4 Communication Pitfalls That Are Driving Your Team Nuts

If you've ever wondered why projects stall, deadlines get missed, or your team seems perpetually confused, the issue might be simpler than you think.

You’re probably thinking: “It’s communication, isn’t it? She’s gonna say the simple answer is communication and I have been reading countless books and digesting too many podcasts for her to say it's that simple!”

Despite all of the books and information, the problem persists. Research shows that 86% of employees cite poor communication as the root cause of workplace mistakes or mishaps. The good news, however, is that most communication problems stem from predictable patterns.

1. The Biggest Issue: Not Doing It All

Every single day, we have to tell our clients to tell their employees something. Could be good news or bad news, it could be completely insignificant or a total culture change. Whatever it is, they overthink the situation to the point of not doing it at all.

Nobody enjoys confrontation, but avoiding difficult conversations has never made a problem disappear. Never, not once. Usually, it blows up to become such a tangled mess that you don’t even remember how it started and now the company holiday party is beyond awkward. Whether it is addressing underperformance, navigating conflict, or delivering unsettling news, postponing these conversations only makes them harder and more damaging.

2. Vagueposting Your Feedback

“Vagueposting” is posting ambiguous or cryptic messages on social media in the hopes of getting attention. It’s annoying there and it’s annoying if you’re doing it IRL, too. One of the most common mistakes is thinking you're being clear when you're actually being vague.

When a manager reviews a presentation and says, "make it more professional," they are leaving their team to guess what that means. Sorry, but “professional” is different from industry to industry. Deadlines, clear standards, and managed expectations keep people on track instead of second-guessing themselves or delivering something completely off the mark.

3. Assuming Everyone's on the Same Page

You know when you a learning to play a board game and someone is explaining all of the rules for the first time? The reader asks, “Everyone got it?” and everyone goes “got it!” Then you go around the table for that first round of play, and it becomes very clear no one has it at all.

The assumption that everyone understood the message the same way you intended is a set-up for failure. When something's important, confirm the direction. You can do this in writing or with extra meetups so progress is visible to all. The few extra minutes you spend ensuring everyone understands will save you hours of pain later.

4. Not talking about the good stuff

Sometimes we hear that too much focus on positive feedback weakens drive. They want to face every problem head on and eliminate the soft points. If you can’t take tough feedback, this isn’t for you! Why does the company need to prop up your self-confidence? Or as Don Draper put it, “THAT’S WHAT THE MONEY IS FOR!”

Oh my goodness, why? Just why is this a thing?! The world is stressful enough, let’s not be withholding the good stuff!

Most communication training will laser-focus on having hard conversations. You don’t see a lot of books on “The Art of Delivering Great News” or “Your Next Amazing Conversation!” But it’s so easy and affirming when you say the good stuff out loud. Don’t wait until their review or throw them a half-hearted thanks. Put just as much work in delivering a specific, impactful comment, that let’s them know they nailed it. Positive comments create training moments, too.

Tell Them!

Want to learn a little more about how PCG views workplace communication? We have a system and we’d love to share it with you! Join our upcoming webinar!

“Clear Beats Vague: The Communication Fix Your Team Needs”

📅 When: November 5, 2025, at 11 a.m. CST

📌 Sign Up Here