Most communication problems in life- whether it’s within our family, friends, or the team of people we lead- aren’t really about information. They’re about assumptions and unclear communication.
Someone assumed the deadline was Friday. Someone assumed “let’s circle back” meant never. Someone left an open-ended deadline to a project. Someone never provided guidelines for a new task. Someone assumed that leaving a one-word reply- “OK.”- was perfectly fine. (It is not. It is never fine.)
The good news? Chaotic communication is fixable, and clarity around communication is teachable.
Fixing it doesn’t require a communication degree, and teaching clarity with communication doesn’t require a 20-hour CE course. It requires organization of thought, emotional intelligence, and a little intentional effort- the same ingredients you pour into every other part of your business.
Let’s talk about Michael Hyatt (author of No Fail Communication) and his work on communication and leadership, which draws a straight line between unclear communication and organizational breakdown. He argues that when leaders fail to communicate with clarity, they create a vacuum- and vacuums get filled with assumptions, rumors, and anxiety. Sound familiar?
Here’s how to stop the chaos across the three channels your team uses most: verbal conversations, text messages, and email.
1. Verbal Communication: Say What You Mean (And Mean What You Say)
Spoken words disappear the moment they’re said, which is exactly why they cause so much confusion. In-person and phone conversations feel efficient, but without clarity and follow-through, they’re just noise with good intentions.
The most common verbal communication failure is vagueness dressed up as collaboration. Phrases like “let’s revisit this,” “get this to me soon,” or “use your best judgment” sound empowering but often leave your team (or spouse, or child, or friend…) guessing.
| ❌ Poor Verbal Communication“Hey, can you handle the email reply to that upset parent/client? I need it done, like, relatively soon. Just use your best judgment and we’ll talk later.” | ✅ Clear Verbal Communication“I need the email reply to that upset parent/client drafted by Thursday at noon. Include a proposed solution and next steps. Let’s check in Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 if you have questions.” |
The difference is clarity and precision. Hyatt’s framework reminds us that clarity is an act of respect. When you’re vague, you’re transferring the mental load of your unclear expectations onto someone else. That’s not leadership; it’s simply outsourcing your thinking.
Pro Tip: After any verbal request, try this closing line: “Just to make sure we’re aligned, what’s your understanding of the next step?” Even better? “Thanks for this conversation. I’m going to follow up with an email on what we’ve covered to make sure we’re still on the same page.”
2. Text Messages: Quick Doesn’t Have to Mean Confusing
Text messaging has become the informal backbone of most communication, including business leadership communication. This is both a superpower and a disaster waiting to happen. The speed is great. The ambiguity, less so.
Texts are stripped of tone, body language, and context. A two-word reply that feels efficient to the sender can feel dismissive, urgent, unprofessional, or alarming to the recipient.
| ❌ Poor Text Communication“Did you talk to that vendor yet?”[No context, no urgency level, creates anxiety about what “yet” implies] | ✅ Clear Text Communication“Hi! Did you connect with the HVAC company about the date of the inspection? We need to confirm by EOD today so schedules can be modified. Thank you!” |
Notice the second version includes context (why it matters), a deadline (EOD today), and a friendly, human closing. It takes 10 more seconds to write and saves 10 minutes of back-and-forth.
A few text communication ground rules for your team worth establishing:
- Use “NRN” (No Reply Needed) when you’re sharing info, not asking a question.
- Flag urgency clearly: “Non-urgent —” or “Action needed today:”
- If it takes more than 3 texts to resolve, pick up the phone.
- “K.” is retired. Effective immediately.
On a personal note, my preference is never to send text messages to my team unless it’s an emergency situation. Leaders should especially refrain from texting their team if personal devices are being used. It’s important as a leader to be a role model for managing time, managing attention, and understanding the difference between urgent needs and those needs that can wait for normal working hours.
In summary, use text messages sparingly with your team, and make sure there is clarity in text messages regardless of the recipient.
3. Email: The Communication Channel We Love to Hate (And Keep Using Anyway)
Email is the workhorse of business communication- and the most abused.
It’s where tone goes to die, action items go to be buried in paragraph three, and subject lines like “Question” have caused more confusion than any meeting ever could.
