You might be checking in regularly, running stand-ups, or sharing updates across the business. But if teams are still working in silos, unclear on priorities, or pulling in different directions, something isn’t quite landing.

Have you ever said, “I talk to my team every day” or “I’m always giving pep talks”? Have you led a project where marketing is running a campaign for a product that hasn't been finished yet? Or where sales are promising features that haven’t even been scoped, or teams are duplicating work without even realising? Does any of this sound familiar?

If it does, then you're probably working in communication silos. Talking at people, not with them, sharing information with one team, expecting that knowledge to trickle through, then being surprised when projects hit friction. The breakdown often happens because communication is a much broader concept than simple verbal content. 

And with the changes introduced under the Employment Rights Act 2025 now starting to land in practice, getting this right matters more than ever. Managers are expected to have a clearer understanding of what’s happening in their teams, from performance to wellbeing, and that only happens when communication is consistent, two-way, and actually landing.

Strong communication isn’t just about sharing information. It’s about creating shared understanding, aligning around goals, and making sure the right people are looped in at the right time. The challenge is that communication is often treated as just “what was said”, when in reality, it’s much broader than that.

For communication to actually work, a few things need to be in place:

• Clarity and understanding  - It’s not enough to say something; people need to interpret it in the same way.
• Context and connection - Teams need to understand how their work fits into the bigger picture.
• The right channel – A message isn’t useful if it never reaches the people who need it.

When any of these are missing, information might be shared, but alignment is lost. And that’s when silos start to form. Strong communication isn’t about getting it right once; it’s about doing the basics consistently, so alignment doesn’t rely on chance.

Here are four simple ways to sense-check whether you’re communicating effectively:

1. The most immediate way to check for understanding is to ask for a playback, not just agreement. A quick “Does that make sense?” will almost always get a polite yes or nod, even when it hasn’t landed. Instead, ask, "Just so I know I’ve explained this clearly, how do you see this impacting your work next week?” If they can explain both the intent and the action in their own words, you’ve created real understanding, not just delivered information.

2. Look at what the work is telling you. The clearest sign of effective communication isn’t what’s said but what gets delivered. If teams are duplicating effort, missing key details, or working on different assumptions, it’s usually a sign that something hasn’t been fully aligned. On the other side, strong communication shows up in smooth handovers and joined-up thinking, like engineering building exactly what sales has promised, because everyone is working from the same understanding of the goal.

3. Meet people where they are - as a manager, you might prefer email because it creates a paper trail, but if your team lives in Slack, then your message is effectively invisible. Strong communication isn’t just about what you say; it’s about making sure it actually reaches people and also avoiding confusion. A simple question like “Where do you feel you get the most clarity from me day to day?” can go a long way. It shows you’re willing to adapt and helps your day to day messages be communicated more effectively. Ultimately, it’s the manager’s role to close that gap, not the team’s job to chase clarity. But flexibility doesn’t replace good process. Where communication relates to performance, expectations, or formal matters, it should always be backed up in writing. A clear email trail isn’t just helpful,  it’s essential when it comes to fair process. 

4. Pay attention to what’s not being said. Communication isn’t just verbal; it’s also how people respond, including body language.  If you are "giving a pep talk" but your team is avoiding eye contact, looking at their phones, or offering one-word answers, the "transfer of meaning" is blocked by an emotional barrier. Strong managers don’t just deliver messages; they create space for clarity. That means making it safe for people to ask questions, challenge assumptions, or flag concerns early. 

If you’re noticing disengagement, a few simple shifts can help:

• Pause and open the floor differently -  instead of “any questions?”, try something more specific like “What feels unclear or unrealistic here?”.
• Follow up 1:1 - some people won’t speak up in a group, but will share concerns more openly in a smaller setting.
• Sense check understanding, not just reactions - ask people how they’re planning to approach the work, not just how they feel about it.
• Acknowledge what you’re seeing  - it’s okay to say “I’m getting the sense that something’s not quite right - what’s missing?”

Because if people don’t feel comfortable speaking up, issues don’t disappear;  they just surface later, when they’re harder to fix. And in the current landscape, now that the ERA 2025 is here, missing those early signals can quickly become a bigger risk for the business.

If your team needs support or training in building stronger, more connected ways of working, talk to our team here at Fresh Seed. With the Employment Rights Act 2025 raising the bar on what’s expected from employers, having managers who can communicate clearly, understand what’s really going on in their teams, and act early is no longer a “nice to have”, it’s an essential. 

Reach out to us at info@freshseed.co.uk