A report from The Economist Intelligence Unit

Communication barriersin the modern workplace

Sponsored by

Communication barriers in the modern workplace

Executive
summary

It wasn’t long ago that a work meeting meantcommunication breakdowns. The survey,

gathering around a table to discuss an agenda.

conducted from November 2017 to January 2018,

These days you may be using Slack, Hangouts or

included 403 senior executives, managers andother digital collaboration platforms that blend

junior staff at US companies divided equally andmessaging with video and allow real-time editing offrom companies with annual revenue of less thandocuments. Even with these tools, communication

US$10m, between US$10m and US$1bn and more

at work can still break down, potentiallythan US$1bn. The survey research provides

endangering careers, creating stressful work

insights about what employees see as the biggest

environments and slowing growth.

barriers to workplace communication, the causes

A survey from The Economist Intelligence Unit

1of the barriers and their impact on work life.

and sponsored by Lucidchart reveals some of theComplete survey results are included at the end ofperceived causes and effects of thesethis report.

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2018

Communication barriers in the modern workplace

Key highlightslPoor communication is having a tremendous●

There is a discrepancy between theimpact on the workplace. Unclear instructions

communication tools that people find mostfrom superiors, pointless meetings and othereffective and the ones they regularly use.

stressors can snowball into larger issues with

Visual-based tools, for example, are relatively

widespread impacts on the business. Respondents

underused compared with their effectiveness.

say communication barriers are leading to a delay

Video conferencing, presentation decks, whiteor failure to complete projects (44%), low moraleboards and sketch pads are largely seen as(31%), missed performance goals (25%) and evensomewhat or very effective at helping respondents

lost sales (18%)—some worth hundreds ofshare ideas and understand them well. However,thousands of dollars.

email, which is the most commonly used method of
workplace communication, is not considered very●

The most frequently cited cause ofeffective by the majority of respondents.

communication barriers is fundamentally
An employee’s place in the pecking orderhuman: different communication styles. In an●

age of constantly changing and real-time

affects the fallout they face from poor

communication tools, this barrier is made morecommunication. Middle managers tend to becomplex by generational and functional differences

affected the most by communication barriers. For

in communication preferences.

example, nearly half of directors (49%) say theircolleagues experience the consequences of poor●

The use of instant messaging and social

media at work reflects a gap between how

frequently—more than C-level executives andgenerations use certain communication tools.

non-manager employees. This fact though is not so

Nearly a third of millennials (31%) say they use

surprising considering they are constantly

instant messaging at work every day, compared

conveying information back and forth between

with only 12% of baby boomers. Tomorrow’s

senior executives and junior employees, both ofexecutives will find they have to adapt if they wantwhom have different approaches toto be effective today when working with older

communication.

generations that prefer to pick up a phone. At thesame time, older generations would be wise toembrace the new communication tools on whichdeveloping leaders will continue to rely.

2

communication either frequently or very

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2018

Communication barriers in the modern workplace

The impact of poor
communication
The repercussions of poor communication in theless tangible issues, such as stress (52%) and low
morale (31%). Employees of all ages and seniority
levels must consider a number of factors in order toimprove workplace communication and, as a result,productivity, morale and the bottom line.

workplace can be severe and widespread: 44% of
respondents indicate that miscommunication has
caused a delay or failure to complete projects. As
for the direct impact on business, 18% say
miscommunication has led to the loss of a sale,nearly a third (30%) of which were valued between
US$100,000 and US$999,999.
Communication breakdowns also contribute toDifferent communication styles (42%), unclear
responsibilities (34%) and time pressures (31%) are
the three most frequently cited causes of poor
communication. These causes suggest thatIll communication

Most significant consequences of poor work communicationin the past year(% of respondents)

Added stress

Causes of poor
communication

52

managers need to tailor their communication styles
to those around them to be effective. Doing sowould ensure team members operate with a clear
understanding of what they need to accomplish
and expectations of when goals should be met.

Style conscious
Delay or failure tocomplete a project44

Top causes of poor work communication(% of respondents)

Different communication styles

Low morale

Missed performance goal

31

25

42

Unclear responsibilities

34

Time pressures

31

Lack of strong leadership

29

Personal differences among colleagues
Obstacles to innovation

Failure to close a sale
Slower career progression

20
18

27

Client demands
Corporate culture23
23

Ineffective tools/technologies

15

13

Financial pressures

Loss of a client13

Use of jargon

Disciplinary action

5

Other

12

Note: respondents were asked to choose three answers.
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit survey, 2018.

3© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 201891
Note: respondents were asked to choose three answers.
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit survey, 2018.

Communication barriers in the modern workplace“We need to be more mindful in general about

being born between 1981 and 1999, call themselves

what format people use to get together andfunctional communicators. That is far more thancommunicate,” says Susan Cain, author of Quiet:

members of Generation X (15%), born 1965-1980, or

The power of introverts in a world that can’t stopbaby boomers (21%), born 1964 or earlier. Babytalking. Ms Cain says we have nearly constantboomers and members of Generation X describedcommunication happening. However, because wethemselves as personal communicators (34% andaren’t always mindful about the mode of

39%, respectively) more often than millennials

communication we use, people are often left(23%).

unclear about responsibilities or unable tocontribute meaningfully to the discussion.
Overcoming communication barriers will
ultimately have to involve not only accommodating
different personal styles, but also ensuring thatmanagement’s communications are effective andaccount for generational differences in how
information is shared at work.
Different communication styles and ineffective
use of communication tools are contributing to thelack of clarity about responsibilities that is evident in
the research, and certainly adding to workplacestress levels. In fact, the survey shows that unclear
instructions from a senior colleague or manager isthe most frequently cited stressful situation at work.
A third of millennials (33%), who are defined as

Generation gaps
Different generations do agree on something.
Sixty-five per cent of respondents say that face-toface meetings are a very effective mode ofcommunication—and this number does not varysignificantly among generations. Yet only 22% saythey have these meetings every day. “We are bestat face-to-face communication in small groups inreal time,” says Art Markman, professor of
psychology and marketing at the University ofTexas at Austin. “Yet globalisation and flexible work
schedules are distributing people in time, narrowing
the window when people’s availability overlaps andthey could meet in person. I don’t see that going

Communication styles

away,” he adds.

Which of the following best describes your communicationstyle at work?
(% of respondents)

year they have not worked remotely. This suggests

Indeed, only 28% of respondents say in the pastmodern-day employees will need to use a range ofother modes of communication more effectively—

32%

Personal(Emphasise humanrelationships andestablishing personalconnections)23%
Functional(Focus on processes
and think throughplans step by step sothat nothing is missed)

27%

Analytical(Prefer supporting what
they say with data andfacts and tend to use
precise language)

17%
Intuitive(Prefer to grasp the
big picture, get to thepoint and avoid too
much detail)including real-time collaboration tools such asvideo chat and instant messaging—and many
already are.
Usage of social media and instant messaging at
work is driving the biggest wedge in communication
between millennials and older colleagues. Nearly athird of millennials (31%) and members ofGeneration X (30%) say they have used instantmessaging every day in the past year tocommunicate with colleagues and clients. However,
only 12% of baby boomers say the same. A third of

Note: 1% of respondents answered “Don’t know”.
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit survey, 2018.

4© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2018boomers (34%) say they have not used instantmessaging in the past year.

Communication barriers in the modern workplace

Modes of communication

How often have you used the following means to communicate with colleagues or clients?
(% of respondents)
Every dayMost days
Sometimes
RarelyEmailInstant
messaging

Phone

Face-to-facemeetings

Social media

NeverDon’t know

Millennials

58%

28%

11%

2%

0%

1%

Generation X

71%

22%

8%

0%

0%

0%

Baby boomers

52%

34%

12%

3%

0%

0%

Millennials

31%

22%

19%

14%

15%

0%

Generation X

30%

21%

19%

12%

18%

0%

Baby boomers

12%

15%

27%

11%

34%

0%

Millennials

29%

37%

30%

2%

3%

0%

Generation X

33%

41%

24%

2%

1%

0%

Baby boomers

18%

38%

39%

4%

2%

0%

Millennials

20%

44%

29%

5%

1%

2%

Generation X

32%

33%

29%

5%

1%

0%

Baby boomers

14%

37%

40%

5%

3%

1%

Millennials

13%

23%

17%

15%

33%

0%

Generation X

9%

8%

29%

17%

37%

1%

Baby boomers

6%

7%

18%

20%

47%

1%

70+

60-69

50-59

40-49

30-39

20-29

10-19

0-10

Source: Economist Intelligence Unit survey, 2018.

Mr Markman says millennials who wish to rise toleadership positions need to master the ability tocommunicate clearly in person so that they canreach these older generations. “We have ageneration who is not as practiced at engaging inreal time with people,” he explains.
Future leaders must have the ability tocommunicate across styles and modes, reachingacross generations. As functional communicators,
millennials will probably continue to use various
new tools as they ascend and grow older. The trick
will be to tailor each one’s use to the different
communication styles around them. Likewise, older
generations should be willing to embrace newcommunication tools that developing leaders areusing to connect and innovate.

