As a leader, I remember thinking I had these wonderful, brilliant ideas. And they were. They carried a ton of potential. But the potential increased when I opened the doors of communication and collaborated with my team. Leading a team is no small feat. While everyone brings unique talents and skills, it also comes with diverse communication styles. So how can you communicate your ideas and message to your team that’s well-received? And better yet, how can you help your team do that for one another? Follow these three communication team building tips.
Why is Communication Important Among Teams in the Workplace?
Communication can start to feel commonplace because we use it so much in our everyday lives: we speak, we text, we hop on Zoom or Teams calls, we answer phone calls, etc. But do you ever stop to think about how you communicate and how others receive your communication? Being aware of the communication sequence (your communication style + the communication styles of your team) can save a lot of headache and heartache:
- According to research put forth by Gartner, 70% of workplace mistakes are attributed to poor communication.
- 40% of workers admit that poor communication diminishes their trust in leadership and their team.
- Communication differences cause 91% of workplace conflicts.
In short, poor communication and team chemistry leads to:
- A lack of trust.
- A lack of engagement.
- Mistakes and conflict.
- Role and responsibility confusion.
But with my three communication team building tips for managers, you can assuage all of this.
3 Communication Team Building Tips: Your Periodic Table of Dynamic Team Chemistry
Let’s chat about chemistry… Team chemistry. Instead of hydrogen (H), lithium (Li), and beryllium (Be), I’d like to introduce you to:
- Au: Authenticity.
- Em: Empathy.
- Pu: Purpose.
By following these three tips and injecting these team communication chemistry elements into your workplace conversations, you can prime the way for an environment where messages are clearly delivered, and differences are appreciated.

1. Au: Authenticity
Authenticity means being genuine and real, not holding back and masking imperfections or vulnerabilities.
People can smell inauthenticity a mile away, including your team. So, if when you lead, you put on a performance mask and they sense you’re being fake, the dialogue between everyone can become jaded and tense. It also puts pressure on your team to do the same—wear their own masks and put up their own barriers.
By practicing authentic communication, you peel off masks and break down barriers, creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable showing up exactly as they are. You lead the way for open dialogue where people feel comfortable sharing their perspectives, good or bad.
They’ll think, “If my manager can be vulnerable, so can I.”
2. Em: Empathy
Mastering authenticity in your communication is important because without authenticity, you can’t be fully empathetic.
Being an empathetic leader means understanding and appreciating people’s differences and perspectives. It’s about seeing the world and situations from your team’s eyes.
When you take the time to ask questions and understand where your team’s ideas are coming from, it will encourage people on your team to do the same for everyone else.
So instead of communication conflicts and shutting down ideas, people can still be recognized and appreciated.
3. Pu: Purpose
Purpose is truly the guiding light of work. Without it, there is no meaning behind our performance, causing us to forget why we’re doing what we do. When this happens, we can become disengaged from our tasks and communication. Suddenly, people may not be getting the updates or information they need, or you may no longer contribute ideas and input.
But not only does purpose help you and your team strengthen communication styles, it also helps your team work better together, as everyone understands the common mission of what they’re working toward.
By uncovering the personal purposes of everyone on your team, defining the purpose of the business or a campaign, and aligning them, everyone can work better together and voice their ideas more clearly, as talent is exactly where you need it to be.
How to Put These Elements Into Practice
Now that you understand what each team building tip is and how it can help you and your team grow, it’s time to put it into action.
I’ve designed a simple tool to help you start injecting Au, Em, and Pu into all your conversations. It’s called the Team Alliance Template. It’s a fillable workbook that will help you design the expectations and preferences of your work environment so everyone can work freely and confidently in their Brilliant Difference™. Grab a copy below!