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Victory Strategies Senior Director, Tom Dorl, shares the frequent sources of misunderstanding amongst teams that can cause conflict in a 2-part series on miscommunication.
George Bernard Shaw said it the best: “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Every team and leader relies on communication for success – it is arguably one of the most important tasks that people do every day. In a study by David Grossman (2011), he found that the 400 companies he surveyed - each with over 100,000 employees - lost an average of $62.4M per year due to inadequate communication. Whether in the boardroom or on the shop floor, communication forms the backbone of trust, decision-making, and teamwork. Yet miscommunication remains one of the most common and costly obstacles leaders face.
As a leader, words, actions, and even silence carry weight. Your team will scrutinize everything you say and how you say it. Understanding the root causes of miscommunication and addressing them proactively is a skill separating effective leaders from the rest.
The first part of this series will focus on external communication breakdowns - what is being conveyed and how it is delivered. Below are two common causes of miscommunication, along with leadership-focused techniques to overcome them.
1. Lack of clarity and specificity
A lack of clarity is one of the most frequent causes of miscommunication. When directions are vague or incomplete, team members are left to interpret their own meaning. That speculation often produces inconsistent results. For example, telling someone to “handle the client’s issue” without explaining which issue and what success looks like almost guarantees confusion - and possibly, conflict.
When leaders provide context and accuracy, they empower their teams to move with confidence and alignment. Clarity doesn’t mean overloading with details - it means being specific and ensuring mutual understanding. When I was a Commander of a USAF helicopter rescue squadron, I discovered that clarity and simplicity in my words was worth more than finding some eloquent explanation. I distilled my leadership philosophy into an Expectation Letter to my unit, so they had a clear vision, focused mission and direction to lead at their respective levels. This written clarity of what was expected of them and myself proved highly effective with a widely dispersed team.
• Use precise, specific language rather than vague directives.
• Provide background and context to ensure transparency and shared understanding.
• Confirm understanding by encouraging questions and creating a feedback loop.
2. Bridging different communication styles
Every individual communicates differently, shaped by personality, experiences, and culture. Some leaders are polished and measured, while others are assertive or direct. These differences can enrich a team when understood and respected. If overlooked, however, they often become sources of frustration. In a hybrid or remote work environment, style differences are amplified because non-verbal cues are more difficult to interpret.
Organizational norms also matter as well. One team may prefer detailed, formal emails, while another might lean toward instant messaging or texts. Effective teams and leaders remain flexible and observant, often adjusting their approach.
After retiring from the military and joining a large financial institution, I adjusted my communication style and lexicon to match the new organization I was working in. Abbreviations and acronyms I assumed were universally understood did not translate well in a corporate environment. Thus, I had to learn the language of my new environment understanding terminology and tone resonated with diverse audiences, internal and external to the company.
• Become familiar with your audience and adjust your communication accordingly.
• Be mindful of nonverbal cues and tone, especially in hybrid/remote environments.
• Ask clarifying questions rather than assuming shared understanding.
Effective communication is a critical leadership skill, and miscommunication - often caused by a lack of clarity or failure to adapt to different styles - can be a costly problem. By being precise, providing context, and adjusting your approach to the audience, leaders can build trust and ensure team alignment.
Authored By: Tom Dorl, Senior Director
#VictoryStrategies #Communication #Misunderstanding #Clarity #Context #CommunicationStyles
Citations:
Grossman, D. (2011, July 16). The Cost Of Poor Communications. Provoke Media. https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/the-cost-of-poor-communications
