08-12-2025
Part One
Have you ever been in a situation or worked with someone where you felt like there was constant miscommunication? Unfortunately, this can be all too common and very frustrating to deal with. As we know, working and communicating with others is often one of the most challenging aspects of people’s jobs. Between various stakeholders who have different needs and wants combined with the various mediums we use to communicate throughout the day — emails, meetings, slack, and one-on-one’s, etc.. — it is hard to keep track of how to effectively reach various audiences.
If people want to become more effective communicators, the best place to start is by looking at and developing their own Emotional Intelligence. Emotional intelligence (EI) is a superpower that too many people don’t tap into. EI plays a critical role in how we see and understand the two sides of communication — the information we are receiving and the information we are sending.
So, what do you need to do to practice good emotional intelligence and improve communication exchanges? This article is the first in a two-part series that will discuss emotional intelligence and how it impacts how we communicate with others at work.
Emotional intelligence is like two sides of a coin. On one side is you and the other side is the audience with which you are communicating. In this article, we will start by understanding our audience first.
What does the audience need?
When we are sending an email or setting up a meeting, people will often consider only what they want from the communication exchange. However, when they think about the audience, especially who they are and what the audience needs, there is a much better chance of the communication exchange being successful.
Have you ever sent an email asking for information and a person responded with only a partial answer to your questions? That is a frustrating experience for two reasons: 1. You didn’t get the information you needed, and 2. Now you must take time to ask for it again. This can leave you thinking unfavorably about the person with whom you are communicating.
Most of the time in our communication exchanges, the audience simply needs information from us — maybe it is data or more context on a situation, or suggested ideas. For example, maybe a direct report needs more information for the report they are writing, so you make sure you send them everything they need through your company’s private server with enough time to write the report. Or maybe a supervisor needs you to provide them with the latest quarterly sales numbers and help brainstorm solutions on how to improve them.
When we think about what the audience needs, we are using emotional intelligence, and it is helping us to meet those needs because we are practicing being more thorough and effective communicators.
What does the audience care about?
At work, most of our audiences are going to care about getting tasks done well, but people also care about recognition and feeling valued, respected and appreciated. Consider this when you communicate with your audience. In addition to being responsive and thorough in our communication exchanges, saying please, thank you or giving praise when earned goes a long way in building connection and trust with your various audiences.
Try Empathy and Understanding
We can all have off days and sometimes communication exchanges at work take unexpected turns. Try to consider your audience’s point of view. If you know who your audience is, what they need, and what they care about, it will be much easier to empathize with them. For example, if you know that one of your colleague’s top strengths is responsibility and they can sometimes become frustrated when other teams are behind on a deliverable that their team counts on, you can talk to the colleague from a place of understanding and with a shared goal of addressing the issue. Don’t just assume they are not a nice person because they are upset — there is likely a reason driving the way they are communicating and acting. Stay calm, ask questions and show you are there to help solve the problem, and the situation will typically deescalate.
When we consider the audience first, we are practicing good emotional intelligence, because we are looking beyond ourselves and to others’ needs and wants. The audience notices and appreciates it and that makes us more valuable to them. In all these situations we are not just doing our jobs; we are going above and beyond to make sure the job is done well by building connection and trust with the people we work with.
Look for my second article on emotional intelligence in September, when we will discuss how to understand and navigate our emotions and mindset, which will help us to communicate better at work.
This blog post is part of a series written by Professor Kasie Roberson. This series is designed to share best practices in business communication. Each article highlights a business communication principle or idea and actionable strategies.
Kasie Roberson is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Organizational Behavior and Human Resources and Associate Director of Outreach and Coaching for the Center for Working Well at the Mitch Daniels School of Business at Purdue University.
A strategic communication expert, executive coach, and award-winning faculty member, Roberson is also the author of “Strategic Business Writing: A People-First Approach.”
If you are interested in scheduling Roberson as a speaker for your organization or company, please contact the Center for Working Well.
This blog post provides general insights and best practices for business communication. It is for informational purposes only and should not be considered coaching, consulting, or professional advice. Neither Professor Kasie Roberson, nor the Mitch Daniels School of Business, nor Purdue University are responsible for how readers apply this information in practice. Readers should use their discretion and seek professional guidance as needed.
