedged buildup. Clarity is kind and efficient, so skip the jargon.
Confidence Isn't Volume
Drop the qualifiers — "I guess," "maybe," "sort of." Say "I believe this approach will work" instead of talking yourself out of the sentence before you finish it. Posture matters too; open body language reinforces what your words are already saying.
Check Your State Before You Speak
Tone follows emotional state more than most people account for. Before a hard conversation, take a beat to decide how you want to show up — the rest will flow from that decision.
Disagreeing Without Becoming Disagreeable
Speak From Your Own View
"I wonder how this affects our strategy" keeps a disagreement about the work. "Your plan is wrong" makes it about the person. The distinction sounds small, but it isn’t.
Acknowledge Before You Counter
"I see why you landed on this timeline — I think extending it gets us better quality" does two things at once: it respects the reasoning that got someone to their position, and it still moves the conversation where you need it to go.
Bring an Alternative, Not Just an Objection
"I'm worried about the budget — could we look at cost-saving options like X?" invite the listener to explore solutions that work for everyone.
Pause If Needed
If emotions spike, name it and pause: "Let's pick this back up tomorrow, when we’ve had more time to think about it.”
Ask Before You Assume
"Can you walk me through how you see this playing out?" often surfaces the actual disagreement, which is usually narrower than it first appeared.
Addressing Attitude Issues While Preserving Relationships
Address It Privately, and Soon
Public correction breeds defensiveness. Delay breeds resentment. Neither serves the conversation — handle it one-on-one close to when it happened.
Name the Behavior, Not the Person
"When you started working on your laptop during the meeting, it signaled disinterest.
Get Curious About the Root
"I sensed some frustration in there — and I’m curious to see if I read that right?" Being curious is always a warmer move than levelling accusations.
Set the Standard Explicitly
"We do our best work when we can disagree and still stay respectful" gives people something concrete to meet, rather than a vague sense that they've disappointed you.
Signal Belief, Not Just Correction
"I know you want what's best for the team — a bit more focus here will really show it" tends to move people further than criticism alone. People rise or shrink to the expectation you set for them. And choosing to assume the best until proven wrong is almost always the right play.
Tips on Communicating in Writing
A live conversation gives you tone of voice, pace, and a face to read. A Slack message or email gives you none of that. Here are some ideas to help you formulate your next written missive.
Don't negotiate hard topics in writing. If a message is heading toward disagreement or correction, that's a sign to have a conversation — not push it further into text.
Reread before you send, specifically for tone. The words that felt neutral while you were typing fast often don't read that way to someone parsing them cold. Almost always, letting a difficult email sit overnight is a good idea!
Most leaders were never taught much about communication — beyond the basics. And that’s why our Leadership Communication Suite is helping teams master this vital skill!