Can communication training actually save you time and money?
Stop wasting time
(that you don’t have) wondering if communication training is worth it.
Honestly, how often have you sat in a meeting distracted by wondering if everyone is actually on the same page?
Or tried to decipher an email that could have been a 2-minute conversation?
If you’ve run out of fingers and toes to count, you’re definitely not alone.
Research continues to highlight the underestimated cost of communication challenges in the workplace.
NewZapp’s 2024 report says a staggering 86% of employees and executives attribute workplace failures to a lack of effective communication. This clearly shows that communication isn’t just a minor operational detail; it’s a fundamental driver of success or failure.
We’re not just talking about a few misunderstandings here and there. Teams are losing, on average, 7.47 hours per week due to communication breakdowns. That’s almost a full workday spent on unclear emails, misinterpreted instructions, and unproductive meetings.
Australian Institute of Management’s (AIM) 2019 study found that communication skills were lacking in the majority of Australian leadership teams, with 35.7% of respondents believing their leaders needed to strengthen these skills.
These statistics highlight that poor communication is a significant issue in Australian workplaces, reducing productivity and impacting negatively on employee engagement and retention.
Your time is better spent looking at ways to invest in communication skills and strategies that improve organisational outcomes.
Why this should be top of mind (the “why this is important” bit)
Now, if you’re in HR, Peopleand Culture, Learning and Development, or a team leader striving for better results, these numbers aren’t just abstract figures. They translate directly into tangible losses:
- Financial drain: Think about those lost hours. Multiply that by the salaries of your team members, and you’ll quickly see the significant financial impact of communication inefficiencies. When communication falters, projects stall, errors increase, and resources are used inefficiently. These seemingly small daily hiccups accumulate into big budget blowouts.
Grammarly’s 2023 research revealed that miscommunication costs US businesses, for example, an average of $12,506 per employee annually. So, a company with around 100 employees could be losing over $1.2 million each year. This has to directly impact profitability and the ability to invest in growth.
- Energy sap: Poor communication breeds frustration, confusion, and even conflict. This drains team morale and individual energy levels. Instead of focusing on their core tasks, employees are spending their time clarifying, correcting, and smoothing over misunderstandings. This can lead to burnout and decreased engagement.
- Reduced efficiency: Teams bogged down by unclear instructions or misunderstandings spend more time on clarification and rework, diverting their focus from core objectives and slowing down overall progress. NewZapp also reported that Microsoft’s 2023 Work Trend Index found that 64% of employees struggle to allocate time and energy effectively due to poor communication, hindering their ability to innovate and think creatively.
- Well-being hit: Constant miscommunication creates stress and anxiety. Feeling unheard or misunderstood can significantly impact an individual’s sense of belonging and psychological safety within the team. Poor communication can erode trust, increase frustration, and hinder collaboration. When team members don’t feel heard or understood, poor morale and unnecessary tension start to build.
What does cost-effective team communication actually look like? (i.e. why the training is worth it)
Effective communication isn’t just about being clear. It’s about a consistent and intentional approach to how information is exchanged and understood within a team. Here’s how to recognise it:
Defined communication protocols: Teams that establish clear guidelines for communication – such as expected response times, meeting prep and preferred communication channels – experience less friction and more predictability. Knowing when to pick up the phone, schedule a quick chat, or use a collaborative platform can significantly improve efficiency.
Example: a marketing team might use Slack for daily quick questions and updates, email for formal client communication, and a project management tool like Trello for tracking campaign progress and assigning tasks.
Structured and purposeful meetings: Instead of ad-hoc gatherings, meetings have clear agendas, often circulated in advance. Roles and responsibilities during the meeting are understood, and action items with owners and deadlines are documented and followed up on.
Example: a project team might start each week with a 30-minute stand-up meeting with a defined agenda: progress on key tasks, roadblocks, and priorities for the week.
Active listening: It’s not just about waiting for your turn to speak. Active listening involves truly understanding the other person’s perspective, asking clarifying questions, and providing feedback to ensure comprehension. This fosters a culture of respect and reduces the chances of misinterpretation (read more about this here).
Example: a team leader shows interest in a colleague’s request for help by looking at and orienting their whole body towards the person speaking.
Self and social awareness: Recognising different communication styles and adapting your approach accordingly can significantly improve understanding and collaboration. Being aware of non-verbal cues and motives is also key.
Example: a team leader arranges a True Colors workshop to help everyone understand what matters to each person, what will bring out their best at work.
Clear, concise, purposeful written communication: Emails and documents are well-structured. Subject lines are informative and key messages are easy to identify. Messages are unambiguous, jargon is minimised, and the purpose is clear from the outset. Think about the effort put into crafting a concise and impactful subject line for an email – it saves everyone time.
Example: an email announcing a policy change might have a subject line that states “Action Required – Update to Expense Reporting Policy”, with content in the email outlining the changes, the reason for the changes, and the steps employees need to take.
Regular and constructive feedback mechanisms: Effective communication includes defined processes for giving and receiving feedback, both positive and constructive. This might be through regular one-on-one meetings, project post-mortems, or 360-degree feedback processes.
Example: a team leader schedules monthly individual check-ins with each team member to discuss their progress, challenges, and areas for development, providing specific examples and actionable suggestions.
Psychological safety: Team members should feel comfortable asking “silly” questions, admitting mistakes, and challenging ideas without fear of judgment or negative consequences for having diverse perspectives.
Example: during a brainstorming session, a leader might explicitly state that all ideas are welcome and encourage quieter team members to share their thoughts.
How communication training makes a tangible, “bottom line” difference
Investing in communication training is a strategic move that directly influences your organisation’s success. Electro IQ’s analysis indicated that organisations with strong, well-known internal communication protocols are 3.5 times more likely to outperform their peers.
And McKinsey research shows that well-connected teams can experience a 20-25% increase in productivity.
By equipping your teams with effective communication strategies through targeted training, you can:
Reduce operational costs: Fewer errors and less rework due to miscommunication translate into tangible cost savings.
Complete projects faster: Clear communication streamlines workflows and reduces delays caused by misunderstandings.
Boost morale and talent retention: Employees who feel heard and understood are more engaged and less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Investing in communication training as a strategic imperative
It’s time to view effective team communication not just as a “soft skill” but as fundamental to organisational performance. The evidence is clear: poor communication is a costly drain on time, resources, and well-being. By prioritising and investing in developing strong communication capabilities within your teams, you’re making a strategic investment in your organisation’s future success.
When you shift from simply talking to truly connecting and understanding each other, making effective communication a priority, you’ll unlock greater productivity, stronger collaboration, and a more positive and profitable workplace.
If you’re ready to spend some time looking at ways to invest in communication skills instead of wondering what’s happened to your productivity and profitability, book a complimentary, unconditional Tell Me More call.
