Culture Is Built One Conversation at a Time

In many organizations, leaders spend a great deal of time talking about culture. Yet one of the most powerful drivers of organizational culture is leadership communication. The way leaders communicate expectations, feedback, and direction shapes whether a workplace becomes collaborative and energized—or disconnected and frustrated.

Yet employees, leaders, teams, and organizations continue to struggle with it every day. And here’s the reality most leaders eventually discover: Communication isn’t just a skill. It’s the foundation of your culture.

How leaders communicate — and how safe people feel communicating with them— creates a ripple effect throughout an organization. That ripple can produce clarity, trust, and collaboration. Or it can quietly create confusion, frustration, and disengagement.

I often see this when I’m brought in to work with executive teams. What appears on the surface to be a productivity issue or a performance issue is often something else entirely. A communication issue. And most of the time, it starts with expectations.

THE COST OF MISCOMMUNICATION

Have you ever thought about how much time you’ve spent over the years dealing with issues that began with the phrase: “There must have been a miscommunication.”

• Projects stall.
• Deadlines slip.
• Tension builds between colleagues or departments.

Suddenly leadership is spending valuable time resolving something that could have been avoided with a touch more clarity at the start.

Despite the time, frustration, and cost miscommunication creates, most organizations still don’t slow down long enough to confirm that expectations were truly heard and understood. They assume people “got it.” But assumptions rarely make for excellence in communication.

A LEADERSHIP QUESTION WORTH CONTEMPLATING

A question I ask executive teams is: After your strategic planning is complete, how do you communicate it – so everyone truly understands the direction?

• Not just the executive team.
• But department leaders. Managers. Individual contributors.
• Do people understand the why behind the strategy?
• Do they know what success looks like to you?

And perhaps more importantly — do they have a way to ask questions or provide feedback? Communicating your strategy is not completed with a one-way announcement.

As Matt Abrahams, lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, explains: “Asking good questions demonstrates you care. It demonstrates empathy and a willingness to learn.” Great leaders ask questions because they value clarity.

TRANSPARENCY BUILDS TRUST

Another communication practice that transforms culture is transparency.

Many organizations hesitate to share financial information with employees. But consider the alternative. When people don’t understand the health of the business, they fill the gap with assumptions. And those assumptions often lead to unnecessary stress about job security or organizational stability.

I recommend sharing key financial indicators with employees on a quarterly basis. If things are going well, celebrate it. If things are challenging, share that too — along with the plan to improve it.

When employees understand how the business works and how their role contributes, they become more engaged in the outcome. Transparency creates ownership.

THE CONVERSATIONS LEADERS AVOID

Another communication challenge I see frequently involves interpersonal issues. Most employees don’t know how to – or don’t want to deal with conflict. So instead of addressing a problem early, they ignore it, complain to others, or allow frustration to build.

Anyone who has worked in corporate environments knows how quickly this dynamic spreads. A small misunderstanding between two people can ripple across an entire team.

During my corporate career, I experienced this. I worked in small companies and in organizations with 10,000+ employees. And I was successful in those roles. But at times, I was miserable. Not because of the work itself, but because of the environment created by poor communication and unresolved tension.

The truth is, a large amount of workplace energy gets wasted trying to figure out why someone behaved a certain way or what they meant by something they said. Most of those situations could be resolved much earlier with a simple conversation.

EARLY, DIRECT CONVERSATIONS

One of the most powerful habits leaders can encourage is early, direct conversation.

• When something feels off, address it early.
• Ask questions.
• Then, listen.

Avoid jumping to conclusions about someone’s intent or motivation. The interesting thing is that many people avoid these conversations because they associate them with confrontation. But an open, respectful conversation is not confrontation, it’s communication.

I’ve facilitated many discussions between colleagues where both parties later said: “If we had talked sooner, this never would have escalated.” Often, the assumptions people make about each other are completely off.

