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C is for Communication that actually lands
- Feb 2
- 3 min read
Welcome! This article is part of an A–Z series where I’m sharing reflections on the patterns I keep seeing in teams, leadership and workplace culture.
Not theory. Not tips. Just observations from real working life.
Most communication issues aren’t about clarity. They’re about translation.
What one person thinks is clear, another experiences as vague. What one sees as direct, another hears as abrupt. What one thinks is helpful detail, another experiences as overwhelm.
So messages get missed. Meetings drag on. Follow ups multiply. And everyone leaves feeling slightly irritated without really knowing why.
The evidence shows this isn’t just a feeling - it’s happening across workplaces in the UK:
🔹 Poor communication hits job satisfaction and engagement. In a UK survey of 2,000 workers, 35% said they’d be happier in their job if communication in their organisation was better - while nearly 40% rated their company’s communication quality as 5/10 or less.
🔹 Miscommunication costs time, confidence, and relationships.Over a third (35%) of UK knowledge workers say poor audio or video quality is the biggest cause of misunderstanding in meetings - and 25% feel let down or misunderstood because of communication breakdowns. Many spend extra time clarifying their point (24%) or miss key details entirely (18%).
🔹 Clarity gaps fuel disengagement.Nearly three-quarters (74%) of workers admitted they didn’t always understand the reason behind their tasks, which directly affects motivation and focus.
These aren’t tiny margins — they’re symptoms of a system where the what is delivered without regard for the who receiving it.
So what goes wrong?
Leaders often respond by communicating more...
More meetings.
More emails.
More explaining.
But the problem usually isn’t volume. It’s fit.
Communication starts landing when people think about who they’re speaking to, not just what they want to say. When they adjust pace, detail and tone instead of assuming one size fits all.
Because communication isn’t just information:
It’s connection.
It’s context.
It’s interpretation.
Failing to account for context leads to misunderstanding, duplication of effort, wasted time and - over time - erosion of trust.
The real cost of poor communication:
This isn’t just about annoyance. When communication doesn’t land:
People waste time clarifying or correcting misunderstandings.
Confidence drops — people feel unsure about what they heard or what’s expected.
Meetings balloon in length with little clarity at the end.
Engagement, morale and retention take a hit.
In fact, research shows that a lack of effective communication is cited by nearly nine in ten employees and leaders as a primary cause of workplace failures — from missed deadlines to project derailment.
What better communication actually looks like:
Good communication isn’t louder. It’s more considered.
It means:
✔ Adjusting tone for your audience, not your own preferences.
✔ Choosing the right channel - email isn’t always the answer.
✔ Avoiding overload by focusing on essentials, not everything.
✔ Checking interpretation, not just transmission.
When communication lands, meetings get shorter. Expectations become clearer. Things don’t need explaining again and again.
People feel confident. Valued. In sync.
And that’s not just a soft feeling - it’s a measurable boost in collaboration, engagement and performance.
If this resonated, it’s probably because you’re seeing it too.
Philippa x
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