Communication Strategies for Startup Teams

When we founded Thoropass (then Laika), we memorialized a "first cut" at company values. Since then, we've iterated a ton. But this slide remains one of my favorites This "communication manifesto" is meant to be simple conversational rails to help balance trade-offs, evaluate options, use shared vocab, stay on point, mutually understand inputs, outputs, reporting methodologies, etc. When teams can't agree, when there are different interpretations of a result (e.g. some view a result/outcome as success while others don't), when priorities or feasibility or resource needs aren't mutually shared across a team or teams, etc., figuring out the cause of the impasse is key And, in my overwhelming experience, it's often that these common impasses are rooted in communication and can be resolved fairly easily with clearer comms where this mini guide can be super useful ** COMMUNICATION MANIFESTO ** 1️⃣ We restate our teammates’ points to confirm we understand each other 2️⃣ In debate, we explicitly specify what’s in/out of scope 3️⃣ When making decisions, we (a) establish what the desired outcome is and (b) establish the currency or measure(s) that we will use to compare alternatives 4️⃣ We stay on-point. We don’t switch topics. And we don’t confuse or merge two separate topics into one. 5️⃣ We assume that our teammates’ ideas are informed by valuable knowledge, experience, or data we may not have or know about 6️⃣ We default to the most charitable interpretation of our teammates perspectives in any conversation 7️⃣ We faithfully represent each other’s points-of-view in a way that they would recognize as their own even when they are not in the room #values #communication #teams #startups #founders

Framework Friday!  Keeping people in the loop. I had a great question recently from a coaching client about communicating things to the team. They had recently whiffed a bit on communicating something important to the team and were interested in helping themselves avoid this mistake in the future. I’ve found over the years that there are broadly four categories of things that require proactivity around how to communicate them.  Those four things are 1. Money - from big deals to new logos to financing and exit events. Money is never the purpose, but it is the oxygen. It’s what allows the business to operate, and people generally want to know what's up. 2. Initiatives - projects, new initiatives, or focused buckets of work that impact the company at large or big pieces of your organization. These efforts are usually spun up for a reason, and it’s critical to have a plan in place to help folks understand why and what we expect. 3. Products - new products, adjustments to products, product deprecation. Communicating when and why helps everyone feel fully a part of the team. 4. Leaders - new leaders or departures. These are probably the most likely to be speculated about and to fire up the rumor mill. The rumor mill absolutely sucks. Get out in front of these always. So now that our consciousness is raised about the kinds of things that will likely require us to communicate, what does a communication plan even look like?  A straightforward proposal: - What is the message - what are we actually going to say and why are we saying it? Generally speaking it’s best to make clear what’s changed, then to focus on the future - ie what will things look like as a result of this change, and to do your best to tell people why things are changing or happening. Be sure every word has a clear purpose. - Who needs to know - not everyone needs to know everything. Sometimes choosing to communicate more broadly represents a distraction for adjacent parties or groups. That said, always bias toward inclusion. Better to make the over-communication mistake than the under-communication one. Also, be conscious of the order of operations. For a C Level change, for example, first notify the C Level group, then notify that new C Level’s team, then perhaps an affected region or function, and then the whole company.  - What are the channels - in the above example, we probably want to notify the C level group and the new C Level’s team in person. After that, we can use more scalable communication channels like all-hands meetings, email, and internal message boards. Assume any email will be forwarded. Overall, the goal is to be conscious and intentional about choosing the message, the audience, and the channel. I've found that creating a shared document with relevant stakeholders in which each of these things is made explicit through documentation and collaboration, is probably the best way to bring this framework to life. What would you add, subtract, or change? #WTWYW

