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Grammarly's The State of Business Communication report, 2024 highlighted that poor communication leads to increased stress, lower productivity, strained relationships and missed deadlines. No North West business wants to see those kinds of results. So, how do we make sure our leaders are getting workplace conversations and communication spot on?
In this communication guide, we will cover:
Three reasons why workplace communication fails
What happens when managers lack communication skills
Tips on choosing the best channel for your message
How to approach a difficult conversation
The 6 most challenging HR conversations
5 essential skills to master difficult conversations
The benefits of having brave conversations and how best to prepare
The role of active listening in effective communication
The P3 People Management HR experts are on hand to offer advice and guidance on all aspects of workplace communication. If you have questions, let’s talk!
Reasons why workplace communication fails
Difficult conversations: Leaders often put off work conversations they need to have because they are challenging or awkward. Delivering difficult messages requires a different skill set and approach to the way you would communicate business as usual information. Your chosen method must be relevant to the context and your audience.
Awkward and delicate themes: When the nature of the conversation is sensitive or emotive, some leaders lack the emotional intelligence to know how to handle it, yet every manager has a responsibility to do it.
Lack of training: Not all leaders have the range of communication skills needed to manage a diverse team. Both new and more experienced leaders may require training and development to feel confident connecting with their team.
When you consider that 79% of employees say the quality of communication from leaders impacts how well they understand their organisation’s goals, and 72% say their understanding of goals impacts their engagement, there is no room for failure.
What happens when leaders lack communication skills?
When a manager puts off having challenging conversation, you risk a further breakdown of the situation. Such situations rarely resolve themselves. Failure to have an effective conversation with an employee at the right time is one of the most common causes of conflict. Delaying the inevitable can lead to the problem escalating, resulting in a formal complaint or disciplinary proceedings.
The longer you put off having a conversation, the higher the likelihood of rumours and misunderstanding. When employees misinterpret messages it can be disastrous. We’ve all experienced this with family or friends when someone has grabbed the ‘wrong end of the stick’. It can leave everyone feeling unsettled until the situation is resolved. But when a message is misinterpreted in a large workforce the ripples and the repercussions can damage morale, brand and reputation. Not providing adequate communication skills training for managers is setting them up to fail.
Workplace communication methods
84% of leaders are communicating using more channels than ever before.
Communication swirl = too many messages, hard to keep up. Almost 60% of leaders and 54% of workers say they struggle to keep up with notifications across multiple platforms. Always on - gets in the way of meaningful work. Leads to stress and burnout. Care in choosing channels, clarity of message vital.
Face to Face
With face-to-face communications there is less risk of misinterpretation. When we speak directly to another person it allows both parties to see and hear the bigger picture. Focusing on just one other person determines a feeling of credibility and value. Speaking face to face encourages questions to be asked to ensure the message is clear.
When you’re sitting opposite a colleague you can pick up on their body language and facial expressions. Making reassuring eye contact makes individuals feel acknowledged and listened to and having a relaxed stance will put the other person at ease throughout the meeting.
Best for: tackling emotive topics, giving feedback, asking for solutions to a problem.
Phone calls
Phone calls are like marmite. You either love picking up the phone and calling someone or it instils a feeling of dread. Whether you love or loathe speaking over the phone it’s essential for keeping connected, especially with remote workers. Two tips you can put into practice to ensure the conversation goes well. Firstly, smile when you are talking as it gives your voice a friendlier, more approachable tone. Secondly, make notes before the call and use them to move the conversation forward in a constructive manner.
Best for: when you need a quick response, giving/receiving sensitive information.
Emails
Email continues to be a vital channel for internal communication. According to the IC Index 2025: A closer look, 64% of employees still rely on email for general company news and updates.
Emails are easy to use and a great for getting your message across to a large audience. However, this method is most likely to lead to misunderstandings. If the message is not clear, the reader can easily misread the words, misinterpret the intended tone or read between the lines. Plus, it is not ideal for urgent messages as emails are not always opened immediately.
For business-critical updates, always ask at least two people to read through your message to sense-check its content and to ensure the meaning is clear. For big impact emails, it’s best practice to inform all managers in advance, so they can forewarn their team and prepare to answer questions.
Best for: when timing is not crucial, when you need a paper trail/record of information.