Michael Hyatt’s principle applies here more than anywhere: if you want a clear response, you have to send a clear email. Ambiguous email out = confused reply in. Or worse- no reply at all, because nobody knew what you actually wanted.
| ❌ Poor Email Communication: Subject: Question Content: “Hey, wanted to follow up on that thing we talked about. Let me know what you think when you get a chance. Also, there’s some stuff with the new employee I want to run by you too. Thanks!” | ✅ Clear Email Communication: Subject: Decision Needed by Friday- Office Item Requests Content: “Hi [Name], I need your final list of office item requests by Friday, May 9. Please confirm this with your team first so everyone is in alignment with urgent needs. Thanks!” |
The effective email tells the reader three things immediately: what it’s about (subject line), what’s needed (one clear ask), and when (deadline). That’s it. That’s the whole framework.
Quick email upgrade checklist:
- Specific subject line- not “Follow Up” or “Quick Question”
- One clear action item per email (bold it if necessary)- sometimes it may be appropriate to list out action items in chronological order
- Deadline stated explicitly- not “soon” or “when you’re able”
- Short paragraphs. If it’s longer than a screen scroll, consider a call instead. The rule of thumb in my company is if an email is longer than 5 sentences, then more often than not we need to schedule a quick verbal conversation (followed up by an email re-cap).
What else did you notice? The effective email is only about one subject- not three vague ones.
4. Using AI to Communicate Smarter (Not Lazier)
Here’s where things get exciting and where a lot of entrepreneurs are leaving real value on the table. AI tools like Claude or ChatGPT aren’t just for summarizing documents or brainstorming ideas. They’re communication coaches available 24/7, for free. (Or nearly free. You get the idea.)
When used well (this is key!), AI helps you draft faster, communicate more clearly, and scale your messaging without losing your voice.
When used poorly, it produces language, sentence structure, and vocabulary that sounds like it was written by anyone except you.
The difference is in the prompt, the training documents you share with it, and the modifications you make to have the output truly be in your voice. AI tools are meant to enhance; it will get you 60-70% of the way there and help with thought blocks, but it’s up to you to get it across the finish line.
Drafting: From Blank Page to First Draft in Seconds
If you stare at a blank screen every time you need to write a difficult email, there’s no shame int using AI for help. Give it context, a tone, and a goal. In return, it will give you a starting point you can actually work with.
| 🤖 Try This Prompt: “Write a professional but warm and understanding email to a patient explaining that their insurance denied the last 4 visits and they will have to pay out of pocket. Acknowledge the inconvenience, explain briefly what can happen with insurance coverage, detail next steps they can take, and reassure them we can still continue visits. Keep it under 200 words.” UPLOAD TRAINING FILES SUCH AS INSURANCE LANGUAGE, POLICIES AROUND PAYMENT PLANS, AND SAMPLE EMAILS WITH YOUR TONE. |
Notice the prompt includes: the purpose, the tone, the key points to hit, and a length constraint. The more specific your prompt along with additional relevant training files, the more useful your output.
Refining: Turn Good Into Great
Sometimes you’ve already written something but you’re just not sure if it hits the right note. Drop it into an AI tool and ask for feedback.
| 🤖 Try This Prompt: “Review this email I’ve drafted and tell me: (1) Is the main ask clear? (2) Does the tone seem professional but not cold? (3) Is there anything that could be misinterpreted? Suggest edits where needed. Here’s the email: [paste your draft]” |
This is like having an editor on call and prove to be an invaluable asset.
Scaling: Consistent Messaging Across Your Team
One of the biggest communication challenges for growing businesses is maintaining consistency. As you add team members, your culture and messaging can get diluted. AI can help you build templates, tone guides, and communication frameworks that scale.
| 🤖 Try This Prompt: “Create a communication template for our team to use when following up with clients/patients who haven’t responded after an initial intake. The tone should be professional, friendly, and low-pressure. Include three variations: one for a 3-day follow-up, one for a 7-day follow-up, and one final check-in at 14 days.” |
Now your entire team communicates with the same quality and consistency, whether it’s you sending the email or the newest hire on your team.
Remember: AI is a drafting tool- not a replacement for human judgment. Always review AI-generated communication before sending. Read it out loud. Make sure it sounds like you. Your clients and team hired a human so make sure to keep it that way.
The Bottom Line: Clarity Is a Leadership Skill
Michael Hyatt’s core message in his book on communication (No Fail Communication– order it now if you don’t already have it) is simple but powerful: the way you communicate reflects the way you lead. When your messages are vague, your team operates in fog. When your messages are clear, your team can actually move.
Communication without chaos is about being intentional. It’s choosing precision over convenience, empathy over assumption, and clarity over comfort. Whether you’re texting a quick update, hopping on a call, or sending a client or team email at 11pm (which I would suggest you don’t– schedule it for the morning instead), the question to ask yourself is: “Will this message create alignment or confusion?”
Choose alignment. Every. Single. Time.