Silos are the enemy of growth. You should focus on preventing (or solving) them or it will measurably suppress revenue. The problem for most growth-stage startups: Awareness or Skills. How do you improve your awareness? – When was the last time you had a cross-functional meeting with stakeholders from sales, marketing, product, and customer success? – How often do you get customer data, research, insights, test results from other teams?  – Do you have common disagreements or misalignment on growth initiatives? There are many ways to spot it and it's pretty straightforward if you take the time to look around. That’s the easy part, but then you need the skills to break these silos down. There are 4 approaches to chip away at the problem. Approach #1: Modifying Workflows – Create a multi-step approvals process where you give visibility to other teams that have relevant insights or can add value (only on important initiatives) – Develop joint growth projects where different stakeholders are involved to get teams working together – Build collaboration into your growth plans/project timelines Approach #2: Communication – Use a shared slack channel to provide visibility and context, share insights – Host quarterly business review meetings where progress and high level insights are shared – Invite stakeholders to actionable meetings where they can provide guidance (i’m not trying to kill anyone with meetings, but sometimes this can avoid wasting lots of time and resources) Approach #3: Documentation – Share formal customer data, research, test results, and insights in an actionable format – Create a RACI chart that shows roles and responsibilities so there is no confusion – Build a “hub of insights” that is accessible for anyone in the startup to find valuable insights Approach #4: Technology – Use tools to blend qualitative and quantitative data – Data visualization can help non-data scientists understand what is happening in an easy format – Ensure everyone has access so data isn’t siloed These are some straightforward tactics, but they can have a profound impact over time. While I support the rise in popularity of GTM teams, there are still so many operational issues that exist. Shifting your mental model isn't enough. There needs to be tactical changes made that add up to an increased growth rate. It’s more important than ever that we utilize every lever available to find increment wins in growth. #gtm #startups #tripledigitgrowth

Co-founder Alignment: The Lifeline of Startup Success and Its Regular Pulse Check 🚀 Within the bustling world of startups, there’s an underlying force that often dictates their fate: the alignment between co-founders. That’s why I recommend my clients to conduct regular Alignment Checks where each cofounder enters a percentage point of their perceived alignment for each category of assessment. Here are my alignment check categories and some follow-up discussion questions. ❖ Vision: - "Has anything shifted in the way we view our future?" - "Are our long-term objectives still aligned?" ❖ Strategy: - "Are we both happy with the strategy we are employing right now?" - "Are there strategies we need to re-evaluate or adapt?" ❖ Roles & Responsibilities: - "Do we have clarity on our roles and responsibilities and are we happy with them?” - "Are there overlaps or gaps in our duties that need addressing?" - “Do we use each others strengths optimally?” ❖ Priorities: - "What do we believe needs immediate attention?" - "Are there projects or tasks that can be postponed for strategic gains?" ❖ Communication: ➢ Style: "How can we improve our communication style to make it more effective? " ➢ Frequency: "How often should we communicate?" ➢ Content: "What are the important things we should discuss?" “Are they any hard topics we are avoiding?” ❖ Culture: - "What behaviors do we want to encourage in our company?" - "Are there behaviors or practices we should actively discourage or address?" ❖ Messaging: - "Are we consistent in our messaging to employees, investors, and the media?" - "Is our brand narrative still in sync with our vision and values?" Now, while this alignment is pivotal, maintaining it requires vigilance. Co-founders should schedule **regular alignment checks**, ensuring they're continually on the same page. It’s akin to a periodic health checkup, essential for the long-term vitality of the startup. #founders #startup #success #leadership

Ever feel like your team meetings are just a bunch of talking heads? You're not alone… But what if I told you the key to unlocking better collaboration, higher engagement, and stronger results lies in something often overlooked? Active listening is more than just keeping quiet while someone speaks… It's about truly paying attention, understanding the speaker's intent, showing the speaker you understand them, and responding thoughtfully I recently coached an David (an engineering manager) on this His team was brimming with talent, but constantly missing deadlines, struggling to collaborate, and fixing mistakes that were caused by misunderstandings David noticed frustration and a lack of engagement, and after digging a little deeper, we identified a core problem… Team members weren't actively listening to each other! Ideas were interrupted, and some felt their voices weren't valued, which created a culture of hesitation and hindered creative problem-solving But changing a team culture starts at the top… Through coaching, David honed his active listening skills and implemented these practices with his team: **Give Full Attention:** David learned to silence distractions, make eye contact, and truly focus on the speaker. This simple act communicated respect and encouraged open communication **Practice Reflection and Paraphrasing:** David began summarizing key points to ensure everyone was on the same page, which clarified understanding and fostered trust **Ask Clarifying Questions:** David encouraged questions to delve deeper into ideas and build upon each other's thoughts, which fostered a more collaborative environment **Embrace Silence:** David created space for thoughtful responses instead of jumping in to fill pauses, which allowed for deeper reflection and richer discussions **Active Listening for All:** David encouraged team members to practice active listening with each other, which fostered a culture of mutual respect and understanding These simple practices produced remarkable results! Communication improved dramatically, deadlines were met, innovation soared, and the team thrived on collaboration because everyone felt empowered to share ideas freely, knowing they would be heard Implement these active listening techniques in your next team meeting and see the difference! #Leadership #CivilEngineering #SoftwareEngineering

