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13 ways to fix poor communication in the workplace

Solve communication challenges in the workplace with insights from PowerDMS. Here are 13 solutions to promote better understanding and collaboration.

December 22, 2020

Article highlights

• Why Is Organizational Communication So Difficult?
• How to Fix Poor Organizational Communication in Your Workplace

It can feel overwhelming to not only stay on top of corporate compliance issues but also effectively communicate relevant information to employees. And when there’s poor communication in the workplace, that only compounds the difficulty.

Imagine this:   you’ve recently updated an important policy and you need to get the word out to all of your employees. Depending on the situation and size of your organization, you might hold an in-person staff meeting, send an email, hold a phone conference, or conduct a video meeting.

Regardless of how you communicate, the goal is to ensure that all employees understand the policy change and how it impacts their jobs.

But effective communication in the workplace can be tricky, including both casual, one-on-one conversations and formal, corporate communications. While they are both intertwined, the way to think about each of them is unique and issues that arise from poor communication are different for each.

Of course, if the people conveying information on behalf of the organization have poor communication skills, the efforts are doomed to fail (this might make a good training session for employees needing to boost their interpersonal skills.)

But what about the more formal, organizational communication efforts? How to resolve communication issues at work?

Before you can look at solving communication problems at work, it helps to first look at the problems that get in the way of effective communication.

Why is organizational communication so difficult?

If you’ve ever had a misunderstanding with a friend or family member because of a   communication misfire , you’ve seen first-hand how situations can quickly unravel.

One person conveys one message but the other person receives a completely different message.

A variety of issues come into play on all sides (sender, receiver, and message), including tone of voice, faulty listening, missing information, assumptions of previous knowledge, and unclear explanations. And that’s just person-to-person communication.

Factor in a one-to-many communication effort and you can just imagine the fallout that might occur from a poorly executed effort.

Team communication (like a top-down attempt to convey a policy change to all employees) is anything but simple.

How to fix poor organizational communication in your workplace

With a broad understanding of the issues at play, you can learn how to improve communication at work by following the guidelines below.

1. Establish baseline communication standards

Create a set of standards by which your company communicates both internally and externally. This will build a solid foundation on which future communication efforts can be built.

Depending on your organization’s needs, you might create brand guidelines, conduct communication training, or something else.

Consider, for example, when you order a meal at Chick-Fil-A. Every time, employees end their customer interaction with the phrase “my pleasure.” That’s no coincidence – it’s a communication standard set by the company for how it wants the business to be perceived.

This doesn’t just apply to customer-facing communication. How do you want employees, team members, direct reports, or your board of directors to perceive you, your work, and your communication effort?

2. Create a safe space for communication

Employees need to feel comfortable voicing their opinions, offering ideas, reporting issues, asking questions, and sharing criticism.

Whether you look at this from a top-down perspective (both to and from direct reports and leadership) or horizontal (colleagues and team members), your organization needs to create a safe communication environment on all levels and in all directions.

For direct reports, they need to feel comfortable bringing issues to you, knowing they’re in a safe space when communicating within the set standards mentioned above.

For your leadership, you need to feel comfortable approaching them with issues. If not, gently force the issue to uncover the reasons why it isn’t a safe space for broaching problems with them.

While horizontal communication focuses more on personal communication skills, it’s important to recognize issues that could arise from poor communication at this level. Plus, it underscores the need to support each other in fostering a safe space to share questions and concerns.

3. Must be consistent and constant

When it comes to communication in the workplace, employees should be able to rely on consistent efforts. By setting standards as mentioned above, communication should sound consistent.

But it goes beyond that. Effective communication in the workplace should come through consistent channels and vehicles and people.

Don’t keep people guessing, and don’t overwhelm them with too many channels. Employees should be able to expect when changes or big announcements are coming and know the go-to source for getting updates. Thus, they should realize that if they miss one team meeting or email, they’ll be left behind.

This requires constant communication, not a one-and-done effort. If the only time employees hear from leadership is when a major problem or change crops up, they will begin to fear communication from those leaders.

That’s the exact opposite of what you’re striving for – a safe environment. Instead, they should be accustomed to hearing what’s going on and getting some warning (when appropriate) that change is afoot.

4. Set clear norms and expectations

While this resembles the advice to set standards, it’s more about the “how” of workplace communication in terms of the channel, the frequency, and the expectations.

Does it happen through email, in face-to-face meetings, via employee surveys, or some other mode of communication? What is the expectation for checking email after hours or on weekends? What is the norm for answering phone calls or text outside of the office?

For teams that work together over long periods of time, these norms develop naturally.

However, the business landscape changes at rapid speed, and what once worked a few years ago might no longer be effective.

Plus, although new technology makes communication easier, it often doesn’t convey body language, tone of voice, and other nuances of face-to-face discussions.

Therefore, it’s good to regularly address the “how” of effective communication at work.

5. Proactively seek feedback

Alarmingly, research from Gallup shows that more than 50% of American employees aren’t engaged at work. That could result in high turnover, decreased productivity, and dissatisfied staff.

Rather than wait for employees to approach higher-ups with issues, the company should be taking the initiative to seek their input.

Good workplace communication needs to be a two-way street if you want engaged employees who feel valued and motivated.

An obvious first step could be to conduct   employee engagement surveys   to get feedback. By regularly surveying employees, leadership can collect feedback and drill down into the data needed to monitor issues, improve workplace culture, and boost employee engagement.

However, surveys aren’t the only way to seek employee input.

Other feedback-gathering methods range from informal, one-on-one discussions to adding a Q&A component to weekly staff meetings.

The key is to integrate two-way communication efforts throughout the business to regularly collect authentic employee input.

6. Leverage technology the right way

Everyone agrees that email saves time, reduces paper costs, and is an environmentally friendly business practice.

But it’s not always an effective way to communicate. Just because you send an email doesn’t mean all recipients comprehend the contents or are able to adjust their day-to-day jobs in the way you want.

This especially holds true for official communication that requires action. Furthermore, assuming that employees will   read and comply with important emails   can put your business at risk.

7. Master your meetings

Meetings are the mainstay for most companies, especially businesses wondering how to improve communication in the workplace.

They can be both a blessing and a curse.

On the one hand, they can be a productive way to get multiple people aligned and working toward the same goals. However, if run poorly or have too many extraneous people involved, meetings can have the opposite impact.

If you’re seeing communication issues in their workplace, meetings can be a quick win and easy adjustment.

Simple but effective strategies here include keeping meetings short, sending an agenda ahead of time, staying on topic, inviting only those people whose presence is truly needed and outlining clear action steps you want participants to take after the meeting.

8. Get control of mobile communication

Mobile technology isn’t going anywhere, but it presents unique communication opportunities and challenges.

It’s crucial to get control of how your organization communicates and how it expects others to   communicate while mobile .

Again, this is part expectation-setting and part adapting to the changing landscape in a proactive, positive way.

9. Communication with remote employees

Remote employees are no longer an anomaly – they’re commonplace in businesses of every size.

If you have remote employees, you’ve got some means to bridge the location gap, including chat apps, video conferencing, and cloud tools. However, it’s easy for communication with remote employees to fall through the cracks, even if it’s not intentional.

According to research on “the deskless workforce” by   Zogby Analytics , 38% of remote workers cited a lack of information and 39% cited the timeliness of information as the most common obstacles to their efficiency.

That’s why it’s incumbent upon the onsite team to include remote workers in informal conversations and ad-hoc discussions.

This can prove difficult at times, but it’s key to making them a part of the team. It might even take extra effort by the manager and leadership to keep remote employees abreast of what’s happening with both the team and the company.

10. Collaboration in the cloud

Cloud-based tools can be a godsend in getting work done and offer new ways to communicate within the organization.

However, they are fraught with landmines as digital communication doesn’t provide an opportunity to convey context or nuance or tone. What you think is a harmless comment or suggestion may not always be received that way.

This is especially true for leaders who might feel they are making helpful suggestions, but instead, employees take these “suggestions” as direct orders.

11. Make internal documents easily accessible

Employees are busy enough without having to spend a lot of time looking for internal documents. This is especially true for having to ask around for basic information like holiday schedules or vacation policies.

Besides wasting time and draining productivity, it frustrates employees to not even know where to find important documents and key information they need to do their jobs. Help employees   easily access policies , procedures, guidelines, and other crucial information, making everything readily available and easy to find.

Not only will this improve communication in the workplace, but it will also empower employees to stay informed.

12. Break down communication silos

Silos exist in many organizations, even small businesses. When employees only focus on their own roles, departments, or objectives, they’re not collaborating with others.

Sometimes this means missed communication, where one department doesn’t know what the other is doing or worse, inadvertently undermines what another department is trying to accomplish. Other times, this means they lose out on the fresh perspective that comes with collaborative efforts – crucial for understanding the “big picture.”

But to improve communication in the workplace, you must be committed to breaking down silos when they are discovered. Include employees in the decision-making processes.

Let those who need to know be a part of the conversation. And be as transparent as you can be.

13. Accountability

By taking the above steps (and doing them well), it gives you the freedom to hold employees accountable to the expectations you set. It also allows you to track who is and isn’t doing what’s being asked.

If you get this out of order and attempt to hold people accountable without fixing the other communication issues, it won’t work and employees will resist the changes being made.

Policy management tools like   PowerDMS help you streamline how you manage your crucial documents. PowerDMS condenses cabinets full of paper into a central, secure, searchable online system – easy for employees to find, access, and use. Plus, it automatically disseminates, collects signatures on, and tracks your organization’s important policies and procedures so you know who has received and acknowledged each communication. Get key information on policy management and how it can help your organization here .

Admittedly, it can feel daunting to solve communication issues in the workplace. But understanding the internal roadblocks and following the guidelines above should empower you to improve communication at work.

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How to master communication in problem solving

May 11, 2023 The path from problem to solution is not linear. In fast-moving, complex times, decision-makers can’t effectively act alone when it comes to solving complicated workplace problems; diverse perspectives and rigorous debate are crucial to determining the best steps to take. What’s missing in many companies is the use of “contributory dissent,” or the capabilities required to engage in healthy if divergent discussions about critical business problems, write Ben Fletcher , Chris Hartley , Rupert Hoskin , and Dana Maor  in a recent article . Contributory dissent allows individuals and groups to air their differences in a way that moves the discussion toward a positive outcome and doesn’t undermine leadership or group cohesion. Check out these insights to learn how to establish cultures and structures where individuals and teams feel free to bring innovative—and often better—alternative solutions to the table, and dive into the best ways to master communication in problem solving.

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Business communication explained

Discover what business communication is and how you can improve it. take a look at these easy to follow tips..

Your business depends on the successful sharing of information — and so do your employees. Yet 66% of companies lack a long-term plan for their internal business communication. Why is this such a critical mistake? What are the most common communication challenges, and how can you avoid them?

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What is business communication?

Communication matters. In every arena of our lives, we have a fundamental need to share and receive information. Without effective communication, we can’t make ourselves heard, connect to our peers, and ultimately achieve our goals. This is particularly applicable in the workplace, where cooperation determines the success of individuals, teams, or even an entire business.

This is what we mean by 'business communication’: your ability to communicate with every other member of your organisation, and their ability to communicate with each other.

It’s a simple concept, yet one that has a significant impact on the health of your business. Business communication underpins almost every aspect of your day-to-day operations. From leadership to staff training, project collaboration to resource management, there are few activities that don’t rely on the successful sharing of information and ideas.

The importance of getting this right should be self-evident, but there’s also a significant body of research that points to the value on offer. Studies suggest that organisations with effective business communication are more profitable, more productive, and enjoy higher employee retention . Despite this, most businesses fall short when it comes to strategizing their internal communications. While 70% use plans to support specific campaigns and initiatives, only a third (33%) have a document that details their longer-term strategy for internal communications .

This is a mistake. To fully appreciate this, it’s worth taking a moment to explore why every company should care about its business communication.

Why you should care about business communication

Communication helps workers meet their need to connect.

In the middle of the twentieth century, psychologist Abraham Maslow published his academic paper, A Theory of Human Motivation. Within this he revealed his now-famous Hierarchy of Needs. It's a pyramid-shaped diagram that arranges human requirements in an ascending progression from basic needs — those we need to survive — through to our psychological needs, and then finally those that fuel our sense of fulfilment.

Maslow’s Hierarchy states that once human beings have met their physiological needs (food, water, warmth and rest) and are in a position of safety and security, a sense of belonging is the next thing we value the most. The desire to connect to our peers is an essential element of our everyday wellbeing.

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And this isn’t just a theory: more recent research has found physical evidence that proves Maslov was right. Scans of human brain activity show that whenever we’re not busy with an active task, our brains default to thinking about other people and what’s going in their heads: their thoughts, emotions and goals.

"A workplace with strong business communication is more likely to make employees happy"

In short, human beings are hardwired for social connection — and needless to say, communication is the lifeblood of connection. Our interpersonal relationships rely on the back-and-forth exchange of information; on a grander scale, the sharing of goals and values is what makes us feel part of things that are larger than ourselves. And this is just as applicable to our work lives as it is to our personal endeavours.

