How Do You Want Your Team to Communicate With You?
A Manager’s Key to Productivity and Trust
As a manager, you likely spend a significant portion of your time deciphering messages, clarifying misunderstandings, and following up on missing information. The challenge isn’t just the volume of communication—it’s the lack of clarity in how it should happen.
When teams don’t know the best way to communicate with their manager, inefficiencies arise. Important messages get lost in a sea of emails, meetings become a default rather than a necessity, and employees hesitate to reach out because they’re unsure of the right channel or timing. That’s why setting clear communication expectations is not just a nice-to-have—it’s a fundamental aspect of running an effective team.
Why Communication Expectations Matter
Setting communication expectations creates benefits beyond just reducing confusion. When your team understands how to reach you and what you expect in terms of updates, questions, and decisions, you’ll see improvements in:
Efficiency – Time is saved when employees don’t have to guess how to get a response from you.
Transparency – Clear expectations reduce hesitation, ensuring that important updates and concerns don’t go unspoken.
Trust – When communication is predictable, employees feel more confident in their ability to work with you, rather than feeling like they’re constantly navigating shifting expectations.
Reduced Stress – For both you and your team, uncertainty around communication can be a source of frustration. Eliminating that uncertainty leads to a smoother working relationship.
However, simply having communication expectations isn’t enough. You need to set them up thoughtfully, communicate them clearly, and reinforce them consistently.
How to Set Up Communication Expectations
Clarify Your Own Preferences
Before you can guide your team, take a moment to reflect on your own needs. Are you someone who prefers written updates over verbal ones? Do you need a heads-up before discussing certain topics? Identifying your preferences will help you craft expectations that align with how you work best.
Consider Your Team’s Needs
While your preferences matter, they shouldn’t be the only factor. Some employees may work better with structured check-ins, while others thrive on more flexible, on-demand interactions. Understanding these differences can help you create a system that works for everyone.
Define Key Communication Channels
Be clear about which methods should be used for different types of communication. Employees shouldn’t have to guess whether they should email, message, or stop by your desk. Clearly outlining when to use each channel will prevent unnecessary back-and-forth.
Set Expectations Around Responsiveness
If you’re not able to respond immediately, that’s okay—but your team should know what to expect. Setting a standard for response times (for example, “I typically reply to emails within 24 hours” or “Slack messages will be checked before noon each day”) helps employees plan accordingly.
Make It Easy to Bring Up Concerns
If employees feel uncomfortable reaching out or are unsure of the best way to share feedback, they may stay silent on important issues. Make it clear how they can bring up concerns and reassure them that you welcome open and honest communication.
Reinforcing the Right Communication Habits
Once you’ve established expectations, your work isn’t done. People naturally fall back into old habits, so you’ll need to reinforce the right behaviors to make them stick. Here’s how:
Model the Behavior You Expect – If you want concise email updates, send concise emails yourself. If you want people to use Slack instead of email for quick questions, make sure you’re following that guideline, too.
Give Feedback When Needed – If someone repeatedly communicates in a way that doesn’t align with expectations, don’t ignore it. A gentle reminder (“Hey, let’s try using our weekly check-in for this type of update”) helps reinforce the system.
Acknowledge Good Communication Practices – When someone follows the expectations well, call it out. A quick “Thanks for summarizing that so clearly in the email” reinforces the right behavior.
Be Open to Adjustments – Communication needs evolve. If something isn’t working, be open to revisiting and adjusting your expectations. Encourage feedback from your team on what’s helping and what’s causing friction.
Conclusion
While it takes effort to set and maintain communication expectations, the long-term benefits make it worthwhile. A well-structured communication system minimizes misalignment, keeps work flowing smoothly, and builds a culture where employees feel confident in how to engage with you.
The goal isn’t to create rigid rules but rather to remove unnecessary friction. When everyone knows how to communicate effectively, both you and your team can focus on the work that truly matters—rather than wasting time figuring out how to reach each other.
Would you like to improve communication with your team but aren’t sure where to start? Begin by observing the biggest communication struggles your team faces today, and use those insights to craft expectations that will work for everyone.