When onboarding a new team member, a recent experience with asynchronous collaboration brought a humbling revelation. As I was onboarding her to our tech stack, I uncovered a blind spot in communications within our project management software, Asana. 📝 In the meticulous notes I left for myself a while ago in one of the Asana projects, I had cut and pasted some language from an email to a client that included the word "YOU". 🤔 I failed to consider the potential confusion for my new team member. It hadn't occurred to me that she would interpret that "YOU" to be referencing her. ⚠️ What I had put in Asana as notes became unintended directives for the new Virtual Work Insider team member! The result? 📉 A cascade of actions on her end, each based on a misinterpretation of my notes. ⏳ This was an inefficient use of her time and effort that were invested in tasks that weren't needed or intended. The fix? 🔄 Once I realized what had happened we had a great discussion about how I would change my note-taking behavior in shared Asana projects to make the async communication clearer and we refined on our norms for how new requests would come through to her. My aha moment made we want to share some actionable insights for seamless onboarding in asynchronous settings. ✅ Precision in Messaging: Avoid vague language and ensure that your notes are explicitly for personal use and directives to others are clearly marked as tasks. ✅ Establish Communication Norms: Kickstart the collaboration by setting expectations on how tools like Asana are used. Establish a shared understanding of communication conventions to avoid misinterpretations. ✅ Feedback Loop: Create an open channel for feedback. Encourage your team to seek clarification if something seems ambiguous. This proactive approach can avoid potential misunderstandings. What would you add to this list? 👇 #virtualleadership #hybridleadership #hybridwork #async

How Sam leads a Marketing team: Communication. During one of my college classes, many moons ago, a guest presenter visited our group one day. They were from a big strategy consulting firm (either McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, or Bain). During the presentation from a consultant, they spoke about a project ranking hundreds of business skills. Hard skills. Soft skills. Quantifiable skills. Unquantifiable skills. All ranked together in a single survey responded to by thousands of people. And you know what the number one skill they found that impacted professionals across every industry, job function, and level - and what leaders valued the most? ⚡ Communication. ⚡ Not strategy. Not management. Not finance. Not [insert software program title]. Not being a savant. It was all about communication, start to finish, top to bottom, bottom to top, and everywhere in between. That lesson has stuck with me, influences my own engagement strategy today, and how I lead teams in marketing. Here are a few examples: ✔ Collaboration: use asynchronous approach where folks can add ideas whenever creative inspiration strikes (think Slack, Discord, Teams), never call someone on the phone randomly to sync ✔ Email: update subject line to actual topic whenever it changes to make later searches more effective, respond directly to sender, start with Why to add context ✔ Live Conversations: practice active listening, where I repeat back key points to ensure clarity ✔ Onboarding: ask how a person likes to receive recognition (group setting, one-one-one setting, via email), share separate timelines for HR onboarding and team onboarding ✔ Presentations: focus on common language, skip using confusing jargon and acronyms wherever possible ✔ Social Media: use a Prolific Engagement Strategy on posts, comments, DMs, and profile viewers ✔ Timing: proactively get back to people without being asked, provide interim updates even if no final answer available ✔ Underperformance: clarify if I communicated goals clearly, and the strategy/tactics to reach them “But isn’t it a super basic bucket, where we all communicate every day - text, calls, meetings, etc. - and it’s simply standard operating procedure to communicate at a decent level?” Negative ghostrider. If we were to think about amazing acts of communications in the past, and then put them side-by-side with poor ones, they would look - and feel - quite a bit different. Communication is one of those buckets that I like to classify as: simple, but not easy. If the audience doesn’t “get it,” many folks are quick to point fingers out the window. Instead, let’s look in the mirror on how to be better at communication - and be patient with results. When I went on a tangent explaining something to my mom, she said: “Sam, I asked for your two cents, not your two dollars worth!” 😂 So, I’m working on being more succinct as well. (And I still somehow speak in 3rd person perspective occasionally. 😊)