What does this all mean for business leaders? Your employees have to be able to communicate. If they can’t for some reason — they lack the right tool or forum, or they don’t feel empowered to speak up — then their basic needs aren’t being met. They’re probably unhappy, and this is something you should care about. Not just for the sake of human decency, but also because unhappy workers are less productive and more likely to quit their jobs.

On the other hand, the opposite is also true: a workplace with strong business communication is more likely to make employees happy, which leads to higher productivity.

In short: an investment in your tech is an investment in your people.

Engaged workers are the best workers

As we’ve established, providing good communication channels and the culture to support them is key to your workforce's wellbeing. But if that’s not a strong enough incentive for you, consider this: when you get business communication right, your employees will be more engaged with their work and with the company as a whole.

And time and time again, research has shown that engaged workers are also better for your bottom line.

Gallup’s Q 12 Meta Analysis report is one of the numerous publications that support this idea. “This study confirms what Gallup has seen with previous meta-analyses,” said the research institute. “ Employee engagement consistently affects key performance outcomes, regardless of the organisation's industry or company.”

MIT research has also found that the most engaged employees are informed about their company and have more direct communication with their managers. But in most companies, only a small fraction of the workforce is fully engaged. Fifty percent of employees are unclear about the direction of the business, while 84% say that they don’t get enough information from their leaders.

The prospect of fully engaging the entirety of your workforce may seem daunting or unrealistic, but as we’ll see, new technology can provide significant help. And it’s a goal worth pursuing. When your employees have full visibility of the company mission, and you've empowered them to join company-wide conversations, they become personally invested in the business.

This workforce-wide sense of collective ownership is something that every business can achieve, but doing so requires a strong internal communication culture, supported by the right tools and channels. While it may take time and money to establish this culture, the opportunities on offer provide a strong motivation for the investment.

As should the pitfalls that may arise if you neglect this area of your business.

When you get it wrong, the whole organisation suffers

Because good communication is the cornerstone of so many aspects of modern business, problems can snowball in its absence. If an employee has an issue that stops them from sharing or receiving the information they need, the disruption spreads far beyond that lone worker. It impacts everyone who relies on that individual and, in turn, potentially all the people who depend on them .

In short, when your workforce can’t communicate properly, the business ceases to function as it should. This can lead to expensive errors. A recent survey of 400 corporations concluded that communication issues had cost them billion over a single year.

While any number of factors can contribute to communication problems, one of the most common causes is a lack of investment in the right tools and channels. More than a third of workers worldwide believe that outdated technology and processes are making their jobs harder than they should be . Frontline employees are even more likely to hold this opinion — which is hardly surprising when you consider that the majority of frontline communication still relies on pencil and paper .

As tempting as it may be to ‘make do’ with outdated technology, the cost of inefficiency far outweighs the short-term savings. Few businesses would consider using old channels for their external communications — relying solely on radio ads and paper flyers for their marketing efforts, for example.This is an area where it’s essential to keep pace and explore the latest platforms at your disposal. Why should your internal communications be any different?

And regardless of whether you stay up to date with communications technology, the younger members of your workforce certainly will.

Gen Zs expect you to care about business communication

Most estimates forecast that Generation Z now accounts for between a quarter to a third of the global workforce . Regardless of the exact figure, it’s clear that this young demographic will account for an increasing proportion of your employees over the next decade. If you want to attract the best talent from this generation, you’ll need to meet their expectations of a modern workplace.

The most obvious of these expectations is a demand for the latest tools and platforms. The link between tech and Gen Z is so commonly cited that it’s almost a cliché, but the research certainly supports the connection.

One recent global survey found that 80% of Gen Z respondents want to work with cutting edge technologies , and the same percentage believed that tech will contribute to a fairer workplace. Yet Gen Z is hardly alone in holding this opinion. Millennials are equally likely to see this a key factor in choosing a job , which should further underscore the importance of investing in this area.

But while your younger employees will certainly expect their workplace to match — if not outpace — the technology they use in their personal lives, this only tells part of the story. Because Gen Z is also defined by its emphasis on human values.

For all their love of tech, the overwhelming majority of Gen Z workers care deeply about the ‘human element’ in their jobs. They want to work with colleagues who challenge and motivate them, who are open to collaboration and collective thinking, and available when they need to ask for help. In fact, ‘supportive leadership’ and ‘positive relationships at work’ are the top two most-desired traits in a potential new job .

Company leaders must take a holistic approach to business communication. Adopting the right tools is an important part of the process, but you must support it with a strategy that creates the right culture — where people are encouraged to talk and listen.

You should now understand why it’s essential to have a long-term plan for business communication — and why the 67% of businesses who don’t are taking a serious risk. Perhaps the best way to start is by examining the seven most common forms of company communication.

What are the most common forms of business communication?

There are seven distinct forms of communication. The major difference between them is the type of information people are sharing, the timing of its sharing, and the direction the information follows as it moves through your company.

As you’ll see, there's a degree of overlap between forms — but for now, it’s helpful to discuss them as separate entities. We’ll start by exploring the different directions in which information can be communicated.

Top-down business communication

Top-down communication is traditionally associated with leadership. It’s a trait found in social hierarchies — situations where there’s a group of people - with one person (or several) in charge.

When leaders want to communicate with the rest of their team, department, or perhaps even the entire company, the information is passed down through the management chain until, in theory, it reaches everyone.

Top-down communication's strength is that it allows leaders to tightly control the spread of information, as they can tailor details for audiences at each stage. For example, when a CEO wishes to implement a policy change, the basic facts stay the same as the news travels throughout the company. However, at each step, new information or more detailed instructions can be added to help employees implement the policy.

Of course, this structure also carries risks. The chain is only as strong as its weakest link: if one person fails to convey information accurately, their mistake gets passed on to everyone else. By the time anybody spots the error, the wrong information is already out there.

For businesses, top-down communication is essential. It allows leaders to share their vision for the company, set agendas, and direct behaviour across the workforce. But it's also based on a questionable assumption: the CEO is the all-knowing master of his - and it was usually a 'his' - realm. At heart, top-down communication stems from the idea that leaders talk while others listen.

Today, we see a shift in attitudes. We're beginning to understand that leadership is listening. And this means senior executives need to pay attention to the information flowing the other way through their organisation.

Bottom-up business communication

This is the opposite of top-down communication. Here information starts from the lowest rungs of the corporate ladder and moves upwards, with leadership being the last in line to receive it.

Once again, the success of bottom-up communication is determined by the people's reliability at each step of the chain. As we’ll discuss below, there’s a two-fold problem here. Firstly, most business leaders don’t believe that they need to listen to their frontline, so they don’t promote a culture that encourages people to speak up. Even if they do, employees typically lack the tools that make it easy to pass information up the chain of command.

Despite these hurdles, bottom-up communication can and should play an integral role in your business. Everyone in your company has a different perspective. Creating open lines of communication with your frontline staff will provide valuable intelligence on everything from what your customers are thinking to the efficiency of your manufacturing processes.

And as we’ve already discussed, when you give your workers a voice, it makes them feel connected to the broader business — which is good for them and good for your bottom line.

Lateral business communication

Also known as horizontal communication, this is the most common form of information exchange. Lateral communication takes place between people at the same level: it’s what happens when team members talk about a project they’re working on, or when store managers share best practice.

Lateral communication can unfold across almost any medium you can think of. The critical factors here are that your employees can access the channels that best suit their working needs, and they then adopt them universally.

In short, adoption matters. So while many platforms support lateral communication, it’s important to ensure that you’re not using too many of them. Fewer channels mean less onboarding, which in turn makes it easier to aim for company-wide uptake. After all, there’s no point in training a single department in a powerful tool if no-one else in the business knows how to use it.

Synchronous and asynchronous business communication

Top-down, bottom-up, and lateral communication describe the direction that information follows as it flows through your organisation. The four remaining forms of communication are all concerned with its speed and timing.

As their names suggest, synchronous and asynchronous communication exist in direct opposition to each other. In synchronous communication, information is shared back and forth with immediacy, or at least something close to it: one person says something, and then the recipient responds as soon as they process what they’ve read or heard.

Speech is the most obvious form of synchronous communication, but instant messaging tools also fall under this category. When you send someone a message on a chat app, you typically expect to get a reply back pretty swiftly. If the recipient takes too long to respond, frustration sets in — you’ll likely try another means of contacting them, or speak to someone else entirely.

With asynchronous communication channels, there’s an understanding that there will be a gap between the initial message and any response. Posted letters are the classic medium of asynchronous communication, but email and message boards are more relevant examples in today’s workplace.

The important thing to know about synchronous and asynchronous channels is that your business needs both of them. Synchronous communication lets you share information at speed; asynchronous communication ensures that information is there when the recipient needs it.

If you try to use asynchronous tools for synchronous communication — or vice-versa — problems arise. We’ll explore this further in the next section of this article.

Static and dynamic business communication

Static communication describes any information that’s designed to remain consistent over time. Dynamic communication describes the information that people are continually updating.

The best way to understand static communication - sometimes known as “cold” communication - is that it's permanent. Think employee handbooks, HR policies, work from home advice, or technical support pages. These are all things that tend to be associated with a company intranet: you probably won't search for them every day, but you expect them to be available on the rare occasions when employees need them.

In contrast, dynamic communication - sometimes known as ‘hot’ communication - is information that recipients can change or update. The whole point of dynamic communication is for multiple individuals to alter information together collectively. Digital collaboration tools have made dynamic communication a core element of the modern workplace, enabling entire teams to work on the same documents at once.

Static communication makes a record and provides a point of reference. Dynamic communication is all about collaboration.

Each of these communication forms has a different role to play, and your employees will need to use them efficiently if your business is to flourish.

Next, we’ll examine some of the most common communication problems that tend to arise, along with their solutions.

Common business communication challenges (and how to solve them)

Synchronous communications don’t work well at scale.

Picture a scenario where you’re with five friends, and you’re all taking part in the same conversation. Nice and straightforward, right? But if another eight people were to show up, it would be significantly tricker for everyone to make themselves heard.

Now imagine the same scene but with 50 people all trying to participate in the same conversation. Absolute chaos.

That’s the main criticism of synchronous communication channels. Chat apps, conference calls and in-person meetings are all designed for swift exchanges of information, where each participant can express their views. The more people who join, the more noise there is — until eventually the channel becomes unusable for everyone.

The solution : The important thing here is to control the situation and to limit excess noise. The most obvious way to do this is to break a large group into several smaller ones. But if everyone has to be involved in the same conversation, set rules that determine who can speak and when. For example, nominate a few participants to act as spokespeople for their peers, and have someone act as a chair who controls the conversation. If you want the broader audience to remain directly involved, the chair can direct a Q&A session.

Alternatively, it may help to consider a different channel altogether. Some collaborative work platforms facilitate large-scale synchronous communications — enabling a CEO to address their entire workforce via streaming video , for example. But if you’re trying to cram 50 voices into the same live conversation, it’s probably a sign that the conversation shouldn’t be live at all. Consider using an asynchronous communications method instead.

The bottom line is that your organisation needs the right mix of channels and clear guidelines on how and when people use them. With both of these elements in place, the limitations of synchronous communication will never be an issue.

Bottom-up business communication is hard to do well

As we touched upon earlier, the idea that businesses should embrace bottom-up communication is a pretty recent development. This means that most companies aren’t set up to do it effectively: they lack the right channels, their leaders don’t believe in it, and their employees lack the conviction to speak up.

For businesses that do actively try to foster bottom-up communication, there are fewer established best practices to follow.

If a CEO wants to make themselves more accessible to their workers, how should they go about doing that? Do they give out their email address, and risk being inundated with messages they can’t respond to? Perhaps they should just encourage employees to speak to their line managers instead, who can pass on their feedback. Or does that only reinforce the sense of distance, and go against the spirit of ‘making yourself accessible?'

The solution : The first thing you need is a suitable channel because not all of them can handle bottom-up communication. You need one that allows leaders to give public statements in a way that encourages comments and feedback.

Enterprise social networks are a good option because they support this kind of visible mass engagement by design. In contrast, email is a particularly poor option, as our previous example illustrates. Even if our hypothetical CEO did offer up their email address, and then took the time to reply to the flood of inbound messages, their responses would be mostly invisible to the rest of the workforce. And one of the main points of bottom-up communication is for leaders to show that they’re listening to their workers.

Regardless of your choice of channels, the important thing is to support them properly. Once they’re up and running, it’s vital to champion those early adopters who are the first to use the new system. These people set an example for others to follow, so it makes sense to spotlight what they’re doing.

As a leader in the business, you have an even more significant role to play when it comes to modelling . Senior figures should set the tone by interacting and responding to employee posts and questions. For the CEO, this might just mean giving a thumbs up or making the odd comment, but team leaders should be more active as they make their presence felt. This encourages people to offer their views and join the company-wide conversation.