Video
Video is accessible and can increase the reach of your message. Videos work well for complex topics as it demands your full attention, so there is less risk of the viewer missing crucial points. The viewer can also pick up on body language, emotion and tone of voice. For this reason, video messages are more likely to remain with an employee longer than written forms of communication.
Best for: strong emotional messages and complex issues.
Messaging apps
Messaging apps like WhatsApp and Messenger allow companies to include and engage all of their employees, including those who work remotely. They are effective because we are all used to receiving push notifications on our phones alerting us to new messages and interactions. Adding mobile messaging to your internal communication strategy could be a highly effective way of sharing information.
Best for: when you need a quick response, e.g. arranging meeting dates and sharing documents for immediate feedback.
Collaboration tools (e.g. Slack, HiBob, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace)
Workplace collaboration tools work similarly to social networks with built-in messaging tools creating transparent communication. You can share messages privately with individuals and openly with teams, groups or the entire organisation. High levels of interaction and engagement help colleagues get to know each other better and find common interests.
Best for: sharing information when interaction and engagement is key, especially with remote and hybrid teams.
How to have difficult conversations
According to ACAS, a difficult conversation is:
“When you have to manage emotions and information in a sensitive way to address poor performance or conduct, deal with personal problems, investigate complaints or deal with grievances, comfort or reassure someone, or tackle personality clashes”.
It’s therefore inevitable that such conversations involve a degree of conflict.
Having difficult conversations with your team is part of being a line manager. It’s also one of the most important factors in effective performance management and building strong team dynamics.
Some managers avoid awkward conversations for a number of reasons:
Feeling inferior or inexperienced, e.g. when team members are older or more experienced
Fear of conflict or saying the wrong thing
Undeveloped communication skills
Lack of confidence discussing sensitive or personal matters.
Difficult conversations aren’t easy. Even if you’ve been having tricky discussions for years, you might still feel uncomfortable or want to develop your approach. Our advice is to deal with sensitive conversations in a compassionate and productive manner, with a focus on achieving the right outcome for all parties – you as the line manager, the employee and the organisation. Later in this article we share some practical steps to help you do this.
The 6 most challenging manager/employee conversations
Underperformance or repeated absence: A common conversation you need to tackle early. When confronted with an underperforming employee or repeated absence, managers may whinge, avoid the issue and suggest the person is not very good at their job. The best way to tackle underperformance is to have regular one to one contact. Keep written records of your meetings and give a clear outline of what is required and by when. This should be a two-way conversation, so make sure you listen and take on board any issues or problems they have. Offer feedback and be clear about the outcomes and any consequences they may face.
Disciplinary or grievance: These conversations may require some detective work. It can be a long-term process and involve digging around and finding out more information about a person’s alleged behaviour. It will also usually involve some legal advice. Whatever the issue you’re investigating, make sure you document all your conversations, decisions and findings as this will make the process more manageable.
Once a grievance has been raised, start a dialogue with the person concerned, explaining that the grievance has been raised and that it is something you intend to investigate. At this stage, it is advisable to have a third party involved, which may be a union representative. When having this type of conversation, don’t jump to any conclusions and always give the employee every opportunity to state their side of the story. Make sure you record everything they have said as this will be vital to your investigation. The most important thing to remember is to listen and to make sure all parties are fully aware of what is happening every step of the way.
Unfairness or inequality: When you manage a team of people, there will always be differences between individuals, but when an employee raises a complaint about being treated unfairly or unequally, it can be a tricky conversation. Whether the complaint is about pay, workload, hours, flexible working, holidays or TOIL, any suggestions of unfairness or inequality may turn your harmonious and supportive team into a pack of seething wolves. The key to avoiding such issues is to track employee performance properly and have fair pay and holiday policies to back up your response.
Personal hygiene: Possibly the most awkward conversation a manager can have is telling someone they have body odour, bad breath, or wear inappropriate clothing to work. The last thing you want is for the person to break down in tears or fly off the handle. It takes a certain degree of diplomacy and compassion to have an emotive conversation like this. There may also be legal repercussions off the back of it too. Choose your words carefully. It may be advisable to seek advice from your own manager or HR team first. Try to remain supportive, understanding and considerate, not to mention sensitive, and keep the conversation confidential.
