Overcommunication: Five Tips for When You Need to Talk Too Much

by Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE

“Over-communicating is the glue that holds a high-performing team together and keeps them focused in the same direction. And, it circles back to clarity. Without good, consistent communication, you don’t have clarity.” ―  Lee Ellis, leadership consultant, author, presenter, retired colonel, USAF.

As managers, it’s drilled into us that we shouldn’t micromanage —that instead, we should hire well-qualified, intelligent self-starters, then give them their instructions and get out of the way. And while this strategy is generally sound, you’ll always find some exceptions that test the rule.

In recent years, some business experts have begun backing off a bit from the approach outlined above, expounding on the virtues of overcommunication. In the past, we’ve been told not to overwhelm employees with information, and ideally to establish a single type of communication—whether face-to-face meeting, email, or phone — by which to convey our instructions. Overcommunicate subverts those concepts. But while it may seem intrusive, this doesn’t mean it it’s unnecessary. The business landscape has changed significantly in the past five years, largely in response to reality of COVID, the resulting lockdowns, and the concurrent rise of remote work. This may have forced changes in your direction, or may do so as you move forward.

Therefore, consider overcommunication as an option, along with these five tips for wielding it.

1. It need not be difficult or harsh. Applying overcommunication can prove as simple as a quick question: “How’s it going with the Kowalksy report?” Many manager already do this, so if you’re one of them, keep it up. Similarly, you can shoot someone an email occasionally just to check on a product’s status, or call as a follow-up to a meeting.
2. Overcommunicate in times of crisis or change. When the future seems uncertain, keep in constant touch with your team. Make check-ins, updates, and follow-ups part of your regular tool-kit, providing consistent and clear communication to ensure everyone understands a project’s details and milestones. Make sure they know what you need of them, so you can keep team productivity on point. Under-communicating at such times, or even just communicating at normal levels, may make team members feel lost and confused.

3. Overcommunicate to clarify messages from leadership. A single company-wide meeting won’t cut it, because even if your team members take copious notes, all the messages won’t get through to everyone. Reemphasize your organization’s mission, vision, goals, and priorities immediately after such a meeting, whenever someone new joins your team (even if it’s an in-company hire), and at regular intervals thereafter. Don’t flood them with such reminders, but do encourage your team to frequently reconsider your leadership’s messages.
   

5. Overcommunicate with remote workers. The COVID and post-COVID eras have taught many employees they can work just fine remotely, which makes it doubly important they understand your directions. Overcommunication becomes a must, since (a) remote work may cause workers to lose their sense of acting as part of a team; and (b) Skype and Zoom notwithstanding, your team members can’t communicate with you face-to-face. Ask them to let you know if they’re confused, and follow up your instructions. Just don’t descend to the level of “infotoxication,” where overwhelm creates further confusion.
   
6. Try multiple methods of communication. Here’s another point where the overcommunication focus breaks with tradition. Instead of sticking exclusively with one method of communicating information, orders, and directions to your team, mix it up a little. Again, after a meeting, you might send out emails clarifying the details of the new assignment. If you usually stick to email, follow up with calls, voice messages, or (if possible), face-to-face meetings with key team members.

Steering Clear of Confusion

Although the hands-off approach may be ideal, it doesn’t always reflect reality. Sometimes, you just have to talk too much for your directives to get through intact.  Advertisers have practices this for at least a hundred years. It’s not as necessary in a newspaper, since newsprint is static, but think about it; how many times do radio and TV ads repeat their toll-free numbers? In their books, business opportunity gurus and marketers tend to repeat the same information at least twice, even three or four times. They realize you might miss it the first time around.

Despite your careful charting of the course at the beginning of your trip, as with any voyage, you need to perform a reality check occasionally and then do whatever’s necessary to get back on course. Reality may have shifted in such a way that your original directions may not always apply, or your communication methods may have developed gaps that don’t let some things through. If this is true, it’s time to overcommunicate so your people understand everything you’re trying to tell them, in ways that help bridge any gaps.

© 2024 Laura Stack. Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE is known as The Productivity Pro^®. She is an award-winning keynote speaker, bestselling author, and noted authority on personal productivity. For 30+ years, she has given keynote speeches and workshops on increasing workplace productivity in high-stress environments. Stack has authored eight books, including the bestselling What to Do When There’s Too Much to Do. She is a past president of the National Speakers Association and a member of the exclusive Speaker Hall of Fame. To book Laura speak at an upcoming meeting or event, contact her at www.TheProductivityPro.com.

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