I love the start of a new year. The time for reflection, setting new goals, putting new plans in place, drawing a line in the sand and starting over. In reality though, it’s just another day and we can make a fresh start, set a new goal, start a new plan or habit any day of the year.
At the start of the year, I find that I am regularly asked from a Recruitment and HR perspective; what should we focus on this year, what are the trends going to be, what should we be planning for or focusing on in regards to our people.
It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of Quiet Quitting, or personalised employee experience, or AI automation or the next HR trend.
However, after years of consulting to businesses across different industries, different company sizes, and different leadership styles, I’ve noticed a pattern. When a client comes to me with a “HR problem,” it rarely starts as a HR problem.
It starts as a communication problem. The root cause sems back to a breakdown in communication. No communication at all. Not enough communication to reinforce the message. Unclear communication (you thought you were clear but it landed differently). Mismatched communication styles.
From employee conflict, to performance issues, disengagement, high turnover, poor culture or mistrust in leadership, when you peel back the layers, the root cause is communication.
Here’s what that often looks like in the workplace.
No Communication: The Silence That Creates Stories
One of the most damaging things a business can do is say nothing.
When the business or managers don’t communicate:
- Employees fill in the gaps themselves
- Assumptions replace facts
- Anxiety and resentment grow, often without you realising until it’s too late
It happens commonly during restructures and change, when there are performance concerns, and even business as usual decisions. The misconception is you are “protecting” team members by waiting, delaying, or withholding information.
In reality, silence creates uncertainty and uncertainty kills trust. This leads to low engagement, resistance to change, increased grievances and turnover increases.
If your employees don’t hear from you, they will assume the worst.
Unclear Communication: When Your Messages Miss the Mark
Communication happens but it’s vague, inconsistent, or open to interpretation.
I’ve lost count of the times I have heard:
- “We thought expectations were obvious.”
- “That policy was sent out months ago.”
- “We mentioned it in a meeting.”
- “I sent an email weeks ago.”
Unclear communication is often the driver of performance management issues, breaches in policy and processes, team members feeling unsupported and employees feeling unfairly treated.
If expectations aren’t clearly articulated, documented, and reinforced, you end up managing problems that could have been prevented. Clear is kind. Ambiguity is costly. And don’t forget to check it’s clear to your team, not just clear in your mind.
Different Communication Styles: Same Message, Different Impact
We are all different and not everyone processes information the same way. Some people want direct, to-the-point conversations. Others need context and discussion. Some prefer written communication. Others respond best to verbal check-ins. Some need to hear the communication, go away and have the time to digest it then re-group and discuss or ask questions.
In my experience, from what I’ve observed in many workplaces and from my own personal experiences as a leader, conflicts arise not from what was said but how it was said.
This looks like:
- A manager thought they were being clear, but came across as abrupt
- An employee thought they were being honest, but sounded defensive
- Feedback was intended to help, but landed as criticism
When a workplace doesn’t recognise and adapt to different communication styles, misunderstandings become personal and you become the referee.
The weight of communication not done well
By the time an issue lands on your desk, it’s usually escalated.
Emotions are high. They have staked their position. Trust has already taken a hit.
That’s when you step in to fix relationships, enforce policies that weren’t clearly communicated, manage performance issues that were never properly addressed, repair engagement that eroded un-noticed over time.
All of which could have been minimised with earlier, clearer, more intentional communication. Often, the communication that was avoided or pushed aside early on because you were busy and didn’t have time, would get to it later, or was a hard feedback conversation and you chose not to eat the frog.
Now the dynamics have deteriorated, and it takes even more time, is even harder to have the conversation because it’s a conversation you should have had weeks or months ago. Harder to repair the relationship, harder to rebuild trust because you are starting from a lower baseline.
Good Communication Looks Like:
Strong businesses don’t just communicate more, they communicate better.
That looks like:
- Saying things early, even when all the answers aren’t ready
- Being clear about expectations, decisions, and consequences
- Checking for understanding, not assuming it
- Training your team in how to communicate, not just what to say (DiSC is a great tool for this and has worked really well with my team)
- Creating space for two-way conversations, not just announcements
2026 – The Year of Communication
If you’re facing people issues, it’s time to not just ask:
“What policy do we need?” or “How do we manage this employee?” or “What system/process/framework do we need?”
Instead, it’s time to ask: “Where did communication break down?”
Chances are, that’s where the real work and the real solution begins. Because even with the best systems, processes, policies and workflows in place, they are only as good as the communication that sits along side them.
If there is one thing you are going to work on or invest in, in 2026 work on communication; clear, frequent and considered in terms of how others hear it / receive it and train your people in how to communicate, not just what to say.
