Rethink Your Creaking Communication Culture – 5 Simple Steps

05/06/2025

Rethink Your Creaking Communication Culture – 5 Simple Steps

How to Make a Meaningful Shift in Team Comms.

Because most of the chaos isn’t in the work. It’s in the way we talk about it.

Good Communication is the lifeblood of every team— and bad communication (and a lack of connection) it’s also the source of most of the overwhelm.

Slack threads. Reply-all storms. Vague asks. Passive-aggressive comments in meetings.

It’s no wonder people are exhausted.  A lot of teams think they communicate well – the reality is – more often than not – there’s room for better.

Why? Because clear, human, trust-building communication takes more than tools. It takes intention. And a bit of bravery.

Reading this is easy.

Changing your team’s communication habits? That’s the hard part. That’s why most teams stay stuck, while the ones who don’t…

Well they get to reclaim:

• Time
• Energy
• Trust
• …and the ability to do really good work without drowning in comms chaos.

So—if you’re serious about shifting how your team communicates, here’s a quick Lead Happy 5-Step nugget you can take away and ponder.

 

1. Run a “What’s Killing Our Comms?” Session

Call it out. Make it safe. Get honest.

Gather your team. Create space for them to vent. Ask:

• “What’s working?”
• “What’s confusing?”
• “Where do we lose time or clarity?”
• “What’s the most annoying communication habit we have as a team?”

Let it be a bit messy. Let people laugh. Let someone bring up that 11pm Slack message.

Then map the mess together—and commit to doing something about it.

This step isn’t just cathartic. It’s critical.
Because people don’t generally follow rules they didn’t have any agency in creating. They just get quietly resentful. 

 

2. Create a Simple Channel Matrix

Not everything needs to be on email. Or Slack. Or a 60-minute meeting.

Outline where things go—and more importantly, what doesn’t belong where.

Example:

Channel	Use for	Avoid for
Slack	Quick asks, updates, FYIs	Major decisions, high-emotion convos
Email	Formal requests, summary docs	Real-time collaboration
1:1 / live call	Performance chats, complex topics	Announcements or basic updates
Shared doc	Working ideas, group input	Feedback that needs context

 

Don’t overcomplicate it. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s clarity.

 

3. Agree on Response Times and Modes

Nothing kills trust faster than unspoken expectations.

• What’s your expected response time on Slack?

• When is async OK?

• When should someone pick up the phone?

Define what’s urgent, what’s not, and what warrants an emoji vs a face-to-face coffee.

Clarity is kind.

 

4. Say Less. Mean More. Talk Human.

Please, for everyone’s sake: no more corporate jargon.

Teach your team to:

• Write like they speak
• Use fewer words and clearer ones
• Start with what matters
• Stop hiding behind passive voice

Because communication isn’t about sounding smart.

It’s about being understood.

 

5. Lead by Example

If you’re a team lead, manager, or founder—this one’s on you.

• Say the thing. Even if it’s awkward. Especially then.
• Turn off the noise. Don’t reply-all. Don’t cc for safety.
• Respect the boundaries. Your late-night Slack sends set the tone—whether you mean them to or not.
• Pick up the phone. Sometimes the fastest fix is a 5-minute call.

You can’t coach what you won’t model.

So What’s Next?

If this all feels like a lot—it is. 

Communication culture isn’t a template. It’s a system.
One that you can redesign—but only if you’re willing to talk about the way you talk.

If your team’s stuck in the swirl, we can help with a whole suits of development tools.

👉 Book a 45-minute discovery session to find out which one’s right for you and your team.

Let’s make space for clearer, kinder, more powerful conversations.