86% of employees and executives cite Ineffective communication as the biggest problem with workplace failures. Jason Barger shares obstacles that get in the way and what the best leaders and cultures do differently.
SHOW NOTES
Jason introduces Season 9 episode 41 of the podcast, The Biggest Problem with Communcation. Welcome back to the podcast on corporate culture and leadership and thank you for listening. We engage thought leaders like CEOs, CFOs, managers, VPs, directors, and more for this podcast. We wish to create content that engages your mind and heart and allows you to step back and think and add some positivity to your life. We deep dive into today’s topic.
We can’t control everything but what we can control is our response. Still a lot of work to do but wanted to remind the audience what is within our control is the temperature we create in the organizations and teams we work with.
Please leave a review for the podcast It really helps the podcast to spread these messages out into the world. Please share this podcast with your organization, on your team, or in your life to help spread these messages. Thank you!
If any of these topics are interesting to you please or you want a deep dive on any specific topics, please reach out to us at info@jasonvbarger.com
Season 9 Episode 41: The Biggest Problem With Communication
We’ve all been part of that project: deadlines are missed, team members are frustrated, and a sense of scattered energy sinks morale. You trace the problem back, and it lands on one culprit: a breakdown in communication.
It’s not just a feeling; it’s a fact. A recent study found that 86% of employees and executives identify the main cause of workplace failures as a lack of effective communication. This isn’t just an annoyance; it’s a direct drain on productivity, engagement, and your entire corporate culture.
In this episode of The Thermostat Podcast, host Jason V Barger explores this critical issue, identifying the single biggest obstacle to effective communication and the mindset shifts required for leadership in teams to build a high-performing, high-trust environment.
Summary: The Illusion of Communication
The episode opens with a powerful quote from George Bernard Shaw that frames the entire conversation: “The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion it has taken place.”
This is the core of the issue. As leaders and team members, we are often trapped in our own heads. Jason Barger points out that with 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts a day—80% of which tend to lean negative and 95% of which are repetitive—we live with our own internal narratives. We play out conversations, solidify plans, and make assumptions, all within our own minds. We feel like we’ve communicated, but in reality, the message never left our head.
When this illusion becomes the norm, a dysfunctional corporate culture takes root. Barger identifies three key symptoms of ineffective communication:
- Scatteredness: A fog of unclear expectations, goals, and project handoffs. This leads to inconsistent actions and a team that is always reacting instead of moving forward with clarity.
- Finger-Pointing: When a clear message is absent, humans naturally fill the void. Often, we fill it with blame, defensiveness, and a search for who is at fault rather than what the solution is.
- Wasted Fuel: Teams spend precious time and energy speculating, trying to read into vague messages, and gossiping. This wasted fuel is a direct cost to productivity, with one study noting that 63% of employees see wasted time as a top consequence of poor communication.
The solution is to shift from “thermometer” (reactive) leadership to “thermostat” (proactive) leadership. Barger emphasizes that culture is dynamic—it is shaped every single day by the way we think, act, and interact. Effective leadership in teams means intentionally setting the temperature.
The benefits of creating this intentional culture are transformative. When teams commit to effective communication, they don’t just fix problems; they unlock new levels of success. Barger highlights four positive outcomes:
- Performance: Productivity rises by as much as 25% because ambiguity is replaced with clarity.
- Connection: Engagement between team members deepens when communication is clear, positive, and consistent.
- Longevity: Organizations retain their best people. A culture free from blame, gossip, and negativity is one where people want to stay and grow.
- Trust: The ultimate foundation. Trust is built moment by moment, and it actually increases when teams communicate clearly, even when addressing difficult topics like flaws, missteps, or problems.
Ultimately, shaping a culture of clear communication is not a “drive-through experience.” It is a continuous journey that must be led and co-created by everyone on the team.
Notable Quotes
- “The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw, as quoted by Jason V Barger
- “We carry these ideas around in our own heads, but then often feel like we’ve communicated them with the people around us, but the reality is they’ve just lived in our own heads.”
- “86% of employees and executives cite the lack of effective communication and collaboration as the main cause of workplace failures.”
- “When communication isn’t clear, humans can fill the void with blame or defensiveness rather than a mindset and a search for solutions.”
- “When things are foggy out the windshield, humans spend a lot of wasted fuel and energy on speculating, trying to read into messages, and gossiping about things rather than focused on the task at hand.”
- “Cultures are dynamic, which means they’re always changing and they’re shaped by the way we think, act, and interact.”
- “Trust actually goes up when things are clear and communicated well, even if it’s around flaws or missteps or problems.”
- “Culture shaping isn’t a drive through experience… It was led and co-created by all.”
Questions to Ponder
Building a culture of clarity requires reflection and intentional action. As you think about your own leadership and team, consider these questions:
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In what ways could you or the important relationships or teams in your life and work better communicate?
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Where do you spend wasted fuel, guessing, and where could you be more clear with expectations and goals?
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What is your cadence and modes of communication that are working or that are getting in your way?
Links and References
Employee Engagement skills at all year lows – Gallup Link
Follow @JasonVBarger on social media for even more insights and new video content.
For more insights and practical tips, be sure to check out Jason V Barger’s book Breathing Oxygen. This book dives deeper into the concepts discussed in this episode and provides additional strategies for fostering a positive mindset and effective leadership.
By incorporating these practices into your summer routine, you can breathe new life into your personal and professional endeavors. Remember, as Jason says, “The best leaders, teams, and cultures on the planet stimulate progress by recalibrating their thermostat together.”
Please leave a review for the podcast It really helps the podcast to spread these messages out into the world. Please share this podcast with your organization, on your team, or in your life to help spread these messages. Thank you!
If any of these topics are interesting to you please or you want a deep dive on any specific topics, please reach out to us at info@jasonvbarger.com
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Remember, the best leaders, teams, & cultures stimulate progress by recalibrating their thermostat together.
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ABOUT THE THERMOSTAT
Conversations and micro-thoughts to engage your mind and heart.
A thermostat is proactive. It sets the temperature in a room. Controls the temperature. Regulates the temperature. But in today’s distracted, fast-paced and digital world, it’s easy for individuals and organizations to act more like thermometers, slipping into reactionary thinking, becoming scattered and inconsistent. The most compelling leaders, teams, organizations, families, or collection of humans of any kind operate in thermostat mode. They calibrate their mind and heart to set the temperature for the vision and culture they want to create. Jason Barger, globally celebrated author, keynote speaker, and founder of Step Back Leadership Consulting, is the host of The Thermostat, a podcast journey to discover authentic leadership, create compelling cultures and find clarity of mission, vision, and values.