Seeing is believing
Some interesting discrepancies exist between
which modes of communication are seen as
effective and which are frequently used. Email isunsurprisingly the most heavily used mode ofcommunication, with 60% of respondents saying
they use it every day. Yet only 40% say it is a very
effective means of communication.
But what if heavily used modes ofcommunication, such as email and phones, wereused in tandem with other tools that are viewed as
relatively more effective? For example, many
respondents say visual-based tools are effective;
they just don’t use them often. Although 55% say
video conferencing is somewhat or very effective,
only 7% use it daily. Similarly, 60% see presentation
decks and 50% see white boards and sketch pads assomewhat or very effective, but only 9% in bothcases use them daily. Rather than replacing
communication tools, improving daily
communication at work may be more about using
effective technologies more often.

5© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2018

Communication barriers in the modern workplace

The corporate totem
polehierarchy, directors tend to be prolific users ofnearly every tool and mode of communication—much more so than other seniorities. Furthermore,a larger share of directors finds nearly every modeof communication more effective than their

Corporate roles can also contribute to poor

colleagues of different seniorities. They are thecommunication at work. Directors and middle

Swiss Army knife equivalent of corporate internalmanagers in particular tend to get caught in thecommunication.

middle of those conflicting communication

Ms Cain believes there are perks to this. “Thepreferences. As a result, they are affected bygreat value of being stuck in the middle is you can

miscommunication most frequently: 49% of

easily empathise with those above and below you

directors say the consequences of poor
communication occur frequently or very frequently
among their colleagues. That is substantially morethan the 28% of C-suite executives who say the

because you’re simultaneously in both roles,” shesays. “You have tremendous insight into what
everyone around you is feeling, you can project
yourself into their shoes and you know what thesame.
“Middle managers have the worst of all worlds,”
Mr Markman says. “Communication is one of thepressures and stressors are for your boss.”
As individuals move up the corporate ladder,they need to not just have a broad understanding

most significant parts of their job because they’reof different communication styles but also adapt

dealing with the widest variety of people.”their approach to their position in the organisation.

Probably because of their location in the

Meetings and messages

Perceived impact on improving communications at work(% of respondents)
Very
Somewhatsignificant
significant

NeutralClearer goals for every
scheduled meeting

Somewhatinsignificant

Veryinsignificant

39

More face-to-faceteam meetings

40

33

Firm-wide training to improve
internal communication
19

Organise teams based oncommunication styles

16

More cross-functional
projects

16

15

38

27

A wider range ofcommunication tools

Don’t know

30

20

7 21

35

25

9 31

44

23

11 3

34
36

5 11

11
34

6 3
9 32

Source: Economist Intelligence Unit survey, 2018.

6© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2018

Communication barriers in the modern workplace

What to do about
workplace
miscommunication?

communication, including 39% who say the
improvement would be very significant. Moreover,
six out of ten respondents say firm-wide training(62%) and having a wider range of communication
tools to use (63%) would significantly improve workcommunication. By improving in areas such as

Work environments don’t have to be full ofthese, as well as being aware of communication

miscommunication land mines, and businesses candifferences and the best applications of various

take practical steps to improve communication.

tools, the workforce can both communicate more

Meetings are a good place to start. The survey

effectively and keep pace with the inevitableshows that 78% of respondents think having clearer

continuous change in when and how we connect atgoals for every scheduled meeting would have awork.

significant impact on improving workplace

7© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2018

Communication barriers in the modern workplace

Survey results

Percentages may not
add to 100% owing
to rounding or theability of respondents
to choose multiple
responses.

Which of the following best describes your communication style while at work? Select one.
(% of respondents)

Personal: You prefer to place an emphasis on relationships and establishing personal connections to understand what others are thinking.
32
Analytical: You prefer to have data and facts to support what you say and tend to use precise and specific language.
27
Functional: You prefer to focus on process and carefully thinking through plans step-by-step so nothing gets missed.
23
Intuitive: You prefer to get the big picture, getting to the point and avoid getting bogged down in too much detail.
17
Don’t know
1Which of the following best describes how you feel about working with people who have different communication styles
from you? Select one.
(% of respondents)

I enjoy it
57
I tolerate it40
I avoid it
1
Don’t know
28

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2018

Communication barriers in the modern workplace

How stressful do the following situations make you feel at work? Select one in each row.
(% of respondents)