Above all else, be sure to listen to the feedback when it comes in — and back this up with some kind of visible response, so your workers can see that you’re engaging with what they have to say. Without this, your employees will doubt your sincerity, and you’ll fail to create a bottom-up communications culture.

People prefer to use the tools that they know

There are several aspects of this challenge. The first is something we’ve already talked about: employee expectations.

If your technology isn’t good enough, you’ll struggle to attract the best talent, which means you’re losing a competitive advantage. Meanwhile, if your tech is bad to the point that it’s borderline unusable, your existing employees may dump them for their consumer apps — which, as we’ve discussed, is a major security headache.

Another universal problem is that humans are naturally resistant to change. Their preference for the familiar can make them reluctant to adopt new tools and channels, even if the old ones have significant flaws. This is somewhat understandable: it takes time and effort to learn new processes, and most people would rather keep their heads down so they can get on with their work, and the rest of their lives.

If left unchecked, this can lead to situations where individuals or even entire teams favour different communication methods. This may seem unlikely if most of your employees work in the same building, but if your business operates across dozens of sites in multiple countries, it’s easy to understand how localised habits and procedures can start to gain traction.

If multiple strands of your organisation are using different channels, it’s much harder for them to communicate properly. It also undermines your efforts to create a unified approach to business communication.

"If you give people an easy solution and help them see the benefits, they’ll be quicker to adopt the new tool"

The solution : We’ve already underscored the value of investing in up-to-date technology. But as you introduce new platforms, it’s essential to support them with a strong rollout plan.

Help your workers understand what the new tech is for, what it’s replacing, and why you've decided to make this shift. Then ensure they receive proper training in how to use the new tools, with an understanding that this may take time. If you’re following a phased approach, ensure that everyone has full visibility of where and when their peers are making the switch, and what procedures they should follow during the transitionary period.

That covers half the challenge, but what about people’s resistance to change? You can make life considerably more straightforward — for you and your employees alike — by adopting platforms that are easy to switch to. There's no point paying for a fantastic tool that will solve all your theoretical issues if it requires a Computer Science degree to switch it on. People don't care enough to learn something that complex, so look for something foolproof.

And though it should go without saying, you should check that the tech you’re introducing genuinely meets your worker's needs - accessibility being one of them. This provides the incentive for people to embrace the change you’re suggesting. If you give people an easy solution and help them see the benefits, they’ll be quicker to adopt the new tool — and more likely to keep using it.

For all the reasons we’ve outlined, it’s vital to include your HR and Communications departments in the decision-making process. Don’t leave your choice of tech to IT alone, because they may not be as concerned with your workers’ real needs.

One final thought: as you introduce new platforms, don’t be afraid to turn the old ones off. Consolidation is the name of the game, so instead of looking for several best-in-class single apps, find accessible tools that employees can use for multiple tasks. Being more efficient will give you a better return on your investment, and it’ll also mean fewer programs for your employees to learn and monitor.

People using the right tools for the wrong tasks

Individual preference can sometimes result in over-reliance on a particular medium or method. In turn, this can lead to another common headache: people trying to use channels for the wrong form of communication.

Imagine trying to use an asynchronous medium for synchronous communication, such as conducting a ‘live’ conversation via dozens of back-and-forth emails in a short timeframe. While it’s certainly possible to communicate this way, it’s wildly inefficient compared to the same exchange via instant messaging. The result is a considerable amount of noise in the inboxes of everyone involved.

It can also work the other way around, with people using synchronous channels for asynchronous messages. This is a common issue with team-based instant messaging tools, primarily designed for a single, ‘live’ conversation per channel. If someone shares a message for future discussion, it will disappear from view if other conversations kick off in the meantime.

Some tools solve this problem with a function that allows users to “pin” important posts for swift retrieval. But it’s still easy for people not present at the time of the original post to overlook messages and miss essential information.

And of course, there are obvious risks if organisations keep static information in a dynamic communication format. Whenever people use a channel for a communication form that it wasn’t designed for, problems swiftly arise.

The solution : Again, the answer here is to have transparent processes in place, supported by the right culture. The more effort you put into creating clear, company-wide guidelines for your entire workforce, the less likely you are to run into this challenge. With that in mind, this issue's potential should be one of the factors that persuade you to conduct a full audit of your business communication (see below).

Four tips for better business communication

Conduct a full audit of your current business communication channels.

If you’re serious about improving your business communication, you need a clear understanding of your current practices.

Carry out a company-wide audit of the channels, and gather a wide range of insights from across the business. What’s working well? What are the most common problems? Which platforms would your employees most like to use, given a choice? The answers to these questions will tell you whether you need new tools or better training.

Treat business communication as a resource to invest in, not a cost to be minimised

Hardware and software upgrades can be a significant expense, especially when you have to apply them to every employee in your workforce. But as this article should have made clear, the benefits of strong business communication eclipses the costs. Cutting corners will expose you to risks that your business can’t afford.

The important thing is to invest in the right solutions for your organisation, which is why it’s good to start with a detailed audit.

Give everyone a voice, supported by a clear process

Leaders that understand the real value of business communication look for ways to make their entire workforce part of the conversation. They champion perspectives from across the organisation and do everything they can to encourage people to speak up. As part of this, they create a culture where employees can express dissenting views, knowing that senior management will actively listen and respond.

All of this requires a good range of powerful channels, supporting your needs across all seven forms of communication. But communication platforms are only valuable if you train employees to use them to their full potential, and they understand how these tools contribute to your business — its mission, values and internal culture.

Share your business communication roadmap

It takes a serious commitment to create the communications culture that your business, and employees, deserve. Once established, it requires consistent care and attention to maintain.

Making this happen requires a collective effort from everyone in your organisation. Take the time to understand the necessary change. Develop a clear vision for what you want to achieve, and then share that vision with your workers. Give them a voice, listen to their input, refine the plan. If you do these things, it’s an entirely achievable goal.

Only a third of businesses have a long-term strategy for their business communication. Make sure that you’re one of them.

• How to solve your business communication problems
• Employee engagement: what it is and why it’s so vital for your organisation
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12 tips for effective communication in the workplace

Effective communication transcends simple information exchanges. Understanding the emotions and motives behind the given information is essential. In addition to successfully conveying messages, it's important to actively listen and fully understand the conversation, making the speaker feel heard and understood.

Today, we’re in almost constant contact with our coworkers. You might not put a lot of thought into saying “hi” to your coworker, grabbing virtual coffee with a remote team member, or sending a gif of a cat wearing pajamas to your team—and that’s ok. Even though you’re communicating at work, there’s a difference between these types of messages and communication in the workplace.

Communication in the workplace refers to the communication you do at work about work. Knowing when and how to effectively communicate at work can help you reduce miscommunication, increase team happiness, bolster collaboration, and foster trust. Teams that know how to communicate effectively about work are better prepared for difficult situations. But building good communication habits takes time and effort—and that’s where we come in. Here are 12 ways to take your workplace communication skills to the next level.

What is effective communication?

Effective communication is the exchange of ideas, thoughts, opinions, knowledge, and information so that the message is received and comprehended clearly and purposefully. When we communicate effectively, all stakeholders are fulfilled.

Developing effective communication skills requires a delicate balance of active listening, verbal communication, nonverbal cues, body language, and emotional intelligence to ensure messages are clearly transmitted and understood.

It's about more than just talking; effective communication involves listening skills and a deep understanding of interpersonal dynamics. Individuals can use these communication skills to bridge gaps, make informed decisions, and strengthen relationships. 

What does “workplace communication” mean?

Communication in the workplace can happen face-to-face, in writing, over a video conferencing platform, on social media, or in a group meeting. It can also happen in real time or asynchronously , which happens when you’re communicating about work over email, with recorded video, or on a platform like a project management tool . Some examples of workplace communication include:

Team meetings

1:1 feedback sessions

Receiving information

Communicating about project status or progress

Collaboration on cross-functional tasks

Nonverbal communication

Collaboration Report: How the most effective teams in the world collaborate

Explore key traits that have made the most effective teams in the world successful: their strategies, techniques, and tips for working well together.

What makes communication effective?

Now that you know what type of communication can be included in workplace communication, how do you start getting better at it? There are a few key tenets of effective communication that you can use, no matter what type of communication it is. In particular, good communication:

Aims for clarity. Whether you’re sending a Slack message, drafting an email, or giving an off-the-cuff reply, aim to be clear and concise with your communication.

Seeks to solve conflicts, not create them. In the workplace, we're often involved in problem solving and collaborating on projects or tasks. Good communication in the workplace can involve bringing up blockers or providing feedback—but make sure the goal is to get to a better place than where you are now.

Goes both ways. Every instance of effective communication in the workplace represents an exchange of information—even when the information is communicated solely through nonverbal cues.

Benefits of effective communication in the workplace

Clear, effective workplace communication can:

Boost employee engagement and belonging

Improve interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence

Encourage team buy-in

Increase productivity

Build a healthy workplace and organizational culture

Reduce conflict

Increase retention

7 tips for more effective communication in the workplace

Effective communication in the workplace is all about where, how, and when you’re communicating. Try these seven tips to develop better communication skills.

1. Know where to communicate—and about what

Communication happens in many different forms—face-to-face, over email, via instant messages, and in work management platforms. To be most effective, make sure you’re following communication guidelines and messaging about the right things in the right places.

Sometimes, knowing where to communicate is half the battle. Your company may have different communication tools , which makes knowing which tool to use all the more important. Which tool is appropriate for your question or comment? Do you need to communicate in real time, or is it ok to send an asynchronous message? If you’re not sure, ask a team member or manager where you should be sending different types of messages. It is important for everyone to be on the same page. For example, at Asana, we use:

2. Build collaboration skills

Collaboration is the bedrock of effective teamwork. In order to build strong team collaboration skills , you need to practice open and honest communication. This doesn’t necessarily mean always agreeing on things—knowing how to disagree and work through those differences is a key part of collaboration, too.

Collaboration and communication skills are kind of a “chicken and egg” scenario. You can build good collaboration by communicating effectively, but knowing how to collaborate is a key component of strong communication. Essentially, this just means you’ll have to practice improving both collaboration and communication skills over time. As you improve team collaboration, you’ll get better at conveying information and opinions in a work environment—and as a result, that honest communication will make collaboration feel more effortless.

3. Talk face-to-face when you can

Perhaps the most tried-and-true way to avoid miscommunication is to talk face-to-face. If your team is virtual, speaking via video conferencing also works. Eye contact is particularly important if you know a conversation is going to be hard. Tone can be difficult to communicate through writing so ideally, you want your team member to be able to see your facial expressions and body language.

If your team is remote or distributed, communicating via a phone call instead of a video conference could work as well. Video conferencing fatigue is real, and it can make collaboration and communication particularly difficult for remote teams. Communicating over the phone reduces some of the visual strain, while still giving you the ability to hear your team member’s voice and tone.

4. Watch your body language and tone of voice

Communication isn’t just about what you say—it’s also about how you say it. Make sure you aren’t crossing your arms or coming off as curt. Oftentimes, your body language may have nothing to do with the current situation—maybe you’re tired or stressed about something in your personal life. But your team members, who might not have that context, could see your actions and assume you’re angry or upset about something. Particularly for hard conversations, try to relax your body language and facial expressions to avoid giving off any unintentional cues.

5. Prioritize two-way communication

Listening skills are just as important to communication in the workplace as talking. Part of being a collaborative team member is listening to other people’s ideas instead of just trying to put your own ideas out there.

There are two common types of listening : listening to reply and listening to understand. When you listen to reply, you’re focusing on what you’re going to say next, rather than what the other person is saying. With this type of listening, you risk missing key information or even repeating what the other person just said.

Instead, try active listening—that is, listen to what the other person has to say without thinking about how you’re going to reply. If you do think of something you want to say, jot it down so you can go back to listening to understand , instead of trying to remember the thing you want to say next.

6. Stick to facts, not stories

“Facts vs. stories” is a technique recommended by the co-founder of the Conscious Leadership Group, Diana Chapman. In this case, “facts” are things that have actually happened—things that everyone in the room would easily agree on. A “story,” on the other hand, is your interpretation of the situation.

For example, say your manager gives you live feedback during a small team meeting. That is a fact. You weren’t expecting the feedback, and you feel like your manager shared the feedback—instead of saving it for your 1:1—because they’re dissatisfied with your work. This is a “story” because you have no way of knowing if it is true or not.

Stories are inevitable—we all create stories from facts. But try to separate stories from facts, and avoid acting on stories until you’re able to validate them. For example, in this case, you might want to talk to your manager during your next 1:1 and ask why they shared feedback in a team meeting.

7. Make sure you’re speaking to the right person

Effective workplace communication is as much about who you’re talking to as it is about what you’re saying. Poor communication often occurs when you’re talking to the wrong people or trying to share information in the wrong setting.

To avoid this, make sure the right people are in the room or receiving the message. If you aren’t sure who that would be, go through an exercise to identify any important project stakeholders who might be missing.

