How to communicate effectively with your team

Those who have recently (or even not so recently) taken on a leadership position know that they have to collaborate with lots of different people at different levels to bring whatever project they are embarking on to the next level. Aren’t you a lead? That’s fine, because having effective communication it’s not just for leads; it’s a fundamental skill that everybody, regardless of their position, must master in order to succeed both professionally and personally.

There is an undeniable psychological effect in how a message is delivered. The way you word or phrase that message directly impacts the person receiving it. In my experience, failing at this is one of the biggest causes of distress, misunderstandings, and misalignment within a team. There are plenty of great articles written by people way smarter than me on this topic, and George Orwell wrote a very famous book¹that everyone should read. that touches on it as well.

The first step toward effective communication is knowing your audience. This might sound like a Captain Obvious moment, but you’d be surprised by how many people truly don’t know how to adjust their words to suit the person they’re talking to. If you’re in a position where you need to give regular feedback to your peers, it’s perfectly fine (and even encouraged) to ask them how they prefer to receive it. Do they appreciate honest and direct feedback? Are they okay with bluntness? Do they like being praised for good work? Would they hate that? Getting to know the people you collaborate with, understanding their needs and preferences, and, more broadly, practicing empathy will automatically put you on the path to success with them.

Ask not only how they want to receive positive feedback, but also how they prefer to hear constructive criticism²I really dislike the term “negative feedback”; there’s always room for improvement in everyone.. Spend some time learning about any cultural differences between you and your teammates—especially in a multicultural environment. What might be a good joke to you might not land well with them. People from some cultures are used to a direct communication style, while others may find it difficult to digest—and in some cases, it can come across as offensive or aggressive.

In short, find alignment on how you’ll both communicate from the very beginning of your relationship.

Remove your bias. If something feels off, always assume good intentions first. Don’t get emotional. In most cases, when something isn’t working the way you expect, it’s due to a misunderstanding. I’ve had plenty of conversations with teammates about processes that weren’t followed correctly simply because they had mixed (or sometimes incorrect) information.

If you have a good relationship with a teammate and want to share a joke, pay attention to the forum where you’re sharing it. When you’re joking around in public, you’re not the only one receiving the message—others on the team might feel offended or even attacked by something that was meant to be lighthearted. This goes back to what I mentioned earlier: know your audience.

Deliver the message, but base it on facts. Feedback without context, explanation, or examples isn’t valid feedback. It should be specific and timely.

If you tell me that I once said something that made someone feel bad, and you don’t want it to happen again—that’s not valid feedback. You’re not being explicit about what I did wrong or what I need to work on to avoid it in the future. Instead, if you say: “Last night, when we were all together, you made a joke about the stereotype of Spanish and Latino people being lazy, and it made some of your colleagues uncomfortable”—that’s timely, specific, factual feedback that the person can understand and act on moving forward.

The content of the message is important, but the container is worth keeping an eye on too. The eternal question: text or video? Some people are extremely allergic to meetings (myself included), while others find written feedback harsh or even aggressive. I’ve heard many times the saying, “The way they take feedback is on them; your job is to deliver it.” I truly hate that statement. While I agree that feedback must be delivered, as a lead, you also have a responsibility for how you provide it and how you adapt your communication.

There’s no one-size-fits-all rule here, but what has usually worked for me is saving the “important conversations” (a.k.a. critical feedback) for 1:1 video calls. Not because they’re more serious or important (every piece of feedback is important) but because I’m better able to manage and adjust my tone, body language, and communication style in a way that’s more thoughtful and empathetic. Being human, in the end, has proven most effective for me. This isn’t a guaranteed success formula, you’ll need to do the legwork with your teammates and probably fail a couple of times until you learn what works best for each person.

Don’t be intense. Truly. It’s not the end of the world, and in most of cases it’s not even worth it. Take any situation with pragmatism and find a way forward without splitting hairs.

And finally, no matter how you communicate, document everything you’ve discussed and agreed upon. If it’s in written form, then great. Use Slack, Google Docs, Notion, etc., and share it with them. If it’s a call, take notes, make them clear, and share those as well. The key to successful collaboration is having solid notes. They’re helpful for them, helpful for you, and sometimes, they can save you from very uncomfortable situations.

Write everything down.