Not stressedat allNot sostressed

NeutralSomewhatstressedVerystressed

Don’t know

Difficulty conveying ideas to colleagues and/or board members
12
Waiting for information to do my job

24

8
14
Challenging performance goals

25
23

9
Tight deadlines

37

24

7
Too many unproductive meetings
7
Demanding clients

21

30

21

8
16
Unclear instructions from a senior colleague or manager

24

36

15 1

44

22

11

23 0

33

8
13
17
Critical feedback from a senior colleague or manager
23
25

17 1
32

26

11 0
18 0

33

23

10 1
17 1

26

14

8
Too many emails to review

28

14 1
28

10 0

Thinking of your answers to the previous question, how often does miscommunication (or poor communication)
contribute to the stress that you feel at work? Select one.
(% of respondents)

Never
1
Rarely11
Sometimes
57
Very often
26
Always6
Don’t know
09

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2018

Communication barriers in the modern workplace

What are the top causes of poor communication or miscommunication at your workplace? Select up to three.
(% of respondents)

Different communication styles
42
Unclear responsibilities
34
Time pressures
31
Lack of strong leadership
29
Personal differences among colleagues
27
Client demands
23
Corporate culture
23
Reliance on ineffective communication tools and technologies
15
Financial pressures
12
Use of jargon
9
Other
1
0

Thinking of the past month, approximately how much time each week on average did you spend on work causedby poor communication? Select one.
(% of respondents)

None
3
An hour or less24
A few hours
55
A full day or more
16
Don’t know
210

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2018

Communication barriers in the modern workplace

Thinking of the past year, what have been the most significant consequences of miscommunication (or poor
communication) at your workplace? Select up to three.
(% of respondents)

Added stress
52
Delay or failure to complete a project44
Low morale
31
Missed performance goal
25
Obstacles to innovation
20
Failure to close a sale18
Slower career progression
13
Loss of a client
13
Disciplinary action
5
None of the above
2
Other
1
Don’t know0

How often have the consequences that you described in the previous question occurred among your colleagues?
Select one.
(% of respondents)

Rarely13
Occasionally51
Frequently
24
Very frequently
11
Don’t know
111

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2018

Communication barriers in the modern workplace

In a previous question, you answered that a communication breakdown in the past year led to failure to close at least
one sale. What was the approximate value of lost sales? Select one.
(% of respondents)

Less than $10,000
30$10,000 to $99,000
36$100,000 to $499,000
25$500,000 to $999,000
5$1m or more
0
Don’t know
4

In the past year, how often have you used the following means of communication with colleagues or your firm’s clients?
Select one in each row.
(% of respondents)

Never

RarelySometimes

Most days

Every dayDon’t know

Email
2
10
Instant messaging application

28
23

60

12

22

19

24

Phone/conference call
2 2Video conferencing

31

39

24
Presentation deck, eg, PowerPoint, Prezi, Google Slides, Keynote
14
Face-to-face meetings

22

36

18

2
5
Social media platform

26

35
33

11
23

38

39

18

21

7
9
22 1

12

9 1

15

9

White board, flip board, or sketch pad
1812© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2018

26

32

Communication barriers in the modern workplace

How effective are the following means of communication at helping you and your colleagues share information andunderstand it well? Select one in each row.
(% of respondents)

Not effectiveat allEmailSomewhatineffective

3
10
Instant messaging application
10
Phone/conference call

NeutralSomewhateffective

Don’t know

46

11

40

22

33

2
13
Video conferencing

21

45

6
7
Face-to-face meetings

33

25

11
10
Social media platform

23

22
White board, flip board, or sketch pad

13

4
40

7
9
25
Presentation deck, eg, PowerPoint, Prezi, Google Slides, Keynote8Veryeffective

22

4

21

3

40

65 1
26

10

19

27

11

32

9
18

5

Which of the following are your preferred ways of communicating with either colleagues or customers? Rank the top three,where 1 is your most preferred means of communication.
(% of respondents)

Rank 1

Rank 2

Rank 3

Verbally in-person
49

10

12

Verbally over the phone
10

33

20

Email using text
12
Email using text and explanatory charts/images
11
Instant messaging or SMS (text only)

16
13

3
5
7
Instant messaging or SMS using text and explanatory charts/images
2
4
6
Charts, diagrams, graphics, images and sketches
2 25Video conferencing
4
8
I don’t have a preference

8

7
Don’t know
113

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2018

19
13

Communication barriers in the modern workplace

In the previous question, you answered that you prefer to include charts and images when you communicate with either
colleagues or customers. In which of the following situations have you used them? Select all that apply.
(% of respondents)

