Communication: Is It Sent or Received?
Communication is everywhere.
It’s what keeps projects moving, relationships healthy, teams aligned and customers informed.
It’s also one of the biggest sources of friction at work.
One of the most common comments I hear in CliftonStrengths workshops is surprise when people discover where the talent theme of Communication sits on their report.
If it is high, people often tell me: “I’m not sure I’m actually that good at communicating.” If it is lower, they sometimes worry that it means they aren’t an effective communicator.
The reality is that everyone communicates. The difference is in how we communicate.
Some people think out loud and refine their ideas through conversation.
Others prefer time to reflect before they respond.
Some want all the background, context and detail.
Others want the key message and what action is needed.
Some are interested in the people impact and how everyone is feeling.
Others are looking for the logic, evidence and rationale.
Some want to talk it through.
Others would rather read it, think about it and come back later.
The filters we use to send and receive information are far more nuanced than a single talent theme.
Communication sits at #7 in my own CliftonStrengths profile. If you’ve attended one of my workshops before, you’ll know I don’t get too caught up in the exact position of a theme. What’s way more powerful is how our talents work together.
I have just got back from USA where I arranged the fourth Connect, Learn and Share event for more than 100 global CliftonStrengths coaches.
I thought I had communication covered.
The agenda was posted in our Circle community.
Emails were sent.
FAQs were created.
Questions were answered.
Timings were displayed on walls and tables.
Despite all of that, one of the pieces of feedback I received after Connect, Learn and Share was around communication.
One Message. Many Interpretations.
Some people said there wasn’t enough.
Some said there was too much.
Some said it wasn’t clear.
Some said they knew exactly where to find everything.
The interesting thing is that all of these can be true at the same time. In fact, if you’re leading a team, managing people or running projects, you’ve probably experienced this yourself.
The feedback surprised me at first.
I wasn’t surprised that people had questions. Any event involving 100 people will create questions.
What surprised me was how differently people experienced exactly the same communication.
It got me thinking…
What does it actually mean to communicate well?
When you’re communicating with 100 people, you’re not communicating with one audience.
You’re communicating with 100 different preferences.
As leaders, managers, coaches, and in this instance, me as the event organiser, perhaps the goal isn’t perfect communication.
Maybe the goal is creating multiple pathways for people to find what they need, when they need it.
The Communication Challenge
One lesson I’ve taken away is that communication is never finished. It’s an ongoing process of testing, learning and adapting.
Sometimes we’ll get it right.
Sometimes we’ll miss the mark.
The same approach can work brilliantly for one person and not at all for another.
This is where CliftonStrengths can help. The more we understand our own preferences, the more aware we become of the assumptions we make. The more we understand others’ talents and strengths, the easier it becomes to adapt our approach.
Not perfectly, but just enough to create greater understanding, stronger relationships and less friction.
A Challenge for You
This morning I asked Gallup AI:
“How can I communicate better based on the combination of my other talents?”
The response gave me:
✅ Insights into how my talents influence my communication style
✅ Potential blind spots
✅ Practical suggestions for adapting my approach
✅ Reflection questions to consider
If you’ve completed a workshop with me before, you also have access to Gallup AI through your Gallup Access account.
Have a play with it.
Try asking:
“Help me understand how I naturally communicate based on my CliftonStrengths. What are my communication strengths, potential blind spots, and how can I adjust my style when working with people who communicate differently than I do?”
Or:
🔹 How do my strengths show up in my emails and written communication?
🔹 What should I watch for when presenting to a diverse audience?
🔹 How can my strengths help me navigate a difficult conversation?
🔹 How should I structure my communication for a particular team or stakeholder group?
You might be surprised by what you discover.
Not just about how you communicate, but about what others may need from you in order to hear what you’re trying to say.
Because communication isn’t complete when we send the message.
It’s complete when the message is received.