5 tips to build effective communication skills in the workplace

If you’re a leader, you have the power to set and establish communication conventions on your team. Effective communication skills can build healthy company culture , foster trust among your employees, and break down silos between cross-functional teams. Here’s how:

1. Address any underlying changes

Before you start improving your team’s communication skills, ensure there are no underlying issues that keep everyone from communicating honestly. Does everyone feel comfortable talking openly? Is there anything that might make a team member feel like they can’t be their full selves?

One of the most valuable things you can do as a leader is to make sure your employees feel comfortable showing up to work as their whole selves (or as much of themselves as they want to bring). Whether that means voicing disagreements, talking about their passions outside of work, or being honest about what type of communication works best for them, make sure to understand each team member’s needs and ensure they’re being met in the team environment.

One theme that kept coming up in our employee engagement surveys was that we could improve information sharing and communication across the organization, so we looked for a way to do that.”

2. Frequently ask for feedback

If you don’t ask for feedback on your communication style, you may never get it. Even though communication in the workplace impacts every other interaction, team members might not immediately think of it as something to provide feedback on. By asking your employees for feedback on your communication style, you can continue to improve and develop clear communication strategies for your team.

3. Understand team communication styles

Another effective way to communicate with your team is to ask them how they want to communicate. Communication preferences shouldn’t be a secret—or a guessing game—and knowing off the bat if your team members prefer video conferences or phone calls, early morning meetings, or afternoon jam sessions can help you create an environment where they can thrive.

Important questions to ask include:

Are they an early bird or a night owl?

Do they like structured meetings or prefer free-flow brainstorming sessions?

Do they do their best thinking out loud, on the spot, or on paper?

What personality type do they identify with: introvert, extrovert, or ambivert?

Do they feel like they know their team members, or would they prefer more team bonding activities?

What types of meetings or tasks are most energizing for them?

4. Make time for team building or icebreakers

Getting to know your team is critical to developing good communication skills. It’s particularly important to make time to get to know your team outside of a workplace setting. Icebreaker questions can help bring an element of personality and fun to every meeting, so consider starting with a light chat before diving into your meeting agenda.

5. Set the tone

Remember: the way you communicate and collaborate will impact your entire team. It’s up to you to set the standard for open and clear communication in the workplace. Once you establish this standard, your team will follow suit.

Every few months, make a note to follow up with how everyone is feeling about team communication. Are there any habits that have cropped up in the last few months that you want to cull or encourage? Regularly thinking about how your team communicates—instead of “setting and forgetting” your team practices—can help you be more intentional about your communication methods.

As an organization grows, communication starts to bottleneck. At Hope for Haiti, we’ve seen those inefficiencies hurt us: when we can’t run like a well-oiled machine, we’re not serving as many people as we could be—and it’s our responsibility to improve upon that.”

More types of workplace communication

Most discussions about communication in the workplace assume the “workplace” is in person. But there are various forms of communication across different locations—from global offices to remote teams. Most effective communication best practices still apply to any type of team, but there are a few additional considerations and best practices you can use to help team members truly connect.

Distributed teams

Distributed teams work across multiple national or global offices. These teams might span different time zones and languages, and each office will have its own culture and habits. Don’t expect each distributed team to communicate in the same way—in fact, one of the advantages of distributed teams is the variety of thought you’re exposed to by working with teammates from all over the world.

If you work on a distributed team, it’s critical to over-communicate so that team members in different time zones and offices stay in the loop. Make sure to document everything in a central source of truth that team members can access when they’re online, and look for a tool that updates in real-time so no one has to slow down due to information lag.

Keep in mind that time zones might affect how people come to a conversation. Try to schedule meetings when everyone is available, or offer recordings and notes if team members can’t make it. It’s also critical to double check that the right people are in the loop, and that they aren’t just being left out because they’re in a different office than the majority of your team.

Online coworkers

If you’re working with a virtual team, it’s critical to establish where you’re going to communicate and how frequently. Knowing exactly what each communication tool should be used for can help team members feel connected—even while they’re remote.

While working remotely, we’ve had to re-learn how to communicate in many ways. Slack, Asana, and integrations between these tools has replaced or supplemented a lot of in-person ways we used to communicate.”

Remote team members can feel isolated and disconnected from one another, so consider doing an exercise with your entire team about preferred business communication habits. Some team members might love cold calls, while others might prefer scheduled meetings with concise agendas. Because team members have fewer chances to interact in person, it’s critical to establish these forms of communication as a team so you can keep the communication channels open.

Finally, make sure to bring team members in for regular team bonding events. Whether you’re doing icebreaker activities at the beginning of every meeting or scheduling some time to just chat at the end of each week, dedicated team time can help team members connect, no matter where they’re dialing in from.

The cherry on top of effective workplace communication

The last component of great communication is having a central source of truth for all of your communication and work information. Using a centralized system like a work management tool can help you coordinate work across all levels of your team. Learn more about how work management makes project coordination and communication easier in our introduction to work management article .

FAQ: Effective communication in the workplace

What are the best ways of communicating with your work colleagues.

The best ways of communicating with your work colleagues involve concise, respectful, and timely exchanges. This can be achieved through various channels, such as emails, instant messaging, face-to-face meetings, and video calls. Selecting the right medium based on the context of your communication (e.g., using emails for formal requests or Slack for quick queries) and ensuring you're concise and to the point can enhance the effectiveness of your communication.

Why is effective communication important?

Effective communication ensures that information is accurately conveyed and understood, resulting in improved efficiency, fewer misunderstandings, and better working relationships. It promotes teamwork, decision-making, and problem solving, which makes effective communication a cornerstone of successful operations and a positive work environment.

What constitutes effective communication?

Effective communication is characterized by clarity, conciseness, coherence, and considerateness, also known as the 5 Cs of communication. It means the message is delivered in a clear and understandable manner, is direct and to the point, logically organized, and sensitive to the receiver's needs and perspectives. It also involves active listening, openness to feedback, and the ability to adjust or paraphrase the message according to the audience and context.

How can you become an effective communicator?

To become an effective communicator, focus on clarity and brevity in your messages, actively listen to others, and provide constructive feedback. Pay attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues, such as body language and tone, to ensure your message is received as intended. Practice empathy by considering the receiver's perspective, and be open to feedback to continuously improve your public speaking skills.

Related resources

Unmanaged business goals don’t work. Here’s what does.

How Asana uses work management to drive product development

How Asana uses work management to streamline project intake processes

How Asana uses work management for smoother creative production

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Top 5 Communication problems in the workplace and how to solve them

By Raluca Cristescu

Communication is essential to a smoothly running business. Organizations know this, and yours makes no exception. Or does it? Communication problems in the workplace are a lot more common than you think. Seventy-four percent of employees feel they are missing out on news and information, and 86% blame company failures on poor communication.

Furthermore, 96% of people would like a more empathetic approach to communication in the workplace, while almost 40% of the workforce feel like there isn't any productive conversation between them and the company. In this article, we will explore the most common examples of communication problems in the workplace and their solutions.

How can you identify communication problems in the workplace?

The statistics are staggering, but you may be wondering how to spot inefficient communication in your company. There are several warning signs, such as:

• Procedures are hardly ever followed . If you find that employees do things their own way instead of following the company processes, it means that there is a major communication problem;
• Employees don't know the company's mission or values . If a short and fun quiz reveals that the company's mission and values are a mystery to them, it's time to work on your internal communication and culture;
• Tasks are repeated . When you have several people (or teams) working on the same thing (unaware of each other) it’s a waste of resources, and there's no clear task division;
• Various departments complain about low response rates to their requests . This is usually the case with HR and IT when they need to migrate services or get everyone’s opinion about a certain topic. They send emails, set reminders, and still fail to reach the bulk of employees;
• Few employees show up at company events . You know it’s a workforce communication problem when people don’t come to the fun events. A simple announcement is not enough, and even having RSVPs is not a sure thing – you need reminders and incentives.

Read more: On designing a great L&D communication plan

The most common communication problems in the workplace and their solutions

Looking at the list above, you’ve probably identified the symptoms that are present in your company. Now you’re wondering what causes them and how you can fix or prevent them. Here are the most common communication problems in the workplace:

1. Communication barriers

This is a vast subject explored by several fields such as linguistics, neuroscience, psychology, and anthropology. However, there are some communication barriers that are most likely to cause problems in the workplace:

• Language barriers appear in global organizations where employees speak several languages. Even if there is one official language that everyone uses, there will be differences in proficiency, and translations will often fail to convey nuanced meanings. However, there are differences in vocabulary even between people speaking the same language in various regions of the world.

What to do about it : encourage employees to use concise language and avoid metaphors or figurative speech. Provide training and resources on industry-specific terminology and include language courses in your corporate learning strategy.

• The intensive use of jargon is often a reason for defective communication. In theory, jargon terminology facilitates communication by simplifying concepts. However, this only works when everyone is in the know. If they don't, it leads to misunderstandings or confusion.

What to do about it : provide training and resources for employees to become familiar with the jargon in your industry. Cultivate a learning culture in which all individuals feel safe to ask questions when something is unclear. There are instances when jargon is unavoidable , but try to use it sparingly for the most part.

• Physical barriers have become very common with the rise of hybrid and remote work. Not seeing a person's facial expressions takes a lot from the message, and misunderstandings can often occur.

What to do about it : make sure the communication technology you use is up-to-date and encourage employees to use the video option, especially in one-to-one and small group meetings. Provide office space for those who prefer to work or hold some of their meetings in person.

• Cultural barriers arise from a difference in norms and values. If they are not addressed, they lead to stereotyping and ostracization, both very harmful to a healthy working environment.

What to do about it : provide sensitivity training and immediately mediate any issues arising from cultural differences. Make sure the internal communication rules are clear and provide a comprehensive guide that also stresses the company's values – adhering to these will bring people closer by giving them something they have in common.

• Organizational barriers appear when employees don’t know how the company works and its processes. You see this when they fail to share important information and stumble when they have to ask for help to complete their projects.

What to do about it : create a clear organizational structure, emphasizing various points of contact. Include this in your onboarding program and promptly announce any modifications. If you find that one particular issue keeps coming up, have a company-wide refresh training to clarify it.

Read more: What you need to know about intercultural communication

2. The wrong technology

Having the right communication tools is integral to company success. First, you need a communication solution that works best in your environment. For example, suppose you have a global workforce scattered across various time zones. In that case, you'll need technology to help you curate the exchanged information so that employees from different parts of the world don't waste too much time sifting through emails and channels figuring out what is essential and what they can overlook.

What to do about it : make sure your communication tools are what teams and individuals need to do their job with minimal interruptions. Furthermore, harness the value of your company’s learning management system (LMS) for internal communication. Employees often need help on projects they can’t tackle alone, and these on-the-job learning opportunities shouldn't be missed. They can tap into the LMS resources and then collaborate using the advanced communication features. Using the LMS to work in groups, ask questions in a chat room, or reach out to mentors is easy.

3. Assumptions and misinterpretations

These are very frequent because people sometimes assume that others think as they do. It’s also common for employees to overlook possible differences in information levels and get frustrated when others don’t seem to be as effective as they are. If everyone is not on the same page on a project, there will be more friction than actual results. Some companies are actively trying to uncover and overcome bias in the workplace, but even in those environments, miscommunication happens.

What to do about it : set clear parameters for every project. It’s important for everyone to know exactly what to do and what the desired outcomes are. Furthermore, don’t rely solely on what is communicated at the start of a project. Hold regular meetings and encourage employees to reach out whenever they need to. Use paraphrasing and feedback as usual techniques in your internal discussions.

Read more: 5 Reasons why cross-training employees is beneficial for your company

4. Information overload

Information overload has employees struggling to do their job and keep a healthy work-life balance. Twenty-six percent of people want to delete all their emails and start over. Moreover, employees visit an average of 40 websites daily. The workforce is overwhelmed by the amount of information they have to deal with on a daily basis. Productivity suffers as 85% of work emails are opened within two minutes, and these interruptions eat up 28% of the workday. This takes a toll on the employees’ state of mind and subsequently on their motivation to perform well. With the skyrocketing turnover rates of the past two years, that’s not an extra issue you want to have.

What to do about it : deleting everyone's inboxes and starting fresh is not an option, appealing as that may sound to some. I have discussed some solutions to this workplace communication problem above: make sure you have the right communication tools and make the most of your company LMS to facilitate learning and collaboration. Furthermore, change the way you communicate within the company. Employees model what comes from the top, so if their inboxes and groups are constantly flooded, they will perpetuate that pattern. Have a healthy internal communication strategy and always keep channels open to feedback.

5. Lack of psychological safety

A big part of workplace communication is information sharing. However, not all employees feel comfortable speaking up, expressing opinions, and telling others what they have learned. This is a big issue, especially in today’s high-demand context. Employees sometimes fear that speaking up will have unwanted consequences, or if they show extra interest, they will be automatically saddled with a larger workload. Feeling unsafe in the workplace is a real barrier to effective communication and is very detrimental to organizational culture and business results.