Internal project or team meetings
50
Training and/or orientation
48
Meetings with existing clients/customers
41
Routine daily work
40
Sales process38
Meetings with new clients/customers
38
When working with teams other than my own
35
Employee performance review process
25
Business travel
15
Contracting process
14
Other
0
Don’t know
0

When conveying a complex idea to a colleague or customer who is physically present, which of the following tools is themost important for you to have on hand? Select one.
(% of respondents)

Laptop or tablet computer
46
Hard copy of a presentation deck17
A printed write-up of the idea
17
White board or flip board
9
Notebook
8
Other
0
None of the above2
Don’t know
114

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2018

Communication barriers in the modern workplace

In the past year, on average, how often have you worked remotely (ie, telecommuting or working outside of the office)?
Select one.
(% of respondents)

I don’t normally work remotely
28
1 day a week or less28
2-3 days a week23
4 or more days a week12
I only work remotely
9
Don’t know0

In the previous question, you answered that you have worked remotely in the past year. How has this affected yourability to communicate with colleagues and/or your firm’s clients? Select one.
(% of respondents)

Made communication very difficult
6
Made communication somewhat difficult
21
No impact
54
Made communication somewhat easier
12
Made communication much easier
7
Don’t know
1Please indicate the degree to which you agree or disagree with the following statements. Select one per row.
(% of respondents)

Strongly
disagreeDisagree

Neither agree
nor disagree

Agree

Strongly
agreeCommunication breakdowns between colleagues can hurt the bottom line of firms.
11
10
45
Technology is making breakdowns in communication between colleagues less frequent.
4
16
32
Poor communication can have an adverse impact on one’s career growth.
11
11

15

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 201842

Don’t know

41 1
31

18
43

Communication barriers in the modern workplace

To what extent would the following have a significant impact on improving communication between your colleagues?
Select one in each row.
(% of respondents)

Organise teams based on communication styles

Veryinsignificant

Somewhatinsignificant

6
11
A wider range of communication tools
3
11More face-to-face team meetings

Neutral

34
23

44
38

1
5
15
Firm-wide training to improve internal communication

3

Verysignificant
30

2
7
20
Clearer goals for every scheduled meeting3
9More cross-functional projects

Somewhatsignificant

16

3
19
33 1

40

39 1

25

35

9

Don’t know

34

27 1
36

16 2

How would you describe your firm’s growth prospects in 2018-2019? Select one.
(% of respondents)

Poor
1
Fair
21
Good
48
Excellent
30
Don’t know
116

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2018

Communication barriers in the modern workplace

In what year were you born? Select one.

Which of the following best describes your job title?
Select one.

(% of respondents)(% of respondents)

Baby Boomers+(born 1964 or earlier)

34

Gen X
(born 1965-1980)

33

Millennials(born 1981-1999)

33

Manager
16

Senior associate/analyst
15

Managing director
13

EVP/SVP/VP/Director
12

Junior associate/analyst

Which best represents your gender? Select one.
(% of respondents)

Male

52

Female48

Don’t care to answer 0

What is your organisation’s primary sector? Select one.
(% of respondents)

Information Technology

10

Financials

10

Industrials

9

Materials

9

Consumer Staples

9

Real Estate

9

Health Care

8

Energy8

Telecommunication Services

8

Consumer Discretionary

8

Utilities
Other

9
CEO/President/Owner/Head of strategy
7
COO /Head of operations
5
Senior manager
5
CIO/CTO/Head of technology/IT
5
CFO/Head of finance4
Head of department
3
CMO/Head of marketing
3
Head of business unit
1
CCO (chief communications officer)/Head of communications/public relations
1
Software engineer
1
Board member/Chairperson/Chair
0
Other
0
Other C-level executive, specify
0
CHRO (chief human-resources officer)/Head of human resources/talent
064

Approximately, what are your organisation’s annual
global revenues in US dollars? Select one.
(% of respondents)

Not sure 0$5bn or more

12

$1bn to less than $5bn
$500m to less than $1bn

5$100m to less than $500m

6$50m to less than $100m

7$25m to less than $50m

7$10m to less than $25m
Less than $10m

17

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2018

21

10
34

Communication barriers in the modern workplace

While every effort has been taken to verify the accuracyof this information, The Economist Intelligence Unit Ltd.
cannot accept any responsibility or liability for relianceby any person on this report or any of the information,
opinions or conclusions set out in this report. The findings
and views expressed in the report do not necessarily reflect
the views of the sponsor.

18© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2018

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