336. Your Communication Process Is Your Communication Problem

Key Takeaways

• 86% of workplace failures come from communication problems.
• The issue isn’t just how you communicate — it’s the broken processes around where, when, and why you communicate.
• Good communication skills + bad processes = frustration, delays, and cultural decay.
• Without protocols, multiple tools (Slack, Teams, email, text, Zoom, etc.) create chaos and missed expectations.

Actionable Insights

• Audit your communication: ask five employees how they handle urgent info — if answers differ, you’ve got a process problem.
• Define protocols:
• Types of communication (banter, updates, crises, feedback, etc.)
• Primary + secondary channels (Slack, email, calls, etc.)
• Expected response times (Slack: 4 hrs, Email: 1 day, Text: emergencies only).
• Teach it in onboarding, reinforce in meetings, and model it as a leader.
• Create a clear ✅“when to use this” / ❌“when NOT to use this” guide for each tool.

Leadership Challenge

• Do your team members know exactly where to go for urgent vs. non-urgent communication?