No Yelling, No Drama: Team Communication That Doesn’t Hurt

Krešimir Sočković
Jul 14
4 min read

In every company, school, or sports team, there’s always that one team everyone either loves—or barely tolerates. And the most common reason? Communication. It’s rarely about someone not knowing how to make an Excel sheet or run 100 meters without gasping for air. The real issue is how we say things, how we listen, and how we somehow end up arguing over pizza during team building. So let’s dig into that a bit.

Teamwork isn’t a cafeteria joke

You’ve heard the one: “Why is teamwork hard? Because it involves people.” And it’s true—people have different habits, tones of voice, priorities, and let’s not forget, wildly different morning moods. But team communication isn’t just about “talking”; it’s a full skillset—from active listening and asking questions to those unspoken rules like “Don’t send emails in all caps.”

In sports, communication is often more instinctive. Athletes practice it even while running—“Left!”, “Behind you!”, “Mine!”—short, sharp, no overthinking. In business, it’s often the opposite: the more important the meeting, the more people start saying things like “let’s implement synergistic alignment strategies.”

How to build a team that communicates like a symphony

Everyone on the same frequency. Without clear goals, a team is like a football squad without goals—lots of running, lots of sweating, but nobody knows where to score. So first: clarify who does what, who decides what, and by when. For example, one marketing agency starts each week with a short stand-up meeting (yes, standing!) where each person says: “Here’s what I’m working on. Here’s where I’m stuck. Here’s what I need.” The result? Fewer emails, fewer misunderstandings, more peaceful coffee breaks.

Trust is like Wi-Fi—when it’s down, everything lags. People won’t share ideas if they fear being mocked. They won’t admit mistakes if they think they’ll be punished. Great teams have leaders who ask: “What do you think?”—and actually listen. One IT team lead in Zagreb has a rule: every week, he asks his colleagues what he could do better. It’s not always comfortable—but the team respects him for it.

Listening: the ultimate power tool. Great communication starts with listening. Active listening isn’t just waiting your turn to speak—it’s actually trying to understand. A classic example of poor listening: “I hear you, but…”—everything before the “but” just got deleted. Better: “Let me see if I got this right…” That shows you care.

Feedback doesn’t have to sting. Feedback isn’t about being “brutally honest”—it can be helpful without causing trauma. A simple formula: “I liked how you…”, “Next time, maybe try…”, “What do you think about that?” And praise matters too. In sports, every coach knows a good compliment can drive more motivation than a win.

External Communication: When Your Team Talks to the World

Consistency is everything. Nothing’s worse than one team member telling a client one thing and another saying the opposite. Solution? Set ground rules for communication—who says what, when, and how. A startup in Osijek runs all outgoing partner emails through a shared platform to make sure the message is clear, correct, and on-brand.

Respect your audience. The marketing team doesn’t need the same language as the finance director. Tailor your tone and content. Talking to a client? Ask yourself: “Would my grandma understand this?” If not—rewrite it.

Speed = professionalism. These days, whoever replies first usually wins. A client doesn’t need the final answer right away—but they do appreciate: “We got your message and are working on it. We’ll get back to you by end of day.” Sounds basic? It is. But few actually do it.

Team Conflict: Meltdown or Opportunity?

Conflicts aren’t always bad. When handled well, they’re fertilizer for stronger collaboration. But they need to be addressed early, calmly, and fairly. Here’s how:

Don’t sweep it under the rug. If a teammate’s frustrated from carrying too much, don’t wait for them to explode. Ask: “Hey, how are you doing with that task?” That opens the door to real talk.

Separate the person from the problem. Instead of: “You never send things on time!” try: “I’ve noticed we’ve missed a few deadlines—how can we fix that?” The idea: the issue is shared, not personal.

Shared resolution = shared responsibility. Once it’s settled, agree on next steps—and write it down. Not because you don’t trust each other, but because it’s smart. A creative agency in Split keeps a “conflict log”—just a Google Doc noting what happened, what was agreed, and when they’ll check in again to see if it’s working.

Follow-up is king. After smoothing things over, follow up in a week or two: “How’s it going? Anything we need to tweak?” That shows you truly care—not just putting out fires.