Is your communication holding up your performance?

Remove all guesswork from your work.

Clear communication shows you can handle projects on your own. As you advance, people will expect you to provide brief updates and work independently with minimal guidance.

If your communication or goals are unclear, it can slow you down. You can stand out by being easy to work with and making your work clear. When you get a new assignment, try repeating the expectations back to your manager in your own words. This helps make sure you both understand the goal.

A quick check-in, such as “Just to be sure, you need a three-slide summary by Thursday at noon, right?” can save you hours of extra work. It also helps to use the same communication style your team likes. Notice how your successful coworkers use Slack, email, or quick chats. When you follow their habits, your ideas are heard faster, and you fit in better with the team.

Put these approaches into practice.

Let’s look at practical ways to actively confirm and mirror communication styles to help eliminate misalignment before it occurs.