What to do about it : psychological safety in the workplace entails building a climate in which people feel comfortable both being and expressing themselves. Allow time in your meetings for people to connect and make small talk. Ask your managers to have regular one on ones with their team members to discuss any issues they may have. Be as transparent as possible about what is going on in the organization and explain C-suite decisions in a straightforward way. You need your employees to trust their leaders and each other, and feel free to share information and ask for help or clarifications. In doing so, you avoid a great number of communication problems in the workplace.

Read more: What is institutional knowledge and how to successfully harness its value?

Solving communication problems in the workplace

Communication is a very complex process, influenced by several factors that range from language and vocabulary to cultural diversity and technological inadequacies. Poor communication in the workplace can cause many issues, from missed deadlines and squandering of resources to employee frustration and loss of motivation. You need to identify the workplace communication problems that are specific to your company and find the best solutions to fix them. Be mindful of the technology you use and how well it meets organizational needs, make the most of the social features of your LMS and build a communication culture focused on the essential to avoid information overload.

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Common Team Communication Problems [5 Signs and Solutions]

Studies show poor communication between team members can cost businesses dearly. By some estimates, ineffective communication can cost as much as $1.2 trillion each year. This translates to $12,506 per team member. Simply put—communication is critical to your team and the overall organization’s success.

Team communication can be costly if it is not performed well, so let’s dive into the five most common signs that team communication problems exist and show you how to solve them constructively.

The Importance of Team Communication

Effective team communication builds a nurturing and engaging work environment. A team that communicates well will also understand both what needs to be done and how it should be done. Moreover, team members will feel more motivated to achieve the team’s goals and business objectives.

According to research:

• 86% of team members believe workplace failures are due to ineffective communication.
• Team members who are a part of effective communication plans are 3.5 times more likely to outperform their peer groups.

By investing in improving team communication, leaders will ensure both the team’s success as well as the individual contributors’ success.

The Top 5 Signs Your Team Faces Communication Problems

What happens when communication is not present or is strained? How can you help your team members face and overcome these communication challenges as their leader?

Here are the top five signs that your team has communication problems and ways to solve them.

1. Competing Priorities

Competing priorities are often due to differences in speed, quality, and cost in one’s work. While it’s nothing out of the ordinary for each person to manage different tasks and priorities, communication can decline when self-interest versus group-interest becomes disproportionate. Competing priorities lead to poor communication and impact the overall team outcomes.

Develop team members on how to initiate open and proactive dialogue on matters such as the following:

• Setting boundaries with an honest yet caring attitude
• Using effective questions to acquire the right information and accomplish what needs to be done
• Finding solutions (e.g., new deadlines, processes) that better accommodate all parties

Learn how to foster more productive business relationships with CMOE’s Conflict and Collaboration workshop.

2. Personality Conflicts

With teams of various sizes and demographics, it is important to remember that each individual has a unique personality and frame of reference. Some of these personalities may not mesh or work well together. When personalities collide, team members are less eager to communicate, share information, and collaborate with each other. This can produce unresolved issues that fester over time and lead to more poor communication.

Consider administering a personality profile with the purpose of helping individuals better understand their own personal style and temperament as well as their team members. This practice provides greater understanding in how you can best work and interact with those who have a different style.

Two effective personality profiles are:

• MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator)

A tool such as DISC combined with facilitated discussion or training creates a foundation for improved communication and maximizing individuals’ strengths across a team.

Whether your team members have conflicting ideas or different workstyles, understanding and applying conflict resolution skills can help alleviate some of their issues.

Here are the five stages of conflict resolution to consider:

• Define the conflict
• Watch for underlying issues
• Identify needs
• Brainstorm possible solutions and goals
• Agree on a solution and implement it

Be sure to also develop your team’s conflict resolution skills. Studies show 85% of workforce members who receive training say it has encouraged them to take a proactive collaborative approach to conflict rather than reactive approach. Conflict resolution encourages individuals to work together to solve their disagreements and further improve communication practices in the team.

3. Under Sharing Information

When team members fail to disclose or share the necessary information that sets one another up for success, team members are less likely to trust each other. This lack of trust can lead to decreased morale among the team.

Under sharing can occur for various reasons:

• Personal reasons: A person may keep information under wraps as a power play (self-interest), to get ahead on a particular project, or earn a promotion among many other self-serving reasons.
• Stay silent to avoid conflict with other members
• Avoid raising ethical or legal concerns
• Possess a “Us” vs. “Them” mindset because they don’t truly feel like a member of the team
• Alleviate a negative situation by attempting to put a positive spin on something rather than being candid or honest

Make time for communication by initiating frequent team discussions. These discussions should involve:

• Establishing communication goals and a team purpose that addresses these goals
• Discussing any issues (business, interpersonal or task-related) that need to be addressed and resolved
• Spearheading communication barriers that occur when collaborating virtually

By prioritizing these discussions, leaders will show team members that they are safe and able to be honest within the team. Leaders will also build trust and promote a culture of sharing information rather than withholding information.

4. Communication Overload

Communication overload can take different forms. Here are some examples of what it can entail:

Overloading team members with numerous facts, figures, and anecdotes that don’t offer apparent value. Often, when leaders need to pass on information urgently, they dump a lot of information (often unstructured) within a short timeframe.

This can lead team members to:

• Feel overwhelmed
• Be more likely to forget the core information that was given (which defeats the purpose of communication)
• Have difficulty in understanding what work assignments or tasks should be prioritized

Skimming email messages which may lead to missed information. This results in rework or follow up communication and reduced productivity.

Including more people than necessary in email correspondences to show everyone that you are diligent at following up. This habit can lead to full email boxes and other important emails getting forgotten or overlooked.

There are a few ways to address communication overload:

If you’re in a time crunch, prioritize your tasks and information. Highlight the top three takeaways you want to communicate with your team and the specific action items for each.

Consider communicating in-person when possible as opposed to email, chat, or other written forms. Written communication and information may be misinterpreted.

Trust your colleagues to follow through on their commitments, and try to only follow-up on action items or status updates as it is appropriate. Evaluate who needs to be included on email communication changes so you don’t unnecessarily flood the inbox of others. When in doubt, err on the side of over communicating rather than under communicating.

5. Abusive Working Situations

Abusive leadership and uncivil behavior in the workplace have become more prevalent in recent years. Abusive, toxic, or uncivil interactions can stifle critical communication and can be manifested by the following:

• Team members purposely withholding pertinent information from their co-works, peers, or leaders
• Team members not feeling like their ideas are valued or acknowledged
• Team members fearing the repercussions if something is does not meet the abusive party’s expectations

Hold regular 1:1 check-in meetings with your team members. Create a safe environment for them to offer up concerns, provide feedback, and report toxic behavior or issues. This can help both parties proactively address any problematic behavior or address unspoken issues.

You can do this by asking:

• Specific questions that relate to workplace and relationships
• For direct feedback on your communication style and where you can improve
• How you can better support your team members
• What the organization can do to support its workforce.
• Questions that directly address illegal, abusive, or unwelcoming behavior

Stay Equipped with CMOE’s Communication Skills Workshop

If you’d like to learn more on how you can eliminate communication barriers , take a look at CMOE’s Communication Skills workshop . Help yourself and your team members to develop the confidence and competence to communicate both proactively and easily.

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Crucial Skills®

A blog by crucial learning, crucial conversations for mastering dialogue, solving communication problems at work.

Dear Crucial Skills,

I work in the HR department for a consulting company. I have worked there for almost eight months and I’ve noticed an ongoing issue with communication—or the lack thereof. On a weekly basis, I discover problems that could have been easily prevented with proper communication.

How do I ask my managers to communicate better with the entire department? I feel as though they don’t think there is a problem. It also appears that they are too busy to resolve ongoing issues. I however, desperately need to solve this problem before I lose my mind.

Signed, Desperate

Dear Desperate,

Unfortunately, you’re not alone in your dilemma. When you look at organizational and team surveys, ineffective communication always scores as one of the top three problems. And as you have clearly experienced, this problem is not benign—the consequences are very serious.

So why doesn’t this problem get solved? The most apparent reason is that urgent visible priorities always trump invisible priorities. When people are up against goals, deadlines, and meetings, it’s hard to stop and think about fixing infrastructure. Another reason is that improving communication is rarely included on performance appraisals. And lastly, poor communication persists because managers sometimes just don’t see the problems it causes. And if the people closest to the problems don’t surface the issues in ways that matter, managers may know of the problems, but may not “feel” the problem enough to make it a priority. Any solution will need to address these kinds of issues.

So, here are a few suggestions to help you improve communication at your company:

1. Schedule regular time to communicate. When a problem occurs as a result of poor communication, be sure to write a brief description of the problem, a list of a few possible consequences, and a proposed solution. Then find a “safe” moment to talk about it with your manager.

Your conversation may sound something like this: “I’ve noticed a communication issue that, if solved, would make the team more effective and I’d like to talk about it for a few minutes. Here in the local office, we often don’t get information that allows us to set priorities on our projects. Because of this, we delay until we get the necessary information and then rush to finish the project on time. This causes a lot of stress and errors. I’m wondering if we can schedule a weekly fifteen-minute call to review priorities and talk about any questions or communication issues that, if answered or solved, would help us be more productive.”

2. Identify and share effective and ineffective behaviors. The second approach focuses on the behavior of individual managers and maybe even team members. Identify the behaviors that are working, not working, or missing—on all levels. If you can identify them, step up to the conversation—lead with an observation and a question. For example, “I’ve noticed that when one of the team members approaches you with a concern about the status of the project, you often brush it off until you feel you have time to address the problem. By then, it’s often too late and the project is far off course. Can we talk about this and see what can be done to make some improvements?”

It’s always best to start with yourself and then move to the next person. If you run into resistance, share your intention—you are trying to improve communication so the team can be more effective.

3. Obtain data by conducting a survey. One of the best ways to get the attention of managers and technicians is to share data. In order to obtain sufficient and significant data, conduct a survey. A survey will help you identify the issues you need to work on as well as uncover solutions to the most important issues.

When creating your survey, start by asking these three questions: 1) What behaviors help us get our work done? 2) What behaviors hinder our work? 3) List specific suggestions for improving our work or our team.

4. Garner support by talking to your colleagues. I once heard a manager say that if one person came to her with an issue and a solution, she had to think about it. If a group came with an issue and a solution, she had to attend to it. So to get management’s attention, get support from the whole team. Check with your colleagues to see if they feel a similar frustration and if so, exactly where their pain points are. Then, propose a structured solution accordingly. Have one or two people present the team’s plan to the manager to ensure he or she doesn’t feel overwhelmed and outnumbered.

In summary, communication cannot be left to chance. The easiest way to solve many of these problems is to schedule regular time to communicate about what is and what is not working. In my experience, the first issues to surface will be safe, simple, less-controversial issues. However, once leaders show they are committed to the process, the real problems will surface and improvements can be made.

This process reinforces a key finding of our crucial conversations research: all families, teams, and organizations have problems. The difference between the good and the great is how rapidly and respectfully problems are resolved.

Best Wishes, Al

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Al Switzler

Al Switzler is a New York Times bestselling author, keynote speaker, and leading social scientist for organizational change. For thirty years Al has delivered engaging keynotes for an impressive list of clientele, including AT&T, Xerox, IBM, and Sprint. Al’s work has been translated into twenty-eight languages, is available in thirty-six countries, and has generated results for three hundred of the Fortune 500.

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4 thoughts on “Solving Communication Problems at Work”

Good advice! Very practical and knowledgeable. Thanks!

[…] Al Switzler Read more… […]

For each business effective communication is very important. Nevertheless, we have to reach also solutions such as http://www.comarch.com/telecommunications/ ,because of them we have the opportunity to provide communication at the highest level, which will definitely help to improve results. At the same time, it is worth mentioning that the solution is used for a lot of companies and are satisfied with it.

It takes two to tango. My first suggestion was to set aside some time to discuss issues that come up. My manager did not like this idea.

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5 Ways To Solve Business Communication Problems

After decades of advancements in technologies, it’s easier to convey messages worldwide. On the contrary, businesses still experience significant challenges in organizational coordination. Since communication is the most crucial part of closing deals, business leaders shouldn’t ignore it.

To avoid unnecessary costs caused by miscommunication, it pays to have web tools for businesses to maintain virtual productivity. Taking advantage of web tools will help build better coordination within the organization. Moreover, by providing useful web tools, you can help employees communicate with customers effectively, especially when it’s about the products or services your company offers.

To help address business communication challenges, here are five methods you can use:

1. Show Employees You Care

Employees who are well taken care of by their company feel valued. And when they feel valued, they often go out of their way to show that they care about the company too. Since they feel happy fulfilling their roles, your business experiences stability and better communication.

Here are a couple of ways to show appreciation for your employees:

Create new opportunities

Give them as many opportunities as you can. You can do this by letting them take challenges. Also, you can send them to paid training and seminars where they can enhance their skills and gain new knowledge.

Address them by their preferred name

You can address your employees by their preferred name. Recalling their names can help you earn their trust. Afterwards, you can train your employees to do the same. This way, they will develop respect for one another. In addition, they will have stronger relationships with each other.  

