Avoid These Five Communication Mistakes

How an Online MBA in Executive Communication Can Elevate Your Career

Communication mistakes occur in organizations of all shapes and sizes, but a Baylor MBA equips students with methods to mitigate clarity issues and enhance communication strategy. Adding a concentration in Executive Communication to your Online MBA (OMBA) program or Executive MBA (EMBA) can position you to be an effective communicator, as well as an impactful leader.

MBA faculty Jacob Ford and April Rowsey dissect the common communication pitfalls, how to avoid them, and how to use emotional intelligence (EQ) to help an audience understand the meaning behind business communications. “The challenge we continually see is that managers and supervisors feel that they are communicating enough information to employees, but employees are reporting that they need more information from supervisors,” said Jacob Ford, PhD, senior lecturer at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business.

When an organization is undergoing uncertainty, intense change or a crisis, clarity and consistency are even more important. For any organization – whether for-profit or nonprofit, large or small – to survive, effective communication is paramount. 

“For a business to thrive, meet deadlines and exceed goals, solid communication systems and relationships must be in place,” reports Small Business Chronicle. 

Here are five communication pitfalls every leader should avoid to have successful corporate communications.

1. Infrequent and Inconsistent Communication

When there’s not enough communication, employees or volunteers are left in a void. Unfortunately, a communication void tends to be filled with negative information. In the words of C. Northcote Parkinson, “The void created by the failure to communicate is soon filled with poison, drivel and misrepresentation.” 

“There’s never a time to have scant or inconsistent internal communication,” said April Rowsey, DBA, lecturer at the Business School. “In basketball, the pivot foot serves as a stable anchor and allows players to both maintain balance and adjust their position. In turn, this enables the player to navigate challenges and seize opportunities on the court.” 

Frequent communication with consistent messaging is the “pivot foot” organizations need to give stability and confidence so internal stakeholders can fulfill their roles confidently.

Dave Grossman writes, “Leaders can often delay communication when they feel they don’t have all the answers…yet employees consistently say they’d rather hear from their leaders early and often.” 

2. Failure to Understand the Audience

Imagine beginning a love note with the words, “To Whom it May Concern.” The person needing to be concerned would likely be you. Failure to understand both what your audience needs at a given time and the best way to provide the information to them are damaging but avoidable pitfalls.

“When we communicate in any context, we select our words and phrases through our own frame of reference,” Ford said. “When we choose messages that make sense to us, we often neglect what will make sense to the reader or hearer of our messages.”

Not tailoring messages to the specific needs and perspectives of employees can result in disengagement. Effective leaders consider their employees' or volunteers’ viewpoints to enhance communication. What does the reader care about the most? Shows empathy. What will the listener gain from this meeting report? Adds value. What matters the most in this email? Doesn’t waste time. These are questions that must be considered to avoid this pitfall. 

3. Using Impersonal or Overly Scripted Messaging

Depending on communications provided by outside contractors can lead to impersonal communication. Agency employees who don’t know the team members can come off as detached, and for good reason. Generic content doesn’t speak clearly. 

“Impersonal messaging in the workplace has two main consequences,” Ford said. “First, the message may not be interpreted correctly due to its lack of audience-focus, and, second, the message misses an opportunity to build or maintain relationships with the receivers of the message.”

“If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of AI-generated content, you’ve likely experienced this – though the content may be technically perfect, this type of communication signals that the emphasis is more on perfection (of the message) instead of connection (from one human to another),” Rowsey said. 

Humans tend to appreciate communication that isn’t overly rehearsed since we are flawed and anticipate that some things will lack polish.

Still, as Rowsey sees it, “This isn’t to say preparation isn’t important — it absolutely is.” Flawed isn’t the same as careless because “having poor interpersonal skills can be a detriment” for the organization. Executive-level communicators should focus on connection over perfection, being human over being robotic. With the advent of AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini, the temptation is reliance to the point of dependence. For all the time AI might save, it won’t know a leader’s specific context, so it cannot capture the leader’s relationship with employees and volunteers.

4. Having No Mechanism for Measuring Communication Effectiveness

Overlooking the assessment of communication strategies can result in ongoing inefficiencies. Feedback is necessary to determine whether your messaging is landing the way you need it to land.

Communication theory teaches that the words chosen by the communicator must convey to the receiver not merely the specific words but the meaning intended by the words, or else clear communication has not taken place. The primary goal of executive communications is connecting with the audience to add value for a desired result. 

“We fundamentally understand IQ (intelligence quotient) and EQ (emotional quotient),” Rowsey said. “Communications Quotient (CQ) is the measure of how effective one is as a communicator.” 

5. Vague and Irrelevant Information 

Business jargon that doesn’t address the issues at hand doesn’t prepare the organization to move forward. Statements like “We’ve taken a solution-focused approach, dominated by our corporate values, to create a paradigm shift in the industry” use all the buzzwords but mean nothing. It’s like the villain’s line in a corporate takeover movie. Vagaries are best left in the draft folder. Communication must be clear and precise.

Similarly, irrelevant information can disrupt the pipeline of important communication. If recipients are conditioned to receiving things that can be ignored, they will be tempted to ignore things that shouldn’t be. This pitfall is broadened by the ease by which technology makes irrelevant communications possible. 

“The sheer amount of communication that an employee receives through different avenues of technology has created an overload of communication,” Ford said. “Leaders must find ways to use technology to complement other forms of communication, so employees aren’t overloaded with irrelevant information.”

About Baylor’s Online MBA Program

Baylor’s Online MBA offerings are the best online MBA programs for leadership. You can earn a 100 percent online MBA while getting expert instruction from nationally acclaimed faculty and all the other resources you’ve come to expect from the University’s Business School. Choose a General MBA program or concentrations in Business Analytics, Cybersecurity, Executive Communication, Global Trade and Supply Chain Management, and Marketing. Click here to begin the three-step Baylor MBA Program application process.

The Baylor EMBA in Dallas provides an exceptional, tailored MBA experienced for anyone looking to take the next step in their career and expand their network. Choose a General EMBA program or concentrations in Cybersecurity, Executive Communication, Healthcare Administration, or Marketing. Click here to begin the three-step Baylor MBA Program application process.

What’s Next?

Ready to begin your OMBA or EMBA at Baylor? Click here to fill out a form for more information. 

Capitalize on becoming a communication expert with our effective communication tips.

How does an OMBA boost your career? Learn more from Kristina Dill-Wifon.