The Truth behind "Improve your communication"

Saarth is a Gen-Z, smart, hardworking individual with the ability to quickly learn and deliver whatever is assigned to him. His strength is his ability to learn and deliver. His weakness?? Communication? Well, no.

Saarth is an introvert and speaks less, but when he does, he asks the right questions, addresses the right problems, and navigates through them the right way. However, his manager gave him feedback: “Work on your communication and you have a long way to go.”

Meera, on the other hand, is an experienced HR manager. Her role demands communication, and it can only be her strength. However, every time there is a difficult conversation, she gets feedback to improve her communication to make the right impact.

Siddhi, on the other hand, is a tenured manager. She comes across as empathetic and humble but very process-oriented. Her tone—sarcastic—could kill the psychological safety of even an elephant. The feedback she kept getting: “Work on your communication.”

While in each of these cases, the feedback may feel right, the vagueness of the feedback is even clearer.

Most managers resort to a common framework irrespective of whether it is a behavioral attribute, a specific type of communication, language challenges, or just plain ignorance. They fail to differentiate whether the communication challenge is due to active listening, physical barriers, language barriers, cultural differences, jargon and rhetoric—or simply a lack of clarity.

Sumit came from a Hindi-speaking background, studied all his life in Hindi, and worked in an MNC where he was expected to fluently speak English. His challenge? By the time he finds the right words and translations, people think he doesn’t know anything. Giving him feedback to “improve communication” was as good as telling him to split salt from the sea. He knows how to do it; he just doesn’t know what to do.

Communication is a very broad and complex term. Most employees and managers think it’s about how they speak, write, or the language they use. It’s just not that simple.

When giving feedback, it is necessary for the manager to understand and clearly define the type of communication that needs improvement—and maybe even spend time identifying and fixing the root cause.

So the next time you get feedback that you need to “improve communication,” ask your manager:

1. Do you or the team not understand what I say? I once worked with someone who knew excellent English, but if you asked him for a one-line war cry, he would narrate an essay. For a yes/no answer, he would take 20 minutes. Result: He spoke, but never communicated.
2. Do I write Shakespearean emails? Ask if your written communication is clear. I once picked all my emails and asked Copilot to evaluate how much clarity they conveyed. The results were eye-opening—and slightly embarrassing.
3. Do I create physical barriers to communication? Without realizing it, many people create barriers—no eye contact, covering their faces, speaking too fast, or using tools poorly. I once worked with someone who never kept the microphone near his mouth, causing words to disappear into thin air.
4. Does my attitude or ego create a block? At times, without realizing it, not letting others speak creates communication challenges—knowingly or unknowingly.
5. Do I not listen carefully, or do I not make people listen to me? Alan never let anyone speak. When someone did, she would make constant sounds like “umm” and “uhh,” creating further confusion.
6. Does my cultural understanding cause a communication gap? In diverse cultures, communication is shaped by body language, words, and context. A lack of cultural awareness can lead to serious misunderstandings—often invisible to managers.
7. Do you or I succumb to information overload? In today’s data-driven world, overload often kills communication. I worked with a manager who sent a 10-page email as feedback. When I asked ChatGPT to summarize it, it came down to two lines.
8. Do I use the right channels? Do I email when I should speak—or speak when an email would suffice? Do I use the right tools?
9. Do I communicate at the right time with the right people?

Answers to even a few of these questions can bring real clarity to the feedback.

For managers giving communication-related feedback, simply asking these questions can help someone change the world for you.

Ask, don’t assume.

If feedback needs a translator, it’s not feedback—it’s a puzzle. Real leadership isn’t asking someone to “communicate better.” It’s clarifying what better actually means.

How do you tell your teams on where they lack when it comes to communication? Share your POV.