Communication Defined
The Latin root of the word "communication" means this.
To share
According to Purdue OWL, this should appear in the very first sentence of a professional email.
Your purpose or reason for writing
This communication style is considered the most effective in professional settings.
Assertive
According to HBR, collaborative teams are this many times more likely to be high-performing.
5 times (5×)
This framework asks "Why?" five consecutive times to identify the root cause of a problem.
The 5 Whys
This type of communication uses body language, facial expressions, and posture.
Non-verbal communication
This is the professional standard for email response time on business days.
24 hours (one business day)
This style avoids conflict by staying silent, giving in, or agreeing externally while feeling resentful.
Passive
Gallup research links strong collaborative cultures to this percentage increase in profitability
21%
The Fishbone Diagram is also known by this name, after the researcher who popularized it.
The Ishikawa Diagram
Written communication should always be tailored to this.
The audience
During a Teams video call, this habit signals professionalism and engagement.
Keeping your camera on (and muting when not speaking)
This formula starts with "I feel [emotion] when [situation] because [reason]…"
The "I" statement
This team role manages the meeting flow and ensures every voice is heard.
The Facilitator
This creative problem-solving acronym stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other uses, Eliminate, Reverse
SCAMPER
This communication type includes Slack, Teams, and social media and blends written and verbal elements.
Digital communication
This non-verbal cue during a handshake or meeting signals confidence.
Steady eye contact
A person who agrees on the surface but resists through delays, sarcasm, or avoidance is demonstrating this style.
Passive-aggressive
This team role challenges assumptions and stress-tests ideas to prevent blind spots
The Devil's Advocate
Root Cause Analysis is designed to address this — not just the visible problem.
The root cause (the underlying cause, not the symptom)
The ability to adjust your tone, style, and medium based on your audience is called this
Communication adaptability
This principle says that when your words and body language conflict, people believe this.
Your body language
Assertive communicators are seen as having this top employer competency, defined as the ability to understand and manage emotions.
Emotional intelligence
Patrick Lencioni identifies this as the foundation of every high-performing team in his 5 Dysfunctions model.
Trust (absence of trust is the first dysfunction)
During brainstorming, this rule must be followed to maximize the number of ideas generated before evaluation begins.
No judgment / withhold evaluation (all ideas are welcome before filtering)