Master Your Communication Style. 5 Tips to Build Trust, Drive Results, and Lead Effectively
[With a free checklist to run great meetings]
The way you communicate with your colleagues can mean the difference between earning their trust and losing it.
It defines how others see you, whether they respect you, and it's a key factor in how well your projects perform. If your colleagues (or client) struggle to stay aligned, or your updates miss the mark, the way you communicate may be holding you back.
Here’s what your communication style reveals—and how to use it to become a more effective project manager.
1. Trust - you Build (or Break) it Every Day
I want to hit home that trust is everything when it comes to your work.
If your communication is confusing, inconsistent, or unprofessional, people won’t think that you can do a good job. And that means you’ll be given less responsibility, and you’ll have less opportunity to grow your career (and your awesome reputation).
Here’s how to build trust with your words:
Be transparent: Lift the roof of your process. Keep the jargon to a minimum and always, always tell the truth.
Be consistent: Regular updates will keep everyone in the loop on what’s going on. So be proactive and think of things ahead of everyone else.
Be clear: Keep it simple. Say what you mean—and maybe sure next steps are obvious.
For example, if a deadline slips, explain why and how you’ll fix it. Instead of excuses, focus on solutions and bring options to the table.
When your team knows you’re honest and reliable, they’ll trust you to lead them through any tough situation.
2. Emotional Intelligence Isn’t Optional
A quick search will tell you - Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to our ability to understand, manage, and express our emotions, as well as recognise and respond appropriately to the emotions of others.
You can spot emotionally intelligent project managers by how they adapt their tone and message. They listen more than they talk and respond to others emotions instead of ignoring them.
By doing this, you’ll very quickly see a positive difference in the way that your project team responds to your requests. If your team feels like you understand them, they’ll give you their best.
Here’s how to develop this skill:
Watch body language: Does someone look stressed? Are they holding back on saying something?
Adapt your tone: Be softer when tensions are high and firmer when there is less flexibility.
Acknowledge feelings: Phrases like “I know this is frustrating, what can I do to help you?” go a long way.
Imagine a team member has missed a deadline. Instead of saying, “Our client won’t be happy,” you could simply say, “How can I help?”.
That shows you care about your colleague, not just their task.
When you show empathy, your team will go above and beyond, and it will foster a more collaborative atmosphere.
3. Your Decisions Need to Sound Confident
People will take subtle cues from your natural tone. If you sound unsure or hesitant, they’ll quickly lose a bit of confidence.
Your indecision can show a lack of clarity and create confusion.
Here’s how to fix it:
Make decisions quickly & collaboratively: Help your team come up with the answer, then run with it.
Explain your reasoning: Things will click when they know “why” and understand the context.
Stick to your choice: Unless something more pressing crops up, be confident in your decision.
Picture this: A client requests a last-minute change, but the deadline can’t move (sound familiar!?).
You bring the news back to the team, figure out a plan together, and you move forward without wasting time.
Everyone leaves a bit later in the day, but your client gets what they need and are super-happy with the results. That’s a win.
Clear decisions inspire confidence, help to grow your client relationships AND your Finance Director’s piggy bank 🥳
4. Resilience Speaks Volumes
Projects don’t always go to plan - fairly often!
How you respond to curveballs says a lot about your leadership. Showing your frustration will create a negative environment. If you’re upbeat and positive, then everyone will keep chugging along at full steam.
Here’s how to be resilient:
Stay solution-focused: Avoid dwelling on what went wrong. Instead, quickly pivot the conversation to solutions and next steps.
Be honest and calm: Acknowledge the issue without drama. A simple, “This is a bit of pain, but here’s how we’ll sort it out,” will keep emotions in check.
Show confidence in your team: Reassure them you trust them to handle the change. Confidence from you will inspire confidence in them.
When you’re resilient, you set the tone for adapting and thriving under pressure.
Instead of being frustrated with change, they’ll face it head-on and smash the new deadline.
5. Let your numbers do the talking
A progress update with good numbers will speak volumes. Especially with clients.
They’re a great way of speaking every stakeholders’ language, to show them progress in (hopefully!) the right direction.
Try percentages if you’re nearing the end of the project to make it look like you’re almost at the finish line.
Here’s how to weave number into your comms:
Highlight completed milestones: For example, “We’ve delivered 12 out of the 15 social ads this week, with the final three due Friday.”
Use percentages for big tasks: Instead of saying, “We’re halfway done,” say, “We’ve completed 50% of our UAT, and all high priority tests passed successfully.”
Tie progress to timelines: For example, “We’re 50% through the design phase, and we’ve achieved this milestone two days ahead of schedule.”
Strong communication, strong leadership
When your communication is clear and focused, your team will know exactly what they should work on next.
Your style is a reflection of your leadership, your ability to adapt, and your collaborative approach to getting things done.
When you focus on clear, honest, and results-driven communication, you create alignment, inspire confidence, and empower your team to perform their best.
Whether it’s showing calm during changes, using numbers to demonstrate progress, or leading with empathy, small shifts can make a big difference.
Why not take time to reflect on how you’re communicating and where you can improve.
And while you’re still here, grab your free checklist to help you consistently run great meetings.
Thanks again for reading.