The Price Tag of Miscommunication and the Clarity Checklist to Avoid It

As leaders, we often move quickly, juggling multiple tasks and pressing deadlines. We’re eager to see results, which can lead us to skip important steps—like ensuring we’ve communicated clearly. 

How many times have I done this? It's more than I would like to admit —working to improve on this one! 

As I was collaborating with a team member, I experienced the consequences of wasted time due to my rushing ahead without providing adequate clarity.

Real Dollar Numbers 

I did some digging to find statistics around the costs to business due to poor communication and came across an interesting article by Happy Companies. 

It turns out that miscommunication costs U.S. and UK companies $37 billion annually. 

Wow!

Affected areas include productivity losses, with companies spending an average of 17 hours per week resolving miscommunication issues, translating to over $500,000 annually for a 100-person company. 

A lack of clarity in leadership is like a vacuum for your money—sucking up profits, opportunities, and efficiency.

To go even further, 68% of the workforce feels disengaged due to communication failures, leading to lower morale, stifled innovation, and high turnover, which can cost companies twice an employee's annual salary ("The High Cost of Miscommunication").

The Situation: Miscommunication That Slowed Us Down

One of my team members and I meet regularly, and we use email as our main communication tool as she works fully remote. 

We were working on a document update, and I thought I had explained what needed to be changed. I requested her to make the necessary modifications to the document, but it turns out my instructions weren’t specific enough.

She updated the document and sent it back, expecting to meet my request. 

But when I checked the document, I quickly realized it wasn’t what I had envisioned. In fact, it was way off. 

So, what went wrong? 

Was I clear in my communication? The answer was no. 

The lack of clarity in my communication cost us both time and effort.

Clarity Is a Leader's Responsibility

In this situation, I had assumed that my request was understood without needing to explain every detail. 

I didn’t take the time to simply check that my instructions were clear, and I didn’t provide the context that would allow my team member to fully grasp what was needed.

As leaders, it’s our job to provide clarity—and that starts with being specific in our communication. 

Writing a quick email might seem like it’s saving time in the short term, but when it lacks clarity, it ends up costing more in the long run. 

Without clarity, we are sure to waste time, cause frustration, and ultimately slow down progress. 

My lack of clarity created the need for rework or a defect, which is one of the 7 types of waste in Lean methodology.

What I’m Learning: Clarity and Creativity Can Coexist

I have no desire to micromanage people. However, this experience is reminding me that clarity doesn’t have t stifle creativity. 

Clarity actually enables creativity to thrive in the right direction in alignment with the project goals. 

It’s important to be specific about the desired outcome, and also to give team members the freedom to approach tasks in their own way. 

I shouldn’t have to micromanage the process, but I should have ensured that my vision was clearly communicated so that my team member could work with confidence.

Being specific is not the same as micromanaging. We hire intelligent and capable people who have great ideas and a unique perspective.

Our job as leaders is to cast the vision clearly, set the expectations, and allow them to use their skills to bring the project to life in alignment with a clear vision.

A Reminder: Take the Time to Clarify

In my rush to get things done, I skipped the crucial step of ensuring that the vision was fully understood. 

Taking the time to communicate clearly upfront would have saved both of us from wasting time reworking the document later.

A little extra time spent clarifying the direction up front will pay off in efficiency and productivity in the long run.

The Clarity Check: A Simple Tool for Leaders

So, how can we ensure that we’re giving clear direction to our teams?

Here’s my very simple and newly created, Clarity Checklist! 

Feel free to use whatever questions from this list that you believe would help you save time and energy as you communicate with your teams. 

1. Have I clearly communicated the desired outcome?

   • Is it specific enough? Have I provided enough context?

     
     

2. Did I explain the “why” behind the request?

   • Have I shared the bigger vision or reasoning behind the task to ensure understanding?

     
     

3. Have I considered the learning styles of my team members?

   • Am I using language or formats that best suit how my team absorbs information?
     

4. Is the timeline and scope clearly defined?

   • Have I set clear expectations for deadlines and the level of detail required?
     

5. Have I asked for feedback or confirmation?

   • Did I encourage my team to ask questions or confirm their understanding?
     

6. Have I created space for creativity or ownership?

   • Have I allowed flexibility for the team to bring their ideas or approaches to the task?
     

7. Is there a follow-up plan in place?

   • How will I check in to ensure progress is on track?
     

I’m committed to investing more time in the planning phase to foster both a creative and effective work environment in alignment with the goal.

Reminder to self: Before I ask others to move forward, make sure it’s in the right direction.