2. Employ An Automated Answering System

Have you ever seen a receptionist attempting to deal with multiple incoming calls? If you did, that person wouldn’t be able to give every customer proper attention simultaneously. Whether you’ve witnessed this kind of situation, you can already guess what could happen to the company’s reputation in providing customer support.

When human support isn’t sufficient, the company doesn’t have to hire another individual to cover the hours. Instead, it can avail of an automated answering machine , which can cut additional labor expenses.

While an automated answering system lacks the empathy of a human operator, it can still provide enough information for your customers. Furthermore, it can allow your clients access to their accounts conveniently.

3. Be Available To The Customers After The Sale

After the sale process, the customers expect customer support to be available. One way to assure them of this service is to keep your lines open. However, building an appealing website isn’t enough. Your customer support’s contact details must be visible and clear to them.

Here are four reasons why customer support is important:

• Increases revenue.
• Leads to customer satisfaction, which helps build a positive reputation of the business.
• Reduces marketing expenses as a result of increased product advocates.
• Offers business longevity that’s influenced by satisfied customers.

Although having a phone number or an email address is a good way to communicate with them, you can provide contact forms instead. Contact forms block possible spam messages and organize customer messages.

Even when the sale process is done, customers still have the right to give feedback on your products and services. Hence, you must still communicate with them to strengthen their loyalty and encourage them to make future purchases.

4. Allow Employee Feedback

You can figure out how to overcome communication problems once you request feedback from your employees . One way to gather feedback from your staff members is to send them short surveys. The survey can include these five questions:

• How do you feel about the workplace?
• What can we do to improve our daily operations?
• Are you satisfied with the communication processes of the company?
• How can our team develop great communication with everyone?
• Do you feel included when you receive organizational updates?

Conducting employee communication surveys will help the management to have an in-depth look at internal communications. A survey will provide a safe space for your employees to share their concerns.

Take note that employee surveys should ideally have less than 30 questions. This will allow you to receive enough data to understand and identify which areas in your organization require improvement.

5. Utilize The Right Communication Tools

A company’s strong external communication begins with its internal workforce. Therefore, communication between employees, organizational leaders, and investors is vital in making the daily business operations run smoothly.

Once you start using and updating the internal communication tools, the company can save time and money. Some of the best business communication tools include the following:

Key Takeaway

Part of a company’s success is effective communication. Running a business doesn’t just involve applying marketing strategies, but it also requires building strong connections between your employees and customers or clients.

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5 common communication problems with customers (and how to solve them)

Mercer Smith ,

VP of CX at Appcues

7 August 2020 • 0 min read

Read real-world examples from support teams across multiple industries to learn five common communication problems with customers and how you can solve them.

Supporting customers can sometimes feel like walking through a minefield.

This is even more true during challenging times, and 2020 has been a year filled with challenges. Many support teams are dealing with increased support volume, stressed-out customers, and smaller teams. Everyone is feeling the pressure and no one wants to misstep.

In the face of these trials, it’s vital to know how to effectively communicate with your customers. Empathetic communication can defuse tense situations or, better yet, nip customer issues in the bud altogether.

Below we’ll uncover five common communication problems with customers and how you can solve them. We’ll highlight real-world examples from support teams across multiple industries. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll walk away with creative ideas about how to tackle similar communication problems.

Problem #1 - Unresponsive customers and missing information

Many support teams regularly experience customers reaching out and not providing enough info for them to resolve the issue successfully. Tim Jordan , Support Team Lead at Cars.com , shares about how they’ve successfully solved for these situations:

One of the communication problems we’ve solved at Cars.com is the responsiveness of our customers when we need more info from them. Short and personalized emails have been key.

There are three things we do to ensure a customer responds or takes action when we need them to:

The email clearly lays out the action we need the customer to take in only one or two sentences.

We increase responsiveness by ruthlessly eliminating information that isn’t immediately pertinent.

The tone is friendly and personalized. This helps the customer feel like they received a warm request from a real human, rather than an automated request.

We’ve found that following these three principles makes it far more likely that the customer will take action in a timely manner.

Tim also noted that they’re currently working on preventing these situations altogether through promoting more self-service and pushing more customer requests to standardized forms that help ensure the necessary info is gathered upfront.

Problem #2 - Telling customers no

Sometimes, you just gotta say no. Sometimes customers might ask for features your company can’t or won’t build . While there may be value in a specific request for that customer, if it takes your team away from larger priorities, it’s simply not going to happen.

Many support agents are uncomfortable in these situations, but there are a few simple steps you can take to make these conversations far less awkward:

Set clear expectations. While many brands talk about how important customer feedback is, beware of issuing blanket statements around customer requests. Always be sure to indicate that incoming requests will still be examined and scoped out to make sure they fit in with your overall direction.

Ask investigative questions. Don’t take user requests at face value. Customers make suggestions because they have a need they hope you can solve. Ask questions to dig deep into that area of need, and you may just find that there’s a completely different way to solve for it that’s actually doable.

Don’t give false hope. Sometimes the answer really is no. When that’s the case, make it clear and over-explain why. Rather than simply saying “We won’t be building X at this time,” try something like, “We won’t be building X at this time because we have limited development resources and we’ve decided to focus on Y and Z. We believe these two features will have a bigger overall benefit for customers and align more with our core mission as a company, so our efforts will be focused there.”

Problem #3 - Apologizing to customers

Everyone makes mistakes, companies included. When your brand makes a mistake, whether it’s at the individual customer level or far more public, knowing how to own up and sincerely apologize can be difficult.

IPSY, a monthly makeup subscription brand, provides a good example of how to apologize to customers well. After provoking public outrage by accidentally including an offensive line in a Pride celebration video, IPSY owned up to their mistake and apologized to their nearly three million Instagram followers:

Check out these email templates for apologizing to customers .

Owning up to and apologizing for a big mistake like this takes courage, but it often leads to a far greater level of respect and authenticity from your customers.

Problem #4 - Troubleshooting with non-technical customers

If you’ve ever had to explain to someone what an internet browser is, this one’s for you.

While some people find it hard to believe, there are still plenty of customers out there who are non-technical. Whether it’s due to age, lack of access, language issues, or something else, these users struggle to understand and navigate even software that many of us find intuitive. As such, conversations with non-technical users often prove to be major sources of frustration for customer service agents.

There are several steps you can take to make these conversations less frustrating and create a better customer experience:

Be patient and empathetic. Non-technical customers often come across as frustrated or upset...because they often are. When a customer struggles to use your product, it can lead to feelings of incompetence or inadequacy. If you’ve ever felt that way, you know exactly how frustrating it can be. How great is it that your support team can be the guides to help lead them towards mastery? Reframing the situation can lead to a greater sense of empathy and compassion for your customers.

Avoid assumptions. Most of your customer base may know what “clear your cookies and cache” means, but phrases like that will sound foreign to a non-technical user. Instead of using jargon or acronyms, opt for metaphors and step-by-step instructions.

Use a variety of tactics. Tailor your approach to different customers’ learning styles and preferences. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, try implementing different tactics like GIFs, video walk-throughs, bulleted instructions, and more.

A great example of what this looks like in practice is Asana’s knowledge base . While this project management software can do a million different things, from the very first click into their help center even a non-technical user can understand the different help options that exist. By offering everything from courses to video tutorials to a “learn the basics” section, Asana has managed to craft an extremely accessible knowledge base.

Problem #5 - Talkative customers

Some customers just love to chat, don’t they? While in theory, you’d probably love to give every customer as much time as they need, in reality having support agents tied up on long calls or chats can make it difficult for you to staff appropriately and to provide support to other customers in need.

If this scenario sounds familiar, your support team may need training on how to lead and end a call with a customer. A few tips include:

Ask direct questions. Open-ended questions give chatty customers the opportunity to go off on tangents. While there are many situations where open-ended questions are valuable - such as when you’re gathering feedback - they’re also a surefire way to drive up your handle time. Instead, ask direct questions that get right to the heart of the issue at hand.

Carefully redirect the conversation. Interrupting a customer can be a tricky thing, but your support team should feel empowered to carefully redirect conversations when they’re getting off track. For instance, imagine you work for a pet toy manufacturer. Bob calls in. While you’re pulling up his account and making small talk, he says, “It’s rainy here in Seattle. It’s making my knee act up, it’s never been the same since I got injured playing for football for USC. In fact, that reminds me of the time when…” While Bob’s story may be a fantastic one, it’s probably not pertinent to the issue he’s calling in about. In this situation, an expert support agent should find a moment to step in with something like, “I’m so sorry to hear that your knee is acting up, Bob. I see that you recently ordered our robo-fetch machine, is that what you’re calling in about today?” When done with a warm tone and in a helpful manner, redirecting conversations can have a big impact without negatively affecting your customers.

Customer communication problems are unavoidable — so embrace the potential awkwardness

Effectively communicating with customers is a skill. It’s part science and part art. You’ll never be able to anticipate every single situation your customers will throw at you, but proactively preparing your team to handle common communication problems and solving for them at scale will pay big dividends. At Front, we believe the stronger the email, the stronger the relationship. If you are looking to make your customers happier, check out these free email templates .

Written by Mercer Smith

Originally Published: 7 August 2020

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How to Identify (And Resolve) Communication Problems at Work

Every job depends on communication, whether with customers, suppliers or co-workers. Poor communication leads to a stressful working environment and decreased productivity. Companies invest time and resources into improving communication, yet sometimes little seems to change. That is because the first step is to identify the type of communication problem, and then to devise an action plan, or else you risk wasting resources trying to solve the wrong problem. You need to identify whether the issues are systemic, organizational, interpersonal or personal.

Systemic communication problems are rooted in your business culture. For example, a firm that incentivizes competition between teams or individuals will find it hard to share good practice (why would you give away an advantage?) while a company that relies heavily on customer feedback may not hear essential messages from frontline staff. Systemic problems are self-reinforcing; they form what’s known as a “closed system.” So when staff is told to get customer feedback, but not encouraged to give their own, they feel ignored and undervalued. However, they don’t communicate this to management who, in the absence of feedback from staff, rely more heavily on customer comments, and so on.

Organisational problems arise from the structure of the business. They’re common in companies that have quickly grown from a start-up with a small team to a firm with several layers of management. In a small group with a common aim, communication is natural, so they overlook it as a potential problem. As the business grows, communication pathways are left unaddressed; after all, everyone has always known the aims and ethos of the company. Consequently, new staffers feel excluded or disempowered, or they have low job satisfaction when they’re told to do things “because that’s the way we do it.” It’s also common to find that problems have to be referred up to senior management rather than addressed by frontline staff because the organization’s structure still depends on having one or two people in charge.

Interpersonal problems happen between individuals or teams where neither is at fault, yet communication doesn’t seem to happen. That is often down to attitudes and expectations. If team leader X’s position is that team Y is disorganized (whether that’s true or not), they’re unlikely to ask the leader of team Y for help, even if sharing expertise or resources would benefit the company. Team leader X thinks that they’re acting in the best interests of the company; they’re not deliberately obstructive or unhelpful, but communication gets interrupted. A common problem with expectations occurs when someone is promoted to manage the team in which they previously worked. Their expectations of how people will respond influence them more than what’s happening, leading to the common complaint that “They’ve changed since they got promoted,” which in turn leads to negative feelings and lack of communication.

Finally, personal communication issues arise when one person or a small group has an adverse effect, for example by spreading gossip, keeping secrets or just not passing on information. That may be because they are trying to make themselves indispensable by metering out information, or because they need to feel liked or relevant. Personal communication problems should always be the last option that you consider when trying to diagnose what’s wrong; it’s easy to scapegoat an unpopular person for what is a systemic or organizational issue.

Once you’re clear where the problem lies, you can address it more effectively. A systemic problem can’t be solved unless you disrupt the “closed” feedback loop. That might mean an internal reorganization, but it can be as simple as opening up a new channel of communication to break that closed circle. If the problem is organizational, think about where the connection is weakest. Is it down from leadership to frontline workers, or up from workers up to management, or sideways between departments? Whichever direction of communication is most ineffectual is where an action plan should focus. It is best to address interpersonal communication problems by having all parties sit down together, making it clear that no individual is being blamed, and ask them to work together on the issue. Often the simple action of collaborating like this is enough to improve the situation, regardless of which measures they devise. Finally, personal communication problems should be dealt with through performance review and, if necessary, through disciplinary procedures.

Communication problems in businesses can be systemic, organizational, interpersonal or personal. Strategies to solve problems often fail because the wrong issue is being addressed, for example by blaming an individual for a systemic problem or by increasing the amount of information going to frontline staff without ever improving the way they talk to each other. Identifying the nature of the problem allows you to put in place an effective targeted solution.

common , communication , frontline , issue , organizational , personal , problem , staff , systemic , team

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A Blueprint for Meeting Society’s Impact Challenge

• Organizations, policymakers, and communities expect business schools to produce graduates who can help design feasible solutions to complex societal challenges.
• To become capable problem-solvers, students must be put to work solving personally relevant real-world issues in collaboration with key stakeholders in the community.
• With this in mind, Suffolk University has developed a pedagogical framework for delivering immersive hands-on learning that shows students the impact of their contributions and inspires them to make the world a better place.

