I was recently interviewed on The Dr. Ginny Show, and Dr. Ginny Baro asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks:

"Based on what you're seeing in the workplace, what are the top leadership competencies leaders need right now?"

Without hesitation, I said: Communication strategy.

Not communication volume. Not more meetings, more emails, or more Slack messages.

Intentional communication strategy.

Because here's what I see every single day in my coaching work:

Leaders aren't overwhelmed because they communicate too much. They're overwhelmed because they communicate reactively, and their teams pay the price.

THE PROBLEM: REACTIVE COMMUNICATION CREATES REACTIVE TEAMS

Think about your last week as a leader.

How many of these sound familiar?

→ Scheduling a one-on-one with a team member because it "felt needed" in the moment—but without explaining why you wanted to meet

→ Sending an urgent message late at night because something crossed your mind

→ Calling an impromptu meeting without context or a clear goal

→ Repeating the same expectations over and over because your team doesn't seem to "get it"

None of these actions are inherently wrong. But when they become your default mode of communication, they create confusion, not clarity.

Here's what happens when leaders communicate reactively:

• Teams don't know what actually matters. When everything feels urgent, nothing feels important.
• Priorities shift constantly. Without a clear communication structure, your team is always reacting to the latest fire.
• People wait for direction instead of taking ownership. If they don't know when or how you'll communicate, they stop making decisions on their own.
• Execution slows down. Lack of clarity creates hesitation. Hesitation kills momentum.

Reactive communication doesn't just exhaust you. It exhausts your entire team.

THE SHIFT: WHAT INTENTIONAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGY ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE

So what does intentional communication look like?

It's not about adding more touchpoints or scheduling more meetings.

It's about creating a clear, agreed-upon structure for how, when, and why you communicate and making sure your team understands the purpose behind it.

Intentional communication strategy means:

✓ Explaining the "why" behind your communication touchpoints

Don't just say, "We'll meet weekly." Say, "We're meeting weekly so you have consistent space to ask questions, share updates, and stay aligned on priorities."

When people understand the purpose of communication, they engage differently.

✓ Creating structure WITH your team, not FOR them

The best communication strategies aren't dictated from the top down. They're co-created.

Ask your team:

• How do you prefer to receive updates?
• What's working in how we communicate right now?
• What's not working?
• What do you need from me to feel supported and informed?

When your team has input, they have buy-in. And buy-in drives execution.

✓ Being specific about how and when communication happens

Vague commitments don't work.

Instead of: "My door is always open." Try: "I'll send priorities every Monday morning. We'll check in 1:1 every other Thursday. If something urgent comes up, Slack me directly."

Specificity creates predictability. Predictability creates trust.

✓ Reducing the need to repeat yourself

If you find yourself saying the same thing over and over, that's a sign your communication strategy needs work.

Ask yourself:

• Am I being clear the first time?
• Am I explaining the context and the "why"?
• Am I checking for understanding, not just compliance?

When you communicate with intention, you say it once—and it sticks.

WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN PRACTICE

Let me give you an example from my own leadership experience.

When I was Chief Human Resource Officer of a restaurant group, I had a team of high-performing leaders who were constantly putting out fires. Communication felt chaotic. People weren't sure when to escalate issues, when to wait for our next check-in, or how to prioritize conflicting demands.

So I sat down with my team and asked: "How can we communicate in a way that actually works for all of us?"I asked this for the group and met individually with each team member to understand how they liked to be managed.

Together, we created a communication structure:

• Monday mornings: I'd send a priorities email outlining what mattered most that week and why.
• Biweekly 1:1's: Scheduled in advance, with a shared agenda both of us could add to throughout the week.
• Urgent issues: Defined what "urgent" actually meant—and agreed on how to handle those situations (Slack for immediate needs, email for everything else).
• Weekly team huddle: 30 minutes to align, celebrate wins, and surface any blockers.

The result?

• Less confusion. My team knew what mattered and when to expect communication from me.
• Less rework. Clear expectations up front prevented mistakes down the line.
• Less burnout. For me and my team.

That's the power of intentional communication strategy.

THE QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

If you're reading this and thinking, "I need to get more intentional with my communication," here are the questions to start with:
1. Does my team know WHY we communicate the way we do?

If you schedule weekly one-on-ones but haven't explained the purpose, your team might see it as micromanagement—not support.

2. Did I create this communication strategy WITH my team or just FOR them?

If you designed your communication approach in isolation, it's not a strategy. It's a monologue.

3. What message do I keep having to repeat?

That's your sign. If you're repeating yourself, you didn't communicate it clearly or intentionally the first time.

4. How can I reduce reactive communication this week?

Pick one area where you tend to react in the moment. Pause. Get intentional. Create structure.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Communication strategy is the foundation of effective leadership.

When leaders communicate with clarity, consistency, and intention, teams don't just follow, they execute with confidence.

But when communication is reactive, scattered, or unclear, everything suffers. Teams get confused. Execution slows down. Burnout creeps in.

The good news?

You don't have to do more. You just have to be more intentional with the communication you're already doing.

And that's a shift any leader can make.

TAKE ACTION

If you're ready to build a more intentional communication strategy with your team, I'd love to help.
I've created a Blueprint for Communication Strategy Guide to help you set up a strategy with your team. Grab it today and put it into action!

Through 1:1 coaching and leadership workshops, I help leaders:

• Create clarity without micromanaging
• Reduce miscommunication and rework
• Lead conversations with confidence

📩 Book a free consultation to explore how coaching or a workshop can support your leadership growth

This isn't a sales call, it's a coaching conversation to see if we're the right fit.