"Why are our best people walking away?"

It's easy to blame burnout, better offers, or shifting priorities. But dig a little deeper, and you'll find a common thread woven into almost every exit interview and disengagement report: Communication.

The Cost of Poor Communication

When communication breaks down, so does trust. And when trust disappears, so does engagement, performance, and retention.

In fact, communication is not just a reason people leave — it's the number one reason. According to a study by the Society for Human Resource Management, lack of transparent and meaningful communication is among the top drivers of employee turnover.

People don't just leave jobs. They leave misalignment. They leave confusion. They leave cultures where their voice doesn't matter.

The Culture You Communicate Is the Culture You Create

A thriving workplace isn't built on perks or ping-pong tables — it's built on how people talk to each other. And more importantly, how they feel when they're being talked with, not at.

If your team doesn't feel safe to speak up… If conflict is buried instead of addressed… If meetings leave people more confused than clear…

Then disengagement isn't just possible — it's inevitable.

What a Trusted Communication Culture Looks Like

A trusted communication culture is:

• Consistent – People know what to expect.
• Clear – Messages don't need translation.
• Empowering – Voices are heard and respected.
• Aligned – Everyone knows the mission and their role in it.

This doesn't happen by accident. It's trained, modeled, and reinforced — every day.

The question isn't if communication is costing your organization. The question is how much.

If you're not actively building a trusted communication culture, you're silently contributing to disengagement — and ultimately, turnover.

It's time to prioritize the one skill that underpins every result: Communication.