Key Warning Signs of Communication Issues in the Workplace

Even the most well-intentioned leaders can fall victim to a broken communication strategy. Messages go out, but don’t land. Expectations are misunderstood. Changes get rolled out, but nothing actually changes. And before you know it, the frontline is disengaged, disorganized… or gone entirely.

In this first article of our series on communication between leadership and field teams, we’re unpacking the root of the problem: why internal communication breaks down and what it looks like when it does. In future installments, we’ll explore how to fix these issues, from tools and strategies to cultural shifts that make communication stick.

When Leadership Fails to Communicate the Bigger Picture

One of the most common (and most damaging) communication issues in the workplace is the failure to connect strategy to execution. When leadership doesn't clearly explain the "why" behind decisions, the frontline is left in the dark.

Ross Friedman of ServiceAdvantEdge sees this all the time. “When the vision isn’t clearly communicated, it creates a disconnect. Employees don’t understand what they’re working toward or how their role contributes to the bigger picture.”

That kind of disconnect is often the result of a lack of communication transparency—a cultural shift many businesses are now prioritizing to rebuild trust and alignment.

James Harper of PowerPlacing agrees, noting that when frontline workers seem disengaged or unaware of company priorities, it’s often because “those messages aren’t cascading in a way that drives action or understanding on the ground.”

And, as Justin White of K&D Landscaping and The Disruptors points out, when there’s no shared definition of success, the consequences are compounded.

“Leadership teams usually watch lagging indicators like revenue and profit, while frontline teams think about what’s right in front of them: showing up on time, meeting quality standards, and making the client happy.” 

He says there will be breakdowns in communication at work unless you have a clear scoreboard that everyone is aligned on, adding “I like labor variance as a company-wide target.”

Why Saying It Once Isn’t Enough

Many leaders assume that saying something once (in a meeting, an email, or a chat) is enough. But as several partners pointed out, hearing “no one told me” from your crew is a flashing red light.

“It’s not enough to say it once or in one channel,” says Nov Omana of Collective HR Solutions. “The entire population should receive the information at the same time. That requires a multi-channel approach, with the same message shared via email, text, and even phone. People will appreciate the duplication rather than being missed.”

Jillian Burns of Influential Encounters adds that this is especially critical in unpredictable industries like snow and landscape services: “A lack of clear, two-way communication often leads to confusion, missed expectations, and frustration on both sides.”

In other words, communication on a team isn’t complete until it’s received, understood, and acted upon.

When No One Knows Who’s Responsible

Another communication barrier at work comes from the gray areas of responsibility. When people don’t know who owns what, or when they’re empowered to act, delays and finger-pointing follow.

As Vince Torchia from The Grow Group explains, two things trip teams up: 

1. Ownership transfer: being clear about WHO is doing what
2. Autonomy: when is permission needed vs. when can employees act without it

Nataly Mualem of Mualem Firm points to the way that organizations are structured as a reason that messaging doesn’t always make it down to the frontline: “Leadership may assume expectations are clear, but messages often get lost in layers of management or never reach those doing the actual work.”

What Happens When Team Communication Breaks Down

Effective team communication flows in both directions. But when employees don’t feel safe or heard, they stop offering feedback altogether.

Phil Harwood of Snowfighters Institute says it simply: “If feedback is minimal or focused on less important issues, it means fear or disinterest is prohibiting honest communication.”

It’s not always obvious when this is happening, but the symptoms show up in meetings and morale. Kacey Levin of Powerhouse Consulting points to “one-way” meetings where attendees sit quietly and offer little to no feedback.

As Dina Allen, also of Powerhouse Consulting Group puts it, “When communication is one-sided or overly top-down, teams can start to feel invisible.”

Once that team communication strategy breaks down, it’s not just communication that suffers. Innovation stalls. Small problems snowball. Leaders are left making decisions without the insights of the people closest to the work. 

That’s why tools like Team Engine prioritize two-way communication with field teams—giving employees an easy, accessible way to reply, ask questions, and share input directly with leadership.

How Poor Communication in the Workplace Leads to Disengagement

Sometimes the communication breakdown at work stems from well-meaning decisions made in a vacuum. When leadership is too removed from day-to-day operations, changes can feel arbitrary or burdensome to the frontline.

“Even small tweaks from the top can create big complications on the ground,” warns Allen. “Especially when no one takes the time to pressure-test them with the people actually doing the work.”

Alison Hoffman of The Harvest Group points out that this disconnect often goes unnoticed until you see the ripple effects: delays, rising headcount, stagnant productivity, and high costs with no clear reason why.

Early Signs of Communication Issues in the Workplace

If communication issues at work are present, your operations will show it, sometimes in subtle ways, sometimes in flashing neon.

Here are some signs our partners say to watch for:

• “Jobs aren’t completed with quality or are done incorrectly the first time.” – Ed Laflamme, The Harvest Group
• “Crews show up without a clear plan for the day.” – Jon Gohl, Aspire Software
• “High turnover in the first 90 days.” – Justin White, K&D Landscaping
• “You’re answering the same basic questions over and over.” – Dina Allen, Powerhouse Consulting Group
• “People don’t feel included or valued.” – Kacey Levin, Powerhouse Consulting Group
• “Changes are met with resistance, confusion, or indifference.” – Multiple respondents
• “Frontline teams start creating their own workarounds.” – Dina Allen
  
  

The Hidden Costs of Bad Communication at Work

Poor communication at work shows up in more than just missed messages; it affects morale, retention, and results.

Internal communication falls apart when expectations aren’t defined, values aren’t reinforced, and teams aren’t recognized. Kathey Palmer of Inova Payroll sees this in companies that fail to consistently communicate their mission and core values, which leads to eroded trust and loyalty.

And without immediate, intentional communication, frontline employees start to feel like they’re just a number. Gohl observes, “When there’s no clear plan, no recognition, and no system for distributing critical information, that’s when employees disengage.”

Judson Griggs of The Harvest Group adds that excluding the frontline from strategic conversations about goals and progress leads to a sense of disenfranchisement… and ultimately, turnover. 

That’s why many field-based businesses use platforms like Team Engine to create consistency by automating messages about shift schedules, milestone reminders, onboarding tasks and more. To get started (with Team Engine or without) here are five types of employee communications you can automate.

Improving Team Communication Starts with Recognizing the Problem

When internal communication fails, the damage ripples through every part of the business: productivity stalls, turnover climbs, trust erodes, and frontline teams stop caring. But the good news is that these problems are fixable.

In future articles in this series, we’ll explore how to improve team communication—from tools and leadership behaviors to team communication strategies that make information stick. We’ll dig into the role of technology, highlight what great communication looks like in action, and share more insights from the experts who’ve seen both sides of the struggle.