How do I reduce costly miscommunication in my company?

First up, here at Guru HQ, we’re big believers in practising what we preach. So, when we looked at our own website recently, we had to admit it was time for a refresh. Don’t get us wrong, the old site did the job. But “doing the job” isn’t the same as “hitting the mark,” and rather like so many comms strategies out there, it needed a tune-up to stay relevant.

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Also, we’ve updated our ways of working for the times we’re in, so it only made sense to make our digital shop window clearer, sharper, and easier to understand. We also gave the visuals a lift. They’re still fun and colourful (because grey and corporate just doesn’t do it for us), but a little more 2025. The result? We think we’ve created a site that shows exactly what we do, why it matters, and how we can help you. And all without losing the sense of who we are as individuals. What do you think? (And, yes, we can help you with yours if you like what you see!)

And that brings us neatly to this month’s topic: how miscommunication can cost you big, and why keeping your comms strategy fresh matters just as much as updating your website.

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Miscommunication: the silent saboteur of business. It doesn’t blow up spectacularly like a PR scandal or a cyber-attack, but it quietly eats away at your time, money, and employee goodwill until you’re wondering why everything feels harder than it should.

And make no mistake, it’s expensive. One study by Axios HQ found that ineffective communication costs senior employees an eye-watering 63 workdays per year — that’s three whole months lost to email confusion, meeting bloat, and messages that miss the mark. Meanwhile, Staffbase reports that 63% of employees who consider leaving a job cite poor internal communication as a contributing factor. Don’t know about you, but that gives us the ick!

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The good news? This isn’t an unsolvable riddle. With a little honesty (and maybe a health check or two), you can untangle the knots and make communication a source of strength instead of a constant liability.

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Why miscommunication costs you more than you think

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It’s not just about missed deadlines or a garbled policy update. Miscommunication leads to:

• Productivity loss: people duplicate work, chase the wrong goals, or waste time clarifying.
• Low morale: unclear updates make employees feel out of the loop, undervalued, or just plain confused.
• Poor customer experience: if your people don’t know what’s happening, your customers definitely won’t either.
• Attrition: frustrated employees start polishing their LinkedIn profiles or returning calls from those pesky recruitment consultants that they’ve been ghosting for a year.

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Think of it as a slow leak in a very expensive bucket. You don’t always notice it, but it’s draining you all the same.

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The main culprits behind workplace miscommunication

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If you recognise any of these, you’re not alone:

• Too many overlapping channels – Email, Teams, Slack, intranet (of doom), WhatsApp groups… no wonder people aren’t sure where to look.
• No context – Telling staff what is happening without the all-important why.
• Tone so dry it could sand wood – Messages that are so corporate-sounding, employees glaze over before the second line.
• No feedback loop – Nobody checks if the message landed, so leaders just assume that silence = success. Guess what. It doesn’t.

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How to reduce miscommunication (without creating more noise)

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Here’s where we come in.

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1. Start with a Comms Health Check

You wouldn’t run a marathon without a medical, so why run a business without a communication check-up? We analyse what you’re saying, where you’re saying it, and whether anyone is actually listening. Spoiler: sometimes they’re not. Find out more about our Comms Health Checks here.

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2. Create a Channel Strategy

Not every message belongs in every medium. A strategy clarifies which messages go where, saving employees from the daily treasure hunt across eight platforms. See how we can help build your comms strategy.

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3. Fix Your Tone of Voice

If your updates read like rejected legal disclaimers, no one’s paying attention. We help leaders and comms teams speak like humans: clear, engaging, and yes — even a little entertaining when it fits. Learn about our tone of voice work here.

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4. Use Video and Visuals

A 30-second video or infographic can often explain more than a five-page PDF. No one likes a wall of text. Check out our video production services.

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5. Close the Loop

Don’t assume your message landed. Build in feedback, quick polls, surveys, or even the classic “does this make sense?” moment. Two-way comms are always stronger than one-way broadcasts. There are plenty of tools available to help with this. This is our fave.

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A real-world example

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Take DHL, for example. When the logistics giant wanted to make its digital communications less “corporate wallpaper” and more meaningful, the executive team didn’t just send another dry memo. Instead, they rolled out regular video updates built around the “three C’s” — Calm, Confident, and Courageous — giving employees a clear, human anchor during times of change.

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And they didn’t stop there. DHL created a virtual Employee Appreciation Week, with interactive sessions and classes running daily to keep spirits high, plus a dedicated microsite where staff from all corners of the globe could join in, share recognition, and feel part of something bigger. The result? Communication that actually connected — across borders, shifts, and time zones.

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The bottom line

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Miscommunication isn’t inevitable. It’s a symptom of neglected comms strategies, unclear tone, and channel chaos. The cure? Clarity, consistency, and a bit of creative spark.

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And that’s where we come in. From health checks to channel strategies, from tone of voice to video production, The Comms Guru helps organisations like yours cut through the noise and make every message count.

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Because when communication works, everything else gets that much easier.

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Talk to us today about reducing costly miscommunication.

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