Free Diagnostic Tool

7 communication skill gaps
your team doesn’t know it has

‘Fix communication’ isn’t a brief you can action. This tool gives you the exact priorities and the business case. Focus your budget where it matters most.

10 minutes 28 questions Instant results

Generic training fails

One-size-fits-all communication workshops don't address specific gaps. Resources are wasted on skills people already have.

🎯

Targeted training works

Organisations that diagnose gaps first see 25% productivity increases and conflicts reduced by one-third.

📋

How this works

Review each gap with your team in mind. Check the statements that apply. Your personalised results appear at the end.

‘The question isn’t whether your team has communication gaps – every team does. The question is: which specific gaps are silently eroding performance, trust and retention?’

– Vikki Maver, Founder, Communication Skills Academy

Here’s how it works

Below are seven common communication skill gaps. For each one, read through the signs and tick every statement that sounds like your team. Select as many as apply – most teams relate to several.

At the end you’ll get a personalised gap report. It includes a radar chart of your team’s profile, a priority matrix and practical next steps you can action straight away.

1

Clarity in written communication

0 of 4

How many emails did your team send this week that needed a follow-up just to explain the first one?

You might recognise these signs:
Emails that are too long and bury the point
Reports that confuse rather than inform
Constant follow-up questions on written comms
Misunderstandings from unclear instructions
Tick all that sound familiar
Team members' emails regularly exceed 3 paragraphs
You often need to clarify written instructions
Reports are returned for rewrites or clarification
Stakeholders complain about communication clarity

Quick wins to try

  1. Implement a ‘Bottom Line Up Front’ (BLUF) email standard
  2. Create templates for common communication types
  3. Peer review system for important documents

58% of employees feel more connected through purposeful written digital communication – making clarity critical in the remote era.

2

Difficult conversations avoidance

0 of 4

When did a manager on your team last have a conversation they'd been putting off for weeks?

You might recognise these signs:
Performance issues left unaddressed for months
Team conflicts that simmer without resolution
Managers who only give positive feedback
Avoidance of career-limiting conversations
Tick all that sound familiar
Performance issues are not addressed within 2 weeks of identification
Managers only give constructive feedback annually, not regularly
Conflicts persist rather than being surfaced and resolved
Team members don't know where they stand on performance

Quick wins to try

  1. Implement regular 1:1 frameworks
  2. Train managers on feedback models (SBI, COIN)
  3. Create psychological safety for honest conversations

Multi-generational workforces (five generations) create increased need for adaptive conversation skills across every level of the organisation.

3

Presentation & public speaking confidence

0 of 4

How many brilliant ideas are sitting unshared because someone was too nervous to present them?

You might recognise these signs:
Team members decline speaking opportunities
Presentations are read from slides, not delivered
Q&A sections cause visible anxiety
Important ideas not shared due to fear
Tick all that sound familiar
Team members don't volunteer for presentation opportunities
Presentations are not engaging or well-structured
Presenters struggle to handle questions with confidence
Subject matter experts cannot translate expertise to non-experts

Quick wins to try

  1. Create low-stakes practice opportunities (team meetings)
  2. Presentation templates with structure guides
  3. Video self-review practice

Only 10% of professionals rate themselves as confident presenters, yet 70% say presentation skills are critical for career advancement.

4

Stakeholder influence & persuasion

0 of 4

How many good proposals died last quarter – not because they lacked merit, but because nobody framed them for the right audience?

You might recognise these signs:
Good ideas get rejected or ignored
Proposals don't progress past initial review
Team members struggle to ‘sell’ internally
Lack of executive presence in meetings
Tick all that sound familiar
Proposals are typically not approved on first submission
Team members don't tailor messages to different audiences
Team members can’t articulate the ‘why’ behind recommendations
Ideas don't get traction across the organisation

Quick wins to try

  1. Audience analysis templates
  2. ‘What’s in it for them?’ framing practice
  3. Executive summary training

Research shows 85% of proposals that fail do so because of poor stakeholder framing – not technical merit. The ability to ‘sell’ ideas internally is a trainable skill.

5

Cross-generational communication

0 of 4

Could your 25-year-old and your 55-year-old collaborate on a project without friction?

You might recognise these signs:
Generational friction (‘millennials don’t...’ / ‘boomers always...’)
Different communication preferences causing conflict
Mentoring relationships that struggle to connect
Retention issues with specific age groups
Tick all that sound familiar
Different generations don't collaborate effectively on your team
There is a lack of respect for different communication preferences
Team members can't adapt their style to different colleagues
Mentoring relationships are not productive across age gaps

Quick wins to try

  1. Generational preference awareness sessions
  2. Reverse mentoring programmes
  3. Flexible communication channel policies

Five generations are now in the workforce simultaneously. Gen Z will represent 25% of the workforce by 2030 – making cross-generational skills essential.

6

Remote & hybrid communication

0 of 4

Does your team know when to Slack, when to email and when to just pick up the phone?

You might recognise these signs:
Zoom fatigue and disengagement
Important messages lost in async communication
Distributed teams feeling disconnected
Meeting overload to compensate for proximity loss
Tick all that sound familiar
Remote team members don't feel as connected as in-office staff
Virtual meetings are not productive or engaging
There is no clarity on when to use which communication channel
Complex discussions can't happen effectively via video

Quick wins to try

  1. Channel purpose guidelines (when to Slack vs email vs call)
  2. Virtual meeting best practices (cameras, engagement)
  3. Async communication protocols

Remote teams achieving productivity gains >25% have strong digital communication practices in place.

7

Executive presence & gravitas

0 of 4

Are your most talented people also your most visible – or are they being overlooked?

You might recognise these signs:
Team members not taken seriously by senior leaders
Ideas dismissed or attributed to others
Lack of confidence in high-stakes situations
Difficulty commanding attention in meetings
Tick all that sound familiar
Team members are not comfortable speaking up with executives
They don't project confidence in high-stakes situations
Contributions are not recognised or attributed correctly
They can't hold their own in challenging conversations

Quick wins to try

  1. Executive exposure opportunities (shadow meetings)
  2. Power posture and confidence coaching
  3. Contribution visibility training

High-potential employees without executive presence training are more likely to have contributions attributed to others. They’re also 40% less likely to be considered for senior roles.

The Business Case

What these gaps are costing your team

Research-backed estimates of annual productivity, turnover and opportunity costs.

Select your team size
Complete the assessment above to see your estimated cost of inaction.

Your team’s communication gap profile

Based on your self-assessment responses

‘Every team has communication gaps. The difference between high-performing teams and the rest? They know exactly which gaps to close first.’

– Vikki Maver, CSA

Priority matrix

Where to focus your training investment

Address Immediately
Complete the assessment above
Plan for Next Cycle
Monitor & Review
Low Priority
Higher severity Lower severity

Your top priority gaps

Focus here first for maximum impact

Complete the self-assessment above to see your personalised priority gaps.

You’ve identified your team’s skills gaps. Now close them.

Share your results with leadership, or talk to us about targeted training.

Discuss Closing These Gaps – Free 30min Call →