Society faces ever-increasing existential challenges that demand resilience, innovation, flexibility, and creativity. Rooted in incredible social complexity and global interdependencies, these “wicked problems” are substantial, pervasive, and difficult to solve.

Our graduates will be expected to have the skills necessary to help organizations deliver critical solutions. That means that quality business education must be both experiential and dedicated to making the world a better place. At the same time, however, we have seen an ongoing disconnect between business school curricula and the real-world need for student engagement, student employability, and community impact.

In 2023, we addressed this disconnect by creating and implementing the IMMERSE Blueprint at the Sawyer Business School (SBS) at Suffolk University in Boston. In this framework, IMMERSE stands for learning experiences that are integrative, multisensory, motivational, emotional, relevant, synergistic, and experiential . Guided by this framework, we design our courses to allow students to conduct collaborative research, engage in design thinking, delve into public policy, and tap into other capabilities so that they can define and synthesize the goals, interests, and concerns of multiple stakeholders.

The IMMERSE Blueprint is supported by our school’s curricula that leverages the capabilities of nonprofit, social, public, and private sectors. As we expose students to the realities of all four sectors, we teach them to apply mindful problem-solving strategies to complex challenges. Over the long term, we want the conributions of our graduates to mitigate the negative consequences that society now faces. 

Expanding on Experiential Education 

Immersive education expands on traditional experiential pedagogy first explored in a  1975 paper  by David Kolb and Ronald Fry. Since then, educators have developed strategies that extend beyond Kolb and Fry’s theory, deploying learner-centric modalities that capture students’ attention, stimulate their senses, and foster their active participation in meaningful problem-solving.  

As we expose students to the realities of the nonprofit, social, public, and private sectors, we teach them to apply mindful problem-solving strategies to complex challenges .

Quality immersions connect students emotionally to real-world experiences through the contextualization of issues and personal reflections on their learning and contributions. Effective experiential education also supports active and participatory learning through immersive media, including  simulations ,  augmented reality , and  virtual reality . Since immersive learning is such a versatile approach, learners can quickly acquire new skills at any stage of technological or social innovation. 

The Building Blocks of Immersive Education 

The IMMERSE Blueprint synthesizes best practices and research related to innovative pedagogy, faculty and student engagement, and partnerships. It provides a systematic and cohesive framework for implementing immersion-based pedagogy for all graduate and undergraduate SBS students.  

The acronym IMMERSE integrates the seven critical characteristics mentioned above, with a goal attached to each, into a common framework:

We now use this framework as a guide to help us design and deliver impactful pedagogies via all types of learning modalities. Our faculty also use these characteristics to evaluate how immersive their teaching strategies are.

This blueprint challenges professors to reframe their teaching styles—to evolve from merely sharing information to creating opportunities for students to deeply experience content. Although not every class will incorporate every element of IMMERSE, our faculty’s ultimate teaching goal is to expose students to as many of the framework’s characteristics as possible throughout their journeys at SBS.

Supporting the Blueprint

We engage in a range of activities to support educators as they incorporate IMMERSE into their teaching. For example:

• We deliver extensive faculty information and training sessions on topics such as “How to Debrief Immersive Learning.”
• We award IMMERSE-dedicated teaching grants.
• We support a growing cross-disciplinary faculty learning community.
• We publish a newsletter sharing best practices.
• We track implementation and best practices through surveys and other tools.

SBS also continues to build additional infrastructure needed to support IMMERSE throughout our curriculum. This effort includes:

• The planned formation of a representative SBS working group.
• The continued development of enhanced immersive courses—including the recent reframing of our foundational undergraduate course from a simple review of business topics to a dynamic, integrated, case-based, and client-focused challenge.
• Expanded data collection that tracks IMMERSE-related pedagogy implementation, student competency-based learning outcomes, relevant assurance of learning (AoL) policies, and feedback from clients that supply projects to our students.

For instance, we are tracking the relevant learning outcomes of our MBA students, who currently form teams to work on six to 10 real client projects throughout their programs. Based on the data we have collected so far, we have concluded that 97.5 percent of our MBA students meet or exceed AoL expectations for analytic thinking related to IMMERSE criteria.

Examples of Teaching Strategies

In the fall of 2023, we delivered the inaugural version of “Tackling Wicked Global Problems,” our new signature required course for all SBS undergraduates. In the semesterlong course, sophomores take on a single wicked problem project involving multiple external clients and stakeholders. They evaluate the issues and associated challenges, before developing creative solutions. Students will apply the skills they build during this course in their subsequent classes.

The course uses  systems thinking  as a theoretical lens and supplements this framing with a variety of pedagogical approaches and group activities. In this way, the course helps students gain a fuller perspective on the nature of wicked challenges, enhances their appreciation of the stakeholder interests involved in these challenges, and inspires them to iterate plausible solutions. 

“Tackling Wicked Global Problems” follows our framework in the following ways:

After the course’s first run, student feedback was both positive and insightful. One student described the coursework as “a big adjustment to try and tackle a wicked problem and be part of a solution.” Another pointed to the “perspective change [that occurs] when you realize that there isn’t a perfect solution, and there are tradeoffs.”

We found the feedback of another student especially heartening in light of what we want to accomplish through the IMMERSE approach. The student wrote that the new offering was the “best course I have taken to show business is exciting and can solve societal problems.”

Understanding Industry Clusters

SBS has multiple graduate programs in business, analytics, healthcare, and public administration that incorporate immersive learning across their curricula. These include course-based consulting work, capstone classes, simulation-based activities, global travel seminars, and other hands-on learning opportunities.

As we continue to refine the principles embedded in this framework, we know that we can close the relevancy gap between business curricula and the world’s need for real-life impact.

For example, all first-year MBA students enroll in “Understanding World Class Clusters” (WCC), where they learn about economic clusters. During each WCC course, students form teams that analyze challenges facing one of Boston’s four main clusters, which center on the industries of healthcare, biotechnology, technology, and finance. 

Student teams receive individual coaching from professors and sponsoring organizations, as they conduct research, deliver recommendations, and coordinate intermediate results with their sponsors. In WCC, our teaching framework is deployed in the following way:

The Value of Immersive Learning Principles

The IMMERSE Blueprint addresses concerns that employers, students, the community, and other societal stakeholders have about whether higher education is truly creating a pipeline of talent capable of tackling tough questions. As we continue to refine the principles embedded in this framework, we know that we can close the relevancy gap between business curricula and the world’s need for real-life impact.

When we deliver hands-on, meaningful immersive education throughout the curriculum, we enhance our students’ analytical and critical competencies, all while equipping them with the life skills and resilience they will need to achieve their personal goals. Most important, we show them firsthand how much positive impact they can have if they apply their newfound skills to society’s complex existential challenges. 

• collaboration
• design thinking
• experiential learning
• learner engagement
• societal impact

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Switching From iPhone to Android Is Easy. It’s the Aftermath That Stings.

Even if you manage to ditch your iPhone, Apple’s hooks are still there.

By Brian X. Chen

Brian X. Chen is The Times’s lead consumer technology writer and the author of Tech Fix , a column about the social implications of the tech we use.

When I temporarily switched from an iPhone to an Android phone last week, I was bracing for a world of hurt. I’ve owned only Apple phones ever since buying the first-generation iPhone in 2007. And, like many, I’ve bought other Apple products that pair nicely, including AirPods, an Apple Watch and an iPad.

That type of loyalty is the basis of an antitrust case against Apple brought by the Justice Department, which has accused the company of using monopolistic control over the iPhone to harm competitors and deter customers from switching to other phones. To test that theory, I decided to briefly break up with my iPhone.

I was initially surprised by how simple it was to shift my iPhone data to an Android smartphone made by Google. Just by installing an app on my iPhone that Google made to help people switch, I was able to copy my contacts list, photo album and calendar into my Google account. Then, presto — all that data appeared on the Android.

I was almost done. After I called my carrier, Verizon, to transfer my phone number to the Android device, my mission was accomplished: I had become an Android convert.

At first, I was happy with my choice — I had upgraded to a fancy Google Pixel phone. But by Day 6, I was ready to switch back.

A bunch of annoyances added up. Even though I could still use most of my Apple products, I started missing my Apple Watch, which requires an iPhone to fully work. For software, I was able to find Android alternatives for all my favorite apps — except for Notes. While switching phones wasn’t technically hard, Apple’s hooks were still in me.

How Apple keeps customers loyal to the iPhone — and whether its practices harm competition — is at the heart of the government’s antitrust suit against the Cupertino giant.

Apple and the Justice Department declined to comment.

In its 88-page complaint, the department said a number of Apple products protected the company’s competitive advantage with the iPhone, including iMessage, Apple’s Wallet app and the Apple Watch. How hard do those perks really make it to ditch your iPhone? Here’s what I found.

Losing iMessage

For the most part, iPhone users and Android users can communicate with each other easily through email, phone calls and apps like Slack, but when it comes to text messaging, there is still an obvious split known as the “green bubble versus blue bubble” disparity .

When iPhone users send texts to other iPhones, the messages appear blue and can tap into exclusive perks like an animation of birthday confetti. But if an iPhone user texts an Android user, the bubble turns green, many features break, and photos and videos deteriorate in quality.

Before transferring my phone number to the Pixel phone, I used my iPhone to send iMessages to my blue bubble comrades warning them that our conversations would soon turn green. “Ew!” a friend replied. But after many remarks made in jest, no one protested, and I soldiered on.

Next, I had to detach my phone number from iMessage on Apple’s website to ensure that my text messages would stop going through Apple’s servers and arrive on my phone. Unless I did this, I would not receive texts from other iPhones. Eventually, the conversations turned green. I prepared myself for humiliation.

But no one gave me a hard time or excluded me. I did notice, however, that many friends had suddenly stopped texting me photos, perhaps because they knew the images would no longer look as good.

For years, some of my closest friends have texted me only through Signal, the third-party messaging app with strong privacy protections and many of the same features as iMessage. Signal is also available on Android, preserving that tradition.

Apple has announced that later this year, it will improve texts between iPhone and Android users by adopting rich communication services, a standard that Google and others integrated into their messaging apps years ago. Texts sent between iPhones and Androids will remain green, but images and videos will be higher quality.

Losing Apple Wallet

For iPhones, the go-to app for making mobile payments in stores is Apple Wallet, and for Android users, the equivalent app is Google Wallet. The experience of using each wallet app was identical: I loaded up my credit cards and Clipper card for the Bay Area’s rapid transit service.

The Justice Department’s criticism of Apple Wallet centers on how Apple gives only its app access to the iPhone’s payment chip, preventing competing wallet services from using that chip to make payments. But the way Apple designed its Wallet app had no impact on my ability to switch to an Android.

Losing the Apple Watch and other products

For an iPhone owner, a main incentive to buy more Apple products is that they work seamlessly together. A Mac laptop, for instance, uses many of the same apps for messaging, note taking and reminders as the iPhone, and the data is synchronized among the devices with Apple’s iCloud. In theory, the more invested you are in Apple’s ecosystem — and the more that Apple restricts its products from working with competing devices, the Justice Department says — the tougher it is to switch from an iPhone.

After I switched to an Android phone, my feelings about using other Apple products ranged from moderate annoyance to deep frustration:

The iPad worked independently from the iPhone, but I could no longer see my text messages on the tablet anymore. This was minor because I don’t do much texting on my iPad.

My AirPods Pro were OK — they connected quickly with the Pixel for playing music. But the downside is that the AirPods use Adaptive EQ, a technology that tunes sound quality to the shape of your ear, and it works only with software on the iPhone. So audio doesn’t sound as good.

I could not use my Android phone to locate my AirTags, the tiny Apple trackers I use to find my wallet and keys, on a map. But when my AirTags were in my pocket, the Android phone showed an alert that an “unknown tracker” was moving around with me, a safety feature for combating stalkers.

The Apple Watch requires an iPhone to set up, but its fitness tracking can work independently. Because I had already set up my watch, I could continue to use it at the gym alongside my Android phone. But I could no longer see my detailed workout data.

I ran into other annoyances not specifically called out in the lawsuit and finally reached peak frustration when I tried to find a replacement for Apple’s Notes, which I use regularly on my Mac, iPad and phone for work and personal errands. I used alternatives but didn’t like them, and combined with the aforementioned issues, it was all too much.

The upshot: Switching is easy, until it’s not

My experience isn’t universal. Some people would care more than others about how certain Apple products would change if they switched phones. Younger people would probably care a lot about lacking iMessage in schools, where a green bubble has been known to be an invitation for mockery and exclusion, according to education experts . Parents who use AirTags to track their children would view losing access to those as a deal breaker.

The upshot from this experiment is that while it’s not technically hard to switch to a different phone, there are plenty of things that could make you regret it.

