Communication Expectation Tips

When in doubt, over communicate

Whether you’re in a fast-paced startup or large corporation, communication of context, intent, direction, boundaries, etc usually fall away.

No one gets mad at giving someone too much information. That being said, do not write an essay when a memo will do. It takes practice to know where over communication is good or unnecessary. This will come with experience and time.

Set the stage

A simple, but highly effective communication tool is to set expectations for a conversation or meeting. Let your teammates know how you are treating this conversation to increase alignment and improve dialogue.

Be open to ideas and feedback

Come to every discussion with an open mind towards respectful criticism and being open to changing your mind. Being rigid and immovable in your perspective leads to frustration and an erosion of trust.

There are always other perspectives

Look at conversations from other perspectives, particularly from folks you’re in disagreement with or frustrated by. Being open to how others view the world builds empathy and trust. This works proactively as well, if you’re providing information to someone, think about it from their perspective – do they have all the context necessary? Do they have the documents, tools, etc to achieve the request?

Over time the more trust you have the less you’ll need to rely on (over) communication.