How I create a sense of teamwork... Success is a collective effort, not the result of one individual. Here are tips for supportive teams! 🚀 Create a shared vision and goals • What is the team working towards? • What is the motivation to put in 100%? When each person understands how critical their actions and ideas are, they become much more engaged and eager to work towards a shared objective. But don't assume that the team recognizes how critical a role they play. Communicate repeatedly how they contribute, the benefits of their contribution, and the end results. 🚀 Foster a culture of communication • Does the team ask each other questions? • How often does the team seek input? For teams to work together, they need to communicate often and with clarity. Feedback, questions, and advice needs to flow up, down, and around the team hierarchy. Employ tools for communication and promote transparency. For example, meetings and processes exist in a shared wiki. Slack provides asynchronous communication. Standups, team meetings, and opportunities to brainstorm together are a regular part of daily, weekly, and monthly schedules. 🚀 Provide the chance for collaboration • Who owns tasks or projects? • Are resources shared? Siloed information can exist within a team. For example, person A has created spreadsheets that would benefit everyone, but they aren't shared. Or person B is pulling out their hair with new and unfamiliar software, even though person C is an expert. Create opportunities for each person to share resources, assistance, and ideas. 🚀 Address bullying, microaggressions, and conflict • Who never volunteers ideas in meetings? Why? • Does the atmosphere ever shift for the worse? Let's hope that a person misspeaks rather than intentionally belittles a team member. "You didn't know that?!" is a favorite example of an unintentional putdown. It signals that everyone else knows the information, just not the person. In short, it means: "Are you stupid?!" Address any problems as soon as possible, if not immediately. When people don't feel safe volunteering ideas, they will not readily work as a team. PS. What do you do to foster teamwork? 🔔 Follow Chris Cotter for more on #leadership.

Every founder wants team communication to feel effortless. (3 easy steps to achieve that) When your team is spread across time zones and cultures, smooth communication has to be designed. Because: Timezone gaps = disturbing personal time. People can’t just “pop by” for clarification. Small questions become blockers. The good news? It is doable —it just takes focus and the right approach. 3 things to set up: Set core working hours ↳ Create a 2–4 hour window of overlap daily. ↳ This keeps collaboration easy without forcing availability. Ensure transparency ↳ Use tools like Slack, Notion, or ClickUp. ↳ Everyone should know:  ‣ What’s been done.  ‣ What’s in motion.  ‣ What’s blocked. Check in on more than just work ↳ Weekly pulse checks go a long way. ↳ Ask how they’re doing, not just what they’re doing. Use complete messages ↳ Predict questions before they’re asked. ↳ Add all info—context, links, files—in one thread. Default to async first ↳ Use Loom or Slack voice notes for updates. ↳ Save live calls for decisions, not discussions. When communication works, projects move faster. Problems get solved earlier. And your team stays engaged, without burning out. What’s helped your remote team stay aligned?👇 Helpful?  ♻️Please share to help others. 🔎Follow Michael Shen for more.

I constantly ask myself, "How can we achieve more?" At VAUNT, especially as an early-stage startup, we often need to adapt our approaches as we scale and as our team spreads across the globe. One of the most effective tools we’ve implemented to manage this dynamic environment is our Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Our SOP serves as an internal wiki, hosted on Notion, that combines written documents and video tutorials(filmed with Loom). This approach helps ensure that all team members, no matter where they are, can quickly understand and execute their tasks effectively. *I need to give credit where credit is due. I saw this during one of Tiago Forte’s videos, where he was explaining how he operates. Here’s a look at what some of the SOP titles include: How we work with our marketing agency: Guidelines that detail our collaboration processes. Template for emails for onboarding clients: Standardized templates to ensure consistency and save time. How we onboard clients: A comprehensive guide that ensures every client receives a uniform and quality experience. Our SOP is essential for keeping our team aligned and informed. It's designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, with documents and videos that are easy to search and follow. And each and one of my team members needs to add something inside it every time they use it. Keeping our SOP updated really helps us run things smoothly. It saves time and gives our team the freedom and confidence to do their jobs well. As we grow and expand, having this tool is crucial to make sure everyone's on the same page. What strategies have you implemented in your startup to enhance operational efficiency? I’d love to hear your insights and exchange ideas! #OperationalExcellence #StartupLife #TeamAlignment #Efficiency #ScalingStartups