Brian X. Chen is the lead consumer technology writer for The Times. He reviews products and writes Tech Fix , a column about the social implications of the tech we use. More about Brian X. Chen

Tech Fix: Solving Your Tech Problems

Trying Meta’s Smart Glasses: What happens when a columnist and a reporter use A.I. Ray-Bans to scan groceries, monuments and zoo animals? Hilarity, wonder and lots of mistakes ensued .

Ditch Your Wallet: Using your phone as a digital wallet is attainable , but it requires preparation and some compromise.

Managing Subscriptions: The dream of streaming — watch what you want, whenever you want, for a sliver of the price of cable! — is coming to an end as prices go up. Here’s how to juggle all your subscriptions and even cancel them .

Apple’s Vision Pro: The new headset  teaches a valuable lesson about the cost of tech products: The upsells and add-ons will get you .  

Going Old School: Retro-photography apps that mimic the appearance of analog film formats make your digital files seem like they’re from another era. Here’s how to use them .

Cut Down Your Screen Time:  Worried about smartphone addiction? Here’s how to cut down on your screen time , and here’s how to quit your smartphone entirely .

Opinion | Election 2024 Your View by Kevin Dellicker:…

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Opinion | Election 2024 Your View by Kevin Dellicker: I’ll apply experience in military, business to solve nation’s problems

Editor’s Note: The Morning Call solicited Your Views from candidates in contested primaries in the Lehigh Valley region. The three Republican candidates running for the nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Susan Wild in November were asked to discuss what they see as they biggest issue(s) facing the 7th Congressional District and how they would approach solving the issue(s). Their responses are running this week, in alphabetical order by last name. Your Views from state House races will run next week.

When I graduated from Northwestern Lehigh High School in 1988, we had a beautiful day for the outdoor ceremony. Except the local farmer had hay to bale, and he kept driving his tractor back and forth in the field behind the stadium. We strained to hear the speeches over the rattle of farm machinery and watched the proceedings alongside a cloud of dust.

I grew up in New Tripoli, the most rural part of Lehigh County. When we played sports against local teams, opponents called us “Corn Cob High” and teased that we had more cows than people. That was probably true, and those were simpler times. But whether I’m at a church in my hometown, a sporting club in Northampton or a community meeting in Allentown, I’m hearing the same thing. People are worried we are losing our way of life.

Progressive policies deserve much of the blame. Washington Democrats have flooded our economy with trillions of dollars in debt and unleashed historic inflation that is harming our finances. They’ve degraded our military, denigrated our police and damaged our culture. And they’ve opened our borders, creating the most urgent national security threat we face.

But career politicians are responsible too, and that’s a bipartisan problem. They get elected to office and never leave. They earn pensions, perks and privileges, and make politics their livelihood instead of their duty. They don’t serve us. They serve themselves.

I’m no career politician. I’m an outsider who has never held an elective office. But I have experience in the most important issues facing our nation, and that’s what I offer to you. I’ll start by applying my 28 years of military experience to keeping you secure. I’ve served as an Army infantry soldier, Air Force intelligence officer, and squadron commander with four combat zone deployments. I know what it takes to ensure safe communities.

In Washington, I’ll be one of the highest-ranking and longest-serving veterans in Congress. That makes me uniquely qualified to modernize our military, deter our enemies and restore the doctrine of “peace through strength.” I’ll work to secure the border and protect your family from domestic threats like human and drug traffickers and criminal gangs. And I’m humbled to have the support of the four largest police organizations in the Lehigh Valley.

I’ll never be reckless in calling for military action. Those of us who fought in wars know better than that, and my own son is serving overseas in the Army. I have a simple test to determine whether I support the use of military force. If it’s worth sending my son into harm’s way, I’ll consider it. Otherwise, I won’t send your sons or daughters either.

When it comes to the economy, I’ll use my experience in running a business to control federal spending, reduce your energy costs and create good jobs for you and your family.

Nineteen years ago, my wife Susan and I started our company, Dellicker Strategies, in the basement of our home. Since then, we’ve created or sustained 100 jobs, managed broadband investments worth $300 million and helped dozens of organizations improve their cybersecurity.

Our company’s biggest impact has been on education. We’ve upgraded Internet access for hundreds of schools, including 46 in the greater Lehigh Valley. And we’ve saved millions of taxpayer dollars through innovations in cooperative purchasing. In Congress, I’ll keep working to save you money by improving the efficiency of public services.

Finally, I’ll fight for your family just like I’ve fought for mine. Susan and I raised three sons who graduated from Northwestern Lehigh and have gone to college and the military. We’re proud of our boys, and we worked hard to raise them right. But we didn’t just invest in our own children. We’ve invested in the entire community.

I’m trained as a Christian minister and counsel local families. I’ve volunteered 1,000 hours mentoring 20 high school students over the last five years. And I’ve spent countless days in the gym and on the field coaching 20 seasons of youth sports. I know that strong families are the bedrock of our society, and I’ll always defend your hometown values.

We need a change in Washington.

As your congressman, I’ll counter the progressive policies that harm our country and the career politicians who undermine it. I’ll work to cut spending, strengthen our military, secure the border and produce domestic energy. Then I’ll come home where I belong and let someone else serve, just like our founders intended.

We still grow a lot of corn in New Tripoli, and it’s quite possible we still have more cows than people. But we also grow commonsense conservatives who love God, family and country. That’s a crop our country desperately needs. And that’s what I’ll deliver for you.

Kevin Dellicker of Heidelberg Township is a military veteran, business owner and Republican candidate for the 7th Congressional District.

Wednesday: Ryan Mackenzie: My experience in Harrisburg will help me address illegal immigration, economy

Coming Thursday: Maria Montero: I want to restore faith in the American dream

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Opinion | Election 2024 Your View by Ryan Mackenzie: My experience in Harrisburg will help me address illegal immigration, economy

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Notice of FY 2025 H-1B Cap Initial Registration Selection Process Completion and Cap Season Reminders

H-1B Initial Electronic Registration Selection Process Completed

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has received enough electronic registrations for unique beneficiaries during the initial registration period to reach the fiscal year (FY) 2025 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap), including the advanced degree exemption (master’s cap). We have randomly selected enough properly submitted registrations for unique beneficiaries projected as needed to reach the H-1B cap and have notified all prospective petitioners with selected beneficiaries that they are eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition for such beneficiaries.

Registrants’ online accounts will now show one of the following statuses for each registration (that is, for each beneficiary registered):

• Submitted:  The registration has been submitted and is eligible for selection. If the initial selection process has been completed, this registration remains eligible, unless subsequently invalidated, for selection in any subsequent selections for the fiscal year for which it was submitted.
• Selected:  Selected to file an H-1B cap petition.
• Not Selected: Not eligible to file an H-1B cap petition based on this registration.
• Denied – duplicate registration:  Multiple registrations were submitted by or on behalf of the same registrant for the same beneficiary. If denied as a duplicate registration, all registrations submitted by or on behalf of the same registrant for this beneficiary for the fiscal year are invalid.
• Invalidated – failed payment: A registration was submitted but the payment method was declined, not reconciled, or otherwise invalid.
• Deleted: The submitted registration has been deleted and is no longer eligible for selection.
• Processing submission:  USCIS is processing your submission. It may take up to 72 hours for all of your case information to show on the case details page. While it is processing, you will be unable to access your draft.

For more information, visit the  H-1B Electronic Registration Process  page.

FY 2025 H-1B Cap Petitions May Be Filed Starting April 1

H-1B cap-subject petitions for FY 2025, including those petitions eligible for the advanced degree exemption, may be filed with USCIS beginning April 1, 2024, if filed for a selected beneficiary and based on a valid registration.

Only petitioners with registrations for selected beneficiaries may file H-1B cap-subject petitions for FY 2025.

An H-1B cap-subject petition must be properly filed at the correct  filing location (see H-1B Form I-129 Filing Location Change to Lockbox section below)   or online at  my.uscis.gov and within the filing period indicated on the relevant selection notice. The period for filing the H-1B cap-subject petition will be at least 90 days. Petitioners must include a copy of the applicable selection notice with the FY 2025 H-1B cap-subject petition.

Petitioners must also submit evidence of the beneficiary’s valid passport or travel document used at the time of registration to identify the beneficiary.

Petitioners filing for selected beneficiaries based on their valid registration must still submit evidence or otherwise establish eligibility for petition approval, as registration and selection only pertains to eligibility to file the H-1B cap-subject petition.

For more information, visit the  H-1B Cap Season  page.

New Fees and Form Edition

On Jan. 31, 2024, USCIS published a  final rule   that adjusts the fees required for most immigration applications and petitions. The new fees are effective April 1, 2024. Petitions postmarked on or after April 1, 2024 , must include the new fees or we will not accept them. Additionally, there will be a new 04/01/24 edition of  Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker . There will be  no grace period  for filing the new version of Form I-129 because it must include the new fee calculation.

What to Know About Sending Us Your Form I-129.

• We will accept the 05/31/23 edition of this form if it is postmarked  before  April 1, 2024;
• We will not accept the 05/31/23 edition of this form if it is postmarked  on  or  after  April 1, 2024; and
• We will only accept the 04/01/24 edition of this form if it is postmarked  on  or  after  April 1, 2024.

We will use the  postmark date  of a filing to determine which form version and fees are correct but will use the  received date  for purposes of any regulatory or statutory filing deadlines.

As a reminder, we recently  announced  a  final premium processing fee rule  that increased the filing fee for  Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service , to adjust for inflation, effective Feb. 26, 2024. If we receive a Form I-907 postmarked on or after Feb. 26, 2024, with the incorrect filing fee, we will reject the Form I-907 and return the filing fee. For filings sent by commercial courier (such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL), the postmark date is the date on the courier receipt.

Online Filing and Organizational Accounts

On Feb. 28, 2024, we launched new online organizational accounts that allow multiple people within an organization and their legal representatives to collaborate on and prepare H-1B registrations, H-1B petitions, and any associated Form I-907. Information on organizational accounts is available on the  Organizational Accounts Frequently Asked Questions page.

We also launched online filing of Form I-129 and associated Form I-907 for non-cap H-1B petitions on March 25. On April 1, we will begin accepting online filing for H-1B cap petitions and associated Forms I-907 for petitioners whose registrations have been selected.

Petitioners will continue to have the option of filing a paper Form I-129 H-1B petition and any associated Form I-907 if they prefer. However, during the initial launch of organizational accounts, users will not be able to link paper-filed Forms I-129 and I-907 to their online accounts.

H-1B Form I-129 Filing Location Change to Lockbox

Starting April 1, 2024, H-1B and H-1B1 (HSC) Form I-129 petitions are no longer filed directly with the USCIS service centers. All paper-based H-1B and H-1B1 (HSC) Form I-129 petitions are now filed at USCIS lockbox locations. This includes cap, non-cap, and cap-exempt H-1B filings.

We will reject H-1B or H-1B1 (HSC) petitions received at a USCIS service center on or after April 1, 2024. There will be  no grace period  provided.

USCIS has specific mailing addresses for cases that are subject to the H-1B cap. To determine the correct mailing address, please see our  Form I-129 Direct Filing Addresses  page.

If a petition is filed at the wrong location, we may reject the petition. Rejected petitions will not retain a filing date. If we reject a petition because it was filed at the wrong location, it may be refiled at the correct location, or online. H-1B cap subject petitions may be refiled at the correct location, or online, as long as the petition is refiled during the designated 90-day filing window listed on the selection notice.

No More Pre-paid Mailers

As of March 25, 2024, we are no longer using prepaid mailers to send out any communication or final notices for any H-1B or H-1B1 (HSC) petitions. With H-1B intake now occurring at the lockbox or online, we will not be able to use any prepaid mailers for H-1B or H-1B1 (HSC) filings.

The process of printing and mailing H-1B petition approval notices by first-class mail is fully automated. For petitions filed online, myUSCIS account holders will also receive an email or text message notification in their myUSCIS account when there is a case status change on a case in their account, followed by a paper notice by mail.

Receipt Notice Delays

When we receive a timely and properly filed H-1B cap subject petition, the petitioner (and, if applicable, the petitioner’s legal representative) will be provided a Form I-797, Notice of Action, communicating receipt of the petition. Due to increased filing volumes typically seen during H-1B cap filing periods, there are instances where a paper petition is timely and properly filed by mail, but issuance of the Form I-797 is delayed. If you are a petitioner and have confirmation from the delivery service that the petition was delivered, but you have not yet received a Form I-797 confirming receipt of the petition, you should not submit a second petition. If you have confirmation from the delivery service that the petition was delivered and you then submit a second H-1B cap petition for the same beneficiary, you will be considered to have submitted multiple H-1B cap petitions. This will result in denial or revocation of both petitions.

If more than 30 days have passed since the confirmation of delivery and you have still not received a Form I-797, you may contact the  USCIS Contact Center  for assistance.

If you receive notification from the delivery service, or your tracking information suggests that there may be a delay or damage to the package or that the package was misrouted, you should follow the Delivery Service Error Guidance on the  H-1B Cap Season  webpage.