How can we improve workplace communication?

chicagobooth.edu/review | Technology is providing an ever-expanding menu of options for communicating with coworkers. Yet in spite—or perhaps because—of those tools, many companies suffer from cultures of poor communication. Hal Weitzman sits down with Chicago Booth faculty Ayelet Fishbach, Nicholas Epley, and Heather M. Caruso to find out what causes miscommunication inside and outside the office, and what we can do to fix it. 0:00 Intro 1:00 Why more communication tools haven't fixed workplace communication 2:24 The "perspective gap": what you know that others don't 3:42 Why email hides more than face-to-face conversation 7:13 Miscalibration in giving and receiving feedback 10:05 Practical fixes for better communication at work FAQ: Q: Why is workplace communication so often bad, despite more channels? A: Researchers point to "perspective gaps" — we assume others share context or attention we have that they actually don't, and that gap widens in information-poor channels like email. Q: Does giving positive vs. negative feedback depend on the relationship? A: Yes — research shows people want more positive feedback as novices and more constructive/negative feedback as they gain expertise or closeness in a relationship.