Overcommunicating Is the Goal (Productive Flourishing Pulse #494)
Communication tips to help flatten the drift arc
I was thinking about Charlie’s “Mind Readers” post writ large: when leaders assume their teams know what the (new) objective is, because that leader told the team about it — once. Then expected the team to get right after that goal.
Sounds like a recipe for a huge drift arc as the team struggles in the gap to figure out:
what the objective really is and what all is involved in it (clarity),
how it came about and how it relates to company strategic direction (context), and
what assumptions and expectations (if any) the leader has for how the work will get done, by when, and by whom.
Leaders (no matter what your official title is) and teammates, here are some resources to help you OVERcommunicate the goal, the context, the direction, the how/when/who, and everything else your team needs to reorient toward the new goal and minimize the drift arc as much as possible:
Note: this doesn’t only apply to work teams — any team you’re on can benefit from all members overcommunicating on goals, projects, assignments, and the like. Got a big personal project you’re working on that’s going to need a success pack to complete at the level of success you want? These tools and tips are just as relevant and beneficial.
(I am learning this the hard way: I didn’t communicate to my success pack my priority for March around “haiku book work,” and now my schedule is filled with OPP I’m having to navigate around or renegotiate. Don’t follow my lead there, okay? 😉)
~Steve
Take a Moment
A prompt to pause and reflect.
If you’re leading a project or team, how often and how completely have you communicated with your team around your current objectives (especially if they’re new)? Be honest. How could you do better here? (We can always do better.)
Bonus Points! Consider something akin to the old “telephone game”: pull one of your teammates aside and have them communicate to you what they know about the objective. That’ll show you clearly where the comm gaps are.
We’d love to hear what’s coming up for you.
How’s Your Team’s Communication Habit?
Communication, like belonging, undergirds all of the other team habits. When communication is poor, all of the other team habits suffer: decision-making is harder without all the details, meetings are longer and less productive, collaboration results in Crisco watermelons and mashed toes, just to name a few.
Our free Team Habits Quiz is a great way to check the pulse of your team’s communication habits and identify areas of improvement. And you’ll get insights on the other seven habits while you’re at it!
In Case You Missed It
March Events and Replays
This month’s sessions explore drift — how to recognize when you’re veering off course and strategies to realign with what matters most:
REPLAY: Leadership Strategy Session from March 5.
Understanding the Drift Arc in Team Dynamics: Learn to recognize when your team is drifting and strategies to gently realign focus and energy.(Replay coming soon!) Monthly Momentum Call (MMC) from March 19.
Reclaiming Your Creative Momentum: Discover how to compassionately reconnect with projects that matter when life pulls you off course.
Paid subscribers get access to both these calls each month, plus the whole replay, notes, and extras. Free subscribers, consider upgrading your subscription to get access to the full replay and invitations to attend live next month!
Our April sessions are already on the books! Mark your calendars and join us:
Leadership Strategy Session (LSS), April 2, 2025, 11:00am PDT
Monthly Momentum Call (MMC), April 16, 2025, 11:00am PDT
This is gold! I am part of a new and very dynamic team that is moving fast and breaking things at a sometimes overwhelming speed. Your articles are giving me focus and insight on what’s going on and how things need to be communicated. I particularly enjoyed reading about drift and mind-reading, as well as this one this morning. More please!