LISTENING: AN ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP SKILL

One of the most underrated leadership skills is active listening. And it’s harder than it sounds. Most people listen while preparing what they’re going to say next.

But when leaders truly listen — without interrupting, multitasking, or immediately defending a position — something important happens. People feel heard. And when people feel heard, trust grows.

These simple practices can make a big difference:

• Ask clarifying questions
• Paraphrase what you heard
• Take notes during important conversations
• Remove distractions during discussions

 These small actions signal respect. And respect strengthens communication.

NOT EVERYONE PROCESSES INFORMATION THE SAME WAY

Another factor leaders sometimes overlook is that people absorb and communicate information differently. I share the “Audio, Visual, Kinesthetic” form of processing regularly. It explains so much!

• Some people are highly visual. They prefer written communication and like to see ideas mapped out clearly.
• Others process information through auditory channels. They think as before they speak and may need a moment to respond.
• Still others learn best through hands-on experience, feeling and doing the task or activity (kinesthetic).

Understanding these differences can dramatically improve how expectations are set and received. Sometimes the simplest leadership question can prevent miscommunication entirely: “Can you walk me through what you heard and the actions you’ll take?” Or, “Would you send me a quick recap so we can confirm we’re aligned?”

These quick confirmations save time, frustration, and unnecessary conflict later.

DON’T WAIT FOR ANNUAL REVIEWS TO GIVE FEEDBACK

Another important communication habit is asking for feedback — and offering it regularly.

Many employees only receive meaningful feedback during annual performance reviews. By then, it’s often too late to adjust or improve. Great cultures encourage communication and feedback early and often.

I highly recommend weekly or bi-weekly status meetings that include a pre-scheduled loop for feedback. There are numerous techniques to help you do this. These conversations strengthen relationships and improve performance at the same time.

HEALTHY CONVERSATIONS CREATE HEALTHY CULTURES

The healthiest organizations encourage conversations, not silence. Leaders ask questions instead of issuing directives. They listen more than they speak. They allow discussions to flow instead of dominating them. And occasionally — they even bring humor into the room.

A light moment or shared laugh can ease tension and remind people that we’re all human. That human connection often opens the door for more productive dialogue.

ONE EASY-TO-USE LEADERSHIP PRACTICE

Before entering an important or uncomfortable conversation, try my simple preparation technique (my clients love this):

• Set your intention for the conversation.
• Visualize the conversation going well.
• Take a few slow breaths to get out of your head and into your heart.
• Focus on something you’re grateful for.
• Then enter the conversation expecting a positive outcome.

You can’t control every response. But you can control your energy, expectations and the presence you bring into the room. You never know…what happens may be even better than you expected.

CULTURE IS BUILT ONE CONVERSATION AT A TIME

Organizations often invest enormous effort defining values and writing culture and mission statements. But culture ultimately shows up in something much simpler. The everyday conversations happening inside the organization:

• Clear expectations.
• Honest dialogue.
• Active listening.
• And leaders willing to create space for people to speak up.

When communication improves, collaboration improves. And when collaboration improves, cultures begin to thrive.

Stop now and ask yourself: Do people in my organization feel safe enough to tell me the truth?

Many of the practices shared here are explored further in my book, “Leading a Culture that Thrives in a Disconnected World,” where I outline practical leadership approaches to help organizations move toward cultures that truly thrive.

Communication challenges often surface as deeper leadership issues. In future posts, I’ll also explore how invisible leadership limits affect culture and performance.

5 Ways Leaders Can Improve Workplace Communication

1. Set clear expectations and confirm understanding
2. Ask for feedback early and often
3. Address issues through direct conversations
4. Practice active listening without multitasking
5. Use humor and humanity to build rapport

What communication habit has made the biggest difference in your organization?

Lori Hanson works with executive teams to strengthen leadership, communication, and collaboration so organizations can cultivate cultures that thrive. She is the author of Leading a Culture that Thrives in a Disconnected World and a keynote speaker on leadership and organizational culture.