Restructure or redundancy: These are usually the worst kept secrets, so don’t be under any illusions that people are not expecting the news. When organisational change is afoot, the rumour mills start long before any formal conversations. As a line manager, you have a responsibility to keep your team informed at every stage of the process. You are their ‘go to’ person so make that clear from the off so that they feel they have somewhere they can go to raise any questions. Be direct and honest and make sure your employees know exactly what’s going on – in person – before they learn from another source.
Dismissal: Every individual will receive and react to this news in their own way. Dismissing an employee is never easy, no matter how many times you’ve done it, so accept that this conversation will be difficult before you begin.
5 essential skills to master difficult conversations at work
It’s normal during challenging conversations for people to feel a wide range of emotions and become defensive, so here are a few skills to help you tackle this.
Slow down to stay in control of the situation. Rushing only increases tension and anxiety.
Don’t set out expecting it to be difficult as this will have an impact on how you come across. Make it an open and honest conversation.
Be constructive rather than confrontational. Listen and respond to their questions or take time out to find the right answer.
Be understanding and compassionate. Put yourself in their shoes and imagine how you would react in the same situation.
Take time to reflect after the conversation. Consider what was said and whether you could do anything differently next time. What actions can you take after to improve the situation in the longer term?
If you don’t have that conversation you will end up wishing you had acted sooner.
The benefits of having brave conversations
Brave conversations can have positive outcomes for all parties, including:
Being able to identify problems early and address issues before they escalate
Building trust, confidence and respect for leaders
Employees feel heard and understood
Creating a positive, cooperative, and supportive team environment
Increased employee wellbeing and a healthy and engaged workforce
Strengthened relationships
Improved employee morale and productivity.
What if you don’t see eye to eye with the person?
There is always a possibility that you might have to address a situation where you don’t agree with the person or don’t have a very positive relationship with them. This is where effective training really shows its value. Every leader needs to know how to approach a conversation assertively to ensure positive outcomes. When you are confident in your ability to hold constructive, high-quality conversations with employees and teams, this will help you through. Additional training can equip you to handle strong emotions with confidence and compassion.
How to practise active listening
Active listening is key skill every leader needs in their toolkit. This is where you listen attentively and take on board everything that the other person is saying, reflecting on what they have said. It helps you to understand their point of view and allows the other person to feel heard and understood.
Part of active listening is knowing the right questions to ask. Preparing what you will ask in advance will help you to feel more confident and usually leads to better outcomes for everyone involved. Active listening is an important skill gaining positive outcomes from brave and difficult conversations.
Preparing for a brave or difficult conversation
Make sure you have all the evidence and information you need to hand.
Enter the conversation with a desired outcome in mind, or at least some options to discuss.
To avoid surprises, have an initial chat with the employee to arrange the meeting and ensure they feel involved and have some control.
If your conversation is a probation review or a formal disciplinary, make sure you follow the relevant processes.
Don’t draft a script. This will come across as impersonal. Remain flexible and conversational – remember this isn’t a speech.
Practise what you are going to say and how you are going to say it – body language speaks volumes!
Be clear and direct - explain things in plain English.
Listen actively to the employee’s responses and reflect on what they say.
Remain neutral and impartial at all times.
Managers need to be equipped for challenging conversations
Healthy debate is a good thing in the workplace. Open discussion sparks creativity and leads to the development of new ideas. When healthy debate turns into conflict, that’s when a manager needs to step in.
The difficulty comes when managers are promoted into people management positions without any experience of managing a challenging conversation. When you’re not equipped to handle a situation, you’re likely to go into the discussion ill-prepared and low on confidence. This will come across in your approach and may lead to perceived insensitivity, disputes and a breakdown in employee relationships.
Training leaders to tackle difficult conversations can prevent bigger issues such as investigations, formal procedures, disciplinary hearings, and reputational damage.
From sharing bad news to managing formal disciplinaries and personality clashes, challenging conversations about sensitive, emotional or contentious subjects are common in the workplace. Knowing how to handle and approach them is every line manager’s responsibility.
Not every conversation is challenging, but to enable your team to perform at their best, a manager needs the skill set to communicate effectively and consistently. We're here to help you navigate HR challenges and upskill your team.
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